Big Mistake!

 This post is going to be a total moan fest! Sorry!

I really regret moving here!

There I've said it. It's not a place to live. 

I've tried to be positive and find the good here. But the bad outweighs the good. For every good thing, there are 10 bad things!

We've been here for 7 months, and I honestly can't see things getting any better.

I've put leaflets out to get students, but no calls at all. Mikey told me that he called the local kindergartens to see if they would like English classes. They said yes, but only offered 1,000 yen an hour, whereas in the other city, he gets 5,000 yen an hour! If I had known that there was so little interest in English, I wouldn't have bothered putting leaflets. 

We can't do anything with the land but have to pay tax on it, 10,000,000 a year, about £5,000, not sure if I have the Japanese right. I get my zeros mixed up.

We've looked into selling it, but to do that, we need to change the name to one of our names. That costs a lot of money. Even if we change the name, we can only sell to farmers as the land is zoned for farming. The zoning can be changed, but that would cost a lot of money as well.

So we are screwed!  

Nobody has the time or energy to clear the land to grow stuff. We tried, but the bit we cleared is overgrown again.  The few plants we tried to grow have died off. To get the land cleared properly, we need to higher a small digger, but again, no money.

I have searched the internet for online teaching, but most of the sites require a degree or a TESOL certificate. I tried applying by leaving that blank, but the application won't go through. The few that don't require degrees don't need English teachers. I keep checking, but so far, nothing.

I've thought about setting up a web page to get online students, but I have no idea how to do that!

I've spent hours watching YouTube videos on how to make money online, but everything is US or UK-centered and doesn't work here. I thought about making low-content books to self-publish on Amazon, but I think the market is saturated.

I even thought about crowd funding, but it's not a thing in Japan. 

Christopher can't find a job. He keeps looking, but there is nothing local, and he can't drive. This is causing a lot of tension between David and Christopher.

I'm tired, hot, and miserable!

Just writing this has me in tears!

I really regret moving here. I know we had no choice, that renting another place in the other city would have been impossible, but here feels like a death sentence.

Just to finish on the one positive thing.

David picked some of the Japanese plums. A lot got blown down, the wind has been crazy.

Japanese plums

David said that you can make jam from these, so I'll see what I can find. He usually makes this nice drink from them, it's very refreshing in the summer.

Wild Weather

 I know it's the rainy season and there will be a lot of rain for the next week or so. 

I'm used to that. For me, it signals the change from the nice weather to the awful hot and humid weather. The time of year I dread and feel like it's an endurance test.

But today the weather is really crazy.

The rain isn't too heavy at the moment, more like a drizzle, but the wind is very strong!

I just had a quick walk outside to check the blueberries; they are still there and haven't been blown down, but we are losing some of the Japanese plums!

We don't have any air conditioners, so I'm worried about the summer. The only way I've survived is by having air conditioners. One function on the newer air conditioners that I like is the "dry mode", which doesn't cool the room too much, but removes most of the humidity from the room. I used to put that on when hanging the laundry. Dryers aren't common here; the space for the laundry machine is usually too small to fit in a dryer as well. I had a washing machine that had a dryer built in, but it never seemed to really dry things. Also, I like the smell of clothes that have been outside!

The wind is helping to keep things a bit cooler, but it sounds rather scary. I'm worried about some of the tall trees that are next to the house! I really hope they don't get blown down!

The cats are unsettled by the weather. I really hope that they don't fight too much tonight!

Alan, flat out!

Sam is doing the loaf!!

Mottainai

 I've been thinking a lot about what we consume.  Not just food, but everything we buy, from clothes to electronics.  From cosmetics to cleaning supplies and everything in between.

One reason this is on my mind is looking at the storage place we have here. It is packed full of stuff. I posted photos of the upstairs room, but downstairs is just as bad. The garage area is big enough for two cars, but it's full. Another reason is from watching these videos of people who buy storage lockers and resell what they find. These videos are from America, I don't think they do that in Japan. A lot of the stuff is no good, but sometimes there are things that have value. One, I watched they found about 10 pairs of sneakers, brand-name sneakers, each pair worth over 100 dollars. The sneakers were new, still in the boxes with tags on. Another unit had brand-name bags, again new, with tags on, over 2000 dollars worth. All I could think was, what a waste, mottainai!

Mottainai is a Japanese philosophy of cherishing what we have. The core idea is an expression of regret over waste. Buying things that aren't used is mottainai; it encompasses the misuse of resources, a respect for the inherent value of things. 

I've heard this word so much since I came to Japan. My students would use it if they didn't finish their course book, but had to quit studying English. Some of my neighbours would gift me vegetables from their garden, stating that it would be mottainai if the vegetables just rotted away. I've used it as I passed on baby furniture that I bought for Hannah. I knew I wouldn't have any more kids, but just keeping a baby crib would be mottainai.

