Well, it's been over a month since my last post - I've been very busy with work, and my house has been rather too cold to sit down and write on the computer! But last week, a friend of friend was throwing out her kotatsu, and my friend stopped her so that I could have it! She left it on my doorstep yesterday!
Now, the kotatsu is a very special kind of table. It looks like a low coffee table, and has a heater underneath. In winter, you set it up with a thin quilt under the tabletop, switch it on, put your legs under it, arrange the quilt over your lap, and only come out if you absolutely have to! Previously, I've only used them in friends' houses, but everyone says that it's very easy to forget all your household jobs when you're under the kotatsu... I've only set my new one up today and I can already see the draw of it! I'm very lucky with this one, it's got a few dings, scratches and white hot cup marks - but I think I can probably get rid of the white marks with a cloth and hot iron - it's fine anyway!
This page has some lovely drawings of cats under the kotatsu!
http://www.nilab.info/cheapjap/000149.html
I've also renewed my visa again. This involved two very early Monday starts into Tokyo to get to the immigration office in Shinagawa for between 8 and 8:30am when the queue starts to form. For the first visit I stayed in a Toyoko Inn overnight which made it a more relaxed start to the day. I've now got myself a Toyoko Inn loyalty card which has already paid for its 1500yen annual membership fee. It offers various benefits such as early check-in and one free night after ten, but the most useful benefit for me (having a Sunday/Monday weekend) is that it gives a 30% discount on Sundays and national holidays. Very useful! I see a few more evenings away coming on!
2 comments:
Thats really life saver gift. Today was much warmer outside than inside. I opening window to warm my room. Weird but true.
Mm, it does sound strange but I've done it myself so I know what you mean!
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