Konichi Wa

I am blogging from the Tokyo Narita airport in Japan.  I have never been across any ocean before so this is great and exciting!  I have just a few minutes before my flight departs for Seoul, Korea.  I am going to Korea to see my old roommate get married.  I am really happy for her even though she has failed to share a lot of details with me about this guy.  I am sure he is a nice guy...he better be or some ass kicking will be in order!

So anywho, I decided to write this short blog because I wanted to express feeling I felt amongst the Japanese people, even tough I am just in the airport.   Maybe it's because I am in the airport and not outside that I feel this way.  Anywho, I don't feel like a foreigner.  I don't feel overwhelmed.  I don't feel like that since I don't speak a lick of Japanese intimidated at all.  I feel more intimidated amongst Dominicans and I speak Spanish.  Part of me wants to attribute this to my cocky American blood.

I realized today sitting on the plane how fortunate I am to have been born in the USA.  I can go absolutely anywhere I want to in this world.  It doesn't even matter that I am a woman or that I am black.  I feel a weird since of, I only speak English and I don't give a shit that you don't.  This is a very strange feeling and very unlike who I am.  (Shit, someone just sneezed and I say Bless you.  Like she understands or is it even customary???  It is my instinct to say that after anyone sneezing so I won't think too much on that.)

I am a very open person.  I love other cultures and relish in getting to know them.  I think Japanese people are so cool and they have such a rich history on this earth.  I really respect the people and their history.  I don't at all feel like I am a woman or that I am black right now sitting among them (although, I am at the gate for Korea).  I just feel human.  Maybe it's because I haven't gone in the streets but I really don't feel too intimidated right now.  Maybe when I leave the comfort zone of this airport and go to a place where no one speak English it will hit me.