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What I learnt in Japan while traveling with family of 7 and a baby stroller

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My family came to visit me in Tokyo from 1-5th September but I got very ill soon after... But I managed to recollect memories for this overdue post! What I learned: Baby stroller is called "baby car" in Japan. Meiji Shrine is difficult for elderly and baby strollers because of the long walk through the park and pebbles on the path. Elevators in train stations are very small. Gap between the train and platform can be very big. What my family learned: Toilets are always conveniently located inside the train station after entering the ticketing gates. Toilets are very clean and have bidets and water sounds to play with. No soap in many train station toilets. You can buy food inside train stations. People do not give up seats to elderly and toddlers in trains. Most train stations are not wheelchair friendly. Free newspapers everywhere. Beautiful wrapping. Many people were using plastic umbrellas and left them outside the shop. Nobody steals them. Safe to l

Gift-giving culture in Japan

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There's always a lot to eat after each school vacation!

Things to do before leaving Japan

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Terminating services and dying to pay them is never easy in Japan... but if you must leave, here is a detailed account of my experience: 1) Cancelling utilities (water, gas and electricity) They can come on your last day (only weekdays and half a Saturday) to tell you how much you owe them and pay cash on the spot. Otherwise you can also request them to deduct from your bank account if you had already setup automatic payment deduction. Gas will be stopped immediately but water and electricity will continue to run. ★Call 1-2 weeks ahead of time. 2) Selling off furniture Bulky trash, called "soudai gomi", is always troublesome to get rid off because you have to pay for their disposal. This includes bulky furniture and large futon. My friend's tip is to cut them up  or dismantle them into smaller pieces to reduce cost or free if you can squeeze into smaller bags. Alternatively, you can contact recycle shops like what I did to see if they can remove everything

Being frank

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That's why I offended people when I first came to Japan  (lll  ̄∀ ̄)  

Cleaners as a job

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Maybe because of the uniform and the company's effort to enhance their cleaners' image.

October 2013 Desktop Wallpaper for Download

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With calendar:  320×480 ,  1024×768 ,  1280×800 ,  1280×1024 ,  1440×900 ,  1920×1080 ,  2560×1440 Without calendar:  320×480 ,  1024×768 ,  1280×800 ,  1280×1024 ,  1440×900 ,  1920×1080 ,  2560×1440 October's theme is "Sports Day in Japan". Sports day is held every October in Japan for kids in kindergarten to high school. And btw, I'm on Smashing Magazine again!

Some things are just international

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Some things are international, even though it's dangerous. This is called 「あるきスマホ」in Japan, which means "walking smartphone". How about your country? これは世界的な共通点かなあ?

Some Japanese fashion for women

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I learned that anything can become a fashion in Japan with neat hairstyle and makeup! (Sorry no more Chinese/Japanese versions)

Clinic Opening Hours

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Luckily the clinic opposite me opens on alternate Saturday mornings... xxx Sorry I disappeared for a week to be with my family of 6 (elderly parents, 3 young siblings a 3-yr old nephew that kept on throwing tantrums). Must be the Thursday heavy downpour that caused me to begin symptoms of cold, because my feet remained soaked throughout the day. But I continued to go on a Sunflower day tour with a friend and well, I didn't expect the weather to turn cold... so I fell very ill during the trip. I became better on Saturday but my condition worsened the next day because my nose kept on producing deep yellow um..."substance", which made my throat even more painful and difficult to sleep. I had to see a doctor in the end orz... It will take me a while to catch up with everything, but thank you very much for your encouragement and support! ^^♥

How to do international communication

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