Domestic life is quite different living in a one-room apartment in the heart of Tokyo vs. a three-bedroom house in the U.S. starting with the square footage available. 都心のワンルームアパートとアメリカの3LDK+では自宅生活も大分変わってきます。とにかく広さが違いますよね？ Small space living means living with less stuff, but it’s also a lot less to clean and maintain. A larger home Read more…
Cleaning a house is no small task, regardless of where you live. Even selecting your cleaners is daunting when you see rows and rows of cleaners for toilets, glass-cleaners, shower scrubs, all-purpose cleaner and so on at the store. 世界のどこに住んでいようが自宅の掃除は生易しい仕事ではありません。洗剤１つとっても、トイレ用、ガラス用、お風呂用、何処でも使える万能洗剤など、お店に行けばズラリと並んでいて選ぶのが大変！ With Cheechan taking over and revamping the cleaning of her Read more…
As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. But how far should we take this? 「郷に入れば郷に従え」と言いますが、どの程度がいいバランスなのでしょう？ A common challenge for those of us in bicultural situations is finding the balance of adapting to the culture we’re in and staying true to who we are. It’s surprisingly Read more…
While sitting on a train in Japan, you’ll see most people have at least one bag, if not two or three bags. Even most men carry a bag or briefcase of some kind. 日本の電車に乗っていると、大抵の人が鞄を最低１つ、時には２つも３つも持っていることに気付きます。男性達でさえも何らかの鞄を持っているのです。 However, in the US, while most women carry a purse, you don’t see as many men Read more…
It’s no surprise that kitchens are a lot smaller in Japan than the U.S. Many appliances such as refrigerators and ovens are smaller too. Given the smaller real estate, you won’t often see full-size, built-in dishwashers. Instead, you find dish racks for drying, built-in grills for fish, rice cookers, and Read more…