ShinyZubat

I live in Japan, currently. A while ago, I ordered something off the internet from America. It's already shipped and on it's way. The problem is a family emergency has popped up and I have to return to America for a couple of weeks. So there is a large chance that my package will be delivered while I am out of the country. Usually, when I miss a package, the guy just slips a note through the door with a phone number for the delivery company on it. I call the number and reschedule the delivery and everything's great.

But I'm worried about that happening while I'm out of the country. If they leave a "missed you" note while I'm gone, and I don't respond to it for over a week, what will happen to my package? Will they keep it that long? Will they return it to the sender in America?

If I leave note explaining the situation on my door, will they hang onto my package for me? Would they respond if I left them my email address? (Since international calling might not be possible)

I don't know my neighbors very well, so I feel I can't ask them to accept the package for me.

Ugh, any ideas?

I had to put my desktop (which is my main computer) into storage last year and it will have to remain there for some time. But in the mean time I was thinking about taking the hard drive and making it external so that I can still have access to it via my laptop. I've only ever made an external HD once though, and I only kind of know what I'm doing.

My memory is really awful, but I presume that the HD in question has a partition on it. (Don't know if that would make a difference either. I imagine that maybe it would just show up as two HDs when I plug it in.) If nothing else, I know for a fact that this is the HD where the OS is installed. So, I'm just wondering if I put in an external HD case and hook it up to my laptop, will it function as a normal storage device? Will the fact that the OS is installed on it cause any problems?

So, I'm living in Japan at the moment and my current pair of shoes are now entering the "falling apart" stage and will soon be unwearable. The problem is I wear a size 10-11 US. So yeah...I don't have much luck shopping for shoes in stores around here...

So my question is, are there any websites that are based in Japan that sell large (REALLY large) women's sizes? I could look for shoes on American websites, but I'd like to avoid international shipping or having to go through the trouble of getting a relative to mail them to me. My problem is just that I'm not very familiar with popular Japanese stores and the like.

I found one website "kutsunohikari.co.jp" that sells large sizes, but they're all men's shoes (and not very pretty). :( Anyone know of any others?

I'm in Japan, and I'm trying to send out a batch of postcards to my relations in the US. I've attached 80yen stamps to each of them. I hope that'll be enough for postage. I also heard that you had to write the word Airmail on the card somewhere? I've also included the addresses (and added USA at the end) on the stamp side of the cards. Assuming that that is all correct...I am still concerned about the boxes at the top of the card. I've heard they're for Japanese zip codes. Since I'm not sending them to a Japanese address (and my American ones don't fit) then I should leave it blank, right? And do I write the return address on this same side? I may have written the recipient addresses too big, so if I write my return address on this side, is it okay if it's a little off to the left? Or towards the bottom?

I use actual mail so rarely that I've become paranoid that all my postcards will get lost and never get to their destinations, so I'm just trying to be really thorough...

How much of a pain in the butt is it to ship furniture when you move internationally? It'd probably just be this one item (A kotatsu table) and maybe some other things, as opposed to a whole house full of furniture. Does anyone know of any good companies who handle this kind of delivery?

I worked at Macy's a while back and noticed that certain types of children's sleepwear is required to be flame retardant. I understand that kids are clumsy and are probably more likely to knock into a lit candle than an adult, but I was just kind of surprised that it's apparently a LAW to include flame retardant in loose fitting sleepwear. Was this a huge problem or something? Kids catching on fire so often that they had to make a law about it? And if the reasoning for it is because kids are more likely to light themselves on fire, then why is it limited to sleepwear? Why not daywear as well? I think in my own childhood, I had many more opportunities to catch my day clothes on fire than my pajamas. It just doesn't make sense to me; is that really the only reason?

Since I am unable to see a doctor at this time, I have come to the ALL-KNOWING-INTERNET with this problem. Some years ago (around eight, I think), when I was in high school I hurt my lower back doing what I assume were improper crunches. After the fact, I noticed it was no longer comfortable to lay down flat on my back. It sort of feels like my lower back and pelvis are being pushed upwards, as if my back were arching. It is also nigh impossible for me to get up from this position because as soon as I try to use these muscles to get up/roll over, I am stricken with sharp pains. The pain is always localized to my left side, sort of near the top of my hip. Maybe a bit lower than that.

