Still no Tokyo

Hey, whoa, sorry about the lack of posts. But don't say I didn't warn you about January already. Actually, I started trying to sum up Tokyo, but it wasn't working very well (a lot of "and then we went here... and then we went here...") so I decided to instead just upload all my pictures instead. I have them all up online in a photo album (there are a lot, I should warn you) so I'm going to caption them and then post the link.

Meanwhile, things have gone back to normal this week. Teaching is getting easier and easier, I think I'm becoming better at it too. Ok, I know this is a relatively short update, so I'm going to launch a new segment of my blog before I go home to bed. It's called... ***Japan Topics***. ***Japan Topics*** will just describe the way things are in this country, one topic at a time, for things that don't fit into my day-to-day regular blogging segment.

***Japan Topics***
TOPIC #1: TOILETS

Since I'm rarely at home here and often on the move, I've had the thrilling opportunity to experience a vast number of washrooms. One way or another, toilets in Japan are hilarious. There are two main types.

The first one you may encounter is the Asian-style toilet. This is a disgusting, primative model that you'd probably not even recognize as a toilet back in Canada. It's built into the floor and is often surrounded by some kind of disgustingness. It has nowhere to sit, you're just supposed to somehow squat over it while you go about your business. I don't recommend it.

What I do recommend, however, is the other kind. For example, here in the internet cafe, I know that I can get up, walk into the bathroom and find the second type, which I will label the Toilet of the Future (trust me, they'll exist in your country in a few years). It looks like a regular Western-style toilet, but bigger and more gadgety (there's a little control board at the side). As you walk into the stall, the toilet senses you and the lid lifts up on its own. The control switchboard has various options, such as making the sound of rushing water (so that others can't hear you using the washroom). It also has functions to wash you afterwards, with varying types of spray and intensity. When you get up to leave, you really don't need to do anything. You just walk away, it flushes itself and closes the lid again. Oh, and the best part? Heated seats.

So walking into a public washroom stall in Japan, there's always a bit of excited anticipation as you wonder which extreme you're going to have to face. One thing is always for sure, though: it won't be a boring ride.