Phil-San Not In Japan?

Usually when I don't write, I've either been lazy or travelling. But this past week has been full of surprises and decisions, which have been near-impossible to make. I've told a few of you now, but I thought I'd make it a public announcement.

I don't really talk about my new company after Nova on here. The main reason is that although it's successful, there is only one office (in Gotanda, Tokyo) with about 25 staff so that, if one of my candidates or coworkers searched the company name on Google, it's more than likely that my site would be in the first 3 or 4 entries. If you want to know the name, then I'll be happy to tell you on MSN messenger or email. But for the company itself, I am recruiting for bilingual Sales/Marketing/Engineers within the IT and finance Industries. It's not the sort of job I could have ever imagined doing, but I found that it's a great challenge, exciting, I get to meet many people (the better side of Nova), financially rewarding, and full of highs and lows - both of which have their rightful place in a satisfying job.

It's not a job for life, and neither is living in Tokyo (unless I left, and missed it like crazy - but I would have to try this before I knew) so I'm always looking for a push to move on. But I love my life here; I have a great girlfriend, a modern apartment which I pay half rent for, a good job and the office is 10 minutes walk from my house - so no hectic trains, and I get to wake up in the city that I adore. It's hard to imagine leaving. However, I have felt more and more guilty everyday for still not visiting any of you but, honestly, as much as I want to return for a short time, I can't imagine living in England right now.

Reading the news depresses me so much. School kids being knifed or shot in playgrounds?! What happened to the country? Would I feel safe there after here, probably not. I'm not saying that England is alone with its crime, but there are relatively fewer problems like that over here.

On Tuesday, one of my two bosses called me into their office. I was the only person to achieve the targets for July and August (receiving a nice bonus - more on where that went in a later blog), so I didn't think I was in trouble.

They wanted to inform me that they'd rented a new office space because they wanted to branch out the business, over Asia. The second office would be opened on October 2nd, in Hong Kong. The plan was to take 3 staff (2 consultant-side and 1 client services) over with one of the bosses, to establish it, get it up and running and then move to a bigger office, hire more recruits and train them up so it'd be a fully operating business. After that project, there would be chance to establish either Shanghai or Singapore.

They asked me.

I was surprised because I've only been there for 3 months, and, yes I'd proven myself, but had I shown company loyalty, or that I could close deals? They told me they wanted me over there for two reasons, because they knew I had the sensibility and drive to open the office, and that although I'd worked my butt off to build my candidate base, it wasn't so established yet and would be easier to break away from it.

I still feel that a huge reason is that most staff are married, and I have the least ties to staying in Japan, which makes me an easy target. I hope the earlier reasons are true.

At 10pm that night, my boss called me to officially invite me, and asked me to give him a decision the next day. It was 100% "no". The risk of regretting leaving Tokyo far outweighed the risk of regretting not going to Hong Kong. Of course, it was a great opportunity to explore a new country/city/culture but so was being in Tokyo. Wasn't it?

I gave my answer the next day but they gave me a detailed insight into changing, which was largely biased (that's their job of course, but they weren't doing themselves any favours by going overboard on Hong Kong vs Tokyo). Another day was needed, and I sought some advice from people. In all, most said Hong Kong was great, some said it wasn't. Again, most said it was a good place to visit, few said to work. Nearly everyone said I should go, whereas one gave me strong reasons not to. Suddenly, something in my stomach felt heavy and I could feel the scale of those two risks switching.

I arrived home to Keiko crying; she knew before me. Amazingly supportive, she told me to go. I didn't want to admit it, because I didn't realise until faced with this decision, but she's been a huge determining factor in all of this. Being supportive only makes it harder to go; a twisted paradox. We were awake until 3 or 4 every night talking about it, worrying about it, and stressing about it. In a way, it was an offer that I think I would've been happy never to know about. I was pretty firm in my belief that blissful ignorance is not a good option, but now I'm not so sure.

Thursday, I told them that if they wanted an answer, they'd have to wait until I spoke to a few more people back home; otherwise I'd have to say "No" now. They gave me until Friday afternoon. I negotiated, and did much better than I thought. I argued that I was putting a lot on the line, just as much as more senior people going over, and that I would put in 100%, just as much as anyone else. I also stated that I wanted a good quality of life, and to be financially better-off, and that having to pay full rent instead of half would mean I was losing money. Therefore, if I went, I'd get a substantial pay rise (which meant that I wasn't making much more money than now, but I wouldn't be losing any at the same time).

