このページはフレーム対応ブラウザ用に作成されています。下のリンクは非フレーム使用ページですのでそちらをご覧ください。
この記事をプリントする
安心できる場所
どの国も似たり寄ったりで、特別な刺激を与えてくれるわけでもない——
そんな空港に筆者は心の安らぎを感じるという。
行き交う人の中に自分を埋没させて、解放された気分に浸るのが気に入っているのだ。
筆者にとって空港とは、日常からの脱出を可能にする「どこでもドア」のような役目を果たしているのである。
In security
I don't hate airports. I kind of love them.
Even though most airports are very bland, universalized places, I still love the feeling they give me. Because I usually fly alone, I become anonymous, untethered, disconnected, free.
Suddenly, I feel 16 again, and I am on my way from Calgary to Frankfurt, about to experience my first taste of the life lived FAR from home.
Even though I am usually just flying home for the holidays, looking up at the departure board I feel empowered. Sure, this time I'm flying to Calgary, but next time I could be going to Buenos Aires or Istanbul or Sydney. The difference between this trip and that trip? Just a few gate numbers.
I don't really mind the heightened security since 9/11. I didn't really like giving my fingerprints in Japan (I'm not a criminal!), and I try to avoid connecting through the U.S. because, well, they just do everything the hard way. But I will allow for a greater level of privacy invasion than seems necessary because flying still seems sacred to me, a privilege rather than a right. A technical achievement that, although seemingly destroying our planet, is still a kind of miracle.
I like the feeling of waiting at the gate before boarding, like I'm already halfway there. Just looking around, I feel a kinship with the other passengers. There's already a bit of there, here.
I don't really mind the flying part either. I used to be able to sleep easily on planes, but now less so. Luckily, in-flight entertainment has really improved, and I'm quite happy to wile away nine hours catching up on rom-coms or listening to music.
I always eat all of the food — I think it's really cliched to complain about plane food. They do pretty well considering how difficult it must be to prepare a warm meal for hundreds of people at 40,000 feet, and then another one four hours later.
I don't get aggressive while waiting for my baggage, preferring to be patient and enjoy watching the people who seem to think standing really close to the baggage carousel will make their suitcases emerge more quickly.
If someone is meeting me at the airport, I savor the moment of recognition: "Welcome back!" Life doesn't provide us with enough opportunities to feel special or make others feel special, but airport arrivals — especially international — are the low-hanging fruit of the feel-good orchard.
And leaving the airport always seems to be somewhat instantaneous, so painless. Much easier than entering. But they are designed that way, which I appreciate.
To me, airports are the closest we've ever come to Doraemon's doko-demo door. Sure, it takes more time and money than just walking through a door, but airports offer the same threshold of possibility. The same promise, the same superpower — the same escape from everyday life.
- In security
- 安心して、無事に
- kind of
- どちらかといえば
- bland
- 面白みのない
- universalized
- 似たり寄ったりの
- anonymous
- 名が知られていない
- untethered
- 解放された
- disconnected
- しがらみのない
- Calgary
- カルガリー(=カナダのアルバータ州南部の都市)
- departure board
- 出発案内板
- feel empowered
- 力がみなぎるのを感じる
- heightened
- 強化された
- criminal
- 犯罪者
- connecting through 〜
- 〜を経由すること
- do everything the hard way
- 何でも強引にやる
- privacy invasion
- プライバシーの侵害
- sacred
- 神聖な
- privilege
- 特権
- halfway
- 半ば
- kinship
- 親近感
- There's already a bit of there, here
- ここには、目的地の空気がすでに若干漂っている
- in-flight
- 機内の
- wile away
- のんびり過ごす
- catching up on 〜
- 〜の遅れを取り戻す
- rom-coms
- ロマンチックコメディー
- (it's) cliched to 〜
- 〜しすぎである
- get aggressive
- 好戦的になる
- baggage carousel
- 荷物用コンベアー
- savor
- 〜の喜びをかみしめる
- moment of recognition
- 互いを認識した瞬間
- low-hanging fruit
- 低く垂れ下がって実っている果物(⇒努力せずに簡単に得られるものの例え)
- feel-good
- 心地よい
- orchard
- 果樹園
- instantaneous
- 瞬間的な
- threshold
- 入り口
- promise
- 期待
- superpower
- 強大な力
- escape
- 逃避