Life isn’t quite how I imagined it. There’s no glamour, no slow motion sequences, no daredevil stunts; this person’s ain’t in a movie for sure.

You all know I’m not the most talkative of people. My life is a constant frustration of missed opportunities and I-should-have-done-that moments.

Anyway, yesterday we finally had our belated New Year “party”… Or more like dinner with a few friends from work. I had a great time and I feel really lucky to have such good friends. The problem is I can’t hang out with these people all the time; I wish I could but they all have their own lives, right.

I’m going to say it straight out. I need someone to talk to other than my god damn computer and the, admittedly fantabulous, Internet. I apparently have a knack for not saying what I mean or more accurately, withholding the truth.

Resolution: find someone that I can talk to. Find someone that makes my flaws look like qualities. Find life outside of this damn life draining office!

Seriously, I just want to be married and be done with this whole finding your soulmate / love-of-your-life thing! Give me more important challenges to deal with!! This one ain’t so enjoyable!

I Phone

So, I gave in to the masses and got myself the evil procrastination device. It has so many flaws yet the fact that I can surf the net anywhere easily is simply the major draw.

• fiddly keyboard.
• no infrared.
• no RFID
• poor battery life

These are just some of the flaws I’ve encountered over the past few days.

Infrared data transfer is the main way to exchange phone numbers in Japan; without it you’ll be outcast and forgotten. You won’t find many people willing to manually input their details.

The second thing is the RFID; things like the integrated “Suica” (cf Oystercard) and other contactless payment methods is a real minus.

Anyway, I plan to switch my old phone to a diferent network – one with better reception than Softbank. A second phone for calls, Suica and infrared. … Gadgets keep me living.

Today is Election Day. I, along with the rest of the country world predict a landslide victory for the opposition party, meaning the end of the LDP’s grasp on Japanese government for the past 50 odd years. Personally, I have minimal or less than minimal knowledge of politics, and despite my best efforts over the years to pick up some basic understanding (taking Politics classes for a year / reading the paper / participating in low level conversations on the subjecct), I still have no clue.

Anyway, today was the very first time in my life that I participated in an election. Up to this point, I have not been an eligble registered voter in the countries I have lived in. Admittedly, there was the regional election earlier this year that I did not participate in… but this it the national election!! Some might wonder why someone who has difficulty remembering which party the Prime Minister belongs to, is allowed to vote. One thing I do know is that, borrowing a catchphrase from another electoral campaign, “We want change”. Japan has had 4 Prime Ministers in past few years, each one worse than the one before… we need another Koizumi-esque person with character, charisma, and most important of all, the ability to fix stuff.

So, I went to the polling station, which was like 5 minutes away. I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but I was somewhat surprised at the low-tech nature of it all. Apart from the barcoded paper that was delivered by post to identify each one of us, everything else was hand written. I mean, no proof of identify required, just saying “yes, that’s my name”… then, it was writing the name of your candidate on a piece of paper… followed by checking a couple more boxes for other positions (which I didn’t really understand). Where was the barcoded or electronically readable voting forms? Good luck to whoever has to read my handwriting!

Influenza

In other news, swinging back to Monday. The guy sitting next to me looked seriously ill on Monday, coughing and spluttering everywhere. Thankfully he got a mask by mid-morning, which eased my tension… but by mid-afternoon I hightailed it out of there and headed to the other office to complete my work day. Anyway, he took the next day off which was a relief, but he returned on Wednesday to torture me again.

I’m not sure if it was him or some other factor but by the end of the week, I was feeling pretty rough. To be honest, I was feeling rough on Monday. [ I should have taken my manager's advice and headed home on that day ... ] Thursday, I had a scheduled day of, and I felt refreshed after that…. returning to work on Friday – eugh, again.

Anyway, finally the weekend and some relief… but, it’s funny… the whole week I’d been on the verge of being sick – as soon as the weekend hits, so does the full on being sick thing. Ok, not exactly sick…just a slight temperature and a major chest infection and throat swelling. I pretty much slept from 6pm to this morning on and off… my voice is sort of back and at least I can breathe easier but I have half a day to fix this before work tomorrow T_T.

