A. Noyd @A_Noyd@octodon.social

The costly mistake of setting up a move during Golden Week (a series of holidays in #Japan) finally got me to change the calendar on my Mac and iPhone to display #Japanese holidays instead of US ones. I do not understand why Apple made it so unnecessarily complicated to do that, though.

It's sad that #Japan is losing so many small home businesses. Shops like that often repair the things they sell.

My friend thought she was going to have to replace the fancy umbrella she's had for 5 years, but got it fixed for the equivalent of a few bucks instead.

I really hope Homura wants a companion #cat. It would be nice if she could take out some of her boundless energy on a like-minded creature.

Today I discovered the special hell that is explaining #Japanese addresses over the phone.

Place names and building names here are a clusterfuck of antique obscurities and modern randomness wrapped up in a simultaneous combination of four different writing systems, all made worse by a ward and block system that cuts regions into smaller and smaller pieces rather than assigning addresses by street name and number.

I got approved for the new apartment! It's in a superb location and allows pets.

My excitement is somewhat tempered, though, by the thought of setting up a move in my second language. It's always been a daunting enough task in my native one.

Luckily I know a bit already since I helped a friend move a few months ago, and my realtor is amazingly helpful. He's getting a thank you gift even if it's not a Thing People Do here in #Japan.

Well, I officially have a #cat now. Someone contacted me confirming that the cat I picked up in February is a stray. Whoever they are, they had her spayed, but couldn't keep her. They're very happy I'm going to give her a home. Her name is #Homura .

２月に拾った猫を正式に飼うことになった。飼えないのに、避妊手術を施して解放した人からの連絡がきた。野良猫だったということを確認してくれた。私が飼うつもりと伝えたら、あの人がほっとして喜んだようです。猫を「ほむら」と名付けた。

#猫 #ねこ #ほむら

I just accidentally smacked my #cat in the face with the handle of her toy. Then apologized to her in #English. Then chided myself for speaking English to my #Japanese cat.

Because obviously she would have understood the apology if it had been in Japanese.

I'm trying to rent my own apartment here in #Japan. (Currently going through my employer.)

The realtor's contract states that I can't be part of a criminal gang. The agent laughed at my shocked reaction to that stipulation. She said it wasn't personal, just a standard part of the contract.

I considered joking that #American citizenship should probably count as a criminal gang affiliation these days. But I restrained myself in the end.

Me: Time to play some Monster Hunter World and get a few more weapons upgraded.

Pair of Glowing Eyes Deep Within the Storage Closet: Think again. It’s random-derangement-o’clock in #cat time. If you don’t play with me *right now*, I’ll go on a chaotic rampage through your tiny apartment with all the force my small, furry body can muster.

I went to a #historical building event/tour thing today and tried asking the guide why people in an earthquake-prone country like #Japan used to use such tall and thin candle holders (like the ones on display there) in houses made out of wood and paper (like the one we were in). He totally avoided answering the question. *sigh*

I translated an 80+ question survey today from #Japanese into #English for a student from the #Philippines.

I don't mind that the student's homeroom teacher asked me to translate it as a favor to her. I do mind that the major corporation behind the survey couldn't bother themselves to provide the damn thing in other languages for foreign students in the first place.

Too bad I can't bill them for my #translation.

Why does random-derangement-o'clock in #cat time have to happen so damn early in human time?

Apparently it's random-derangement-o'clock in #cat time. I now have a 10cm scratch down my forearm arm because my furry little houseguest was aiming for her toy ball and managed to miss it by over half a meter, landing on me instead.

There's still this #stray #cat living with me. The other day I gave her a small shred of the beef jerky I was eating without considering how much pepper it had on it.

She was eager to try it, but immediately spat it out. Then she started hitting it, as if to punish it for stinging her with its spice.

I've been studying #Japanese for over 20 years now (at various degrees of commitment). In the US I developed a habit of making ironic wisecracks to myself in Japanese when I didn't want to be understood.

Even after 3 years of living in #Japan, I still sometimes forget that I can't do that here.

At least I give people a laugh now and then.

Today was my last day for the year at one of my elementary schools. Or, if I'm not assigned there again, my last day there ever. (*sniffle*)

I got to make silly activities for the kids. The best was "Where is the restroom?" The kids split into teams. Members of each team took turns carrying a "poop" (a bottle cap) between their legs and, without using their hands, depositing it in their team's "toilet" (a box) at the other end of the room. Scandalous fun.

#teaching #Japan

Good thing for my school that I have a tiny bladder. If I hadn't had to pee in the middle of the graduation ceremony, no one with access to the supply room might have learned the women's restroom was dangerously low on toilet paper till it was too late.

#teaching #Japan

I swear, vets are the nicest people in #Japan.

I'm trying to reunite a stray #cat with its owner and having a tough time. Took the cat to the vet in the meantime to check for parasites, get leukemia & FIV (cat AIDS) tests, and an age estimate.

She had ear mites—now treated—but is otherwise in perfect health.

Because she's a stray, the vet gave me a 50% discount. FIFTY PERCENT. I mean, damn.

This morning was sure exciting. On my walk to the school where I work, a rollover car accident happened just around the corner.

Luckily no one seemed to be hurt much, and it was right in front of a police station. So I spent a bit of my morning helping the police get the victims out of the car. By sheer coincidence, my jr high's vice principal and the principal from the nearby ES where I also work were also there helping, and the victims were an ES student and his mother.

I'm glad I stuck with learning Japanese. Like most nerds, I started because of manga and anime. Now I use it for things I never could have imagined.

Today, for example, one of my junior high students wanted me to explain how Americans decide who is a white person and who is a black person.

While I still enjoy the nerdy things, it's great to be able to connect with people and help them make sense of the world.

#Japan #Japanese