These are a few of my favorite things...

In addition to raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, I have a few new favorite things. They relate to the new abode...allow me a photo display.


This would be the toilet. It has its own seperate room...which I have never seen int he US but often elsewhere. I like the whole concept enormously. Save the bathroom for bathing, washing, primping, etc., right? But not just the seperate room, it's the hand-washing sink on top of the tank that I love. And the best part??? The water runs automatically when you flush...and not just for two seconds. It runs long enough for proper, thorough handwashing. Genius.


The bathroom...sad as it may be, I think this is my favorite room in the apartment. Again, keeping it seperated. The shower is a whole little room complete with light and door and window. Shower is the hose kind and thankfully, is high enough. I had visions of myself ducking under the shower every day of my life in Japan. The temperature gauge is a dial that doesn't have to be adjusted, just turn the other dial for water; no fussing to get the right temperature. The tub is again small and deep and is so high tech, you need a manual...well, you need to bring the manual to work for your co-workers to translate. But it does cool things like maintain the temperature of the water, automatically shut off when the water level gets too high, and yes, there is a remote in the kitchen.


Living room...a bit bare at the moment. I really like the window ledge. I can't decide whether to make it a seating area or photo display or what. Not that the place will ever get decorated. It's been two weeks and I still don't even have a fridge or washing machine. Eating out is not a huge deal, having clean undergarments are going to start to become one.


Kitchen...it's on the small side but I'm starting to realize how little I think I'm going to use it. I don't know how much I'm going to cook (I don't have an oven to start with), people really don't entertain at home here, I don't have the space for a dining room table. My apartment is considered a western apartment, a typical Japanese apartment is much smaller. The culture is one of meeting friends and socializing in restaurants and bars. There are so many of both that it's not really a problem. When I get my 32" flatscreen TV with surround sound ;-)...(I am thinking about it though, I don't need TV but watching movies could be a good escape the craziness of Tokyo downtime activity...it would be nice to have a cool set up for that), I'll have a movie night with microwave popcorn that I brought over from Sam's Club. I think that's the best I can do in terms of entertaining.


And this is the bathtub remote in the kitchen...just for yucks. :)

The Club at Yebisu Garden Place

I've managed to pirate someone's wireless internet connection at home right now....so until they figure out how to password protect their account or I get arrested, I'll update the blog. Breaking the rules is not looked highly on by the Japanese. I mean, these are people who stand on the corner and wait for the crossing signal to go green before even thinking about proceeding to the other side. Aliens could have abducted all forms of motor vehicles leaving the streets completely and utterly empty and they would STILL stand there dutitfully waiting for the light to change. Because those are the rules. And you don't break them. So, imagine my concern about the gym. The gym, my God. Just THINK of all the rules and we're not just talking about a gym, we are talking about a "club". Bloody hell.

The Club at Yebisu Garden Place (heretofore known as "the gym") is at the bottom of the office building. It's very convenient and very nice and very expensive. And I had heard it was kind of stuffy and "club-like" and ridden with rules (go figure). This last piece of information came from a Japanese person...imagine. So, I was determined to do a gym search and find one less shi-shi closer to my apartment. Well, the problem is that I chose to live 10 minutes away on foot from work. Unfortunately, this was the best option. And in all reality was the most convenient. I could pop down during the day or go inbetween when I have to be back at work for a later conference call. The cost, well, I sucked it up. If I don't eat, it'll be like going to the gym twice a day!

So, it's really nice...pool, indoor jacuzzi, outdoor jacuzzi, baths (hot, warm, cold), sauna, steamrooms, good classes, big workout room with new machines, squash courts, and a driving "range" (you hit into a net like at a store but still hitting a golf ball nonetheless). I went last night for the first time. I asked someone to show me around even though I had already been there hoping that she would very explicitly tell me the rules. She did for the most part but I guess what I wanted was what's going to get me in trouble. I learned that I should have worn my outdoor shoes into the club and then changed into my indoor shoes once there. Little do they know that my "indoor" shoes aka my sneakers are also my outdoor shoes when I choose to walk outside instead of on the treadmill. Fact best kept to myself. You must take your outdoor shoes off before entering the locker room, you must take your indoor shoes off before using the stretching area, you must not let the tip of your bottle to touch the spout of the water cooler when filling it up, you must call the day before to reserve a golf stall NOT the same day, you must wash every single little part of your body before getting into the hot tub (this is big one in Japanese culture...the bath is for relaxing and health purposes and because you share it with other people, you must be very, very clean...I'm ok with this one), you must wear a swimming cap in the pool, you may not have any tattoos, you must not wear a see-through swimsuit, you must wring your towel out before putting it in the used towel bin, you must not wear any jewerly in the baths and I'm sure there are more that I will find out the hard way as time goes on. Oh, yes. Those were the rules I learned in just my first time.

Do not think I am being disparaging, I am certainly not. All the rules are what make this a very pleasant environment to live in. People follow the rules so they respect each other's space, the city is kept clean, neat, and orderly. And frankly, I'm anal-rententive enough to appreciate this kind of order. Although I have been known to sneak across the road when the coast has been clear...

I have started an entry about the apartment complete with photos but the photos (and camera) are now at work. I though I was going to work today but it's thunderstorming like crazy right now, so I'm not. I'll try to get to it this week.

Ebisu City House...sounds like a project

And that, my friends, is the only real downside of my new apartment. Well, the view could be improved but THAT is it, really! I love my new apartment. It's perfect for me. It has everything...in the way that my apartment in Manhattan didn't. Towel racks, proper lighting, bathroom fans, enough electrical outlets, air conditioners in every room, etc., etc. Christ, I've gotten old when these things are important. But it's great...and quiet.

The place is still a bit chaotic and will be a work in progress for the next couple of months. Apartments in Tokyo do not come with some things we tend to expect in a rental property in the US; things like a refrigerator. Bit of a shock when I realized I had to buy one of those. I also need to buy a washer and dryer which for me is something I will gladly buy. No more schlepping my laundry down to Bubbles. Curtains, a TV, a DVD player, toaster, etc. Shopping is going to be the plan for the weekend. I can't say I'm all that excited about it...it's going to require heaps of effort and heaps of money.

Moving Day

Right, I'm absolutely exhausted after an unbelievably busy week with monthend and all so this is going to be very short and sweet. I'm moving into my new apartment tomorrow. I went with the one in Ebisu. Sorry to those who voted for the canal. I really did like that one but it just didn't work out. I'm still hoping I made the right decision...guess I won't know until I get there.

I need to meet the movers at the apartment at 9:00 tomorrow morning so I need to get up, get this apartment straightened up, get in a taxi with my two huge suitcase for the last time (!), and get to my new place. It's literally a minute cab ride. This will be the first time I get into a cab by myself and the taxi drivers are notorious for only speaking Japanese. I had people tell me how to say "straight" and "stop here, please" and I forgot both now. Here's to hoping I remember by morning...

I probably won't have Internet at home for a bit...until I figure out how to get an account and get it connected which realistically, could take weeks. It'll be back to the blog only and you all know what that means. Comments, please!

I know I've missed a bunch of birthdays this past week. Tania, Jurgen, and Joyce...if you read this, I hope you had very happy birthdays. I was thinking about you even if I was too lame to send you an e-mail! :)