Hachinohe, Japan
– Ohayo from Hachinohe, Japan! After nearly 11 hours on a plane
and more than three hours on a train, the Chamber Singers have
reached their first destination. But before I tell you about the
beautiful hotel we’re staying in, let me report on our wild ride
getting here.
By Kaitlin Joven Special to the Dispatch
Hachinohe, Japan – Ohayo from Hachinohe, Japan! After nearly 11 hours on a plane and more than three hours on a train, the Chamber Singers have reached their first destination. But before I tell you about the beautiful hotel we’re staying in, let me report on our wild ride getting here.
The adventure started at 6am Wednesday when everyone met in the choir room, half awake and groggy. Even with the sleepiness in everyone’s eyes, you could feel the faintest traces of excitement pulsing through the air. After a fake security check and lots of pictures, we were loaded onto a bus and were on our merry way to SFO. At that point, it only felt like another choir trip. No one could really believe that we were finally going to Japan. I mean, it had been something we’d been dreaming of – some people since sixth grade and some for a year or two. It seemed improbable that the dream was coming true now.
Even as we boarded the plane, took off, and were in the air, it didn’t feel like anything more than another choir trip. For the most part, we were just having a good time traveling with friends. The fact that the flight was going to be very long didn’t affect us very much. We passed the time chatting and occasionally getting up for a short walk. Our destination was always in mind, but it still didn’t really hit us until you could see it from the windows of the plane. Those of us who were stuck in the middle seats begged those by the windows for a peek of the landscape.
After we disembarked from the plane, it was apparent Toto that we weren’t in Kansas anymore. A childlike giddiness swept through the group as realization sunk in at long last. We were in Japan. We were 16 hours ahead of our families back in Gilroy, which meant it was now Thursday.
In order to get to Hachinohe from Narita, where we landed, we had to take two trains. The first train ride was only 45 minutes long, but a little nerve-racking nonetheless. Houses, stores, apartments and fields passed us by outside of our windows.
When we arrived at the station where we would change trains, we had 90 seconds to get our bags and ourselves off the train. Needless to say, that also added a little more stress. Once we were off, we had 10 minutes to get bento boxes for dinner. A bento box is a pre-packaged tray of food, such as rice and fish and vegetables. In the end, we settled down for a three-hour ride to Hachinohe. Looking out the windows, you could start to see the nightlights of Tokyo, brilliantly bright and colorful. The entire day, or two considering the time change, was exhilarating and a little overwhelming. I can’t wait for what the rest of the trip brings!
