The last word

I have now reached the end of my journey. Tomorrow, I fly back home — home to (hopefully) warmer weather, to restaurants where I can understand the menu, and to footpaths where I don’t run the risk of being bowled over by cyclists. Of course, it’s also a return to pushy beggars, to a dysfunctional train network, and to a more mundane selection of sushi.

When I was planning to take a brief holiday as work quietened down, I wasn’t particularly sure about where I would go. I prevaricated when people asked, because I was tossing around so many different options. A common suggestion, as people offered their ideas, was Japan. So, I listened, I packed my bags, and I came here. And I’m so glad I did. Japan is — and I say this with full regard for what the term means — an awesome country.

Lost in translation

So far, four days into my solo holiday to Tokyo, I think things are going well. I’m becoming somewhat more comfortable going into restaurants and cafés to buy food. (Admittedly, my confidence grows with places that promote an ‘English menu available’!) And, on the whole, I’ve also managed to limit my exposure to gluten (to which I have an intolerance) — no small feat in a country which loves soy sauce and noodles that are typically wheat-based!

But I still feel a twinge of regret and embarrassment. Here I am in Japan, where people — unsurprisingly — speak Japanese. And yet I’m hoping every time I walk into an eatery (or, indeed, any kind of shop) that the person behind the counter, or the waiter taking my order, understands and speaks English. Tourist sites are one thing, of course. But on the streets of Tokyo, it seems an unfair burden to impose on locals.

Over the next two weeks, NickFord.com.au is going to have a slightly different focus to its usual commentary. Later today, I’ll be flying to Japan. And, since I’ll be armed with my laptop and mobile phone, you’re (vicariously) invited along too.

Starting tomorrow, when I land in Tokyo, I’ll be providing regular updates from the land of the rising sun.

Happy New Year!

Wherever you are, and whoever you’re celebrating with, I wish you all the best for the year ahead. Welcome to 2011!