Loading...

Mar 9, 2020

Share your good news from recently!

I think all of us are probably feeling a bit down/stressed/worried about the unknown that the current C word situation is bringing us! I am a firm believer in "if you can't see the joy, be the joy", so I want to hear all about the positive stuff in your life in the last few weeks! Doesn't matter how minor or trivial it seems...share away.

Living
1 12
Report as spam
genkidesu

genkidesu

Love to travel, interested in J-beauty products and consider myself a convenience store snack aficionado. Navigating the ever-present challenges of expat life, particularly about my TCK's (third culture kids).

Follow

12 Answers

Best Answer

  • BlueButterfly

    BlueButterfly

    on Mar 12

    Actually I´m using the situation to get many things at home done like cleaning up the whole house and getting rid of many stuff. It feels very good! Also I´m using the time to finish many sewing projects, which were laying way to long in the box. I´m very used to stay long time at home, since the winter in my home town is very dark and cold, which forces you to spend most of your time at home. On the other side my little boy will start soon to crawl around, which will keep me very busy then haha.

    1
  • BigfamJapan

    BigfamJapan

    on Mar 9

    Well... what I am grateful for this very second is that the younger two have piano right now and the older two are outside playing and I have FORTY FIVE minutes to myself... TO MYSELF!!!! Hahaha. Small mercies!

    1
  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Mar 9

    @Saitama that is definitely worth celebrating! Those moments of quiet are few and far between so I am going to celebrate vicariously through you!

    0
  • KamaT

    KamaT

    on Mar 9

    Well, the staggering of working hours these days means that I can get a seat on the train into work each morning. Yesterday I went to Takashimaya in Nihombashi on an errand and came away with a super moreish chocolate cake from Gramercy New York -- a bit of an indulgence at 500 yen (but I'm definitely going there again)! Watched a decent comedy special on Netflix by Athony Jeselnik -- dark humor but it made me chuckle. Finished a book -- Travels With Charlie (John Steinbeck) -- and started another good book -- People Who Eat Darkness (Richard Lloyd Parry) Leeds United have moved to the top of the Championship and look good for promotion to the Premier League next season. (Football talk, and I've got a soft spot for Leeds due to going to uni in the city.)

    1
  • ReishiiTravels

    ReishiiTravels

    on Mar 10

    First of all, I love this idea!! A few of the good things from recently: I was invited to perform my first dance solo at a performance!! It isn't until May, but I was informed about it two weeks ago!! I made cream puffs successfully! And I have plans to see my best friend from the States soon!!

    0
  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Mar 10

    @Tomuu always love a good choccy cake recommendation...and you know it's good if it sets you back 500 yen and still warrants a repeat trip! @ReishiiTravels I am catching up on blogs and just saw your cream puffs! They look amazing!!

    0
  • TonetoEdo

    TonetoEdo

    on Mar 13

    Working from home in my pjs with music on is great. Very near my house is a bird sanctuary. In the last few days, I’ve seen kingfishers, hawks, and heard uguisu calling.

    0
  • JapanRamen

    JapanRamen

    on Mar 17

    In midst of all this, I got a new job, one that I have been working hard towards!!! Going to move in April :D

    2
  • edthethe

    edthethe

    on Mar 23

    So I finally finished constructing my shed! I haven't started painting or trimmings but it is usable. that means i can move things out of the house and hopefully have some spring cleaning and gardening. There is so much terrible going on I am glad to be productive.

    0
  • ConeHead

    ConeHead

    on Apr 1

    I’m just excited that it’s warm enough so my family can go across the street to our ‘private’ park. I say private because no one else uses it and it’s right in front of the house. I take their tents and toys along with snacks and just stay until dust. I’m so thanks we can get out the house and enjoy the warmth of the sun.

    0
  • Kanuba

    Kanuba

    on Apr 7

    I got a new job at a sushi restaurant, even though I bare speak any Japanese. So I am very grateful that the manager is giving me a chance to work there, even if it still a little hard to communicate.

    0
  • Bella

    Bella

    on May 22

    I'm attending an online class. I was planning on going home to study, but because of COVID, the school I've been interested in has switched their classes to online. So, I was able to join the lessons even though I'm in Japan :) Also, I'm busy tending my garden and baking. Plus, my husband works home sometimes, so I spend more time with him and do some of our projects together.

    0

Awaiting More Answers

1 Answer

Japan's biggest oversells?

