The place that holds so dear to me always is Narita.
I joined the airline to see the world coz never had many opportunities to travel when I was growing up. After months of training, buddy J and I did our very first SNY flight to Narita.
The whole time since I departed SIN, everything was a blur. First was blurry from the real people, real humans, real cabin crew onboard the huge B744 plane. Everything was so overwhelming onboard, what we’ve learnt in class may be different from what is onboard. And for the first time I’m the one looking at a different perspective. I’m looking at passengers not a passenger looking at the cabin crew. Continue to blur out, things happened quick meal service has to be fast when you’re onboard compared when you’re in the mockup. Abit blur but still must continue to smile. All we had was the SNY name tag pinned on our uniform to bail us out and have more forgiving passengers 😂.
Until we land in another country. Tired but still curious how Japan looked. At that time no such thing as internet and no HBO or Netflix or (perhaps) YouTube to even have an idea how Japan looked. Can only see Japan in photos. I’ve never been to Japan!!! Excited? Of course! That’s why I joined the airline.
Upon arriving in hotel, the crew gave a timing to meet at the lobby to take the shuttle bus to the small town. Everything I really mean EVERYTHING was an eye opener for me. The shrine. (And do I have to remind myself I have that picture of me in that obiang Ken Done koala top.) That ignited my sense of “I need to see the world”, maybe that’s how I survive in the airline until pregnancy put a stop to it.
The crew showed us where to buy the cream puff and I bought it!! For my family. Brother n mom burst out laughing when it came back all melted. Muahaha! I’m surprised they didn’t get food poisoning!
On checkout day, I woke up with a shock with bright sky outside at 5+ am. I thought we had overslept!
I still love Narita. The stories about the haunted hotel … (haiyah! I just put my talisman next to me to protect me) didn’t scare me. It’s just a lovely lovely quiet place. When I brought the girls with me to Tokyo in 2015, or was it 2014 I told them they needed to see this place. Not sure if they remember the village, but they sure remember the rice crackers popping out from the machine. I went looking for the cream puff shop and it’s no longer there. I tried recalling the family owned place that served nice karaage, seems like it’s longer there?
I want to go back again, this time staying at least a night there. I hope I can find back the souvenir I had.
** The souvenir I bought for myself during my first stay there is a small cute pui pui silver airplane keychain with 成田 written on the tag and a small bell attached to it. During my flying years I managed to buy a second one before discarding the first due to wear and tear. Then when I left the airline, I removed that keychain from my work handbag. I sewed a small camera pouch using my uniform and hung the keychain there. I don’t know but I must have left it in the airplane seat pocket during one of our family holidays. I was pretty sad losing two precious things. Somehow in one of our Japan holiday when the girls were very young, I managed to find the keychain sold in the airport. It was the same one! I bought it and then this time I sewed another pouch with my blue uniform kebaya. And unlucky or maybe just destined not to have it back, I lost it again!!!! I haven’t been back to Narita in recent years, our last Dec holiday we departed from Haneda so … I want to find it again the next time I’m back in Narita. I’m not sure if I even have any old photos of the pouch I sewed.
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