This entry was posted on 2001-04-22
Ok, people, I'm writing this cold turkey.
No Microsoft Word spell check. No editting. Plus I am using a Japanese style keyboard which isn't exactly the same as an American keyboard. In other words, you will have to forgive the incoherence, lack of spelling and grammatical skills, and all around shitiness of this entry.
But luckily for you, again, I hardly have anything to write. I am still sick and a good part of my day was spent sleeping. Hopefully I will be better by tomorrow to enjoy my last day in Tokyo.
Going home...ahhh, I don't know how I feel about that. On one hand, I am in love with this country, the culture, and he language. On the other hand, I hate being sick on the road. It's easier being sick at home because I know I can properly communicate my problems and get on the right medications.
Today, again, I spent a lot of money on (legal) drugs. At the kusari (pharmacy) they gave me more cold tablets and some vile liquid syrup. Yuck. I am sick of blowing all of my money on medication.
Anyway, I went out for a while this morning. I just did some traveling around on the trains (JR Pass is good. Very good). That was a good solution (or so I thought) because I could be sitting down, but at the same time be seeing things.
I began to feel very faint. In fact, I knew that if I did not get in bed within an hour, I'd probably end up blacking out and having to go to the hospital. Not fun. So I headed home. When I got back to Tokyo, the Tokyo city trains (I used the comfortable express trains to travel around today) really began to work my nerves. I usually don't mind the crowds, the pushing and the shoving, and the long transfers, but when you are sick, none of that stuff is any fun. When taking the Chou line from Tokyo-eki to Shinjuku, I waited for the next train (Tokyo-eki is the first station on the line) because I needed a seat.
When I transfered to the Yamanote line at Shinjuku, I was very slow. Thank goodness I didn't need to run to catch the last train or something like that. I'd never make it.
I knew that I'd never get a seat getting on the Yamanote at Shinjuku. But i figured standing wouldn'be a problem. Takadanobaba (my station) was just two stops away. However I never expected the train to need repair.
Seriously, when the train pulled into Shinjuku, the doors wouldn't open. This was the first time (in Japan) I had seen something like that happen. And the timing couldn't have been worse for me. There I was standing on the platform about to faint.
They finally fixed the doors and got them to open. But I'm not sure if the conductor was trying to be extra careful because he crept the train along from Shinjuku to Shin-Okubu and Shin-Okubo to Takadanobaba. Since I was standing (but I had a feeling I'd be on the floor soon. Dead.) I wished he'd just speed up the damn train to Takadanobaba.
It took double the time than usual to get from Shinjuku to Takadanobaba. By the time the train pulled into the station, I could barely move.
I saw an ambulence and some peramedics carrying someone out on a stretcher. How close that was to being me, I thought.
When I got back to the place I was staying, I was never so happy to entry my tiny room and see my buckwheat pillow. I crashed. (After taking cold medicine, painkillers, vitamin C, and Benedryl-- most of which was given to me by the pharmacist).
I slept for four hours. What a waste of a day in Tokyo. But at the same time, it made me feel a lot better.
After my nap, I walked from Takadanobaba to Waseda, down Waseda-dori which is a lovely Japanese college town street. I started feeling weak, so I stopped for some orange juice. I continued on, finally getting on the subway. I transferred subways to Shinjuku, and now here I am. I am feeling better than this morning, but I am still not "healthy." Right now I am going to go find something to eat and then go back to Takadanobaba and go to bed. I need to feel good for my last day here tomorrow...
And in case if you're wondering, no I never made it to that onsen in the mountains today. Oh well. As I always say, I'll be back in Japan soon enough. There will be many more chances.
I hope that tomorrow's entry, my last full entry from Japan, is a little more exciting (and better written) than this one. :-)
Mata ashita!
i have nothing creative or witty to say...just sign it if you have not already