Buildings built on buildings
Meager farmlands in shadows of industry
Eyes cast to the ground
Hierachy is king here
Strangers here a curiosity
To be studied from a distance
Soldier ants from here to there
Build this, tear this down
Grow this, destroy this
Do not question, just obey
Party hearty when you can
Tomorrow your an ant again
Ancient temples of the Gods
Give us strength to carry on
Drink hard when drink is given
Pay the pretty whore for three
Tie your prayers high in the tree
Your body and home belong to another
Only your spirit is free...
9.28.2006
The flight to Japan
Dec 8-9, 2005
I got on the plane for Japan early the next morning. There were only eleven on standby, so I was able to fly first class. ALWAYS appreciated! Because of the direction of the flight, it was about fourteen hours, yet they served two lunches instead of lunch and dinner.
About halfway through the flight I was awakened by a very tall, very broad, blonde Norse God-type that started asking me some funny questions. Where was I from, what line of work was I in, what was my name. My first thought was that he must be someone from Airline Security, and that somehow I'd set off some mysterious security alert. Beware the sleeping girl with the long black tresses!
After a minute an older Japanese man in the 1st row walked back to join us. Within seconds it became obvious that the Blonde Hulk worked for the Japanese man in some kind of bodyguard position. He'd been sent over to "feel me out" before the master decended from his throne.
I was quite amused to watch the airline stewardesses going out of their way to avoid causing these men any distress. They were trying to serve the meal, and were actually walking all the way down the other aisle and coming back up from coach on our side to reach the passengers that were blocked by this mysterious Japanese mogul.
I suppose even mystery men need to eat, because he eventually returned to his seat, and was waited on immediately. I munched down the food that was brought to me, and then drifted off to sleep again. I was still in quite a bit of pain from the car accident, so I slept whenever I got the chance.
About an hour or two from landing my mysterious Japanese friend and his Blonde Hero returned. They again woke me up to hear more about my travels and lifestyle. I found it interesting that they both asked if I was a model, and if I'd ever worked in Japan before. I assured them that while I had modelled a bit in my youth, I had never done so in Japan. The older man looked like he didn't believe me, and I was wondering if he'd had some lurid affair with a model that looked like me in the past.
The plane was now landing, and even the stewardesses had buckled themselves in. Yet they didn't seem to wish bothering my gentlemen friends to sit down for the landing. Apparently the Blonde man decided it was a bit unsafe for his companion however, and escorted him back to his seat.
What a strange flight!! We landed without any difficulty, and as I was closer to the door than my two mystery men, I made a polite escape. They were both very handsome and successful looking fellows, but I was starting to wonder how many niave American girls vanished in Japan after meeting just such men.
Next: My Arrival in Japan >>
I got on the plane for Japan early the next morning. There were only eleven on standby, so I was able to fly first class. ALWAYS appreciated! Because of the direction of the flight, it was about fourteen hours, yet they served two lunches instead of lunch and dinner.
About halfway through the flight I was awakened by a very tall, very broad, blonde Norse God-type that started asking me some funny questions. Where was I from, what line of work was I in, what was my name. My first thought was that he must be someone from Airline Security, and that somehow I'd set off some mysterious security alert. Beware the sleeping girl with the long black tresses!
After a minute an older Japanese man in the 1st row walked back to join us. Within seconds it became obvious that the Blonde Hulk worked for the Japanese man in some kind of bodyguard position. He'd been sent over to "feel me out" before the master decended from his throne.
I was quite amused to watch the airline stewardesses going out of their way to avoid causing these men any distress. They were trying to serve the meal, and were actually walking all the way down the other aisle and coming back up from coach on our side to reach the passengers that were blocked by this mysterious Japanese mogul.
I suppose even mystery men need to eat, because he eventually returned to his seat, and was waited on immediately. I munched down the food that was brought to me, and then drifted off to sleep again. I was still in quite a bit of pain from the car accident, so I slept whenever I got the chance.
About an hour or two from landing my mysterious Japanese friend and his Blonde Hero returned. They again woke me up to hear more about my travels and lifestyle. I found it interesting that they both asked if I was a model, and if I'd ever worked in Japan before. I assured them that while I had modelled a bit in my youth, I had never done so in Japan. The older man looked like he didn't believe me, and I was wondering if he'd had some lurid affair with a model that looked like me in the past.
The plane was now landing, and even the stewardesses had buckled themselves in. Yet they didn't seem to wish bothering my gentlemen friends to sit down for the landing. Apparently the Blonde man decided it was a bit unsafe for his companion however, and escorted him back to his seat.
