The Start of a New Day, Right at the Bus Stop
I was standing in front of the bus stop, holding a printed picture of the Philippine flag, waiting for three women to arrive. Kyoto City Bus number 28. Taking this bus, I can go directly from the bus stop near my house to Kyoto Station without any transfers. There’s no more convenient mode of transportation than this. The only downside is that it takes about 20 stations and 40 minutes to reach Kyoto Station. It’s fine if I can get a seat, but standing in a crowded bus is a bit tough. Also, depending on the traffic, it can be 4-5 minutes late. (Trains in Japan are always on time, even if they’re only 30 seconds late!)
Bus number 28 approached, two minutes behind schedule. As expected, the bus was super crowded. The bus stopped. Before I could raise the printed picture of the Philippine flag, one of the three women jumped out. “Aki?” she called out before I could say anything. It was Allison. It looks like it’s going to be another fun day!
The three of them are graphic designers. Janica and Mei used to be university classmates and have been friends for 10 years. They all worked at the same company before, but now they work for different companies. It’s great that they can still be good friends even though they work for different companies. “Being a graphic designer must be creative and rewarding, right?” I asked. “Yes,” Allison nodded. “But it’s tough because of the deadlines,” she said with a pleading look.
They said they’re going to watch the night parade at Toei Kyoto Studio Park tonight. I hope they have a fun night in Kyoto.