The word mottainai is common in Japan, I hear old ladies tut about the waste a supermarkets, teachers at school when prints that are made aren't used, and office staff wondering what to do with the extra supplies. The word gained internal attention when Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai heard about it during the Kyoto Protocol. She adopted it as a universal slogan for environmental protection.

Even though convenience is king in modern Japan, the spirit of mottainai is remarkably relevant.

In modern Japan, food waste is discouraged, with creative ideas for leftovers becoming more and more popular. One thing that I do is to use up leftover curry. I make curry bread, basically I butter one side of sliced bread, put panko on it, that makes the outside of the sandwich, put curry in the middle, with bread on top, panko side on the outside, and fry!  Leftover spaghetti sauce gets turned into pizza bread.  If I make too much oatmeal for breakfast, I use the leftovers to make pancakes.

Japan has few natural resources, so people are encouraged not to waste resources. Most electronics have an "Eco mode" on them. During the summer, most public places have the air conditioners set to 28C, which is supposed to be comfortable without using too much energy. Recycling is a big thing here.  There are recycling stores, but most cities have recycling centers as well. When the kids were little, we went to one and bought some yard toys for about 1,000 yen, new they would have cost over 10,000 yen.

I'm thinking a lot about how to embrace this idea more. One thing I do is I try not to impulse buy. At the moment, we don't have any extra cash, so impulse buying is out of the question. I've done it in the past and regretted it every time. So, thinking before buying saves waste down the road. 

I'm trying to reduce food waste. I plan meals, and I also have ideas on how to use any leftovers. We have our main meal at lunchtime, which means that any leftovers can be used in the evenings. I love a bargain, but I realized that buying something because it is cheap doesn't save money! 

Another idea of mottainai is to appreciate what you have. Look after your things, from the smallest item to the largest item. We live in an age of fast fashion and extreme consumerism. But over-consuming doesn't help. The buzz that we get from clicking on something on Amazon, then getting a package, or two or three. doesn't last! Appreciating what we have, taking care of things so they last, can give one a sense of peace. I'm not saying never buy things, but being aware and wonder if buying things is mottainai.

Is anybody going to embrace mottainai? Let me know in the comments!!

Moody Cats

  I've noticed over the past few days that our cats have been moody!  I'm not sure how else to describe their behavior!

There have been a lot more fights than usual, even the cats that are more laid back have been fighting. Also, a lot of random hissing at each other and at us! Even Fluffy hasn't been trying to get our food! The cat's routine is rather fixed; they play, chase each other, eat, groom, and then sleep. The past few days, however, it's taken them a lot longer to settle down to sleep. It's as if they can't find a comfortable place to sleep.

And some very sad faces!

Sam is looking very sad!

I know that cats are sensitive to change, but since we moved here 7 months ago, we haven't changed anything. The cats settled down very quickly. Actually, the move for the cats was a lot smoother than I thought it would be. I was prepared for a lot more fighting and marking of areas!  Since we've moved, we haven't changed anything, same food, same water bowls, and same litter. The cats still have their cat tower and beds, so why acting out and looking so miserable?

When I thought about things, I realized that the cat's behavior mirrored my own. I'm feeling down, I'm having terrible headaches all the time, and generally snapping at everyone. I know that I feel like that because the rainy season has started, and the air pressure is very low. At the moment, it's about 964hPa; normal is about 1000hPa.  We moved to the foothills of a mountain range, the pressure is always slightly lower here, but with the rain, it's become even lower. 

I checked online about this, and apparently, cats are very sensitive to the air pressure. I think that is what is wrong with my cats, poor things. I have no idea what to do for them. I'm trying to be patient, keeping myself calm, and loving on them.  I hope the rain stops soon, but the rainy season is usually one month long!

Fluffy was letting us know that the water bowl was empty, the others were full, but she wanted that one!

Sam and Steve, not really settled.

The only good thing about the rainy season are the beautiful hydrangeas.  In the old house, we had a few bushes of pink and light blue ones; here we have these deep purple ones. 

Purple hydrangeas 

It was difficult to get photos as the ground is muddy and rather slippery!

What Are They Building?

 The land behind our house has been vacant for many years.

When I first came here, 34 years ago, an elderly lady lived there by herself. After she passed away, the house and land were just left unattended. Sometimes somebody would come and clear the garden, but not very often. As time went on, the house started to collapse, and the land became overgrown. I was worried because a large bamboo grove had sprung up bordering our land, with some of the plants taller than our house.

Then, sometime last year, the whole space was cleared out! I was so relieved that the bamboo had been taken out!

I wondered who had bought the land and what they were going to do with it!  It was a lot larger than I had thought, so the possibility of having a few houses built on there was one idea I had.

In January, the diggers turned up. They spent about a month digging out the large stones and roots from the old trees. After that, the whole area was tilled. It looked really nice, just a flat area with fresh soil. Then, trees were planted, followed by smaller bushes and plants.

