Tuesday, November 30, 2004

ONLY IN JAPAN...

Guys, this e-mail is hilarious. P received it from the human resources person in her office-- and it is NO JOKE. ONLY IN JAPAN would this EVER happen!!!!

To Bldg. Members:I have made "Internal Umbrella Stand Rule", as some of you have advised me, and this rule will start from December 3, 2004. For this, we need your cooperation to clean up the present umbrella stands as the following.

Umbrella Stand Clean up

We have moved all the umbrellas to the "Temporary Umbrella Stand for Rainy Days".If you want to keep your umbrella in the office for in case of rain, please write your full name to your umbrella, and move it to the "Extra Umbrella Stand"

* Write your full name by either of following steps.

1) Write your full name to the plastic tape prepared near the umbrella stand, and stick it to your umbrella.
2) Write your full name to the Tag with rubber band which is prepared near the umbrella stand, and tie it to your umbrella.
3) Write your full name in your own way to your umbrella.

We will remove the following umbrellas after 17 o'clock of December 2, 2004.a) Umbrella in the "Extra Umbrella Stand" with no namesb) Umbrellas in the "Temporary Umbrella Stand for Rainy Days" in the sunny days.* The removed umbrellas will be kept for a month, and then will be disposed.* If it rains at December 2, 2004, this clean up will be postponed to the next day. Internal Umbrella Stand RuleWe will prepare two types of umbrella stands in Shin Aoyama Bldg. Office, which is "Temporary Umbrella Stand for Rainy Days" & "Extra Umbrella Stand"

(1) Use the "Temporary Umbrella Stand for Rainy Days" on the rainy days or "it might rain" days.* Umbrellas in this umbrella stand will be disposed without notice, if they are still there in the sunny days.
(2) If you want to keep your umbrella in the office for in case of rain, please write your full name to your umbrella, and move it to the "Extra Umbrella Stand"

* Write your full name by either of following steps.

1) Write your full name to the plastic tape prepared near the umbrella stand, and stick it to your umbrella.
2) Write your full name to the Tag with rubber band which is prepared near the umbrella stand, and tie it to your umbrella.
3) Write your full name in your own way to your umbrella.* Umbrellas with no names in this umbrella stand will be disposed without notice.
(4) Non-named umbrellas might be reused as company share umbrellas.

Your cooperation would be highly appreciated.

Sunday, November 28, 2004

Workin' it...

Since I've been adjusting to my job and life here in general, I haven't been traveling much. But last weekend I finally released myself from the bubble of Tokyo and ventured to Kamakura. OK, so it's not that far away, but the atmosphere is so different, that I think it counts. Anyway, just watching the sun setting over the beach proved I wasn't in Tokyo anymore... Here are some pictures!
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Wonder what I wished for... ?

I know I don't talk much about my job on here, mostly because I don't like to think about work when I'm not in the office... but since no one seems to really get what I do, I'll try to explain what I spend 45 odd hours of my week doing...

The wonderful world of PR: I work for a communications consulting firm that specializes in corporate and financial public relations. This means our clients are mostly investment banks and other big corporations, both foreign and Japanese. Basically, our job is to make them look good. We do this by directly communicating with their target audiences, but mainly we use the media to get out the messages they want to communicate. Particularly in Japan, people trust and rely on newspapers for their information. The Asahi Shimbun has the most readers of any newspaper in the world, and in the world of business, the Nikkei might as well just be renamed "Za Baiburu" (the Bible, hehe). Media is the mediUM to first reach the audience, and then to either reinforce or in some cases, change what people think about a company. This is especially important when one of these corporations or banks has something important going on, i.e. a merger or acquisition, restructuring, etc., or if they have no profile at all, i.e. they have newly entered the Japanese market, etc. In the first case, companies will hire us to carry out the communications for these complicated transactions, or in the second case, we will become a retainer for the clients and basically become their PR department, or an advisory team for their own in-house PR department.

