If I'd only packed the cord...

I could show you all the pictures I've taken since summer began. And especially, I'd like to share my bathroom with you. It's so gross we brush our teeth at the kitchen sink. I use the mirror in my room to put my contacts in and brush my hair. I don't even get dressed in there. Our bathroom is only fit for toilet use and showering. Nothing else.

At first glance, it looks decent enough, but if perchance you sit in the tub (like I did the first day we got here) you'd see black slime covering the underside of the sink, the bottom of the toilet. First you wonder "it must be hardened nasties that would never come off." No, no. It's mold.

I spent an hour cleaning the nether regions of my bathroom. The design (or lack there of) creates all sorts of nooks and crannies and terrible circulation so that mold thrives. It's impossible to eliminate since the tub is not flush with the floor or the wall but creates a space where only small animals and molds can reach.

So far my remedies include scouring powder, keeping the door open at almost all times, and praying we don't get any airborne diseases caused by molds. My future plans include spraying down the whole bathroom with a bleach solution kind of like the way some people use shower cleaning spray.

I know this is not something most people obsess about, but since my mission, I've been a bit of a bathroom freak. I really don't care how messy the sink is, as long as there's no mold in the shower. This may be what breaks me here in Japan.

ps, for those familiar with Japan, we have a western style bathroom with toilet, sink, and tub all in one room (yuck!)