Going out for dinner with a bunch of semi-work-acquaintances that I’m not sure I’ll get along with, but it’s a praise because it’s at a restaurant I’ve never been to that apparently only operates on reservation? I’m excited to try somewhere new in my otherwise very food-limited location. It’ll also be a good opportunity to practice Japanese and make some connections
Got my visa extension this week. Got 5 years even though I asked for 3!
New house is great. New neighbors are all super nice and chill. Several of them have kids that go the same school or daycare as ours. We all live next to a big park so there are tons of new houses replacing old ones and families with young children moving in. Really the perfect place to raise kids.
Renting was good for mobility but glad to be done with it.
Finally found the right dosage of medicine concoction and made an appointment for surgery in August. I’m really grateful for my doctors and that I won’t be thrown into a debt abyss for decent healthcare here.
Also mandatory periodical KFC hot and crispy chicken. The new Garlic Hot Chicken is da bomb!!! Still annoyed that they won’t make hot & crispy chicken a regular menu tho…
I appreciate the Korean snack selection at 711 with authentic presentation, as in sometimes the package is completely in Korean with the Japanese content only being in the nutritional information on the back.
I’m alive with shelter and a job.
New English teacher is Japanese but knows her shit and we agree our uni’s shit curriculum needs to be fixed. I feel like I’m terrible at my job but at least I understand how things should be.
Seeing that Casual Fridays does not exist (and Premium Fridays didn’t really take off), I have decided to transition my “I forgot to shave” Fridays from occasional to default behaviour. This is a natural extension of my “I deplore work” Fridays, in which I would avidly promote and encourage sloth, if I could be bothered to.
Started picking up kanji practice again, and came to the conclusion that my kanji knowledge is way better than I expected. Maybe the time has come to try going up a step on the manga ladder towards some seinen stuff. Or even consider trying to play some good old fire emblem.
Another one: I didn’t realize how far projector technology had evolved. I bought a mini projector for my kids room (don’t want to put a big TV there for obvious reasons) and it’s freaking amazing. Tiny, great visual quality, decent speakers, makes ZERO noise, and even has an internal battery. Like I completely forgot it had a battery until I unplugged it from the wall and was confused that it stayed on. No idea how they fit all that into the size of a fist.
Best purchase I’ve made in a long while. The kids LOVE it.
Started my new job this week, so been busy with adjusting to that and training-related stuff. So far so good, but tomorrow will be my most stacked day. Also finally had some time to make more One Piece progress. I’m in Thriller Bark now! Heard yesterday about the One Piece exhibition that will be at USJ this summer and if I catch up fast enough I wonder if I’ll at last be motivated to actually go to USJ.
Oshi no Ko was crazy. I don’t want to say anymore for fear of spoiling, but watch till the end of the first episode. Oh and the first episode is 1 hour 22 minutes. I walked in expecting a 22 minute first episode and sat through a feature film.
Truly appreciating the cherry blosoms. Its great to walk in a big park with a large Koi pond and bridges, stunning blossoms and no people whatsoever. This is only 80 minutes away from Tokyo too. What other hidden towns and villages could I go to to enjoy the hanami?
Managed to meal prep for the next few days. Bought a box of milk from a new brand that actually tastes good and isn’t expensive. Koikeya chili tomato potato chips actually taste good and tomatoey.
Also, people in my Japanese language class are funny!
I’ve been showing a couple of family members around Tokyo for the past couple of weeks and I’m pleased to see that they listened to me when I encouraged them to wear masks as much as possible. They even went as far as to not eat anything on the plane over here so that they could keep their masks on.
Given that they come from a country that has long abandoned mask wearing it was great to see that they’d adapted their behaviour.
My neighbor has finally gotten some form of soundproofing on our shared wall. I can still hear her movements, but the noise is much more muffled now. I’m no longer kept awake at night by the voice of her whiny, obnoxious boyfriend (who also happens to be the landlord).
And I can fart to my heart’s content.
Praising this subreddit.
Read through some old threads for resources/tips on how to do US taxes with a non-resident alien spouse, and got all the answers I was looking for. Completed my taxes online (US side) and am finally worry free. Resources online had conflicting information on how to file, this sub really helped me sort through it.
