The first time I came to Japan it was summer

And it was a free round-trip ticket. Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juarez to Chuubu Kokusai Kuukou, two stops.

I was truly excited and happy. But that didn’t stop the nausea when I boarded my plane. I had to take medicine and watch movies to calm down. A nice Japanese man helped me out to fill my “Embarkation card for foreigner”, and when we landed on Narita, he said to me “Welcome to Japan. Enjoy your stay!”. He told me he and his wife lived in Akasaka. My next plane was full of salary-men. I had green tea and another pill before falling asleep.

Back on earth, it was like stepping into a beautifully designed set. I couldn’t say more than the usual greetings, but I didn’t need to speak more than that. I was a guest of honor and had a bilingual Japanese-Spanish “guide”. And then I woke up to new smells and sounds. “The Japanese smell like the sea” a romantic adolescent thought. I felt completely in love.

That was 5 years ago. But I can feel the summer coming back again. Summer makes me want to stay here forever.

1. piruli posted this