Lost In The Supermarket (Probably Eventually...)

Next time I go traveling, the first thing on my list will be a compass.
I thought it was very coincidental that I was listening to 'Lost In The Supermarket' by The Clash this morning and I got myself very lost again today for the third time. Every time I have gotten lost, it has been entirely because I never know which direction I am facing. As I was going over the directions with Nishio-sensei to where I was heading today, John said, "Make sure you get on the train going south." Right....towards....the ocean...which is...where again? I know what you are thinking. 'Brittany, you have been living in Japan for over a month now. Shouldn't you know how to get from place to place?' Well, let me tell you something. We, in Vancouver, are completely spoiled by those big mountains and that huge sparkling ocean. You hardly have to think at all to know which way is north. Not to mention, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, East Vancouver...it's like a child named our city! In Japan, if you don't know which way north is at all times, well, good luck. And you'd better know which way you are traveling all the time because once you realize you've gone wrong, backtracking is a real pain (if you even remember which way you came from- yes, I've gotten lost that way too). And another thing: you try finding your way out of a huge train station where all the signs and maps are in Kanji. No, not hiragana or katakana (the two Japanese alphabets I can actually read) but Kanji- the most ridiculously complicated script you can imagine. You know those symbols that people like to get tattooed on themselves? Well, that is an actual form of writing. A very common form. There are thousands of them and they are completely impossible for any foreigner to understand. But they are everywhere. It's like some cruel joke the Japanese (and Chinese) are playing. Oh, they'll write the station name in hiragana once you've gotten to the wrong station just so you can read it then and realize that you have gone in the opposite direction. I'm sure they find it hilarious to watch the foreigners get off a train only to walk to the other side of the platform to catch a train in the opposite direction, making it completely obvious that they made a rather stupid mistake. In many train stations, they will very kindly mark the north exit and the south exit but then proceed to take you on a wild journey through the train station turning you in every direction so by the time you are outside you have absolutely no idea which direction you are facing (this has been my downfall a few times now). Large train stations often will have multiple train lines with multiple entry points, multiple subway lines (better not get on the wrong one) bus stations at every exit, staircases and escalators in every direction and all the signs are in Japanese. Imagine, if you will, if M.C. Escher designed a train station that he modeled after Heathrow Airport with no English signs and you will understand how I feel everyday.
On the bright side, getting lost gives me ample opportunity to practice my poor Japanese on sweet, unsuspecting school children (my guide book says they are less likely to be afraid of you and will answer your questions more simply). Here's a sentence to remember if you ever travel in Japan, "Sumimasen. Kono densha wa _____ ni ikimasuka?"(Excuse me, does this train go to ___?)If you are as lucky as me, 100% of the time you will get a rather shocked expression followed by, "Ikanai!" (Nope, doesn't go there.) Lately, I've been trying to say it quietly to the person sitting next to me so that only they know what a pathetic excuse for an independent traveler I am (there's no use really, everyone on the train is already staring at me and probably straining to hear how my Japanese sounds or whether I will speak English). Here's another one for you, "____ wa doko desska?" (Where is ____?) Now, using this sentence may presuppose that you know a bit of Japanese and will usually attract a long response spoken at light speed. In that case, choose a direction, any direction will do, and say "Soko?" (Over there?). I find they usually slow down, walk you a bit of the way or just give up speaking to you, point you in the right general direction and leave. Any are helpful, really (I find the more meekly I say it with a sad sort of confused expression, the more helpful they are). Make sure to thank them before you take off, of course (gotta keep up that Canadian courtesy!). Arigato (pronounced ah-li-ga-toe), arigato gozaimasu (ah-li-ga-toe-go-za-i-mass) or domo arigato gozaimasu if you want to really thank them. I usually say it with a bit of a tone that reflects, "I am such a pathetic foreigner, thank you for taking pity on me."
I found out today that I only really care about being late before I am late. Afterward, well who cares, I am already late, I don't see how it can get much worse.
It's getting a bit sad, actually. I'm finding I am unwilling to try and go places on my own for fear that I will get lost. I can't google map anything because it all comes up in Japanese (darn Kanji) so I am left, compass-less, to guess and test my way across this country with only my Lonely Planet book to guide me. Unfortunately, Lonely Planet doesn't have anything to say about my little town of Chiryu or the neighbouring town of Kariya where I was trying to go today. However, on the bright side, I now know what lies in every direction from Chiryu train station: West- Nagoya, East- Okazaki, South- Kariya, North- wrong way.

I didn't do much this week of any interest, really. Went back to Nagoya briefly to see a friend's band's concert, got sick and stayed home for a couple of days, went to a Denmark-themed park that was aptly named Denpark. For those of you who know what a pun-loving person I am, you know I was very entertained by this.

Fingers crossed I don't get lost on the way to my bed...

Missing Canada..

Britt♥

I miss the ability to eavesdrop on strangers' conversations when I am bored on the bus.