Chatters inside stations/Carlos Pueblo

Chatters inside stations/Carlos Pueblo

We were inside Himeji station ticket room to reserve seats back to Shin-Osaka

and following a robot’s instruction to take a number and sit for our number to

be called. I was attracted by a pretty lady sitting in front of me on the left. She

was busy reading her i-phone and managing her handbag. She wore a white

mask; therefore, I couldn’t see her face yet I could still see her appearance,

lovely hairdo, overcoat, slender figure, and high hill. Amy, on another sea,

warned me not to stare at her that long. Suddenly, a foreign family of four

entered the room. The husband took a number and took his daughter to

sit and the mother and her son were attracted by the Japanese greeting

robot in the front. The boy attempted to communicate with a question,

do you speak English? Repeated it several times and the Robot still return

his format greeting. Then, the mother said Konichiwa, good afternoon.

Then, the girl joined in asking the robot if it spoke English. The robot still

spoke in Japanese. I think that very soon, the station will provide multi-

lingual service robot and two way communication with customers.

All reserved seats were full except non-reserved trains, the first to the third

trains in the front. The staff recommended us go to the platform early and

wait on the que to get on first after some came off which made sense. On

the next after, we were in the same situation at Hiroshima station. There

were no seat and robot except the traditional way. Suddenly, I saw a counter

on the far right with a sign for JR Pass customers and that’s us. An English

spoken lady staff was outside the counter and approached to us, asked our

destination and another staff inside the counter quickly checking the computer

and found nothing available. She advised us to try the non-reserved train and

also recommended us to take one after the immediate next train because the

second one stopped fewer stations and actually would arrive early. On our way

back, I did see Fukuyama Castle, a station that we passed without a stop.

There are shopping center inside every station and many stories to tell that

reflect the good manners and service of Japanese people. We located a drug

store inside a big store like Walgreen type. When I mentioned Kasei, the cold,

the clerk brought us to a row and soon a specialist followed to point out the

suitable one on the counter.

I helped Amy to get desserts, sweet rice ball with red bean paste inside. When

I asked where I could get a bottle of sake. The elder sent her young assistant to

take us to a nearby supermarket and we learned how to get a lunch box of

sashimi or sushi for a reasonable price.