Airport at the airport
My return flight to the UK has been delayed by at least 4 hours. Delays are always a pain, but I always find that on the homeward journey I get in to a kind of ‘return mode’, and so I find delays on the return journey particularly painful. I’ve been wandering round Osaka airport for a couple of hours already, randomly spending money to try to pass the time. I’m not quite sure how it happened, but I seem to have amassed quite a collection of pens—-I go into a shop, see some fancy, 4-colour gel pens that you can’t find in the UK, and buy some. At this rate, I’ll have a supply to last me about three years. I’d better start writing things in lots of different colours…
Anyway, I’ve just found a wireless hotspot, which conveniently extends to the inside of a coffee shop, and parked myself in a seat by a power outlet with a large cup of coffee. Surfing my [checks] 427 unread feeds should kill an hour or two.
I’ll write much more about it later when I’ve had time to collect my thoughts, but it has been a fantastic trip. Japan is a fascinating country, although we’ve only seen a tiny portion of it. I’ve utterly failed to learn much of the language. I know the words for ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘please’, ‘thank you’, ‘hello’ and ‘beer’ (you know, the Standard International Survival Set), and the Kanji for ‘big’, ‘little’, ‘open door’, ‘close door’ and ‘button’. This will come in handy when I next get stuck in a Japanese lift and have to choose between something big or something little.
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coming home is hard work when there are delays. wireless is heaven sent from above and all that hyperbole and wild praise. jeesuz lives. wirelessly maybe.
anyhow, do please report how, for I am also bsag
by brendadada @ 23/03/2005 4:04 am • Permalink •
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Safe returns...
by Mr.D. @ 23/03/2005 8:04 am • Permalink •
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I love airports, trains and metro stations: if I had the choice I would live in a small flat in a parisian metro station (if it existed!). So don't complain ... you are in one of the coolest urban places ever ... and you can also surf the web! very very nice!!
by nourdine @ 23/03/2005 9:03 am • Permalink •
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I'm definitely with bsag on this. I used to like airports until I started spending too much time at them- they aren't fun anymore, nourdine. I got caught at Helsinki for five hrs in November (flying time home, 45 mins)...my laptop was in hold bagage. I won't make that mistake again! Safe trip bsag.
by Ian @ 23/03/2005 9:04 am • Permalink •
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Really depends on the airport doesn't it - Helsinki isn't a bundle of laughs... but if you want to be prepared in future check out this incredibly practical site:
http://www.sleepinginairports.net
Agree on the Parisian metro stations though - I can't precisely explain why but I find the smell on the Parisian metro (except line 14) to be very comforting!
by manichaen @ 25/03/2005 11:04 am • Permalink •
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brendadada: For the how, it was ridiculously easy: I just woke up my Powerbook and it asked me if I wanted to join the airport wireless network. "But of course!" I replied, and all was well.
Mr. D. Back safely, though I'm still not entirely sure what time it is and which way is up.
nourdine and Ian: Actually, Osaka is quite a nice airport, and the wait wasn't too bad. They even do massages there, so waiting isn't much of a hardship. I had a shorter wait at Munster-Osnabruck, and was convinced that I would actually die of boredom.
manichaen: I've never seen that guide before---very cool! I see that Osaka gets quite a good write up.
by bsag @ 25/03/2005 6:04 pm • Permalink •
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I just woke up my Powerbook and it asked me if I wanted to join the airport wireless network. âBut of course!â I replied, and all was well.
indeed, that's what I do
by brendadada @ 28/03/2005 11:03 pm • Permalink •
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