We'd like to show you where we will be living for the next 2 months. At the end of March we will move into a new apartment -- we will take over an apartment for a married couple that is leaving.
We live in Sendai (on the east coast of the country). It is about 200 miles north of Tokyo.
This is our apartment building. It is located on the MeySen Academy campus. The building next door has the cafeteria where we eat 2 free meals a day. Our apartment is the one on the top left.
Welcome! When you step inside, please leave your shoes on the entry way. In Japan, guests walk in each others' homes in their socks or in guest slippers that the homeowners provide, like the ones pictured here. (I have an issue with feet, so I prefer to walk in socks rather than slippers that have been worn by other people -- gross!)
When you turn to the left from the entry way, you walk into our tiny bedroom, like Kris is doing. Careful, Kris, you almost hit your head on the doorway! It's so short! (I'm HUGE over here! I love it)
Look how tiny our bedroom is! And yes, we are sleeping in 2 twin beds that have been pushed together. At least they are western style beds and not futons. Behind the beds is a sliding glass door to our small balcony.
Here is the view to the left from our balcony. That road goes up the hill to MeySen Academy. In fact, you can see the office building sitting on the top of the hill. Makes for a nice short walk to work!
If you walk out the bedroom door, you will walk straight into the kitchen. This is a view of the kitchen from the toilet room and shower room doors. Look how small it is! Fortunately, the cafeteria next door offers free lunch and dinner, so we won't have to do much cooking. In this room is also our washer/dryer - which we are THRILLED to have so we don't have to go to the laundromat. Even though the kitchen is limited in space, there are 5 ways to heat water (the Japanese love their tea). From left to right: the gas stove and kettle, the faucet (has an option for boiling water coming directly out of the faucet), the electric water heater, and the coffee pot (behind the heater).
Next to the kitchen table is the door to the shower room and the toilet room. In Japan, the toilet is located in a separate room from the shower. This is because the Japanese shower differently than we do. They are brilliant about bathing, really. First, they shower with soap and shampoo on the right side of the room (in the shower area). Then, after they are clean, they soak in very hot water in the tub to relax. Because you are clean, when you are done with your bath, you can cover it up to use it again the next day to save water. When you are ready for your bath, all you have to do is hit the reheat button and the water in the tub will be warm and ready for you. It's like having a hot tub in your bathroom! I love it and after only 2 days of using it, I am convinced I must have this in my own home when I get back to America. (She's not exaggerating. Lauren loves this thing. She uses the tub at least once a day. I tried it too and it's a great way to relax.)
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