Something’s that you know and some you do not about Japan….

I was talking with the woman from Earlham in regards to things I will need to know:
Japan is set in their ways. While I’ll be working they will take out $ for my school lunch that is provided by an outside company. Because Japan has always adhere to strict rules for Centuries, here was a funny story.
One of the Foreign ETA’s did not like the school lunch that the Board of Education provided, so she wanted to bring her own. No one had ever, in the history of dirt, decided to bring there own. And because the $ is taken out of your paycheck, the school system was up in arms as to how to proceed. They never had a situation like this so they had to have many meetings as to what to do. It took them months to figure out that she had a right to do this and also create paperwork in order to reimburse her for the money.
Erika also told me that IF I was going to be sexually active and I needed to buy Condoms, then I really had to search for bigger condoms, they only come in one size, FOR REAL!

Good Friends are hard to find- and once you have them, never get ride of them-
Well, my friends made it down from upstate on Saturday. After there arrival, they rested for a while. And then we got a call from the FG’s. They invited us to a BBQ Biker rally near by. When we got there we had no idea how big this thing was going to be. There were about 1,000 Harleys parked in a long line. There was a band, all you can eat buffet, free beer and venders. We had a great time taking pictures of the bikes and walking around. It was a great time.
Sunday, we drove out to Robert Mosses Beach in Long Island. This was the first time the girls were at a beach. We taught them how to body surf, and swim in the Ocean. We collected sea shells and walked up the coast to the Nudist beach. The girls were fine and were grown up enough to see a bunch of naked people without laughing at them. We walked a good three miles and then watched the sunset before we left for home. I forgot my camera and I was not able to take any photos except on my phone camera. I am still kicking myself for not remembering-
I will post what I have shortly-

old photo
http://www.biddingtons.com/gallery/pellegrini/pages/05fpfloatingcorset.htm

In a little while surely you'll be mine
In a little while I'll be there
In a little while this hurt will hurt no more
I'll be home, love
When the night takes a deep breath and the daylight has no air
If I crawl, if I come crawling home will you be there
In a little while I won't be blown by every breeze
Friday night running to Sunday on my knees
That girl, that girl, she's mine
Well I've known her since Since she was a little girl with Spanish eyes
When I saw her in a pram they pushed her by
My how you've grown
Well, it's been, it's been a little while
Slow down my beating heart
A man dreams one day to fly
A man takes a rocketship into the skies
He lives on a star that's dying in the night
And follows in the trail, the scatter of light
Turn it on, turn it on, you turn me on
Slow down my beating heart
Slowly, slowly love
Slow down my beating heart
Slowly, slowly love
Slow down my beating heart
Slowly, slowly love............................U2

=MAYBE IT IS THE DAY, OR MAYBE I CANT SEEM TO STOP THINKING=


In the days when we were swinging from the trees
I was a monkey stealing honey from a swarm of bees
I could taste, I could taste you even then
And I would chase you down the wind
You could go there if you please, wild honey
And if you go there, go with me, wild honey
Did I know you, did I know you even then
Before the clocks kept time, before the world was madeFrom the cruel sun you were my shelter
You were my shelter and my shade
If you go there go with me, wild honey
You can do just what you please, wild honey
Yeah, just blowing in the breeze, wild honey
Wild, wild, wildI'm still standing, I'm still standing where you left me
Are you still growing wild with everthing tame around you
I send you flowers, cut flowers for your hall
I know you're garden's full but is there sweetness at all
Oh oh oh, love me with your soul
If you go there go with me, wild honey
Won't you take me, take me please, wild honey
Yeah, swinging through the trees, wild honey
Wild, wild, wild..................................U2

In honor of my Japanese tastes, Sasha's mother and I will be singing a duet- we will be dressing up in Long black braids and we will sing this for Sasha:
The Mothra Song:
(Malaysian/Japanese)
Mosura ya Mosura dongan kasakuyan indoo muu rosuto uiraadoa, hanba hanbamuyan randa banunradan tounjukanraa kasaku yaanmu Mosura ya Mosura yasashisasae wasure arehateta hito no kokoro inorinagara utai, ai no uta.

