JAPANEXILE

Normally I wouldn’t bother with a post devoted entirely to a fairly typical journey, but this one was such a nightmare I thought it was needed.

Friday 8th September 2007, 3.30am. A mere two hours after having collapsed onto my bed after some furious last minute packing the night before the alarm goes off. With all the grace of wounded Hippo I carry my bags downstairs and make the last minute checks that I have everything. Wallet: Check. Mobile: Check. Passport: Check. Watch: Check…Wait, Oh no. And the horrible realization that I’ve left my rather costly watch lying on a bench at Millfield School swimming pool. Nice way to start what should have been an extremely exciting day. Nothing we can do, I’ve already delayed 20mins searching everywhere in the house in a vain hope I haven’t been so careless. So into the car we do, and after some more worrying about what to do I fall asleep…

Friday 8th September 2007, 4.40am. The car begins to slow down and I can’t help but wonder why - I need to be at the airport at 6am to meet the rest of the group. Especially since it was my idea to meet early in the first place. Thankfully its the just the friendly policeman - who feels it was necessary to stop and give my dad a ticket for speeding at 4am in the morning through a completely empty main road through Bath. Do these people really have nothing better to do? Go fight some crime. 20minutes later we’re able to leave. Now with no chance of arriving on time.

Friday 8th September 2007, 6.25am. Finally arrive at Heathrow Terminal 2 and meet up with the rest of the JPK. Was really pleased they had waited for me. Thats loyalty to the group! Check in all at once through a computer terminal which saved us some time queuing. Then the the moment of truth…was my bag under 20Kg? Answer: No. Not by a long shot. Weighing in at a hefty 25.5Kg. Thankfully Air France took pity and allowed me through with my equally hefty 15Kg+ hand luggage and Laptop Bag. Said goodbye to mum and dad - something I’d been preparing for for a long while. Very strange to think I wouldn’t be seeing them until they visit in the Winter.

Friday 8th September 2007, 6.45am. Unfortunately the pity Air France had taken on me did not extend to Heathrow Security Staff who took issue with me having both a laptop bag and hand luggage. Unable to check in another bag drastic measures were taken, with me putting on every item of clothing I could and offloading the rest to Ben (Thanks Mate) The result you can see below. So I’m forced to go through security wearing three pairs of trousers a pair of shorts and roughly 6 layers on top. Much to the amusement of the watching staff. Then for the guy at the Metal detector to have a go at me for wearing too many trousers…I wasn’t happy. More fun yet tho. It seems a large stack of CDs looks like a bomb of some description when looked at through an X Ray machine.

Security Guard: What have you got in you bag Sir?

Me: I don’t remember exactly since I’ve just had to reorganize everything. What’s the problem?

Security Guard (In a rather forceful voice): You tell me what is in the bag, then we’ll see if theres a problem. What’s in the bag?

So after a search of both my bags I’m left to repack…again.

Friday 8th September 2007, 8:45am

We boarded our flight to Paris without further hassle thankfully - only for it to sit on the runway for 30mins. Good Job theres a massive 45min Gap between this flight and the connecting flight.

Friday 8th September 2007, 10.35am Now in Paris, we quickly rush to our gate to catch the next flight. I’m stopped and searched at security. Again. Flight missed. Air France atleast gave us a free sandwich for out troubles. We’re given tickets for the next flight. I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to our baggage - but I was assured everything would be fine.

Saturday 9th September 2007, 8.30am Due to not taking our original flight our seats were spread randomly around the plane. I was surprised to be sandwiched between two Germans on the journey however, considering there must have been only a handful of westerners on the flight. A rather uneventful flight, other than watching the sunrise as we neared Japan, it was incredible. All of us Giddy with excitement that we’re finally in Japan we do what any normal person would do - immediately went to the nearest toilet to see if the rumours were true. I wasn’t disappointed - heated seat, a deodorizer, and water jets. The instructions made me laugh as well “Equipment to cleansing the buttocks with warm water” Ha! Went through immigration and looked for our bags, we’d been so long signing forms our flight was no longer listed so off to the Air France desk we go. Eventually we were told that all except Craig’s (somehow) bag had been left in Paris. Surprise there - not. Normally this wouldn’t have bee a problem but we’d all been intending to sort out what we needed for Tokyo at the airport before sending our baggage on to our respective projects. So now we were to endure 30C heat and humidity wearing Jeans. Thankfully that was the end of the problems for our journey.

Apologies for the incredibly long moan there. From now on its all good! Yata!