Left: The width of our apartment...complete with walk in wardrobe!
Right: One bed and a cupboard...Creatively turned into a second bed!
So, it’s a little small, but I just think convenient! The bathroom and kitchen is only 5 steps away from my bed!! And only a 5 minute walk from school, excellent Indian food, our friend’s Hawaiian café and a bus ride to the station!
The dreaded hill leading to Hirakata city
Where all the magic happens: Toriki, Karaoke and the 100yen Shop!
Japanese communities are so different to your typical Australian neighbourhoods! For example, our apartment is between a primary school, and a day care center. The day care center leaves their front gate open and the kids run up and down the street. They have teachers are with them of course, but it gives the impression of a much safer and trusting environment. Then there is the little things like the garbage sorting, millions of bikes you have to wade through to get yours out and all the little obaachans that come out at dusk to walk their mini pooches! I love this time of night, the streets are so peaceful and beautiful.I love being able to come home to my own place and relax. It has such a homely feeling as we have been able to decorate it and make it our own. Even if it is the size of my kitchen at home, it’s a great experience and it will make me appreciate the space that I do get when I return!
My Street at dusk
This is a nice overview of your life as an exchange student at Gaidai; as a former student myself I found it natsukashii and fun to read. But for one with limited experience and knowledge of the Gaidai experience I wonder what they can get out of it. You write well and can offer a lot. I think I would like to see you focus more on quality rather than quantity in these posts. You do well in describing your neighborhood in terms of your own interaction within the space. I might like to read more about how your Japanese neighbors are living in and using the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteNice pictures. Why is the hill picture black and white? Just curious... I like it a lot.
I took this photo last semester on that first kyoto trip you take to meet new students. it was the first time encountering the hill!! i found that setting on my camera and loved the grainyness off it i thought it captured winter well for some reason, it gives it some texture and contrast instead of just being black and white
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