A Walk In Tokyo

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Tokyo, end of August, 2016

It was late evening, and I've finished work. I work as a programmer, I code websites and apps for other people. I also debug, edit and test code. I finished my pack of prawn flavour crisps, and finished the last of the coca cola bottle. I get up from the floor and put the empty crisp packet and coca cola bottle to the bin. Maybe you're imagining me as overweight. I'm not, I'm actually on the thinner side.
I have a big stretch. I've been sitting in a cramped position for a few hours, and my eyes were feeling tired. I'm also a bit hungry for some real food.
My name is Maia, I'm 19 years old, from Latvia. I have blonde hair but brown eyes, which is a bit unusual, but it's because my mother has blonde hair and grey eyes, while my father has dark brown eyes and light brown hair. My mother is Latvian, and my father is Turkish.
While I work as a programmer, I can travel anywhere I want. I still would like to do something even more exciting, but I'm not so sure what type of job could it be then.
I close my laptop, and put it on the hotel table. I open the long orange curtains that reach the floor, to see a beautiful night Tokyo view. Neon signs, people walking the streets, inviting cafes and noodle bars, cars stopping at a traffic light. Maybe I'll go to a noodle bar. I am quite hungry now. I close the curtains, then turn to where I left my luggage. I put on some makeup, and found some simple but pretty clothes I packed. I wanted to put on something nice, take a good walk, take some nice photos, eat some tasty food, have a nice night out.
I put on black jeans, cyan shoes with slightly raised heels, and a turquoise long sleeved tunic, and also a black jumper which I carry over my arm.
I opened the thick fire and soundproof hotel door then locked it. The hotel corridor was empty and quiet, but there was some talking and a faint clatter of dishes sounds downstairs. I walked down the light blue lino floored corridor, to the elevator, then got down to ground floor. The elevator's shiny metal doors silently glide open, and I come to the wide, marble floored reception room. The receptionist lifts his head from the screen, then goes back to typing something on the computer.                                                                          
The automatic doors open, and a fresh breeze slightly lifts my hair. I take a few steps outside, and the automatic doors close. I cross the street then walk to the right. The pavement is wet from rain, mirroring the neon signs and shop lights. I sigh, the city air is fresh from the rain, though polluted at the same time. It smells like fresh earth, dust, and gasoline. I walk past a buffet, and delicious smells waver out, making my mouth water. I gulp. I'm not going yet, I still would like to walk around more. My heels tap against the cement tiles, sending tiny splashes to the sides. I come to a small city square, illuminated by street lamps, little solar lights in the two garden strips that run on each side of the square and the lights from the shops and their signs. I walk past the fountain in the middle, water thundering out the top, and down into the basin. I take a picture, then walk on. A couple walk past, the young man holding the umbrella, while they were talking about school memories, it seemed. I know a bit of Japanese. It was starting to rain lightly. Oh, I've forgotten my umbrella. I pull up the hood of my jumper. It starts pouring, raining hard, like a strong shower. I'm getting drenched ! My jumper is quickly soaked through, I must quickly find shelter, oh I see a small "disco ramen" shop ? What a strange combination. I run there, grab the cold metal handle, and pull the door open. The smell of ramen noodles makes my stomach rumble. I close the door behind me, and take off my dripping wet jumper. I see a metal stand that's been put up, where people have hung their wet clothes, there was also a radiator to make them dry faster. So convenient. But before hanging my jumper I went outside to squeeze out the water from my jumper like a sponge.
I'll eat some warm noodles, it's going to make me feel better. After my bowl, I check the time. It's eleven o'clock. And it's not raining anymore. I paid for the food, took my jumper, which was still wet, but a lot drier than before, and went outside.
It's cold, after the rain. Maybe I should just go back to the hotel now. But at the same time I would really like to walk around a bit more. And the atmosphere is really beautiful, the wet cement and puddles, casting mirrors, reflecting the bright colourful neon signs, some shops having plants in pots outside, one of them noticeably a small sago palm. I look at the sky, it seems like it could still start raining again. This street doesn't have that many people walking here, but then I turned a corner, and there was a wide street, with many people returning home from work, going to night shift work, a few teenage girls walking as a group, and there was an old man with a backpack, walking down the street. I snap a few more pictures, then continue on with my walk. Tiny droplets of rain, like when you mist your plants, gently floated down. I walked past a McDonald's restaurant, then by the map on my phone I saw that if I kept on going, after a few turns, I'll be back at the hotel.
The mist changed to light rain. It wasn't very comfortable, in my wet jeans and quite wet jumper, which was getting even more wet now. I walked a bit hunchedly and crossed my arms. I was looking forward to a nice hot shower at the hotel, and a nice warm bed. I shivered, it was cold. I then realised that there was pattering above my head, I got a small shock, someone was near me. A young man, maybe about my age or a bit older, dressed mostly in black, grey and brown. He had polished black shoes, black trousers, a long grey coat, and a simple brown scarf, tucked into the coat. He was holding a black umbrella above our heads. The street here was almost empty, but there was an old lady with a dog on the other side. It felt so awkward, but I was thankful to him that I was out of the rain, as it started to rain harder. After a short walk, we reach near the hotel, where we go our separate ways. I said "thank you" to him, he smiled and walked away. I crossed the street, walked to the hotel doors that opened automatically, and pressed a button on the lift. The button glows, and not long after, a lift smoothly glides down, and the doors silently slide open.
I take a nice hot shower, then in my turquoise pajama shirt and trousers, flop down onto my soft pancake of a bed. I switched off the lamp, and after five minutes I fell asleep, cars honking outside, people talking, and rain splattering the window.

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⏰ Last updated: Nov 18, 2023 ⏰

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