Shoes

So I was walking with a friend of mine to their apartment from school and on the way we noticed that there was a pair of shoes just sitting by the road. It was as if someone had just taken them off and set them neatly on the sidewalk. Apparently my friend had seen them on the road shortly after we had all gotten here and settled in, but back then they were just strewn in the middle of the road as if they'd fallen out of a car or something. But now it looks as if someone actually picked them up off the road and set them neatly on the sidewalk so if whoever dropped them would just go back to where they were dropped and pick them up. A month later, they're still there waiting to be picked up. It's kinda sad really...

Speaking of shoes, my host family has provided me with 3 separate pairs of shoes. Two pairs are slippers, one pair for warm weather, and one pair for cold weather. Then I have another pair which always stay in the back garden. They're basically a wooden sole with a an arch of stiff cloth that you slip your foot into. I have to use these whenever I go into the garden to hang up my laundry. I was actually really surprised when I discovered that all of the shoes fit me!

And of course I can't wear the slippers into my room because it has tatami mats in it. And you also can't wear your shoes into the dojo (where I practice kendo). You can't even wear socks in the dojo. But speaking of the dojo the girls have lent me a uniform to wear, so I'll be getting that up soon!

But I will also try to get a picture of those shoes on the side of the road just for giggles.