Our Cozy Ghetto Abode

Is it an oxymoron to say that our abode in the ghetto is cozy?  When we first moved in, we felt a bit claustrophobic and termed our new surroundings "the ghetto."  We live in a huge danchi--a group of apartment buildings.  There are 25 buildings in our city block, with about 750 apartments--one, two, and three-bedroom.  Beyond our block, there are many more danchi.  Hence, the term ghetto.

 There's an elementary school within this city block, so there's a playground, and some buildings are identified with animals.  Our building has the horse, with elephant and gorilla nearby.

After what Bob calls "the Cynthia touch," our apartment is now cozy in its own way.  We are still lacking wall art and decor, but for the moment, maps suffice.

We have three bedrooms, although two are too tiny for a bed.  My "office" is 8 ft. x 8 ft., with a hand-me-down love seat, where meditation and computer time happens each morning.

Bob's studio is 11 ft. x 7 ft, just enough room for a table to paint on and the electric keyboard we found at a second-hand store called "Hard Off!"

Our kitchen and adjacent bedroom is where we spend most of our time.  It's the only part of the house with AC and heat.  The university gave us two beds that were each four feet wide, taking up most of the 11 ft. x 8 ft. room.  It took about eight weeks to get a full-sized bed, a big improvement in our life.

Because our bedroom is the only room with temperature control, it also serves as our living room.  Two chairs and a coffee table help make it functional.

The bathroom set-up in Japan is wonderful, with a separate room for the toilet, the bath, and the sink and washing machine.  Bath water is heated and filled with a digital control.  A voice recording and music comes on when it's ready.  The Japanese bath is superb!

The kitchen is a happening place, as the homemade bread and cinnamon rolls attest to.  Though we don't have an oven, Bob learned to use the small microwave's convection oven for baking.  Every time he makes bread, about twice a week, he gets a big "YUMMY" from me!

Having dinner guests seemed impossible at first with nowhere to sit except at the kitchen table, but once we got over the fact that our dinner guests would be seeing our bedroom/living room while they ate,  we realized that we CAN entertain.  Folding chairs, good food, conversation, and our favorite dice game "Quixx" make for a fun evening.  Life in Japan is challenging, but life is also good!

A Break from the Heat

With temps and humidity in the 90s, our day trip to Gandate Park was a welcome break from the sweltering heat.  Thanks to our friend Reiko, we were able to experience greenery unlike anything we've seen since our arrival.  Our 12-hour day trip began with lunch at a soba noodle restaurant overlooking a river.  It could not have been lovelier.

After lunch, we headed to a watering hole where the icy water of the Hida River refreshed us.  Bob could hardly believe I took the plunge so quickly, since I'm usually timid around freezing cold water.

Next was a walk through one small section of Gandate Park, where a volcanic eruption created Mt. Ontake 54,000 years ago.  Waterfalls fill the park, and each one we saw (and listened to) was stunning.  The rainbow over the last waterfall we visited was an added gift.

After four months in Japan, we finally got into an "onsen," a public bath--Japanese style--no clothing allowed.  Men and women have separate baths with indoor and outdoor pools of natural hot spring water.  It felt so good!  We then ended our day with a stop in Gero, a tourist town famous for its hot springs.  Throughout the charming downtown area, there are foot baths, where you can stop and soothe your feet in the hot waters.  Heavenly!