My journey began 8 years ago from an ordinary office worker who survived and relied my tummy on a bag of street food and a street restaurant next to my house almost every day. But one day, destiny led me to become a housewife in Japan. It was a decision to travel according to love that I had to throw away my career advancement and start my new humble family life abroad.
Living in a foreign country is not easy and it is not difficult. It may not be familiar but it is not difficult to start learning. From people whose Japanese language is zero, it is a challenge that I must face in order to survive. For me, at the beginning, I faced what’s called 'Culture Shock'. When seeing the price of products in my head, I always had to convert it back into Thai currency. During the first year of being in Japan, the Yen value was 36.75 baht per 100 yen. Thinking of this, I already and hilariously, almost never dare to buy things or spend at all. When going to the supermarket and seeing the price of vegetables I could barely pick them up to my basket. Not to mention about all the Thai seasoning which had the doubled price. It took me almost a year to adjust this mentality. I would say I lost some weight due to that.
But now, 8 years have passed. My life in Japan is getting more colorful. When I have become a 'writer' who writes articles on websites related to Japan and I have opened a small Facebook page named “Krobkrueng Japan”, presenting all stories about Japan whether it is about eating, traveling, shopping, daily life Lifestyle in Japan, culture, festivals, up to the news. From being my hobby that I do because of my passion, which at first, I didn't even think that there would be people following and reading them. Up until now, the page has been opened for over 2 years, with over two hundred and six thousand followers. If everyone has read until this paragraph and have not followed my page, then you are more than welcome to do so. (such a tie-in, right? LOL)
When it comes to becoming a writer, the fun begins because some of the things I write are based on our daily experience whether it's something I care about or what I think can benefit the public to read or even a new perspective on a different land from where we grew up. This also includes something about Japan and their ways of thinking which pay particular attention to the little things that we may sometimes overlook. But believe it or not, Japanese people think more than that, which aside from changing my life and perspective of living in Japan I believe that every story that I have written should be able to give the perspective of those who read to think and learn a new perspective as well.
I think the first thing that being a housewife in Japan that I should know and adapt to is 'littering' as Japan is considered a country that has one of the best waste management systems in the world. Regardless of what we will discard, we have to separate the garbage first. With some garbage, you will have to wash them thoroughly, dried, and then you can proceed to discard. At some point, I sometimes have a thought that these things that are discarded may not be called 'trash' because they are just as clean as new. To throw away the frying oil here, you must pour particular substance into the oil to solidify it, and then wrap the newspaper before disposing it with combustible waste. Because such procedure can help protect the environment.
In addition to the detailed separation of garbage, the waste should be disposed of on the day as well. Because each week, there will be a clear dumping schedule. The garbage truck will come to collect only on time. I know that separating waste is difficult at the beginning. But once we get used to it, everything is not as difficult as we were concerned at all .. If I could do it, everyone can do it!
Japanese people have been cultivated and disciplined since childhood for littering, therefore this habit always helps keep Japan clean, even without bins being placed on the streets much. If anyone has rubbish, they often collect and dispose them when they return home. I have observed Japanese people almost every age. When everyone leaves the house, there must be at least 1 bag for each person. (Some are more than that.), So, I also asked my Japanese friends what they were wearing in their pockets, the answer was that, “In addition to putting necessary items, they use their bags to put the rubbish and throw away at home.” ..This is probably a little attention that I myself could not think of either.
The most important thing is because the Japanese people realize that waste will return to the soil and water that is the origin of their food production. Some waste, when it gets into the natural cycle, it becomes a contaminated cycle that is harmful to humans and destroys the organic agriculture. Actually, if we all understand this cycle, it doesn't have to be only in Japan. If everyone all over the world understands, then there will be management processes that make the soil and water clean, leading to safe food consequently. Because at the end of the day, those are foods that we consume everyday.
Author
Uboltip Settasakko
TKLS The Sassy Saitama Lady / The owner of Krobkrueng Japan Page