Little Known Fact About Moi
There's a a little known fact about me that I keep on the QT for no particular reason. For some reason I'm gonna tell you. I like trains. I don't love them to the extent that I collect them or have the need to travel to train museums, but I like them. My favorite exhibit at the Franklin Institute is the train room. There's a working locomotive on a track. The trip is a minute, but I loved it. As a child I couldn't wait to get on that train. It was the last thing I'd do on every trip to the museum.
It has always been a dream of mine to take a trip on the Orient Express. Like most people I've romanticized the idea of a long train ride. Thanks to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock, I also imagine that there might be a fair bit of intrigue. Mind you I don't want to be embroiled in a murder investigation, but if the train were stopped and searched it would be thrilling. Don't you think?
I have taken 2 major train trips. One was from Philadelphia to Savannah on Amtrak. I would advise that no one ever take a long trip on Amtrak. Had it been my first train trip it would have burst my bubble. I liked having my little compartment to myself. I was not happy with the idea that it was double occupancy. My knees were more than halfway to the opposite seat. When I stretched my legs, my feet almost hit the back of said seat. I'm not even going to discuss the toilet situation. My first trip wasn't as comfortable. I took the chunnel train from London to Paris. It was great. The look of the train on the outside doesn't hint to the beautiful inside. The woodwork and doors alone were enough to satisfy me. Actually, it wasn't, but I got caught trying to sneak into first class. *cheesy grin*
I've started researching my trip to Japan and while I've never wanted to take a bullet train, I've come to realize their importance. If I want to do half the things I'd like, it will require train trips or stays in several cities. I already have plans to stay in Osaka and Tokyo, but there's Kyoto, Okinawa, Yokohama, Hiroshima, etc. I had thought I'd combine Japan with China, but Beijing will have to wait.
One reason I was put off by Japanese trains was the number of people. I don't like crowds. I was afraid of being smooshed or of having boobs rubbed like a genie would appear granting 3 wishes. I've come to realize the smooshing happens on public transportation. My hope is to be out and about before or after their rush hours. I guess first I have to find out if Tokyo has a rush hour. With 1 billion people they may be rushed all day.
Trains must occupy my unconscious mind. I took a cat nap earlier today. In one of those little nappies I had a dream that I was on a train with Tia and J from Kyoto to Tokyo. We had to share our comparatively spacious compartment (compared to my Amtrak one) with 3 gorgeous guys. Yes, it was a chore. Somehow I took on the task of mixing us drinks (iced green tea w/bourbon). I drank plain. The others drank glass after glass forgetting the bourbon except one. The guy, let's call him Yuya, sitting directly opposite from me at the window only drank one. The others left the compartment because I asked them not to use the restroom in the compartment. I didn't trust the guys not to pee on the floor and I didn't want to smell urine for the rest of the trip. Yuya and I got to talking (in my perfect world he spoke fluent English and I fluent Japanese... did you know I was taking classes?) and I remarked "This reminds me of the train to Hogwarts." Yuya says to me that's where we're headed. I looked out the window and damned if we weren't on our way to Hogwarts. That's all there was to it.
I'd love to pick that dream back up. More importantly, I'd like to get a clearer picture of my trip in my mind. Wish me luck!
It has always been a dream of mine to take a trip on the Orient Express. Like most people I've romanticized the idea of a long train ride. Thanks to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock, I also imagine that there might be a fair bit of intrigue. Mind you I don't want to be embroiled in a murder investigation, but if the train were stopped and searched it would be thrilling. Don't you think?
I have taken 2 major train trips. One was from Philadelphia to Savannah on Amtrak. I would advise that no one ever take a long trip on Amtrak. Had it been my first train trip it would have burst my bubble. I liked having my little compartment to myself. I was not happy with the idea that it was double occupancy. My knees were more than halfway to the opposite seat. When I stretched my legs, my feet almost hit the back of said seat. I'm not even going to discuss the toilet situation. My first trip wasn't as comfortable. I took the chunnel train from London to Paris. It was great. The look of the train on the outside doesn't hint to the beautiful inside. The woodwork and doors alone were enough to satisfy me. Actually, it wasn't, but I got caught trying to sneak into first class. *cheesy grin*
I've started researching my trip to Japan and while I've never wanted to take a bullet train, I've come to realize their importance. If I want to do half the things I'd like, it will require train trips or stays in several cities. I already have plans to stay in Osaka and Tokyo, but there's Kyoto, Okinawa, Yokohama, Hiroshima, etc. I had thought I'd combine Japan with China, but Beijing will have to wait.
One reason I was put off by Japanese trains was the number of people. I don't like crowds. I was afraid of being smooshed or of having boobs rubbed like a genie would appear granting 3 wishes. I've come to realize the smooshing happens on public transportation. My hope is to be out and about before or after their rush hours. I guess first I have to find out if Tokyo has a rush hour. With 1 billion people they may be rushed all day.
Trains must occupy my unconscious mind. I took a cat nap earlier today. In one of those little nappies I had a dream that I was on a train with Tia and J from Kyoto to Tokyo. We had to share our comparatively spacious compartment (compared to my Amtrak one) with 3 gorgeous guys. Yes, it was a chore. Somehow I took on the task of mixing us drinks (iced green tea w/bourbon). I drank plain. The others drank glass after glass forgetting the bourbon except one. The guy, let's call him Yuya, sitting directly opposite from me at the window only drank one. The others left the compartment because I asked them not to use the restroom in the compartment. I didn't trust the guys not to pee on the floor and I didn't want to smell urine for the rest of the trip. Yuya and I got to talking (in my perfect world he spoke fluent English and I fluent Japanese... did you know I was taking classes?) and I remarked "This reminds me of the train to Hogwarts." Yuya says to me that's where we're headed. I looked out the window and damned if we weren't on our way to Hogwarts. That's all there was to it.
I'd love to pick that dream back up. More importantly, I'd like to get a clearer picture of my trip in my mind. Wish me luck!