The other day I was on the tube amidst the rush hour madness of London...yes, I know but it couldn't be helped. What struck me about this experience was the amazing insensitivity and rudeness of youth in the capital. No doubt the product of a single parent family, no doubt a rioter of some sort, no sooner had I struggled onto the train than some sallow faced youth with his trousers around his ankles and music rapping out of his headphones accosted me with the offer of a seat. The impudence of it all! I know my beard is grey and that my years are advancing, I also realise that I was struggling a bit with my luggage but really, to be assumed old enough to merit such bald faced cheek is just an insult. The worst of it all is that this was not the first time ill mannered youths have offered me a seat on the train in recent weeks.
As most of you will be aware we have not had a summer trip to Japan because of the stresses of a house move so we are looking forward to our forthcomning journey to the sanity of Tokyo. At least there I can feel a man again as gereatric old ladies shove past me when the train doors open, elbow me in the ribs and race towards any available seat. The well mannered youth of Japan would never think to offer me a seat no matter how grey my beard, after all I am a foreigner.
Consequently you can imagine my great happiness to know that we will be flying, for the first time, into Haneda airport which is just five kilometres from Honourable Mother in Law's (HMiL) home (rather than the two hours away from Narita). We arrive at 4 a.m. because all the best arrival times are snagged by Japanese airlines and their American overlords. We also have to travel on B.A. which is never a pleasant prospect. However, the chance to land at Haneda cannot be passed over and I intend to be in a volcanic hot spring bath in Mushash Koyami by midday.
This will no doubt give me something to write about!
