The past couple weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster ride for me. I wake up feeling great one day, and sick the next. I vacuumed my apartment for the first time a couple weeks ago and I think I kicked up some major dust that sent my sinuses on fire, making the next couple days miserable. I finally got better, and then my sleep patterns were a bit messed up, and I spent a day at work exhausted.
I recovered in time for the three day weekend (11th-13th) and all the excitement that was to bring: a good bit of Tokyo sightseeing, dinner and karaoke with my friend Ellie and her husband and friends on Saturday, and meeting a blogging friend on Monday. There are stories to be told for all of them, which I hope I can write this week. But I stayed up a little late Monday night and was pretty tired on Tuesday. I recovered for Wednesday and then developed a cold that really slowed me down for the rest of the week. Sunday was better as my cold seemed to be on the way out, and Monday was better still. It's now Tuesday morning and I'm feeling nearly 100%. I've found that using a sleeping mask (recommended by one of the girls I went to training with) helps me sleep a bit better, especially once it gets to be morning and the early sun brightens up my room.
Meanwhile, I signed up for internet last night, so I should have my own super-fast signal in exactly one week. Until then, it's very difficult to post pictures (I tried to add a photo to this post and it just would not work), and thus writing posts with pictures of all my travels is pointless right now. I think I got a pretty good deal - three months free plus 10,000 yen to spend at the electronics store where I signed up for service. I get the feeling it's the same offer everywhere as I checked a few places. I might get a printer or router, if the price is right.
So until I get internet service, thanks for reading! I might make a couple short posts with my phone this week (a little faster but the formatting is different). I have some goodies (candy) to show you.
Showing posts with label apartment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label apartment. Show all posts
The Grand Tour: My Tiny Apartment
It’s been three weeks since I moved into my
apartment, and it’s quite nice. While it’s only about 7 tatami mats in size, it’s
laid out fairly well and I’m able to have a spacious-feeling area.
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| My Tiny Apartment from the Interior Doorway - my futon is on the floor in the right corner, folded up. It's a nice, sunny day! |
I can’t measure it directly, but I estimate the main living
space is about 10 feet by 10 feet square. In what is about the size of a small
American bedroom, I have my closet, my TV, a shelving unit, and my futon. There’s
also a small desk-table and folding chair, a cabinet which holds my linens and
also serves as a table and space for my rice cooker, and a rack for hanging
clothes. During the day, I can fold the covers and futon up to open up the
floor to make it easier to walk around. It makes the whole place seem much
bigger.
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| My Tiny Apartment looking at the Interior Doorway from the window. The bag and box on top of the white shelving is all trash to be taken out, with my trash bin near the middle of the photo next to the stacked suitacses. |
Near the entrance is the kitchen and bathroom. The bathroom
is really two parts: the shower/tub/sink enclosure and a separate “room” for
the toilet. This means that the toilet doesn’t get wet during shower time and
any unpleasantness the toilet brings stays in its own (ventilated) space.
Outside the toilet is the washing machine (no dryer) – it’s a fairly good
machine as it seems to clean my clothes well, but I certainly miss having a
dryer.
 |
| Looking from the interior doorway to the entry door. The bathroom is on the left, and there's a hint of kitchen on the right. |
When I get paid in a couple weeks, the first thing I plan to
purchase is a decent chair. After rearranging a little bit (with only a couple
pieces of furniture in the place, it isn’t a big chore) I found a better arrangement which leaves a good
place to put a chair with a footrest. I’m thinking that eventually I should get
myself a foot massager to use as a foot rest! My feet are quite tired and sore
by the end of the day.
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| My tiny closet, full of clothes. There are plenty of blankets on the top shelf, and my vacuum is hiding on the lower left. |
There isn’t room for anything else as far as furniture goes.
It might be nice to have a real bed (instead of sleeping on the floor) and I
could fit it in, but I’m sleeping well enough now that I don’t find it to be a
necessity. While I can’t sit on the floor for long periods of time and sitting
in my little folding chair gets uncomfortable fast (thus making a good chair a
necessity), my sleeping abilities aren’t suffering due to using a futon so I’ll
just stay as I am.
 |
| The kitchen! Not much counter space and only one burner. There are pots in storage under the burner, and the cabinet over the sink can hold food. |
The fridge is fairly large and the microwave also works as a
toaster oven. I haven’t done any real cooking yet, but I plan on making tacos tomorrow night - I bought everything on the way home tonight. I can
get a pretty good fresh meal for under 500 yen at several restaurants and
convenience store food is even less expensive, so there is little incentive to
cook.
 |
| The shower unit bath. No curtain - I shut the door to keep the water in. |
I have only one small problem with the apartment. Due to its
size, humidity from my daily shower (even with the ventilation fan going) and
laundry causes condensation to collect on my window. I am worried about mold or
mildew growing on things, so I have to be sure to air out my apartment as often
as possible. The same goes for my futon, and I do my best to be sure it’s in a
position that any moisture from the night before (from normal sweating) has a
chance to dry.
 |
| The private toilet which plugs into the wall. It's heated, and when you flush, water comes out of the faucet at the top to rinse your hands. |
As for the size, I don’t need
a large place. The storage tower I have is big enough that it should be able to
hold all the souvenirs I collect over the next year or more, and I have enough
furniture to be happy when I come home. I don’t plan on spending much time in
my apartment, and even on those days when I do, there isn’t much I can add to it
to make it more pleasant. I do need a
set of instruments for my Xbox, though! Maybe next month…
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| Last, the first view you have of my apartment - bathroom and washing machine on the right, with the kitchen to the left. The box against the kitchen cabinets is my short table, which I just put behind the trash bin. The big grey blob in the middle is gone (the old futon). |
So that's my apartment! I hope you enjoyed the grand tour!
