05秋季日本行(前言) Japan Trip 05 (foreword)

我娘在我七月決定要回台灣參加好友婚禮以後，便開始計畫要趁著我在台灣的期間出國走一趟。幾經轉折，到了回台前一個月，終於決定要去日本玩個五天。
My mother started to plan the trip after I decided to come back for a friend’s wedding. My trip back in Taiwan was confirmed in July, but she didn’t make up her mind as to our destination until September. At the end she decided to go to Japan for five days.

只是，這次日本行是很不一樣的…因為，我們要帶著一個不到三歲的娃兒一起去。
However, it’s quite a different trip… because we’re taking a baby girl who is not yet three years old with us.

芊芊是小鬼的小名。自從我上次回台灣因為管她看電視而跟她結下樑子以後，家人就處心積慮地想要化解我跟她之間的「恩怨」。幾個月以後，某次她指著照片裡的我戲稱「pingu」，打死都不叫姑姑以後，娘就決定要趁著我在台灣的時候，帶著芊芊一起去旅行，好讓我們姑姪倆培養感情。
Her nickname is Chien-Chien. During my last trip in Taiwan, one time I was trying to make her stay back when watching tv. She wasn’t too happy about that and remembered that “gu-gu” (aunt from father’s side in Chinese) was mean to her. Some months later, one day she’s pointing at me in the photo calling me “pingu” continuously instead of “gugu”. My mother decided that she’d take the baby for a trip with me when I’ll be in Taiwan, and try to develop a more friendly relationship between the baby and me.

既然有了個小鬼同行，就得以小鬼會玩的地方為主，所以行程就變成：
Since there’s a baby with us, we had to choose places suitable for the baby. So our schedule became as follows:
第一天 First Day
台北飛往東京。
Taipei to Tokyo

第二天 Second Day
富士急樂園裡的湯瑪士樂園。
The Thomas Land of the Fujikyu Highland.

第三天 Third Day
早上到東京迪士尼，傍晚乘坐新幹線前往奈良外公外婆家。
Go to Tokyo Disneyland in the morning. In the late afternoon take the Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) to Nara where my grandparents live.

第四天 Forth Day
可能可以把小鬼丟給大人，和嫂子一起去京都。
Possibly leave the baby with grandparents and mom, and go to Kyoto with my sister-in-law.

第五天 Fifth Day
回台。
Go back to Taiwan.

很多朋友聽說我要去日本，都發出了羨慕之語，大概只有米奇能夠想像我這次可能得面臨的奇怪狀況。雖然出發前我已經做好了心理準備，不過真正發生的時候，還是有點措手不及的感覺。
Many friends envied me when they heard that I’d go to Japan again. Probably only Michele was able to imagine what I’d have to face during the trip. Even though I was prepared psychologically, I still felt unprepared when it really happened.