Day Four - Ikea and Rubbish

So yesterday I moved into my new room.  It was a big day.  Left hostel, to Shinjuku to get collect keys, then back on subway to new house.  I arrive and discovered a lift after climbing the first set of stairs and thinking 'you have got to be serious, I am on the 6th Floor').  Unlocked door to room, but the last tenant was still there.  All packed up but waiting for the agents to do a final inspection. All I really wanted to do was unpack but I dumped my stuff and thought it was a good chance to get to ikea.  The previous tenant, an Australian guy (David) here for 2 months quickly showed me around the neighbourhood, where to get good bento, cheap beer, 99yen store...all the important things....

So I then head back to Shinjuku, change to Shibuya and get on the Toku Toyoko Line to Den-en-chofu station (only about 20mins from Shibuya) where Ikea run a shuttle bus to their store.  Al very easy but I just missed the 1pm bus so I had another hour to wait until the next bus arrived.  Went and got some lunch, First lot of bad sushi or pot-luck-sushi, had some weirdness in the middle that I could not identify and then had a wander around, it was just like a small village and I got back to the bus stop in plenty of time.

I don't really know how many times I can buy exactly the same thing at different ikeas around the world...

So it was pretty snappy shopping experience and as I am leaving I see the ikea bus about to drive off.  I didn't want to wait another hour, so I jumped on, just in time.  

Only to discover that this one is not going back to Den-en-chofu but it is going to Yokohama.  

Not such a big deal I thought, I get to see another part of Tokyo, and then I can just  get the train back to the city.  Not really a big deal, apart form the fact that Yokohama is not part of Tokyo, and I have to buy a crazy expensive ticket to get back.  So I buy a ticket for 480Y, but then have to but a second ticket because the trains are limited express, and that costs me another 840Y.  Ok whatever, I am tired and lugging around ikea shit and just want to unpack my new room and it is getting close to 5pm and I don't want to get stuck in that craziness.

Turns out I had to pay so much for the ticket because it is the crazy fast Shin-something super express train.  Well I suppose at least now I can say I have seen it, been on it, done.  AND, it was a smooth and fast ride to shinagawa.  Where I then head back to shinjuku, and back home.  Unpack all my things and feeling a little more settled now.

So glad not to be sharing a small room with 7 other girls.  I met one house mate Mimi, she is french, doing her phd here but have not met the other American guy (though I did get a warning from David so I will wait and see...)

At 7:30pm I head downstairs where there is a plethora of convenience stores and little cafes, so I pick one that David had recommended and chow down on a katsudon, I point to the picture and waitress says 'katsudon' and i say 'Hai' and then think to myself durr, of course it is the same words as back home. I guess I am more tired than I thought. 

Finishing dinner you would normally just throw the rubbish on one bin, maybe recycle a bottle.  Not here, at my new house there is five bins.  They are broken down into burnable / non-burnable and then that is broken down into plastic bottles (which must be rinsed, lids and labels taken off and then crushed), plastic containers and glass I think.  Anyways This was quite a feat to separate after dinner, chopstick and food in one, plastic container in another and then what to do with the plastic bag?  I put it in with plastic container and will double check tomorrow.  this apparently is the best way to make enemies of your neighbours so I want to get it right.

By 830pm I have crashed out and am lying in bed on my very hard mattress.  But at least it is mine.

Hint of the day: Always carry a map and check where you are going before you jump on.