Heat (What? Again?)

So now I have a heater in my room that does more than act as a fire without the comforting sounds and hypnotic movements.  Really, that stove only had the downsides of fire-heat.  It was a God-send those days though.
Now I spend my days in comfort, allowing my electric bill to steadily climb (to which I say, meh, it is still cheap).  If I have successfully conquered heating my room, why then would  I continue to talk about heating?  Really, there a ton of interesting things here to see and do, but the Japanese have several other intuitive ways of heating, read on!

Heat

In Canada we have Central Heating, which means that even when it is very cold outside, all of the rooms in our houses are heated evenly (more or less).  We also construct most buildings to retain heat.  Doors and windows that seal well, central rooms, etc.  In Japan, things are very different.

Pancakes, In a Can!

Everyone I know has heard stories of the vending machines here in Japan.  I have yet to find anything too interesting in any of them.  All I have seen are standard drink ones.  And the odd cigarette one.
I have seen interesting drinks in them, though.  Such as "Hot Lemon" or "Hot Yuzu"

Lately the Weather has Been so BiPolar

Hello all.  Haven't talked in a while.  Well I guess I have just become better at procrastinating while residing on a different continent.  I suppose I should just actually write more of these things, not like I'm never on the internet.

Yesterday, I bought a bike.  (Go me!) Few cool things about the bikes here, they all have baskets and the locks are not chain locks, though you can find them, but just a little lock on the back wheel.  I still fail to see how these things are 'locked', one merely needs to raise the rear tire slightly and walk it to wherever.  That, and I see people leaving things in the baskets all the time with them never being removed. 

Fog, Hail, Freezing Rain, and Thunderstorms.

Apparently, last night there was a very loud, very close thunder storm.  I did not hear it, did not budge.  So I am not sure if it was truly a very loud thunderstorm.  Or if the thunderstorm here is not as loud and interrupting as ones on the Prairies.  But lots of people here kept telling me that they do not have them very often.  So they were all in awe of the power of the sky.

food!

It sounds weird, but I have yet to find a food here that grosses me out.  At least anymore than it does in Canada.  Still don't like handling raw meat, of any sort, but I'm getting over it.  It took me just under a month to find cheese, three weeks to find milk, and I just found canned fish.  I like to blame the fact that I am being overwhelmed by stimulus.  Way too many things to look at and try to decipher without looking like a fool.  I already stand out enough, I don't need to stare at one package cover to try and understand it for over a minute.

Please Enjoy the Fright

No the post is not about scary things at all.  More about the fact that with one letter is a nice phrase.  The title actually came from a J-Drama I watched for the sole purpose if it involving Hegei and different levels of polite speech.  Basically the character was supposed to say 'Please enjoy the flight" and they mess it up thus causing hilarity.

I giggled.  I'll admit that.

By Popular Demand

Why, hello all!  If I have been asked any one thing consistently by people, that's not 'How's Japan', it's 'What's your room like?" or something like that.  So by popular demand, and now that I kinda have a camera here's my room

1=1000

I was gonna post a long rant, but I am tired and still have homework and stuff for tomorrow.  So here's what the basis of the post was gonna be : blisters = pain.  I've had so many, I no longer feel them.  Allow me to demonstrate. 

"Om nom nom nom" - Cookie Monster

It occurred to me today that is the first time in my life that I actually have to look after myself.  I've lived away from home but never on my own before.  To anyone who has ever just upped and moved away from home, I applaud you.  If I'd done this my first year away, heaven knows what would have happened.  I think I would have survived but not as well.  But I do enjoy my own bathroom.  I also do not mind cooking for myself.  But I wish I could understand all the ingredients and instructions on the labels.