Off we go!
Day 0: Start of the journey from India to Japan
Japan, regarded as the most desirable country to travel to, and after spending a month there, I can confirm to that reputation.
It all started way back when a friend went abroad after university and I promised to visit soon. Well, this one was not a false promise, was it? After meticulously planning for almost a year, weighing the cash in bank and cost of travels, and deliberating over the chances of securing a 90-day visa, the time was to finally take the most defining step of any trip.
I booked my tickets! To Tokyo!!
Come to think of it, I should have applied for leaves at work before booking the tickets.
After hearing from a group of friends and acquaintances about frequent visa rejections, there was no risking it; especially after booking the tickets. Along with all the other documents, the requirements also listed an NOC from the employer. This piece of paper is supposed to state that the said employee is on official leave and not expected to work.
Wait, what?! What about all the ‘supporting flexibility at work’ movement we were reading about?
The stay in Japan required twenty-one days of leave and, guess how many leaves were accumulated until that point…twenty-one! One good thing about work was that the leaves would usually get approved without having to reason the need. So, I tried to sneak in a leave request but to no avail.
A few days later, manager asked to discuss the concern around exhausting the leave balance which would be renewed later in the year. It was going to be one awkward conversation.
There were still sick leaves though. Just in case! 😉
With a bit of hassle, I was able to convince my manager and the visa authorities to allow me to travel to Japan.
The first flight of the journey was from Nagpur to Mumbai which brought me to the CSIA airport at midnight. The city was flooding with red and orange alerts issued all over. With no intentions of going out and experiencing the Mumbai monsoon whatsoever, I was eager to check-in and get rid of the luggage.
There was also the lucrative lounge where one could grab something to eat & drink and maybe doze off until the boarding starts. With this in mind, I headed straight to the international departures.
After awaiting in a long queue, finally my turn came. ‘Passport please…’, I handed over the passport. ‘Tickets please…’, showed the tickets. I am always a bit nervous when the officials are going through the documents. After what felt like a minute’s pause, ‘Sir, sorry, but I cannot let you pass.’
The flight to Tokyo via Changi Airport was not until next morning, and as it turns out, one cannot enter the premises too early before the scheduled departure. A lesson well remembered for the upcoming trips.
Next morning, tired and sleep deprived but still enthused, after check-in, luggage drop, immigration, security, and tackling the persistent salesperson at duty free, I was in, searching for the lounge.
It was one long walk to the boarding gate. Still pouring heavily outside, it was an amazing view of flights taking-off and landing in rain. The glass wall near the boarding gate offered a satisfying glimpse of the loading bridge getting docked over the airplane. The sight of the Singapore Airlines white and blue Airbus A350 in the Mumbai monsoon was mesmerizing.
As the flight took off, I gradually drifted off to sleep. The journey began!
Friday, July 28, 2023.
