After a long deliberation, a post!

Why, you ask, do I bother keeping this blog if I insist on not posting messages to it? Funny you should ask! I haven't the slightest idea!

Since my last post, I have spent over a month in Japan traversing the border between Osaka and Kyoto prefectures. My homestay family lives in Yawatashi, three-to-five stations away from the Kansai Gaidai campus (depending on how far and which way you want to walk). My commute consists of 12-20 minutes of walking to the train station, about 15-20 minutes waiting for/on the train, and another 12-20 minute walk to campus/home. Generally, I assume it's going to take an hour and plan my departure accordingly. I thought I'd hate walking so long every day, but I'm already getting used to it. We'll see how long I hold that opinion once the temperature actually drops.

My first few weeks in Japan were definitely filled with the last dregs of summer. After the comparatively cool late-August weather in Minnesota, the hot and humid coastal climate of Kansai was quite a shock, and I determined on the spot that I would not plan to live in Japan for any extended period of time--not in this climate, anyway. As soon as we hit the autumnal equinox two weeks ago, the temperature took a happy drop to a slightly warm, but comfortable fall temperature. The leaves have been changing colors on the sly; I've been seeing more and more fallen leaves, but barely any trees have tinges of color.

I've visited various places and attempted various things--though I have not yet been to karaoke or drank sake--but none have been so ridiculously exciting as to warrant a post here. Perhaps when I'm feeling more ambitious, I'll transfer more notes from my notebook to this blog. For now, let me leave you with a list of various Japan observations.

• Don't expect to do much baking while in Japan. Very few people have ovens, and the traditional American baking supplies are difficult to find. When you do find them, they are often sold in small packets, which makes sense if you only intend to bake one thing, but which may make avid bakers rather frustrated.
• None of the Japanese people I've spoken to so far have ever heard of putting peanut butter and jam together in the same sandwich. I have seen peanut butter sandwiches and jam-and-margarine sandwiches sold in convenience stores, but apparently peanut butter AND jelly is somewhat ridiculous. You CAN find peanut butter, though, if you look. I bought a small jar of Skippy Extra Crunchy, which looks ridiculously American save for a small bit of Japanese on the side of the label. The Ingredients are also listed in English.
• Japanese light switches do not switch up and down, like American switches, but side-to-side. In my homestay, they also have little lights in them so as to aid in finding them in the dark, as well as to indicated whether or not that particular switch is turned "on" or not. Very convenient.
• When there are sidewalks (I miss lots of sidewalks!) there are often raised lines and bumps to guide the blind down the sidewalk safely. Crosswalks also often make noise to indicate when it is safe to cross. They get a bit annoying if you've got your windows open at night, but it seems like a very considerate thing to do.
• Bicycles are all over the place and can be almost as dangerous as cars. All the same, it seems rather dangerous to be a bicyclist due to all the pedestrian and vehicular traffic. . . . Actually, commuting in general is a little treacherous.
• I am ridiculously glad I can't drive here.
• It is nearly impossible to find wheat bread. White bread abounds, but as yet I have only seen one sort of wheat-like bread sold. Bread is also sliced very thickly, between two and three times as thick as the usual American slices. This makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches difficult unless one can either find the rare thin-sliced bread or is rather good at slicing large pieces in half.
• I have yet to find cilantro. This makes me sad, for the tomatoes are delicious and richly deserve to become salsa.
• Everyone and their dog has a cell phone. (Actually, this is not at all true, but it appears so as you glance down the seats in the train. At least a third of the passengers at any given time will have their cell phones out and their thumbs in use. All of these people will also have charms of some sort dangling off of their phones--yes, the sort of charms that people generally mock in the States--whether they are male, female, young, or old.)
• Very few people have dryers to accompany their washing machines. Instead, they hang-dry their clothes--not on a clothes line, but on hangers clipped to racks.
• I found a gecko in my room, and he was adorable.

Ja, matta!