14:56

Boingo

What is Boingo?   The wi-fi network in the Narita Airport.   It’s Bingo slightly off-spelt.  It is Murphy’s law.

Train and subway services were suspended again unexpectedly this morning.  The suspension was supposed to run from  11:00 to 17:00, but the suspension was there right there and then when I arrived at the station at 10:20 a.m.  “Is there going to be a scheduled energy release at the nuclear plant, or is it a practice to conserve energy?” I wondered.  But either way, this was not a good sign.

Got together with a young Chinese couple with two children from Bangkok….took the taxi….then the Airport Bus to Narita Airport.  A 2 hour trip.  I told the couple whether the flights were operating or not, we ARE going to stay out at the Airport, the closest point of exit.   Who knows what is going to happen next?  Roads, not only railways, may be closed too and with no little or no advance notice.  I don’t blame the government in crisis like this.

At the airport…. crowds, lineup’s, blankets (on the floor…must be from last night), panics, food and drinks out (the only food supply was the few Bento boxes on the shelf in the waiting area), people sleeping on the floor.  Strike a conversation with some UA air hostesses.  They are not on duty, but like me, they are finding their way out of the country (for them, it’s to Chicago).   One of them said she is not going to fly this route again….too stressful for her.  We shared our experience … gym…the cold cold gym (they were not fortunate enough to have an alternative like what I had up at Nikko) and the fear of the nuclear plant meltdown that made them decide to go on the dot.

The wi-fi is slow.  Jams again!

No time to buy any seaweed on the way to the train station.  Only have time to reload the phone card since it was a concurrent operation with the check-out at the hotel.  Finding food, let alone seaweed in Narita, is difficult.  Imagine this is an international high traffic airport!  Good that I still have my supply of chocolate, almonds and raisins.

Met more UA air hosts and hostesses again in the waiting area.  None are on duty….all finding their way home…Honolulu, England etc.  And…got a chance to use their wi-fi network which works faster.

2011 March 14   (Monday)   08:49

Getting ready…..

All things have been packed.  It’ a matter of checking out.  The plane is not leaving till 17:10, so there is some time to kill before the latest train of 12:47 to be on time 3 hours before departure. 

I made my round of calls to my family members.

As usual, I fill my thermos mug with tea for the road.

Will load up the phone card before I leave the hotel just in case…..despite it is almost impossible to get thru any LAN lines.

Will pick up some seaweed from the convenience store on the way to the train station…and will arrive early at the airport to stay indoors as much as possible.  I don’t think the store sells iodine. This is not pressing the panic button.  I simply don’t want to end up as a burden to my family for whatever radiation I get.   (It’s good at least it is not raining now.)

My daughter told me there is a saying in Canada that the Japanese authority is playing down on the seriousness of the nuclear plant matter.  But I told her that this is management practice.  You cannot panic yourself despite you know well it is dangerous.  This is to calm the people around you.  All you can do is to put your best forward to contain and control the situation. 

Ueno Park is just right next to the Keisei Train Station where I will board the train to the airport.   Well, I will pull my luggage with me (good that I travel light…only a small suitcase and a duffle hand-carry bag) and check out the cherry blossom before I take the train.  Yesterday, I saw a blossomed tree close by the garden of the Imperial Palace.

I will miss the kind-hearted people I met here in Japan….my host in Nikko who offered me, when I turned up unexpectedly the second night in his guesthouse, a bowl of rice and a coleslaw (their salad and vegetable); his constant update of the disaster situation and his advice…..the hotel frontdesk staff here in Tokyo….the hotel’s kind gesture of refunding me for nights I can’t stay due to the disaster….Aeroplan which allowed me to change flights without charge on a ticket redeemed with travel points in this emergency situation…the girl from Chekiang, China whom I met and had a trip-long conversation (in Mandarin!) on the train from Nikko….the two French boys who left Nikko the morning of the disaster for Kyoto (I hope they arrived safely)….and to those who have to stay behind.

Growing too sentimental?  Yes and no…but just in case the energy in the nuclear plant has to be released!