The Road East - Reflections

*From left to right: Some random guy, K, Reub, Susie at Lantau Island*

This was a safe trip.

No lost passports. No hassles with immigration. No foot massages gone awry. No issues after eating questionable street food. Just a safe, trouble-free trip. Normally this would be great, except if you're trying to capture stories, safe isn't the greatest word.

There was a lot of walking, a lot of sitting (or more likely, standing) in metro cars, a lot of staring a locals in subway cars. There was a lot of observing, a lot of taking everything in. If you're a writer, this is wonderful.

This was also a short trip. Gone are the trips where three nights in one country is enough. It isn't. It took me four days to figure Asakusa out. The same amount for Wan Chai. And the next thing I knew, I'm gone. I'm going to have to restructure my future trips. Two to three weeks at least. Maybe longer.

Though time was short, and action was relatively light, there's still plenty to tell. Little bite-sized morsels about two insane metropolitan areas. I can't wait to tell them. Or at least try.

InTokyo

I`m　eating　a　lot. And　the food is GOOD.

Still　trying　to　get　a　handle　on　this　city,　but　so far I am impressed.

The Road East - Prologue: To Just Be

In 2008, fresh off the high of traveling to Thailand and Malaysia by myself, I laid out a "five-year plan" for my future destinations. It went something like this:

2009 - Europe
2010 - South Africa
2011 - China
2012 - Back to Europe
2013 - South America

When I made this plan, I was single. Unattached, free to roam the world by myself or with my buddies. Now, I'm less than five months away from taking the plunge into that thing they call, "Mawwage".

South Africa will have to take a backseat to the future in-laws. I will be traveling to Hong Kong to see my fiancee Karen's sister, grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins. Along the way, I'll be making five-day jaunt in and around Tokyo. Sushi, ramen, yada yada yada.

This will be the first time I celebrate my birthday abroad (Most likely, I'll be in Tokyo in a karaoke bar singing ABBA). This will also be the first time I celebrate Thanksgiving in a foreign country. I've been told there will be turkey. We'll see.

(Excuse me while I get all Anthony Bourdain on you for a moment...)

I'm on the lookout for interesting things. No doubt I'll be eating myself silly, but I hope there's more to this trip than food. My goal is to get my hands dirty. To not be tied down to an itinerary. To follow my nose, and just...be.

I aim to do this every year, and it never turns out the way I want. Either my body gives out, or I get tired too quickly, never appreciating where I am. Well, I want to change that.

I just want to enjoy being where I am. And not forget anything.

(How was that, Bourdain? Can I get on your show now?)

OK, enough thinking.



Let's do this.

If you want to keep track of my trip, follow my twitter account! And maybe I'll post here if I have time.