Made A Start

 I haven't bothered to clean out the area in front of the entrance, as I didn't feel it was important, since I wasn't going to teach here. Now that has changed, I decided that cleaning that area was a good place to start. Not too much to do, so I wouldn't feel overwhelmed.

Before photo

You can't see, but under that blue sheet was a load of dead leaves and other bits of trash. There were lots of things that had been dumped out there from when we moved in. Christopher helped out so it only took about half an hour to clean up.

After photos

I don't have time or energy today, but I want to wash down the doors and the tiles in front. Also above the doors, there are the remains of some kind of insect nest that needs to be swept away.

It's not a lot, but I'm glad I made the effort. I know there is a lot to do to get ready for students to come, just making a start feels good, a step in the right direction.

One problem is the air conditioner. We need new ones. The plan was to buy a big one for the main kitchen/dining room. The old one in here is too small to cool the area. To buy a new one is going to cost a lot of money. I planned on getting one for the tatami room later but since I'm going to use that room soon I need a ne air conditoner sooner.

I was watching a YouTube video of somebody who had bought an Aikiya, an abandoned house, in Japan. The house was built in the 1970s but the air conditioner were installed later in the 1980s. To save money he cleaned out the air conditioners and got them working again. So I think I'll try that. The air conditioners here were installed when the house was built, about 33 years ago but never cleaned. Am I brave enough to open it up and see if I can clean it? I feel like I'll need a hazmat suit!  At least some gloves, a mask and goggles! This is going to be interesting! If I can get it working, great, once I get a few students I can buy a new one!

Christopher is making lunch today, nice change! I enjoy cooking but some times having something made for you is nice. I have chance to do other things this morning!

Change And A Challenge

 Before we moved here, I decided I didn't want to set up a room as a classroom. I've had to use one room for teaching in every house I've lived in.  I wanted things to be different this time and not have people coming in and out of the house.

This house is small, and having nine cats makes it feel smaller somehow. I thought that Mikey and I could continue to teach in the other city and commute from here. For now, that is alright, but once Mikey moves out, it will be very difficult for him. It takes between 30 to 40 minutes from here to where we used to live. So, going and coming back is about an hour's drive. He might move to that area or somewhere close by, so picking me up to teach would mean 2 hours or more driving every day, plus teaching! That would get old very quickly.

After yesterday's meltdown down I spent hours on the internet looking for some way to make money. The problem is that I really don't have confidence in my ability.  I looked on sites like "Fiverr" to see if I could offer freelance writing, but looking at what is on offer made me feel very inadequate!  I looked for survey sites, but everything is in Japanese! I know surveys don't make real money, but just getting some Amazon gift cards would mean I could help pay for cat food!

In the evening, I was talking to Hannah, asking if she could make some kind of flyer for the other city. She reminded me that she had searched for community centers near here, and there are a few. As much as I would like to use them, it would mean having to walk about 10 to 15 minutes, carrying books and teaching materials. This time of year it would be alright to do that, but come the summer, I know that just stepping away from the air conditioning would make me sick! Hannah and I talked a little more, and I decided that I should just set up a classroom in this house. It won't be easy, but it's doable!

That's the change.

The challenge is 3 parts!

First is setting up the tatami room to use as a classroom.

The tatami room

It isn't too bad, but the doors got damaged. Some is from the cats, of course, but some damage was done years ago and never fixed, the constant story of this house!

I want to cover the tatami. Even if I wasn't going to use this room as a classroom, I would cover the tatami. It's difficult to clean; if the cats pee or puke on the tatami, the liquid soaks in very quickly. Covering the tatami with something easier to clean will help, especially with the smell that builds up over time!  I have tables and chairs from the old house that I can use, but I would need some bookshelves, preferably with glass doors, again because of the cats. In the old house, I didn't allow the cats into the rooms I was using to teach in. Here, it will be more difficult to do that.  The biggest expense would be a new air conditioner.

Also, the entrance would need a very good clean. There are a couple of litter boxes in the entrance. I'll have to move them, but I don't know where to! Plus, outside, near the front door, will need a good cleaning and the weeds pulled in that area.

The next challenge is actually getting students. I'm kind of excited to try this, but there is this small voice in the back of my head saying that it didn't work before. We lived here with my mother-in-law about 16 years ago. I spent ages going door to door with our flyers, but no one even called. I remind myself that there are a lot of new houses that have been built since that time. Also, in the next small town, which is just a few minutes' drive from here, there are loads of newer houses that have young families. To start with, I'm targeting junior high school kids, high school kids, and adults. I feel confident in teaching these age groups. I really don't want to teach young kids, but if asked, I might, but only from 5th grade!

Hannah is making the flyer for me, I have to get it printed, then go door to door, before it gets too hot.

The last challenge is changing how I teach. I've been teaching for 34 years. I've used the same textbook all that time and haven't really changed to using technology, like power points, which Hannah says are so easy to make and teach with!. The junior high school English curriculum has completely changed, so I need to get up to date on that. I also need more confidence in explaining things in Japanese, which meaning getting back into studying Japanese.

So I'm giving myself a month to set things up. The learning for me will be ongoing. One thing with Hannah studying to be a junior high school English teacher, I can get information from her on the changes to the curriculum.

Wish me luck on this endeavor. If it doesn't work out, at least I've tried!

Problems

 I knew that there were problems with this house, but I thought they were more cosmetic. It looks like there are also structural problems.

There's an awful smell coming from the kitchen sink. It smells like clothes that have been washed but not dried properly. The first time I smelled it, I thought a washcloth had been left in the sink, but I cleared the sink out, and there was nothing that would make that smell. Recently, I've been able to keep the sink clear, but the smell keeps coming. I think there is a problem with the plumbing, not the water coming into the house, but the wastewater. The smell is stronger after running the washing machine. Is there a broken or cracked pipe?  Is there a blockage somewhere that isn't allowing the water to run out freely?  