It ain’t influenza thankfully, but it ain’t something I like having…

License

So, in an eventfull week… I got my driver’s license!! After 7 odd years of pissing about and never actually taking the test, on Thursday (my day off), I got the actual card!

It all started back in the UK, before university even… I started taking lessons, practicing with my dad, etc etc… then uni came and screwed up my whole schedule… having to cancel the driving test because of exams… and then deciding I didn’t need a license in London…

Coming to Japan, a few things made me realise I needed a license – 1. the fact that I had put it off so long and I had no reason to anymore, 2. I needed a pastime of sorts, 3. one time when I spoke with my granddad, he mentioned it as one of the things that a guy needs – (something like: money, education, driver’s license) … I think this was the material list… I think we also had talks about the immaterial list like compassion, etc etc… but I’m getting off track.

So I took up driving lessons in Japan too. After dillydalling around in Japan too… trying not to take too many days off – trying not to fail the test too many times – and also taking “required” courses like First Aid, etc… I got my license! woooo~~~!

You know, I’ve been so used to not driving, it seems strange to think that I can sit in the driving seat / rent-a-car / plan road trips etc…

hmm, where to? who with… Now, that’s a very good question.

Work

We had an all-hands meeting last week with the head of our division. It was just for our section? / sub-division? … either way, one of the things the boss mentioned was that none of us go to work “because of the nice office”.

After spending a couple of days at the other office, I have realised that the office – location, facilities and atmosphere, are just as important as the people and the work you are doing. In an ideal world, all of the above would be a factor in deciding where to work. However, as the world these days is far ideal, not all of those factors can be taken in to account.

So, on reflection over the past few days, weeks and months, I have come to realise the importance of colleagues, the office and generally having a stable job! But the point of this blog entry is not the fact that I have a job. Far from it.

I actually wanted to talk about the difference in atmosphere between a Japanese office and a ‘Western’ office. Apart from all the physical differences of the office layout – rows of desks vs. cubicals and offices, language – Japanese vs English, and although not quite in the realms of being physical, the number of zeros on the monthly payslip, there’s a whole world of difference in terms of culture.

Japan is still heavily traditional in regards to the workplace. Endless meetings. Constantly printing stuff out. The continous need to get approval for everything. You will not believe some of the hoops we have to jump through day-by-day.

Anyway, it’s definitely a problem with the whole of business in Japan. It needs to not just modernise the technology but the basic concepts / framework / work-practices – call it what you will. Maybe it is just my bias and my internationalised viewpoint.

Hmm, this topic is more difficult to discuss than I would have thought. I think the best way to put it is, as I’ve always said, working in Japan requires a lot more energy than working abroad. Working in Japan means thinking about a lot more than just the work you do. Relationships with your superiors is important anywhere, but it is critical here.

I just hope that I’m able to make an impact in this environment, network with the right people and progress in my career.

Holiday

On the flip-side is that Japan has a lot of national holidays! Today is one of them. It is Showa Day today. We have our bi-annual five day weekend next week. A lot of people, including myself, have taken holiday tomorrow and friday to extend the holiday to a full week. Actually, as I’m taking an extended break, I volunteered for holiday support today, so I’m actually at work today. But yeah, it’s strange how every time I take vacation I feel like I shouldn’t. There is always a fear that I’ll miss something important whilst I’m away. Although the fear of being laid-off has receeded somewhat, there is also a fear of missing an opportunity or not being around to help out with issues/projects. Hmmm…

News

…and now, there’s also this fear of swine…

The fear of death, be it to someone in a far off distant country, to those around you, within your family, or even to yourself, is something that does not sit comfortably for anyone. After recent events, globally and personally, I feel that I may be reaching an age that I will have to face this natural ‘circle of life’ more frequently and more consciously than ever before. Death takes time to sink in. It’s not just the fact that they will no longer be around, or that you will never get a chance to see their face or hear their voice, it’s all of that plus, what that person represents. The number of deaths on the tv screen are not just numbers – each and every digit represents a plethora of lives, emotions and memories. One mustn’t forget that.

