Wednesday 2nd November 2005 – The Wanderer

Posted on 2005/11/02 14:52:05 (November 2005).

In the past two days I have been working my arse off at the usual Tokyo textile fair. Though the reactions towards our products have been rather cold, there is still a lot of PR to do and general talking, resulting usually in a sore throat.
Moreover jet lag has been nagging me a lot and I can't sleep as I wish I could.

Today the fair is finished but since Carmine cannot speak English or Japanese I have stayed a day longer in Tokyo to see him off to the airport tomorrow. It's rather good for me because I could spend the evening with him and I could stay a night longer in Tokyo.

In the evening of course I had to start packing. Out of all the things that we must do while abroad, this is absolutely one of the most hated parts of my job. I have barely just arrived and I have to pack again and leave for yet another pre-made and pre-heated hotel.
It's one of the heaviest things to do both in physical terms and in psychological ones.
We say in Italy that “partire è come morire” (to leave is like to die), in a way I had a lot of chances to have proof of this saying.
And every time of course I had to pack, pack my feelings, memories... Not that I have something special to leave here in Tokyo this time, but it still pains me. In the end out of 3 weeks a 3 days in Asia I will pack/unpack 10 times...
Needless to say that I am now a master at making bags, but it's not a sufficient consolation to the fact that tomorrow I am on the leave again, pretty much the same way I have been living the past 10 years of my life...
Looking around the desolate room, full of unfolded clothes, shoes that clutter the floor, receipts from the restaurant and portable hard disks, it seems that I have never lived here, that I have just arrived to clean up someone's mess. I am pretty precise, but usually we are in a hurry so there is no time to do just everything... Slowly I start packing making sure that all the clothes are nicely stored, I need to use them still so creases should be avoided on those shirts, or I'll have to iron as well...
Woo, gotta put away those hotel shampoos and bath foams, they are in the bill, might as well take them home with me!
Whoops I forgot the laundry... Where the hell shall I put it now? In with the socks, all nicely put in a plastic bag to avoid terminal contamination...
It's 11: 30 already!? Gotta dash to bed, after the standard 3rd call from the office to discuss about yet more problems... It's strange working abroad, the time difference makes so that you ALWAYS work, no matter what time it is...

In need a rest maybe?

Hard to say, what is sure that I'll be watching the world from the skies again tomorrow...

Partir est comme mourir (That's the equivalent of your phrase in French. Amazing how similar it is !). Well then, I wanna die...

Posted by Sheri at 2005/11/02 17:22:09.

A proposito, that's a fine room you got there...

Posted by Sheri at 2005/11/02 17:26:34.

I guess the rooms are not that bad, though I use them only at night NOT to sleep, as I am still suffering from this crappy jetlag... Maybe is because I am always nervous when I travel for business, but in any case I am getting 1 hour sleep x day which is not good. I don't want to take more sleeping tablets, it's bad for me, I hope I can calm down a little and manage to get some good old rest...
Still the room is nice!

Posted by Lox at 2005/11/02 21:49:17.

Hi Lox! I can now visualise you sitting, writing your blog, facing that blank, pale wall behind the laptop... It is bound to make you feel morose! Lack of sleep also does not help. However, try to think of the positive things - you are a jet-setter! I envy your experiences around the world. I'm pretty much "static" these days and can only view the rest of the world by either TV or Internet. In years gone by, my business trips would only take me as far as trade fairs in Germany (Koln/Cologne, Dusseldorf etc). Once nearly Dresden, but it was not to be. Cheer up! Think of the expense-claims!

Posted by Nigel at 2005/11/02 23:52:30.

Nigel! Well you are right I tend to forget all the experiences that I face every time I travel and all the previous times. Shame is that travelling like I do tends to get repetitive in the end, pretty much like other things you do in life, so it's easy to forget. Today I have bought an airplane ticket with my mobile phone, got a machine to print it at the airport and done all boarding procedures by myself. I just need to live here now, as all the rest is pretty much sorted! :) My knee is hurting, I hardly slept, business is as bad as it has never been... It's not easy but I'll try to follow your advice!

Posted by Lox at 2005/11/03 02:43:29.

Answers I am asking for my mohetr. She doesn't necessarily want to make money off them, her purpose is to use her blog (once popular) and use it as references to possibly help her get a newspaper article. She has a title for one called Answers to Life's Pr

Posted by Samantha at 2013/03/17 19:47:55.

Answers I am asking for my mohetr. She doesn't necessarily want to make money off them, her purpose is to use her blog (once popular) and use it as references to possibly help her get a newspaper article. She has a title for one called Answers to Life's Pr

Posted by Samantha at 2013/03/17 19:47:58.

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