Hot Buns and Roasted Legs

Today was the first time I managed to get a seat on the morning trains.

Okay that was a lie, maybe a half-truth, so let me rephrase that: Today was the first time I managed to get a seat on the morning trains after a looong loong time... while having my "buns" toasted.

Usually I just stand at the very end of the last train carriage, with my hair getting blow-dried by the heated air-conditioning, and my back feeling the warmth of the train master's cabin. But today, due to my unrelenting lateness, I've managed to grab a seat!

It was a moment of a bliss, after being subjected to a freezing morning walk to the station. I then began to thaw and was soon taking my scarf off (apparently the scarf really does warm you, I was just too cold to notice).

I realized that my bum was hot. Hello, what's this? Am I on a hot seat? And I dug a hand to check... wow, it really IS hot! And very soft and firm too!

A glance at the row in front of me, and I saw a long grill hidden underneath the seats. I've long wondered what they were for (back when the aircon still blew cold) and thought that they must be exhaust fans of some sort to suck out the dust.

How nice is that! A heater that stretches along the opposite sides of the train, warming Japanese bums and toasting our legs. It was wonderful... at first. Then I began to feel just how hot a heater can be at a VERY close range. There were moments I've even thought about giving up my treasured seat just to cool off my burn-marks (just kidding).

I've known about the Japs and their obsession with scalding things; I've burnt my tongue an innumerable number of times slurping ramen, biting into takoyaki balls, and sipping miso soup. So it wasn't a surprise to find the onsen-loving people firing-up the temps inside the train. But after a few stations, I was welcoming the cool air rushing in at every stop.

I guess it's a delicate balance: not too hot for the passengers inside, while not being too cold for the new arrivals. I sincerely appreciate the energy-consuming conveniences the trains provide, but I do hope the Temperature Coordinating Manager Train Master would take a look at their computations once again.

Either that or I'll just have to resort to standing up again.

Ride All You Can~

While attending my Nihongo class, a classmate of mine, who's planning to go to Japan this April, told me about this pass where you could ride Japan Rail's trains all you can! Woo~

Considering that a single train ticket from one city to another is quite expensive, and with a coverage from Hokkaido (Japan's northern-most island) to Kyushu (southern-most island), a $200 JR pass for 7 days is such an awesome deal! There were some other deals too, from a week to a month!

Actually I've heard about this sometime ago, but decided not to worry about it till I get there. But apparently, they do not sell these passes in Japan (or they do, but they're hella expensive). They only sell these passes outside of Japan to promote their country, and to entice foreigners to take this wonderful chance to go and visit as much prefectures as they possibly could. Also, if this was available to the Japanese themselves, they'd abuse it to heck.

I wish to buy this pass, but alas, even if we do get unlimited train rides for a week, we do not have money to do the touring itself. My classmate and aunt suggested that during our first few weeks there, we should just walk around our own city and take in the local sights; to familiarize ourselves with the area and also to conserve money. Yokohama's known for being an entertainment city, so I guess we won't get bored that easily.

Maybe someday...