(English)
Mothra oh Mothra Hear our call for you to save us over time, over sea like a wave you come our guardian angel Mothra oh Mothra the people have forgotten kindness their spirit falls to ruin we shall pray for the people as we sing this song of love.

now thats CHEASY- canned of course!

Well, it has been a great week thus far. My boss left for Japan for the rest of the week, and I have caught up on all of my office work. This is one of the only days sense I have been working here that I have had nothing to do. Strange and very sereal.
I have been looking forward to this weekend. My friend from high school is coming on Saturday with her two twin girls. They will stay with us for a week. We had the girls last year for a week in the winter and we had a great time. They saw NYC for the first time. We brought them to the musiums, China Town, and various other places. This time will be great because it is summer and we don’t have to worry about the cold. I thought we could go to Central Park at night, China Town for dinner and maybe a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. We did this with my friends from Salt Lake City when they came and I really enjoyed it. The girls are dying to go back to China Town- that is great. Also, I thought I would show them around Nyack. There is a great river walk along the Hudson. Also, Sleepy Hollow on the other side of the river and a Train ride into Grand Central. All in all - its going to be great. I think after the week is up I might go upstate and help my mother get a garage sale together. My father is rebuilding the garage and I am sure there will be a lot of stuff they need to get ride of.
I have been in contact with the Gentalman I am replacing in Japan and I will write about that another time-

How far is Japan?

I was talking with my co-worker Tomoko about Japan the other day. She was telling me about how Japanese – Japanese really are.
When she was in Japan with her husband and their daughter, they were constantly being asked where they were from. Geizein, meaning Foreigner, is what Caucasians are called. If you are not Japanese, this is what you are called. It is also derogatory in some instances.
Anyway, she was telling me about how I was going to become a Celebrity, more or less, because I was not Asian, From America, and not Japanese. Though if I was a Blond American, then I would be a GOD. They rank Blond as being GODLIKE. Maybe because all Japanese look the same with eye and hair color. Hummmm, interesting!
Please note that there is a caste system in Japan. Japanese are at the top, Americans are second, and anyone else is considered more or less, the untouchables. This includes Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese. If you are Japanese and your will be getting married to another Japanese, the family will hire a detective to do a back ground check of your family history to make sure none of your family members where from the untouchable group. If they are, you will not be married. There is a word for it ‘BARAKUMIN” and if you ask about it to the Japanese, they deny the word and pretend that they don’t know what your talking about. It is Taboo to talk about it. My Japanese friend loves to pick on her culture. She grew up in Japan and then moved to Bolivia and England. She tells me a lot of stuff I am not able to read about in books.
I am totally getting off the subject. Anyway, she was telling me about when her husband was there with her and they were walking down the street to go shopping. Up the road a ways, a Japanese woman was riding her bicycle and when she got close, she saw that Tomoko’s husband was Geizin and lost control of her bike, fell off, and ran away. She was afraid of him. She said that for most other people, this woman being the exception, usually will stop you in the street and ask you where you are from. This is very important to them. She said that little kids use to hound her daughter. When she would ride her bike, kids use to run along side screaming Geizin, Geizen!!!
Walking Mount Fuji was also and interesting story. There are so many people that walk up and down the Mountain on a daily basis. From all over the world. For the Japanese, Tomoko’s husband told me that when they see you they say “Hello” and Not Konichiwa. No matter if you were Scandinavian, they assume you are American. For the tourists, they come up and down the hill saying Konichiwa. There seems to be a strange element going on here. All tourists try to be locals and all Japanese assume everyone is American……cultural differences? I think so.