I couldn't concentrate at work; added to which if I went, it was a waste of time doing any more leg-work for the Japan Industry, so I participated in a lot of gazing. One of the guys that I really like in the office also was asked and he wasn't sure either. We spent a lot of time at Starbucks and walking around in a daze, which the bosses didn't seem to mind!

Friday lunchtime, I got an answer from everyone back home, so was happier to make up my mind. That afternoon, I told my bosses I was in; I couldn't imagine not going to Hong Kong and that my heart was completely in it. The pit in my stomach lifted, although the stress and sleepless nights have left the two biggest ulcers in my mouth - which hurt still.

I work from here, building the Hong Kong base, for the next few weeks and then fly out on the 29th September, to begin work on the 2nd October. The company are organising Visa's and paying for the flight. The office is in Causeway Bay, in Shell Tower next to Times Square (it doesn't mean much to me, as of now), and I've found a decent apartment 10 minutes walk away. It's much easier to move and rent in Hong Kong than Japan as there is no key money or guarantors needed, and rent is monthly, so I can move if and when needed.

I'm excited by it, but very sad that I'm turning my back on Tokyo. Right now, if I could live and work anywhere in the world, Tokyo would be the top of my list, head and shoulders above its competitors. Hong Kong probably wouldn't have even entered my head when compiling a list but as pretty much everyone has stated, it's a "fantastic opportunity".

As for Keiko, it could be a great opportunity for her as well, with more International companies to get an English-based job, which is proving difficult for her here. But it's too fast to move over there with no Visa, job, or desire to. She's going to come visit a short while after I settle and scope it out. If she loves it, it could be an option. If not, the flight is quite cheap (£150-ish) and 3 hours each way, so we can still see each other a lot. And I'll be back here over New Year. It will be weird not living together, but it'll be a suitable test for us. She's a good girl.

And that's another strong reason - I'll still have a base in Tokyo and it's not far; my love affair with the city is not over.

There's some things I'm not looking forward to about going, including the increased humidity, but there are some things that I can't wait to experience.

After making my decision, the two things I Googled: H&M (a four storey shop in Central Hong Kong, yay) and Baked Potatoes (no results as of yet, nay).

The other thing I negotiated was to come home for a week in November, in time for Natasha's Bat-Mitzvah. It's a good time to come (away from the Christmas period, and with people in one place making it easier to visit) but some people won't be there and that makes me sad. The timing would never be perfect, but I wish it could. My ticket is booked; I'll be arriving in Heathrow Friday afternoon (2nd November) and returning Saturday night (10th November). I'll explain more in a later blog, which I promise to update more regularly after this week of emergency shutdown.

Speaking of the blog, what will happen to Phil-San In Japan? Does Hong Kong deserve the position of sequel? If so, what shall be its name?

If you made it down to here, then you obviously care enough. Thank you. However, I'll never know unless you leave a comment - forget your concerns and hesitancies, please leave a message. Who knows, you might even enjoy it. I think I'm fully back to my belief about blissful ignorance. Hong Kong, here I come...

Daily Japan Earthquake Count

1) 4:20 am
2) 10:15 am

(My heart goes out to Peru)

Ouch

There have been a spate of weird injuries in Japan this week. Not sure which of these two is the more gruesome:

1. The escalator-grater

A woman had her big toe on her left foot severed after it was caught in an escalator at a railway station building Sunday night, police said.

Local police are questioning officials at Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corp., the manufacturer of the escalator, and the municipal government that manages the building on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in injury.

At about 9:55 p.m. on Sunday, the woman, a 27-year-old company employee from Kawasaki's Nakahara-ku, was standing on an escalator in the JR Kawasaki Station building in the city's Kawasaki-ku and didn't notice a hole on the vertical part of the step just in front of her, investigators said.

When the step receded at the end of the escalator, her big toe was caught in the hole and was severed.

2. The motorway-cutaway

A motorcyclist traveled for two kilometers without noticing his right leg had been severed after hitting a median strip on a toll road here early Monday morning, police said.