What do I do? Well, each of our clients has an account team from our office, with maybe 3-6 of us who work on their account. Before the company hires us, usually they ask us to make a presentation for them, so they can decide if they want to hire us or another firm. So, if I'm on the prospective team, I make a power point presentation and then go with the team to pitch our ideas to them. Then if we're hired, it all depends on the nature of the account. I write press releases, attend meetings, draft other types of documents, take care of account logistics-- a lot of different types of things. I'm actually really happy with the amount of responsibility I have, and if you've noticed, the blog entries have been becoming more and more infrequent-- meaning I'm really busy!! This past week I had 2 big things going on-- a huge deadline on Friday, which included a 3 hour meeting with clients to go over all of the English documents for a restructuring transaction. I drafted maybe 30-40% of the documents, and it's a large account-- probably the most involved I've been so far. Also, I attended a press briefing (actually at Frenchy's former office and Frenchy 2's current office-- it's a small world-- can't say I wasn't hoping to run into a hot French banker, but it didn't happen) to hear two visiting economists speak on forecasts for the Japanese economy, and then wrote a summary press release about it. It was cool-- almost felt like I was back at university sitting and listening to economics lectures on power point and taking notes... except I was surrounded by Japanese reporters!

So, I get to write a lot, and I'm learning a ton about finance and Japanese business... Only negative is I sometimes have moral issues with some work I do but that's a longer story for a different entry. Anyway, the fact is I really do like my job. And my three months probation period is now up and I didn't get fired!! Hehe, and now I can take vacation too, which is great! Only 3 more weeks until Hawaii!!!!

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Not just "au revoir," but "sayonara" too?

Well, just to give an update on my situation with the Frenchies, I guess I haven't quite said "au revoir" to all yet... and maybe I don't want to? My relationship has changed with each of them, but maybe I'm not totally ready to just write all of them off. Frenchies 2 and 3 in particular, being that they are also still in Tokyo-- I think I can keep being friends with them, right?
God knows I will need some more friends... all of a sudden they're dropping like flies, leaving P and I to face the swarms of J-girlophiles on our own. M is next to leave, and she will be followed by others... she is my godsend at work, being one of the only truly straight-thinking, logical, non-caricature of him/herself in the office; always a voice of reason when it comes to guys and relationships; and just an awesome person to go out with-- whether it's karaoke or "gai"kon! After all, it is she who introduced me to P, my flat, etc. And off to London she goes... Actually, what's so great about London, and why does everyone want to go there?! OK, understandable, M has been here for 8 years and her time is due to go back home to the British Isles... but it just seems everyone leaves Tokyo for London... shit weather, and your boogers are black when you blow your nose! Who wants that?!

Anyway, I guess after the holidays P and I will be on a "new single girlfriend" hunt. Hopefully we will not be mistaken for a lonely lesbian pair too many times... but ah well, if that's what we have to do... !

One of the breaks of living in Tokyo... apart from Japanese friends, this is no one's true home, which means that inevitably everyone will be leaving one time or another. New friends coming (maybe?), but it seems as though more friends are always leaving. I really just want to collect all of my best friends and stick them in a Burberry carry-my-chihuahua bag and take them along with me everywhere! Is that too much to ask!? Right now this Tokyo-America-Americanish island (didn't forget you Dr. J.)-Europe spread is just getting too hard to handle!
However, as proven to me many times over, it is not truly "sayonara" anyway, but just "Osewa ni narimashita. Jya-ne, bai bai" for now, because of course one place or another we will meet again

Sunday, November 14, 2004

"Au revoir..."

...to all the Frenchies. After Saturday night, I cannot possibly say anything else.

DJ Sasha was at Womb! For those of you who are unfortunate enough to be missing out on the wild world of electronica, he is probably the most famous progressive house DJ in the world. He came on at 1 and played a 4 1/2 hour set. The first 2 hours were fabulous, but then he went into some really deep trance, which bored me a bit for the rest of the night.

