So I guess I should tell you a little bit about where I am living?! I am now living in Awa City, Tokushima and so far I really like it, though I've yet to explore it properly.
What I can tell you about now however is my lovely little apartment! My apartment is in a building known as
Midori House, or for those who don't know Japanese
The Green House! Now don't worry, it's not as humid as it sounds (even without air conditioning!) Nope, my house is named so because, you guessed it, of it's colour. It is veeeeeeery green...
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| Green House! My apartment is upstairs on the right! |
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| My bed, tv on the right, large wardrobe on the left, tatami mats! |
It is a second floor apartment and consists of a little entrance porch (for shoes of course), living room, toilet, shower room, kitchen and bedroom. Actually for Japanese apartments it's very big and I almost feel like I have too much space to myself. At the moment
I'm not even using my sitting room as I have now put the wired internet in my bedroom, which also has the tv! Why would I leave?
Even though I've always taken my shoes off to come in my house, this has taken a little more brainpower to think about what shoes I'm supposed to be wearing.
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| Back to supermarket. Facing bathroom, bedroom to my right. |
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For example: I will come in my home and take my shoes off in my porch. I will then step into my slippers (which are handily ready waiting for me) and walk to my bedroom. But wait! My bedroom has tatami mats which you can't wear slippers on. So I then step out of my slippers (backwards so they are ready to go when I leave my bedroom) and can walk around my room. I then step back into my slippers to walk to the toilet. But wait again! I have different slippers to use in my toilet! So I have to step out of my house slippers into my toilet slippers and then swap back again when I am done! Complicated right?! But I'm getting there.
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| Very neglected living room! But very comfy. |
The only real negative about my apartment so far is that it is right next to a road. With no double glazing I am finding that I am being woken up quite early in the morning with things driving past my room which seems to rattle the whole house! It can't be that but I've yet to discover the cause of the heart-stopping wake up call I get every morning!
On the plus side. Out the front of my house I can see the back of my local supermarket (just a 2 min walk away), out the side of my house I can see my local bank (30 secs away) and from the back of my house I can see a rice paddy! Hooray for Japan!
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| View from my kitchen/bedroom windows of supermarket with the bank being to the left. |
The first blog is good liz, I liked it. Interesting insights into the culture, humour and cool photos. I will definitely keep reading to see what happens next in your Japanese adventure. You make me wanna start a blog-of a different nature of course. A good read, bravo.
ReplyDeleteoooh, your house is so cool!!! very confusing bout the slippers lol xx
ReplyDeleteThe free early wake-up call may be a good thing however (smirk). As for the slippers, I'm thinking of introducing a similar system here at home. What sensible people these Japanese are.
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm, that's yet to be proven! As for the slippers - I can't see mum going along with it but I can definitely see you try! xx
ReplyDeleteyour apartment looks lovely! are you sharing with anyone? i don't understand the slippers thing (sorry if im being slow!) is it a Japanese custom or the floor can only be stepped on in specific material? or hygiene? and if you were to wear the same slippers, would someone tell you off? xxxx
ReplyDeleteI can see the slipper business can be a bit problematic - but oh so hygienic! Mind you, bet it gets confusing when you've had a bit too much to drink!!!
ReplyDeleteLooks a great flat and already looking like a home. Like the bedspread!!
Sleep? You haven't time to sleep!!
Remember - you're soooo lucky!
Keep the blogs coming!!
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What about the bathroom???
ReplyDeletewhats a rice paddy?
ReplyDeleteA rice paddy is a field where rice is grown! Obviously =P
ReplyDeleteWhat about the bathroom mother? I have one.. big walk in shower with a small bath in it - Japanese style. It's powerful and works.
And Nisha, I'm living on my own which is why it feels so big! It's great though - no one but myself to clean up after! No, no one would tell me off in my own apartment, but I feel it's nice to do things in the Japanese way as I'm here. Having separate slippers for the toilet is a hygene thing, wearing slippers in the house is to stop it getting dirty, and you are only allowed to wear socks or bare feet on tatami mats so that you don't ruin them - I went to a restaurant last night and had to take my shoes off before I went in as the floor was tatami mats - very strange! xx
Just been pointed to your blog by both your mum and sister. It's a good read.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like it's all going fantastically, so I'm sure you'll have a great year - though I don't envy you the working with the children part!
Keep up the adventures and writing!
Becky (Emma's friend from uni!)
Rice paddy - isn't that a juvenile spat over a takeaway? I think that the slippers have got to reduce the housework - and I would know!
ReplyDelete