Kawaii

This week I went to Chiba with Emi, to visit a cat cafe. Only in Japan, would someone be able to find something like this. The only word able to describe the whole experience is, Kawaii!

There were about 6 or 7 adorable cats in one room and customers are able to pet and play with them while they relax and drink tea. There were many toys on strings to get the cats to come over to us, and a big tower in the middle of the room for the cats to sleep and play on. It was a very clean and calming environment, with soft music playing in the back round.

I can't wait to take my wife when we both have some free time because, we have a cat back at home in America and like me, she misses him very much. I highly recommend visiting a cat cafe to anyone who needs to have some stress relief, or who loves cats but cannot afford one.

Rainy season

This is another story about my poor futon and about the rainy season. In the last story I was talking about how I let my futon get moldy. To clean it, I scrubbed it with soap and water, then hung it outside to dry. I heard people in the house talking about how the rainy season was coming but I thought I would have more warning than I did. I hung my futon outside in the morning before I left for work. It was sunny outside and I thought it would be OK to leave outside for the day. Later that day it suddenly began to rain a lot and by the time I got home, my futon was soaking wet and I could not bring it inside. Because it is now rainy season, it rained for three days in a row, which means that for three days I was without my futon.




Finally the sun came out for one day, just long enough for the futon to dry enough for me to bring it back inside. I really need to be more careful with my futon from now on because it is really uncomfortable to sleep without it.

Folding futons

I learned a lesson this week about using futon mattresses on a tatami mat floor. When we first got to Japan we went to IKEA and bough two brand new futon mattresses for our bedroom.

Last week while I was vacuuming the floors I decided to lift up the futon to clean underneath of it. When I did, I was surprised to see that there was a lot of mold on the bottom of the futon and on the floor! I learned my lesson when I asked one of the Japanese people in my house why this happened, they told me that I was supposed to fold up the futon everyday so that the tatami does not get too much moisture from the mattress, or it will mold. I wish I would have known this a little earlier. Another gaijin moment =)

I know I must be an outsider

It is hard not to feel like I am an outsider while I am in this country sometimes. There are different customs, I look different than everyone else, and I do not speak the language yet.

One thing I see that is very different though, is that it is hard for me to buy clothes here. For being from America I am kind of thin, but I am about 185 cm tall. The first time I went to a Japanese clothing store, everything I tried on was either too short or too tight for me to wear. This was sad for me because I really like the clothes here but it is difficult for me to find ones that fit me properly.

Shoes are a different story. In American size I wear a 13 and shoes are pretty easy for me to find, but in Japan my shoe size is 31 and it is impossible for me to find any shoes at all. They do not exist here. Lucky for me I brought an extra pair of shoes, I just hope that it will last the whole year that I am here.

It is a little bit off of the subject but I found it interesting that none of the stores in Japan sell American style stick deodorant. Maybe this just means that Americans sweat and stink more than the Japanese do? Good thing I brought a lot of that with me too!