You might recall that I wrote a blog entry complaining about all of the rules concerning the handling of garbage. Well, those have officially become the good ol' days. The sorting is unchanged, but starting this month, all burnable(non-recyclable) trash must be put in a special pink bag designated by the city. These bags can be purchased at several stores in town. The biggest size, 45 liters, costs 600 yen(USD5.78) for a pack of ten. Curse you, garbage man!!
Look at his smug little pink face. Mocking me.This past week began the first classes of the new year(Japan's school year starts in April). Some of the teachers are new, which is fun, plus a whole new class of first years is on the scene. I like to interact with them. They are cheerful and haven't yet become too cool for school, so they stretch the limit of their language ability to talk with me.
I was trying not to smile when I saw the way everyone planned out their schedules for the year. They moved around little plastic pieces with names written on them into slots corresponding to day and time. It felt like I was in a 1940s war room, or maybe playing a giant game of Battleship.
Nothing too exciting happening this weekend, but last weekend we took a little trip to Tokyo. This time we checked out an entertainment district located on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay called.... Odaiba. Covered in convention centers, malls, and little theme park rides, the island's layout made me feel like I was in another country. The buildings seem to be taller than they are on the mainland, and the streets wider. I really felt like I was in the US.
Rainbow Bridge to the left, and fake Statue of Liberty to the right. Nothing says touristy class like a fake Lady Liberty.
I was trying not to smile when I saw the way everyone planned out their schedules for the year. They moved around little plastic pieces with names written on them into slots corresponding to day and time. It felt like I was in a 1940s war room, or maybe playing a giant game of Battleship.*******
Nothing too exciting happening this weekend, but last weekend we took a little trip to Tokyo. This time we checked out an entertainment district located on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay called.... Odaiba. Covered in convention centers, malls, and little theme park rides, the island's layout made me feel like I was in another country. The buildings seem to be taller than they are on the mainland, and the streets wider. I really felt like I was in the US.
Rainbow Bridge to the left, and fake Statue of Liberty to the right. Nothing says touristy class like a fake Lady Liberty.
I never understood the trash thing in Japan. The rules are so specific such as what bag to use etc. and yet in many places, the trash is left out in the open at the designated pick up spots where cats and other animals can get into them. Odd.
ReplyDeleteYeah, they do seem to have a strange approach to trash. On my bike ride to work on trash day there are huge piles of these pink bags of garbage. You should see how big the crows get around here from eating the stuff. Scary.
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