(Espanhol en Comentarios)
6th day in Tokyo
After 5 years living in the UK without ever registering with the Spanish Embassy, visiting the premises on my 6th day here feels a bit tamed to me. But this time I guess it is a good idea, since I will have to resort to the Embassy's services more than once in the future. The whole process was quick, easy, and tremendously mechanic. Funny how this guy, looking more Spanish than a the Virgin of Rocío, sitting next to me in the waiting room starts talking to me and tells me that he's applying for a visa after marrying a Japanese woman. I tell him I'm looking for a job and he raises his eyebrows and says “Difficult, eh!”. He offers me help if I need anything in my first days in Tokyo. Quite sweet. I wonder if his wife has a single, nice looking friend I can marry for a visa. Just joking.
Today I had to go again to Hamamatsuchoo and take my camera for repair. They didn't adhere to the 40-minute policy they advertised and made wait me 1 hour 20 minutes. However, the guys were so kind to me that the wait didn't feel long. I also used that time to go out and have a late lunch of ramen, Korean noodles, in Hamamatsuchoo. In this place, you order to a machine that spits out a ticket that you handle to the waiter behind the bar. The seemingly useless middle step, intended maybe to avoid excessive or useless communication between waiter and customer, was followed by an (obviously) inexpressive and automated waiter. Ab-so-lu-te-ly nothing to do with the udon shop of a few days ago.
After picking up my brand new camera, I could take this beautiful snapshot of Tokyo Tower:
Unluckily I took my train back in rush hour and found myself in the middle of a landslide of salary men and women commuting home, heading for a restaurant for a few beers or trying to make some late-time shopping.
6th day in Tokyo
After 5 years living in the UK without ever registering with the Spanish Embassy, visiting the premises on my 6th day here feels a bit tamed to me. But this time I guess it is a good idea, since I will have to resort to the Embassy's services more than once in the future. The whole process was quick, easy, and tremendously mechanic. Funny how this guy, looking more Spanish than a the Virgin of Rocío, sitting next to me in the waiting room starts talking to me and tells me that he's applying for a visa after marrying a Japanese woman. I tell him I'm looking for a job and he raises his eyebrows and says “Difficult, eh!”. He offers me help if I need anything in my first days in Tokyo. Quite sweet. I wonder if his wife has a single, nice looking friend I can marry for a visa. Just joking.
Today I had to go again to Hamamatsuchoo and take my camera for repair. They didn't adhere to the 40-minute policy they advertised and made wait me 1 hour 20 minutes. However, the guys were so kind to me that the wait didn't feel long. I also used that time to go out and have a late lunch of ramen, Korean noodles, in Hamamatsuchoo. In this place, you order to a machine that spits out a ticket that you handle to the waiter behind the bar. The seemingly useless middle step, intended maybe to avoid excessive or useless communication between waiter and customer, was followed by an (obviously) inexpressive and automated waiter. Ab-so-lu-te-ly nothing to do with the udon shop of a few days ago.
After picking up my brand new camera, I could take this beautiful snapshot of Tokyo Tower:
Unluckily I took my train back in rush hour and found myself in the middle of a landslide of salary men and women commuting home, heading for a restaurant for a few beers or trying to make some late-time shopping.
1 comment:
Hoy fue el día en que por fin fui a registrarme a la Embajada. Se recomienda que uno se registre en la Embajada de tu país en el lugar al que viajas, especialmente si quieres votar en las próximas elecciones. Yo me registré, pero sigo sin saber cómo demonios abría podido votar. A estas alturas, ya ni me acuerdo de la fecha de las elecciones, ni me preocupo, como la mayoría de los canarios. Y no votaré, como una buena parte de los canarios. Así nos va.
Bueno, volviendo a lo nuestro. En la Embajada me encuentro con un señor de unos 37 años, con más pinta de español que la Virgen del Rocío, que me saca conversación y me cuenta que va a pedir visa porque se ha casado con una japonesa. Me pregunta que hago yo y le digo que voy a ser voluntario, a lo que responde con cara de coger grillos, y que busco trabajo, a lo que responde con unas cejas de lo más empinadas y un serio “Está difícil, ¿eh?”. Luego me ofrece de lo más amablemente ayuda en los siguientes días, por si me veo necesitado en Tokio. Me pregunto si su mujer tendrá una amiga guapa y soltera con quien pueda casarme por una visa. Je, je. Son bromas.
Tras este episodio en territorio español, me dirijo por enésima vez a Hamamatsuchoo a dejar mi cámara arreglando. En vez de los 40 minutos que anuncian, tardaron una hora y veinte , pero fueron tan buena gente y simpáticos que me importó poco (especialmente considerando que en Canarias habría sido mes y medio). En ese tiempo aproveché para almorzar en un restaurante de ramen, los fideos coreanos tan famosos aquí. A diferencia del maravilloso garito de udon del otro día, en este sitio, el rollo es super mecánico: pagas y pides en una máquina, que expende un ticket que luego le das a una sobria y fría camarera, que te sirve super-rápido y se olvida de ti hasta que te vas y te saluda con un sonoro y burocrático “Doomo arigatoo gozaimasu”. Y encima los ramen no estaban muy allá que digamos. De todo hay en la viña del Señor.
Tras recoger la cámara me apaño a sacar esta apañaílla foto de Tokio Tower. ¿A que es chula?
Y luego me dirijo de vuelta a casa en tren y me meto, como yo sólo sé, en el meollo de la hora punta de salida del trabajo de los millones de enchaquetados trabajadores de Tokio.
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