"I was born and raise in a small town called Taiping,
and now I am living in a city, which starts with T too;
they call it Tokyo."
they call it Tokyo."
random thoughts of the blogger
Old house in Inage (Point A), new house in Shinkoiwa (Point B) and soon-to-be working place in Akihabara (Point C).
I am now officially a resident of Tokyo, as I just moved in exactly one week ago. Technically, Tokyo has just been overtaken by Zurich at the top spot last month as the most expensive city in the world to live in; a position it has held on for more than two decades.
After sending out the one-ton elephant a few days earlier, what's left were some remaining stuff, which we brought along when we left Chiba and went to my new place in Shinkoiwa of Katsushika Ward, one of the 23 wards in Tokyo. Katsushika Ward lies on the north east of Tokyo metropolis and neighbours the cities of Matsudo of Chiba Prefecture, and Misato and Yashio of Saitama Prefecture.
In front of Nishi-Chiba Station (西千葉駅) with Kai Cung, before leaving Chiba for the new house.
Katsushika, a city which is full with waters and greens, at least that is what's written here lol!
My new house in Shinkoiwa is only five minutes on foot from the train station. It is a one-room studio apartment, which is just nice enough for a single person. Although I would have wished to have a more spacious room, especially the kitchen section, the rent will be more if I choose a bigger place. So, I guess this one is just about enough. Compared to my two previous houses, this one is by far the smallest in terms of floor area - only 14.46 square meters. That includes a mini-sized kitchen and a shower-cum-toilet.
Can't complain much-lah; everything here in Japan is mini-sized one. Besides, it is pretty new, as it was built just more than four years ago.
The neighbourhood basically is surrounded by houses, not shops and the main roads are a few blocks away; so it will be less noise, at night especially.
A back lane, which is a shortcut to my apartment. Full of plants, which I am sure my grandma and mom would love it a lot haha!
Precious Shinkoiwa (プレシャス新小岩). I know it sounds a bit corny but well, it is a "precious" place to live in lol!
Shinkoiwa 4-chome 10-13; that's part of my new address.
My unit's the one at the very end.
First thing to see when I opened my door was this surat cinta from the management company haha!
This is before my stuff arrive. Still very empty and clean.
The bathtub and shower are in the same place together with the toilet bowl. So, while showering, can pause a while and shit, then continue to shower.
Save time and efficiency to the highest level right haha wtf!
Kitchen and the space to place the washing machine.
Mr Electrican from NTT Higashi Nihon setting up the Internet for my unit.
Can't complain much-lah; everything here in Japan is mini-sized one. Besides, it is pretty new, as it was built just more than four years ago.
The neighbourhood basically is surrounded by houses, not shops and the main roads are a few blocks away; so it will be less noise, at night especially.
A back lane, which is a shortcut to my apartment. Full of plants, which I am sure my grandma and mom would love it a lot haha!
Precious Shinkoiwa (プレシャス新小岩). I know it sounds a bit corny but well, it is a "precious" place to live in lol!
Shinkoiwa 4-chome 10-13; that's part of my new address.
My unit's the one at the very end.
First thing to see when I opened my door was this surat cinta from the management company haha!
This is before my stuff arrive. Still very empty and clean.
The bathtub and shower are in the same place together with the toilet bowl. So, while showering, can pause a while and shit, then continue to shower.
Save time and efficiency to the highest level right haha wtf!
Kitchen and the space to place the washing machine.
Mr Electrican from NTT Higashi Nihon setting up the Internet for my unit.
On my first morning waking up in my new place, I was woken up not by the roosters, but guess what? Usually, in kampung, you have roosters to berkokok early in the morning as the alarm clock semulajadi right? But here in Tokyo, some stupid dogs was barking like nobody's business already since pagi-pagi buta. Damn noisy I tell you!
