COFFEE & BISCUITS

Surprisingly, not only Chicago, but Tokyo Narita begins to get dark at 4ish in December.  This statement is the most emcompassing observation I can make of Tokyo, as I sit at my gate waiting for my connecting flight to Hong Kong.

International connecting flights brought to mind lost in translation and lost in airports.  The connecting flight traveller is forced to deal with language imcomprehension in order to get to the gate.  The completion of this seemingly simple task requires the unwilling translator to decipher codes, not unlike in the manner of Dr. Langton in Da Vince Code. A successful analysis of the glues will deliver the traveller to her destination; an unsuccessful attempt will, on the other hand, lead to some dire consequences, ranging from at best ruffled heartbeat from stress of missing the flight to worst disrupted schedule due to missing flight. 

The reward to cost ratio facing a connecting flight passenger truly is unfairly skewed relative to that of a traveller to the stopover country.  True, the latter faces the same problem of language barrier, yet he who tries to find the understanding is rewarded later with satisfying glimpses into the culture and lives of the foreign people. But not the connecting flight passenger.  He toils as hard as the traveller only for the meager reward of arriving on time for the connecting flight, and as a bonus, a view of the skyline of the foreign city in the airport (blocked by a plane or two) and an amiable smile from the flight attendent.  One the other hand, the alternative to not facing the problem is costly:  he misses the flight.  Then the problem evolved into an even graver matter:  stuck in the terminal.  That is an another matter and one better consult Tom Hank’s movie, “The Terminal”, for a grasp of the unthinkable consequences.

My above mentioned points have demonstrated my frustration with connecting flights.  I tell you, I am frustrated.  After hours of incomprehension sitting through exams, I did not plan on being confronted with incomprehension unwantingly.  Yet here I am, forced to listen to incoprehensible langages and forced to look at incomprehensible writings with no solution to the problem! 

International airlines are all associated with a homebase, and the language used by the flight attendents give priority to the home language; thus resulting in my delayed reaction to the formation of the boarding lines behind Japanese passengers.  While I do not speak with perfect English accents, at least my English sounds like English.  Japanese accented English sounds Japanese; thus resulting in my delayed reaction to anything the flight attendents say. 

After several unpleasant experiences with obscure and confusing instructions, I cannot help but wonder why airports don’t devote more resources to helping these passengers.  Connecting flights cannot be a minority, judging by how frequently one has to take a connecting flight when travelling abroad; yet by the amount of space they occupy in the instruction signs, they appear to be minor.  In Seoul International Airport, connecting flight instruction are a footnote. In Tokyo, the instructions for connecting flights suddenly disappeared after two brief appearances and before long I found myself in the line for immigration.

And after I did find my way after rounds of inquiries, I found myself the only passenger for the connecting flight security check.  This is a conumdrum.

Yet, there are sometimes the good surprises.  A good surprise is when you accidentally land in a nice airport that provide good instruction along with good translation, and where you can find a warm and inexpansive local meal, and afterwards you can choose between walking in and out a variety of boutique shops that display local cuisines and items.  That is the bonus for the international connecting flight traveller.

Shortly after finding my departure gate, I found a small jelly fiber drink in a small convenience shop next to the gate.  It reminded me of some childhood memories.  I guess that is the compensation factor for the stress connected with stoping over at the Narita Airport.