First morning impressions
It is my first morning in Japan. I woke up pretty early, around 7 AM, but I slept well after going to bed about 11 PM last night. My bed is a futon, thin and quite hard, but I'm not sore and I don't recall having trouble sleeping. I was a bit worried that sleeping on such a firm mattress would be uncomfortable. Ask me again in a few days and I'll let you know how it is in the long run. Of course, in two weeks I'll be sleeping on a different futon in my apartment, which may change the game completely!
I have a fairly large room, empty except for the futon and a short table, all to myself. The bathroom is Japanese style with a western toilet (I don't have to learn how to squat and poop yet!). This means there's a very deep tub and the rest of the room is waterproof so you can shower outside the tub. It looks like most people probably shower in the tub anyway (at least around here) as there are some paper products and such in the bathroom. Plus this bathroom has the toilet and shower/sink in the same room, which isn't quite traditional I think.
For breakfast so far I had this strawberry and bread type of thing that was really good. I think it was meant more for dessert though, something I didn't realize until I opened it this morning. I took a cue from my more Japan/experienced training mates and grabbed a package of noodles in a hot dog bun (soba roll) and something that I think is a peanut butter sandwich. Since nobody else is up and downstairs yet I'll probably wait to see how she eats it (does she heat it up? Does she eat it like a hot dog?) and do the same as I'm still a bit hungry. It looks like we don't get a lunch break today since we're working from 11 til 3.
Am I experiencing culture shock yet? Not quite. I can thank my training mates for that as they have been doing all the talking. The restaurant yesterday was my first experience with a ticket vending restaurant, but it was simple to figure out. They did the talking at the Internet cafe, and I didn't need to say much of anything at the market. I realize I need to get some basic Japanese down quickly, though.
Words I already know:
Densha - train - learned from Elizabeth
Ichi, ni, san, chi, go - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - learned from a song, mainly
Hachi, juhachi - 8, 18 - learned from Saturday Night Live. Ju (or is it juu?) means 10, so I can count 11-15 as well. If that's correct, that is!
Origato - thank you!
Sumi maisan - I'm sorry.
I think those are correct. If I can get those down, I have a good start on very basic communication. Having people around me who speak some Japanese means I have some help I communicating these next two weeks, but it is also a crutch of sorts that might slow down some of the first steps in learning.
I have a fairly large room, empty except for the futon and a short table, all to myself. The bathroom is Japanese style with a western toilet (I don't have to learn how to squat and poop yet!). This means there's a very deep tub and the rest of the room is waterproof so you can shower outside the tub. It looks like most people probably shower in the tub anyway (at least around here) as there are some paper products and such in the bathroom. Plus this bathroom has the toilet and shower/sink in the same room, which isn't quite traditional I think.
For breakfast so far I had this strawberry and bread type of thing that was really good. I think it was meant more for dessert though, something I didn't realize until I opened it this morning. I took a cue from my more Japan/experienced training mates and grabbed a package of noodles in a hot dog bun (soba roll) and something that I think is a peanut butter sandwich. Since nobody else is up and downstairs yet I'll probably wait to see how she eats it (does she heat it up? Does she eat it like a hot dog?) and do the same as I'm still a bit hungry. It looks like we don't get a lunch break today since we're working from 11 til 3.
Am I experiencing culture shock yet? Not quite. I can thank my training mates for that as they have been doing all the talking. The restaurant yesterday was my first experience with a ticket vending restaurant, but it was simple to figure out. They did the talking at the Internet cafe, and I didn't need to say much of anything at the market. I realize I need to get some basic Japanese down quickly, though.
Words I already know:
Densha - train - learned from Elizabeth
Ichi, ni, san, chi, go - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - learned from a song, mainly
Hachi, juhachi - 8, 18 - learned from Saturday Night Live. Ju (or is it juu?) means 10, so I can count 11-15 as well. If that's correct, that is!
Origato - thank you!
Sumi maisan - I'm sorry.
I think those are correct. If I can get those down, I have a good start on very basic communication. Having people around me who speak some Japanese means I have some help I communicating these next two weeks, but it is also a crutch of sorts that might slow down some of the first steps in learning.
Day Two: Training Begins and a Quick Trip to Akihabara!
The title says it all! I was up about 7 AM this morning but had a full night's sleep. I wrote out a nice post on my iPod to share once I found WiFi but I can't seem to get connected with it to post both that and my airplane experiences. I may have to bring in my laptop and connect with it to transfer the posts. I might go back to the counter to see if they can work with me on getting connected, but they don't seem to speak English and I don't speak Japanese!
