We finally moved to our new apartment! Actually it’s two weeks earlier than planned, but we’ve been so eager that it felt like the day would never come.
The move was fun. We’ve accumulated a bit of stuff since coming to Japan, but we still managed to fit it all in one surprised taxi. The driver was very friendly and we chatted all the way. I think it was the longest conversation I’ve had so far in Japanese.
It feels weird being in this apartment. We bought all the furniture from the previous occupants, so it’s like we’re in someone else’s home. Everything already has its proper place, so unpacking is more difficult than usual. On the other hand, the apartment is lovely (including the furniture)!
I’m sure we’ll have a great time living here. The most notable improvement over our old place is the sound insulation. The guys above us were playing pretty loud music – we could hear it in the stairwell – but we couldn’t hear it at all with the door shut. I’ll have to re-learn how to walk without tip-toeing.
Yesterday (Sunday) was our one-year wedding anniversary. It doesn’t seem like such a long time! Sadly we had to work, but in the evening we took a stroll along the yodogawa. The shimmering neon of Umeda was really pretty.
Martin had been visiting us until two days ago, so for something different we ate at home – by candlelight, of course.
What better way to end the night than with a spot of Wii Tennis? Yet, even as we played together, I felt a bit guilty. I think I’m in love with her Mii! She has such a cute smirk.
We zipped over to Hiroshima for our last Japanese excursion with Martin. I hadn’t expected it to be light-hearted, but even so I wasn’t prepared for how moving it was. The lifeless A-bomb Dome is such a bold contrast from parks that surround it. The museum was very interesting; particularly the watches that stopped at the time of the explosion.
The city itself is fantastic. There are wide open parks, and grass (!), and throngs of people thoroughly enjoying cherry blossom season. We stopped under a cherry tree in the peace park for a picnic. We were amazed to find an unoccupied patch of grass, but later we realised that it was under the only tree by the river that wasn’t in full bloom. Still, it had one open flower, so I think it was legitimate ohanami. I got mildly sunburned on my neck. Just to bring the mood down, I wondered whether the rays came at the same angle as those from the bomb.
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I thoroughly recommend Hiroshima. Everyone (particularly those with power) should visit it.
Still, life goes on, eh? After months of searching, I finally found a Nintendo Wii while we were there. At the time, I felt as though I should feel dirty for buying it. Now I think that’s silly. It’s a lot of fun.