i really wish i had a camera

saw an interesting sign in the train on the way home from school tonight. it read:

'please don't smoke in train station. the toilet is not a big ashtray.'

loves it.

go team!

i can't help but notice the amount of people it takes to achieve one simple task in japan.

a couple of weeks ago i saw five council workers hovering around a manhole on the road. one was actually working, the other four were just there for moral support.

today, i laughed to myself as three police officers cheered on another one who was reversing the cop car into a really easy park. hai.. hai.. HAI!

go team!

open sesame toilet seat.

last night we were at our local bar and when i walked in to lift the toilet seat up in the bathroom.. it opened all by itself!

open sesame toilet seats. and they're heated too.

i love japan.

moldy mattress

oh my god. i just found mold under my mattress pad.

japanese bedding consists of a mattress pad, futon, comforter (ie quilt) and a pillow. you're supposed to air out the mattress pad and futon whenever it's a dry, hot, sunny day, but for the two months i've lived in my apartment i haven't done it once - and i'm seriously regretting it.

i googled how to deal with moldy futons and it said that sometimes mites can grow inside! i clean my entire apartment top to bottom every week and now i just feel.. dirty.

if you need help with futon maintenance here's a good link:
http://www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/en/dailyliving/housingandsettlingin/humidityandmold.htm

oh joy.

i teach kids from 2.5-15yo.

by the time they reach a certain age, children do not need to be escorted to the bathroom, and are well past the potty-training phase.

you would think that allowing an 8yo to take care of themselves in the lavatory was acceptable, right?

WRONG!

one of my students (i'm yet to figure out who) pissed ALL OVER the floor. you could barely get a foot in there.

and when i finished cleaning up all that lovely wee, the floor was sticky. thank god japan uses the toilet slipper rule.

poking and prodding

back home in australia, i have a massage once a month. it relaxes me.

having been in japan for two months now, i thought it was time i tried a japanese massage.

normally you take your clothes off and get oiled up. i walk in and find that there are numerous people in the room on benches and i'm thinking, wow, so we all get naked in here together? ok. i've been to an onsen. i've got this.

so i start pulling at my shirt and gesture to the massage therapist that i'm going to take my clothes off. she makes an 'X' with her arms (this means 'no' in japan). she says i should lie on the bench with my clothes on. what?! so i hesitantly get on the bench and she then proceeds to put not one but TWO towels on top of my clothes (i'm wearing a long-sleeved shirt and jeans by the way) and starts poking my back.

i think the whole idea is to hit pressure points and relieve tension, but i like my therapist mel in clovelly better.

i want it.

ok wait so sienna clearly got her inspiration from this AMAZING balmain ensemble.

NB: i am a size 6 dress and shoe size. can you airmail to japan please?

need it. now.

i was just checking out the red carpet photos from the 2009 mtv movie awards and i have decided that i need to somehow get my hands on this amazing dress. so jeally of sienna miller's wardrobe!

ps if you haven't seen factory girl.. hire it this weekend!

pps the full trailer for the twilight saga: new moon is out and i am just a tiny bit excited.