Fire Alarms

We moved into our newly renovated apartment just about a month ago.

In that time span, we've had FIVE fire alarms.

No joke.


What's even less funny is that in the past 24 hours, we've had THREE fire alarms. All for nothing. And it's snowing. And it's so windy that we're getting howls and whistles up here.

Oh yeah, that's the best part of all this "fun". Remember where we live? Let me remind you. This isn't our building, but it's built exactly the same way.



We're all the way up on the 8th floor, so every time the dang alarm goes off we're herded down the spiraling stairs like cattle and out into the windy, snowy parking lot where we all huddle in our cars until the Japanese firefighters give us the okay to go back into our warm apartments. Only to be herded down again. And again.

At this point, it's pretty clear there's a malfunction somewhere in the system. But since it's Friday night, nothing will likely be done until Monday morning. The whole building is unhappily anticipating meeting again and again throughout the weekend.

I was sharing with my husband just how much I've learned about our neighbors from all my fire alarm meet-ups. The previous two were during the afternoon, so it was mostly wives impatiently waiting in the cold. I know where most everyone came from in the states. I know one neighbor on the floor above us reaches for her iPad before her shoes or house keys in the rush of a fire alarm. I know which neighbors will come out cursing and which ones will quietly wait out the bugs and annoyances until they can get back inside. I know which wives don't know how to stand in respect during the Japanese and American national anthems (my husband and I were quite disgusted in this instance). The list goes on. He couldn't decide whether to laugh or curse.

Apparently he fits into that cursing group today.




On a happier note:
We went on some cultural tours this week around Misawa and a local city called Hachinohe, so I have some fun pictures and stories to share about some new experiences in Japan. My husband and I are bursting with information and ideas about where to go and what to see, which is exactly what we were looking for. I was floundering a bit with no one really telling us what to do and where to go, and especially how to get there, but this tour gave us some footing. Jeff has work this weekend, but we're already debating where to go exploring next weekend!

But first we have to get through the fire alarms!