| THIS IS A READ-ONLY ARCHIVE FROM THE SORABJI.COM MESSAGE BOARDS (1995-2016). |
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that's about 5am Wednesday my time, i think. was in bed by 11pm local time. Woke up, had a $6 cup of coffee and a $10 glass of fresh squeezed OJ. The crossiant was good, and a mere $3.50. I walked around ronpongi (i have no idea how to spell it,) during the morning. However it is spelled, it is a district of Tokyo where a lot of non-Japanese live. I'm told. There were still a lot of Japanese everywhere. The only black people I saw were dressed like puffy combs and trying to talk people into going to strip clubs. "You like japanese girls? american girls? we just opened. lots of great girls. here, take my card. it will get you in without the cover." his card said "SAM". i didn't go. lunch was beef and jelly soy threads or some shit. it was good. not $20 good, though. we met with the japanese partner shortly after. four hours, half in japanese. it turns out they didn't need engineering after all. it was all handled by our sales people. i just sat and tried not to stare at the cute japanese marketing chick. when she laughed she covered her face and stuck her head under the table. japanese tv is a trip. i especially enjoyed the kids shows, as they were generally about a third english. and the advertisements. the ads in japan are insane. maybe. when i got home i took a look at our tv, trying to picture what it would be like for someone who wasn't american. we're fucking insane, too. there was an add for a CNN world or BBC world special report. A day in the life of america, or something. the end of the tag was "Where the only thing as powerful as money is the guns." Then flash-cuts between a handful of people shooting guns. this is america. this is how the world sees america. any questions? after the meeting i ran a bath. the bathtubs are meant for baths. i enjoyed that. i tested out the bidet and the ass-shower. i'm not so sure about that. then i went to bed. it was about 6pm local time. the next morning i woke at 3:30am local time. I beat off to a japanese game show, took another bath, and then started packing all the free shit into my suitcase. i sat around watching japanese tv until about 8am. mostly surfing for comercials. after that, a $9 ham and cheese omlette and another $6 cup of coffee. By noon we were navigating TCAT. Bus ride to Narita. On to the plane. Took off about 3pm Friday, local time. We made good time. Landed at SFO at 6:30am Friday local time. Sat on the plane for half an hour waiting for customs to open (those bastards.) Slid through customs without a problem. went home. slept. |
(You speak Japanese too/in addition to yr many other talents?) |
More by the trip to Japan then their opinon of America, the world looks at us as the "Giant Fucked up Mogul." We are kinda like Rome to them, on our way down the tubes... Anway, how was the sushi? I've seen some Japanese TV in my time, its kinda fucked up, they have a different value of censorship than we do, as long as their is no slit or dick everything is legal. Crazy stuff... |
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Nevermind. |
californians tend to dip the rice end into the soy sauce. japanese dip the fish side. i tried it. it is better the japanese way. sushi is often eaten with the fingers. i knew that already, though. i brought something small back for A. that's it. when the hotel took the iron they lent me back, they left this note ----- Dear We must apoligize for taking out the electric iron without your conset, because we have short of stock. Thank you for your generous understanding. Your sincerely, Housekeeping |
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I need to go to japan, sounds like fun. |
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i love my job, sarah. |
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oh good! what are the things about your job that allow you to feel that way? |
i'm doing a lot of design. software architecture in addition to designing processes and procedures for a developing engineering department. i like that. i like to create shit. i'm well respected. i like it when people come to me for answers, look to me to determine action, seek me out to speak at confrences and, of course, want me along on trips to other lands. and on top of all that, i work with a group of intellegent, good natured people in a company with an easy going, casual, and open culture. so, basically, i like the work i'm doing, the place i'm doing it in, and the recognition i receive for what i do. |
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Pepsi's Of The World! |
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actually, i took a lot of time while i was in detroit to do some thinking and reflecting on the last year, and surveyed carefully all of things in my life that at the turn of the new year still were the source of angst in my life. the day i got on the plane to go on holiday, my boss and i got into it pretty heavily. there was much frustraion, berating and yelling. while i was away, i hoped and prayed that when i returned i'd be offered the dot com job i had interviewed for. but basically it came down to the fact that they couldn't afford me. so i was disappointed about that, but at the same time i started having some pretty wild realizations. so i emailed my boss and asked to meet with him privately in his office. so last friday late afternoon after a long, hard week i went to his office with the single minded purpose of opening up the lines of communication (interpresonal communication in this company is a very strange thing, being that it's a very conservative, japanese-oriented company. rules of engagement are, by definition, vague) and get the new year started off on the right foot. i just simply could not operate one more day at this job being miserable and misunderstood. so we both aired our grievances and our frustrations about my job as the one and only internet person in a distinctly brick and mortar, old-school company. i reviewed all of the things i did well and all of the things i struggled with over the last year, and outlined my shortcomings and successes with him. then i outlined the reasons i thought we were both frustrated, and basically it comes down to the fact that they're keeping me so overoccupied with project management stuff that i'm not that good at, that i'm not given the time or the space to do the web developement stuff, the stuff that i am very good at and with which i could really make a contribution and have success and help move this company forward. at the end we both understood better where each other is coming from and he told me he wasn't going to take me off of project management stuff (though he is re-assigning one of the items to an outside consultant, which is a good move on his part because frankly i'm just not qualified to handle it), but he said he'd give me more room and leeway with the web developement stuff. so for now, i'm happy. the part that i'm still unsatisfied with is the goal. it's like, so Big Fucking Deal, i make web pages for a big, heartless, money grubbing company. it's a tough thing to reconcile in my world view, because it seems that if i'm going to be doing *anything* for at least 8 hours a day, i at least want it to have meaning or i want that energy to be used to do good or make a difference in this world somehow. so that's where i'm at. thanks for asking nate. i'm really glad you're so satisfied at work, i know how rare that is. good for you! |
if i have any advice at all, if thats what you may be looking for, get the hell out! everything you stated sounds so much like my wife's office. they keep her tied up with bullshit work they could pay a junior accountant to do, she is never free to pursue what shes is good at and can make the company money. they always promise her assistants, but when they are hired, they are reassigned, they are usually male, and always japanese. then they hold her to the projections and dollars at the end of the quarter....when they don't add up[, they don't seem to understand why. she has read countless books on working with the assholes....and basically their way of doing business is a dying breed. they are terribly inefficient and generally have no interpersonal skills do not know how to manage people. get out for your health sister. i have seen the proverbial bone they have thrown you so many damn times. they never live up to their promises....and will drive mad. |
(jealousy) |
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skipping two years between my first and second college semesters of Japanese I kinda lost interest. Now the only thing I can say is, "Sukoshi nihongo ga hanasemas" and "Wakarimassen!" That and I had a traumatic experience singing George Michael songs in broken Japanese, but that's another story... |
They'll pay you to go over there, give you a place to stay and pay you good money... That plan isn't particularly compatible with my current relationship, however. Wakarimasen is important to know. The big Japanese corporations are scary. |
I ask for two bottles because if you only gave me one I'd get all sentimental about it and not ever want to open it. that would defeat the whole purpose. if you give me two I can drink one and save the other. it has to be pepsi because it's always been pepsi. so your answer's yes, right? of course it's yes. how could you say no to a nice girl like me? Pepsi's of the World! |