Training was exactly what I would expect it to be on the first day. We learned a basic overview of the company and it's structure and an overview of the teaching methodology and concepts. The great thing at the end of the day was the receiving of our apartment and schedule information!
It appears that I'll be living about two stations north of the school's location. My school is located next to or very near the Shin-Koshigaya station, but I will be a two minute walk from the Kita-Koshigaya station. This means a commute of approximately 15 minutes - a short walk to the station, a short train ride, and a short walk to the school. At least I don't have to worry about the cold weather too much! This is even closer to transit than I had in San Francisco, and I should be very close to the action as far as nearby restaurants and stores.
My apartment will be about seven tatami mats in size with no loft (I wanted a loft, but it's not like I can ask for one). Of course, it has a small kitchen and bathroom and a small closet. It looks like I have a balcony as well! I'll be sure to bring you pictures and/or video as soon as I move in. I was hoping to bring you pictures of my room at the training center but I can't do that without wifi access.
After the half-day training session, we headed out to a curry restaurant (really delicious!) and then I bought my SUICA card (more on that later) and headed to Akihabara.
I won't get into too much detail. We didn't spend a lot of time there - we walked about 550m each way down the main street. There were maids everywhere (I'll eventually tell you about them) and plenty of electronics and anime shops. It's a bit tamer than I expected but I know I can spend at least a full day there and find several stores and other places to explore. We didn't even start to look down the alleyways. I played a drum game with a couple of my training mates (fun but challenging!) and we looked in a DVD/video game shop (live action Sailor Moon! For only about the equivalent of $150!) and checked out an anime book store (again - the training mates are into this stuff). Anime isn't really my thing but I have enjoyed a few of the dubbed movies. Again, a couple pictures will follow once I can get some wifi, though taking photographs inside most of the stores is not allowed.
It's nearly 8:30 PM here, and we have homework and we haven't had dinner yet. So far, I'm excited! It's early in my experience, though. I haven't had a jet lag problem or any real trouble communicating but I know the time will come when Elizabeth's phrase book will come in handy and I will still have trouble.
Words I kind of learned (spelling may not be accurate):
sumi maisen - sorry
origato - thank you
hai - yes
Plus, I can count 1-5, 8, 11-15, and 18. I'm slowly picking up a little language! I don't have much opportunity to speak or learn much because my training mates do most of the talking for me, though we do little spot lessons here and there. And I have no idea what anybody is saying. But it will come in time. Everyone I've talked to (who came from America, etc) said they started without any language skills and they do pretty well now.
Good night!
Training was exactly what I would expect it to be on the first day. We learned a basic overview of the company and it's structure and an overview of the teaching methodology and concepts. The great thing at the end of the day was the receiving of our apartment and schedule information!
It appears that I'll be living about two stations north of the school's location. My school is located next to or very near the Shin-Koshigaya station, but I will be a two minute walk from the Kita-Koshigaya station. This means a commute of approximately 15 minutes - a short walk to the station, a short train ride, and a short walk to the school. At least I don't have to worry about the cold weather too much! This is even closer to transit than I had in San Francisco, and I should be very close to the action as far as nearby restaurants and stores.
My apartment will be about seven tatami mats in size with no loft (I wanted a loft, but it's not like I can ask for one). Of course, it has a small kitchen and bathroom and a small closet. It looks like I have a balcony as well! I'll be sure to bring you pictures and/or video as soon as I move in. I was hoping to bring you pictures of my room at the training center but I can't do that without wifi access.
After the half-day training session, we headed out to a curry restaurant (really delicious!) and then I bought my SUICA card (more on that later) and headed to Akihabara.
I won't get into too much detail. We didn't spend a lot of time there - we walked about 550m each way down the main street. There were maids everywhere (I'll eventually tell you about them) and plenty of electronics and anime shops. It's a bit tamer than I expected but I know I can spend at least a full day there and find several stores and other places to explore. We didn't even start to look down the alleyways. I played a drum game with a couple of my training mates (fun but challenging!) and we looked in a DVD/video game shop (live action Sailor Moon! For only about the equivalent of $150!) and checked out an anime book store (again - the training mates are into this stuff). Anime isn't really my thing but I have enjoyed a few of the dubbed movies. Again, a couple pictures will follow once I can get some wifi, though taking photographs inside most of the stores is not allowed.
It's nearly 8:30 PM here, and we have homework and we haven't had dinner yet. So far, I'm excited! It's early in my experience, though. I haven't had a jet lag problem or any real trouble communicating but I know the time will come when Elizabeth's phrase book will come in handy and I will still have trouble.
Words I kind of learned (spelling may not be accurate):
sumi maisen - sorry
origato - thank you
hai - yes
Plus, I can count 1-5, 8, 11-15, and 18. I'm slowly picking up a little language! I don't have much opportunity to speak or learn much because my training mates do most of the talking for me, though we do little spot lessons here and there. And I have no idea what anybody is saying. But it will come in time. Everyone I've talked to (who came from America, etc) said they started without any language skills and they do pretty well now.
Good night!
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