Home Internet Has Arrived!

Last night I decided to do an experiment and bake a cake in my rice cooker! I chose a recipe for carrot cake. I bought all the ingredients, with some help from the grocery store staff. But once I got home I realized I didn't have a grater for the carrots! Undeterred, I decided to try boiling the carrots and mashing them instead. It managed to work alright, even though it took forever and even though I had to use a rice scoop instead of a masher. I followed the recipe exactly, but once it was all mixed together it looked a bit wet, so I added a little more flour. I didn't want to doubt it, though, so I poured the batter into my rice cooker, pressed cook, and hoped for the best.

To my surprise, after two cook cycles, I had a cake! It was so light and spongey...and promptly fell and became a moist, dense cake. It was tasty, though! It actually tasted more of orange (from the zest) than carrot. My confidence has been bolstered by this attempt, so next maybe I'll try a chocolate cake! Flour and sugar and pretty expensive here, though. It was like $4 just for 2 cups of icing sugar!

Today I had my second day of work, at the JHS again. I walked in the rain this morning, passing several groups of students on the way. There was another omiyage treat on my desk this morning. I spent the morning chatting with my JTEs and working on my power point some more. I get along with them pretty well, and I'm so thankful for that! I suppose I've yet to see how it goes in the classroom, though. One of my JTEs, M-san, is the same age as me, so that's great!

I was told I could go home around 9 or 10am again. One of the office ladies brought me a slice of baumkuchen, which is really popular here! It is super delicious, but also expensive. Around lunchtime I decided to go home, since internet construction was today and Justin felt uneasy without me home. It had also stopped raining, so I figured I should take my chance.

The internet construction was long. They had to hook up the fibre, run the cable all around the ceilings and walls, and hook up a phone line. Our phone is awesome - it is touch screen, has a webcam/mic, and has free calling to anywhere in Chizu! We don't know our number though...Once the construction was done, a man from the BOE helped us set up the internet itself, which took forever because there was a set-up CD which refused to work on Justin's computer because it wasn't Japanese (mine doesn't have a drive). So he had to go and get his computer and bring it to our apartment. But he got it done! And set up wireless too! It was so great. We are supposed to have another internet appointment at our apartment on Monday, but I'm not sure why, since everything is set up already.

I also got my health card and pension book and finally paid the deposit on the apartment. Still waiting on the health cards for Justin and Yana. I also haven't signed my contract yet!