differently

so... wad are the things that i do differently here..?

ironing
the same thing about ironing is... i still HATE to iron...

here... i sit on the floor and do my ironing... was not too used to it initially... so we put the ironing board on the table when we iron...

the ironing board here is designed for use on the floor... it's not even as long as the ones we have back in singapore... it's about half the length... so u can imagine my frustration when i iron pants...

but since... i have adapted to this new style of ironing... jus that i get pins and needles in my legs... each time i finish ironing...

handkerchiefs
think tissue paper... jus that ppl here use handkerchiefs...

when packing for the gals' outing... there was a given lis of things to bring for the trip... among the many... there were at least 3 different types of towels/handkerchiefs that they needed to bring...

one for wiping perspiration...
another for cleaning your after lunch...
yet another for drying your hands after washing them...

socks
hardly anyone here is without a sock... or a socking... or a legging... or tights...

this i have grown to love... =)
cos it's so comfortable..!

they have so many designs... i simply love the lacy ones that jus cover your toes... and are not seen after putting on your shoes..!

i tried getting such back at home... but they were all so disappointing... either too thick... or the heel always slips down after 10 steps...

ppl here are spoilt for choices here... and they dun really care if their socks or stockings show... i had thought it looked kinda weird with their socks showing... but some ppl here really do it quite nicely...

packing your own groceries
at the check-out... your groceries from your shopping basket... is taken out... item by item for scanning... and then they are placed neatly into another shopping basket... the cashier then places the required carrier bags on top of the groceries... smiles and says thank you...

then you carry that basket to a table-top nearby... and start your own packing...

at the packing station... you will notice a damp cloth... for those who find it difficult to open the carrier bags with their dry fingertips... there is a pair of scissors... plastic bags... strings... a dustbin...

i've seen ppl emptying their styrofoam trays of meats into the plastic bags provided... and discarding the trays in the dustbin... guess this is because of their disposal system here... which i will tell you more later...

after packing... ppl will return the shopping basket... though many ppl use the stations... i have never seen a dirty station in any store...

disposal system
the question that the gals kept asking since we came here was...
'is this plastic..? or paper..?'

there are no rubbish chutes here... not private ones... nor shared ones... nothing... jus a designated area...

we are to separate combustibles from non-combustibles... and we are to dispose of different types of waste at different days of the week... different places have a different schedule...

here in naka-megura...

every tuesday and friday... we get to throw food waste... combustibles... i usually look forward to tuesday... cos i will have 3 days of food waste in my house...! pee-yeeew..!

only thursdays are for non-combustibles... like cans... aluminium... pet bottles... plastic containers for food... cling wrap... i really cant wait for thursdays to come... cos there really is a lot of non-combustibles to throw..! so i have to rinse everything... especially meat trays and sauce packaging before discarding them... and they are so bulky... we usually have at least 4 plastic bags full of these to throw on thursday...

the 1st and 3rd saturdays... are for things made of metals... like scissors... and glass...

and if you wanna discard batteries... you'd have to bring them to a store that collects them...

many... many more differences...
that's wad's making this journey so interesting..! =)