Stranded in Japan, but trying to appreciate it

maybe a little unsuccessfully...

I know. It could be worse. I could be stranded in Iraq. Or Afghanistan. Or some other war torn god forsaken place, but instead, I am in the most expensive country on the planet with almost no money. No credit cards. No ATM cards... That's right folks, I've got nothing but my wits and we all know that can only go so far in a place where you can't speak their language and they can't speak yours. For real though, Japan is like the least English-speaking country I have ever visited (and I didn't count on being here for more than 24 hours so have no phrase book or anything). I have never had to point. nod. smile. so many times in my life. I am frustrated. This is getting old.

But let's keep it real here. The reality? Well, it's actually a sweet one. I'm here on a free trip. One that was supposed to last 2 days (one overnight) so that I could get my work visa for Korea, but due to dense fog in the Incheon Airport area, my flight was delayed by 6 hours, thus making it impossible for me to get the embassy on the same day that I arrived in Japan. So here I am, spending a wonderful, long weekend in a lovely city that is experiencing an early spring. All at the expense of my employer. The only problem is that I don't know when it is going to end and I'm starting to feel a little stressed out about the fact that I don't have a plane ticket home yet and I'm not sure that my money will last if I have to stay past Monday.

I have to admit that coming out of the airport, my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I saw the ground and trees bursting forth with color. Plum trees are in their peak, cherries are starting, the grass is green, bulbs are poking out of the ground and they've already put many of their SUMMER plants outside... Fukuoka would be heaven if I didn't feel so nervous about running out of money and landing myself a nice card board box on the street Monday night.

To give you some examples of the outrageous cost of Japan:
2 pairs of *cheap on sale* underwear-$30
one pair of socks, not on sale- $10
one subway ride, 2 stops- $2.50
lunch- average $9
one *happy hour* beer- $5.25
admission to a very bad art museum (as in almost no permanent collection and a super badly curated temporary collection)- $9
international phone call (to nearby Korea)- $1 per minute
internet- $1 for 10 minutes

And oh I wish, I wish, I wish I had some extra cash on hand because I LOVE japanese fashion. I could spend a million dollars on clothes here, but instead I have to wear the same exact thing for 5 days because well, I thought I was only going to be here for 2....

I'm torn between complaining about how I don't like to travel alone anymore, feeling lonely and moneyless, and basking in the glory of a beautiful foreign city, japanese food, sake and plum blossoms...

Life is hard, I know.