Also got a genuine compliment about my Japanese skill improving from my boss. While I can understand Japanese really well, I can’t speak it (combination of lack of practice and social anxiety ). I had a legitimate 5 minute conversation about art and wine with my boss on Wednesday , and after we finished , he came over to my desk an hour later to tell me how proud he was of my japanese skill improving. It honestly warmed my heart. Not a BS “nihongo jouzu!” but an actually “gradually your Japanese is improving and I’m happy/proud of you “ Thanks boss! And thank you JapanLife!
On the weekend (the last one) went and traveled a bit. Visited Shizuoka and Nagoya’s neighboring towns. Met many cool people and had several interesting conversations. Also went to a Jazz session and later to a club on the same day.
Met a girl who I though to be clearly out of my league, but she contacted me a few days later via a common friend on Line.
I’m flexing out of work at lunch. The weather is beautiful and we’re having people over tomorrow so I’ll spend the afternoon making the garden look nice for that. There will be some thin cut off olive branches from our trees after I’m done so I’m thinking I might pick up some flowers and make a simple arrangement.
My small Meyer lemon tree seems to have pulled through it’s first winter just fine and I can see new growth.
We’re having bbq for dinner tonight and I have a few bottles of Carlsberg that I got from a friend in the fridge.
Weather is pretty nice, besides the yellow dust! Going out drinking tomorrow night with some of the other ALTs in the nearby city for the first time in quite a while, should be fun. Had a pretty good interview last night, and am gearing up for a final interview with my #1 choice company this coming week!
I got accepted into the beginner sign language programme in my ward! Was so sure I was going to be rejected for being a foreigner and not native in Japanese.
I finally have nothing to write in yesterday’s complaints thread.
I went to Costco with my in-laws on Tuesday. Haven’t cooked at all this week thanks to all the ready made food they bought for us. Costco’s chicken quesadillas are really good.
so glad it’s friday and only half a shift left to go! 5 years in jobs with irregular hours and/or unpredictable overtime really helps me appreciate my boring but incredibly stable current job, lol
Went for a quick spot of lunch at Matsuya, was handed back 80 yen when picking up the tray because it turns out the combination I’d ordered was actually a cheaper lunch set (beats me why the ordering machine didn’t do that automatically in the first place mind you).
I went out for a bit of izakaya fare with a buddy to an area on the outskirts of Tokyo earlier this week. We were treated like ordinary customers and nobody spoke English to us. It was lovely.
Restarted my diet after several failed attempts to restart it (hopefully this time it doesn’t fail)
My macro-nutrients seem to add up to what I need – about 100g protein, about 50g fat and 50~150g carbs per day. But when I add up the calories, I’m at a pretty massive deficit – possibly because I am not really actively eating carbs, to keep my carbs more towards the 50g end. I’m probably eating about 900-1000 calories a day when most calculators tell me I should be eating around 1800, even when taking into account that I am trying to lose weight. Should I be concerned? I’m not really feeling overly hungry or tired during the day, either.
For reference I’m currently 30, a dude, 76kg, and 171cm and going to the gym 3-5 times a week
I had to make an annoying journey by train this week; which included transfers at 4 stations. On both the journey out and back I was on the exact car I needed for the escalator/exit that I needed at the next station.
Hadn’t even looked at the recommended train car on Google maps.
The satisfaction was immense.
Went to Lush and grabbed some of the Super Mario stuff. It’s all really cute. Also went to book off while in the area and saw many Nintendo switches with the 未使用 label. I’m pretty sure it’s all from scalpers that couldn’t sell. It’s so good to see scalpers suffer haha. Only complaint was the weeb tourists there that don’t understand personal hygiene 🤢
I reached my 365 day streak in Duolingo this week! Also found a limited item on Mercari for only slightly higher markup than MSRP (instead of 3x the price)
Someone ran after me because I dropped one yen and they wanted to return it to me. First time that happened, was nice.
Just resolved a conflict in the office by sitting down and actually talking about what both parties wanted and how we can work together to make everyone happy. Everyone was laughing at the end of the meeting and once they found common ground, they were confused as to why they disliked each other in the first place! So we’re gonna go out for drinks tonight.
