Count how many workers. They seem like it is just an ordinary day shoving people on to the train. Since I am a bit claustrophobic, I am so glad that this isn't me every day, although we have found ourselves pretty tightly squeezed. Luckily for Tim, he has some breathing space over everyone's heads (a plus of being tall here).
Since the boys ride the train every day to school they have experienced a few fuller-than-full train rides. Certain trains are busier than others during the early morning rush. The 7:47 AM train from out station is one of those you would rather avoid. A few weeks after we arrived the boys were on the way to school and found themselves on a crowded train trying to push their way out. One old grandma saw that the boys were navigating their way out and she grabbed on to one of their backpacks hoping for some extra leverage. There were so many feet squeezed together though that on the way out the train door, one of our sons lost a shoe. "My shoe, my shoe", he yelled. The concerned brother with him dove back in and retrieved the stuck shoe right before the doors closed again. We sure had a good laugh that night at dinner as they recounted the tug-along old lady and the slippery shoe story.
To quote my sweet husband, you "Gotta Love Japan". We found ourselves saying this often when we first returned. It is the most positive reply we can think of in the midst of feeling frustrated and a little overwhelmed at things being so....different (it's not wrong, just different...we keep reminding ourselves).
