Just three days after public exam, we, four of us, packed our bags and went to Osaka for a short vacation. To save trouble, we joined a tour organized by our local travel agency in advance, which I think was a stupid idea. Whatever, it turned out that we got a mean tour guide and groups of participants with ages much older than ours. Indeed, the combination of the tour is weird, we had a really great time in Osaka.
It’s been three years after the 3.11 earthquake, rumors about the seriousness of the massive nuclear leakage have never stopped swirling. Some says the country is under huge panic that people are trying to immigrate, some claims their food has been contaminated with radiation. In Osaka, what I saw was a calm place with human warmth.
Every local we encountered respects their own job. They always wear a warm smile and willing to help. You won’t find difficulties in ordering food in a restaurant, as they are patient to listen and watch when you are pointing the pictures printed on the menu. Don’t worry with handful of coins when getting bills pay in the cashier, people won’t urge you to count your coins quickly. You might even receive two thumbs up after giving out the right amount of coins. Locals might not very capable of speaking fluent English, they still try hard to explain any stuffs to us. Even with a toilet can’t flush, they explain clearly by demonstrating the sensor is not working.
There’s one day we stopped by a sushi bar for dinner. While waiting for seats, a couple of locals gave us few coupons which enabled us to enjoy a free drink ultimately. It was a fresh experience for us as such scenario never happens in our hometown. We were grateful for that, so after dinner, we gave out the new coupons to another group of customers. It certainly was a way to share our happiness.
Forget about insane shopping and theme parks. Over the years, we have started to forget why we travel—to experience different lifestyles and cultures. We will be crazy about the new stuffs we bought and we will feel the rush of adrenaline after couples of roller coaster rides. After returning home, when showing photos we took during the past few days to others, they’ll ask,” What’s this place called?” “Where is this tempo?” Because we actually didn’t give a damn to those sight-seeing attractions, we didn’t experience the local life at all, it comes out we can barely provide them an accurate answer with detailed explanation. Then, we begin to realize the vacation has become pointless. Soon, impressions gone and memories faded.
Don’t travel stupidly.
