Early on the morning of March 13, I stood in the freezing cold outside Narita airport, Tokyo; this moment was the culmination of a four-year passionate pursuit of a much-loved language. I had just uprooted myself from Chennai, the city I had called home my entire life, and was about to start all over again, alone in an alien land.
Yes, I spoke the language; had immersed myself in the study of this country, its people, and customs. I had spent the last two years working for Japanese clients, and visited Japan a couple of months earlier. But nothing prepares you for leaving behind everything and everyone you know, and making a life for yourself in a new country, 7,000 kilometres away.
As I moved from a tiny hotel room that was home for three weeks, to an apartment of my own, there were a million challenges to surmount — learning to keep myself warm in freezing temperatures (coming from a city where 19 degrees Centigrade is considered freezing), getting used to frequent, though minor earthquakes, knowing how and what to order in a restaurant, travelling in buses and trains that arrive and leave on the dot, navigating the web-like metro rail, spending unimaginable amounts of money on daily commute and groceries, learning to manage a home and all the responsibilities that come with it, overcoming spells of loneliness, pushing myself to get out and meet people and experience life.
And in work life — being frowned upon for being a minute late, or even arriving just on time; wearing a full suit to work every single day; frequent and long meetings; learning to convey everything in Japanese 24/7/365, and more importantly, reading the context behind the words; being given no special treatment for being a ‘Gaijin’; the unduly long hours; constantly being expected to attend ‘Nomikais’, after-work drinking parties, where the painfully-shy Japanese can drink, and finally relax into conversation — the challenges, and the ensuing lessons to be learnt, were both plentiful.
However, the past 10 months have also been the most fun I have ever had in my life. Once I learnt to loosen up, go out and discover this incredible country, unforgettable experiences revealed themselves from behind every corner; I hiked up beautiful mountains; travelled in bullet trains; got crazy drunk in parties with people from a dozen nationalities; shed tears at atomic bomb memorials; went on boat cruises; missed the last train and slept on train station seats; took part in traditional festivals; walked along lanes with trees laden with cherry blossoms and hydrangea; experimented with innumerable kinds of delicious food; had my first crushes and also experienced my first snow; just the simple act of choosing to walk back home through a different street than the usual one, guaranteed something new.
But Tokyo, to me, has been the people — the Japanese I had met for work back in Chennai, who spent time with me and made me feel welcome.
The colleagues who always proudly introduced me to others with ‘his Japanese is perfect’, though it surely isn’t; the new friends who took me into their fold and helped resurrect my non-existent social life; the innumerable number of people that I encountered in train stations, shops, and even on the streets, who astounded me with their kindness — walking with me till my destination if I asked for the way; giving me small gifts every time I made a purchase; lending their spare umbrella when mine flew away in the strong wind – there were many moments that brought a tear to the eye.
Leaving behind a wallet containing about Rs. 2 lakh worth in Japanese yen, along with every necessary document/card on a park bench, only to realise it hours later, and after making a mad dash back to the park, to see it lying there untouched, and shedding unbridled tears of relief and gratitude – is an experience possible only in Japan.
And though there were prices to pay — in my absence, my mother underwent eye surgery, my favourite cousin got married and my beloved pet cat passed away. 2016 taught me two priceless lessons: one, to dare to relentlessly pursue my dreams, with all of my heart, for dreams do come true.
And two, no matter how high the hurdles are, I can always move somewhere new, and start life all over — with time and effort, I can learn to live gloriously.
Gratitude, 2016.
(This is the first of a series that explores people and their unusual stories.)
