Is it really February already?!

Looking at my schedule today, I realized the obvious.

It’s already February 2012!!

Fading daylight on Mt. Fuji a few days ago.

That means that I’ve been in Japan for more than six months!

Where has the time gone?

My life has been so full recently; work, travel, friends, etc. That’s where all the sand in my hourglass has shifted.

I haven’t had time to think, much less blog.

So, it’s my resolution not to neglect this blog anymore. To sort through my vacation pictures… I have more than 500 vacation pictures….

I think I’ll sleep on it first!

My street

This is my street at night!
It’s really Japanese, isn’t it?

A few of my co-workers are jealous of the location. There are many interesting shops around, and I can walk to the office.

My new washing machine

It’s taken me a couple of days to get used to my new apartment here in Shizuoka, Japan.
One of those culture-shock-inducing things was my washing machine.

My washer's control panel

Here’s everything on my washing machine translated into English.

It has a ‘dryer’, well not really. It’s a super-spinner to get as much water out of the clothes as possible before you hang them up to dry outside.

Some basics for any washer in Japanese:

• 入 = On
• 切 = Off
• スタート = Start
• 予約 = Program (Pre-set timer)
• コース = Course (Regular, Quick wash, Large item)
• 洗い = Wash
• すすぎ = Rinse
• 脱水 = Drain (Spin Dry)

Snapshots: Anna Belle Polaroid

I took this photo (and this one) with the app ShakeitPhoto.

Snapshots: Waiting by the window

A few seconds after this picture was taken, Anna Belle leaped at and grabbed the camera.
You can see the crazy look building in her face.

Anna looks very beautiful today!