open school

This past Tuesday, we held an event called "Open School," where soon-to-graduate students from some of the neighboring junior high schools come to see what their life will be like next year. There didn't seem to be a whole lot of preparation for this—though I did only start working here about 2 weeks ago—but there were a considerable number of activities taking place throughout the school during the 6 hours the students were here.

new life

畳

たたみ

tatami

straw floor covering

Last night was my first night in my new house. I have basically no furniture yet—only the standard fittings in the kitchen so far, plus a washing machine and a bed. And by bed, I mean a futon mattress. In case you don't know what a futon is (if you're American, you probably don't), it isn't a couch that folds down into a bed. No, a futon has no frame whatsoever. It is simply a pad that you lay on the floor and sleep on. It sounds very uncomfortable, but there's another piece of the equation that the average American (i.e. me 6 days ago) isn't aware of.