Monthly Archives: January 2014

“Hang in there”

One of my least favourite Japanese expressions is “がんばれ (gambare)”. Typical Japanese-English dictionaries say it means “hang in there”. In some cases “がんばれ” means “hang in there”, but in many other cases it means more like “try harder” or “make more efforts”. Saying “make more efforts” to people in trouble is cruel, but it is typical Japanese mentality.

As I mentioned in a recent post, I’m having a harsh period in the current work place. Today a Canadian colleague, who understands my current situation, kindly talked to me. I told him what happened to me recently, and he said “hang in there”. Partially because I work with Canadians and Japanese now, I was confused with “hang in there” and “がんばれ”, and kept complaining, while I was supposed to say “thanks”.

He was right. If I hang in there, eventually things will (probably) work out. He knew it. As I wrote in a previous post, income often hides unwanted reality, and also makes people less patient. What I feel now is much better than what I felt during the helpless job hunting which I eventually overcame, but now I feel unhappy. What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger, but what saves me makes me weaker. I should remember what I felt when I let things happen. Today I missed to say “thanks”, but someday, when I overcome the current situation, I’ll tell him “I hung in there”.

As I wrote in another previous post, I felt something like “deja vu”, which actually was not, and as I hoped in that post, I’ve got a permanent full-time position. Things are happening. I should remember what I felt when I was unemployed, and see how the looser will fail, no matter what fortune cookies say.

January 29, 2014Permalink

Fortune cookie

I went to a Chinese restaurant in my neighborhood a few days ago. The fortune cookie said “you will soon receive an unusual proposition”. Unusual proposition?? For one second I thought of something romantic, but it did not happen (so far). Instead, I received an unusual job offer today. As I wrote in a previous post, I got a temporary daytime job unexpectedly. It is a Japanese company in Mississauga. A senior manager often told me that he expects me to work for the company for a long term, but we have not discussed anything officially. Today another manager told me to read a document, sign it and return it to him. It was a job agreement for a full-time position. I even did not have a chance to negotiate. This is an unusual proposition.

It is not only unusual, but… In an old post, when I was going to take a temporary technical interpreter job in Orillia, I wrote “How close is it to my goal?  If the goal is Calgary and I start from Hamilton, I will be in Montreal next month”. Now, taking this job is like going to Halifax. But I still need to take this job for one reason; I need to settle down. If this journey will eventually take me to Calgary, I would do whatever I can now. Whether it is good or bad, fortune is fortune.

Today I had a chance to chat with a Japanese coworker who is somehow in a similar situation. It is good to have someone to share thought. The conversation with her encouraged me.

By the way, I went to the Chinese restaurant today again. Today’s fortune cookie says “happiness surrounds your event this week”. It is now Friday evening, and I’m not planning any event tomorrow. It’s not gonna happen. Oh well.

January 24, 2014Permalink

30 years

As I wrote in a previous post, Japan was defeated in WWII in 1945, and in 1956 Japanese government stated “it is no longer a post-war period”. And then Japan experienced rapid economic growth. But at that time, some Japanese soldiers ware still “fighting” in Southeast Asian countries. As some internet news announced, a former Japanese soldier, Mr. Hiroo Onoda, died at the age of 91. He had hidden in a jungle in the Philippines for about 30 years after the war ended, and came back to Japan in 1974. As I wrote in an old post, Japanese soldiers were taught that surrendering was a shame and worse than death, and this is why he had not surrendered for three decades.

One of some impressive facts, according to the internet article, is that he did not think the 30 years was a waste of time. That experience formed his life after surrendering.

How about me? What have formed myself today? I often wonder which has been longer, happy periods or tragic periods. After adolescent, tragic periods have been way longer, I think. But I do not dislike myself. As I wrote in that previous post, what did not kill me made me a little stronger. Of course those periods ware, at least physically, not as harsh as hiding myself in a jungle for decades. But it makes me myself anyway. Why do I talk about it now?? Because I am experiencing another harsh period in the current “temporary” day-time job. Anyways, let’s see how the looser will fail.

May Mr. Hiroo Onoda rest in peace.

January 18, 2014Permalink

Business rules

Probably everyone can name a few or more memorable TV commercials. One of them for me, and probably for many other Japanese in my age as well, is American Express that I saw when I was a kid. In that TV commercial, a famous American pro golf player, who played internationally, said “出掛ける時は忘れずに (when you go out, don’t forget)”. At that time, international airfare was very expensive and many people did not know what going abroad was like. Many people including myself thought American Express was the most commonly used credit card overseas. Another one is Jim Beam. In that ad, a narrator went “アメリカを生きたバーボン、ジム・ビーム (A bourbon that lived America, Jim Beam)”. “アメリカを生きた (lived America)” does not literally make sense, but it sounded cool. I, like many others, thought Jim Beam represents America.

