Great Bathroom Cleaner and Disinfectant in Japan

Scrubbing Bubbles! 

I discovered a great toilet/ bathtub/ kitchen cleaner. It's Scrubbing Bubbles made by SC Johnson.

The Scrubbing Bubbles Discovery:

I had a girls night one Friday evening. Because we can't be too noisy, we just decided to be messy. We played a card game and whoever lose will get some lipstick marks on her face. It was fun until we had to finally remove the lipstick on our faces. (No, we didn't use Scrubbing Bubbles on our face.) We scrubbed our faces clean leaving the stain on the host's bathroom sink. Ordinary soap and water can't completely clean out the sink. The host then handed us Scrubbing Bubbles! With just a few scrubs in a few minutes, her sink was shining clean. I was so amazed (since I'm a sucker for cleanliness) that I also bought my own Scrubbing Bubbles.

Small Europe in Japan: Nukumori no Mori, Hamamatsu

Nukumori no Mori, Hamamatsu

Tucked away in the quiet town of Waji, Hamamatsu are the small lovely shops of Nukumori no Mori. Nukumori no Mori means Forest of Warmth. 

I've been hearing about Nukumori no Mori from a few people but I haven't got the chance to see it until last Monday. Monday was a holiday, one of my friends was celebrating her 30th birthday and another friend wanted to test her driving skills, so off we go to Nukumori. The fine weather was a perfect backdrop for the fairytale-like structures which we're about to see. 

From Hamamatsu Station, it took 30 minutes by car to get to the place. There's free parking across the gentle slope leading to Nukumori. The entrance can easily be missed because there are no clear signs. On peak days, just follow the throngs of people. They're probably headed there. (That's what we did!)

From the road, we walked for about 5 minutes before we saw the small cluster of buildings. They look like they came out of the pages of a storybook. However, Nukumori no Mori is no forest. The whole area is not even that big. There are only 2 shops on the left- a leather purses shop and a sweet shop. On the right is a big house-like structure. It has a restaurant on the basement. On the ground floor are assorted items- figurines, pottery, jewelry, candles and some interesting trinkets. There's some handmade bags and dresses on the second floor.

Across the yard is a small cafe. Aside from coffee, they have cakes and bread. Only my friends bought some cakes and they said it tastes good. (When does a cake taste bad?) The yard itself is peppered with small tables and chairs which are great for a light snack.

It took us half an hour to sightsee, take some pictures and buy the cakes. The place was that small.

So should I recommend it? Only if you're heading in that direction or only if you have another place to visit within the area. Maybe if you're on your way to an onsen in Kanzanji. In our case, we headed further north to Kiga to eat lunch in an Italian place there. We only took this trip because we have the convenience of a car. Otherwise, I would say, it's not that worth it.

If you still want to visit, here`s Nukumori no Mori's website.
It has a guide map for those wanting to visit.

How to Teach in Japan

Tetsujin 48, Kobe

Are you getting ready to come to Japan and teach?

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Are you a new teacher in Japan and needs some help in finding your way?

Or, you're just plain curious how teaching is done in Japan?

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I wrote Jumping to Japan to help incoming Assistant Language Teachers (ALT). I've been a new ALT once so I understand the anxiety and confusion new ALT's may feel. Jumping to Japan covers topics of immediate concerns of prospective and new teachers such as:  what to do on the first day of school, what Japanese level should ALT's have to survive, how to prepare the first lessons, how to work with Japanese teachers and how to deal with Japanese students.

Its 20 pages are packed with the most essential information that could help new ALT's easily adapt  and understand the Japanese school system. It's short and sweet.

And what's more, this book is FREE! This is Purple Pen in Japan's second year offering. (Yes, this blog is on its 2nd year now! Thanks to the people who take time to read this blog, I'm inspired to keep this running.)

To get your copy just send an email to: fayevitz@gmail.com.
Copy and paste: Please send me a copy of Jumping to Japan. 
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May you find the information you need. Happy reading!