「地のものを愛す」ことから始まる思考の整え方 日本人と言えば「コメ」。 海外に移住すると「外国のお米は臭い」「まずい」なんて話をよく聞くけれど、マレーシアに限って言えば、コメ自体はむしろ日本の米より全然美味しいと思ってる。 しかも鬼安い！（日本米の品種でも5kgで約1200円。デリバリー代込み） とは言っても、外食の白飯で「うーん？」ってなることはしょっちゅうだし、コンビニのおにぎりは米がパサパサすぎて正直無理。でも……我が家で炊く白飯はむっちゃ美味しい。 かなり味覚は敏感な方なので、「なんでこんなに日本の米と違うのか？」をなぜなぜなぜ子ちゃん発動で、徹底調査してみた👍 米が臭う原因と、我が家の「ニンニク無双」 調査の結果、米が臭く感じる原因はだいたいこの4つ。 ネットの対策には「お酢を入れる」「お酒を入れる」「レモンを入れる」とか書いてあるけれど、私はニンニク一択！！[…]

【Food】x Health (Developmental Gray Area) Verification Diary "How much can a person change with dietary improvements?" "What should I choose and how?" A "dietary improvement" how-to and its results from a mom with full-blown developmental issues and her son in the gray zone. 👍 Table of Contents - Grip strength 2kg!? Son's toddler years diagnosed in the gray zone - "Vague feelings" about special education classes and a fateful encounter - 【Demonstration】Test scores skyrocket!? Our family's strongest "brain training deck" - Our family's thorough "food hacks" and their effects [...]

The Japanese yen has become abnormally weak, and what I initially thought would be a "150,000 yen lifestyle" in Malaysia has somehow turned into a 200,000 yen lifestyle 😨 Well, it can't be helped. The other day, I was talking to a Korean mother and said, "It's tough because the Japanese yen is so weak!" and she replied, "It's tough for us too (Korea) because we're second cheapest!" and I felt like a strong comrade across borders (lol). Anyway, I like saving money, and I'm the type who doesn't have any weird pride or stupid pretensions, so I'm aggressively cutting costs even overseas (lol). When a snack vendor says, "Buy this for 20 RM (about 800 yen)~," I always haggle, saying, "That's too expensive! I'll buy it if it's 10 RM (about 400 yen)!" 👍 (It's a trick I can do because I know the market price). While being stingy, I'm proud of myself for constantly finding ways to contribute even a little to the local community. So, I, a super indoor person who basically stays home and doesn't want to go out except for the bare minimum (spending all our time playing games, programming, doing puzzles, and playing chess. Just going to the mall is exhausting), will reveal the real living expenses for the 10th month after moving! As a typical Asian, this post is just to brag about "how cheaply I managed to keep costs!" (lol). Real household budget for a parent and child [...]

“People who want to go abroad but can’t take the first step.” That was me. Even if someone said, “Just come already!”, I’d think, “Easier said than done…” or “I’ll think about it later…” and keep putting it off. A long time ago, when I went to Hawaii, I asked a local what to do with a baby bird that had fallen from its nest, and they told me to “step on it and kill it,” which gave me a pretty bad impression of overseas travel. I couldn’t take action because I thought, “I don’t have money, it’s a hassle, I don’t understand the language, it’s scary, so it’s impossible.” There were also plenty of practical problems. Now, right now, I’m in Malaysia. Have the “reasons I couldn’t go” from back then been resolved? Not at all (lol) Nothing has changed (lol) The problems I left behind in Japan are still piling up. Don’t have money? I left my husband and daughter in Japan, and it’s hard to keep up with things? My house is a mess, and I have to do a major cleaning every time I return, and I get sarcastic remarks (lol) But you know, I’m incredibly happy right now, and because I only go back occasionally, I can cherish my time with family and friends, and I can keep laughing. If you can share joy, it leads to choices and actions that look towards each person’s happy future. So, to those who are thinking, “Overseas… for various reasons,” I want to say, before you find reasons why you can’t do it, like “Easier said than done…”, just grab your passport and go on a trip! What about your husband? Let’s brainwash him. → It’s okay if he doesn’t go with you! Show him that life is fun without me (lol) Your child? Bring them along. → There are schools overseas with relaxed studies and attendance (lol) […]