Work. Friends. Family. Self. Love. Life. still dreaming…

合コン (Goukon): is a group blind date, typically used to overcome shyness and form at least some friendships between two groups that are each of a single sex.

So, the Goukon, is a typically Japanese social event amongst the younger generation for meeting new people and broadening your prospects. In a typical situation there’d be an organiser that asks a friend of the opposite gender to gather together enough of their friends of the same gender for a social gathering. The event would usually take place at a restaurant or izakaya (another Japanese speciality, which I’ll explain another time), with each group of men and women sitting opposite each other.

I suppose the main objective behind these events is to increase the probability of meeting someone of the opposite sex that you like. It’s also seen as a safer option than one-on-one dating as you can consider the rest of your group to be there as moral support.

That is the art of goukon.

So, today is a Health and Sports Day, otherwise known as 体育の日 (taiiku no hi) and is a national holiday. I ended up going shopping to Shibuya this afternoon to see if there was anything worth buying – I really wanted a new pair of jeans as I have a habit of wearing one pair until they wear out. Anyway, despite the bad economy and not being paid yet, I decided to spend some money. The result? I ended up making a credit card and buying a hell of a lot more than I planned!

Anyway, the good news is that I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything I don’t like wearing, and also the fact that a Japanese credit card will probably be quite useful. The bad news, as with all forms of credit, there is the added danger of controlling the risk of over spending!

I also received a business card from one of the assistants as we had a lengthy conversation whilst I tried on some items. It was a very casual chat about stuff but yeah, I was thinking the entire time, why does the assistant have to be a guy! I talked to the girl at the other place for a while and all I got from her was a receipt and the Winter catalogue!! ….haha, I need to get out more!

The Return
So, two things crossed my mind on the way back from Shibuya. The first was, I seem to be gradually turning into one of my team-mates. Obviously, without going in to too much detail, there was the internship, the return after graduation, the nationality, the overseas upbringing… and now the shopping…. aaaahh! I mean, it’s not that big a deal but maybe I’m gradually turning more Japanese! Hmm..

Anyway, the other thing was on the train, I encountered two real-live transvestites. It really took me by surprise that these hairy-legged and bearded young men would wear what they were wearing. I know Japan is known for it’s open culture and acceptance of individuality but it just surprised me how ugly they were! I guess I need to turn a little more Japanese to be able to start accepting such strange behaviour!

Having just watched the closing ceremony of the olympic games I feel slightly let down. I was just not as blown away by the whole thing as the opening ceremony and it felt slightly less well rehearsed. Also, I feel live music never works in such a large stadium, with problems of acoustics and coordination with the sound system. It just felt really echoy and stuttery.

I was also disappointed by the idiocy of Boris Johnson with his stupid mock saluting instead of limiting himself to a standard wave. He also decided to stick his hands in his suit pockets which made him look like a prat. Following the handover the London PR show was slightly better, although we coulda not done with Beckham or Leonna. The whole singing in the rain-esque thing was ok and the red bus was a good representation of London but I feel it didn’t quite sell the city!

The camera work was all over the place too. I don’t know whether each broadcasting association has control over which camera to use but it jumped around far too much. The opening ceremony had much better shots of the whole of the Bird’s Nest floor but this time it kept cutting to the outside view and strange close ups with “artistic” views. I couldn’t quite get the feel of the whole show.

Anyway, with all the asian artists ranging from Jackie Chan, Rain, Andy Lau, why were there no Japanese singers? The Koreans, Mongolians, Chinese, Hong Kong, all seemed to have representatives… at least include the likes of BoA who can speak Japanese! …. then again, the genetic make up of the entire Japanese population in terms of looks loses out to the tall, slightly built koreans and the mainland asians. Oh well, we couldn’t even beat them in the medals table *sigh* What’s becoming of this great land of the rising sun? is it setting?