Deep trance... the music reflected how I felt about most of the night. The first 2 hours were fabulous as I was hanging out with M and R, my fellow Fat Boy Slim party-goers. But then I see a familiar face-- Frenchy 2 approaches us! He seems to be by himself, and he dances with us for a little while, but then he motions for us to follow him, and there is Frenchy-- wait, and Frenchy 3 as well...!? Yes, there I was, in the immediate company of ALL THREE FRENCHIES!!! AHHHH! I should have just run then.

Can it get any more awkward? Frenchy 3 was trying to dance with me, and behind us was Frenchy, seemingly unphased by the whole thing, and then Frenchy 2, off dancing with some J-girl. That pretty much sums up the rest of the night, though at one point Frenchy 3 escaped to the bar (I think he was getting tired of trying to seem like he was enjoying the music), and I was left with just Frenchy, who was still very obviously trying not to dance with me.

So how did I say "au revoir?" Frenchy is now back to London, and though we established at a Saturday lunch that we would remain friends, it's still hard. As he was leaving, he gave me a kiss and picked me up and held me really tight before saying, "Talk to you soon" and running away from the thought of "us" for another year. I, on the other hand, was saying a very comprehensive "au revoir," at least for a while until I get over him, because I can't continue e-mailing him every day if that is ever to happen. To Frenchy 2, well, we can still continue to be friends, I suppose, though in my head I'm saying "au revoir" to any possibility of us being anything more. And to Frenchy 3, we had to have "the talk." At one point while we were on the dancefloor, he blurted, "You are not over (insert real name here) Frenchy, are you?" And so we had a long talk at the bar, where I gave him a rather vague answer but then called him yesterday to clarify. "I am not yet over Frenchy, and please don't expect for us to be anything but friends." My third and final au revoir of the weekend.

So what shall I write in my posts from now on?! I have no more drama with men-- I have no more men! The most boring possible existence for me, though I should probably use this time to get myself sorted out. But what have I been doing for the past year-plus while I've been single?! I thought I was sorted out! Or perhaps I was unknowingly plagued with a long and bitter case of French fever. Anyone have any medication for that!?

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Coming to terms...

After a night of wallowing in self pity, I am feeling much better today, thanks to all the wise advice and support of all of you. I am so lucky to have such great friends to kick my ass up off the floor when it shows no sign of getting up itself! But I do bounce back quickly. I usually just need to pour my emotions out and wallow for a while and then I come to my senses.

I did a lot of thinking last night and concluded that he is truly the loser. I honestly think that what he had shown Friday night were probably his true feelings, uninhibited by a bit of alcohol and no time to prep himself with the "emotions shield." It's probably how he would actually feel around me if he was to let himself go and be honest with himself and his emotions. But then because he is stubborn and childish and proud, he talks himself out of that, which is fine really, and probably for the best (for me) anyway. He is the one not being honest with himself, and maybe it will come back to bite him in the ass in the end.

I knew deep down that he isn't the one for me, but I think just because I haven't found anyone else or even really been very interested in anyone else, I just dreamt up this fantasy of what I wanted him to be-- minus all the bad points (and there are many). So by seeing him again, and now thinking about just how he is (criticizing my neighborhood, how Japanese people live, making me meet him in Shibuya b/c he couldn't make his way 2 stops further, taking the lovely dinner for granted, etc.), I am reminded again of why I was unhappy with him in the first place. We have some strong physical chemistry, but emotionally we are not on the same level at all. He's really a 30 yr old child who needs a mother, not a girlfriend.

So..... in closing, however, I know you all might disagree, but I think I should have lunch with him before he goes, just because I don't want things to end on his terms. I don't want him to remember me as this sobbing girl who had her heart broken by him because he is so great and wonderful. I want to explain to him how I really feel-- that I know we aren't right for each other, that we don't match emotionally, but that I was looking for someone, and some fantastical representation of him somehow filled that void while my search has been unsuccessful. What do you think? I will of course have to reword that so he can understand. :)
It feels good to be moving on....

