Confessions of a Hostie by Danielle Hugh

Author:Danielle Hugh
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789814358637
Publisher: Monsoon Books Pte. Ltd.

turning japanese, i think i’m turning japanese, i really think so

We arrive in Narita early in the morning and on time. It is cold, but, unlike my last trip to Frankfurt, the skies are clear and there is little wind. There has been snow overnight and the village looks beautiful. Narita is Tokyo’s main international airport and is only an hour away by fast-train from downtown Tokyo. It was originally a small farming community, but once the airport had been built, Narita was transformed into a bustling metropolis of hotels and shopping centres. Although it still retains the traditional Japanese architecture and aspects of its humble beginnings, it is now a major destination for transiting European travellers and airline crew.

At any given time there are dozens of different airlines crews staying in Narita, so the village specifically caters to them. Richard Branson has his own pub dedicated to his Virgin crew, called the Barg-In. It was meant to be called the Virg-In, but the locals had trouble pronouncing the V. There is another bar called Flyers along with a number of karaoke bars, specifically aimed at drunken crew with bad singing voices. The most infamous of these karaoke joints is The Truck – why it is called that is anybody’s guess. The Truck is made up of two old shipping containers joined together with a bar at one end and a stage with a microphone at the other. It is located in the middle of nowhere, and has portable toilets, without lockable doors, placed outside it. Sounds gross? It is. But it also a lot of fun.

I haven’t been to The Truck for years, if indeed it still exists in Narita. I won’t be finding out on this trip, although I am sure the crew will end up partying somewhere tonight.

For now I need some sleep. Then, I plan to catch up with Danny for lunch and the rest of the crew later. The standard sentence that we crew exchange in hotel lobbies, when given our room keys is, ‘See you for drinks at six.’

I have a sensational sleeping-pill induced nap before my alarm rings, and then I get ready to go downstairs to meet Danny. I know he likes to walk a lot, so I have worn my most comfortable boots – the pair also happens to be one of my favourites. I think I even wore these boots on the Rome trip I did with Danny years ago.

If these boots can handle the cobblestones of Rome, then Narita is going to be a cinch. I head downstairs, singing the words to Nancy Sinatra’s ‘These boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do…’

Danny and I get some lunch first. We go to a little crew haunt called the Student Noodle. I have never actually seen a student there though. It satisfies every crew dining criteria. It is clean, the food is good and it is cheap.

Every crew that ever ventures into Narita has the same thing for starters: gyozas.

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