lox.Journal

Reality Bites

Posted on 2006/09/03 14:40:19 (September 2006).

[3rd September 2006]

I wrote a post this morning (it was still the 2nd of September), I was in Florence, in an airport that I haven't been into for a good eleven years, if memory serves.

Eleven years ago, more or less around this period, I set off to go to England, crying my eyes out on the plane as it was circling the city that I was leaving, planning not to go back anymore.

It is clear that on the latter part I have changed my mind, only stupid people don't change ideas, but yet the Florentine airport of Peretola had to witness another “startup” this time, me leaving for Japan where hopefully I will sign the contract with this big Japanese enterprise.

As you might have spotted from earlier posts, the last couple of weeks have been pretty hectic, and I have radically changed my life.
This time I had more than 13 hours to think of what I am doing and where I am going into, helped by the fact that compared with the twenty two trips that I have done in the last five years with the previous employer, this time I was flying for me.

First of all, after a struggle that lasted 1 year, this time I did loose the privilege of flying business class.

I was totally unprepared to it, not so much for the food and seat that are obviously less interesting, but for a series of things that normally you don't get, i.e. toothbrush, little hand cream, face mask, socks, electricity plug for the laptop, and so on.
The trip was quite good, I have bought a copy of Orwell's 1984 (quite great so far) and took some notes of things that I am meant to be discussing in the next few days.

Arrived in Japan, no shuttle bus to the hotel, this time I was booked what is called here a “weekly mansion”. I think that the underlying idea of these WM (no, they are not Weapons of Massdestruction!!), is that if you live a long way from your workplace you can stop over these places for some nights during the week, saving the trouble of long commuting times and lack of sleep.

The impact with the WM has been quite hard. Used as I was to the feasts and luxury of the Shinjuku Century Hyatt, I am now staying in a room where there is very little space to do anything, I have a crappy electric stove (in the number of one unit), a bath that it's a task already to define as such, and a single bed, small for a Japanese person too I believe.

Well, the shock hit me when I realized that there is NO wardrobe as well, so no space for my stuff to be put anywhere!!!
I'll have to discuss about this accommodation as well, hopefully I can get them to change it for me, the prospect that in December I will have to spend 3 weeks here is DREADFUL.

So that's it. This is more of the real working environment in Japan, this is the real stuff that I have been shielded from in the past five years, this is why I think it's hard for a foreigner to adapt.
I can live with it, though I am not happy, but I also consider myself to be an extremely flexible person...

Anyways from tomorrow big meetings and the likes will start in full swing, let's hope everything goes according to plan...

Comment 1

Ouch! Well looking on the bright side, in a couple of years you'll be back to Business Class and the Hyatt!! (PMA - positive mental attitude!) Take care! :)

Posted by Nigel at 2006/09/04 10:12:46.

Comment 2

Let's hope it works out like that, today it has been one of the hardest days in my work life ever... I think it's part of this beginning, starting a new company and working for a Japanese firm, in some yeras time I'll look back laughing at it, but now I feel shattered!