Since this all started happening, I haven't paid much mind to it. However, these days I find more of my daily activities require me to bend over slightly. (All of our counters and working surfaces are much too low for someone of my height.) This behavior has made my pain much worse and much more common.

The pain is not actually in my spine, so I doubt it has something to do with a messed up disc. I would dare to say that it has something to do with the muscles/tissues in that area, but who really knows.

So, my real question is whether anyone knows what might be the cause of this pain, or what sort of things I could do to lessen it? I would be most interested in stretches or something, but I don't really know any that might help.

I'm living in Japan at the moment and was considering adopting a hedgehog, since they're legal here. If I were to move back to the US in a couple of years, I would probably be moving to Washington or Oregon, where hedgehogs are also legal. I heard that it was illegal to import hedgehogs to the US, however. I was just wondering if that were true and what law or whatever it is that pertains to it.

I'm moving from the US to Japan soon, and would like to bring my desktop along. The main problem I'm concerned with is the difference between their outlets and ours. I know I can use a wall converter, but based on previous experiences with wall converters, I don't feel comfortable using one for something so large and valuable as my desktop.

It's also not prudent to ship over my whole tower, monitor, keyboard, etc. So, I would like to be able to gut my computer and only bring over certain parts (Like the harddrives, video card, etc), then replace the missing ones with parts bought in Japan. (Namely, the power source and the case)

I understand there's a difference in voltage, so it may be impossible, but I don't know enough about voltages and hardware to be able to say if it would be possible. Anyone out there know anything about that?

Assuming that an individual is sufficiently fluent in at least two languages and were interested in making a career out of translating, how would one go about getting started and finding work? And by translation, I specifically mean the written variety, as opposed to being a verbal interpreter or some such.

I know that it's the sort of career that offers the choice between full time and freelancing, but I do not know much more than that.

My cats, who are indoor/outdoor cats, have had fleas plenty of times before. But this past year (THE WHOLE YEAR) we've been fighting a never-ending battle against the flea horde. In the past, we could just throw Frontline or Advatage at them, maybe bomb the house, and the problem was done. This time, nothing seems to be working anymore. They go back and forth between the two medicines usually and have been on Advatage for the past two months. In that time, we've bombed the house twice, washed all our fabrics, swept/vacuumed the floors, and I've also been brushing the cats with a flea comb. Nothing stops them. :(

And also, one of the cats has a much larger amount of fleas on him. Our girl cat is actually keeping most of them off of her, but the boy is just having the worst time with them.

What should I try next? I've heard there's a pill you can get from the vet, but I don't know anything about it....

I'm making plans to go teach English in Japan in a year or two. I'd be staying in Japan for at least a year, so I really wanted to take my cat with me. (Assuming the place I stay even allows pets) My problem is that I've been told that my cat would have to stay in quarantine for six months upon arrival in Japan. (Ouch)

Does anyone know if there is any legal way around the quarantine? Or will I have to find somewhere else for my cat to live while I'm out of the country?

I was sick recently, and while most of the symptoms have gone, one still remains. I've been having this feeling of something being off inside my ears. It kind of feels like I have to pop them, but if I try it's A) very difficult, B) hurts, and C) is unfulfilling. Maybe there's a build up of wax or something? It's mostly in my left ear now, but it's been coming and going in both of them all day.

What do you think?

can I just ignore my symptoms and drink milk anyway? I've been having certain stomach/bowel issues lately and my doctor suggested that I might be developing lactose intolerance. And really, the symptoms are annoying, but not so bad that I would want to give up dairy for the rest of my life. So, I'm just wondering if I do have lactose intolerance and I did keep indulging in dairy, would it eventually cause me a lot of harm? (As in, would my symptoms get worse?) Or are these minor discomforts all I'll be dealing with whenever I want a glass of milk?

Earlier today I got that soreness in my upper chest area that you get when you're winded. At the time I could also feel it in my upper arms/shoulders. Since then it has progressed up into my neck, making the front and left side of my neck and jaw feel sore. I also feel discomfort in my throat because of some post nasal drip. I have been sneezing quite a bit today, but I have sinus/nose issues a lot so it could be a coincidence (same with the post nasal drip).

All in all, the pain is very mild and doesn't bother me too much, but still I worry.

Anyway, does anyone know what this might be? Am I sick? Am I dying? Mystery? *shrug*

I'd ask a professional but making an appointment with my doctor takes ages (last time I did it took a month). I'm also technically unisured for the time being so I couldn't see her even if she was available.