So I've been here in Japan for a week, working my butt off. Since I now have a few hours to kill before my flight takes off, I thought I'd post to this long neglected blog.
For the past five days I have been working with my Japanese counterparts on a major project. (Yes, it's the same one I've been on for the last 3 years.) Most people here speak good english, enough to get the point across when you need to buy something or order some lunch. I haven't had a good conversation with anyone outside of work topics since I've been here though. It reminds me of the scenes in "Lost in Translation" where Bill Murray or Scarlett Johansson are standing there in silence for what seams like an eternity. I never completely understood the long periods in that film where there's no dialog until now. The sense of isolation is something that is easy to get lost in here.
I will say that the people are very friendly, even if they don't understand what I'm saying, and I have all the comforts of home. The plaza where my hotel and office building are located is a bit like the Houston Galleria. In fact most of the shops are well known western brand stores like Levis, LL Bean, Banana Republic, J Crew, etc. I actually had to hunt to find some Japanese food in the area I was in. By the way, Japanese green tea sounds good, but it's really fishy smelling. Tastes okay, but smells horrible.
Outside my hotel room sits what was the worlds largest clock at the time it was built. It's also a ferris wheel. I will post some pictures when I return to Houston.
That's all for now. I'm going to get another beer. First class lounges are very cool. Free internet access, beer, and refreshments.
I almost forgot, the title of this post means "That's how it is. Isn't it." (So dess nee).
For the past five days I have been working with my Japanese counterparts on a major project. (Yes, it's the same one I've been on for the last 3 years.) Most people here speak good english, enough to get the point across when you need to buy something or order some lunch. I haven't had a good conversation with anyone outside of work topics since I've been here though. It reminds me of the scenes in "Lost in Translation" where Bill Murray or Scarlett Johansson are standing there in silence for what seams like an eternity. I never completely understood the long periods in that film where there's no dialog until now. The sense of isolation is something that is easy to get lost in here.
I will say that the people are very friendly, even if they don't understand what I'm saying, and I have all the comforts of home. The plaza where my hotel and office building are located is a bit like the Houston Galleria. In fact most of the shops are well known western brand stores like Levis, LL Bean, Banana Republic, J Crew, etc. I actually had to hunt to find some Japanese food in the area I was in. By the way, Japanese green tea sounds good, but it's really fishy smelling. Tastes okay, but smells horrible.
Outside my hotel room sits what was the worlds largest clock at the time it was built. It's also a ferris wheel. I will post some pictures when I return to Houston.
That's all for now. I'm going to get another beer. First class lounges are very cool. Free internet access, beer, and refreshments.
I almost forgot, the title of this post means "That's how it is. Isn't it." (So dess nee).
