Surreal in Japan

Reality started to fade at 1am.

I had just watched "The Jacket", a story of time and circumstance along the lines of Donnie Darko and Twelve Monkies. My brain tumbled with possibilities of time echoes, past and future, colliding with now.

The house was empty. Both my flatmates and their partners disappeared into the dense concrete jungle of Tokyo for the weekend. I was alone for the first time in months.

I had a coffee, its 3am, best rest my head.

I set my alarm for 8:45.

I was floating down a river, leading towards the ocean and beyond when an alarm dragged me back to consciousness. The tired routine of shower/shave/suit danced before me and after a quick coffee and bowl of cornflakes, I ventured out.

Off to Juso station, I pocketed 2 packets of tissue and a 10% discount of facials along the way. I met 1/2 the gang at east gate and we headed off for class. This time I was on the otherside. The community centre had free lessons and I would spend the next 1 1/2 counting people, pencils and chairs in Japanese. The teacher had become the student.