Then there are problems in the two bedrooms. The floor feels very spongy in both bedrooms. I know that in the room David is in, something was spilled on the floor and left to soak in, and there's a large stain. That might account for that, but the room I'm using the floor was clean, just dusty, no stains at all.  But there are a few places where the floor feels very spongy! A bit worrying!

There are cracks in the foundation that are getting bigger. I noticed them last year, but since then we've had two small earthquakes. The cracks are longer, but I have no idea how deep they are.

The biggest problem, the one that has broken me and made me cry, is the toilet tank.  Somebody came today because the tank is giving off an awful smell. I thought that we would just call a vacuum car to clean out the tank. The guy said that there are two tanks, and one is leaking fluid. Even if it gets emptied, we would have to call every four days to get it emptied again! He suggested that we get the main sewage, which is better, but would cost about £8,000. 

We just don't have that kind of money. Also, would it be worth investing so much in a house that might not be standing for very much longer?

I'm being as frugal as possible. We don't eat out or order in, and I don't need to run heating or air conditioners at the moment. We shop at discount stores. Fruit is now a luxury, so I only buy bananas. Our meals are carb-heavy because that is cheap, except rice!  I don't buy clothes for myself; the last thing I bought was over two years ago. I've only been to the hairdresser's once in the last two years. My one treat is Hulu streaming service, and I might cancel that this month! Next month is Hannah's birthday, but there's no money to do anything for her.

I know that by living here, we aren't paying rent, but we aren't making money either. My income is now just over £100 a month, and all of that goes to paying insurance. 

I've looked at teaching online but the good companies ask for a degree or a teaching qualification, which I don't have. The one site that has different level of teachers don't need English teachers!

I want to print some flyers to post, but we don't have money for that!

I've looked into different funding sites, like GoFundMe, but they don't operate in Japan. In Japan, funding sites are for people who need money to start a business!

I'm trying to be grateful, to be positive, but when I see David looking so worried because he can't make enough money for everything it breaks my heart.

Christopher lost his job. It's just too far to walk, almost one hour each way.  Then a full day of heavy work, he kept getting sick.

So I have no idea what to do. Where to save money. We are trying to clear out the garden, but it's hard work. There are so many trees with deep roots and a lot of ornamental stones that need to be moved. Digging them up is almost impossible. I think in a few years time we can grow and sell some vegetables but we need money now!

No cute photos today!

Alien Plants?

 Are these from another planet?

Strange plants!

They look strange but are just bamboo!

Bamboo grows very quickly. The one next to the shed grew that tall in about 10 days!

It's a bit freaky, look outside and there's nothing there, the next day a meter tall plant has grown!

They seem to appear out of nowhere!

I managed to get outside this morning. Did about 15 minutes, that's all I had energy for!

Found some more lovely flowers.

Very pretty, but I don't know the name.

David and Christopher took over!  That helped a lot.  They have a lot more energy than I do, plus the muscle to move things. I hope we can do this everyday, just an hour or so should get the area cleared.

The area that we have to clear is big. From the stream at the back of the property to the road is 39 meters, from the neighbour's house to the field behind our house is 32 meters. Some of the area is taken up by building, but there is still a lot of space that needs cleaning out! 

Step by step, just keep at it, do some every chance we get! That is what I keep telling myself!

I came in, washed dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and made a nice lunch.

Good lunch

Looks very Japanese! The soup was vegetable soup from last night! I've also figured out how to cook rice without the rice cooker. Takes time as the rice has to soak before cooking and then steam after the water has cooked off.  I've tried a few times with varying degrees of success, today's was the best so far!

Today has been good! But looks like rain tomorrow! Typical!

Never mind, this garden will be cleared out one day!

Feeling.....

 Not sure what I'm feeling.

Overwhelmed, fed up, tired. All adjectives that describe how I feel right now. A lot of these feelings are because I'm not getting as much done as I had hoped, especially with the garden!

I wanted to get out in the garden this morning. 

When I got up, I made a quick breakfast for myself and noticed that the fridge was basically empty. No fruits, almost no vegetables, and nothing for lunch

I asked David to take me to the local shop, maybe a 10-minute drive. 

As we were driving, I noticed my ears were feeling funny. I have a lot of problems with my ears because of the allergies I have. My ears felt blocked but as we were driving they popped. I know we live at the foot of a mountain range but I didn't think we were that high!

Did some speed shopping, David dashed around grabbing things, and I slowly checked things out!  Managed to get some vegetables but no fruit. The fruit was expensive but didn't look nice at all. I don't mind paying more for fruit if it looks good, but what I saw this morning didn't look all that fresh!

Came back on a different road!

The view of the mountains is always spectacular and different depending on the weather.

Lovely mountain views

One day I want to drive up there, just to see what it's like up close and to see the views.

After shopping, I got everyone to clean the house, I tackled the kitchen, and made lunch.

Still didn't get outside, I have to tomorrow.  At least the inside is clean, so I don't have to do that. I really do need a schedule for all the things I have to do!

I was trying to wipe down the kitchen and table, but Fluffy kept climbing on everything. This is what happens when you try to move her!

Fluffy is doing the parrot imitation.

Let's hope the weather is good tomorrow and I can get outside for a bit!!!!

The View From My Window

 I came across a Facebook group with this title. It was started during the pandemic as a way for people to share where they are and what they see. Scrolling through this group shows people's views from all over the world. The stories that accompany the photos are just as interesting. One person showed the stairs from the apartment above them, not the most interesting view, but the story that went with it was about their upstairs neighbour who greeted them every day, and how they miss the neighbour who is in the hospital at the moment!

These are the views from my bedroom.

From the back window

I love seeing these azaleas in the morning. They are so bright and cheerful. I'm not a morning person; I don't wake up cheerful and happy to start the day, but opening my curtains to these beautiful flowers has really helped!

From the side window

From here I can see the mountains, so I say good morning to the mountain and ask that it doesn't fall on us!! Again, it's lovely to wake up and see all the green.  

