The Month is here....

We are now down to the last 3 months of the year... and it is also the month in which I have to tell my boss of my plan to quit.

I must admit I am having a little cold feet now... As much as I thought I wanted a new lease of life and a change of environment, I am also afraid that I will regret the decision to leave Japan and leave the things I enjoy doing here.
You see... as much as I miss Singapore, I know that ultimately I will go back and it is as near as just a flight away.
But Japan is so different.. the next time I miss my life in Japan, I can't just pack my suitcase and hop onto a plane back here.  Once I exit, I probably cannot come back so easily anymore.

But I tell myself though, the more I miss Japan, it is also an evidence to how much I have enjoyed my life here. So it is a blessing I am not dying to leave.

Anyway, over the weekend, I went for a 2D1N trip to a cottage house near the sea with some friends. It was really cool because we had the whole house which comes with a bar and DJ booth all to ourselves. So the whole group went for a drive/fun along the coastline and then had bbq till wee hours in the morning.

I am so glad I went for it despite being lazy and having second thoughts at first. It is also good to meet new ppl and also it was a great end to the summer!

And 3/4 of the year is almost gone!

Ever since I got back from Taipei, the struggle to go to work expanded so dramatically that I felt I was really going to be so sick physically.
Seriously....can't recall a time in my life in which I dread going to work so badly...
And to make things worst, things between me and the person whom I really didn't want to meet ( as said in earlier post) finally exploded and I am quite sure as I am typing this, he has gone straight to my boss..
Thankfully, my boss is more on my side rather than his because he knows too that this colleague is not just a tough nut to crack but expects everyone to put him on No.1 on the priority list.
In fact, in a way it was good in retrospect that things exploded, because that gave me a good excuse not to have to hold meaningless meetings 1-to-1 with him anymore. So... one of my resolutions is actually fufilled!
No fear/need to meet people I feel uncomfortable or don't want to.

But... that doesn't make me look at my calendar less as I really want to have the days go pass quick. Want to finish the endless list of tasks, tie up the loose ends and then announce to boss my decision to leave...
Although I really feel guilty towards my boss who has always been very kind to me... I guess no amount of incentive will be great enough to hold me back now...

Singaporeans love to complain?

When did this “culture” first came about? What was that happened or what was the catalyst that caused this? This was what I was thinking for a while over the weekend.

I was out with 3 other Singaporean friends when we decided to stop by a pastry shop specializing in cheese products. They sell cakes too and had a little backyard which we could eat our cakes right on the spot.
There were 4 of us but we decided to only get 2 cakes because the size was pretty huge.
We were given 2 paper cups on the tray for the free coffee the shop is giving out as a service.

Them (will be referred to T henceforth to represent all 3 or anyone of them)
Me (will be referred to M)

Scene 1:

T: How come there are only 2 cups on the tray?
M: That’s because we only order 2 cakes. Free coffee comes only with the purchase of the cakes.
T:?? ask for more le!
M: (tried to ask again but was politely rejected because the coffee is for people who purchased the cakes) Eh I tried le.. cannot
T: So Stingy!
M: (in a small voice) But it is free coffee in the first place...

Scene 2:
T: How come we got paper cups and not the nice porcelain ones ( points to the table beside)
M: Oh that’s because the shop didn’t have enough cups.
T:uh?? How come? So unfair....
M: Oh well… at least they are not charging the coffee, it is free service you see…

Scene 3:
T1: How should we share the coffee among 3? (Since Karen doesn’t drink coffee it is minus 1)
T2: Let’s just go get refill after this.
M: You can’t get refill, one person is entitled only to one cup.
T: What? Only 1 miserable cup?
M: It’s a service! It provided free!

Scene 4:
T: The coffee is almost tasteless… what you call long-kang coffee ( drain water coffee). Tastes cheap.
M: Well, it’s free and it is a service! With all the complaining they had to get, I think it might just be better to stop this service altogether cause all they get is bashing!

Last Scene
T: Hey you ( points to me), go and distract the shop-keeper and ask her lotsa qns while we hurry go get the refill for the coffee
M: =_=;; ( thinks to myself: Er do we have to stoop to that for the long-kang coffee that comes in a paper cup?)

