Love and Japan

Hello from Japan! Here are some highlights from my past week.

Toilets. There are 3 kinds of toilets in Japan. I know right? The first is the squatty potty. Just a toilet bowl dropped down into the floor. I am not fond of this style at all. When I need to use the restroom and the only available seat is the squatty potty, I hold it. Now that might seem absurd to you, but I cannot comfortably figure this thing out. I think my thigh muscles are severely underdeveloped. I've asked for tips and believe me I have tried, but it just isn't pretty. The second style is the regular western style toilet. boring. But the third is some futuristic incredibly complicated fine tuned machine. For the first week I left this toilet alone. But since the first week, I have become more brave. Let me show you what I mean.......



This toilet has all kinds of features. The ones I know of from experience are a heated seat, bidet, and flushing noise sounds. Well I won't go into extreme detail, but to start I can't read the toilet. I'm glad I was the only one in the restroom when I decided to play with the toilet. I couldn't stop laughing. That would have been pretty awkward for anyone to walk in on. Lesson to be learned... learn the Japanese Kanji for OFF or STOP.

Tokyo. We went to Tokyo last Friday. I really didn't know what to expect, and I still couldn't give an accurate depiction of what Tokyo really is. We only visited 4 sections and each were uniquely different from the other. We went to Asakusa, Ginza, Harajuku, and Roppongi. The shrine we saw was in Asakusa. There were millions of people there. I felt like a very small calf in the middle of a huge herd of cattle. There were tons of vendors selling souvenirs and all kinds of Japanese food. Then at the end of this line, groups of people burning incense, and getting fortunes from thousands of tiny little drawers. It was a truly unique experience for me, but I couldn't help but think of God and his ultimate plan. You know that phrase (I'm not sure exactly how it goes) but "You may be the only Jesus that somebody meets." I know that's not it but the concept is there. Well until now I kinda thought that was just a butterfly statement. Something that is pretty but just really has no application for my Oklahoma Bible belt experience. But since I have been here that phrase is on a scratched CD skipping in my head. It couldn't be more true. I think about it every time I look someone in the face. Here is the shrine...














We went to Ginza next. Ginza is a really nice part of Tokyo. It is where all the designer shops are. GUCCI, Dior, Coach, and Louis V. If anyone cares. But the reason we went there was to see the Tokyo Apple Store. It was pretty awesome. This is the Security officer telling Zane to stop taking pictures inside the store...












Continued...
Things I miss about America
1. The Ban on Smoking in Public areas
2. Food Variety
3. Debit Cards

Things I like about Japan....
1. Chopsticks
2. Patience
3. No Tipping
4. Price shown includes Tax
It's the small stuff in life.

We went to TGI Fridays in Ginza. It was amazing. FREE REFILLS! I had a bacon cheeseburger and french fries, and in true American fashion I kept eating even though I was full.

Well the reading thing continues to bother me. I've had a small victory though. I can read Katakana pretty well. I practice all the time. For those of you who don't know, the Japanese operate 3 different alphabets. Katakana, Hiragana, and Kanji. Katakana is used for foreign words and is the easiest to write. Hiragana is strictly a Japanese alphabet and is a little more difficult. Kanji is borrowed from the Chinese language with some variation. I'm really not sure the exact count, but something like 80 different Katakana symbols, 80 different Hiragana symbols, and over 8,000 to 10,000 Kanji. The kids in Elementary school learn all the Katakana and Hiragana alphabet, and by the time they graduate from 6th grade can read and write over 2,000 Kanji. The writing is so technical that the strokes are only done in order and one order only. Can you imagine? That really makes our 26 letter any way you want to write it alphabet look ridiculous.

It gets easier to adjust everyday we are here. I can't believe we have been here almost a month. Time is so fast, but so slow. Tomorrow Zane and I will finally get our foreigner's cards as well as our bank accounts. We also bought a couch that will be delivered on Saturday. I am so excited about it too!

I'm still waiting to meet a Mr. Miagi. I might just wet my pants with excitement when I do. Love you all.

Turning Japanese,
Carla