I'm glad that my life is a bit slower than it used to be. I'm still busy, some days are crazy, but I'm getting more time to appreciate the things around me. It's still hard to be in this house, but I'm grateful to have a place to live.

This is the view when I walk into the kitchen/dining room in the morning!

On the table, moaning! I was late feeding them!!!

I've given up trying to keep them off! I use a lot of disinfectant!!

Today I had a close encounter with one of those hornets I was writing about yesterday! I was sitting on my bed, talking to a friend on the phone when I suddenly heard this buzzing sound. I turned and saw a massive hornet trying to get out of the window. I managed to open the window and send it out! I'm trying to figure how it got in! All the windows and doors are closed!!  Gave me a fright!!

Japanese Bugs

 I hate bugs of any kind and size. Even the ones that other people find cute or pretty, such as butterflies or ladybugs, make me shiver.

Japan has many kinds of bugs. For the boys growing up, summer was a time to go and catch things. The most popular are these massive beetles.

Two kinds of beetles are popular, rhinoceros beetles (kabutomushi) and stag beetles (kuwagata). These are sold as pets! 

There are fireflies, which I will admit are rather fascinating, and praying mantis, which I really don't like.

The ones that I really don't like and make me want to move out of Japan are the more dangerous ones.

One of them is the Japanese Giant Hornet (suzumibachi).  These are big, up to 4cm long, with a 6cm wingspan. Their venom is injected through a quarter-inch stinger! Up to 40 people are killed each year by these hornets! More than bear attacks and snake bites combined!

Another one that is poisonous but not as lethal is the Japanese Centipede (mukade). They can grow up to 20 cms long. They like dark, damp areas and are rather quick and nimble.

We have already had a run-in with a couple of centipedes. I found one in the bathroom the other day. It was dead, but still had me screaming for David to move the dead body!

Then Mikey told me that the other night, Steve (our white cat) came to Mikey's bed. By the low night light, Mikey could see something black in Steve's mouth.  Steve jumped on Mikey's bed and dropped a massive centipede on the pillow! Mikey jumped off the bed and saw the centipede dash away under the chairs! I have no idea how Mikey managed to sleep after that!

As the weather warms up, I am sure we will see a lot more of the different insects come out. I have no courage at all when it comes to these creepy crawlies! I try, I get the spray and tell myself I can deal with them but as soon as they move I run away, screaming and shouting for my Mommy. Makes everyone laugh!

At least the beautiful flowers in the garden make up for the insects!

According to Google, this is a Japanese rose

The photo isn't that good, but they are really beautiful flowers.

Today, we found a lily that has just bloomed. I hope there are more!

A pretty lily

Somethings Never Change

 I've come to realize that not having a schedule or being organized in my cleaning routine is a big problem. 

When we moved here, I was determined to keep this house clean. That flew out the window when I learned how cold this house is. The only warm place was my bed.

I don't have that excuse anymore, it's getting rather hot here, today's high will be 29C!!!!

But I'm still struggling with keeping the house clean and tidy. I know having nine cats doesn't help, that I have to constantly sweep and wipe the floors, especially now that they are shedding their winter coats. But two of the biggest problems I have have nothing to do with the cats! 

One is keeping the kitchen sink clean. I keep washing dishes, I get the others to do some as well but there always seems to be more, a lot more! I've always had this problem. I hate that dirty dishes get stacked in the sink. The fact that the sink in this house is massive doesn't help at all. More space, more dirty dishes. 

Another problem is the clean laundry that gets dumped in my room! I don't mind a few things, but the basket for clean laundry is spilling over onto the floor. The laundry then gets covered in dust and needs washing again!

I need to get back to the schedule I had a few years back. The one summer I pushed myself to get up early and do chores. I was doing that because it was so hot during the day, by 8 am it was already 30C. It felt good to have everywhere clean, the dishes washed and put away, laundry done, and rooms swept and wiped down. I could relax during the very hot time and have some energy to teach in the evenings.

Can I do that? Do I really have any choice?  Not if I want a clean house!

I was planning on tidying the sofa, but the cats look so comfortable.

Should I move the cats?

Finding Inspiration

 I've been wondering what to do about my English school. 

I've run an English conversation school for about 33 years. That's how I survived, paid the bills, and managed to save a bit.

Then COVID hit, and students quit. I hoped that after a while we would get new students, but that hasn't happened. The market is overrun by cram schools for kids.  Adults are busy trying to make ends meet, so they don't have the time or money to study English. 

I would love to retire, but I need money. There is so much that needs fixing in this house, and I really want to travel. 

Since moving here, I haven't felt inspired to do anything about our little school. 

Mikey is still teaching kids, and I have a couple of students, but not enough. 

A few things happened this week that have given me some inspiration to try and build up our student base again.

Once a month, Mikey and I teach a volunteer class at one of the community centers. 

This year, 21 adults want to take the lessons.

This shows that there is still an interest in learning English.

Then Hannah showed me a leaflet that was put through her door for an English school near where she lives.  

This shows that other schools are still out there collecting students.

Hannah said that making a leaflet is easy, so I've asked her to do one for me..

I don't think it will be easy to get students, but at least I have to try!

Another thing that inspired me was a video I watched of a lady who opened a small restaurant. The video follows her through the day as she prepares to open her store. 

Her story is rather amazing. She said that she always wanted to open a restaurant but never got around to it. Then her daughter's husband passed away at a young age, the daughter then got breast cancer, and one of the lady's older sisters suddenly passed away.

When these events happened, the lady realized that if she wanted to open a restaurant, she should do it now, as there are no guarantees for the future. So she jumped in and opened a small restaurant. A month later, her area was hit by COVID, and she lost all her customers overnight. A friend suggested making bento boxes instead, so that is what she did. Now her business is thriving, most of the income is from bentos, but she has a few tables in the restaurant as well.