Faith in the workplace culture here restored, albeit slightly.
Got my Steam Deck and I love it, delivery was pretty quick and just in time before my trip — gotta keep myself occupied in the plane.
Went and booked a flight back home for a couple weeks later this year. It’ll be a much needed vacation and most importantly, I’ll be able to see my family.
Found out I am pregnant 🤰
Got salary upgrade 💸
For the first time in a year, my schedule is stacked with fun things to do with old – and new! – friends. Things that genuinely interest me.
I signed up for an N2 course and did not feel dread.
I liked how I looked in the mirror this morning.
I missed this.
Went boxing after a two-week long depression rut. Still depressed, but slowly getting out of it
Praise to me for finally taking the leap and presenting my research to my lab in Japanese instead of in English like I usually do. I don’t think that went as well as I hoped but at least I crossed that bridge and I can only get better from here.
Downside is I’m doing that presentation in a month in English and more practice might have been good…
It’s been fun trying all these! Just found out family’s is 40g sugar so gonna quit that. Did a ton of SB. Tullys is expensive for good reason IMO but I’m not gonna do it again
Son started youchien this week, after slight hiccup of him having fever on the first day. Really proud of my wife and myself, to muster up the courage to enroll him in a Japanese kindergarten, both of us being foreigners. All our friends are sending their kids to international schools. We really want him to learn Japanese and be familiar with the culture. He seems happy too!
Maybe cliche, but for the first time after the birth of my daughter I truly had fun being a mother. Maybe because of the sunny and warm weather or maybe because she’s has started to sleep through the night but this week I genuinely enjoyed her.
Postpartum depression sucks.
Swam a pb 1km at the pool today and secured a final interview with the CEO of a company I’d like to work at! 😀
im trying not to let small things get me down. I got racially profiled at Uniqlo today. Im sorry but the store attendants dont just appear in every isle im in shouting irasshaimase for no reason and eyeing me down. Classic everyday of being South East Asian in Japan. However right after my Japanese acquaintances cheered me up with their positive vibes. I may be treated like shit here sometimes and it may get me down but I really want to shout out to my Japanese friends and aquaintances for being friends with my ugly brown ass. You guys are the light of my life in Japan and you all have really made me feel loved here and given me the best experiences of Japan. I tear up thinking of them because they all make my life easier here. I really love them .
why are people at my office so weird about the things they gaman over. sink in the break room that everyone uses was acting oddly, so I said something to general affairs, and someone came to fix it later that same day. speaker we use for online meetings was possibly broken, and even though my coworker knew it wasn’t always working correctly, he hadn’t said anything, so I went and spoke with general affairs right after. they checked and confirmed the issue and will be sending it out to get it fixed next week.
general affairs is so efficient at getting shit done if you just let them know, guys!! it’s okay to tell them that something is broken!!
so praise be to general affairs, who keep everything running smoothly as long as they know about it.
Since covid is mostly over I start to adventure more into city finding cool places to try. It feels refreshing to feel the joy of finding new cool place around the city that I always want to go but never get the chance to
Had a nice week of selling stuff on Mercari 🙂
Sold clothes and also managed to sell 4 Wi-Fi routers which I didn’t think I’d be able to move haha. It’s amazing what you can sell really!
Made it through the first week of the school year. It had some bumps but we made it. My kids are both doing okay in school and seem to like their new teachers/setting. I’d say it’s not a bad week overall.
Costco Pizza. It may not be the best, but it’s pretty darn good. I’m fat and happy now. Scored me some good cheddar cheese, jalapeños, and bacon. But who took the last of the salsa? I’ll find you.
Got my pension refund. I left Japan few years ago. Last year I moved back but the pension office asked me to pay for the period I was not in Japan. I paid for a few months because the deadline was close. Then I went to the pension office and got them agreed to pay me back.
I got better in sparring! I had a rematch with the first person that I sparred with and I out struck her and I can see her punches now.