According to some sources today, Suntory, a Japanese beverage company that is known for its appearance in Lost in Translation, purchased Beam N that makes Jim Beam Bourbon. I just wondered if any source mentions something sentimental, something like “Japanese company bought America’s pride”, and browsed for other related articles. I could not find anything I expected, but instead of that, I found that one of those articles mentions that Beam N produces Canadian Club.

Is Canadian Club produced by an American company? And the American company will be owned by a Japanese company? OK, this is a business world. We should not expect brands to have identity. Business rules.

January 13, 2014Permalink

Let things happen. In other words, let go of control.

I accidentally found this internet article, 12 Tools For More Mindful Living. Mindful living?? I like it. According to this article, one of the tools is to let go of control. This idea is similar to what I wrote in a previous post, let things happen. One of other tools is to be curious. They do not sound alike, but the idea is somehow similar to what I wrote in an old post, let’s see how a loser will fail. It’s good to know that I am not alone. Apparently, I was looking for mindful living when I was lost in helpless job hunting.

Now I have income. As I wrote in a previous post, income often hides unwanted reality. I wrote “I was looking for…”, but actually I need mindful life now.

I’m still a temporary employee. Recently I was assigned for some tasks, which means I can assume that I will work for the company for a long term. But nothing is guaranteed. OK, let’s see what will happen. A few days ago, I got a phone call from a recruiting agency to offer a job to me. But it was not a type of job I want, though I have previous job experience in that field. Plus, I was assigned for log-term tasks in the current work place. For those reasons, I politely said “no”. I don’t know if it was a right choice or not. OK, be curious and see what will happen. One thing I’m sure is, whether I become a regular employee and get stable income or not, no matter how I’m satisfied with the job, I will keep looking for mindful living.

How did I “accidentally” find this internet article?? I found the photo, a kitty behind boxes, and was just curious about it. If you know me well, you must know who much I love cats!

January 11, 2014Permalink

Meeting Japanese Buddha on New Year’s Day

“Are you a member?”
“Yes.”

This simple conversation at a museum cafe today made me feel a little bit honored. Yesterday I purchased a ROM, Royal Ontario Museum membership. As I wrote in a previous post, I’m a museum freak. Since I live in Toronto now, it’s quite reasonable to be a ROM member. As I wrote in another previous post, I like to visit a museum to meet Buddha. In the other post of today, I wrote that I have decided to do something instead of having my family’s traditional New Year’s Day dish. The other thing to do, besides watching the first sunrise, or 初日の出, is to meet Japanese Buddha and Shinto Kami in ROM. Visiting a Buddhist temple or a Shinto shrine in the first week of the year is Japanese tradition, 初詣. I know museums do not exhibit Buddhism “art” for this reason, but for me it is a good place in Canada to meet Buddha.

Not having my family’s traditional New Year’s Day dish was very disappointing. But because of that, I did two Japanese customs for New Year’s Day that I had never done in Canada. This is a good start of the new year.

As I wrote in that previous post mentioned above, those Buddhism art works are not originally “art” but religious practice. In Japan, as I commented on a photo in one of my facebook photo albums, even small Shinto shrines are well treated by locals. However, those statues of Buddha and Shinto Kami in museums are not treated in that way. Visiting a museum to meet them is my own way to worship them.

Anyways. It was a good way for me to start the New Year.

January 1, 2014Permalink

Happy New Year! (Canada time)

Happy New Year, Canada!

As I wrote in a previous post, I could not afford the time to make my family’s traditional New Year’s Day dish, 正月の煮物. Nothing can substitute for it. Instead, I have decided to do something else desperately; I decided to watch the first sunrise of the new year. This is Japanese tradition. I went to Centennial Park.

The first sunrise of the year 2014

I was quite happy to watch it. I was really happy. I only have a compact camera, and the photo above does not represent what I actually saw. It was way more beautiful. I was impressed. It’s worth waking up early and waiting for some time in windchill -20°C.

Last year I had been somehow depressed because of the temporary job and the subsequent job hunting. I hope the year 2014 will be a good one for me. It’s good to start a new year with a happy feeling.

January 1, 2014Permalink