I found her story to be very inspiring. She had a dream and invested in making it happen. I think that is where I've lost the plot. When we moved to the other city, I was determined to have the best English school there, and for a while, I did. But life happened and I lost the plot. Now I need to start again, learn from my mistakes and find a way forward.

I don't think it will be easy, but I am very determined to make a go of this!

Wish me luck!

Mikey teaching at our volunteer class

Definitely Not Cooking Rice

 The price of rice keeps going up. This is from a discount supermarket I go to.

That price is without tax

With tax, it's 4780 yen, about 25 pounds. This time last year, 5 kg was about 2000 yen, about 10 pounds.

This is crazy! We use a lot of rice. Even though I've been cooking more pasta or potatoes, we still have rice-based meals four times a week.

But after yesterday, no more rice for a while! My rice cooker broke! I asked Christopher to make lunch as Mikey and I were out in the morning doing a volunteer class. I planned on curry and rice, which is easy enough to do.

Came back at 12 o'clock to the lovely smell of curry simmering on the stove. I saw that the rice cooker had finished its cycle, opened it up, and found that the rice hadn't cooked.  The rice was warm but not cooked at all. We had curry with bread. It was okay, but not the same!

In the evening, I decided to try and cook the rice again, but had the same results. Also, I noticed that the rice cooker wasn't steaming and didn't get that hot! I ended up cooking the rice on the stovetop. I made a doria with the curry and rice. Doria is a Japanese type of gratin. Usually the rice is topped wth some kind of meat and then a white sauce is put on top. I layer the rice and curry and pour a cheese sauce over the top. It's nice and a good way to use up leftover curry. Also, because the curry soaked into the rice, it covered up the disaster that the rice had become!

I checked how to cook rice on the stove top, it's not that difficult but the only pot that I have is rather small and I'm wondering if I can cook enough rice in it. Also, with a rice cooker, the leftover rice is kept warm to use later. I guess any leftover rice will have to go in the fridge and be warmed up in the microwave later.

I would love to buy a new rice cooker, but all the money we have is going into the house. For me, getting air conditioners in before the summer is more important. I would love to buy 4 air conditioners, but even just one for the main room would help a lot!

So I think we won't be eating rice anytime soon. I'm thinking of trying to make flat breads. I haven't tried that in ages.

Hannah made herself a pizza on Sunday. She even made the base. Looked really good!

Hannah's homemade pizza. 

She had it with hamburgers and salad.

I think I'll have to try that!

Can I make bread? I haven't done that for years, I guess a little experiment over the weekend is in order!

Suffering!

 It's just allergies, but I feel awful!

I woke up at 3 a.m. with my eyes burning and a runny nose. Then, I started sneezing, which went on for almost two hours without a break. 

Of course, this happened on the busiest day of the week for me! Mikey and I do a volunteer class once a month; today was the first class for this year.  So I took my allergy medicine, made sure I had eye drops and a pack of tissues, and went to teach!

The class was full, 21 people came!  For me, it's difficult to teach such a big class but Mikey was in his element. He had them laughing and using English! I enjoy watching Mikey work like that, he really knows how to motivate people, helping them to relax and enjoy the class.

Fortunately, my evening class was canceled, so I can rest a bit and try to get over these allergies. 

I shouldn't complain as this is the first time this year that it's been so bad!  I'm a bit miffed as the weather is really nice and I want to get in the garden. All the weeds I pulled up a couple of weeks ago have returned and bought their friends with them! 

One good thing is that the blueberry bushes are in bloom, so I hope I can get some fruit!

Blueberry bushes in bloom

Idiots Who Visit Japan

Why do people come to Japan?

A lot of tourists come for the traditional culture, the history, or the food. All good reasons to visit Japan, or any other country. To experience something completely different from what you are used to.

I've seen on news programmes and YouTube videos people coming from China to shop, and they really do shop. One report that went viral a few months ago was about Chinese tourists in one of the theme parks here buying out the store without regard for other customers. 

But the reports that make me angry are the idiots who come to Japan with no regard for others, who think it's okay to act as if Japan is their own backdrop to make videos. 

Some of these videos have gone viral, the guy dancing on a train and trying to get some poor high school girl to join in, or the girl doing pull-ups on a tori gate. I get that they are trying to get views but surely there are better ways to do this.

Do these "influencers" have any idea what they are really doing? 

Japanese people are naturally insular, to the point of being xenophobic; we really don't need to show them that foreigners are ignorant and disrespectful.  We should be encouraging international exchange, not reinforcing the idea that foreigners are weird, scary, and should be avoided at all costs!

Japan needs tourists; the country needs the money the tourists bring in.  Unfortunately, tourism is now a dirty word. It's synonymous with overcrowding, disrespect for the country, and bad behavior. I know that the majority of people who visit Japan are well-behaved and try to follow the rules of etiquette and use common sense when visiting the country. But it only takes a few idiots to do things such as scribbling graffiti on national monuments or throwing trash on the ground for the media to paint all foreigners as bad and unwelcome in the country.

As a long-time resident, 34 years now, I feel that the surge of anti-foreigner sentiment is becoming scary. I live in the countryside where there are very few foreigners, so I haven't experienced any real prejudice beyond kids pointing at me! But some of my online friends who live in the bigger cities are saying that it's getting to be a bit scary now. One lady was traveling with her young kids on a train in Tokyo,  in the middle of the day, so not crowded. She was standing next to her kids when a man knocked into her. She thought it was an accident until he actually punched her. Another lady was in a convenience store and was punched by a middle-aged man. She was minding her own business when he came up and punched her. These are just two incidents, but from what I've seen, there are a lot of incidents involving foreigners, especially women, and a lot of this is because of idiots who show no respect for Japan.

When I'm out, especially in the city, I keep to myself, I try to follow the unspoken rules, and blend into the background. But somebody seeing me doesn't know if I'm a tourist or not. The mass media paint all foreigners with the same brush. We are here to destroy Japan!!  

