What jet lag?

Jet lag?.......Feh! LeaAnn and I have discovered the secret to virtually eliminating jet lag. Don't sleep on the way to your new country. Having now traveled to Europe and Asia, I am convinced that the absolute best thing to do is to stay awake throughout your trip until normal bed time in your new country and then allow your body to sleep until it is ready to wake up. I feel great today after having been up 23+ hours.

My trip was fantastic! I am also convinced that the American carriers had better get on the stick before the rest of the traveling world discovers just how wonderful carriers such as Japan Airlines and Lufthansa really are. I wanted for nothing for nearly twelve hours in the air. We were fed on three different occasions, offered beverages constantly and were even provided a warm, wet washcloth before dining. The in-flight entertainment system was, in a word, AWESOME! Video-on-demand allowed me to watch three different first-run movies (Sherlock Holmes, Shutter Island and Invictus,) and the DeNiro classic "Goodfellas." I also played a little video golf, checked the status of our flight and used the "Birdseye View" feature to watch the world go by via a camera mounted on the bottom of the plane. Great flight!

I strolled around Narita Airport for a little while upon arrival (one hour early.) I exchanged a few Dollars for Yen, got a snack, and then met-up with the driver from Post that took me to Zama. The nearly two hour drive took us from the rural setting of Narita Airport through the heart of Downtown Tokyo and out to the Southern "burbs."

I arrived Candy and Dad's doorstep around 4:30 p.m. Candy was surprised at my early arrival. She and I immediately went to the food court on post for my last Americanized meal before I immerse myself into the world of uncooked fish and tofu. Went to the Commissary to pick up provisions for the next few days, and then back to the apartment for the evening.

The pictures above are in reverse order of when they were taken. They pretty much speak for themselves, although I did find it interesting to see several rice pattys in the middle of urban sprawl. Reminded me of the wheat and cows near our suburban home in Norman.

-k

On the way.

I have no idea why things that are obvious to others seem to amaze me, but to no one else’s surprise, I am sitting in the Japan Airlines boarding lounge at O’Hare in Chicago, and I am surrounded by Japanese people. What a wonderful experience to sit in an airport terminal in the Capital of the Midwest and be surrounded by another culture. Might try some of the Japanese I learned through the “Rosetta Stone” before I board. Provided someone wants to have a conversation about their dog, horse, children, or dining room table (I am one third of the way through level one.) And Terminal 5 at O’Hare is a fascinating blend of world cultures. To walk through the concourse and pass ticket counters from Korean Air, Air Cathay, Royal Jourdanian, British Airlines, Swiss Air, Lufthansa and the like, you begin to appreciate the variety that is Planet Earth.

My Boeing 777 has been serviced and is ready to fly. Twelve hours in the air will top by 3 ½ hours the most time I have spent in an airplane for one flight. As geeked as I am to get on the way and experience Japanese hospitality in the air, I’ll bet the time goes by quickly. I considered myself pretty savvy in figuring out that although this is considered an overnight flight, we will actually be in daylight the whole way. As I understand it, we will be taking the Polar route from Chicago to Tokyo. Since the Sun favors the Northern Hemisphere in the summer months, and the Earth rotates counter-clockwise, we will have the Sun on our wing the whole way.

Boarding time, here I go.

Before I go......

I have no idea what the next two weeks is going to hold, therefore my expectations are exceedingly low, and hence will be plesantly surprised with every good turn. I have never been to Japan. I have never posted a blog. I am not entirely sure that what I write will be of interest, but since I love living vicariously through all of my family and friends when they travel, I figure there might be one or two that would like to hear tales spun from the Land of the Rising Sun. The adventure begins in OKC at 6:40 a.m. Sunday (tomorrow,) with my flight to Narita Airport in Tokyo via layover Chicago.

Here's what I know so far. First of all: many, many thanks to the folks at Fund For Teachers and the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. I am not leaving the City of Norman without them. Second, the Japanese people I have dealt with so far have been very congenial, very formal, and communicate in English far better than I hope to in Japanese. The contacts at Yamato Nishi High School and the Yamaha Instrument Manufacturing Plant are going quite a ways out of their way to help a guy they have never met. Heck, even the ticket agent for the Tokyo Symphony sent me a very nice letter telling me that the section I wanted was sold out, but there was another seat available (more expensive, but hey, it's only Yen.) My Step-Mother, Candy Wojciechowsky and Ed Fogell at Zama High School have been nothing short of a gift from God in connecting me with the folks at YNHS. My wife LeaAnn and children, Christian and Emily are giving me these two weeks to go and continue in my life's work, when I could be at home shuttling Christian to and from football camp or volunteering at Emily's VBS. Any gratitude I show them will simply not be enough.

So here I go. If you come along for the ride, I will try to do my best to give you a spectator's view of all I see and experience with all of the humorous details thrown in for entertainment value. I am looking forward to hearing from any and all that read my etchings and view the accompaning photos. So until I land at O'Hare, Sayonara!
-k