The 54-year-old man noticed that his right leg had been cut off about 10 centimeters below the knee when he arrived at an interchange on the Hamana Bypass of Route 1 in Hamamatsu. Another motorcyclist traveling with him returned to the median strip to pick up the severed leg. He was rushed to a local hospital with his severed leg in an ambulance.

Investigators suspect that the pain from the injuries was so severe that he did not notice that his leg had been severed. The accident occurred at about 6:30 a.m. while traveling with 10 other motorcyclists.

Scorchio!

It's been over 30 here for over 2 weeks now, without a drop of rain in sight. Blue skies might sound nice in theory but the humidity is overbearing; especially in a tie! But the clouds are meant to roll in this weekend, with a downpour early next week. 40 today, heck..


This is the public pool I found next to the river, about 15 minutes walk from my apartment. £1 a pop, and open until the end of September - it's a really refreshing way to cool off. It's 50 metres as well, which is great. This was taken when I was leaving and it was a bit quieter; at the peak of the day it's packed. They just need an ice-cream van and I'm content.

Image Of The Week #56

The wedding gift arrived a few days ago. Today, I tried it out. It's a pretty decent model, non-stick and has a little light that times the golden-brown colour to perfection.

Cheese + tomato + onion + pineapple = delicious.

(taken in Gotanda - 12th August, 2007)

Any combinations recommended?

Extreme Measures

Although this may look a little like I've been kidnaped by terrorists, the truth is nowhere near as exciting, thankfully.

In clothes-shop changing rooms, women have to wear a bag over their head so that make-up doesn't stain the clothes. Does this happen in England too? I have no idea.

Stamp Larry

Stamp Rally's are an interesting part of Japanese culture. A series of ink stamps are scattered around various locations and people collect them on a leaflet or book. These can be found on hiking trails, all the train stations around Tokyo, or at events (such as the Spiderman one). Because of the "l" and "r" swap-a-round, it sounds much more like Larry.

Collaborating with Pokemon's 10th anniversary*, JREast (Japan Railways East Japan) is conducting a Pokemon Rally this month. Each train station has a different pocket monster stamp to collect. They must be making a fortune on train tickets because each station I pass has hundreds of kids in Pikachu hats, with their parents looking thrilled to be running around Tokyo in the 36plus humidity. I didn't realise how popular the anime/games still are.

After 6 stamps, you can receive a prize from the station master but, if you collect all 50 or so (which is a lot of travelling!), you can claim a special prize. The map is here but below is the area around my home station. Sadly, we have a really ugly brown butterfly thing; three stops away is Pikachu.

Yesterday, we went to the fireworks in Odaiba, and look who we bumped into:

The Toyota Showcase had its own Pokemon Stamp Rally inside the building. I was a green turtle monster, of course. There was also a stage show.




*Actually, 2006 was the 10 year anniversary but the scheme was so popular they've brought it back!

Release... The Goldfish

Last Saturday, we went North about one and a half hours to around the same area as Kawagoe (Old Edo) but much more countryside. Half the buildings in the small town of Hidaka were in crumbles, and the other half looked like they wouldnt stand the next earthquake. It was like stepping back in time, but the whole day I didn't see another tourist so it was a peaceful getaway.


The area is most famous for a shallow oxbow lake-type river in the middle of the town which you can play in. With the sun shining, the water felt refreshing. It was a lot deeper than expected, and our jeans soon got wet.



Further downstream were hundreds of people, tents and generally a lot of activity. Luckily, that day was the big town activity; in a much shallower area thousands of goldfish were set loose in the water, for the townsfolk to catch. You can't get much more bizarre than that. I picked one up but quickly put it back.




It's one of those events that you can neither research nor plan but just stumble across. They're the best type, and it makes travelling and exploring that little bit more exciting. Imagine all the things we'd miss if we just stayed at home watching tv.

Inside the river was a large rice field, and on the other side were more bbq's and parties. The water was much deeper and kids were jumping off the rocks.



In September the area is famous for its flowers, so I might return.

Image Of The Week #55

Look how strange the straws that come with cartons are here. Little holes punched into the top with the end sealed off. I wonder what benefit (manufacturing, ease of drinking) it brings?

