Accommodating Accommodations

Last night was the beginning of our house hunting. We saw two last night. From those two, I can tell you that we will be living like a king and queen here. Or emperor and empress. I think I like the sound of that better... Empress Kimono Karen. What I mean to tell you is that the houses are huge and beautiful!

Now comes the hard part of finding one that will meet both Kimono Hubby's needs (air conditioning, no big snakes, and air conditioning, Western toilet, air conditioning) and my own (Japanese style, one tatami room, shoji screens and lighting, kitchen with countertops higher than my knees, door frames that I can walk through without bowing down, garden with rock and shrubbery, lots of closet space, heat). We share the wants of Mt. Fuji or water views and two parking spaces (and what I have seen for parking would hardly be considered two at home but here it is... just park bumper on top of bumper and you will fit two anyway). Today I saw two more homes. One with amazing views of Mt. Fuji looming over the house but sadly with only one parking spot. I am crying inside to have to turn this place down because of that. Another house was beautiful inside but only mountain and city views from the window. Who cares that it was only one block to the beach?

Househunting is my job for however long it takes. I intend to complete this job within two weeks and plan on setting a record - Girl harrasses Japanese into giving her the house of her dreams in one week and they do so just to shut her up.

Everyone tells us to be patient and the right house will come along, but I don't think either one of us wants to spend the next month in the Lodge. We are even welcoming back the days of air matress living if we can just do it once again in our own home. So I am on the hunt. I have appointments all day today and will be making more shortly for the next three days. I will find the one that is made just for us.

Another thought is this... since we have a nice condo back home... would someone mind just shipping it to us? I'm sure the locals will let us put it wherever we want.