Minor Revelation:
The walkway to my "kitchen" is a couple inches short than I am. As a result I'm getting used to bowing as I enter and exit rooms, not to be respectful, but so I'm not disrespectful when I painfully bash my head in.
Clothes driers do not exist. As a result everything has to be carefully hung so that it will dry. Fold things nicely in a pile while their still a little damp and they'll retain that water for days. That and clothes get stiff.
Rice cookers are amazing. At first I didn't understand how they work, and I thought the film that formed inside of the machine was dangerous, but after a little research and experimentation I got it working. Half a cup of dried rice equates to a fool proof small bowl of delicious, perfect rice.
Rice is bland. Don't get me wrong, I love rice. It goes well with anything, but it still need any thing to keep from getting boring.
The water is good. A lot of places warn you about drinking the water, but here the water seems fine. I have a two liter jug that I fill from the faucet and leave in the fridge to drink with home made meals so that I don't have to get up to refill a cup every few minutes.
Not everyone follows the rules. In my building there are signs up that say, "Take off your shoes before entering the building. Please follow Japanese customs." I still see dirty shoe prints in the halls, and someone keeps leaving the doors open and it's really annoying. Also as a general rule, dive on the left, walk on the left, and while a number of people follow this, the rest wander wherever they please.(Not unlike America, other than us walking on the right, but in a country where everything else is so well ordered it seems like a bigger deal.)
Some people work to go to school, others go to school to work. And I don't mean the later care about getting an education. Students with a Student Visa are allowed to work about 30 hours a week. If you have less than an 80% attendance to your class you get deported. A surprising number of students ride that 80% line, not worrying about grade, just to work here.
GPS's are (almost) mandatory. I brought my tablet with me, but of all of its functions, the GPS has saved my butt the most. The best things is, it doesn't need wifi or 3g connection to work 80% of the time. Everyone who has one uses it regularly.
We don't have a teacher at Yoshida, we have 4. Every other day we have a different teacher and twice a week (Non-consecutive days) we have the same one. They each have a different personality and each have their own teaching methods, though the general structure of the class appears to be pre-planned. They're all very helpful and I'm sure only having to deal with a particular class once per week helps them to maintain their sanity.
We don't have 4 teachers at Yoshida, we have a school full of them. Everyone in the class has a different exposure to Japanese and a new perspective. Sometimes the only one who can explain something understandably is another student.
Japanese food is delicious. But anyone with half a brain already knew that.
Cheap entertainment is scarce. Without access to Netflix, or Hulu I have to look outside of my room to entertain myself. That generally leaves me with arcades, food, Pachinko, food, Drinking/karaoke, and food. Arcades are fun, but at 100yen per game it gets expensive fast. Food is amazing, but, assuming I've already had dinner and lunch, at 500-1200yen a pop, it is expensive. Pachinko.... I put in 1000yen, 60 seconds later it was gone. Food is pretty awesome, but it's not nearly as fun if you're alone, and people can't always join me. Drinking/karaoke is usually 500yen for a drink and it takes about 3000yen to get a good buzz. Another options is Nomihodai (All you can drink for 2 or 3 hours) for a set price of 2000 or 3000. Either way is expensive, but the later means you can drink as much as you want and not worry about a tab. Speaking of food, I'm going to buy some meat at the store this weekend and try to make a completely homecooked meal. I think I found some pretty cheap thin cut meat to play with.
ATMs are really convenient, but... You can find ATM's at every 7-Eleven, and a 7-Eleven every couple of blocks. They don't even charge any usage fees other than the set international exchange if you have a foreign bank. The only down side is that you have to draw in 10,000 (approx. $125) increments, so if you just want a small amount you're out of luck.
Watch out for Perverts! This is a sign that is posted on most streets a couple of times. Be extra careful on trains and subways especially during rush hour. Not even guys are safe, a classmate had an old man feel him up on a a packed train on his way home from school.
That's it for now, I'll post more as I think of them.
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