Here at last

Irashaimase! Welcome! You hear it over and over again in the shops and since it is about the only thing I could understand of what was being said, it’s drilled into my skull. I am really here in Japan and it is every bit as different and mysterious as I had expected. From the first hot and humid breath taken as I stepped off the plane in Nagoya to the quiet residential neighborhood where I look out my window at a row of new traditional style houses, (see the picture taken at 6:00 am this morning), each with a shiny tile roof and tiny garden and two new looking cars parked by the entrance.

Today I got my bearing by walking around the area, finding my way to the “dollar store”, here, a 100 yen store called Daiso. I didn’t understand how it worked, since most of the items didn’t have a price marked, until I finally went to the check out counter where the clerk counted the items and made a point of showing me the price on the two pieces that were marked, a bowl and plate for 210 yen each. Everything was exactly 100 yen, unless otherwise marked. That store had everything imaginable in that price range. Although I was looking for simple things like dish soap and laundry detergent, it took me a long time to find the items and to decipher what was what. There were a few English words on items, but mostly everything was in Japanese.

I spent nearly two hours wondering around this store looking lost and looking at all this mysterious stuff, especially in the home cleaning products department, but finally I was ready to go home and fix something to eat! The rice cooker awaited me. (See it on top of the fridge in picture of my kitchen). I have a simple one at home but the one that comes with my apartment is different and the directions are all in Japanese. The package of rice I bought had directions with pictures and I thought I had figured out the proportions, but in the cooker, it looked like too much water. I studied the directions again and realized that I had put 500 ml when it should have been 4/5 of that amount. I did what I could to fix that, but my first batch of rice was a disappointment, not that it stopped me from eating a bowl with seasonings. Hunger is the best cook.

Later in the day I went out to explore and to sweat. I found a small lake with a walking trail around it. A pair of white swans where gracing the far shore. There were also several kinds of ducks. As I meandered around the narrow streets, I discovered many different kinds of Japanese style houses, all tucked close together, but some with beautiful little gardens with stone paths and carefully shaped trees. I have hesitated to take pictures until I find out how people feel about having their homes photographed. I don’t want to make any social faux pas just yet.

I was surprised to find lots of little vegetable gardens tucked between houses and apartment building. Another thing one probably doesn’t think of when thinking of Japan is butterflies, but just today I saw several different kinds, an awesome big velvety black one, a black and yellow one that looked a bit like out swallow tail, and several smaller ones. As usual, I’ve been looking for birds. I don’t have a guide yet, but so far I’ve spotted a small sparrow, sort of like an English house sparrow, large crows, still in threes, and a swallow with a dark throat and white belly, and of course the ducks and swans mentioned above. Well, it’s time to start getting ready for my first day at school. Later!