The Zen is Gone

Our stuff arrived yesterday, 51 boxes of it. Though there was a lot of paper in those boxes. We even found tupperware lids wrapped individually in paper. A fair few things look a little scruffy having emerged from the basement flat into the bright Tokyo light, but its coming together pretty well. And Wayland and Decibel were so excited to see their beloved armchairs. It is a tradition in Japan to give a present to your new neighbors when you move in, and apologize for all the inconviences you have caused. This, it is widely recognised, 'helps prevent problems'. So after fretting for a week now, we finally presented our new neighbors with cookies. (We only opted to visit the neighbors on our floor, though it has been suggested it would be good to 'avoid problems' with the people living below us as well. ) Owain presented the cookies, and I did a lively re-enactment of all the possible noisy inconviences we may have caused, that probably did not wholly assure them that we are sane. Still, I feel so much better having fullfilled this expectation, I feel like only now, have we truly moved in. So liberating is this sense of entitlement the whole building might be getting cookies.