A month ago, a small rectangular-shaped wall was built, with room for a door. Maybe one house will be built.

On Monday, the crane arrived!

A very big crane

The body of the crane

The crane put these metal beams in place. I've seen houses built before, and they've always used wood as the frame, not metal.

Mikey asked the old man who owns the land, he said that he was building a warehouse. I want to know what he is planning to store there! 

One thing that surprised me was that the crew left the crane there. It's been there since Monday. Yesterday, the rain was too heavy, so they didn't do any work. I don't think that would happen in the UK; leaving machinery like that is asking for trouble! How about in your country, is it alright to leave things unattended?

Today, the rain is a lot lighter but still drizzling!

I was shocked at how high the river was when we drove past yesterday!

The floodplain is covered.

What looks like little islands are actually part of the floodplain. The river usually runs behind those islands.

The building in the background is YouMe Town, a massive shopping mall. I don't go there very often, but there's a small store that sells imported foods. Sometimes I go before Christmas to get some treats!

Rainy Season......Part Two

 The last time I wrote about the rainy season, it was just in the south. 

Now it's started here. Rain, then more rain, and even more rain.

I've had enough, and this is only the 2nd day!

According to the weather app I use, it's going to rain until next week, then have one day with no rain, and then rain every day for 3 weeks. 

I don't know how accurate the app is, but it sounds about right!

This was this morning.

One problem is that the air pressure is very low.  At the moment, it's 957hPa. David and I have really bad headaches. I've noticed that the cats seem unsettled. I wonder if it affects them as well.

Another problem is the humidity! At the moment, it isn't too hot, just 21C, so the humidity isn't too bad. Once it gets warmer, however, humidity becomes a problem!

I've bought a load of dehumidifiers to put around the house, especially in closets and on bookshelves.

Dehumidifier

This uses calcium chloride to absorb the moisture in the air, which is collected in the bottom part of the container.  They need to be replaced every three to six months. The only problem is that the contents are poisonous, so I have to be careful not to put them where the cats can get to them.

I usually start running air conditioners at this time of year. The newer models have a dry mode that not only cools the air but also makes it drier. Feels very nice!  But we have no air conditioners as yet!!!  Can I survive? Do I have a choice?

Visiting Hannah

 Yesterday, Mikey and I drove to the city to visit with Hannah!

Even though it was raining on and off, it was a nice drive.

I wanted to visit a new supermarket, buy a few things for Hannah, then have lunch and spend some time with her.

We got to the city just after 10 o'clock and picked up Hannah.

The supermarket wasn't that far from Hannah's apartment, within walking distance, but walking back with heavy bags is hard, especially it's starting to get hot and humid.

The supermarket was rather disappointing. There's a branch near here that I like to go to as they have a good meat and bread selection. The branch near Hannah's seemed a bit more expensive; there wasn't a good choice in meat, and the obento looked awful.

 I managed to buy a few things. I got a few large packs of meat that I shared with Hannah. I think Hannah has enough meat, fish, and vegetables to last a week. 

I really wish I could support Hannah more! But I guess every bit helps.

I planned to buy an obento at the shop, but they looked very unappetizing, the hamburgers were grey!

Mikey dropped us off, and he went to meet his fiancée for lunch!

Hannah ordered sushi through Uber Eats!

Sushi for lunch

That was nice.

Hannah's apartment is really nice! It's small, the entrance goes right into the kitchen, with the toilet and bathroom off that, then just one room with a large walk-in closet.

From the entrance

I think she has more storage in her small kitchen than I have here.

At the entrance, the genkan in Japanese, there's a shoe box, next to that, as you step up, is a pantry. Plus, all the storage under the sink and stove top, and above it as well. Best of all, it all can be used, no strange smells wafting around!

Her main room

She only has the basics in there at the moment. She wants to buy a desk and more bookshelves.  But every time she thinks she has enough money, something comes up that she has to pay for.  Also, she has to save to pay for her tuition and a new computer.

We spent the afternoon just chatting. I thought Mikey was coming back earlier, but he didn't get back until after 5 o'clock!  

On the way back, we noticed a very unusual vending machine,

Vending machines are big in Japan. Apparently, there's one vending machine for every 30 to 40 people. That's a lot of machines!

With almost all machines, it's easy to see the brand that's being sold. The most common ones are for drinks, so Coca-Cola machines are everywhere. There are machines for snacks, alcohol, cigarettes, and even ice cream!

But the machine we saw wasn't selling any of those things. It was selling Insect Food! At first, I thought it was food for insects, which is weird enough, but this was selling insects as food!

A vending machine selling insect food

The red light indicates that it's sold out!!!!

I can't imagine eating a Tarantula.

I know that in some countries this is normal, but not in Japan!

Mikey and his fiancée were trying to figure out how to trick people into eating this!!

I had a really nice day! Just hanging with Hannah, meeting with Mikey's fiancée, and having a laugh at the strange things we can find!