This Week - Settling In.

This week, I've been...

.....eating a lot, as always

BBQ place near KitaSendai station. Yes, they are beer crates as seats.

It was REALLY tasty though :)

Who says you can't cook Mexican food in Japan? Homemade tortillas and salsa, spice mix from home and sour cream (expensively but so worth it) from the import food shop. Mmm.

...been cold. So very very cold. I wish Japan would discover central heating. Or double glazing. Or some kind of insulation anyway. I don't like waking up to a room that's 5degrees and takes half an hour or more to get above 10. Brrrrrrrrrrrr.

....been being a tourist

Christmas decorations at Sendai station, care of Suica (like an Oyster card!)

Entrance to Sendai castle site

View from the top. The massive Buddha (which apparently you can go to the top of) is next on my list of places to visit in Sendai!

I can see the sea!

Us with Date Masamune, founder of Sendai.

We confused a group of ladies out a lot when we asked them to take this photo. They found it very funny!

....enjoying the snow

Our apartment is just up beyond the last houses you can see.

But our mountains look very pretty!

....meeting people, slowly. Unfortunately most of the people we've met are either leaving soon, or only visiting. We have met a few other teachers though, and we've had some lovely chats with the Kumi, who sold us our phones, and another girl who works at the international centre! I think making friends is going to take some time!

Me, John and Amy with a random guy we accosted when we were lost for a bar to go to!

James (visiting), random waiter who we love because he gave us free sushi (see above), Amy and another teacher from Yamagata.

...actually doing some work! I have taught my first few classes this week (8 to be precise) ranging in age from 3 to 14. They were really varied, some 100% mental, some really REALLY cute, some tired and some really very bright. I had a good first week. My favourite class were the youngest ones, 8 3-4 year olds. So so cute. Not sure that we did a lot of work but we had fun and at that age just me speaking English at them has to help! 

....shopping. I love shopping in Japan. Huge, exciting craft departments, fantastic stuff in the 100yen shops (both in a genuine and sarcastic way), so much random 'only in Japan' rubbish everywhere, so many pretty clothes.

John bought some nice snuggly slippers

Yes, these are all dog outfits. Dad, this is just for you. Should I send one to Lily Rose for Christmas?!?

A truly edible (or at least pretending to be) gingerbread house in a department store in Sendai

Clis Road, a big shopping arcade in Sendai. And up there in the colourful pyramid? An organist, obviously. The Japanese people looked very confused too.

I do not know why you would need disposable pants. And I certainly don't think they would help you reach any sort of passion. But it all could be yours for 100yen (85p). I love 100yen shops. 

A large selection of heated toilet seats. I thought they were ridiculous too but I have totally come around to the idea. It's lovely not to have to sit down on a freezing seat when you need a wee. Unfortunately we don't have one in our apartment.

Overall, we've just been starting to make Sendai feel like home. We've got internet in our apartment, we don't get lost everytime we try to go anywhere, we're set up with volunteer Japanese tutors for January, we're starting to meet people (slowly). All in all, things are settling in well.