Loneliness, communication, and karaoke
Hello!
I'm keeping up my old habit of quickly slowing down my pace of posting after the rush of the arrival, but let's keep these coming anyways. I might've said last time that there isn't that much to do that I wouldn't have time to write more soon, aaand I guess lounging around and relaxing in my empty, lonely flat counts as doing something...?
Last week's work wasn't much to mention about, as it probably won't be in the future either. It's not just because I'm not allowed to talk about it's details, it's more because I don't really find even the nature of the work assignments (which I should be able to talk about) that interesting: I'm reading and rewriting someone else's code, I'm drawing flowcharts, I'm writing tests for the code, that's mostly it. I'm quite convinced that I'm not going to be doing this for the work, as much as the work experience is very welcome, but for the people, the work culture, and all the things that come with working in this foreign country.
What might be more worth mentioning than work would be that most of my free time, I'm sitting in my flat, alone. I mean, I stand up sometimes to make food and such, but mostly sitting, and alone. I do have good internet, and I can talk and chat with people back home, but I am still alone in this small apartment. I just now realized, that this is the first time ever I've actually had an apartment of my own, just for myself - no family, no roommates, no girlfriend, just me. It's...an interesting experience, and probably heightened by the fact that the country is still quite alien to me.
I'm still doing fine, mind you, but it sure is a feeling worth mentioning! The fact that I am in a new environment, with so many of the building blocks of my life left back home (excluding most notably my computer 😅), is a great chance to gain some new skills and habits! I do have running shoes with me, so running's one thing on the list, I just ordered a yoga mat (there's a local Amazon here: it's really convenient) for some morning yoga for which I thankfully have some know-how and Youtube videos to help me out with, and I've looked just a bit more deeply into some open source coding projects that I might participate in, as if I don't have enough coding in my life already. I've also for the first time ever put up a proper Excel sheet for counting my monies, at least so I'd know how soon will I be eating only cup noodles with my rate of travelling on weekends. Of course, all these great plans of new life will never come to be, if I don't stop sitting alone doing nothing. But hey, that's an important recovery process from my harsh work! Right?
Anyway, like said, work might be tedious at times, but the people are really nice and doing all they can for me to feel welcome. My colleagues take me to lunch every day, always a new place if any way possible, and I get to meet new people from the department through that, because they often bring someone new around. I think lunch with me is call "English lunch" at the office, as anyone who joins gets to speak English most of the lunch break, thanks to me.
That really feels like the best job I can truly do around here: to give these people an actual chance to speak English with someone. Most of them really could use it. As with many different languages in many different places, English in Japan is studied to the extent that you pass the exams for it. Few get a chance to actually speak it, as it doesn't seem to be an important part of the education. The end result is that even though you might now a lot about English, but using it is a completely different thing.
We had an after work party with some folks last week's Friday, and besides from my two colleagues, who speak good and average good English, the one I had best conversations with was the one who, outwardly, knew the least English. Yuiko-san used very limited vocabulary, ditched most conjugations of words and using just basic forms, and talked with gestures a lot. Not only was it much more fun than waiting 10 seconds for someone to decide on the wrong conjugation of a verb, it was efficient. I was sure to make an example of her to the others, and explain to them that English isn't really important - communication is. No matter how much you know about a language, if you can't use it or anything else to communicate your thought's, it's all for nothing. People here are often outwardly very timid of using English, because they fear they will say something wrong, not realizing that hardly anyone cares about correct pronunciation or form when you're a non-native speaker. At least I surely don't.
Well, English rants aside, the after work party was great, and the karaoke afterwards as well. Karaoke here is a totally different thing than in Finland - instead of a bar, when you go to karaoke here, you rent a private room for you and your friends for an hour or two, with it's own equipment, and order drinks and snack that are carried to the room. Ever come to Japan? Try it out, they have international hits, as well as The Rasmus, at least.
Speaking of karaoke, I'm going to Tokyo this weekend, again, to meet some friends and introduce them to karaoke. "Again", because last weekend, day after the party with people from work, I traveled to Tokyo as well, to meet the same friend I met there the week before. We ate a little more cheaply than week before, drank a little less than week before, and got back at the hotel a little bit earlier than week before. Overall, I spent a little less than l did the week before, though most of it is not thanks to me or my money handling skills, but for the fact that I got a lift from a colleague, who was going near Tokyo for the weekend as well. Got a ride back as well, so I saved a lot! 😁
Oh, but now I've only handled last week? Well, this week has been all workworkwork, new life is still just all about sitting at home, next two weekends after this one are booked for a fireworks festival and a BBQ party with people from the after work party last week, and I'll probably try posting again beginning of next week!