Well, i put my two week notice in and this is the letter that i sumitted to my boss:
Friday, July 15, 2005
Marubeni Specialty Chemicals, Inc.10 Bank Street Suite 740White Plains, New York 10606914-428-8900
Dear Mr. Takeyama:
This letter is to inform you that I wish to terminate my employment with Marubeni Specialty Chemicals effective Today, July 14th, 2005. I have accepted a new position and have decided to move on with my career.
I want to express my gratitude for a rewarding employment experience with Marubeni Specialty Chemicals, Inc. and with you personally. This decision to pursue another opportunity was not an easy one. But it is right for me as I work toward fulfilling career goals. I hope you will respect my position in this matter.
My efforts until my end date, July 28th, 2005 will be to wrap up my projects here and turn over my responsibilities as smoothly as possible. Please let me know what you expect so this process is completed to your satisfaction.
Again, thank you for all that you’ve done for me.

Sincerely,
Melanie Wilber


Here is the one i wanted to send to him:
Friday, July 15, 2005
Marubeni Specialty Chemicals, Inc.10 Bank Street Suite 740White Plains, New York 10606914-428-8900
Dear Mr. Takeyama:
This letter is to inform you that I wish to terminate my employment with Marubeni Specialty Chemicals effective Today, July 15th, 2005. I have accepted a new position, one that will not require me to be a slave and a personal Secretary to a complete Asshole, like yourself, and have decided to move on with my career.
I want to express my gratitude for a rewarding employment experience with Marubeni Specialty Chemicals, Inc. and with you personally. You have taught me a valuable learning experience that I will never advance in my current position for the following reasons: I am a woman in a sexist office environment, I am not Blond, I have little respect for you and your mannerisms, and quite frankly, you are a complete Asshole. This decision to pursue another opportunity was an easy one. It was a perfect opportunity for me to work toward fulfilling career goals. I don’t care if you will not respect my position in this matter.
My efforts until my end date, July 29th, 2005 will be to NOT wrap up my projects here and turn over my responsibilities as smoothly as possible. I will sit on my ass, give you attitude, and crack jokes about you to my Trainee. This person will also be informed of His/Her position here and what job requirements, not actually stated to them upfront, will be. This will include becoming your personal SLAVE and that you will here after own their soul. Please let me know what you expect so this process is not completed, or better yet, Ignored, for your satisfaction.
Again, thank you for all that you’ve NEVER done for me.

Sincerely,
Melanie Wilber

10 things I hate about my creepy boss:

1.He is old school Japanese-
Meaning: he is a walking calculator. The only thing he cares about is Gross Profit Margins.

2.He always has a dried puddle of saliva on the side of his lips. Someone give him a cup of water. Maybe he is a robot.
3.He is Anti-social. He will avoid everyone until he has to. Hiding in his cubical is his favorite pastime.
4.He falls asleep at his desk. He sits up straight and sleeps in front of his computer monitor. As my last days approach, I caught him in the act and held a contract up high above my head and let it slam down on his desk- I startled the hell out of him.
5.He has no valuable skills. He does not even know how to mail things- that’s where I come in. I am a post office clerk.
6.He never takes time off. He lives here!
7.He waits until 4:59 to ask you to do something important, even though he has been here all day.
8.He has the worst Death Breath I have ever smelled. *we were in a meeting and I popped some breath mints in my mouth and offered him some, he refused them.
9.He sneaks up behind you, waits 10 to 15 seconds, and then in a whimpering, submissive voice, calls out your name.
10.He Farts in your cube while you are there talking to him! I guess he is not a robot.

Now, I dont feel so bad about my Sleepwalking Problems....at least she was not in her underwear- like me.


LONDON - A teenage sleepwalker was rescued after being found fast asleep 130 feet up on the arm of a crane, police said on Wednesday.
Emergency services were called to a building site in London after a passer-by spotted the 15-year-old girl curled up on top of a concrete counterweight high above the ground.
The teenager, who has not been named, had climbed up the crane and walked across a narrow metal beam while fast asleep during the incident, which happened on June 25.
It is believed the teenager had walked out unnoticed from her home near the site in Dulwich, southeast London.
She was brought down in a hydraulic lift after a two-hour rescue operation.
“Police and London Fire Brigade attended and the woman was brought down from the crane at around 4:00 a.m. and taken to hospital for precautionary checks,” a police spokeswoman said.
The girl was unharmed and later went home.