Our first night in our new home

We didn't have much stuff in our new home to start with. Imagine buying everything you think you'll need in the first few days, with the condition that it all fits into a Japanese minivan (after seeing these little vehicles all over the road here, you know the true origin of the word, "mini"van).

Our kids' room at the beginning

We had mattresses to sleep on because they sell very portable ones here. My hubby and I sleep on a foam mattress that folds into thirds, ostensibly to store daily in the futon closet in our bedroom. It doesn't fit there because we broke with tradition and bought a double sized mattress instead of something smaller.

The twin beds for the kids were the same tri-fold deal, but of a stiffer makeup. And we all had fitted sheets and duvet covers (top sheets are not an in-demand item here). I also remembered to buy towels and waste baskets, and Seyasan made sure we didn't forget the curtains. Beyond that, everything was either going to be delivered or something we would hopefully buy later.

At least our kids already knew what camping was like, so sleeping on the floor for them until their bunk-beds arrived was actually quite fun for them.

It was a few days before our large items were delivered, so we had no way to cook or refrigerate meals. Handily, there is a supermarket just an easy walk away that also boasts a mini food court, so we were pretty well off. Except for the complete lack of hot water. We were able to resolve that within a day or so, and then with the arrival of our dining set and other items, we were well on our way!