24072012 Day 1 of training

After using my day of arrival in Japan for Ghibli Museum, the Biohazard Cafe, and Skytree, today was the real reason why I was in Japan. To attend a 3 days worth of training. As I am not allowed by company rules to speak too much, it is roughly a training which concerns check-in systems airlines uses, and each and every airlines might be using a different system. Also, as we were considered representatives, as our check-in agents are contracted to a group of ground handling company, or airlines in most cases, so we need to master the system as they would be referring to us.

Met the Bangkok staff outside the hotel, and she gave me a surprise by exclaiming loudly that she was looking for me the whole day yesterday. Her flight arrived an hour after mine, but when she enquired at the hotel, they said that I was out, but had left my baggage with them. Hours later, almost eleven at night, she came enquiring again but I wasn’t back yet. Told me that she was worried sick that something had happened to me, so I apologised and told her I was out the whole day.

Took the bus out to the airport to get to our training center. Met the two other staffs from Singapore and Los Angeles respectively, and they used to be office based, but were recently transferred to the airport operations. Exchanged the usual greetings and all, but the jetlag seems to be hitting the Los Angeles staff the most. For us and Singapore it was only a hour difference (for Bangkok, two), but still it proved to be very challenging to keep ourselves awake. For me, probably fatigued which was brought over from yesterday’s stint.

Hung out till lunch came around, and took advantage of eating at the canteen because it had delicious meals at affordable prices. Got the menu of the day, which was shrimp with egg, and it didn’t let down at all! We had an hour for break, then it was back to studying, and more training till evening when the teacher let us off for the day.

There isn’t much one could do in Narita in the evening, so I did what most people here would do, head out to AEON Narita. Most hotels in Narita city provides free shuttle buses, so took advantage of it. Did some shopping, people sighting, had dinner, overall, just to kill time before heading back to the hotel.

The other thing which I found interesting, was eating my way through the Japanese convenience stores. Chanced upon Lawson’s premium roll sitting on the shelves, so I bought it. Never regretted any of the calories I put on in one, chocolate cream filled roll. Bonus tip: if you buy a premium roll on the 22nd of any month, it comes with a strawberry in the center. In the calendar, 15 is directly above 22, and in Japanese, 1 and 5 reads as ichi go, which also reads as strawberry (ichigo)