48 comments
Going out for dinner with a bunch of semi-work-acquaintances that I’m not sure I’ll get along with, but it’s a praise because it’s at a restaurant I’ve never been to that apparently only operates on reservation? I’m excited to try somewhere new in my otherwise very food-limited location. It’ll also be a good opportunity to practice Japanese and make some connections
Got my visa extension this week. Got 5 years even though I asked for 3!
New house is great. New neighbors are all super nice and chill. Several of them have kids that go the same school or daycare as ours. We all live next to a big park so there are tons of new houses replacing old ones and families with young children moving in. Really the perfect place to raise kids.
Renting was good for mobility but glad to be done with it.
Finally found the right dosage of medicine concoction and made an appointment for surgery in August. I’m really grateful for my doctors and that I won’t be thrown into a debt abyss for decent healthcare here.
Also mandatory periodical KFC hot and crispy chicken. The new Garlic Hot Chicken is da bomb!!! Still annoyed that they won’t make hot & crispy chicken a regular menu tho…
I appreciate the Korean snack selection at 711 with authentic presentation, as in sometimes the package is completely in Korean with the Japanese content only being in the nutritional information on the back.
I’m alive with shelter and a job.
New English teacher is Japanese but knows her shit and we agree our uni’s shit curriculum needs to be fixed. I feel like I’m terrible at my job but at least I understand how things should be.
Seeing that Casual Fridays does not exist (and Premium Fridays didn’t really take off), I have decided to transition my “I forgot to shave” Fridays from occasional to default behaviour. This is a natural extension of my “I deplore work” Fridays, in which I would avidly promote and encourage sloth, if I could be bothered to.
Started picking up kanji practice again, and came to the conclusion that my kanji knowledge is way better than I expected. Maybe the time has come to try going up a step on the manga ladder towards some seinen stuff. Or even consider trying to play some good old fire emblem.
Another one: I didn’t realize how far projector technology had evolved. I bought a mini projector for my kids room (don’t want to put a big TV there for obvious reasons) and it’s freaking amazing. Tiny, great visual quality, decent speakers, makes ZERO noise, and even has an internal battery. Like I completely forgot it had a battery until I unplugged it from the wall and was confused that it stayed on. No idea how they fit all that into the size of a fist.
Best purchase I’ve made in a long while. The kids LOVE it.
Started my new job this week, so been busy with adjusting to that and training-related stuff. So far so good, but tomorrow will be my most stacked day. Also finally had some time to make more One Piece progress. I’m in Thriller Bark now!
Heard yesterday about the One Piece exhibition that will be at USJ this summer and if I catch up fast enough I wonder if I’ll at last be motivated to actually go to USJ.
Oshi no Ko was crazy. I don’t want to say anymore for fear of spoiling, but watch till the end of the first episode. Oh and the first episode is 1 hour 22 minutes. I walked in expecting a 22 minute first episode and sat through a feature film.
Truly appreciating the cherry blosoms. Its great to walk in a big park with a large Koi pond and bridges, stunning blossoms and no people whatsoever. This is only 80 minutes away from Tokyo too. What other hidden towns and villages could I go to to enjoy the hanami?
Managed to meal prep for the next few days. Bought a box of milk from a new brand that actually tastes good and isn’t expensive. Koikeya chili tomato potato chips actually taste good and tomatoey.
Also, people in my Japanese language class are funny!
I’ve been showing a couple of family members around Tokyo for the past couple of weeks and I’m pleased to see that they listened to me when I encouraged them to wear masks as much as possible. They even went as far as to not eat anything on the plane over here so that they could keep their masks on.
Given that they come from a country that has long abandoned mask wearing it was great to see that they’d adapted their behaviour.
My neighbor has finally gotten some form of soundproofing on our shared wall. I can still hear her movements, but the noise is much more muffled now. I’m no longer kept awake at night by the voice of her whiny, obnoxious boyfriend (who also happens to be the landlord).
And I can fart to my heart’s content.
Praising this subreddit.
Read through some old threads for resources/tips on how to do US taxes with a non-resident alien spouse, and got all the answers I was looking for. Completed my taxes online (US side) and am finally worry free. Resources online had conflicting information on how to file, this sub really helped me sort through it.
