We have had some experience of Japanese people from when our neighbours had an exchange student, Yoko, some years ago. We warmed to her then and also met her parents on a couple of occasions, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience(s). We even attended Yoko's "Aussie" wedding in Sydney.
But that was their time in our country, and now we were the the strangers in Japan.
I am totally entranced by their sense of calmness and patience. Whatever the history of their culture has brought out in them, it is to be admired. For a country that has undergone such a tragedy as the recent earthquake/tsunami, there was no evidence of it. Of course we don't understand Japanese, and maybe there were elements in their conversations that we couldn't be aware of, but all-in-all there is this feeling of serenity and respect for others.
One of life's pleasures, is to be able to sit back and look and admire people, and this lounge area had it all. People of all nations, but predominantly Japanese, and just lovely faces and expressions to take in. You could tell the really well heeled folk, but just as interesting were the majority of them, who, like us, were simply flying on to other parts of the world.
I treasure that time in there, because it was quiet, and calm, and you could lose yourself in the peace of it all, and that's important before you have to get on another plane for another 12 hours or more!
Next stop London...
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