" - Winnie the Pooh
Shopping, eating, etc.
Well, this village has found their idiot. I am the person standing in the aisle studying pictures on bottles trying to figure out what they are. I am the one who points at the menu to tell you what I want to eat. I use crude sign language and simple words or butcher the Japanese phrase I find in my book...all in the name of communication. As another American here put it, I know how illiterates function in society.
Nevertheless, I think I found some stain remover (it was the one with the dirty sock that became clean after they rubbed this product on it). I managed to get dumplings that Chrys didn't choke on which meant my analysis of the package did muster pork instead of fish. I have milk and strawberry yogurt and water in the fridge. I also have Pocky, but it's clearly labelled. The bonus is that I have Pocky in all SORTS of flavors that I never even imagined, and it turns out it's crisper and fresher here. I even found Pocky today that's coated in dark chocolate...it's called "Men's Pocky" - hmph!
On top of all of that, I managed to get the right size sheets (after finding a combo pack and using it to decode the other packages, only to go back and get the combo pack since it was the cheapest with 100% cotton). In the future, I know which packages have futon covers and which are duvets. I might even manage a pillow case here and there.
We've stuck to restaurants that have buffets, or allow you to point at the item or a picture of the item to order it. Mister Donut had a very unique donut, both in flavor and texture, called a Pon Du Ring. We must have lost on the game cards they gave us because they all had the same message... Joyfull yielded wonderful beef curry, pizza with corn and pepperoni, and something with pork. Ringer Hut had the same gravy, seafood and vegetable glop served over a variety of noodles and soups so we'll skip them from now on. Someday, we might venture out to a big person restaurant, but that will have to wait.
Beyond the restaurants, we're discovering the joy of vending machines (Owl read that there are 5.2 million of them in Japan). There must be 12 between our apartment and the department store down the street (about a mile according to Chrys). None of the ones around us have Mountain Dew, we didn't find that until we went downtown, but there are cokes, iced coffees, green teas, sports drinks galore. There are some that vend ice cream. I've even read that they will switch to vend hot drinks as the weather gets cooler. Near as I can tell, it's to make sure you don't run out of caffeine or sugar at any time...
I managed to find a stationery store in Central Isahaya. I think I ordered a mitome inkan reading ゴロドン(Go Ro Do N). I even think the lady will call me on Wednesday when it's ready. Not that I'll know what she's saying, but hopefully we can get mitome inkan out there and I can figure it all out. What's that for, you ask? Well, apparently it's the signature used for things like banking so it's pretty necessary.
We even stumbled onto the larger ¥100 store. It's a $1 store, basically, but with many useful things that don't look as cheap as what you buy in the $1 store. They're things I find at the department store for ¥300 - ¥500 and sometimes more. It's a pretty cool store and I will go back on Wednesday, when I go to that area to pick up my mitome inkan.
Who knows, maybe tomorrow I can track down someone who does passport photos so we can get alien registration cards and, eventually, cell phones. Every day, I get more confidence. Tomorrow will be my first day driving on the wrong side of the road, though, so who knows how it will turn out. In the meantime, we're unpacked, things are moderately organized and put away, and my bed is calling.
Nevertheless, I think I found some stain remover (it was the one with the dirty sock that became clean after they rubbed this product on it). I managed to get dumplings that Chrys didn't choke on which meant my analysis of the package did muster pork instead of fish. I have milk and strawberry yogurt and water in the fridge. I also have Pocky, but it's clearly labelled. The bonus is that I have Pocky in all SORTS of flavors that I never even imagined, and it turns out it's crisper and fresher here. I even found Pocky today that's coated in dark chocolate...it's called "Men's Pocky" - hmph!
On top of all of that, I managed to get the right size sheets (after finding a combo pack and using it to decode the other packages, only to go back and get the combo pack since it was the cheapest with 100% cotton). In the future, I know which packages have futon covers and which are duvets. I might even manage a pillow case here and there.
We've stuck to restaurants that have buffets, or allow you to point at the item or a picture of the item to order it. Mister Donut had a very unique donut, both in flavor and texture, called a Pon Du Ring. We must have lost on the game cards they gave us because they all had the same message... Joyfull yielded wonderful beef curry, pizza with corn and pepperoni, and something with pork. Ringer Hut had the same gravy, seafood and vegetable glop served over a variety of noodles and soups so we'll skip them from now on. Someday, we might venture out to a big person restaurant, but that will have to wait.
Beyond the restaurants, we're discovering the joy of vending machines (Owl read that there are 5.2 million of them in Japan). There must be 12 between our apartment and the department store down the street (about a mile according to Chrys). None of the ones around us have Mountain Dew, we didn't find that until we went downtown, but there are cokes, iced coffees, green teas, sports drinks galore. There are some that vend ice cream. I've even read that they will switch to vend hot drinks as the weather gets cooler. Near as I can tell, it's to make sure you don't run out of caffeine or sugar at any time...
I managed to find a stationery store in Central Isahaya. I think I ordered a mitome inkan reading ゴロドン(Go Ro Do N). I even think the lady will call me on Wednesday when it's ready. Not that I'll know what she's saying, but hopefully we can get mitome inkan out there and I can figure it all out. What's that for, you ask? Well, apparently it's the signature used for things like banking so it's pretty necessary.
We even stumbled onto the larger ¥100 store. It's a $1 store, basically, but with many useful things that don't look as cheap as what you buy in the $1 store. They're things I find at the department store for ¥300 - ¥500 and sometimes more. It's a pretty cool store and I will go back on Wednesday, when I go to that area to pick up my mitome inkan.
Who knows, maybe tomorrow I can track down someone who does passport photos so we can get alien registration cards and, eventually, cell phones. Every day, I get more confidence. Tomorrow will be my first day driving on the wrong side of the road, though, so who knows how it will turn out. In the meantime, we're unpacked, things are moderately organized and put away, and my bed is calling.
posted by Wynnie | 04:51
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