That night was New Year’s Eve. This was the first time I would enjoy New Year abroad, Osaka to be exact. Inevitably I had intended to enjoy how lively Osaka night was on New Year’s Eve Countdown.
But it was only 5 p.m when I finished very late lunch menu. I left a home-based restaurant whcih stood in an alley in America-mura, after enjoying its chicken ramen.
Now I have a intention which I must fulfill….Yupz, SLEEP.
I couldn’t hide my drowsines after only sleeping at Kansai International Airport for four hours all night. I myself didn’t want to attend New Year’s countdown without fresh face that night.
“See you America-mura”, I jokingly thought as I stepped out of an alley and began to step at Mido-suji Avenue towards Shinsaibashi Station. It was almost six-thirty in the afternoon when I started boarding Osaka Metro to Dobutsuen-mae Station on Midosuji Line.
From Dobutsuen-mae Station, I continued on walking along Saka-suji Avenue to reach the inn. I slowly entered Haginochaya area and soon arrived at Hotel Kaga.
“Hello, Mr. Donny. So afternoon you arrive”, male receptionist with glasses lightly greeted me then stood up from his chair and swiftly took my blue backpack.
“Yes, Sir. Osaka is very interesting, so I will regret it if I come back to hotel too early”, I caught backpack he handed me.
“I think I should sleep to prepare myself for New Year’s Eve tonight”
“Yes, that’s a great idea, Sir”.
I asked permission to immediately entering the room after he gave me a key. I already paid the hotel fare that morning when I left my backpack. I took a quick step towards lift whose doors were already open because someone was using it, then slid up to third floor. As soon as I arrived at the room, I immediately hung up my winter jacket, took off my boots, lowered my backpack, pulled the folding mattress and threw myself onto the mattress.
Zzzzz……..Zzzzz…..Zzzzz….I quickly drifted off to sleep because of my tired body and sleepy eyes.
It was a little past nine-thirty when I automatically woke up. That’s how I am, if there is an intention to wake up at a certain hour then without even turning on the alarm then I will wake up automatically at that hour. I rarely miss, maybe this is a remnant of my childhood habit when I often got up long before dawn to study. #discipline
I still felt lazy to get out of bed and continued to be comfortable with warm room. Keep imagining how uncomfortable it would be to travel outside where the temperature was almost zero degrees Celsius. I grabbed the TV remote beside me, I just realized that before I went to sleep I had turned on the TV. Practically the TV was watching me when I sleep, not me watching it.
Of course I didn’t know what was being said on every Japanese television show. All I know was a reality show about romance, quizzes with prizes or guessing some cases and events on the evening news. I continued to explore further until channel numbered above 40. Several sporting events as well as flora and fauna began to appear. Now the channel was at 60. I kep exploring….
61….62….
I was suddenly shocked when I entered CHANNEL NO. 63. How not, it is an uncensored adult film channel. My God, what was this…..I would try to skip it, moved on to the next channel. Not long ago moved, for some reason this hand was always curious to press the shortcut to CHANNEL NO. 63, then tried to resist and switching to another channel again. Gosh….Then switch again to CHANNEL NO. 63…..The “Black-White” battle seemed fierce in my mind. Until finally didn’t feel the time was showing nine o’clock.
It was about time I went to New Year’s celebrations with Osakans and other tourists out there. I had read the announcements at many stations that afternoon that Osaka Metro’s operating hours would be extended well past the early hours of the morning. That was good news and I didn’t have to break into my pocket to find a taxi when I got back.
I put my boots back on and put my two jackets on to fight the cold. Remember when I accidentally drank alcohol at Narita International Airport?. Yups, that alcoholic drink was still there and only one drink less at that time. I put it in my winter jacket pocket and I used it as a precaution. I have to be prepared if temperature outside got too extreme in the middle of night….WHO KNOWS?….But hopefully I won’t have to drink it again until my adventure in Osaka was over.