The pluses and minuses of living in Japan

[sotoya]

Not much is going on here at the moment. The next big thing is our trip to Kyoto from the 14th to the 18th which is shaping up to be an amazing one. Until then (or until something interesting comes up), here's a list of the pluses and minuses of living here (fortunately there are more pluses than minuses ^_^). There are probably more, but that would surely be boring to read.

PLUSES:

Care packages

Tax free items in the NEX

Exorbitant amount of time with Kevin

Free-ish health care

I get to wear my rain boots more often

Being able to see Mt. Fuji on a clear day

Awesome Japanese TV dramas

Amazing food

Exorbitant amount of time with Kevin

Scooters everywhere

Lots of time to complete my list of "100 Romantic Comedies" (34/100 so far!)

Learning how to cook decent meals

Not being able to sleep in the starfish position

ASIC night is every night

Tax free items in the NEX

Finding almost every store has something super random and super cute

So many anime video games

No snow

Finally starting to feel like a grown-up

Ridiculous download speeds

Phones that put US phones to shame. SHAME!

Incredibly reliable public transit system

Respect from natives

Politeness and humbleness from natives

EXTREMELY safe and almost crime free

Anywhere you go, you'll find something beautiful

The monetary system

The amount of faces I can make on my cell phone

PASSMO card

Akihabara

Sending fun things home to friends

IKEA

Sweets/cakes shops

Adorable Japanese elementary/kindergarten/preschool children in their little Madeline hats (girls) and pilot's hats (boys)

Japanese school uniforms

MINUSES:

Can only get things from home in care packages

Still having to order things online because they're cheaper than buying them at the NEX

Kevin's duty days and eventual underway

Awful health care

I get to wear my rain boots more often because it rains more often

The smog that sits on the horizon when it isn't a clear day

Domestic violence heard coming from a neighbor's apartment

The postal service and items (care packages and a printer) getting lost in it

Language barrier

Relying on others for rides to and from the Commissary

Being away from family and friends

The time differences

Not being able to watch streaming TV online because I'm in the wrong country

Having to wait a day+ to watch things even though I'm a day ahead

So many anime video games in Japanese only

Americans not respecting the country they are living in

Too much time spent alone

Earthquakes

Volcanoes

Not being able to find a job in my field unless I speak native-level Japanese

Not being able to buy a pet and take it home

No Wegmans