It's sad. It makes me angry when I and other long-time residents, who work and pay taxes, are lumped in with idiots who come here and misbehave. 

I've seen headlines from other countries dealing with over-tourism.  I don't know if there is an answer to this problem. 

One idea is to show case other areas of Japan so tourists are spread out more and not crowding Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. That would deal with the overcrowding but what to do about people who have no respect for the country they are visiting, not just Japan but other countries as well. Can we educate idiots?

Any one who is reading this, if you are thinking of traveling abroad please remember that you represent your country. your actions, both good and bad will reflect on the people who have decided to call the country your are visiting home, so please give a thought to them!

It Happened

 My weight! 

It's gone up!!!

I'm not surprised, my eating has been out of control recently! The past 6 months have been hard for me, so much stress, and I'm a stress eater! And yes, I know it doesn't help, but it's such an ingrained response that changing it seems near impossible.

The biggest stress was moving, just the physical work of packing up, deep cleaning two houses, and setting up in this house was a lot of work.  Everybody did what they could, but I did a lot, plus still working. The last month, when we were between two houses, we relied on bentos and instant foods. I had all of the kitchen stuff, but I didn't have a stove top to work with in this house; we had to wait to have a new one fitted. That took longer than I thought it would. 

Once we moved in, I realized that all the things that I wanted to do to this house would take a lot of time and money, which sent me into a deep depression. The fact that the house was a lot colder and darker than I remembered didn't help. So I ate a lot. Not really binge eating, but constant grazing! Just picking at things.

Until this morning, I have been bouncing up and down the same kilo. I was happy with that. I knew my diet wasn't good, but I've been more active since moving here, plus I've started to walk a lot more. I thought that just staying about the same weight was alright, as I wasn't in the right mindset to diet or eat properly.  I try not to diet but to be very mindful of what I'm eating. I like food, I like to try new dishes or rehash old ones. I enjoy cooking and baking, I try to balance out meals so that some things are healthy. It's hard, especially when healthy foods, like fruit, veggies, and fish, are very expensive, the less healthy options like pasta and bread are cheap, but I try! I fill up on salads and try to use leaner cuts of meat. 

This morning I decided to weigh myself, I was shocked that my weight had gone up, not a lot, just 500 grams ( about one pound) but I also know that if I don't tackle it now that 500 grams will turn into one kilo, then two and suddenly I'll be back to where I started.  

So back on the bandwagon. I have a doctor's appointment in June. I would love to lose two kilos by then, not a lot, but doable. I used to set these big targets and then get angry with myself for not meeting them, so I think smaller targets over a few years are better. I have to remind myself that from my highest weight I've lost 17 kilos, took me 3 years but I did it. I can do it again!

I also know that you can't out-exercise a bad diet! But I want to get back into doing some exercise. I've noticed that I get pain in my hip when I walk. I hope it's nothing serious, but who knows! I need to make time to go to the doctor and get that seen too. 

Spring is the time of renewal, and starting new things so this is a good season to start a healthy lifestyle. Wish me luck!

A young, skinny me

This is from when I first came to Japan, 34 years ago! I thought I was fat then!!! If I could get back to the weight I was then, I would be more than happy, about 65 kilos!! Big dreams!!!

Spring Cleaning

 It's that time of year again!

I have to do it, but really don't want to!

Spring cleaning!

I hate cleaning! I love having my house clean and smelling fresh, but the process just drives me crazy.

It feels as if it's never-ending! Which, with nine cats, it is.

Today I managed to vacuum and wipe down the tatami mats. I used hot water and a soap spray to clean the tatami mats. One big problem is that the best way to give them a good clean is to get on your hands and knees, but with a bad knee, that is rather difficult. But I tried. I did about half of the room before my knee gave out, do the rest over the weekend.

Another thing I need to tackle is the bathroom.

That door leads outside, very cold in the winter

Massive dead space 

This is all a wet space, so I thought cleaning would be easy.

The tiles don't get clean, no matter what product I've used or how much I scrub, they look dirty. The shower isn't long enough to reach the corners, so I have to fill buckets to throw in the corners to clean them.

Another big problem is the door and the massive window, both are useless and make the area very cold. Even now the weather is warming up, the bathroom is still too cold.

Also, the extractor fan doesn't work, that needs to be fixed as it will get very humid soon leading to mold growing!

I'm going to see if I can buy a new shower with a longer reach. It might make cleaning a bit easier. 

Ideally, building a wall just behind the bathtub, so the area is smaller, would be the best, plus changing the window and removing the door. But that will take a lot of money!

One thing that has worked is putting some baking soda in one of the kitchen cupboards. I was getting so fed up with this weird smell, like plastic but a bit stranger!  Hard to describe, but every time I opened the cupboard, I would heave. I don't want to use them, but no choice. So I decided to see if baking soda would work, and it did.  Next week I'm going to give the other cupboards a good clean and put some baking soda in. I'm also looking for some kind of racks so I can stack the larger pans and bowls in there.

I really hope the weather stays nice so I can get these jobs done (and get everyone to help!)

Wish me luck!!!!!

Karaage...Japanese Fried Chicken

Japan has a lot of different dishes that are unique to the country. Karaage, Japanese-style fried chicken, is one of them.

I asked the kids that I teach what their favorite food was, most of them said karaage, followed by ramen!

David makes really good karaage.

He uses breast chicken; most recipes use thigh meat. 

Thigh meat has a stronger taste but is twice as expensive as breast meat and is difficult to cut.

He cuts the meat into bite-sized pieces and marinates it in soy sauce, sake, dried coriander, and garlic. He leaves it to marinate overnight. The next day he dredges it in potato startch and fries it.

I love this, but it doesn't love me!

We had it for lunch today, but after two pieces, I have to stop as I know I'll get indigestion.

There's some leftover for tonight's dinner, but I won't be risking it.

Today has been a bit strange.

I woke up feeling overtired. I think my two days of teaching are getting to me!

All morning, I had an intense headache. 