Take care, all! 😄
I'm keeping up my old habit of quickly slowing down my pace of posting after the rush of the arrival, but let's keep these coming anyways. I might've said last time that there isn't that much to do that I wouldn't have time to write more soon, aaand I guess lounging around and relaxing in my empty, lonely flat counts as doing something...?
Last week's work wasn't much to mention about, as it probably won't be in the future either. It's not just because I'm not allowed to talk about it's details, it's more because I don't really find even the nature of the work assignments (which I should be able to talk about) that interesting: I'm reading and rewriting someone else's code, I'm drawing flowcharts, I'm writing tests for the code, that's mostly it. I'm quite convinced that I'm not going to be doing this for the work, as much as the work experience is very welcome, but for the people, the work culture, and all the things that come with working in this foreign country.
What might be more worth mentioning than work would be that most of my free time, I'm sitting in my flat, alone. I mean, I stand up sometimes to make food and such, but mostly sitting, and alone. I do have good internet, and I can talk and chat with people back home, but I am still alone in this small apartment. I just now realized, that this is the first time ever I've actually had an apartment of my own, just for myself - no family, no roommates, no girlfriend, just me. It's...an interesting experience, and probably heightened by the fact that the country is still quite alien to me.
I'm still doing fine, mind you, but it sure is a feeling worth mentioning! The fact that I am in a new environment, with so many of the building blocks of my life left back home (excluding most notably my computer 😅), is a great chance to gain some new skills and habits! I do have running shoes with me, so running's one thing on the list, I just ordered a yoga mat (there's a local Amazon here: it's really convenient) for some morning yoga for which I thankfully have some know-how and Youtube videos to help me out with, and I've looked just a bit more deeply into some open source coding projects that I might participate in, as if I don't have enough coding in my life already. I've also for the first time ever put up a proper Excel sheet for counting my monies, at least so I'd know how soon will I be eating only cup noodles with my rate of travelling on weekends. Of course, all these great plans of new life will never come to be, if I don't stop sitting alone doing nothing. But hey, that's an important recovery process from my harsh work! Right?
Anyway, like said, work might be tedious at times, but the people are really nice and doing all they can for me to feel welcome. My colleagues take me to lunch every day, always a new place if any way possible, and I get to meet new people from the department through that, because they often bring someone new around. I think lunch with me is call "English lunch" at the office, as anyone who joins gets to speak English most of the lunch break, thanks to me.
That really feels like the best job I can truly do around here: to give these people an actual chance to speak English with someone. Most of them really could use it. As with many different languages in many different places, English in Japan is studied to the extent that you pass the exams for it. Few get a chance to actually speak it, as it doesn't seem to be an important part of the education. The end result is that even though you might now a lot about English, but using it is a completely different thing.
We had an after work party with some folks last week's Friday, and besides from my two colleagues, who speak good and average good English, the one I had best conversations with was the one who, outwardly, knew the least English. Yuiko-san used very limited vocabulary, ditched most conjugations of words and using just basic forms, and talked with gestures a lot. Not only was it much more fun than waiting 10 seconds for someone to decide on the wrong conjugation of a verb, it was efficient. I was sure to make an example of her to the others, and explain to them that English isn't really important - communication is. No matter how much you know about a language, if you can't use it or anything else to communicate your thought's, it's all for nothing. People here are often outwardly very timid of using English, because they fear they will say something wrong, not realizing that hardly anyone cares about correct pronunciation or form when you're a non-native speaker. At least I surely don't.
Well, English rants aside, the after work party was great, and the karaoke afterwards as well. Karaoke here is a totally different thing than in Finland - instead of a bar, when you go to karaoke here, you rent a private room for you and your friends for an hour or two, with it's own equipment, and order drinks and snack that are carried to the room. Ever come to Japan? Try it out, they have international hits, as well as The Rasmus, at least.
Speaking of karaoke, I'm going to Tokyo this weekend, again, to meet some friends and introduce them to karaoke. "Again", because last weekend, day after the party with people from work, I traveled to Tokyo as well, to meet the same friend I met there the week before. We ate a little more cheaply than week before, drank a little less than week before, and got back at the hotel a little bit earlier than week before. Overall, I spent a little less than l did the week before, though most of it is not thanks to me or my money handling skills, but for the fact that I got a lift from a colleague, who was going near Tokyo for the weekend as well. Got a ride back as well, so I saved a lot! 😁
Oh, but now I've only handled last week? Well, this week has been all workworkwork, new life is still just all about sitting at home, next two weekends after this one are booked for a fireworks festival and a BBQ party with people from the after work party last week, and I'll probably try posting again beginning of next week!
Take care, all! 😄
Asparagus, so long, wow.
Left is Kazu, my closest colleague.
The thumbs up -guy has played
Finnish baseball (!), in Japan (!!).
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