(no subject)
I was supposed to leave for Tokyo tomorrow. Having long been physically and mentally ready to leave, I was held up only by various bits of foul paperwork. The process is not that complicated, but it does take a fair amount of time. Other delays with the documents that I needed to begin held me back further, but I had successfully endured them and would have my visa well before I left, unlike the last few times. I planned out my itinerary with HR about a week ago, and everything seemed fine when I called the consulate on Wednesday. I even knew the man who answered the phone from a few Japanese classes we'd had a year or so ago. He assured me that everything was all right, and that he was just about to stamp my passport.
Still, Saturday came and went and my visa didn't arrive yet, which means that I won't be able to make my flight on Monday morning. Which means....well, you can probably figure out what it means. So I'll be arriving in Tokyo a few days later than I expected, even though in all likelihood I'll get my visa on Monday afternoon. This doesn't really anger me, though not much does anymore. Instead, I only feel the mild irritation that one feels when some unexpected incident causes a bit of trouble. I suppose that if I were in some place where I didn't mind being and my friends were close by, I wouldn't really mind at all. Such is not the case now, though I don't feel like going into the details.
When I do leave, I will have a fresh new visa, a stack of bills in my wallet, and quite a number of friends waiting for me in Tokyo. With all of the time I have on my hands, I've had plenty of time to plan out the situation. I'll arrive at Narita airport and take a bus that will drop me off near the furnished apartment I'll be living in for a while. I'll call HR and let them know that I've arrived, and once that has been taken care of I'll get a new cellular phone. The one I'm planning on buying comes in a shade of orange that's best described as "wonderfully gaudy." I'll change into my East German Army shirt, which turned up today after being missing for a few months. It's pretty basic but I do enjoy wearing it. I'll use my new phone to round up some friends, and we'll catch up over the food that has been haunting my memories lately.
Still, Saturday came and went and my visa didn't arrive yet, which means that I won't be able to make my flight on Monday morning. Which means....well, you can probably figure out what it means. So I'll be arriving in Tokyo a few days later than I expected, even though in all likelihood I'll get my visa on Monday afternoon. This doesn't really anger me, though not much does anymore. Instead, I only feel the mild irritation that one feels when some unexpected incident causes a bit of trouble. I suppose that if I were in some place where I didn't mind being and my friends were close by, I wouldn't really mind at all. Such is not the case now, though I don't feel like going into the details.
When I do leave, I will have a fresh new visa, a stack of bills in my wallet, and quite a number of friends waiting for me in Tokyo. With all of the time I have on my hands, I've had plenty of time to plan out the situation. I'll arrive at Narita airport and take a bus that will drop me off near the furnished apartment I'll be living in for a while. I'll call HR and let them know that I've arrived, and once that has been taken care of I'll get a new cellular phone. The one I'm planning on buying comes in a shade of orange that's best described as "wonderfully gaudy." I'll change into my East German Army shirt, which turned up today after being missing for a few months. It's pretty basic but I do enjoy wearing it. I'll use my new phone to round up some friends, and we'll catch up over the food that has been haunting my memories lately.