I mentioned in a Q&A recently that I went to a place several years ago called Minetopia Besshi in Ehime, which branded itself as Japan's Machu Picchu. It was a big oversell! BigFamJapan also mentioned that there's a place in Saitama branded as Japan's Cappadocia, which also might be a bit underwhelming for some! It doesn't have to be somewhere necessarily compared to another world famous spot, but have you found many places here that oversell themselves? I'm not often disappointed when I visit places here, so when I am it's probably all the more noticeable.

genkidesu

genkidesu

7 hours ago

2 Answers

Your favorite pottery type in Japan?

I have really gotten into all things pottery since living here, and I have a soft spot for both Kutani ware (the first pottery type I discovered here, and it's so vibrantly colored!) and Arita ware. ToneToEdo mentioned Tobe-yaki in recent Q&A about things we associate with Ehime, and it's a pottery type I didn't know much about beforehand. If you're into pottery here, do you have a favorite type?

genkidesu

genkidesu

on Feb 23

13 Answers

What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture?

Today, February 20th, is Ehime Prefecture Day. What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture, what is the very first thing that comes to mind when I say "Ehime Prefecture"!?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Feb 20

5 Answers

What's your favourite seasonal scent?

Japan's got so many scents of seasons. Which one do you like best? Are there any that turn you off? The photo is ロウバイ robai, wintersweet, spotted, and inhaled in suburban Chiba Prefecture.

TonetoEdo

TonetoEdo

on Feb 18

4 Answers

What do you most associate with Fukui Prefecture?

It is "Hometown Day" in Fukui Prefecture today. Whether you have been there or not, what do you most associate with Fukui Prefecture?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Feb 7

6 Answers

Living on Japanese time?

Do you eat with your family at a particular hour? My interactions with neighbours and friends suggest their dinner time is much later than mine. I tend to aim for 7 p.m. Tell us about your dinner hour and the constraints of your work hours, family schedule. Gratuitous pic of summer soba prepared by my Japanese ojisan neighbour.

TonetoEdo

TonetoEdo

on Feb 5

6 Answers

February joys

February is just around the corner. January brought New Year festivities, wintersweet, tulips, snow, dondoyaki and so much more. What are you looking forward to in February? Be it weather related, traditions, festivals, flowers, seasonal food etc.- what you are looking forward to this February.

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Jan 27

8 Answers

Do you have a favorite mascot?

The other day, on "Strawberry Day" I wrote about "Yoshimin", the strawberry mascot of Yoshimi. I thought it might be fun to introduce a few others, so I've just written about "Tokimo" the mascot of Kawagoe. And I plan to introduce a couple of my favorites. It begs the question, do you have a favorite mascot? And how about writing a post on City-cost about your favorite or a local mascot? Pictured "Umerin" who I plan to write about next!

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Jan 17

8 Answers

Who is your hero!?

Today, January 16th, is Hero Day. Who is your favorite hero, fictional or otherwise? The first one who comes to my mind for me is a real life person; Mary Robinson, a former president of Ireland (moreover, the first female president), and a former United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights, among other impressive roles. I had the great pleasure of meeting her in December, a dream come true. I was trying to think about who my favorite fictional hero is. I have not come to conclusion yet! There is such a choice. Do you have one?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Jan 16

4 Answers

Recommendations for next Christmas?

While its somewhat fresh in your mind, what gifts came into your house this Christmas and / or New Year, that you thought were really nice things to receive and / or really good buys, that you think might make a good present for someone else in the future? As you might see in the product reviews, I am going through some of the things I bought for the kids this year and thinking of what I was really happy with. And already thinking of next year!

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Jan 11

4 Answers

Growing Mushrooms

Here's for a weird hobby. I just saw a video by an American Youtuber that I plan to watch about growing shiitake mushrooms. From what I've seen, it probably needs a bit of space. There was a local market in Fukuoka Prefecture that had a "mushroom room" where they grew and sold mushrooms like maitake and eringi. I also saw a video of a couple in Paris that built a mushroom growing shower room! The local hardware store sells "seeded" logs and shiitake mushroom growing kits. I have seen the logs around people's homes on occasion. It seems like a very odd, but sustainable hobby. Has anyone tried it, or is anyone interested to try this? I wonder how involved or beginner friendly it is.

helloalissa

helloalissa

on Dec 29

2 Answers

Japanese Christmas songs

Do you like any Japanese Christmas songs? If so, what is your favorite Japanese Christmas song? Or maybe you like the Japanese version of a traditional Christmas carol?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Dec 19