I can't say I blame him. I went to Tokyo a little over a year ago with my good friend Amye (rhymes with Kanye) to visit my good boyfriend R (soon to be R, Esquire!) who was living there at the time on a study-abroad thing. I really fell in love with the place.
The buildings are beautiful, and weird.
The people are awesome, and weird.
The food is delicious, and weird. But mostly delicious.
And the rest is just... weird.
Oh god, and the Engrish!
Not to mention the reliable (and clean!) public transportation, the beautiful ancient-meets-modern-ness of the city, the fact that I would be able to eat good food and still lose weight over there, and the fact that I would probably be able to fill every day with something new and wonderful to see/do. I spent 10 days there and I don't even think I saw 25% of what was available.
I know I haven't travelled much, but it is hands-down the best city I've spent any time in (yes, MUCH better than NYC) and the rest of the world's major cities are going to have to work hard to impress me. I love that place so much, and sometimes I fantasize about living there. Not forever, just for a year or two. It would be an incredible experience and I don't think I would ever regret it.
Of course, Ryan -- who had an even better time over there -- wants to live in Tokyo for a few years, too. Not just because he's also in love with the city, but because, somehow, he feels his job prospects over there are better than in the States.
But everytime he brings it up, I get upset. I say I can't move there. I start a fight, which ends the conversation about Japan and spirals into something ugly.
Why? Because, unlike R's prospects over there, mine are virtually nil. I only know conversational Japanese, not enough to work as an actuary. So I'd be forced to either work a job that isn't related to my career path at all (not good) or not work at all (even worse). If someone told me "Jess, when you get back to the States after your Tokyo romp, you'll still be able to find a job -- no one will fault you for taking a year or two off to live in Japan" then fine. Awesome, even. Let me start packing. But no one has. And I don't think anyone can tell me that with any degree of certainty.
I am definitely planning to visit again -- going again is actually tied with Hong Kong in 1st place on my travel list, that's how much I love Japan. But I'm sorry R, Tokyo... I just can't make a larger commitment than that at this time. :(
PS: If you want to see the pictures I took in Tokyo, look no further: http://picasaweb.google.com/jess.calafell
And if you want to read R's blog when he lived in Tokyo, go here: http://esp10nage.livejournal.com/
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