After a few days however, I think that dog must have gone somewhere. Just when I thought I will have a peace of mind from those unwanted natural alarms, now there is a black fat cat, which keeps meow-ing not only in the morning but at night as well. I have no idea whose cat was that, but he just loves to lepak along the lane behind my house =.=
The area around the South Exit (南口) of JR Shinkoiwa Station (新小岩駅).
You can perhaps learned some Arabian from Aladdin in Shinkoiwa haha wtf!
Lumiere Shopping Street (ルミエール商店街), is by far, gonna be one of my favourite spots here.
Had my first meal at my new place in a Thai restaurant - Mamita.
Green curry set meal. It was okay, but nothing extraordinary.
There was a shopping street which was right opposite of the train station, which stretches for about a few hundred meters long. Here, you can get almost everything you look for. A wide variety of food - not only Japanese food like the usual ones: ramen, takoyaki, 105-yen kaiten sushi, traditional cakes and snacks, but also Italians, Thai, etc. are abundant here. Other shops are pharmacy, 100 yen shop, bank, souvenir shop, optometrist, and many more.
Kesimpulannya, I just love this place!
The North Exit (北口) of Shinkoiwa Station.
The Ward Office of Katsushika Ward is located in Tateishi (立石).
Some statue greeting the visitors to the office. Not sure who's that, but I guess it must be someone famous in the past.
Of the few city and ward offices (Nagaoka and Inage) I've been to so far, this one is the biggest and it looks much newer as well.
Was given a text to make my life in this city easier lol! It has maps and guidance about the public amenities, library, what day to throw the rubbish,
phone number to call in case of emergency, etc.
The North Exit (北口) of Shinkoiwa Station.
The Ward Office of Katsushika Ward is located in Tateishi (立石).
Some statue greeting the visitors to the office. Not sure who's that, but I guess it must be someone famous in the past.
Of the few city and ward offices (Nagaoka and Inage) I've been to so far, this one is the biggest and it looks much newer as well.
Was given a text to make my life in this city easier lol! It has maps and guidance about the public amenities, library, what day to throw the rubbish,
phone number to call in case of emergency, etc.
On the next morning, I took a bus to Katsushika Ward Office to have my new address recorded on my alien card. Alien card is something like an identification card for foreigners (whom they refer us as aliens, hence the name "alien card") who lives in Japan. I guess they Japanese immigration people had finally realised that it was not appropriate to refer us as aliens; who doesn't feel offended when people call you "makhluk asing", that beginning July this year, a new system to replace the alien card will take place.
After my stuff at the Ward Office was completed, I asked Kai Cung out to have lunch together. Of so many eateries, he suggested the very same Thai restaurant I had my dinner the previous day lol!
Lunch set meal consisting of kapao rice, pathai, tom yam soup and salad.
It was only my second visit here, I think that restaurant lady must have recognised me that she offered me with a free glass of coffee. The chef saw me from the kitchen,
and he whispered to the waitress, asking her if I was the guy who ate here the night before, and she quickly nodded and "kap kap kap" him lol!
The stuff that bothers me a lot every time moving into a new place. Completing the forms to inform the water company the date I moved in.
Part of the booklets from TEPCO, the electricity company. Even their guide book looks so cute like mangas.
My first home-cooked meal at my new place. Kitchen still not functioning properly, so I just cooked some instant noodle with excessive carrots in a claypot haha wtf!
My seniors invited me out for lunch yesterday and as for now, there are five Malaysians who lives in this area - Sze Keat and his wife, my ex-senior from Nagaoka Kosen, Sean and Liew Qing. It was something like a reunion with the two of them after so many years haha!
Currently, I have more or less settled down with my stuff and everything but the place is still not ready to have visitors because it is still kinda, well, packed with stuff, including some of Kai Cung's stuff that he's now tumpang-ing here temporarily until he moves into his hostel. Once I have slowly discard those unwanted stuff and the place is ready to welcome visitors, then I shall have a simple house warming party.
Have to do make the house warming party as soon as possible before it gets really warm come summer haha!
