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Paris:- Tokyo
The trip to Paris for New Years Eve was both a begining and an end. It was the last stop of my New Years Saga, after Sydney, NYC and London had all been well and truely done. At the same time, it was also a begining, because I was leaving behind two years of work and life in Canberra to settle in Ireland for 12 months on a working holiday. So it was a big step, not knowing anyone in Ireland, and not really knowing anyone that came from Ireland. In actual fact, the sum total of my experience with Ireland was drinking bad Guinness in bad Irish "theme" bars in Australia, and drinking green beer on St. Patricks Day. Anyway, on to Paris. First stop - Tokyo.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Geoffrey Campey"
> To: Almost_evri1
> Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 10:10 PM
> Subject: Mind over body - ha
>
>Haloh.
>
>I feel really silly saying that, but at the same time,
>it seems to work around here, so I'll run with it.
>
>Anyway, whats been happening. Well, it all started
>about 26 years ago...enough of that. Sydney. Tokyo.
>Amsterdam. 3 days, 3 cities, 3 hangovers. The quick
>rundown kinda goes like this:
>
>27 Dec 1:15am (Newcastle, AU) - Decide that it was
>prudent to go to bed because I had to drive to Sydney
>in 4hrs 45mins time.
>
>27 Dec 5:15am (Newcastle, AU) - Say things to my
>mother that no young man should ever say to their
>mother (particularly if they want to inherit something
>one day) as she tries to awaken me to the first day of
>the next phase of my life.
>
>27 Dec 8:15am (Sydney, AU) - Arrive Sydney airport,
>unpack car (save for the really warm jacket sitting on
>the back seat that would really come in handy in about
>12hrs - see below). Proceeded to be waved off with a
>tearful goodbye by Dad (there was no need to cry Dad,
>I'll be back in a month). Thankfully Lisa was a rock -
>love you darling :)
>
>27 Dec 10:20am (Sydney, AU) - Find seat in plane, meet
>"row buddies", begin 10 hr intensive Japanses course.
>Needless to say, by the time I got to Narita Airport,
>I knew two words! My brain is so big, sometimes it
>hurts my neck just holding it up!
>
>27 Dec 5:45pm (Narita, JP) - Discover that knowing
>"beer" and "toilet" in another language are not
enough
>to survive (Damn you Gareth W.!) Proceed to learn more
>Japanese.
>
>27 Dec 6pm (Narita, JP) - Discover that when the
>Japanese say that it is 3 degrees outside, it really
>is, THREE degrees! If travelling is about learning, I
>have learnt something new already - coming from 28
>degrees to 3 degrees generally requires some form of
>warm clothing to make up the difference. <reminder to
>self - don't forget lovely warm jacket sitting on the
>back seat of the car next time one flys into Japan in
>the middle of winter>
>
>27 Dec 7pm (Narita, JP) - Discover that there is a
>universal language - "someone f**ked up the hotel
>reservation".
>
>27 Dec 7:03pm (Narita, JP) - Discover that the
>Japanese are really efficient at fixing things that
>are broken - very impressed!
>
>27 Dec 7:15pm (Narita, JP) - Discover that if you wish
>to call someone in Japan, just like in most other
>countries, you will probably require their phone
>number. Calling the operator and saying "Paul, the
>white dude in Tokyo" has a low probability of getting
>you through to the particular Paul that you are after.
>
>27 Dec 9:45pm (Tokyo, JP) - Discover that Tokyo has
>many different train companies, each with their own
>sets of ticket gates, and just because a train station
>allows you to connect between lines, doesn't mean that
>that connection is going to be easy, or logical.
>
>27 Dec 11:30pm (Tokyo, JP) - Discover love for sake,
>and the warm glowing feeling that it produces in my
>chest. Must examine this more. Amused by the pieces of
>Phar Lap racing each other around the Sushi train (raw
>horse meat was the special of the nite - kinda looks
>like salami really. Theres something powerful in
>that.).
>
>28 Dec 1:30am (Tokyo, JP) - Discover that fat white
>dudes are very popular with the touts trying to get
>people into their strip bars in Roppongi. I have at
>least found out what US Marines do once they leave the
>forces.
>
>28 Dec 6:00am (Tokyo, JP) - Discover universal truth
>#2 - nightclubs are seedy at 6am, no matter what
>country you are in. Proceed to purchase what I
>believed to be Japanese version of Powerade. Proceed
>to consume material with smell, taste and consistency
>of lubricant. (Hint for fellow travellers - avod
>"Power In" in Japan).
>
>28 Dec 7:00am (Narita, JP) - Discover that Japanese
>baths really are quite small (for those that require a
>mental image, think "inner labia"). Beginning to
>regret that "I bought the Power In, I am going to
>finish the Power In" mentality of an hour ago.
>
>28 Dec 1:15pm (Narita, JP) - Discover that airports
>are really amusing places when you have a hangover.
>Really regretting Power In episode now.
>
>28 Dec 5:47pm (Amsterdam, NL) - First offered drugs in
>Amsterdam.
>
>28 Dec 5:54pm (Amsterdam, NL) - Pass through customs
>in Amsterdam.
>
>28 Dec 6:25pm (Amsterdam, NL) - Begin to have
>flashbacks to New Orleans - standing around luggage
>carousel going "You know, the luggage is supposed to
>have come out of that little hole, and it has for most
>people, but strangely not for me". Begin to go through
>Lonely Planet phrasebook to find out how I say "If you
>have sent my lugagge to Peru again, I damn well want
>the frequent flyer points for it this time!" in Dutch.
>
>28 Dec 6:26pm (Amsterdam, NL) - Discover that the
>luggage dudes must have smoke between each trolley of
>bags, and obtain luggage. Warm glow of happiness
>acheived - possibly still that Power In episode.
>
>28 Dec 7pm (Amsterdam, NL) - Have really strange
>experience - laying on bed, consciously saying in my
>head "Yes, I am going to get up now, I am going to
>move my head off the pillow and use my stomach muscles
>to move my body into an upright position", only to
>have the body go "Brain, you go can go wherever you
>like, but the CUoGMMG (Combined Union of Geoffrey's
>Major Muscle Groups) has voted to not move one inch
>till 5am tomorrow morning. And so that was where I
>stayed.
>
><reminder to self - don't try to go too many days
>without sleep. You start thinking that your body parts
>have intelligence, form unions, and there seems to be
>some aninimity between the brain and the rest of the
>body.>
>
>Ok, so the dude in the cafe here (Mother Note: thats
>cafe, not coffeeshop. Inheritance safe.) is looking at
>me with that "I am going to make you another coffee
>whether you want it or not and you are going to have
>to pay me anyway, and if you don't I am going to have
>my big mates break you legs. Ha Ha!" And yes, he can
>say all that with one look.
>
>Amsterdam silliness to come in next email.
>
>Sayonara!
>
>G