What a strange flight!! We landed without any difficulty, and as I was closer to the door than my two mystery men, I made a polite escape. They were both very handsome and successful looking fellows, but I was starting to wonder how many niave American girls vanished in Japan after meeting just such men.
Next: My Arrival in Japan >>
9.21.2006
Japanese Vacation, A night in the airport
Dec 7th, 2005
I was all packed and ready to fly by 9:30am and on the computer re-checking flights. If there's one thing I know, it's how to Travel Cheap , and this particular flight was going to be on buddy pass. The downside to Buddy passes, is you need to watch the seats and make sure there's room on the flights you want! At 11:45pm I was on the flight to Atlanta, and there ran into the first major hump in my journey.
I needed to stay the night in Atlanta so that I could fly out in the wee hours of morning for the twelve hour flight from Atlanta to Japan. Rather than dealing with the hassle of finding a taxi out to a hotel only for a brief two or three hour nap, I decided just to find a quiet corner of the airport and sleep on my coat. You'd be suprised by how many other passengers were doing the same thing!!
Despite the painful protests of my back and neck, I managed to catch a few minutes of sleep before I needed to check in at the terminal.
Next: Flight to Japan >>
I was all packed and ready to fly by 9:30am and on the computer re-checking flights. If there's one thing I know, it's how to Travel Cheap , and this particular flight was going to be on buddy pass. The downside to Buddy passes, is you need to watch the seats and make sure there's room on the flights you want! At 11:45pm I was on the flight to Atlanta, and there ran into the first major hump in my journey.
I needed to stay the night in Atlanta so that I could fly out in the wee hours of morning for the twelve hour flight from Atlanta to Japan. Rather than dealing with the hassle of finding a taxi out to a hotel only for a brief two or three hour nap, I decided just to find a quiet corner of the airport and sleep on my coat. You'd be suprised by how many other passengers were doing the same thing!!
Despite the painful protests of my back and neck, I managed to catch a few minutes of sleep before I needed to check in at the terminal.
Next: Flight to Japan >>
9.17.2006
Preparing for trip to Japan
I was worried about this trip. I'd been bedridden for the last three months after my accident, and was feeling weak as a kitten. I talked to all of my doctors about it, asking whether they thought it was something I should cancel and try again in a year or so. I didn't feel confident at all in my ability to stand alone, much less walk without assistance. But they thought that with proper care I might be able to handle the trip, and that it would probably help pull me out of the depression I was fighting with.
Each of my doctors wrote notes concerning the area they were worried about, most especially my neurologist. I had been suffering with minor brain seizures since the accident, which caused me to have momentary blackouts with loss of memory for several minutes before and during each episode. They seemed to occur more frequently if I was under stress or in extreme pain. The normal stresses involved with traveling could potentially set off more severe seizures, possibly causing me to fall from dangerous places (like plane ramps?).
I was instructed to show my "emergency care sheets" to personel on each of the planes that I boarded, so that they could be alert to any signs of trouble and respond accordingly. I was also given all the medication and emergency care items that might be possibly needed to keep in my carry on baggage.
All in all it was a very humbling experience. From the crazy kid that would race down cliffsides in a forward facing repel, hike down mountainsides with an injured elk calf on her shoulders, or ride horses at breakneck speeds to crash headlong into ice cold lakes... I never realized how mortal I was until I could no longer lift a gallon of milk without agonizing pain. Or the day I bowed my head in humility and handed letters of disability and handicap to the personel of each of those planes.
Next: A Night at the Airport >>
Each of my doctors wrote notes concerning the area they were worried about, most especially my neurologist. I had been suffering with minor brain seizures since the accident, which caused me to have momentary blackouts with loss of memory for several minutes before and during each episode. They seemed to occur more frequently if I was under stress or in extreme pain. The normal stresses involved with traveling could potentially set off more severe seizures, possibly causing me to fall from dangerous places (like plane ramps?).
I was instructed to show my "emergency care sheets" to personel on each of the planes that I boarded, so that they could be alert to any signs of trouble and respond accordingly. I was also given all the medication and emergency care items that might be possibly needed to keep in my carry on baggage.
All in all it was a very humbling experience. From the crazy kid that would race down cliffsides in a forward facing repel, hike down mountainsides with an injured elk calf on her shoulders, or ride horses at breakneck speeds to crash headlong into ice cold lakes... I never realized how mortal I was until I could no longer lift a gallon of milk without agonizing pain. Or the day I bowed my head in humility and handed letters of disability and handicap to the personel of each of those planes.
Next: A Night at the Airport >>
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