Lost in Translation

Posted on 2006/07/08 16:14:20 (July 2006).

[7th July 2006]

Never a title will be more fitting for the account of the day that I am about to unveil.

Today was going to be the big day at the headquarters of this huge Japanese corporation, well known for cars and air conditioning systems.

I had to meet the president of the main branch from which the section that I am going to work for originates.
The whole meeting, one hour, was COMPLETELY in Japanese, they asked me a lot of questions about my job, what do I do, my life, family, etc etc...
Though it was not a faultless conversation I did at least replied to everything in their own language, which is good.
The meeting was over and I had the feeling that something wasn't quite as I imagined, basically, as I should have suspected, my position and contract will now undergo the usual process of approval through the company.
Usual for Japanese, mind you. This means that if I am lucky and if everything goes as planned I might have a definite reply and proposal around mid August...

Needless to say that I am living this as a setback, I was hoping to have a final answer today.
This means more uncertainty for the next weeks and I don't relish at the prospect to be honest.

The work wasn't finished though, in the evening I had a planned dinner (read meeting) with the president and vice president of the section that wants to hire my services.

The dinner was nice, again all in Japanese, a bit more relaxed and quite quick, only a couple of hours. At the end of it I was completely knackered mostly mentally... Said goodbye to everyone and headed back towards Shinjuku.

The night was not over though.

I had an appointment with John in Shinjuku, we duly met and headed towards my hotel for a quick stop. He said that he had been in this bar on the top of the Park Hyatt hotel, so we went there, the view was quite impressive, and when I arrived I recognized the place...

It was the bar where they shot “Lost in Translation”!!!!
We couldn't have choose a better place!

The location is very nice, live music from this American lass singing jazz was a balm for my head, we have had a couple of drinks and.... totally unexpected...

WE HAVE BEEN PULLED by these four (yes FOUR, the number after three) young birds!!!

One of them cam at our table and asked us if we wanted to join them, of course we went.
If something like that happened in the Radstock days we probably would have had such an ego trip that it would have been impossible to keep us in the house for more than 2 seconds without being badly beaten by the other tenants.

I entertained quite a nice conversation with a lady from San Francisco, about fashion and design, while John was impressing the others with his set of charms and hilarious British jokes.

They were clearly there for the taking, experienced animals of prey like me and Dr.Hawkins, would have easily moved in for the killing (if you know what I mean, nudge nudge wink wink), if it wasn't that we really couldn't be arsed to do it, because it was a bit late.

Although they started hinting about a possible “after cocktail” entertainment, we decided that it was time to go around 1,30 AM, and gently (but firmly) escorted them to their room, where one of them (an half Japanese 20 y.o.) tried the “old” trick of the “I am about to faint”.
Dr.Hawkins quickly sprang into action saving her from the fall, but he wasn't fooled by the theatrical act and simply told the lass in a Humphrey Bogart voice “It isn't going to be tonight love...”.

Me on the other side had my hard time politely letting all the advances of the Frisco girl die. It was an hard job as she was quite fit, quite a lot actually, but that's they way it was going to be that night and after kissing her goodbye I told her, in a George Clooney voice that “If it was another time, another place, we would see the sunrise together, love” I left her lying with her back on resting on the door of her room with tears beginning to form at the sides of those marvelous blue eyes, widened in total shock and awe, looking at me turning the hallway towards the elevator, where John was waiting. (and where he betrayed his rotten soul by saying “You took blood long mate!!”).

What a night!

What a day!

Completely, totally, univocally... Lost in Translation!

P.S.
I might have exaggerated a bit, for pure stylistic reasons, the accounts in the last part of the post (the part of the British jokes), but all the rest is TRUE, I swear it, even if John denies it, you have to believe me we have been pulled for real!

And you turned them away ?!!! I can't BELIEVE it ! You daft pricks, the both of you !
Young fresh teenage pussies offered sur un plateau... ! Quel manque de bon sens !
What do you have between your legs, guys ? Paraplegic slugs ?

Posted by Sheri at 2006/07/08 19:58:01.

Che vergogna, caro mio, che vergogna...!

Posted by Sheri at 2006/07/08 19:59:45.

I admire your strength, will-power and sheer grasp of reality guys! Well done! It's far "cooler" to have turned the girls away than to have done the obvious (naughty Sheri :))

You will feel stronger, more like "real" men... and probably a little bit daft too!! :)))

Posted by Nigel at 2006/07/08 21:24:54.

To be honest it was all John's fault! I don't need to add more I guess... :D

Posted by Lox at 2006/07/09 12:06:27.

Oh dear, dear, dear.

The last eight paragraphs of this are, of course, total fabrication.

Whilst Lox's crazy imagination has produced a version which may be a little more interesting reading, the reality was nothing to write home about: we had a polite conversation for a short while with some people from America.

Posted by John at 2006/07/09 01:30:25.

Lox, I'm ashamed of you!!!
Why have you turned away such a wonderful opportunity? Never waste good things!

Obviously I'm joking :-) Anyway it seems it was a very interesting evening...

Posted by Federico at 2006/07/09 13:03:01.

I am not so sure about Johns fabrication theory, if you cross reference woth johns own blog for the evenings event,s I think he rather too swiftly, skips over the description of the girls describing them as "new yorkers" As though they were just a bunch of blokes they met.... clearly there is more here to be uncovered!!

Posted by Kev at 2006/07/09 13:58:26.

John is covering up because Chie reads the blog. But that shouldn´t matter anymore as on Saturday I spilled the beans and told her!! :)

Posted by Lox at 2006/07/09 14:02:49.

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