How I Got Here, part 2

It's difficult to believe, but I've been here a month already! I'm mostly settled in, still having a few things to replace and straighten out in my room, but the major portion of cleaning and straightening up and item replacing has been finished. Sah-weet!

I fondly remember my airplane voyage over here – (cue wavy vision)

First of all, the Des Moines *cough* International Airport featured the marvelous two-layered surprise that started the day rolling. When the time came to charge me for an extra bag and for one overweight bag, the charges for both were considerably less than what was outlined online. SWEET! Check-in and security were smooth and quick, seeing as how I arrived before the morning glut, which was coincidentally right on my heels by the time I extracted my computer and PS2 from my carry-on and preset my belt and other items. I really hate being the person to hold up the security line because I'm getting all of my crap out just as much as I hate being behind those people.

"What?" I have to take my computer out?"
"What? I can't take my Coke through security?"

Where have you been for the past nine years? In a hole?

Denver was where things became spotty. My flight out to San Fran was delayed. They said it was an FAA call, based on weather in SF and the flights were being shuffled and delayed to reduce backups for departures and arrivals caused by the fog.

Okay. All right.

At various points, it became increasingly challenging to believe that I'd be able to make my connection to Osaka. Eventually, the point came where it would have been impossible without time travel. People went ape-nuts. I kept my cool in dealing with the desk agent, and as a result received a little bonus in the email later; score one for not acting like a disgruntled dickhead.

The bad news was that there was no "later flight". There is apparently only one flight to Osaka a day. Great. More bad news: United doesn't have flights to Osaka on Tuesdays. You're kidding me. I was presented with a choice: stay the night in Denver or be moved to a flight to San Fran and stay the night in San Fran. I opted for the latter for a couple of reasons:

• I have friends in Denver, but I also know more people in the Bay Area.
• Getting to the centers of town in easier in the Bay Area because of BART. It's not as easy in Denver.
• In SF I had the ability to take the first flight out toward Osaka.

I flew through Honolulu to Osaka and wound up arriving one day later. In the process of this frustration, I befriended a Canadian couple who was traveling to Osaka to visit their son who was teaching English. Furthermore, it was their anniversary (possibly) and the desk agent in Honolulu asked if they were honeymooning. When they mentioned their anniversary, they were bumped up to First Class. I scored a seat at the bulkhead section, so I had insane leg room AND a seat that inclined.

Movies? I watched movies! I saw: 500 Days of Summer, which was a good movie, yet one that touched a nerve and Tajomaru, which was a Japanese movie. There was a third I had either wanted to watch or had started watching, but I forget which it was. The reason being: I had deprived myself of sleep Sunday night, anticipating the trip on Monday, thereby aiding my efforts to fall dead asleep in flight and adjust my schedule to time in Japan. The delay screwed all of that up.

I'm pretty sure I might be remembering the name of that Japanese movie incorrectly.

And that's the story of my voyage over here to Japan.