Japan Day 1: The Arrival at Kyutech

Oh yes please! 

After nearly 24 hours of travelling, suit-case dragging and baby-crying-listening, I have arrived at a country which starkly contrasts just about everything about Nepal. Take for instance, the Japanese  way of being overly polite or giving highly exaggerated compliments which has never felt so culturally different to way Nepalese behave with one another on the go. Going from a country who doesn't give a shit about how oneself sees in public to a country which is gives an absolute shit about what one sees in public has never been this great. Well, Indians could beg to differ. 

There was a time when Taxi was an option

Food wise, I am back to chop-chop from my primal methods of using my hands. Walk out and go into any local  Ramen restaurant with cramped seating and cramped ventilation, cut that wooden chopsticks (make sure not to roll them together, considered here to be rude) and super slurp a bowl of ttonko-tsu Ramen so good, so delightful that really makes you feel you are really, 120%, in Japan. It's incredible that I, after all these years of Ramen hunting in Seoul, the best of the best of noodle I have had all these years is no match to this authentic, simple yet fascinatingly flavorful bowl of goodies right in front of me.

May all God bless Ramen. For eternity. 

Do I miss Nepal? Hmm good question. I am so used to leaving home and having complete autonomy and command of my daily scheduling that I feel this is the new normal for me. I like that fact that I get to call all my life shots, take complete responsibility for any responsible or irresponsible actions I do and that level of freedom was what I missed instead back home for obvious reasons. I can't say I have complete freedom though right at this very moment; the temporary accommodation at JICA center has a curfew at 11pm. Yeah, it's back to hostel days. Plus I hate to do my own laundry. 

Not a substitute for good old MoMos

The good news is that I am here in Kitakyushu, alive, very well, well rested (also the guy at the counter had Momo as his first name) and most importantly, I have my very own personal guide. This being said, the three years for my PhD will probably be the toughest time I will have have to face, but hey, let's take it one day at a time here. For now, there's time to sit back, chill and enjoy the breezy 25C fall in Kyushu.