reipan

I should be writing my NaNo, but I am writing this instead, thanks to the offline mode on my LJ client. (I'm not actually sure how it works; I'm wondering what will happen when my space on this area of screen runs out.) I'm eight hours into a twelve-hour flight, I've spoken to nobody (beyond small talk with staff of various breeds) since I left my mother at the airport at half past eleven this morning - in your English hours - and I am going crazy. (Someone tell me I'm not a bad person? I've been seriously mean to me over the past eight hours. Sometimes I am not sure that leaving me alone with myself is a good idea.)

Actually, before this bit of it I was having rather a good flight.( Cut for tl;dr and wild, wanton Descriptions Of My Flight )

Anyway. Four hours of flying time left; I'm going to read over some old RP files, maybe have a nap, watch a film (they have Wall-E, Neesan!), do some writing. Maybe not necessarily NaNo. I think NaNo may have to be given up this year; I made a valiant effort (I think) but I haven't written anything for a good few days and it's coming up to the end. I'll keep trying, but I'm not sure it's going to happen. In any case, I'll feel better if I can write something. Depending on how much time I have between getting to the airport and getting on the bus to Shibuya, I'll either post this from Narita or...well, I won't.

Hope London hasn't vanished in my absence. Ja ne!

Note before posting: Now safely in Tokyo, rested, and feeling pretty okay. I actually wrote this entry two days ago, but it seems a nice little piece of time-capsuling, so here you go anyway.

My only excuse for this is that I'm bored out of my mind and need something Else to think about. Here you go.

I think one of the reasons I'm so interested in Japan and Japanese culture is that it all focuses so heavily on societal norms and conventions, which have always fascinated me. (This does not, I hasten to add, mean that I always obey or even intend to obey them; but breaking the rules is so much more fun if you know and understand them.) Recently, this has got me to thinking. Yes, there are lots of deeply-ingrained societal norms in British culture...( On Those Weird Little Quirks of Polite Society - Preamble )

It got me thinking; I can't be the only person who has these occasional longings after the past. What do other people think?
( Survey time! )

So, friendslist and possible stalkers, I put this problem to you. Are there any bits of Times Gone By that you wish still existed today? Why do you think that this is? And do you think - really think - that if these things were compulsory once again, we'd all be happier?

Thank you for your time.

(A last note to any nitpickers among us - I realise that, while my icon declares that "I've got a theory", I fail to actually declare said theory in my post, opting instead for a scattering of mine and other peoples' opinions. If this upsets you, go and lie down in a dark place for a while - would you really have wanted this post much longer, anyway?)