エリックが津山に来て 約2ヶ月が過ぎました。 これまでのこちらでの印象を書いてもらいました。 なかでもゴミの分別にはとても手間取っているようです。 細かい分別が要求されるので、無理もありませんね。
It has been two months now since I left my home in California and I must say, I am very surprised at how comfortable in Tsuyama I feel. Because this is my first time living in a foreign country, I had no idea how I would feel at this point; Would I feel home-sick? Would I find Japanese culture confusing?
Each and every person I have met so far has been so incredibly nice, and I have grown to feel very welcomed and at home in Tsuyama. I really enjoy learning all about Japanese culture from the friends I have made so far. Although, I don’t think I will ever understand how the trash system here works. In California, we separate our newspapers, bottles, and aluminum cans the same as Japan; however, almost all of our trash goes in one giant bin. Each week we place our trash cans, along with our recyclables, next to the curb and the Waste Management Department drives by to pick it up.
I have been having a lot of difficulty understanding how the trash system in Tsuyama works, so a friend of mine explained it to me;
It’s very easy! You simply put the trash you can burn in the green bag and separate the plastic bottles from the plastic that is not recyclable after removing the labels and bottle caps and putting in the pink bag. Be sure to clean your trash before it is picked up, which is on Mondays. Unless, of course, it is the second to last Monday. In which case, items that are non-burnable or non-recyclable are placed in a clear bag the day before the green bags, which are picked up on the following Tuesday. See? It is easy!
Needless to say, there is still a lot I have to learn about life in Tsuyama. In the mean time, I think I will try to avoid dealing with any trash in my home by eating at Joyfull everyday!