Recently, a cat has been living in my house. Or rather, it’s just squatting here. Well, since it’s become a resident cat, other cats don’t come and poop anymore. Malaysia has a surprisingly tolerant national character towards cats. Islam itself has a culture (history) of considering dogs impure, so they adore cats very, very much. My area is completely separated into "residential areas" and "commercial areas" by block, but in the "commercial areas," there are usually cats in front of the shops. They feed the cats for each shop, and if they get injured, they take even stray cats to the vet. There are quite a few cats that come into the shops, climb onto chairs next to customers, and try to eat their food (lol). Most of them are stray cats, but you hardly ever see any that are skin and bones. They also have zero fear! And if a cat crosses the road, cars will stop (lol). Malaysia is such a country of cats. Buuuuuut!!! I’m a dog person… cats are too selfish! Yes, when two selfish beings clash, it doesn’t work out (lol). Even if you prepare food, they won’t come if they don’t feel like it, or no matter how much you teach them, they have no intention of learning. One moment they’re purring, the next they’re lashing out. And then they show you today’s spoils with sparkling eyes (lol). Yes. They’re exactly like me. As soon as you think, "This one seems okay," they’ll strain to poop right in front of you, and if their hidden poop is discovered, they’ll quickly and silently disappear, and even when scolded, they’ll look at you like, "Why is this person mad?" (lol). If they feel a little unwell, they’ll eat grass and then puke all over the place. They’ll sprawl out wherever they please, and even when scolded, they’ll rub, rub, rub, rub, rub, rub, rub, rub… It’s annoyinggggggggg!!!! Stop ittttttt!!!! you want to scream. I mean, they’re cute, right? But… an incident happened today, just like every day. [...]

Lately, the air conditioner has been repeatedly shutting down on its own. In this tropical region, not having air conditioning is a matter of life and death 😅 Single-family homes are directly exposed to the sun, so the concrete heats up. That's why it's really tough. They are built to face both the main street and the back alley, and if you open the windows, there's a decent airflow. Still, it's hot when it's hot (lol). So, I requested repairs from a local air conditioning company. To my surprise, it was completely fixed in 1 hour and 30 minutes of work!! Amazing! 👍 It cost 250 RM (10,000 yen) for a full breakdown cleaning of the indoor and outdoor units + diagnosis + repair. Plus, they carry all the parts, which is just divine. I was almost smitten by the mountain of parts and their skillful work. If they had been handsome older men, I would have fallen for them (lol). In Japan... just a breakdown cleaning alone costs 15,000 yen~. If you include cleaning and repair, the total would be at least 30,000-40,000 yen. Their kindness in saying, "Madam, please contact me anytime you're in trouble!" almost made me cry. Equipment technicians in Malaysia are truly amazing. In Japan, equipment technicians who can do everything are aging and scarce (and expensive). Here, young people teach other young people, and they can increase their market value through sheer effort. By the way, because the level of private DIY is high, equipment technicians specialize in their respective fields, and their technical skills are incredible. So, this is a story about how amazing the air conditioning company was. ...But that's not the main point! Today, I want to talk about "payment methods." This time, QR payment via smartphone or cash payment was possible. In "Malaysia," QR payment is basically the most versatile payment method. Even at a convenience store, hardly anyone pays with bills. Street food stalls and local taxis all use QR. In terms of user ratio, credit card payments are also quite low. Of course, cash is also versatile... but there's an unspoken rule, a tacit understanding. ...That is, "if it's not the exact amount, cash payment is not accepted." If it's not the exact amount, you'll be readily refused (lol). Especially if you try to pay with a 50 RM or 100 RM bill, you'll be refused even at convenience stores and supermarkets, regardless of whether they have change or not... They'll give you an unpleasant look and ask, "Don't you have small change? Don't you have QR?" If you become really friendly and they feel like it, they might give you change, saying, "Just this once! I'm really sorry!" (lol) This is just normal business in Malaysia. […]