I wanted to post something serious today, but as luck would have it I had to go to Narita to meet a new employee today. Being the junior guy in terms of time on the job, but yet having significant time in Japan, I was volunteered asked if I would do it. So I took the train up to Narita and met the van that was going to bring all of us back to the city.
The war in Lebanon will be with us for a few more years weeks so there is time to pontificate later. Good days only come along every so often, for bad news: there is always time. So today I indulged in one of my favorite things to do: people watching.
My target today was Shinagawa station. Its the third busiest station in Tokyo and on a Saturday full of people. It was even busier today because today is the Sumida fireworks over in Asakusa, so folks come to Shinagawa to catch the Mita subway or the Keikyu line to get there. Shinagawa has also undergone a massive renovation so that folks can catch the Tokaido Shinkansen (bullet train) and the Narita express. When I first came to Japan one could not do that, so its much improved from those days. Plus its full of women…always. Take a peek for yourself:
Must be early, it was more crowded today!
Anyway……….
Because I am too lazy to buy a transfer ticket and I needed to recharge my JR card, I exited the station downstairs and then had to go back up to the JR side. As I passed the Lawson’s, I saw a girl standing in a gold , short, dress. She was fluffing her hair and looking around anxiously. Not necessarily a beauty, but not scary either. What I found interesting was that she was wearing high heels and a dress that the hemline was much higher in the front than the back. Someone will have to tell me what the name is for that. Truth be told it was pretty sexy. She either was a hooker (which I strongly doubt) or she was waiting for a date, and judging by her nervousness, a first or important one. The giveway of course was the pocket mirror, repeatedly opened, and the amount of time she kept going back to her hair. Watched this for about 5 minutes, wishing all the while I was the guy she was going to meet; then I headed up the escalator.
At the top of which I noticed two major things going on. One was a line of people with fans ( The Japanese style paddle fans……) waiting in line. The second of which was a group of young people waiting to get Pikachu caps. Not sure what they had to pay or sign up for, but there sure were a lot of them. What is the attraction of this guy anyway?
There was not one of these……
Just this:
Moving on……….
Went through the toll gate heading for platform 13 and the Narita express. Saw one of Spike’s Shibuya girls.. Someday some one will have to explain to me the attraction of orange hair. To me, its like seeing a tattoo on girl. All it does is scream, “I’m easy!” (which is not necessarily a bad thing……..).
Boarded the train and went to Narita. At Narita, I was there at the witching hour (#1). That’s when the NW flight from Manila arrives at the same time as the Korean Air flight from Seoul. It means there are hordes ( and I do mean hordes) of Filipinos with tied up cardboard boxes and Koreans looking for other Koreans. Inter- mixed are tired Americans and Japanese who have to make the long and intolerable flight from Dallas on American.
And you guessed it, the folks I was there to meet were virtually the last people off the plane. Some things never change.
Lots of good people watching though. Everyone needs a hobby and this one of mine………