Me JAL's flight JL724 landed at the Narita airport on 11.10.2012 at exactly 6:35 am local time after a six hours journey from KLIA.
Arriving at the Narita airport on a cool October morning, on me way for a biz meeting in Nagoya, has brought back countless memories and many lingering images of Japan, as the land of the rising sun and its people which had been in me all these while since me first trip here back in 1992.
Back then during me first trip to Japan, me assignment was to look into the concept of "intelligent buildings" as part of the preliminary conceptual design for the KLCC project, together with me other team members including me then Manager and a representative from the President's office, who coincidently moved on to become me former company's current President/CEO!
While putting in me thoughts on this post at the waiting lounge of the airport and onboard the connecting flight to Nagoya, me still vividly remember that first trip exactly 20 years ago today, as it was marked by a few unforgettable incidents which had formed an everlasting impression on Japan, its people and their "technology crazed" culture. These experiences had actually been very helpful during me many later sojourns when dealing directly with me Japanese biz partners.
The first unforgettable or rather "silly" incident during that first trip was when me found meself locked-out at Taipeh airport during a transit on me way to Tokyo. Me was trying to find a place to pray at the airport when me found a door leading to a staircase which was a bit secluded. Without much thinking me opened the door and started praying. While trying to open the door afterwards, me found meself locked-out at the staircase area as the door was actually a one way fire escape door for emergency use only! As the time for boarding was approaching fast, me was stricken with panic and couldn't think of what to do next.
Somehow, out of desperation, me banged on the door and after a few anxious moments, lo and behold the door was opened by a rather bewildered lady cleaner!! Without wasting too much time and even thanking the obviously puzzled and bemused lady, me bolted out of the staircase door, as if being chased by a ghost, dashing and panting to the departure hall in time to catch me next flight to Tokyo. Phew! that must have been the most "scary" thing a first time traveler like meself could face – being left in the lurch as your plane left without you and you getting stuck in the middle of nowhere! Even now me still relish at relating this incident to the amusement of me colleagues!
Come to think of the incident which happened some 20 years ago, while it can still make me laugh at me carelessness, it also taught an important lesson for us Muslims as a whole. As travelers, we must be prepared with the necessary knowledge of how to carry out our religious duties while on the move. Our religion has made it easier when we travel and we should not shy away from making a statement of our faith openly and not hiding behind some secluded places like what me did!
On board the plane safe and sound, me started chatting with the person sitting next to me seat. He was coincidently on his way back to Tokyo after a short holidays in his hometown Melaka. He also happened to be the owner of a Malaysian restaurant operating in Tokyo!
As the flight was approaching our destination, he invited me for a meal at his restaurant on the following day. Without hesitation me agreed to the invitation and the chance of savoring some Malay dishes in Tokyo! As the age of mobile phones had not arrived yet back in the early 90's, he told me to wait for him at the Shibuya train station near a dog statue - apparently a popular meeting place at the station.
On the following day, although me was very new to Tokyo, me somehow managed to get meself to the Shibuya Station and promptly found a dog statue where me waited as instructed. But that wait was to turn out to be “the longest wait of me life” as the man didn't turn up even after me waited anxiously for several more hours!
To cut the long story short, finally he did turn up and was surprised to see me waiting at the wrong dog's statue! Without me knowing, there was another dog's statue at the station’s main entrance where all the while, he had waited for me while wondering what had happened to me! Later me found out the dog statue at the main entrance turned out to be that famous Hachiko dog statue!.....
Those were the days gone by without the mobile phones as our companion. Back then, we simply didn't have the freedom that we take for granted nowadays with the advent of the mobile age with almost everybody becoming “addicted” to the wireless world.
Since its use became prevalent towards the late 90's, it has changed our life style forever making "markers" like the dog statue “obsolete” when you can just use your mobiles to instantly check on each other status or whereabouts!
Indeed, after more than 20 years of “observing the Japanese phenomenon”, the coming of the mobile age has by far managed to transform the already technology crazy Japanese society into one of the most prolific users of wireless devices...
End of Part 1.
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