Also got a genuine compliment about my Japanese skill improving from my boss. While I can understand Japanese really well, I can’t speak it (combination of lack of practice and social anxiety ). I had a legitimate 5 minute conversation about art and wine with my boss on Wednesday , and after we finished , he came over to my desk an hour later to tell me how proud he was of my japanese skill improving. It honestly warmed my heart. Not a BS “nihongo jouzu!” but an actually “gradually your Japanese is improving and I’m happy/proud of you “
Thanks boss! And thank you JapanLife!
On the weekend (the last one) went and traveled a bit. Visited Shizuoka and Nagoya’s neighboring towns. Met many cool people and had several interesting conversations. Also went to a Jazz session and later to a club on the same day.
Met a girl who I though to be clearly out of my league, but she contacted me a few days later via a common friend on Line.
I’m flexing out of work at lunch. The weather is beautiful and we’re having people over tomorrow so I’ll spend the afternoon making the garden look nice for that. There will be some thin cut off olive branches from our trees after I’m done so I’m thinking I might pick up some flowers and make a simple arrangement.
My small Meyer lemon tree seems to have pulled through it’s first winter just fine and I can see new growth.
We’re having bbq for dinner tonight and I have a few bottles of Carlsberg that I got from a friend in the fridge.
Weather is pretty nice, besides the yellow dust! Going out drinking tomorrow night with some of the other ALTs in the nearby city for the first time in quite a while, should be fun. Had a pretty good interview last night, and am gearing up for a final interview with my #1 choice company this coming week!
I got accepted into the beginner sign language programme in my ward! Was so sure I was going to be rejected for being a foreigner and not native in Japanese.
I finally have nothing to write in yesterday’s complaints thread.
I went to Costco with my in-laws on Tuesday. Haven’t cooked at all this week thanks to all the ready made food they bought for us. Costco’s chicken quesadillas are really good.
so glad it’s friday and only half a shift left to go! 5 years in jobs with irregular hours and/or unpredictable overtime really helps me appreciate my boring but incredibly stable current job, lol
Went for a quick spot of lunch at Matsuya, was handed back 80 yen when picking up the tray because it turns out the combination I’d ordered was actually a cheaper lunch set (beats me why the ordering machine didn’t do that automatically in the first place mind you).
I went out for a bit of izakaya fare with a buddy to an area on the outskirts of Tokyo earlier this week. We were treated like ordinary customers and nobody spoke English to us. It was lovely.
Restarted my diet after several failed attempts to restart it (hopefully this time it doesn’t fail)
My macro-nutrients seem to add up to what I need – about 100g protein, about 50g fat and 50~150g carbs per day. But when I add up the calories, I’m at a pretty massive deficit – possibly because I am not really actively eating carbs, to keep my carbs more towards the 50g end. I’m probably eating about 900-1000 calories a day when most calculators tell me I should be eating around 1800, even when taking into account that I am trying to lose weight. Should I be concerned? I’m not really feeling overly hungry or tired during the day, either.
For reference I’m currently 30, a dude, 76kg, and 171cm and going to the gym 3-5 times a week
I had to make an annoying journey by train this week; which included transfers at 4 stations. On both the journey out and back I was on the exact car I needed for the escalator/exit that I needed at the next station.
Hadn’t even looked at the recommended train car on Google maps.
The satisfaction was immense.
Went to Lush and grabbed some of the Super Mario stuff. It’s all really cute. Also went to book off while in the area and saw many Nintendo switches with the 未使用 label. I’m pretty sure it’s all from scalpers that couldn’t sell. It’s so good to see scalpers suffer haha. Only complaint was the weeb tourists there that don’t understand personal hygiene 🤢
I reached my 365 day streak in Duolingo this week! Also found a limited item on Mercari for only slightly higher markup than MSRP (instead of 3x the price)
Someone ran after me because I dropped one yen and they wanted to return it to me. First time that happened, was nice.
Just resolved a conflict in the office by sitting down and actually talking about what both parties wanted and how we can work together to make everyone happy. Everyone was laughing at the end of the meeting and once they found common ground, they were confused as to why they disliked each other in the first place! So we’re gonna go out for drinks tonight.
