Very Strange interview
A couple of weeks ago, I saw a small job advert in the Japan Times, asking for a native English document checker, to work part-time in a patent attorney's office in Yotsuya. Having just done some research into intellectual property rights of animal DNA samples, for my job at the badger college (which I found fascinating - don't ask me why, it just was), I decided to send off my CV. Imagine my delight when I got an e-mail about a week later asking me to come in for an interview. The sender had attached an amazingly detailed, Excel rendered map of directions to the attorney's office. I was impressed.
So, last Thursday I made my way to Yotsuya, and found myself in front of Osuga & Associates 3rd floor office. I walked in and found myself in a short corridoor. No reception, just a bell on a shelf. In front of me was a room, but I couldn't see anything as the door was half closed. Coming from it was a gravelly Japanese man's voice, talking, as it turned out, to himself. I rang the bell, and a dishevelled looking woman with greasy hair and an old suit came scampering down the corridoor. "Ahh, ahh, chotto mattae kudasai, neh, neh!" (Translation "Oh dear, oh dear, please wait a moment please, is it OK?"). I said it was OK. She ran off, and then a minute later an equally rumpled looking woman came out, said the same thing and then disappeared. Then ANOTHER woman suddenly appeared from behind me, and asked me to follow her down the corridoor.
At the end of the dark, book strewn passageway, I was directed into a stuffy room, where the woman asked me to sit at somebody's desk. She then disappeared and returned carrying a file. She then told me that although the job is part-time, they need somebody to come in everyday, and that if I can't finish checking a document on a Friday, I can take it home with me and complete it there. The post began in August, but the partner must decide who will get the job, and if I wasn't selected then they would not contact me. Well, that was just silly! I mean, I've just taken time out to come in for an interview, and they'd not even spending 5 minutes to tell me if I get the job or not. She then said I had to check a document, and I had 30 minutes to do so. She wouldn't come and collect the document, because she had to go out, so somebody else would come along.
Honestly, some people are just so rude! I did the check (about LAN methodology), and then walked out. The place didn't have air conditioning and everyone there had lost their manners long ago. So, I wont be working there!
I went on a very pleasant urban walk with Jason today. We started out in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, which is full of Yakuza, hosts and skinny cats eating vomit on the side streets. The hosts work in hostbars, where they spend long nights entertaining women with witty talk and plenty of flirting, all washed down with gallons of alcohol. A very strange bunch they are too. Dyed, long, feminine, manga hair and very bad tans. They're all skinny as rakes and apparantly on average don't earn more than a waiter or shop clerk. They also have loads of billboards around Kabukicho showing rankings of top hosts, with their pictures glaring down at pedestrians. I'm not sure if anyone, apart from other hosts, pay these any attention, but they're very amusing none the less (see pictures).
A complete contrast was Yoyogi park, where we observed a an old man sweeping leaves into a very long line, with the utmost care and attention. This man obviously lives to sweep, he was brilliant at it (see picture).
Lunch at Fujimama's in Omotesando next, which was delicious, then we popped into the new Omotesando Hills, a largely underground shopping mall designed by Ando Tadao, the Plitzker Award winning architect who as it happens also designed where I used to work (NWIS). I must say I was unimpressed. It was very low key, minimalist and quite frankly, boring. Just a mass of expensive shops encased in Tadao's signiture grey concrete.
So, we were quick to exit, and found ourselves instead weaving through the backstreets, and came upon a little gem of a second hand bookshop called Intelligent Idiot. Only 500 Yen per book, all in very good nick. I bought "The Code Book - The Secret History of Codes and Code Breaking" by Simon Singh, and "A Widow For One Year" by John Irving. Although the bookshop is tiny, the choice of books (fiction, design, history, biography and childrens), combined with monthly exhibitions of furniture and accessories, was impeccable. The owner, buyer and staff of one was sat reading behind the till, and gave us a big smile and engaged us in some chit chat. Such a contrast from the stale modernity of Omotesando Hills!
After leaving the place, we continued onto Shibuya, stopping off at an oasis of a childrens playground to go on some rides (see pitures).
Jason had to depart to teach a lesson in Yokohama, so I met up with another good friend, Christine for a coffee and a chat. We haven't chatted for ages, so it was great to catch up with all that's happening in her life.
