That's a deep forrest!

So, for those of you who have been waiting, here is my blog about cleaning the kitchen in my apartment. I may have to add some more of this a bit later, seeing as how I'm dead tired.

Something strange has been happening lately; I haven't wanted to go to bed. Usually this is a sign that something is wrong in my life, but I promise you that I am doing pretty well overall. I really like my job and living here.

Anyway, because of my lack of sleep, I am happy to report that I only have to clean out the refrigerator and then the immediate kitchen is finished. I still have the attached sitting room to take care of, but that pales in comparison to what I discovered already.

Hmm. I am the seventh ALT in Nankan. And they all lived in this apartment. I know that because of what I found in the china hutch (that has an area that doubles as a pantry).  Many of the expiration dates were from 1992.  

I also found old bug traps (plus dead bugs) and old empty beer boxes on top of the china hutch.  I had a lot of extra or old cooking utensils.  At one point, I found a rusted out cheese slicer.  I put it on the table and said, "well I guess I'll have to buy a new one" and then moments later I picked up a new, perfectly good cheese slicer.  I have two blenders, six fry pans, four cheese graters, three coffee pots, three hot water insulated tea holders more pots than I can handle, a tortilla press, a garlic press, two tea kettles, and a tea set for 10.

I mean really, that's just nuts.

My kitchen table.  It is completely full of pots and pans.  In Japan there are recycling days and guidelines.  The dishes go out on  9-24 and the china goes out on 9-19.  Did I mention this was half way through the kitchen and I had piles on the floor too?

This was a used tin can of some kind.  It already started to decompose.

The can and one other just like it were so old that the lids would not come off.  I had to open the lid, but without a can opener.  I used a hammer to bang a screw driver in through the top.

If anyone ever said that spices can't go bad obviously didn't wait long enough.  I had to dig this out with a chop stick.

I have no idea what this was besides gross.

I believe this used to be some kind of jam.  Probably raspberry.  It did not smell good.  And since it was jam I had to put some of it down the drain and then clean up what wouldn't go down.  Yuck.

This used to be honey I believe.  It solidified and took a long time and a lot of hot water to get out of the bottle.  Originally the bottle was full.

Oh and Dad, in answer to your question earlier, "How do you get people to follow the recycling restrictions?"  You refuse to pick up their trash if they have something that needs to be recycled in it.  (trash goes in clear plastic bags with your name written on it and then if you have an item that should be recycled they put a note on it and leave the trash there.)

Good night!