Reform or Rebuild?

 After last week's meltdown, I decided to do something about the situation.

I spent hours using Google Translate to try and figure out what to do!  There are so many companies out there that either build houses or reform houses, some companies do both.  The problem is that they don't show any plans online, or estimates for reform.  If you want information you have to request a catalogue, that's alright but they keep calling, asking if you would like this deal or that deal!  If the people calling weren't working for a company they could be charged with stalking.  Anyway, I bit the bullet and asked Christopher to fill in two forms, one for a company that builds houses, the other a reform company.

This morning Christopher and I went to talk to the reform company and it was very educational.  

One big problem is the broken sewage tank for the toilet.  We asked about that, the salesman suggested calling the city hall as the city can help to pay for that as it's a health risk.  If we can get money to help pay for that or get connected to the main sewage that would be the best.

The next thing, I wanted to move the kitchen back, into the bathroom area.  The bathroom is big and basically dead space.  But one of the main support beams is in the kitchen wall, so can't move the wall.  

We asked about a loan, we can get one through the company.  He went on to explain about getting a mortgage to rebuild versus a loan to reform the house.  Apparently, because I'm inheriting the house there are certain documents I would need to get.  Just that would cost about 5,000 pounds before doing anything!

So I've decided that putting in the toilet tank is the most important, no tank we can't use the toilet.  Then a new kitchen.  I could live with the one in there but the black mold is inches thick and I have no confidence I could get it clean.  Also with mold even if you clean it, it comes back.

To help myself deal with the massive amount of stuff I have here I've been watching videos about hoarders.  I know I'm not at that stage, yet, but I think it's easy to get there.  The room I cleaned out the other week was really bad but I honestly didn't see the trash, going around with blinkers on!  One thing a lot of hoarders seem to say is that they didn't notice it was bad until it got too bad!

Fred with the toy!

The toy in the photo is one Fred bought downstairs a few months ago, problem is no one knows where it came from and who it belongs to.  I had never seen it before and all the kids say it isn't theirs.  None of the students said they had lost a toy, also it was upstairs where the students don't go.  It's a mystery, where did it come from?

Poor Christopher!

 At the beginning of the week, Christopher got a fever.  At first, I thought it was similar to Mikey last week, fever for a day and then a few days of allergies but no!!!  Christopher's fever wouldn't break, constantly 38C and above.  Then he got a sore throat so I sent him off to the doctors thinking it might be tonsilities.  He has the flu but very mild, with no body aches, just fever and sore throat!  He is not happy because he had four days' holiday from work this week and had planned to go out to a few places!  I'm a bit worried as he was hanging about for a few days not realizing it was flu so there is a possibility that everybody might get it!  I'm feeling tired but not sure if that means I'm getting sick or just tired.

After my insomnia the other night and talking with my friends I've realized that fighting against the inevitable is a waste of energy.  We have to move to that house and I'm going to have to work hard to make it good.  So I'm looking at reforming the kitchen, bathroom and toilets. I would love a nice modern kitchen with an island, I think there is enough room!!  

Another thing that has cheered me up is, if the rumors are true, that Costco is opening in a city between here and the other house.  I'll never have any money!  I hope they open as buying a piece of meat for roasting would really help.  I have a slow cooker, so putting some meat in and leaving it to cook while teaching would help a lot!

Mommy Vlogs/Blogs

 Before I get into this post I just want to say thank you to my friends who reached out to me after my last post.  It's very easy to end up thinking the same thing over and over again, not finding anything good or different.  These friends gave me encouragement and a kick up the backside that I needed.  Thank you!!

Mommy vlogs/blogs have been around for a long time but are they really a good idea.  I will admit that I don't watch them and have never really thought about them being good or bad but a video came up on YouTube talking about how bad some of the vlogs were.  Of course, some are really bad, one famous vlogger was arrested for child abuse/neglect. One young lady who came from a family whose mother was a vlogger said that it was awful growing up with a camera constantly running. Some talk about things like their daughters getting their first period, really private things!  Another problem is showing kids bathing (mainly toddlers) or kids in bathing suits, maybe cute but there are, unfortunately, some people in society that don't see this as just cute but rather in a sexual way!  Could they be putting their kids in danger doing that? A lot of these vlogs focus on how they discipline their kids, but they aren't child psychologists and seem to get their ideas from different places.  Some seem to be using their kids as clickbait. One couple, mentioned in a few videos, were going to adopt a child from Thailand until they found out that Thailand has a law that says you can put videos or photos of the adopted child on social media for a year.  They actually made a video saying that they wouldn't be adopting from Thailand because of this law!  It made it look like the reason for adopting was to use the child to make videos!  The video I watched accused the parents of these mommy vlogs of exploiting their children.

What amazed me was the statistics from this video I watched. Some of these vlogs had millions of subscribers/followers.  Why?  Is how other people discipline their kids that interesting or what they had for breakfast?  Are we as a society so deprived of interaction that watching other people's lives is a substitute?

