Birthdays and Food Poisoning

This story begins with a certain someone not applying for a proper Visa before she came to Japan. Then, a fury of ensuing misfortunes befell that someone in the form of missing documents, several trips to the Immigration Bureau in Tokyo, printer problems and lack of such a device, and numerous other events and situations which failed to remind this someone of her impending date by which her first tourist visa was set to expire. An emergency visa renewing trip was then put into place, however, she completely messed up and failed to comprehend that her father had made the arrangements at a Hong Kong Disney (free hotel room with points) for OCTOBER instead of what she thought she said, September. All of this was not realized until exactly one day before she had thought she was leaving for the Narita Airport. One angry Papa then was somehow able to change the flight and she herself found a safe and semi-inexpensive hotel somewhat near the airport, and off she went, feeling guilty and sorry for herself that she messed up so badly and made her poor recovering Papa suffer more stress than he needed.

China proved hot and insufferable smelly. When she arrived at the Hong Kong airport, it was very late and she did not make it to the hotel until almost 1:00am. The first experience she had of Chinese people was when she went into a grubby convenience store by the bus stop, and being rudely commented on by two hoodlums outside. She quickly went out and to the public waiting area, and desperately hoped that her bus would come soon so that she could get to her hotel room and rest.

The bus finally arrived at midnight, and it too was smelly and cramped. She tried to sleep a little, and only about 40 minutes later she arrived at the hotel. So tired was she, that she forgot to inquire more about the price of the hotel and what she was being billed for, so anxious to just get the key to her room and rest. Eventually, she did get there and took a much needed shower and went to bed.

The next day was spent mostly in the hotel room, watching Tv, a movie on the computer and using up all the battery without being able to charge because she did not have a chinese plug adapter, and wandering between the two hotel towers in a mall that was situated conveniently between. She was tired from traveling and tired of all the bland quality of stores and restaurants that seemed to only be present in this area of Hong Kong. She does not like Chinese food at all. Too heavy. After a day of doing almost nothing, she went to bed early so as to wake up at 4:00am to catch the first bus to the airport at 5.

It might have been that flight's airplane meal, it might have been the curry crab thing she had the night before at a cheesy greasy chinese cafe, or it could have been the convenience store food she bought right before her bus back to Kawaguchiko. It was probably the airplane food. They say it takes 6 hours or so before it hits you, and the timing was about right. She spent the 2 hour bus ride in agony as her stomach would complain in waves of pain and pressure. Nothing would abate it, and it only got worse when she actually got to the station. But all was well when she called Natsuco and asked her if she could pick her up at the station right away and explained the situation. She was in tears, it hurt so bad, she felt like she was going to throw up too. After Natsuco took her back to her place, she had to make herself throw up, then Natsuco gave her some medicine, mint tea, and water, and left her on a futon in the living room where she began to feel better after a few hours and managed to catch some sleep.

Three days later she still gets stomach pains sometimes, it hasn't been completely flushed out yet. But the good news is that her birthday was a blast. Natsuco even splurged on some meat for sukiyaki that night, and it was indeed a fun and delicious meal. Natsuco also got her some chocolate macadamia nuts as a present which she is eating right now.

Kira is going to bed now, and she is very, very tired.

Goodnight.

(p.s. This is posted a day after it was written because Kira had a little uncounted for excursion in Fujiyoshida when she went to see a festival. More stories soon! :) )