Sunday, November 07, 2004

Heartbroken...

It's been a while since I've felt it, and jeez, I didn't need a reminder.

Frenchy arrived Friday night, and I met him and his 2 friends in Roppongi. Instantly, it was as if we had never been apart. Sparks were flying everywhere-- fireworks, you name it. We fell straight back into coupledom for the rest of the night, and in addition to all of the cuddling and kissing that probably disgusted everyone around, phrases such as, "Maybe I never should have left." "I didn't know you were coming until it was too late," etc., escaped from his lips. Yes, alcohol was involved, but I don't think alcohol can totally change the look in someone's eyes-- ok, maybe to a glazed over stupor, but not to an "I'm in love with you" look. And that was the look I was getting. I was ecstatic to say the least. I don't know what I wanted, because I knew he'd only be here for a week, but at that moment, THAT was what I wanted. He went back with his friends, but promised he'd see me Sunday night (Saturday he had a wedding), for the whole night. Things looked crystal clear.

Saturday he called, said he would let me know if they were going out after the wedding, and would call me Sunday when he woke up. Sunday morning came and went. Sunday afternoon came and went. Finally at 6pm he called, and I said I was making dinner for him at my place. Making dinner is an understatement. I was preparing a freaking all-out gourmet feast that I had put numerous trips to the grocery store, trial cooking sessions, and a lot of money into.
I had to meet him at Shibuya station because he claimed he would never find the elusive Gakugei-daigaku station. After 3 years of living in Tokyo he couldn't make his way 2 stops from Shibuya? I let out a big sigh, but conceded. He then proceeded to walk through my neighborhood and proclaimed it "too Japanese," and noted, "ugh, how can people live in THOSE houses? They're so ugly." "Japanese friend X lives in an area like this, except even more posh." Guys, my area is a quaint, very nice, reasonable residential area. Yes, it's Japanese. WE ARE IN JAPAN! I ignored him. He announced he wasn't hungry. He ate anyway, and said it was good. Good!? It was a culinary masterpiece! But unfortunately for me a full stomach doesn't ease a heartbreak.

He said Friday was a mistake. He was drunk. He is leaving and doesn't want to hurt me. He respects and likes me a lot, but he's looking for something new, something serious, and something NOT ME. He thought he made himself clear (yes, very clear by the e-mails and Friday night). He thinks I'm cute and attractive, but doesn't feel that I'm more than a good friend. If he did, he would have asked me to come back sooner. He thought maybe after I left last summer he'd miss me, but he didn't. He's really sorry. He didn't know I still felt so strongly. And he needed a cab back. He said these things in a kinder way, by the way, as I bawled my eyes out.

And to make me feel even better, he offhandedly mentioned that he at least gave things a try with me, whereas other guys would have just tried to get me in bed and been done with it. "But don't worry, Joce, this is because you have great T&A!"-- and this is supposed to make me feel BETTER??

What about my brain? my personality? thoughtfulness? fun-loving spirit? Hello decent men of the world, where are you!? Please tell me there is someone out there who just doesn't want to take a girl to bed and use her for her T&A. I know it wasn't a purposefully hurtful comment, but it made me feel cheap, and like women have nothing to offer but a body for some too-horny guy to enjoy. But he reminded me that if he didn't "respect" me, he would just take advantage of me. But isn't that what he just did Friday night? Oh right, but he's sorry for that. It was a mistake. I was a mistake.

Can someone who isn't so hurt and involved please explain to me how a person can change THAT drastically in a course of 36 hours? Mash thinks that he did some thinking between Saturday and Sunday and got scared about his feelings and what happened and what COULD happen. Friday night was all heart, but Sunday was all head? I try to make too many excuses for him. But one thing is for certain.... I got what I do need most-- CLOSURE. The Frenchy saga has come to an end, folks, and it's finally time that I can move on. I have seen him in the flesh, face-to-face, and heard it first hand. He doesn't want to be with me. Period. Full stop.
Rejected, dejected, heartbroken, feeling worthless. But with the good sense knowledge that it was for the best. I needed this to happen. It did. Now I just need the kick in the ass to get me going again.

