watashi no atarashi apaato (my new apartment)

Sorry it has been so long since I updated this.  Internet access has been spotty at best these days.  Most of the computers at work don't work and I have been too busy to make it anywhere else.  Within a week I should have the internet in my house and there will be no more problems.  I will also be uplaoding some pictures of my new place, etc. as soon as I can get to a working computer.

After a lot of stress and several people trying to screw me over (ie the realtor trying to jack up the price and kocho losing my contract the day before I was supposed to move in) I finally got my apartment sorted and moved in on Friday!  It's so nice to have everything taken care of and it is a much nicer apartment.  It is also cheaper and, of course, I am allowed to have Byron.  It is very bright as the sliding glass door is south-facing and, most importantly, it is CLEAN!!  I got a few sticks of furniture, a fridge, and a bike from a teacher that is leaving this week.  I also bought myself a few things to make it feel more homey and I now I don't want to leave!  I bought a poang (ikea chair with wooden arms that go around and down to the ground to act as the base of the chair so it kind of bounces/rocks).  I had one at home that was my favourite thing in the world so I thought I would splurge to be comfortable.  I'm sorry but the Japanese syles chairs that sit right on the floor with no legs just aren't cutting it.  On Saturday I had to go back to the old place to wait for them to come and disconnect the lights, gas, etc. and as soon as I opened the door I was overwhelmed with the smell of must and mold.  That is one thing (among many) I will not miss!!

Within a week I should have the internet in my house and there will be no more problems.

Byron loves the new place (and the new chair) and has been much more affectionate since we moved for some reason.  There are about a million stray cats around my building but they all seem pretty chill.  There is everything from a tiny kitten to an olg hag and someone in the building feeds them everyday.  They get water from the river that is right outside the building (I have to cross a bridge to get from the road to the building.)  Byron has not encountered any of these cats yet as she has not ventured off of the balcony (I live on the first floor again) but hopefully everything will still be okay once she does.  I worry that she doesn't have enough street cred for them and theywill think she is a poser or something.  he he.  I just heard today that apparently it is against the law to let your cat outside in Japan.  That seems completely stupid so of course I believe it is true being that this country is entirely backward and devoid of all logic.

My first day in the new apartment I had a man from NTT (an internet provider) come to my apartment and ask me about the internet, etc.  After about 30 minutes we came to the mutual conclusion that I own a laptop.  Despite the confusion and difficulty with which this conversation took place, he proceeded to ask me out saying that he could teach me Japanese over dinner (it was another 10 minutes or so to figure that out as well).  I thanked him for the brochure on NTT and closed the door.

My Japanese cooking skills are coming along nicely as well.   I got a "dictionary of Japanese food" and a Japanese cookbook written in English from the bigger, nicer library that is right next to my house.  I made a dish called yakisoba (or my version of it anyway) this morning and it went really well.  I also stocked up on some essential basics of Japanese cooking that I found in the book and plan to try out more recipes this week.  I have realized (DUH) that it is much cheaper to buy Japanese food than western style food and you can't really replicate western style dishes accurately anyway so I am going to stop trying.  But I will still need my one tiny jar of skippy peanut butter a month (for 480 yen a jar!!)

Ok that's all.  I think my brain shut off about 20 minutes ago anyway (if you didn't notice by now).