Here we are in the country of the rising sun. We look forward to discovering a new culture, make contacts and for David to discover new technologies and techniques in his area of work, as we participate in the World Congress of Orthopedics.
The first night, after eating, we decided to return to the hotel on foot. We were standing at the traffic light and when we looked at each other, we both felt there was something odd. Indeed, everything is super quiet, no honking, little traffic, pedestrians waiting for the green light before crossing (because there is a light for pedestrians).
So many things that make one country so different from another.
At the congress, we were able to learn more about the country strategy for rehabilitation. There were several presentations using Myanmar as an example. We also discovered that there was a Myanmar delegation in the congress and they were staying at the same hotel as us. This was a great opportunity to get to know them and better understand their challenges. We were also encouraged to see that our project falls right into the strategy and vision to develop the private sector in the country.
A little story of an unexpected meeting: The third day, in the middle of a presentation, David decided to leave the room and go to a different presentation. In this other one, he saw an ex-colleague with whom he used to work when we lived in Valais and with whom we were close. He was in Japan on holiday with his family and was attending the congress only one day. What a coincidence, in the middle of thousands of people to meet at the same presentation. We met later on for dinner and had a great time.
During the evening, we were telling our Swiss friend how nice the weather was, just the right temperature and no humidity. He looked at us and smiled because, for him, coming from Switzerland, it was quite humid and hot. This is how we realised we had gotten used to hot and humid weather.
After the congress, we had one day off and took the opportunity to visit the beautiful city of Nara, east of Osaka. There, we went to many temples and traditional houses, climbed a hill to have a panoramic view of the city and admired the many deer that roam freely everywhere in the city.
