Watch this space!

With the weather remaining cool and sunny its only a matter of days before the Cherry Blossoms really get going here in Ichikawa. I have seen a few isolated trees in bloom, but the real show has yet to begin. When it does I hope to post some pictures of the ones I see and capture with my camera, so stay tuned.

I also hope to take some pictures of my apartment as I have been able to get the basics in and put in place. I really have to work on the furniture arrangement in the living room. The approaching warmer weather means that the heater will soon find a place in the closet to live rather than commanding floor space in the living room. I may have to change furniture arrangement regularly with the seasons.

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

After unsettled weather yesterday today was a really pretty day with lots of sunshine and a bit of a breeze.

Went with friend, Ruth, to Yotsuya to get my new set of Japanese Textbooks so that when I start to work with my new teacher we will have something to work on!

After Yotsuya we went to Akihabara. Some of you will know this is the electronic headquarters of Tokyo (maybe Japan) (maybe the world)! Ruth had seen an electronic dictionary on sale there and decided to take another look. She decided to get it, so that means I get the hand-me-down one she had. All I have to do now is learn to use it.

Actually, I almost forgot that before we went to Tokyo we had lunch at a Nepalese Curry restaurant in Ichikawa. Curry, salad, nan and chai latte, iced, and a little dessert that was maybe yogurt, with coconut and maybe little tapiocas in it with mango sauce. Nice combination.

Moved

I've been living at my new apartment for a week now. I have pretty much everything I need plus some extras by the generosity of friends. I never see my neighbors and rarely hear them.
The 15 minute walk to the office doesn't seem like much at all, and with the weather improving, as you should be able to see in the box running under the slideshow, we're supposed to get into the 60s this week.

Our OMF Language Advisor is arranging for my continuing Japanese lessons, and the teacher is willing to come to the office or to my apartment for the lessons.

Yesterday I was a guest at a meeting of the Ichikawa International Exchange Association in Yawata. It was what they call a "Speak Up" session where everyone was encouraged to speak in English. My job was to provide the catylist for them to speak. We had a good time and they've asked if I will return sometime. I was amused, after an hour and a half of conversation with these folks whose English is good, at 3 o'clock when the meeting was over everyone immediately switched back to Japanese!

Moving Update

The building at the center of the picture is where my new apartment is; the second floor, upper right in the picture. It's a 15 minute walk to the office and a little less than ten to Ichikawa station. The space on the left is a playground. It's only about a block and a half to the river.

I got the kitchen storage unit called a shokidana. It holds dishes and appliances and whatever else you want to put in there. The one I got is large - three doors across, and upper and lower cabinets. The microwave I was given is small and even though it can also be used as an oven, there was no oven shelf in it when it came to me, so I may have to investigate getting another one. I'm also thinking about getting a bicycle. I don't so much mind the walking, but shopping is a lot easier with a bike with front and back baskets.

Tomorrow the gas gets turned on and on Saturday is the final move of the last of my things here at the Guest home.

Lots of light

Got the key for my apartment today. It is amazing for a Japanese apartment to have so many windows, and on so many sides of the place. It was a bright blue sky clear day today and that really enhanced it. By sundown we had moved two vanloads of stuff in. Due to two different parties moving away from Japan in the last little while, I really have most of the things I need. I need to get a cabinet for the kitchen for storage and work space, and a carpet for the bedroom. I'm sure that a few more bits and pieces will be needed, but What I've already got is amazing. Thanks be to our kind and generous God.

My Name's on the Mailbox !

I have returned to Ichikawa, arriving Friday evening and booked into the room at the Guest Home I was in previous to my month in Sapporo . I've unpacked, talked with friends, met some new folks, have been to a couple of nice places to eat, been to church, and have watched a video.

This afternoon my friend Ruth came by and told me about this sale at a local bakery where you get a coupon worth half of your purchase  to buy even more stuff by April. As we started out for the bakery I said that even if we couldn't see inside my new apartment until we pick up the key tomorrow afternoon, it would be nice to see where it is. At the point where we were about to turn down the street, we met my old friend Sachiko-san. When she found out where we were going she decided to come along.

The building looks very well kept up on the outside. It was very quiet, being on the corner of two small streets. Across the one street is a kid's play park, which Sachiko says is also an evacuation point in case of earthquake.

Sachiko-san looked at the mailboxes and discovered that the one for Apt 205 already had a label with my name printed on it, in English and spelled exactly correctly!

A Light Lunch

Japanese friends at church had a memorial celebration in honor of her parents. After a service at the mausoleum, there was a "Light Lunch" at a local restaurant. The surroundings and food were wonderful. Pictures are running in the slide show on the left.