Cleaning...yuck!

Okay, so I was so spoiled in Dallas because pre-marriage John had put into place a bi-weekly cleaning service and we got to keep it since I was a "career woman". Well, let me tell you...once you go to the other side, you have to resume the cleaning. Okay, so the apartment is much smaller and let's face it time is on my side, but still after a year of basically no heavy duty cleaning, it's a bit of a shock to the system. Especially since the initial cleaning is pretty hard core. Just think a month of sitting around on the ocean somewhere....lots and lots of dust. Not to mention our rental furniture was brand new as well, so it is screaming to be dusted too. I am slightly rethinking my preconceived notions of how I would be so good at being domestic if only my pesky job didn't take up so much time (ha). Kind of like there has yet to be anything cooked in our kitchen despite the fact that my "I don't have any cooking utensils" excuse is no longer viable.

So, I go down to "the Don" as I affectionate have coined the Don Quijote down the street. John has mentioned the store earlier and I've already been, but I have to say examining the offerings at leisure definitely makes me thankful for small favors. Let's just say, it's right down the street from us and it has almost everything that we could ever need domestically. Especially since the two items that didn't make it to Japan are....my tea kettle and the coffee bean grinder. I'm a huge lover of sweet tea and the withdrawal has been intense, but never fear the Dr. Pepper's are doing a fine job. Anyway I was really looking forward to making my own tea and coffee. The trouble with the coffee of course is that all we brought with us were beans and at the Don all I could find were beans, which do no good sans grinder. So, I'm happy to report that there was a very nice tea kettle available right at this fine store unfortunately the sugar was not so easily accessible.....

I have completely gotten off track, so getting back on...cleaning. John had already purchased some Mr. Clean multi-surface cleaner and together we had figured out what we are assuming is a toilet bowl cleanser, but we never got any dusting stuff. So, I hike down to the Don and try to sort it out. I have to confess, the best thing ever is a picture on the label. I have a whole new appreciation. There is a wall of your typical cleaning options (i.e. the Mr. Clean, Febreeze, Windex, Pledge liquid for the floors, etc.), however no spray dusting option, which is what I remember liking from my previous cleaning years. Anyway, so I go to the Japanese label items, which if you can figure out what they are....present a much cheaper option. So, I'm looking at everything with a nozzle and examining the pictures closely. I finally find what I'm hoping is a somewhat similar alternative...and alas there is a picture of a living room rather than kitchen or bathroom, etc. I purchase it and have been using it on everything....it's not quite like pledge, but it seems to be doing the trick, so here's to hoping I have the right thing. All in all a successful trip...I only almost walked off with the gentleman's stuff behind me accidentally, but all was well and he laughed about it. Good times....

In other exciting news...my clothes are gradually disappearing into the closet, which is a very exciting thing for me. I had a little twinge of doubt there for a minute yesterday and could hear John's warnings issued pre-move loud and clear. But, while I have had to be somewhat creative in how everything goes in, progress is happening.

On the food note, which may become a popular line of discussion, we had a wonderful discovery. John and I decided to eat out (recall the aforementioned absence of cooking thus far). We knew that there was a noodle house on one of the side streets right beside our house, so we thought we might check that out. We got there and it looked really tiny and full and as John said...pretty sure there wasn't anything but Japanese being used in there. Not that this is a deterrent necessarily, but sometimes it's hard to know exactly what you'd be getting just by pictures alone (that is if there are any pictures), so we continue down the street and run into an Indian restaurant.

When I moved to Tokyo I knew that I was going to have to be very open minded about food in general so seemed like the perfect idea. Up until this point I have been to an Indian food restaurant exactly one time in my life and it was with a manager at my very first job that was of Indian descent and therefore could advise with great certainty about what I might enjoy (thanks Narendra). I just always had a perception of Indian food being very very spicy and I can't do that spicy. Anyway, I got a safe Tandori Chicken dish, which was really quite good, but John got curry with chicken and garlic and it was AMAZING! Needless to say we'll be going back regularly. Who knew...I had to come to Japan to discover my love of Indian food....go figure.

Alas, my unpacking must continue....until next time

-Jenn