Chapter 2: Arrival

Screech! I jerk awake at the exact moment the wheels hit the tarmac. I'm still a little to groggy to understand teh gravity of this moment. As the plane pulls into the terminal, I pear outside to see a row of 7 people waiting patiently as if each was greeting a family member and not welcoming a plane full of strangers. In perfect unison, they bow, arms clapsed in front or behiind in polite submission and smile. I am amazed. Welcome to Japan.