Kombini and The Boy Who Lived

Like in U.S. convenience stores, at a Japanese kombini one can purchase snacks, drinks, meals, magazines, and all sorts of last-minute needs such as hosiery, medicines, etc. (The only thing one can't purchase at a kombini is gas, as apparently gas stations and kombini can't play nicely together over here. One can't buy kombini items at a gas station either.) But I don't know of any convenience store in the U.S. where one can pay utility bills as one can at a kombini. And this weekend, I discovered the most remarkable thing about kombini -- I can reserve purchases at online retailers such as Amazon Japan and indicate that I will pay for the purchase at the kombini of my choosing rather than enter my credit card information online. Then, once the online retailer receives notification from the kombini that I've made my payment, my order can be shipped to the kombini for me to pick up so that I don't have to play the failure-to-deliver game with the delivery company / postal service.

Having had limited baggage allowances for my move here in April, I was able to pack only three books, two of which are Bible study books rather than fiction novels. And as an avid reader, I've been feeling very bereft without something to read at night. So perhaps you can imagine what my first Amazon Japan purchase was. And for those who know me well, maybe you know exactly which books I ordered -- the complete works of Harry Potter. My apartment started to feel a little more homey tonight once the boxed set of The Boy Who Lived was sitting on my bookshelf. Sadly, there's not enough time to get them all read before I see movie 7a with friends in two weekends. But I will certainly do my best (ganbatte)!

Until next time...