Finally, Photos!

Well, for the past two weeks I've thought that I wouldn't be able to upload photos, as I left my camera cable back in the States. A few days ago I realized that my laptop has an SD card slot so I don't need a cable at all! I really didn't take any pictures of Narita (Tokyo), but I've been snapping quite a few since my arrival in Niigata, so I'll go ahead and post a few here of the area as well as my apartment.


The first glimpse of mountains was from the train heading north, about 45 minutes in. After emerging from one of the tunnels, it was soon apparent that we were in the midst of the Japan Alps.








This is the outside of my apartment building. My door is just to the right, almost in the shot.




On my third day in Niigata, it snowed quite a bit. It alternated between rain and snow for most of the day until the sun went down, and then there were just flakes.




Tuesday morning, I woke up, stuck my head out my window, and took this shot.





Despite the frigidity of the first few days, spring has been quite eager to break through and it's warmed considerably since.




Of course, being the Floridian that I am, I felt obligated to build a little friend for my doorstep. Plus, it's nice not to come home to an empty apartment even if only for a day or two. :)



So, for those of you who've been wondering about the inside of my apartment, this is what it looks like if you're standing at my front door. Just past the fridge on the left is a small hallway as well, if you could call it that.



This is the area just to the left of the fridge. The toilet is straight ahead, the washing machine is to the left, and the shower and sink are to the right.



The toilet, in its own little room, true to Japanese custom. Note the lack of heated toilet seat. I can't even express how dismayed I am about this, especially considering how cold it was when I arrived.



The shower room. This is also typically Japanese--the shower/tub has its own room, and you shut the door while showering to keep the water from getting all over the apartment/house. It's also not uncommon to sit while showering, and to only keep the water on when you need it (i.e. not while shampooing, soaping up, etc.) as it saves water. The nice thing about the shower being in a small room with the door closed is that the heat stays in as well and the room warms up very quickly, which is a good thing on cold days.



This is my kitchen. Note the expansive counter space. I can't really complain though; at least I've got shelving!



This was taken squeezed into the corner of my room facing the door to the front hallway to give you an idea of how big my room is. My closet is to the right, the window is behind me, and other than that, that's pretty much my whole apartment. To be honest though, it's a lot bigger than I thought it would be, and I really don't need it any bigger than this since I don't have very much stuff. There's lots of storage space (under the bed, inside the steps, above the bed and above the TV) and I'm not even using most of it yet. And if friends come visit and stay the night, the table folds down to create more floor space for futon.




So there you have it! This is what I wake up to every morning and go to sleep to every night and it's starting to feel like home already.

I also wanted to let you all know that if there's anything in particular you're curious about or want more pictures of or want me to explain further, please feel free to leave me comments here or email me! I love being here in Japan and I'm more than happy to talk about it but I'm sure it's more interesting for all of you if you're hearing about things that interest you as well!

As always, thanks for reading! See you soon!