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Published: April 12th 2008
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View of the train from my balcony
That crazy gaijin is taking pictures of us again! Asparsement continued…
11th April, 2008
I think the other teachers are taking pity on me, because the head teacher, M. sensei told me that if I needed to, I could take home the school microwave! How’s that for kindness?! He asked me if I’d bought a rice cooker yet, and I told him that I was going to wait for that as it was a bit expensive ($99!) so he said, well, you have some pans right? And I said no, as I don’t have a stove…or a toaster…..or a fridge, but I have a kettle! That’s when he said, how about a microwave? And I just kept laughing and said no. You HAVE to laugh at these things….because stressing about it won’t make them come any quicker! I think I got some Genki points for that, because they’re all amazed at how positive and happy I can be even though I don’t have a fridge! I just tell them that it’s so cold outside, that my balcony is my fridge. (That’s actually true….I keep my milk out there at the moment.) I’m sitting inside now, wearing my ‘feet warming socks’ . I’ve just had a bowl of ramen
and some katsu on bread, so I’m all fed and feeling content.
I’m starting to feel homesick EVERY DAY now… I had enough going on before to distract me from the fact that I am alone in Japan. Also, not having the internet has really made it hit home. I was basically communicating with Danilo, friends and family EVERY DAY! It felt like I hadn’t really left in a sense. Being suddenly cut off from it all meant that I had the shock of my life…being incommunicado sux! I also don’t have many native English speakers here…just the one actually. I can communicate to some friendly people around me, but it’s just not the same as having a good old natter with my loved ones.
I’ve also realized how much I was using the internet….I don’t know what to do with myself in the evenings (hence the non-connected blogging)… This will keep me busy! We went and asked about internet recently, and they think it will take 2-3 weeks to get me connected! Yikes! Things haven’t really been going to plan….
Today was a bit of a fun/annoying day… I had the morning off of work, as
Zoomed in Minakuchi castle..
It's the white coloured building... I had to go to city hall and register for a foreigners card, and I asked them to give me a ‘certificate of registered matter’ which shows that I have applied for the card. Supposedly this means that you can go and open bank accounts, and get a cellphone - NOT SO! Well, at one bank, the fabulous, lovely wonderful helpful amazing Shiga bank you can….. but at the not so lovely or helpful post office bank (which I need in order to receive payments from the company) I have to wait for my card to arrive - which will take 3 weeks! As for the cellphone…..even though I had this certificate which PROVES that my card will be ready in 3 weeks….. I have to wait. Fujikawa-san called my company and they have said that I can get a phone in a week so yay! I’m definitely going for that option. I desperately want it so I can at least have internet sooner. At the moment, my plan is to head into Kyoto tomorrow to use it (this is going to be weird because I’m going to post this blog tomorrow in Kyoto….and then maybe ask Fujikawa-san if I
can use her computer some time next week…she has already done so much and I don’t want to impose.)
ALSO…..I told some of you that I would call…..and I did try!!! Promise!!! They sell an NTT card all over the place here - usually next to a green payphone. The fun thing is this: the card they sell all over this city DOES NOT WORK IN THIS CITY. I can’t make international calls from anywhere here! Grr! Hellooooo…does that not strike anyone as strange? Probably only people who have never been here. I’ve noticed a few things like this. I love it here and think it’s so beautiful…but there are some anomalies I just don’t understand!
1) They can heat up your toilet seat and wash and BLOWDRY (discovered this in the teachers room toilet) your bum…..yet the houses aren’t insulated and people still use kerosene heaters.
2) This is basically the country that invented wireless technology……but they barely use it.
3) Again…high technological advancement, and 40 year old water heater so I can have scalding hot/freezing cold showers, and there is only hot water in the bathroom, nowhere else...
I’m sure there are hundreds more to
list, but I’ve only found these few so far. I’ll keep you posted!
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Kathy
non-member comment
Ahhh...Japan...the country of paradoxes. Yes...it is a very backward country in the sense of 'quality of life'. Your apartment sounds exactly like my first apartment- scary hot water heater (make sure you remember to turn off the gas at the knob after you use it- you never know when an earthquake will hit) etc...Aren't you glad you didn't get sent into snow country??? k P.S Yes, I am going to comment on every one of these blogs...lol.