Sayonara Japan, Namaskaaram GOC

It's here, finally. The day of reckoning, when the Lord comes down and swoops me into heaven straight! Into his own country! Then it dawned on me that I'm a non-believer. So, there's no chance of that happening. Nevertheless, I'm going to the so-called God's Own Country, a.k.a Malluland, a.k.a Kerala. To the capital, no less. I'll be packing my stuff and leaving Japan by late February. Am I sad about leaving Japan? Not exactly. A bit reflective, perhaps, but no sadness. Am I elated about going back to Kerala? Not exactly. A bit apprehensive, to say the truth, but at the same time eagerly looking forward to it. I have a Japanese wife and two kids in tow with little or no experience of Third World realities. I did try (refer Oct 2005) to acclimatize my wife and first-born to the rough and tumble of life in GOC and I'm hoping it would stand them in good stead now that we're actually making the move.

Here are some of the stuff I'll miss about Japan
10. The First World conveniences
9. The establishment known as snack
8. The quiet life (see No.8 on the next list)
7. The orderly way in which things get done, on time
6. The four seasons, especially autumn and winter
5. The dining out choices, especially in the major cities
4. The civility of the Japanese, probably unmatched by any other ethnic group
3. Onsen, or hot springs
2. Sushi (and other Japanese delicacies - raw, cooked, live, dead)
And the No.1 thing I'll miss ..... no contest.....
1. The hi-tech toilet (refer May 2007)

And some of the stuff I'm looking forward to in GOC
10. Letting myself go and shouting abuses at crazy drivers and other such douche bags
9. Trying to convert my house into a liveable home
8. The chaos
7. The start of a new chapter in my life
6. The monsoon (watching and listening to the rain)
5. The abundant material available for rants (which would help keep this site alive)
4. Watching my wife and kids learn Malayalam
3. The food (appam, puttu, idiappam, dosa, idli, etc., etc.)
2. Mangoes
1. Being back with family and friends

So, that's it for now. The next rant will be posted from GOC and I'm sure I'll have plenty to rant about by then.

By the way, the hunt is still on for Ratheesh (from the Jan '09 post) at ivanaaredey@gmail.com