Living la Vida Local (私の毎日の生活の写真)

I tried to create this post earlier last week, but Blogger was feeling cantankerous, and I couldn't get the photographs to post. This is attempt number two, and I've accumulated some more odd pics since I gathered the ones I was originally going to post. They will follow shortly...

First off, someone requested photos of my daily existence here in Arakawa, so here they are:



Here is my apartment building- not the most glorious-looking thing in the world, but it's not bad inside. The businesses on the first floor are both hair-styling studios (the one is called "myu myu" whatever that means). There are about 12 barber shops and styling salons within a one-kilometer radius of my house. As much as it seems like a direct contradiction of the laws of supply and demand, a new one opened right under me even as I was making jokes about the sheer number of extant hair salons. It will probably just remain a mystery...



Here are the stairs that I haul my lead-and-tungsten bike up every day.



Persimmon trees grow in abundance here in Arakawa, as well as in the surrounding countryside. I wasn't acquainted with persimmons prior to arriving in Japan, but they have an agreeable flavor and texture, which are difficult to describe if you haven't had one.



Behold, exotic Japan! This is a 7-11... The only difference between this and an American 7-11 is that this one has an ATM, a place where I can pay water and electric bills, and healthy pre-made refrigerated meals.



This one of two supermarkets (Japanese: su-pa-) where I shop for this that or the other thing. It's a little on the expensive side, but is generally well-stocked with a number of things that I thought I wouldn't be able to find here. I've also befriended the bakery workers who work here, and we have brief conversations every time I come in to buy a loaf of bread.



This is the local book store. I don't know if it's called "Book Star" because of a mistranslation, or simply a creative use of English. The line between the two is often indistinct anyhow... This store sports everything you could ever want, except for too many actual books. It has video games and systems for said games, videos, music, art supplies, a large supply of manga, and a smallish supply of books which actually contain predominantly text. Several commentators have expressed worries about Japan's decreasing interest in literary books in favor of manga and video games (although the average Japanese still reads more books per capita than people in most countries, the trend is on the decline).



This is a look at the train station platform- I took this photo waiting for a train to Niigata-shi. Nothing remarkable, perhaps, but there it is. I know I've mentioned this many times, but the trains are a great way to get around this country- relatively cheap and extremely punctual.



Here's the train bound for Niigata-shi. Hello train!



This is my chugakko, or junior high school. It is theoretically my base school, although I only actually spend 2 days out of my working week there. I have omitted pics of my other schools because once you've seen one Japanese government building, you've seen all of them. Concrete, squarish, etc.



This is our friendly local sports center (Japanese- supotsu senta: loanword? Perhaps...). For being located in a relatively small town, it
offers pretty much whatever you need- gymnasium, tatami room (for martial arts practice), weight/cardio room, running track, and a swimming pool in the building adjacent. The fact that the track only ever runs one direction, however, vexes me. Me, and my increasingly differently-sized leg muscles.

Additionally, I went on a bike ride out to the ocean yesterday, and I took some pictures. Arakawa is located conveniently close to the ocean (see map below),



so I can bike there whenever I want. Or almost whenever- my bike isn't exactly top of the line material, as I've mentioned, and the roads leading to the sea suddenly become more convoluted immediately before reaching it. It takes about 20-25 minutes out, and the same back, depending on the route. This particular ride, I went in the late afternoon/early evening- so here are some pics:





Not much more to comment on the ocean here. It's beautiful, of course, but beyond that...you know...there it is.

That's all he wrote for now- I'm completely whacked after a day at the Shogakko (as ever), so I'm going home to eat some spaghetti and a salad. Sorry for the long delay between posts!