I had a whole train of thought for what to write as a blog earlier but it has totally escaped me. It’s officially Day 9 of my move to Japan and the feeling of permanence is gradually starting to sink in. Earlier this week I looked around a few apartments in Tokyo and ended up asking the Agent to hold a place. The contract details and arrangements of rent have yet to ironed out but if all goes smoothly I should be moving in before I start work. However as there’s only a week to sort out all the paperwork I will most likely commute from my brother’s current apartment for at least the first part of next month.

My mum is returning back to London this weekend; I don’t really know how to take that fact. I have to figure out when to move to Tokyo next week.

I had a long talk with my grandfather today – well, it was more a listening session on my half than a two-way conversation. He spoke of his time during the war and his experiences. He showed me a pocket watch he received from the Emperor at the time. I mean, he didn’t actually go out on to the battlefield but I was still amazed by his stories. His intelligence continues to impress me with talk of mathematics and topping school rankings at every level. Anyway, I suppose it was nice for him too to have someone to talk to.

Anyway, I had my first earthquake since arriving this evening. I just thought it was a bit windy outside and didn’t feel the ground shake at all but the TV confirmed that there was one. I think I probably mentioned this before but I find the slow rocking motion of earthquakes quite soothing. Obviously it would be a totally different story if it were destructive or violent, but fortunately I have yet to experience one of such calibre.

So, what to expect over the next few days? I have realised that there is so much yet to learn about Japan – the culture, the people, the traditions, the rules, regulations, laws and how to do things. From the simple to the complex, it is all very unfamiliar and the slight barrier caused by my poor reading abilities of the Japanese language will make the next few days, weeks and months an interesting challenge!

I’m back from Peru. Actually, I’ve been back since Sunday morning, and technically I left Peru on Friday. I have so many stories to tell you about my time in Peru but as I don’t really know where to begin, I’ll start somewhere completely different.

The first time I sat in front of my computer when I got back, I felt extremely odd. I basically hadn’t really used it since pre-Vegas, with the few days prior to Peru not really making much impact. It was strange knowing that the only thing that I really needed to do was check my email, and even that wasn’t essential. I’m no longer a student, so all emails from the department aren’t important, and I’m not yet employed so there won’t really be anything there. When I find a spare moment from all the unpacking and packing I’ve been doing, I’ve found that there’s still a massive chunk of time that previously I won’t while away in front of the computer. Now, I’ve rediscovered the joy of reading. Books.

Books are a wonderful thing. I’ve pretty much read 3 novels in the past month, which I probably more than the last year as a whole. I mean, the initial reason was to pass the time on the plane and at the airport – there was a hell a lot of hours spent at airports – but now I seem to read whenever I can’t find something to do on my computer. I’m not sure how long it’ll last, the whole reading thing, but it’s a nice alternative to wasting away the hours watching tv eps on my comp. Hmm.

Another thing I’ve found is that my hair has barely grown since I left for Peru and probably Vegas. My hair grows at a phenomenal rate. Ok, maybe not phenomenal, but pretty quickly so I usually have to get it cut pretty often to keep it neat. Anyway, I did notice the lack of growth during my travels but thinking about it now, I think it’s pretty much down to me being totally stress free. It’s amazing.

Other things I’ve noticed is that tanning really does improve the skin. So smooth and lovely! But yes, even if I haven’t finished my pursuit of happiness, for the time being, I’m content with being free of any major stresses. There are still a couple of things on my mind like this whole moving to Japan thing but it’s fine.

Anyway, Peru? Peru was fantastic. Once you get away from the polluted, busy, stinky, dirty capital of Lima and head out to the hills, it’s just wonderful. Highlights include the Lares Hike, the high-altitude football and the comic moments we had with our tour group. I’m sure I’ll be mentioning these at some point. For now, I’ll leave you to peruse over the photos.