Thursday, November 04, 2004

Bad news comes in 3s...

1. After my awesome clubbing experience and hair sessions on Wednesday, I went to bed really early, like right after I wrote my last entry at 8pm, because I had slept so little the night before. So i was already asleep when P came home, and I woke up to her yelling "mother f-ing bloody hell," etc. etc. I went to see what was wrong, and our toilet had started leaking out the back. Japanese toilets have these little faucet/mini sinks on top of the tanks, and people for some reason like to decorate them. P had put little pebbles in ours-- sort of a zen garden type of thing. Anyway, earlier in the day, our cleaning lady had dropped one of the pebbles in the tank while she was cleaning, and had called to say something might be wrong. And it was, apparently. Our toilet was broken, and god I had to pee!

2. Due to #1, we were mopping up the (clean) water with towels, but we needed more. So P ran to her room to get more towels, and again, I hear, BOOM! "f-ing bloody f-ing hell." I just started laughing because she had apparently stubbed her toe on the doorframe and was swearing bloody murder again. What a sitcom, I thought. But then I looked at her pinky toe, which was jutting out to the side in some funny bent up fashion, and it wasn't so funny. 12am-- P takes off in a cab to hospitals 1 and 2 and comes home with crutches. The diagnosis? Broken toe, immobile for a week, no shoe for maybe 3 weeks. THE WORST POSSIBLE TIMING! She has 2 friends from Australia in town today for a week, and Frenchy comes tonight too! She can't travel or show them around! I feel awful for her and am trying to do as much as I can-- shopping, etc., because it's just horrible getting around Japan on crutches! But I told her, she can still eat and drink and do karaoke, so it can't be that bad, right??! And in the process, maybe it will be too crowded in our place and I will finally get to try a rabu hoteru !

3. Unrelated, but obviously, BUSH. 'Nough said.

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Anticipation...

What better time to write a blog entry than when you're trying your hardest to stay awake until at least 8pm so your sleep schedule isn't totally up shit's creek. Today is some Japanese holiday! I say some Japanese holiday, because there are so many (in my opinion) inane holidays in this country-- Day of the Sea, etc. OK, I just looked it up-- today is Culture Day. Exciting stuff. Not that I don't welcome the days off. But anyway, I went to Womb last night and saw an AWESOME DJ group from Australia called Infusion, and then hung out with them a bit afterwards! so I was thrilled of course. Though that meant getting home at 6am, sleeping for 3.5 hours, and then getting up for my full day of having people try to make me beautiful (they have to work with what they've got after all). Almost 30,000yen ($300) later, every hair on my body best be looking absolutely perfect. 'Nough said.

So, since last entry, there are just a few things. Very busy at work and got some exciting new accounts to work on, which I'm happy about! Met a gorgeous European guy at a dinner last weekend-- from southern Switzerland, but Dad is Italian and Mom is Swiss-German, so his accent is mostly Italian with a hint of German and French. And soooo typically the type of European I would fall for-- so dramatic and passionate about EVERYTHING and talking with his hands and studied philosophy, etc. We talked for most of the dinner and then went for drinks afterwards, but one other guy stayed too, so as they say, 3 is a crowd, and it definitely was. I think it's bad news, though. He is gorgeous and surely has tons of J-girls after him, and he knows it. Maybe I'll call him after Frenchy leaves. I didn't give him my number.

In case you're looking for my countdown, Frenchy will be arriving Friday night at 10pm, and then we're going out w/ Frenchy #2 and some others, I think. Hopefully a lot of things will get straightened out with this visit, but on the other hand, I have a funny feeling they'll be getting much more complicated. 2 days and counting!

And also counting.... the votes! Right now I'm still waiting to hear about Nevada, Iowa and Wisconsin. It's not looking good for Kerry, folks. Not looking good at all...