First Days in Kagami-town, Konan-shi, Kochi Prefecture

When I told my family that the Spouse has been having cold food everyday since arrival in Kochi, it appeared to be a rather strange thought to them, myself included. Get out there and eat something! Aren't there nice hot ramen soup or katsu-don EVERYWHERE in Japan? Not quite. Where we are, the nearest minimart is 5 mins away by bicycle or a good 15-20 mins walk. Add to that a gas station, a laundromart, and a tiny hair salon. NO EATERIES WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE. Yup. That's our neighbourhood.

We live in a public apartment that's just 5 storeys high, no lifts (yup, pampered Singaporeans), and we're so lucky to be just 1 floor below the highest level (high floor!). We suspect there could remotely be some neighbours around the estate, going by the occasional kid(s) cycling around the block and the handful of cars parked downstairs. Perhaps because of the summer vacation? But we sure hope human activities pick up when school starts in September.

The arrival on Friday evening for me was not the most welcoming. In fact, I swore to the Spouse that if I were to be here myself first, I'd probably cry myself to bed and fret over how long it'd take for me to get out of this sh*t. The place was DIRTY, and the only faithful companions we had were cockroaches that DO NOT DIE (hence faithful). Even after spending the entire Saturday cleaning up the kitchen area, it's still hard to be completely rid of them. Just last night, we spotted the longest feelers from a crack in a wall tubing. And we haven't seen the entire roach just yet.

Good (or bad) thing is, the apartment isn't so immensely big that it becomes a pain just to tidy up. We managed to sort out the futons (actually, they're just thin mattresses) that we need to sleep in, grabbed 4 pillows with only 2 pillow cases (hmm), and cushioned the thin futons with 2 layers of... thick blankets? The genkan is but a small triangular cemented area before a step up into the laminated wood area leading to the toilet and the bathroom on the left. No bidet, I was so disappointed. Water heating is done by gas, and you gotta watch the flame as you ignite it to boil the water. Cool. Darn primitive. Just outside the bathroom is a tiny sink and mirror that makes it seem as if the Japanese are vertically challenged. The height of both items are ergonomically incomprehensible for the average adult.

The main living area on the right is separated into 2 by typical Japanese sliding doors. The first portion is made up of the kitchen area which also houses our computer, telephone/fax machine, and the work desk. The 2nd half of the living area is what we'd define as the living room. No sofas, just 1 small table and adjustable on-the-floor seats on the tatami mats. Turning left from this living room is the main bedroom with some storage space. Right behind the genkan is another smaller room which we use as a walk-in wardrobe (again) as it is nearer to the toilet.

There is a handy guide (file) left behind by the Spouse's predecessors with many niceties about this place. The thing is, these little enjoyments can probably only be enjoyed with transport. The main city is a good 45 mins drive away or a 35-min train ride (you still need to get to the station which is like, 2 km away?). Right now, we're surviving on 1 bicycle, with the Wife bearing the brunt of the pain pillion-riding from a metal seat behind the rider. It gets you to, ya, the minimart, and probably the train station, though we haven't tried. The main feat was cycling 25 mins to a larger supermarket further away yesterday and we actually discovered some small eateries along the way! We're yearning for a car!

The most troublesome issue so far has been the disposal of garbage. Like how it is in Taiwan, EVERYTHING has to be cleaned and sorted before disposal. Burnables are to be disposed in a white bag to be collected every Tuesday and Friday and set out at the collection area between 5-8am; recyclables are to be disposed in a clear bag, Metals on every 1st Thursday of the month, Glass on every 2nd Wednesday, and Plastics on every Wednesday. We're still trying to set up our own system at home to make sure we be the socially responsible new kids on the block.

There're more things to be discovered and we're coping and appreciating every little thing that comes our way. What we find lacking, we look forward to it being provided in time to come. What we find irksome, we look to changing or adapting ourselves to understand why it is being done. What we hope to have, we remind ourselves that it may not be something that is necessary. And thank God for internet such that we could immerse in the NDP mood live online and enjoy a wonderful conversation with loved ones across the globe in Connecticut!

 

Tiny toilet, bathroom, sink, mirror

View of the living area separated by the sliding doors on the left. That's me!

Kitchen on the left, working desk on the right

Main bedroom with folded futons on the left

The smaller bedroom as the walk-in wardrobe.