The apato

I arrived to my new abode one week ago. To call it a sardine can could seem derogatory to most, however when you are the size of the sardine (me) and the can actually suits you quite nicely it can just be a description of small. I have a kitchen, an office/closet room, and a living/bedroom. There is a bathroom too, but it almost feels like a port-a-john. It’s not dirty at all, just surprisingly tiny to have a bathtub and toilet in it at the same time. I have begun to decorate some with pictures and my digital photo frame.

The Japanese should be revered for their recycling intensity. Something that is totally stressing me out is my trash schedule. They have this really detailed schedule in my town about when different things are picked up and when I should throw away different items. They separate it into burnable items, plastic, plastic bottles, aluminum, steel, glass, and non-burnable items. I have to get the right trash out on the right day, otherwise, they bring it back to me. I have been so nervous to take out my trash that I have a rapid pile growing in my kitchen; I better wo-man up and take care of it soon!

There has also been a ton of stuff left in my apartment from previous JETs who have lived here. It almost felt like I was moving into someone else’s apartment. I have a ton of books to read and travel guides. I think I also found 4 suitcases that were not my own in the closet, which is also filled with hangers and pillows and sheets. I have some serious cleaning out to do. Also my fridge, there is some mustard, sauerkraut, ice, some sort of popsicle. I have been left with three bottles of wine, and about 7 beers in the fridge. There are tons of papers for teaching and lesson plans, which I will find SOOO useful when I start getting into all that. For now the extent of my preparation for school is my self-introduction which I finished today, so that means I am going to have to be finding something else to do for the rest of the week.

All in all I really like my apartment. It is going to be kind of fun going through everything and cleaning up and out. Given my summer, I have become an expert at such things and seeing as nothing in this apartment is mine, the difficult sentimental stuff won’t be there!