After lunch, I went to close my eyes when I heard thunder rumbling around.  Checked my phone and found that there was a tornado advisory for this area!  I sent a message to Christopher about the tornado advisory, he thought I had misspelled tomatoe!!!

The sky was rather dramatic.

Just as the storm was starting

I woke up an hour later, still feeling rather bad. The storm had passed over, but my head was still pounding. Decided that I should go out for a bit, so I asked Mikey to run me to the supermarket. 

The sky was even more dramatic this evening.

Dark clouds rolling in

The opposite direction was even more interesting.

Clouds rolling off the mountains

Going to cook the karaage, I can enjoy the smell!!

Hay Fever

 Hay fever (kafun shou 花粉症 in Japanese) season is so long, from February to May. The main culprits are the Japanese cedar, sugi, and cypress, hinoki, which were planted after World War Two to quickly replace the old-growth trees that were cut down during the war.  Whole areas of the country were planted with these trees simultaneously. The trees reach maturity and peak pollen production after 30 years. So now whole mountains are covered in these trees, and they release pollen at the same time.  

The reason these trees were planted was that they grow quickly and straight, making them easy to use in building houses. However, cheaper imported wood flooded the market, so the trees that were planted were left. 

About 42% of the Japanese population suffers from some kind of hay fever. This is significantly higher compared to other countries, where the rate of suffers is about 10% to 30%.

There is a whole market dedicated to hay fever sufferers. Masks are used by a lot of people. There are sprays to use on your face, special glasses to keep it out of your eyes and of course over the counter medicines and eye drops.

On high pollen days, people are encouraged to dry laundry inside. To remove jackets and coats near the entrance of your home, so you don't bring the pollen inside. And to keep windows closed.

For me I have year-round allergies, but spring and autumn are the worst.  I'm so miserable with itchy eyes, a runny nose, and non-stop sneezing. I want to enjoy the weather in these seasons, as both winter and summer are hard on me. I take allergy medicine every day, but end up feeling sleepy and having a headache! But it's worth it if I can get things done and go out to enjoy the nice weather.

I'm looking into more natural ways to deal with these allergies. Research is showing that a type of tea called Benifuuki may help with reducing the symptoms of hay fever. I'll have to see if I can find that!

Any other ideas?

Where I'm living now doesn't help. The mountain here is covered in those trees, and they are growing in my garden!

It's hard to see, but these are the mountains near our house, they are covered in those trees!

Poverty In Japan

 Most people don't think of poverty as an issue in Japan. 

When I arrived in Japan in 1991, it was the start of the collapse of the bubble economy.  During the bubble economy, everybody considered themselves middle class. This has changed drastically in the past 30 years!

In the 1990s, there seemed to be a disparity between the news, which was full of economic woe, and what I saw. The news would talk of inflation rates, falling yen values, and how people were struggling. I would see lines outside expensive restaurants and shops full of customers buying things that aren't necessary.

Then I came across an article, maybe online, but I really don't remember about an old lady, in her 80s, and her son in his 50s, who starved to death. The article stated that there was only 10 yen in the lady's purse. The police found the lady's diary, she had written, "Today we ate the last rice, I don't know what will happen to us now."  That made me sad and very angry!  How can two people starve to death in a society that is as rich as Japan? 

This was maybe 20 years ago, maybe more. But that story has haunted me ever since.

Poverty in Japan is hidden; there's a cultural tendency to maintain appearances, which can mask the reality of financial hardship. 

According to my research, Japan's poverty rate is relatively high; in 2021, one in six people lived below the poverty line.  That's a lot of people.

Poverty among children is a particularly pressing issue. 16% of Japanese children lived below the poverty line as of May 2017. Single-parent households have even higher poverty rates. In 2021, approximately half of single-parent households surveyed were living in poverty.  This is significantly higher than the OECD average.

 With nearly 20% of the elderly living in relative poverty, which is nearly twice the OECD average, elder poverty is also a pressing issue. Poverty affects women disproportionately, with one-third of women living on their own and nearly half of single women over 65 living in poverty.

I've watched videos showing elderly people (in their 80s) having to work because their pension isn't enough. In some cases, old people have been known to commit petty crimes because in prison, you get a bed, 3 meals a day, and health care!

Poverty affects education. After junior high school, you have to pay for education. A lot of children who are living below the poverty line don't go to high school or college, which makes getting a good job difficult. 

What about welfare? There is a system in place, but it's hard to access. Any assets you have, you have to sell. Each city will have its own criteria, but most places will check into your bank or postal savings. I've read that most cities will make you sell anything they consider luxury; high-end TVs fall into this category, as do cars and motorbikes. If you own your own house you might be made to sell that before being considered for welfare.  The next thing they check is your family, can you be supported by family members?

So many people don't bother with welfare.

Why this post?

Because at the moment I'm poor, at least financially!

I'm rich in that I have my kids, and they are helping me out a lot!

I'm rich in that my health is okay, not great, I need to work on my blood pressure and get off diabetes medicine. Also, my joints need some help. But I'm not bed-bound or house-bound!

I'm rich in the fact that I live in an area that is beautiful, I can step outside, wander around my garden, enjoy the blossoms and the birds.

But I have no money! I'm trying to get new students, but it isn't easy. 

I know from experience that it's just a blip, that things will work out, somehow, but today I feel bad about being poor. I want to help Hannah; she is working two jobs to support herself through graduate school.

 I would love to have some money for Mikey to help him set up his own home when he gets married.

But just looking at the cold facts about poverty in Japan makes me feel more grateful for what I do have. A lot of people who are poor here have no way to move forward. I've seen videos of elderly people working for a pittance because their pension doesn't cover the basics, and I've known single mothers who work two jobs just to pay rent. I've given discounts to my English school to a family who had 3 generations living in a 2-room apartment but wanted their kids to have a chance of a better life by learning English.

I'm determined to get out of this situation, but I don't know how at the moment.