Finally, it was back home, just in time to avoid what is now a downpour outside (the rainy season has come!) Hope Miyu makes it back from Enoshima safely - she's gone to pray to the gods at some temple down there which is supposed to be good for small businesses.
So, last Thursday I made my way to Yotsuya, and found myself in front of Osuga & Associates 3rd floor office. I walked in and found myself in a short corridoor. No reception, just a bell on a shelf. In front of me was a room, but I couldn't see anything as the door was half closed. Coming from it was a gravelly Japanese man's voice, talking, as it turned out, to himself. I rang the bell, and a dishevelled looking woman with greasy hair and an old suit came scampering down the corridoor. "Ahh, ahh, chotto mattae kudasai, neh, neh!" (Translation "Oh dear, oh dear, please wait a moment please, is it OK?"). I said it was OK. She ran off, and then a minute later an equally rumpled looking woman came out, said the same thing and then disappeared. Then ANOTHER woman suddenly appeared from behind me, and asked me to follow her down the corridoor.
At the end of the dark, book strewn passageway, I was directed into a stuffy room, where the woman asked me to sit at somebody's desk. She then disappeared and returned carrying a file. She then told me that although the job is part-time, they need somebody to come in everyday, and that if I can't finish checking a document on a Friday, I can take it home with me and complete it there. The post began in August, but the partner must decide who will get the job, and if I wasn't selected then they would not contact me. Well, that was just silly! I mean, I've just taken time out to come in for an interview, and they'd not even spending 5 minutes to tell me if I get the job or not. She then said I had to check a document, and I had 30 minutes to do so. She wouldn't come and collect the document, because she had to go out, so somebody else would come along.
Honestly, some people are just so rude! I did the check (about LAN methodology), and then walked out. The place didn't have air conditioning and everyone there had lost their manners long ago. So, I wont be working there!
I went on a very pleasant urban walk with Jason today. We started out in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, which is full of Yakuza, hosts and skinny cats eating vomit on the side streets. The hosts work in hostbars, where they spend long nights entertaining women with witty talk and plenty of flirting, all washed down with gallons of alcohol. A very strange bunch they are too. Dyed, long, feminine, manga hair and very bad tans. They're all skinny as rakes and apparantly on average don't earn more than a waiter or shop clerk. They also have loads of billboards around Kabukicho showing rankings of top hosts, with their pictures glaring down at pedestrians. I'm not sure if anyone, apart from other hosts, pay these any attention, but they're very amusing none the less (see pictures).
A complete contrast was Yoyogi park, where we observed a an old man sweeping leaves into a very long line, with the utmost care and attention. This man obviously lives to sweep, he was brilliant at it (see picture).
Lunch at Fujimama's in Omotesando next, which was delicious, then we popped into the new Omotesando Hills, a largely underground shopping mall designed by Ando Tadao, the Plitzker Award winning architect who as it happens also designed where I used to work (NWIS). I must say I was unimpressed. It was very low key, minimalist and quite frankly, boring. Just a mass of expensive shops encased in Tadao's signiture grey concrete.
So, we were quick to exit, and found ourselves instead weaving through the backstreets, and came upon a little gem of a second hand bookshop called Intelligent Idiot. Only 500 Yen per book, all in very good nick. I bought "The Code Book - The Secret History of Codes and Code Breaking" by Simon Singh, and "A Widow For One Year" by John Irving. Although the bookshop is tiny, the choice of books (fiction, design, history, biography and childrens), combined with monthly exhibitions of furniture and accessories, was impeccable. The owner, buyer and staff of one was sat reading behind the till, and gave us a big smile and engaged us in some chit chat. Such a contrast from the stale modernity of Omotesando Hills!
After leaving the place, we continued onto Shibuya, stopping off at an oasis of a childrens playground to go on some rides (see pitures).
Jason had to depart to teach a lesson in Yokohama, so I met up with another good friend, Christine for a coffee and a chat. We haven't chatted for ages, so it was great to catch up with all that's happening in her life.
Finally, it was back home, just in time to avoid what is now a downpour outside (the rainy season has come!) Hope Miyu makes it back from Enoshima safely - she's gone to pray to the gods at some temple down there which is supposed to be good for small businesses.
posted by TOK at 9:22 pm
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