I admit I do watch a few lifestyle vlogs.  All Japanese, it's a way to listen to Japanese that is easy and I don't have to think of replying, also there are subtitles so I can learn new vocabulary.  One lady is a mother of 5 children, her vlogs are about cooking.  She uses seasonal ingredients and I've gotten a few new ideas from her.

The other two I watch are ladies about my age.  One I clicked because I could understand the title even though it was in Japanese.  The title was "A lady in her 60s with nine cats", that's me!  She talks about life in her old house that is difficult to warm and what she cooks.  One thing she does is to go out almost every day, she lives in a beautiful mountain area. Taking a walk means that she gets exercise and doesn't need to heat the house while she is out.  I think that might be something I'll be doing later this year.  The house we are moving to is also difficult to heat and maybe taking a walk to the other land we have will help!

The other lady I watch talks a lot about her garden.  She has just moved to her parent's old house before she would go on the weekends to clean and take care of the garden.  She has such a peaceful feeling about her and seems to enjoy her life.  Just looking at her you think that she had a lovely life but in one video talking about her family, she said that her daughter had died.  Apprently the daughter was only 14 years old at the time of her death.  

So mommy vlogs, good or bad.  Watching other people's lives, good or bad?  Why is this even a thing?

I think that it's a case of moderation, as with most things. I watch these ladies' vlogs but not every day.  Sometimes I get good ideas from them or a different way of thinking.  Sometimes I need some inspiration to get out of the negative cycle that my thinking takes.  I love my friends for helping me do that but I know everybody is so busy.  So these vlogs help.

Any thoughts?  Why, as a society, are we so interested in other people's lives?

Insomnia

 I've suffered from insomnia most of my life.  I'm a very light sleeper and any noise wakes me up, then getting back to sleep can take hours.  Last night, however, was on a whole new level, I didn't sleep until 7am!  My mind just wouldn't shut down.  I tried things that have worked before, deep breathing and relaxing each part of my body but nothing worked.  It's all to do with moving to this other house.

It's just over a year since we were told we have to move and I've really tried to think of positive things but have only come up with two.  No rent and the toilet is on the same floor as the bedrooms!

It's too small.  The house here has 6 rooms and a big living, dining, kitchen area.  We have two rooms set up to teach in, I'm writing this in one of those rooms. The living room has the sofa and TV, a place to relax. The other house has a Japanese-style room, two bedrooms, a kitchen/dining room and a separate living room. That means the Japanese-style room and living room will have to be bedrooms. Which means there is no living area to relax in.  If we want to watch TV together we would have to sit at the dining table, not very relaxing.  Hannah will move out late this year or early next year if she gets into graduate school.  Mikey might follow.  But still too small.  I can see that most of the time I will be in my bedroom. There is a lot of dead space that just can't be used.  The design is bad and not really for a family.

The next problem is location.  Here, within a 5-minute walk, there is the city hall, a supermarket, a drug store, a dentist, and a clinic.  A bit further is the library and eye doctor.  Twenty minutes walk gets you to the local shopping mall and train station.  In the other house there is nothing.  The nearest supermarket is a 10-minute drive. Somebody suggested getting an electric tricycle but the way people drive around there it would be very scary, I'm still thinking about that. The bus runs once an hour and goes to the city center, which has basically closed down. To get to the shopping mall would take over an hour.  We have one car, which Mikey uses most of the time. David will have to buy his own car.  Christopher can't drive and his eyesight is so bad he thinks he can't get a license.  David and Christopher have looked at getting apartments here but after paying rent and utilities, they wouldn't be able to eat or buy anything else.

Then there is our teaching business. We want to continue teaching here using the community centers but it's a 40 to 60-minute drive each way.  To make that work we need to put classes on the same days. Which means we might lose some students, as kids are very busy after school.  At the moment classes are spread out over the week, which is okay, makes it more relaxed.  But coming here just for one lesson isn't worth it.  Also, Mikey has more lessons than me, so most days I will just be hanging around waiting for him.  Here, if I'm not teaching then I can clean, cook or find other things to do.  I want to get online students but haven't figured out how to do this as yet.  

Even not paying rent won't save money if students quit. Also it looks like getting loans to pay for the house to get fixed up.  We will do as much as possible ourselves but some things need professionals, so I don't know how much money we would save.

All in all it's a lose-lose situation.  I've looked into finding another rental here but with the cats that is impossible.  I've looked into buying a house but we can't get a mortgage, even though it would be cheaper than the rent.  So we have to move or become homeless.  

This is what goes through my head at night.  Trying, desperately to find something good in this and there just isn't anything good.  Maybe this is why my stomach is bad, the stress of this situation.  I made a bacon sandwich an hour ago and am still trying to eat it!

End of moan!!  For now!

