Japanese service

I am clearing the snow on the steps of our apartment.

The sound of engine tells me that someone is here, and glancing up I see that it's the postman delivering letters to the downstairs apartment.

He then comes up the stairs I am in the process of clearing.

Is he going to us or the neighbour next door...I think idly to myself as I continue to throw snow from the stairs over the railing to the snow pile below.

He is right outside our door. Ah he will be down in a second. It doesn't take more time than that to slip a couple of letters through the slot in the door. So I am surprised when after a minute or so, he is still not coming down the stairs.

This time I look up and watch more closely. His finger is on our bell. I start to call out to him but Stanley has come to the door.

10 seconds later, the postman is down the stairs and gone.

Registered mail? Parcel delivery? What was that? I ask.

O no, just ordinary mail. Stanley replies. He just wanted to confirm that we are the right recipients since he has never delivered a mail with this name to this address before.

No wonder Japanese service ranks no. 1 in the world.

Of Snow

Even from Singapore, we heard news that Japan is having very little snow over the past winter.

"It hasn't snowed at all!" Everyone told us. Most are grateful for the relatively snow-free winter but some are concerned about what the environment is trying to tell us.

But 2 days after we arrive in Sapporo, it started to snow.

At first only slightly, then heavily and then even all day long for a couple of days.

People started clearing snow again.

Even Tokyo had its first snow this winter - in March, when everyone there is already celebrating the coming of Spring!

We were told it's all our fault, we brought the snow with us from.....Tropical Singapore!

chopping up garlic in winter?

It wasn't quite such a sudden switch from 31 degree C in tropical Singapore to sub-zero in Sapporo in Japan.

After all, we drove up from Narita Airport in the south, so had time to slowly get cold in the car...

And even in Sapporo, the temperature only dropped to below freezing on our third day there.

It was the dryness in the air that got us more. Despite almost drowning in moisturizer, our fingers are still cracking up like desert ground. Long deep lines of flesh peak from beneath the white dry skin. It's painful to wash one's hand or hold an apple, let alone chop up the garlic....

But it's great to be in Japan. Especially when Japanese friends say "Welcome back!"

Yes, we are happy, despite the dry skin and cracks in the fingers!