House Hunting
Tokyo is mesmerizing. It truly is. I say this and I've only been here a couple of days.
But there's one problem which everybody already knows, or think he/she does, since theory lacks a sense of continuity with reality. That problem is named SPACE. And eventhough we all know how hard it's supposed to be to find a place to live in Tokyo, how small it's going to be, nothing can truly prepare the average westerner for what lays ahead, once we get here.
We are not used do sharing too much physical private space. The japanese are. But we are used to sharing emotional and mental space with one another, through relationship building and conversating, which the japanese aren't. So I believe it to be rather ironic that one of the countries in the world with the farther physical "intimacy distance", as defined by psychology, antropology and other social sciences, can also be one (or most likely THE one) with the smallest distances and privacy when it comes to housing.
It is almost customary to share your bathroom facilities with 4 to 5 other people who rent rooms in what we would call a rather small two person apartment in Europe.
And after these few days in the guesthouse I must say I most definitely was not cut out for this. I realised it almost as soon as I got here. So, and since I can't survive in a 9 square meter room with no closets at all, I decided to go house hunting. Just to find out that on a tight budget, in Tokyo that can be just as hard.
Still, I think I might have found it. I'll have to share the 50 square meter 2DK (two rooms and one dining/kitchen area) with either someone I don't know to well or (let's hope so) with a friend. But that beats the hell out of 9 square meters.
Let's hope for the best!
But there's one problem which everybody already knows, or think he/she does, since theory lacks a sense of continuity with reality. That problem is named SPACE. And eventhough we all know how hard it's supposed to be to find a place to live in Tokyo, how small it's going to be, nothing can truly prepare the average westerner for what lays ahead, once we get here.
We are not used do sharing too much physical private space. The japanese are. But we are used to sharing emotional and mental space with one another, through relationship building and conversating, which the japanese aren't. So I believe it to be rather ironic that one of the countries in the world with the farther physical "intimacy distance", as defined by psychology, antropology and other social sciences, can also be one (or most likely THE one) with the smallest distances and privacy when it comes to housing.
It is almost customary to share your bathroom facilities with 4 to 5 other people who rent rooms in what we would call a rather small two person apartment in Europe.
And after these few days in the guesthouse I must say I most definitely was not cut out for this. I realised it almost as soon as I got here. So, and since I can't survive in a 9 square meter room with no closets at all, I decided to go house hunting. Just to find out that on a tight budget, in Tokyo that can be just as hard.
Still, I think I might have found it. I'll have to share the 50 square meter 2DK (two rooms and one dining/kitchen area) with either someone I don't know to well or (let's hope so) with a friend. But that beats the hell out of 9 square meters.
Let's hope for the best!
4 comments:
Pikita, vais ver q vais encontrar alguém para dividir a casa:) N será um palacete mas tudo o q seja acima dos 10m2 é bem-vindo:)
Any news??
Did you find it?
Hope sooooooooo :))
Sinhó - English only!!
:PPP
Miss you Tamagoshi :)))))))))))))))))))))))
Hope you're having fun!!
olha agora, aqui a camone Jordão a mandar bitaites;) EM PORTUGUês É Q NOS ENTENDEMOS!;)
Camone?
What the F### is that??
Are you calling me names??
Hmmmmm!
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