Clothing Swap in Tokyo
Women usually love what they buy, yet hate two-thirds of what is in their closets.
It's time for a change! Clean out your closets, under your bed, in the spare room, dump out the handbags and start spring afresh with a new look.
Who: You, your friends, and a gaggle of fun girls whom you haven't met yet
What: A swap! Bring your clothes (maternity wear, handbags, ballgowns, fur coats - it's all welcome) You can gently place it on the piles and then tear into the fashion, taking as much as you like.
When: Sunday, April 27th from 2-5 PM
Where: Pink Cow, Shibuya (it's in the basement)
How much: 2500 yen, including one drink ticket
Why: The surplus money raised from the event goes to Habitat for Humanity. The remaining clothing is donated to the Salvation Army. To date, the swaps have generated over 400 bags of clothing in the 4 years that they have been running. You get to meet fun women, new clothes, cocktails, gossip and more!
A few points to remember: Please, no footwear - it has proved to be too difficult to swap. However, if you have a magazine addiction like myself, I am welcoming all magazines for swapping! No books, thank you, but any glossy mag is bound to find a new home.
Above all, remember: Never wear anything that panics the cat.
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Come to the Festival and Support Zaya!
I hope many of you got a chance to read the latest issue of the Alien Times and read the article on Zaya, an international student from Mongolia who needs your help.
The supporters of Zaya are selling Mongolian meals at the Mongolian booth during まつりつくば(Matsuri Tsukuba or Tsukuba Festival). All the proceeds from the sale will go to the Save Zaya Fund. They are also collecting donations at the booth, but they have a long way to go before they raise the 30 million yen. Their booth is located in front of the Expo Center's planetarium, and they'll be there until the end of the festival tomorrow. If you are planning to go to Matsuri Tsukuba tomorrow, please stop by at their booth and support Zaya!
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Days with Fives and Zeros
I figure that unless I am being held hostage as part of a bank heist, I should never have to spend more than 15 minutes in a bank. However, today, despite the noticeable lack of masked hoodlums in my local branch, I spent over one hour trying to get my bankbooks updated.
When I complained about this to one of my colleagues, she said:
五十日だからじゃない？
ごとおび だから じゃない？
gotoobi dakara ja nai
It's probably because today is a day that has a five or a zero in it.
To which I said, "huh?".
It seems that the days that end in zeros and fives (5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 30th) tend to make for good deadlines for a variety of things, and payments in particular. This means that banks and, since people need to get to banks, roads tend to be busier on these days than the other days, and the earlier in the month they are, the more likely they are to be busy. The rather efficient way to refer to these days in Japanese is 五十日, or literally 5&10 days (五=5, 十=10, 日=day).
So, I learned this lesson a bit late this time, but I will remember it the next time I need to update my bankbooks. From now on, I am only going to do things on days that include sevens. (Sevens are lucky, right?)
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Donate Your Used Things
Many people will leave Tsukuba in the next couple of months, so I thought it might be a good time to remind everyone about the possibility of donating used items to various charities. The Tell and Sell Japan website has a list of some places that accept used items. One of the charities on that list is particularly in need of children's things. I have included the information below.
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Give Kids a Chance
Will accept rehabilitative equipment for children with special needs, wheelchairs, adaptive chairs, foot braces, leg braces, hip supporters, Type A baby strollers (the big sturdy kind), strollers for twins (front and back style), buggy boards, bike toddler seats (with high back and harness). We are sending them to the Philippines to give to kids with special needs in orphanages and to the poor who can't afford such things. We will pick up around Tokyo and Kanagawa area. Can't pay cash-on-delivery (chakubarai) fees. We are concentrating our collection around Yokohama and can go as far as Chiba or Saitama. No deadline so please spread the word if you know someone who has any of these items. Give Kids A Chance. rshiroiwa[at]yahoo.com
See some items that have already been donated.
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Often these charities cannot afford the cost of having the item shipped, so you may incur some costs when you send your items. However, the idea that people who really need your used items -- people who might not be able to have what you are trying to get rid of unless you make this small effort -- are going to be able to make good use of them might help you justify the cost to yourself.
If you know of any charities or organizations that are not on the list, please let me know and I will add them.
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Donations to China for Earthquake Fund
This is a message from the Association of Chinese Students in the University of Tsukuba:
Given the recent unfortunate event in China (a 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan area last Monday May 12), the Association of Chinese Students in the University of Tsukuba has organized a donation-collecting event within the Tsukuba area. This Saturday, they
are going to be in Ninomiya House room #3308 from 7 pm to 9 pm to collect donations. Those people who want to support the earthquake victims in China, please stop by. Any amount will be welcomed. Even with 100 yen, you are offering a bit of warmth for those who are in need. (Please check out the association website if you can read Chinese.)
If the schedule is inconvenient to you but you still want to help, please make your donation by depositing money to the Association of Chinese Students or the Red Cross Japan. Please find below the
information about both donation accounts:
1. Red Cross Japan (by the post office)
Account number: 00110-2-5606
Account name: 日本赤十字社 (Nihon Sekijyuujisha)
For more details please check this URL:
http://www.jrc.or.jp/sanka/help/news/1394.html
2. Association of Chinese Students in the University of Tsukuba (by Joyo Bank)
Branch: 研究学園都市 (kenkyugakuentoshi)
Account #: 2995843
Account name: Tsukuba daigaku chuugoku ryugakusei gakuyukai
After you make the deposit please notify the Association by email (acssut[AT]gmail.com) with all the information about the deposit.
As far as I checked over the internet there are some other donation methods in Japan such as Yahoo Wallet. Please check them out to find the most convenient method for you.
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