So, it’s just a few hours to arrive at the UK, and I need to switch my brain to English-mode completely, but I’m still stupidly laughing watching Japanese comedians. Am I really alright!?!?
…thinking like that, still laughing, I arrived at the Heathrow. It was 16:00 in the UK but 24:00 in Japan… As I couldn’t sleep on the flight at all, I was extremely sleepy. Also I immediately experienced the UK style. While lots and lots of people were queuing, there was few immigration officer! It took 1 hours to get through this. umm…
Carrying a 20kg suitcase and a heavy bag containing laptop PC and digital camera, my brain to use English has already died. Even reading a simple sign was tough. Feeling miserable. And I started to feel so anxious. Although just asking “how to get to” shouldn’t be difficult, I was so nervous and using just “lesson 1” words like “Excuse me” or “Thank you”, finally got to the bus station to go to the hotel. The bus was named HOPPA Bus. They are driving around the hotels near to Heathrow… Why HOPPA? Strange name…
And there, I realised how high prices in the UK are. The hotel is just 0.3 miles away, but 4 pounds for single? (about 800yen) No kidding! Actually I could have taken another way, but I found out about it later… Since I was exhausted already, I tried to pay 4pounds on the bending machine. 2pounds went through but 1pound is rejected. Cancel button doesn’t work either. Oh no! Get my 500yen (-ish 2pounds coin) back!!!
And a British gentle man who has been watching me talked to me.
“It never works.”
“Oh really? But I’ve inserted my 2pounds already!”
“Oh, keep trying then…”
We pushed some buttons and finally got my money back!
5 mins to Park Inn Hotel..(4pounds…it can’t be.) I breathed a sigh of relief after checking in. Well, the room was not so big, but clean and comfortable. The problem was, how can I survive in the country where it costs 4pound to go to 0.3miles? I fell asleep being so anxtious.