(taken in Gotanda - 5th August, 2007)

The Future's Not Bright, The Future's Not Nova

Nova's troubles are hitting the News again, already reporting financial troubles after their sales have been stopped for 6 months.

Payday for the Japanese staff has been staggered, with earliest blames from NOVA management aimed at "glitches in the banks" alongside summer bonuses* not being paid. Additionally, petty cash and each branches bank accounts have all been soaked up by head office.

Not only have staff and instructors started leaving en masse, but the latest serious figure is that 12% of students have up and left.

*Bonuses in June and December are a big part of Japanese financial income - base salary is generally accepted as low as the bonuses make up for it. Without these, salaries are substantially less than they should be.

Image Of The Week #54

Just to lighten the mood a bit. Really takes a whole new meaning to "walking the dog".

(taken in Hiroshima - 20th March, 2007)

Hiroshima

I haven't written about the rest of Kyoto because I'm just so busy I have no time, but I'm skipping ahead as today seems a very suitable time to add this (I left work early).

62 years ago today, August 6th 1945, a nuclear weapon "Little Boy" was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. 3 days later "Fat Man" would desecrate Nagasaki. Although impossible to state the number of victims, it is estimated that over 70,000 died from the initial blast, with many many more suffering from after-effects long after.

Although I will state that I do not think war and its casualties is ever morally 'right', it is not for me to give my opinion here on whether this event was politically 'right' so I will reserve judgement.

Overall, and in a very strange (paradoxical?) way, Hiroshima is a beautiful city. It is clean, wide, bright and more than anything, laid back; people took their time and I saw no hustle and bustle.

We took the tourist trail, which takes you from the station, past the Castle and onto the centre of the city, where the bomb hit. The first place was to Hiroshima Park which was absolutely beautiful.





I'd like to think these are cranes (explained later) but I have no idea:



Outside the park stands a statue of Sadako Sasaki.
Please remember her name.

We passed by the largely-uninspiring castle, which of course is a modern recreation and down along the river. The very thought that thousands of people were diving into this while their bodies burnt for some relief is near impossible to imagine.



The North end of the historic sites is the A Bomb Dome. Interestingly, this is where the bomb exploded but, as it detonated in the air, the impact spread leaving this structure one of the only standing in the aftermath. It has, apart from some strengthening, been left after protests from citizens requesting it be kept as a clear sign that their constitution based on "No War, Only Peace" should forever be maintained.


Around this area, the river splits into two, with a Monument devoted to children who died standing proudly in the middle. The paper-origmai crane is a symbol of health and recovery, with friends and families typically folding and hanging 1000 for an ill person.



The famous story is that Sadako Sasaki, a two year old girl, was affected one mile away. She was so in awe of the cranes that surrounded her in hospital that she began to fold them. Sadly, she never finished, becoming too ill to continue at 644, and finally passed away at the age of twelve. However, her friends completed her task and, to this day, people from all over the world send countless origami birds in sorrow.

In a line, straight down from the A Bomb Dome is the cenotaph, the centre piece for all rememberance services. One old lady was standing there crying, and you can only imagine what pain (physical? emotional?) she must have experienced.



It makes me cry to write this and do such a disservice to just how depressing the place was but, again, that the area is just so beautiful really should be a testament and a moral to us all.

At the South end of this area is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, with a measly fee of 20p entry.

A fantastically detailed collection of artefacts, video presentations and information beginning from the political climate of WWII, moving through the day itself, the result and finishing with the present climate of the nuclear age we live in and the terrifying number of weapons in existence.

The hardest part was the displays of the pieces of cloth, lunchboxes and possessions that are the only remaining evidences of some of the children that died.

At 8:15am, the bomb exploded, and this watch ticked its final beat.

This is the black rain that fell in the sky straight after the fireball destroyed nearly everything. People, whose skin was melting off, would try to drink this from absolute thirst, not realising the deadly chemicals that would only make their suffering worse.

The flash of light was so bright that the ink lettering would melt away from paper, leaving only outlines. In much the same way, another famous image is that the areas of walls behind which people show their outlines.


A perspective showing the realisation, this is the area before:



And after:



I hope the pictures speak for themselves.

What has kept the world safe from the bomb since 1945 has not been deterrence, in the sense of fear of specific weapons, so much as it's been memory. The memory of what happened at Hiroshima.
-by John Hersey