In Thailand they have a saying, "Mai pen rai"* which basically translates to no worries or don't worry about it. I loved it as soon as I first heard of it a while ago on Pinterest.
Today I had a chance to put my mai pen rai mentality to the test. I arrived in Tokyo and realised I had not received conformation of my shared private pick up service that I ordered online. I took my time collecting my bags - yes, bags. You'll remember that I did a bit of shopping in Thailand. Also I did pack enough clothing and supplies for a month when I left Bermuda! My friend Shantae helped me eliminate some items prior to my departure but not without some resistance on my behalf.
Back to my story, I collected my bags exchanged money for some Japanese Yen and then found a seat to check my email again. Still no confirmation. I was starting to wonder how I was going to be able to navigate the train and subway with my luggage. The thought was not appealing! If it was one ride then I would have made it work but I needed to go up some stairs and switch lines according to the directions on TripAdvisor. Just then I spotted a sign for a baggage service. That made sense as surely I'm not the first person to arrive at Narita Airport with luggage not ideal for the train. I did some shuffling with my duty free items, got rid of the plastic bag and my plastic water bottle from the plane and went to check out this baggage service. Since I've gotten off the plane I realise that I need to fight the urge to speak in {limited} Thai.
The gentleman at the counter was very helpful. I showed him my reservation and he checked my hotel on Google to make sure the information was correct. He was about to fill out the information when he mentioned that the bag would be delivered tomorrow morning between 9am - 12pm. I was scheduled to check out at 10:00am. I figured I could go back for it later if it wasn't there when I was ready to go to next hotel when I had an even better idea. Okay, maybe it wasn't a better idea but more of a "duh" moment. I asked him if I could change the hotel and he was very kind and easy-going about the change. Once the paperwork was completed and I had paid the fee I left my luggage feeling good about this new plan. Next up - the Narita Express!
Today I had a chance to put my mai pen rai mentality to the test. I arrived in Tokyo and realised I had not received conformation of my shared private pick up service that I ordered online. I took my time collecting my bags - yes, bags. You'll remember that I did a bit of shopping in Thailand. Also I did pack enough clothing and supplies for a month when I left Bermuda! My friend Shantae helped me eliminate some items prior to my departure but not without some resistance on my behalf.
Back to my story, I collected my bags exchanged money for some Japanese Yen and then found a seat to check my email again. Still no confirmation. I was starting to wonder how I was going to be able to navigate the train and subway with my luggage. The thought was not appealing! If it was one ride then I would have made it work but I needed to go up some stairs and switch lines according to the directions on TripAdvisor. Just then I spotted a sign for a baggage service. That made sense as surely I'm not the first person to arrive at Narita Airport with luggage not ideal for the train. I did some shuffling with my duty free items, got rid of the plastic bag and my plastic water bottle from the plane and went to check out this baggage service. Since I've gotten off the plane I realise that I need to fight the urge to speak in {limited} Thai.
The gentleman at the counter was very helpful. I showed him my reservation and he checked my hotel on Google to make sure the information was correct. He was about to fill out the information when he mentioned that the bag would be delivered tomorrow morning between 9am - 12pm. I was scheduled to check out at 10:00am. I figured I could go back for it later if it wasn't there when I was ready to go to next hotel when I had an even better idea. Okay, maybe it wasn't a better idea but more of a "duh" moment. I asked him if I could change the hotel and he was very kind and easy-going about the change. Once the paperwork was completed and I had paid the fee I left my luggage feeling good about this new plan. Next up - the Narita Express!
