Keep Calm and Carry On

Today was an interesting day. I started rather late and decided I would spend the day figuring out how far away the closest JR station was to my house. My apartment is near two different subway lines, which both go to this central JR station. One of these lines by my apartment is only two stops away from the major JR station. So I figured it couldn't be much of a walk and it would be useful to know the neighborhood surroundings in which I lived. Briefly, I google mapped the route, figured out kind of where I was going, and set off. Lucky for me it wasn't a dreadfully hot or sunny day today. In fact, it was temperate but overcast. For all of you that know me, I really enjoy walking and exploring, so I set off very optimistic about the coming day.

And ended up going the completely wrong way. You'd think that looking at google maps and kind of having an idea I wouldn't get myself lost, but I did. I went in the complete opposite direction of the way in which I had hoped to go. While I did stay on the major street for quite a while, I started to notice the railway signs did not have the station I was looking for on them. I made some more turns that brought me into a residential type district and I started to get more nervous than I already had been. It was strange. Although it was daytime, I started to get nervous and a tiny bit anxious that I didn't really know where I was. But I took a breath, reminded myself I could end up asking for directions if I didn't see any subway signs in the next ten minutes, told myself to "Keep Calm and Carry On" and turned in the direction that I thought would help me retrace my steps. My direction sense did not fail me. Somehow, I ended up going in a complete square and I was able to get back to the main street that I had been on previously. To say I was relieved would be an understatement. And as I realized I had gone the wrong way, I set off in the direction I had originally intended and was successful in my venture, as about 30-40 minutes later I found the JR station and the busy shopping district surrounding it.

Getting lost like that and the subsequent freaking out would have never happened in Kyoto. Even had I gotten lost in Kyoto, I definitely would not have become so nervous as the way Kyoto is structured is very easy to understand. Kyoto is laid out in a grid. Everything is made up of straight lines. As a result, even if you do get lost, it's very easy to find your way because major streets are numbered (e.g. Sanjo-dori (3rd st.) and Shijo-dori (4th st.)) and there are only two subway lines. Let's now examine Tokyo. Tokyo is a sprawling metropolis with 23 special wards, 26 cities, 1 district, and 4 subprefectures combined with thirteen subway lines and I don't know how many train lines there are. In my first week here, I've navigated three subway lines and one train line. And while that seems like a lot...at the same time it's not really. Despite the massive amounts of curvy streets, back alley ways, and a massive public transportation system that make Tokyo appear to be humongous, it really isn't. Everything is packed together in an overwhelming way but places aren't really far from each other. When I realized I had basically gone in a square today, it dawned on me that while I thought I had ventured far out of my way, as I didn't recognize any of the neighborhood streets, I hadn't even left my city (my district). Tokyo is just deceptive, I have learned.

And it wasn't as though getting lost was a bad thing. I saw a lot more of my neighborhood, found a few grocery stores, another 100 yen shop, and a take out Indian restaurant!

Anyway, even as I headed in the right direction, I kept telling myself "Keep Calm and Carry on". I was nervous that I even though I was pointed in the right direction, somehow I would muck it up and lose myself again. A side tangent: the phrase "Keep Calm and Carry On" was a piece of rhetoric used by the British government during World War II to boost the morale of its citizens. However, these posters were never actually published, and now the saying is in the public domain. End of my side tangent. I headed down the main street, following the street signs towards the station, and soon enough, I found it, as it is also another popular hub for shopping and such (like Shibuya). I did a little bit of exploring, found two movie theaters, plenty of ramen restaurants, and a Book Off, where I inevitably purchased Sleeping Beauty and a few other Disney movies in Japanese on VHS.

It was about six by the time all was said and done, and feeling confident, I once again set out for home, deciding to go in another direction. This time I passed by the other subway line that I usually take to go to work. And I actually think this second route is faster than the first! So, not only was I successful in making my way to the big hub station, but also I managed to find two different routes and see much more of my neighborhood. Granted, the first route was busier and had more stuff to see, but the second is most likely the faster. Anyway, I made it home, cleaned my apartment (which was needed), made ramen, and proceeded to watch Sleeping Beauty in Japanese.

Currently, I'm watching the Serena Williams game at Wimbledon, waiting for the Germany World Cup game to start. I am super excited and super cozy with a cup of tea and a long ethernet cord so I can sit on my bed instead of on the floor. :)