Actually, it is just funny when I put this down in words… No hard feelings.. Just really amuse by how Singaporeans can complain and complain and then still continue their kiasuness…

The most expensive dinner

At the insistent of a friend who is visiting, I actually took a bullet train of 1hr out of Tokyo after work yesterday to Tochigi prefecture for dinner.
It wasn't even really a dinner you call dinner... The main attraction was a Izakaya which has monkeys as its waitors.
Expect novelty but don't expect quality service. The wet towel was literally thrown into my hands.
and I came home with moneky scratches here and there on my arm.

But still it was fun to travel out of Tokyo with a good company! ( especially when the trip is all paid-for. hee)

Guilty...

I have been feeling rather guilty these few days....

Yesterday I was having meeting with my boss and he expressed his pleasure over the passing of my recent exams. So now he hopes that I will take a internationally-recognised training course and exam for Helpdesk team-leaders. This course and exam will cost up to about 170,000yen person.

I can take it of course. but....if my boss knows I am going to leave end of year.. I wonder what he will say.
And.... I am really thinking if I should take.

Btw... today I was chosen as the "employee" of the month. Reasons was contribution to the team and also for having the 上進心 to take the exams. ( btw the exams also contributes to the overall level of the team and company)
But..... of course nobody really knows that wasn't my first intention...

So anyway, I tossed about in bed again last night thinking through these issues. I guess I can only make up to them by trying to finish a major project and not leaving behind the mess in my limted time here.

Gabarou!

1/4 down!

I went one of my exams last weekend and I passed! This must be the toughest I had so far.
Usually I finish my exams pretty fast and with much confidence but this is one, I really had to check and think through my choice of the answer a couple of times, not forgetting praying many times along the way too!
So thank God, I managed to scrap past somehow. Results doesn't matter as long as it is a pass and which means more cash is coming my way! Yeah... I feel half sad that I am so driven only by monetary rewards.
But throwing my pride aside, the money is indeed a great help when I am expecting many guests this month.

Another why I am so fervent in taking the exam is also because as linked in a post earlier, it helps me to feel a sense of achievement and that I am actually moving forward.

Talking about having a sense of achievement, something just dawned upon me when I watched the Olympics. Somehow I begin to really respect not those who got a gold but those who ended up with no medals after years and years of hardwork. The medalists are rewarded with a medal, recognition of their achievements, fame, material goods... but how about those who ended up with nothing? They bear the possible shame, insult or jeer. But is it true these people didn't put in enough hardwork? They also put in many years of toil just in exchange for the few moments in Olympics...
Yet these people still continue to work hard and to move forward even when their efforts were not paid off immediately.

Ganbarou myself!

Terrible Summer....

Last 2 days of July! Means Summer is also 1/3 over?


Nowadays, the weather in Japan is really bad and news of people getting heatstroke or even dying from heat stroke is all over the TV.
I don’t remember seeing so much or such news back in Singapore. Heatstroke is not really an issue we think about much (other than at Sport’s Day).
But imagine how serious the heat is when people suffer from heatstroke even at home.
Back in Singapore, we never had to blast the aircon in the living room unless perhaps if there are many guests.
A celling fan is usually sufficient to keep us all sane.

Last night I got a call from my friend who’s aircon broke down after she came back from a long vacation.
It was so bad that she had to go stay at someone else’s house after that because it was impossible to sleep…

I wonder….
Is it the way houses are constructed in Japan that causes heat to be trapped easily?
Is it the climate? The lack of natural shade from trees?
Whatever is it…. Drink more water!

Just spent sometime in the week and weekend for a friend who came over with her family. And my... I was so impressed by her son who is only 4 but can speak 3 languages already fluently! ( English, Japanese, Mandarin) and the most impressive thing is, he knows exactly who to speak to in which language!
Japanese grandparents father: Japanese
Mother: English
Grandparents in Singapore: Mandarin.
If you are wondering, I was grouped under English because I am his mum's friends. Hee that's how he does the association.

August will be a busy month for me though… expecting many guests and also plans to go travelling etc.
Better make sure I don’t get sick!