After waking up, I tried to extend my stay for one more night at the same hostel online. However, they did not accept extensions online, so I went upstairs to the reception to ask about extending my stay. The young receptionist told me that the room I was currently staying in was fully booked for the night, so I would need to change rooms. I returned my locker key to him, and he told me to come back to check in after 11 AM.
He and another person who was helping with translation told me that they love Japanese people because Japanese people follow all the rules. I am sure that Japanese people are welcomed at accommodations like this. However, if it is taken too far, it can feel stressful.
I think this is one of the reasons why some Japanese people feel stressed in Japan but feel more relaxed when they are abroad. We might be too loyal to the rules or the existing social norms. Once we break the rules or step outside the conventional path, we can be criticized a lot by others. That being said, because of this, Japanese people have a great reputation outside Japan when it comes to manners and following rules.
I have no idea how many times I have appreciated being Japanese while traveling. There are no perfect countries. There are always good sides and bad sides.
In Japan, although you can receive good service, the staff are polite, everything is clean, and transportation arrives on time, you are also expected to meet very high standards, which can be stressful. In India, although you might be stressed out by the dirtiness, rude service, or simply being lied to, you can sometimes feel more relaxed because you do not have to meet such high expectations as you do in Japan.
Balance is always important, and being able to choose where you live or visit is a privilege and powerful because you can decide where you feel most comfortable.
At the end of the day, Japan is still the best country for me to live in after visiting more than 20 countries over the past five years. But as long as you are in Japan, you need to follow the rules and meet high expectations in order to receive high-quality service.
After paying for one night, which was slightly cheaper than what I had been paying per night, I headed to Sealdah Station to buy a ticket to go to Varanasi.
At the ticket counter, I got annoyed by the rude attitude of the staff, which I had already gotten used to. I found out that I was supposed to buy a ticket on the second floor.
At first, when I was told to go to the second floor, I thought the staff member was making it up just to avoid communicating with me. However, I was wrong. There actually was a second floor where people could buy tickets.
I wanted to apologize to the staff in my mind, but at the same time, because I had been lied to so many times since coming to India, I had become doubtful about what people told me.
While I was waiting in line, some people cut the line a few times, which had also happened in Bangladesh and India. Because I was tired of communicating with people just to buy a train ticket, I searched online to see if it was possible to buy the ticket online. I found out that it was, which made me feel stupid.
I made a reservation and checked the confirmation message and ticket. I found out that I was on the waitlist. The ticket showed WL-20, which meant that there were about 20 people ahead of me waiting for a seat. I was not guaranteed a seat on the train even after paying for the ticket.
The good thing was that if I was still on the waitlist until the departure time, I could get a refund. It was my first experience with this system, so it was a bit confusing and annoying.
I decided to wait and check my status for a while.
I walked back to the hostel to see if my bed was ready. The receptionist told me that it was going to be ready after 1 PM. I gave up and left my large backpack in the storage area before heading to Starbucks.
It was already lunchtime, so I had some street food for lunch near Starbucks. I ended up staying there for about five hours. I placed a second order, of course.
While I was there, I checked my train status, but I did not see any progress, so I decided to cancel it and get a bus ticket instead, which I should have done in the first place.
After leaving Starbucks, I headed to the dojo to check if there were any students practicing, just like I had done the day before. Honestly, I did not really expect to be able to practice Judo.
However, when I arrived, the gate was open, and there was one person who had just arrived on a motorbike. I introduced myself to him and found out that he was Amir, the only student at the dojo.
Since the coach was out of town, there were no other students coming to practice. Amir comes to train three times a week. Once I told him that I was a black belt, he allowed me to practice at the dojo.
The dojo looked very old. I followed what he was doing and practiced together with him. I could feel his passion for Judo.
I had a great time with him, having dinner together, listening to his philosophy, and practicing Judo. I really appreciated my luck in being able to practice Judo and meet him.
I went back to the hostel and was glad that I had gone to the dojo just to check if there would be anyone practicing, without having any high expectations.
I went to bed in a different room at around 10 PM. Unfortunately, the room smelled pretty bad.
Lunch
Calcutta Judo Club
Dinner/Tea
