Lydia E

Or Kobe. Or in Japan in general. I want a quality sandwich, not Subway, and I don't want to make it myself. Any suggestions?

My boyfriend's best friend was diagnosed with tuberculosis. The friend is fine; his only symptom was a persistent cough, and he's on antibiotics now. How likely is it that others in our circle of friends have been infected too? My understanding of TB is that it has a latency period with no symptoms, and then can progress to symptomatic TB years later. Should the infected person's close associates be concerned about latent infections? Should we only be concerned if we have symptoms?

I'm going to move on July 30th, when my lease is up. I would like to keep gardening throughout the spring and early summer, and I would love to enjoy the fruits of my labor. So, what are your recommendations for vegetables that will be ready to harvest and flowers that will bloom before it's time for me to go?

A friend and I will be traveling to India soon, and would like to hire a driver to take us from Delhi, to Agra and around the sites there, and back to Delhi again. How much should this cost (in rupees?)

My boyfriend and I are going to Osaka this weekend. Any suggestions for fun things for a couple to do together?

I'm considering reading it, but wonder if I might need to do some self-educating first.

I'm thinking of getting an iPhone. I live in Japan, and will be here for at least one more year - I don't know about after that. Softbank is the only iPhone carrier here. If I get an iphone with Softbank, then move back to the states, will I then be able to sign up with AT&T and use the same phone there?

Some friends want to go be ninja nerds for a day, and so are planning a trip to a ninja village. They`re trying to decide between Koga in Shiga-ken or Iga in Mie-ken. Which one`s better?

I asked a very ordinary question a month ago, asking for recommendations for books about Japan. It had about eight answers, some listing several books. I wanted to take a look at them again (since I'm once again looking for something to read) but it says (Question has been removed) on my question list on my profile. Why would this have happened?

I'm meeting someone for a date in Amagasaki. Are there any interesting things to do there? Or should we just go to Osaka or Kobe or somewhere else?

Because, eww, I hate that smell. It gives me a headache.

I think Yulia Tymoshenko, the Ukrainian prime minister, has very interesting hair. I want to try recreating the braid-crown she usually sports. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8506491.stm How do I do it? Do I just do an ordinary braid, wrap it around my head, and pin it in place? Or is there some trick to it? And does anyone know what this hairstyle is called?

I love the music, but hate having muffled hearing for the next couple days. So I want earplugs that will decrease the volume of the sound without distorting it or reducing the quality too much. Small and subtle is good too - don't want to offend anyone in a small venue by walking in wearing big old earmuffs. What's best? Those squishy foam things? Mold-able putty stuff?

I'm trying to stop snacking so much when I'm hanging around at home, so I've taken to having a pice of gum whenever I get the urge to snack. I've been chewing tons of gum. Could this have any negative health effects I'm unaware of? I only chew sugarless gum, so I don't need to worry about tooth decay, right?

A friend and his wife got divorced about a year ago. They have an 11-year-old daughter, M. M lives with her mom, and visits her dad about once a week. She seems fine when she`s with her dad, but recently has been acting up at home. The problem seems to be that her time with Dad is all fun stuff, while Mom gets to handle all of the discipline and not-so-fun stuff like making her do her homework. M seems to resent her mom, and Mom is getting really frustrated. How should the parents deal with this?

I'm just curious, never having purchased/done any sex work myself. Of course I've seen references to slipping money into a stripper's waistband, but do other kinds of sex workers get tips? I assume people such as escorts and professional doms set their own rates and don't depend on tips to supplement their wages the way restaurant employees do. But is it still customary tip your prostitute the way you'd tip your hairdresser? Is an extra gratuity normal for exceptional service?

I`ve got a flight from Kansai to Haneda that gets there at 9:50 in the morning, and an international flight to Seattle that leaves from Narita at 15:05. How do I get from Haneda to Narita? Is there a train or a shuttle or something? How long does it take?

And what about my luggage? I booked my entire journey through Northwest airlines - I should be able to check my luggage in at Kansai and pick it up in Seattle, right? I don`t need to collect it again at Haneda, do I?

I've seen lots of depictions of Japanese ghosts where they wear white clothes and some sort of white band around their heads. What is that headband? Sometimes they're plain, sometimes they have a triangular shape, and the other night someone playing a ghost on a comedy show appeared to have candles stuck in his headband. Google says they've got something to do with Buddhist funeral rites, but can anyone give me more details, or direct me to a site (English or 日本語）that has more information?

I want to be vaccinated against HPV, but the vaccine isn't available in the country where I currently live. I'm planning on going home to the States for a couple weeks this December. While I'm there, should I ask my doctor for the vaccine? I know it's a series of three shots, with the second and third shots coming two and six months after the first. I won't be able to get those followup shots because I'll be back in this country again. Would just one dose do any good? Or should I just not bother?

I live in Japan and need some new contact lenses. Back in America I always got them from my optometrist. What do I need to do here? Do I have to go to a doctor for a prescription and then go somewhere else to get the actual lenses? Are some places cheaper than others? Does health insurance usually cover any of the cost? Any advice would be appreciated!