Travel article: Tokyo Dreams

 

It's all dark and quiet in our hotel room, my wife and my daughter are asleep. All I can hear is the hum hum of the uninterrupted flow of cars, 52 floors down, a white noise that makes me dreamy. 

Bright lights, big city. I've been here before. I recognise that feeling of sudden loneliness among millions. It often happens when we look at a city from high up, not being able to relate to what happens at ground level. As I lie down on my bed, I think of everything I saw, lost in the tunnels, among people in black wearing white masks, moving swiftly on by. Quick, let's get into the subway. Push, I need to get in. My heart is racing. Like in most places today, we are surrounded by zombies staring down at their screens, except these ones are reading mangas or playing Pokemon. Then there is me amongst them. Too big a crowd to even be an individual. I was about to join their cult - look at my phone, immerse myself, forget everything, everyone around me. Even that woman with the little 3 year old girl. I would let them stand the whole way, I didn't even know they existed. 

Yes, that's right, I was about to become part of the crowd. But I didn't. I woke up and I was in my hotel room again, with the lights down low, in the middle of the night. I laid there, motionless, trying to slow my breathing. 

 

O.V.