If you have any ideas, let me know!

I don't know what picture sums up this post, but two cats sleeping together is cute!

That's another thing I'm rich in, my cats love me!!!

Another Small Problem

 When we were cleaning out my mother-in-law's stuff, I joked that she could have run a restaurant—there were that many plates, dishes, and cups! For at least 40 years, only my mother-in-law and her mother lived here, but there were about 40 rice bowls and just as many soup bowls. Every cupboard we opened in the kitchen revealed more. It felt never-ending!

I kept a few things. Some were boxed sets given as presents, some were really nice and useful.

A few of the dishes I kept

I like nice dishes and cups, but they take up space that I don't have. Most of what I've kept has gone into the storage room. As things get broken, I can go and get more, and things get broken a lot!

During the clean out I just put the stuff to be thrown away into boxes and crates, to be dealt with later. Problem is later is now. 

How to safely dispose of broken dishes and glasses?

From a quick search there is a place that can take our trash, but (of course there's a but) you need ID that has a local address.  David has legally changed his address but hasn't updated his driver's license. To do that, he has to go to a police station, and the only one is on the opposite side of the city!

So not a big problem, just annoying!

David asked why I was so desperate to get that area cleaned. I told him that I want to clear out the garage so he has a place to park his if we get a typhoon. He rolled his eyes and said that the typhoon season is months away. In one way that is true, typhoon season used to be the end of August to the end of September but year on year the season is starting sooner and sooner. I just want to be prepared!

Doing Outside

 This is the space in front of the storage building.

In front of the storage building

It's an eyesore. There's so much trash there that we don't know how to dispose of it! There are plastic containers, bits of metal, a mattress, and other bits and pieces.

I want that area cleared as quickly as possible. It should be the parking space for the cars. I know that we are still in spring, but once the heat starts going out for me will be difficult. Also, the door at the back leads into a big space that can be used as a garage if we get a typhoon.

So I decided that I would make a start on this area today!

But of course things didn't go to plan! Do they ever?

First, the problem was the fact that I didn't fall asleep until 6am! Cats, what else keeps me awake at night!? Fred has become very needy. He wants to be with someone all the time. So at night, he cries outside my door for hours. So I let him in, but he is so heavy that it's difficult for me to get comfortable. Also, every time I'm about to drop off he would start wanting to go out!

Fred, looking very innocent!

Not falling asleep until 6am meant that I couldn't wake up this morning! I finally dragged myself out of bed at 10:30. Not good! I was going to make lunch, but felt very unfocused. I asked David to make lunch, and I went out to see what I could do. I thought going outside would clear my head a bit. I got Mikey and Christopher to help.

I then had problems with my trousers. They kept coming down. I would take two steps and have to stop to pull them up. I thought it was the weight of my phone in my pocket, so I took my phone out, but I was still having the same problem. So I came in to change. I've had those trousers for over 20 years, so I think it's okay to throw them out!

Went back out and managed to put together two trash bags of plastic bits. This is one thing that we have a problem with, what to do with the load of plastic buckets, crates, etc, that are hanging out there. Some can be used, but a lot are broken! Things that can be burnt we are burning, also any metal we find we can put together to take to the scrap metal place, sometimes we get a bit of money from that!

I didn't do too much but made a start. I'm hoping to sleep tonight so I can do more tomorrow morning. 

Opposite that area is the place that needs to be cleared to grow some vegetables. Again not getting done as fast as I would like.

Need to clear this area

I know the trees are nice, but this is a good place to grow vegetables. Taking down the trees isn't too hard, as they aren't that big, but digging out the roots is going to be the hard part!

I really hope the weather cooperates this week so we can get a lot done!

Great Start To The Day

 I got up early this morning. Well, early for a Saturday, 7am.

I did laundry and had breakfast. It took a long time to make toast and boil water as the breaker kept dropping. It looks like I'll have to get that changed before we put in air conditioners.

After messing with that, I was on a roll. Cleaned up, made cookies, put the rice on to cook, went shopping, came back and made a good lunch.  I managed to get some vegetables at a decent price, so I did a couple of different salads!  While I was cooking, I got Christopher to run the vacuum.

I was feeling very pleased with myself.

But after lunch, things went downhill rather fast.

It started with the most awful headache. I took some painkiller, which helped a bit.

I couldn't figure out why the medicine wasn't more effective. The past week, I've had headaches almost every day. My allergies are very bad; the medicine I take for that gives me headaches, plus my sinuses feel heavy. 

But today the painkiller didn't help that much. I tried closing my eyes for a bit, but woke up with my head still pounding.

Turns out the air pressure was very low, about 960 hPa. And now we have a thunderstorm, just writing this I've screamed a couple of times. The lightning is close, a bit scary!

I hope this passes soon. I know that Mama Cat and Fluffy will be hiding somewhere. 

Outside during the storm, you can't see the mountains

The storm has finished, and you can see the mountains again

A Challenge

 A friend sent me a challenge yesterday evening: find seven things to be grateful for in this house, but not the kids or cats!

I thought it would be easy. Seven isn't that many things to find, but it's proved to be a lot harder than I thought!

What I've come up with so far.

I'm actually very grateful to have this house. If we didn't own this house, we would be homeless.

The biggest problem in renting a place in Japan is finding someone who can act as a guarantor, usually two different people or your company. In the past, we always put my mother-in-law and her sister as our guarantors.  They have all passed away now, and I don't know of any other relatives we could ask. The few friends that I have are foreigners, which is allowed, but it would make the whole process more difficult. I think David could use the company he is working for as a guarantor, but I'm not sure!

Also, we have cats. Most rental places don't allow pets! Some older properties allow maybe one or two pets, but not nine cats. Rehoming the cats would be difficult; they would end up in a shelter, which is no life for an animal. Most shelters in this area are kill shelters, even the ones that aren't get to be overcrowded and can't offer a good quality of life to the animals they take in!