One good thing I've lost a bit of weight!!!

Bit Worried

Sunday I was very busy, cooked two full meals, and cleaned out one room. Not that much really but I'm exhausted!  Monday I had a headache all day, so just rested.  This morning I felt better so I tidied the kitchen and made lunch.  Since lunch I've felt sick and really tired.  I've noticed over the past year that one day of work or going out leaves me feeling tired the next day.  Is this just getting old or is something else going on.  What worries me is how do I cope with moving?  Even doing things bit by bit, cleaning out the other house and moving some things as the other house gets cleaned still leaves a lot to be done when we move altogether!  I know that the bulk of the heavy work will be done by the kids but still leaves a lot to be done by me!!

So what to do?  I guess get back to healthier meals and start exercising.  Sounds so easy but to start seems impossible.  Last weeks dinners weren't to bad, lots of vegetable soups.  Exercise is just chasing the cats!!

I have to give myself a kick up the backside and get things going.  I have a busy few days coming up,  couple of lessons tomorrow, have to go to the city hall on Thursday and somebody coming to see about lessons, then Friday and Saturday are busy teaching!  Also I want to make some worksheets for Fridays classes!!  It's early evening now so going to get some dinner and have an early night.  Tomorrow is a new day, I have to make it better!

Also there is a lot of flu going around.  Last week Mikey had a fever for one day but then the most awful runny nose and sneezing fits.  He's recovered but now Christopher is down with a fever, 38.5C and sore throat.  He should of worked today but had to call in sick!   The weather has been very mild here this winter and I think these bugs are just hanging around!

Just a cat photo, just because they are cute!  Unless it's 1am and they are shouting outside my room!

Cats life, snuggled up together!

Finally

 I made a start on sorting and packing.

We have two rooms that we use to teach in, sometimes Mikey and I have classes at the same time.  The main room is kept tidy, most of the time but the second room is a dumping ground and recently it became very bad, embarrassingly bad! 

looks like a hoarders place!!

I can't believe I let it get so bad, I think I was going around with my eyes closed!

So today Christopher and Hannah helped to sort, box up and throw out.  Christopher was good at moving the boxes and bookshelves out, Hannah was good at throwing things away.  I want to keep things but Hannah would just say you don't need it!!  We got about 5 bags of trash from two bookshelves, big bags!  Not finished but a very good start!

Also found some interesting things!

Hisao's notebook

Found an old notebook that Hisao was using to sketch out our first leaflet.  This notebook is 33 years old! 

Old marker pen

This pen as well.  Hisao made a lot of materials when we first started to teach so he bought a lot of marker pens!!  

I wonder what else I'll find as I sort out things!!

High Tech Japan????

 I'm on several Facebook groups about Japan.  Some of them are for expats who call Japan home, some are for tourists looking for ideas and some are people who haven't been here but love Japan and all things Japanese.  The last groups posts are the most frustrating, they see Japan through rose-colored glasses. One thing that comes up a lot is how high-tech Japan is.  It's true that Japan does have a lot of technology in place.  For example, last November Mikey and I went to a restaurant, we were greeted by a machine that asked how many were in our party, then gave a ticket with our table number on it.  At the table, the menus were already there and an iPad to order.  The meal arrived on a robot.  The only staff interaction was when Mikey's meal came, he had ordered a hamburger steak and it was served on a very hot iron plate.  Also paying was a staff member.  I liked to go to the restaurants and be greeted by the staff, then seated and also order from a person so I could ask questions.  

The same is true in most stores.  Self-checkouts are normal.  In some places, the staff still scan the products and you pay at a machine, but recently, doing everything yourself is getting more popular.  I miss the interaction with the staff and a chance to practice my Japanese.  Also, I feel some elderly people miss the chance to talk.  There are a lot of old people who live by themselves and the only conversation they get is going to the store and chatting with the staff.  Even if it's only basic greeting, it means something to lonely people.    

But Japan still relies on older technology.  Every week for the past 15 years our phone rings and it's somebody trying to send a fax.  Yes, that is still a thing in Japan.  Most businesses send faxes to each other.  I have no idea why.  Email is just as fast, then there are many different messaging apps that are free to use but faxes are the way to go.

Then there's this.

A telephone directory

Who uses these anymore?  This was delivered to me last week.  I have no idea why.  Even though I can't read or write Japanese using my phone I can find most businesses, dentists, and hospitals in this area and beyond.  Last week I wanted to go to a supermarket, they have a store in this city but I wanted to go to a bigger one in the next city.  I put the name in Google Maps, in a few seconds I got a list of stores, with telephone numbers, directions and opening times.  If I tried to use the telephone book it would have taken a lot longer, I would have to use an app on my phone to translate the Japanese.  Also because I had an idea where the store was but not the address it would have taken longer to figure out which store I wanted to go to.

So high-tech Japan?  Yes and no!!