Faith in the workplace culture here restored, albeit slightly.
Got my Steam Deck and I love it, delivery was pretty quick and just in time before my trip — gotta keep myself occupied in the plane.
Went and booked a flight back home for a couple weeks later this year. It’ll be a much needed vacation and most importantly, I’ll be able to see my family.
Found out I am pregnant 🤰
Got salary upgrade 💸
For the first time in a year, my schedule is stacked with fun things to do with old – and new! – friends. Things that genuinely interest me.
I signed up for an N2 course and did not feel dread.
I liked how I looked in the mirror this morning.
I missed this.
Went boxing after a two-week long depression rut. Still depressed, but slowly getting out of it
Praise to me for finally taking the leap and presenting my research to my lab in Japanese instead of in English like I usually do. I don’t think that went as well as I hoped but at least I crossed that bridge and I can only get better from here.
Downside is I’m doing that presentation in a month in English and more practice might have been good…
Matcha Lattes and Frappaccchinos
Starbucks: Latte / Frappuccino
Becks: Hot / Ice
Tullys: Macthalista
Family: Matcha Frappe
Various others
It’s been fun trying all these! Just found out family’s is 40g sugar so gonna quit that. Did a ton of SB. Tullys is expensive for good reason IMO but I’m not gonna do it again
Son started youchien this week, after slight hiccup of him having fever on the first day. Really proud of my wife and myself, to muster up the courage to enroll him in a Japanese kindergarten, both of us being foreigners. All our friends are sending their kids to international schools. We really want him to learn Japanese and be familiar with the culture. He seems happy too!
Maybe cliche, but for the first time after the birth of my daughter I truly had fun being a mother. Maybe because of the sunny and warm weather or maybe because she’s has started to sleep through the night but this week I genuinely enjoyed her.
Postpartum depression sucks.
Swam a pb 1km at the pool today and secured a final interview with the CEO of a company I’d like to work at! 😀
im trying not to let small things get me down. I got racially profiled at Uniqlo today. Im sorry but the store attendants dont just appear in every isle im in shouting irasshaimase for no reason and eyeing me down. Classic everyday of being South East Asian in Japan. However right after my Japanese acquaintances cheered me up with their positive vibes. I may be treated like shit here sometimes and it may get me down but I really want to shout out to my Japanese friends and aquaintances for being friends with my ugly brown ass. You guys are the light of my life in Japan and you all have really made me feel loved here and given me the best experiences of Japan. I tear up thinking of them because they all make my life easier here. I really love them .
why are people at my office so weird about the things they gaman over. sink in the break room that everyone uses was acting oddly, so I said something to general affairs, and someone came to fix it later that same day. speaker we use for online meetings was possibly broken, and even though my coworker knew it wasn’t always working correctly, he hadn’t said anything, so I went and spoke with general affairs right after. they checked and confirmed the issue and will be sending it out to get it fixed next week.
general affairs is so efficient at getting shit done if you just let them know, guys!! it’s okay to tell them that something is broken!!
so praise be to general affairs, who keep everything running smoothly as long as they know about it.
Since covid is mostly over I start to adventure more into city finding cool places to try. It feels refreshing to feel the joy of finding new cool place around the city that I always want to go but never get the chance to
Had a nice week of selling stuff on Mercari 🙂
Sold clothes and also managed to sell 4 Wi-Fi routers which I didn’t think I’d be able to move haha. It’s amazing what you can sell really!
Made it through the first week of the school year. It had some bumps but we made it. My kids are both doing okay in school and seem to like their new teachers/setting. I’d say it’s not a bad week overall.
Costco Pizza. It may not be the best, but it’s pretty darn good. I’m fat and happy now. Scored me some good cheddar cheese, jalapeños, and bacon. But who took the last of the salsa? I’ll find you.
Got my pension refund. I left Japan few years ago. Last year I moved back but the pension office asked me to pay for the period I was not in Japan. I paid for a few months because the deadline was close. Then I went to the pension office and got them agreed to pay me back.
I got better in sparring! I had a rematch with the first person that I sparred with and I out struck her and I can see her punches now.