This house was always the safety net, if the worst comes to the worst, we can live here. But I never thought it would come to that!

At least we have a roof over our heads! 

Another thing I'm grateful for in being here is that I'm starting to appreciate nature more.

We moved in the dead of winter. The garden was dead and I really wondered if it would come to life again but as the year has moved on the whole area is slowly waking up. Everyday I'm seeing new plants and bushes come into bloom.

Today, there was a very noisy bird outside my window.

This guy was singing his or her heart out.

It flitted from tree to tree, really singing and calling out. I was reading in my room and this was such lovely background music.

A couple of Japanese ladies I follow on YouTube make videos about their slow life in the countryside. They are about my age and are spending time on hobbies and just slowing down to enjoy things more. I watch them to study Japanese, but also because they have such a positive outlook and are really enjoying their lives. I think the idea of a slow life is becoming more appealing for me. Living here is giving more chance to just breath and be!

So that is two out of seven things to be grateful for!

I feel that this house has the potential to be very nice but I need a lot of money to make it how I want it.

When I asked Hannah what was good about this house, she pointed out that the kitchen is very big. It is, but very badly designed.  Having money to redo the kitchen, bathroom, and toilets would go a long way toward feeling better here. 

I have my reading nook, I'm grateful for that space but at the moment it's Mikey's bedroom. 

Once he moves out I want to change the tatami room into a living room.

For me, the tatami room is a wasted space. It's there to be a guest room and for the Buddhist altar. But we don't have the Buddhist altar anymore more and not using one room because you might have guests once or twice a year is a waste. 

I would love to pull up the tatami and put down flooring, but that would be expensive, so I'm looking a putting a covering on the tatami, something that is easy to clean because of the cats. Then, having a nice sofa and moving the TV in there. Yet another project to save for!

Maybe I couldn't find 7 things to be grateful for but today at this moment I'm content to be here. 

The weather is warming up, and there are signs of spring everywhere. 

We aren't homeless or living in danchi (social housing, some are nice, but most are very old, and I've heard that the cockroaches outnumber the residents), which would be awful.

This place has potential, but it will take a lot of money and time to make it really nice. 

I have to stop thinking I'm too old to do things. I need to find a way to make more money and have the life I want.

So I'm grateful for my friend who helped to stop and think about things in a more favorable way. 

I'll see if I can find a few more things to be grateful for. 

Am I Prepared?

 After watching the awful news from Myanmar, I'm wondering how prepared we are as a family for a major disaster.

Japan is home to many natural disasters, with earthquakes and typhoons being the most common.

In my way of thinking, typhoons are easier to cope with. Weather reporting has become very accurate. Typhoons are watched from when they first form, there are tracking simulations so you know if your are going to be in the path of one. As soon as I'm aware of a possible typhoon, I make sure that our yard is clean so there is little chance of debris flying and causing problems. Here, the neighbour's houses are far away, in the last house we were living on top of each other. As much as I was worried about the typhoons, I was more worried that something from our yard would cause damage to the neighbour's house or car! I make sure we have enough water, filling the bathtub to have water for the toilet, to wash with, or for the cats, and for us I would buy bottled water and fill as many flasks as we had. Also, checking that we had food that didn't need to be cooked, and whatever medicines we needed.  These preparations take a couple of days. The hardest part is convincing everyone else that we need to do this. My way of thinking is that if we are prepared and nothing happens, it's okay, but if we aren't prepared and we get hit then it would be awful! Especially if we lose power!

Earthquakes are something else altogether. They hit without warning. Apparently, we had one last night, about an M1, so very slight. I didn't feel it! 

My fear is the megathrust quake that could happen because of the Nankai Trough off the Pacific Coast of Japan. This subduction zone fault line moves about every 100 to 150 years. The last big one was in 1944, then 1946.  Each time, the quake was M8.1. 

People who study earthquakes have said that the possibility of a megathrust in the next thirty years is very high. Last year, an advisory was sent out after there was a large earthquake near the Nankai Trough. The advisory was to let people in the area that would be affected to prepare. Not only are these quakes very large, but because they occur at sea, the possible tsunami would be devastating. One news report I saw said that a tsunami caused by the Nankai Trough could be worse than the March 11, 2011, tsunami.

So, what to do? Panic? I've talked to each one of my kids, and they all say if it happens, it happens, nothing we can do about it! Which is true, sitting around worrying about something you can't control is a waste of time and energy! 

But at the same time, there are things that I feel are important. We live at the foot of a mountain that might be inaccessible if there is a large earthquake, so having three or four days' worth of food is a sensible thing to do. We should be able to take care of ourselves until rescued. Alongside that, a good first aid kit would help, with things like bandages, alcohol, and some kind of painkiller inside.  Any important documents should be copied and kept at hand.

Making a plan of how to contact each other and a meeting point is a good idea. Also, what to do with the cats?

The only big earthquake I've experienced was in 2016. The two big quakes were both at night when we were at home, but after that we talked about where to meet if we were out and decided that the best was to go to Hannah's school. I think we need a new plan!!!!!

These things are always in the back of my mind, but after the Myanmar disaster and the fact that there have been many earthquakes recently I think I should take some action!

There are disaster kits that you can buy, but I always feel they are very expensive. They seem to become more expensive after a major disaster as well. Most items are available at local supermarkets and 100 yen shops. That's where I'm going to start.

The big question is what to do with the cats!  We have enough carrier boxes for them but I'm not sure we could take them all with us if we have to evacuate to a shelter! 

Also, I've seen several apps for disasters. I'm wondering if it's worth downloading them. I'll have a look. I know on the Line app we use there is a disaster mode that allows you to contact people to let them know you are safe.

Another thing that I think is important is my own health and mobility. I was talking to one lady who used to go for long walks, even in the summer heat. She said that her fear was not being able to help herself or others if there was a disaster. I think getting healthy and keeping my mobility would help with that.

Any other ideas?

Totally unrelated photo, just because the cats look cute!

Sam and Steve