honesty and the Japanese

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Marjorie

The first time we got assigned here in Japan nine years back, we were so amazed at how honest the japanese are. Some examples: when you choose to buy an item and the sales person knows that that particular item has a defect, they’d point out the defect and ask you if you’re ok to buy the product considering the defect. When you left behind an item on your seat in the train station, you’re sure to find your stuff either in the same exact location where you left your stuff or in the Lost and Found section.

Even in the office, the honesty system prevails. We don’t have a time card or anything of the sort where we log our time in and our time outs. Our bosses approve our time sheets with the trust that the number of working hours we’ve inputted, including our overtimes, are really the hours that we have rendered our work. With a policy as trustful as that, the person that would beef up his/her work hours on paper even when they’ve actually worked less hours is probably a very untrustworthy person through and through.

I was again reminded of the honesty system in this country when we (me together with Atsushi and family) dropped by Osaki no Hana on our way to Yoshima.
Whilst enjoying the view,

one of us noticed these mandarins, or mikan as they are known in Japanese, for sale.

But no one was around looking out for the sale of their produce. There was however a note to just drop the payment on this bamboo pole.

Thrilled with the concept, one of us dropped 200yen into the bamboo pole and took one pack. We tasted the oranges right there and then and was so surprised to learn how sweet and juicy the oranges were. I’m not an orange fan as I usually find them sour and difficult to peel. But this one wasn’t just very sweet and juicy, the skin was so thin it’s so easy to peel. We ended up buying five packs (or was it six?). ~big grin~
Grandparents enjoyed its juiciness and sweetness as well when we got home.

Now if only we’d see more of this honesty system, it’d probably be a better world (and a more efficient one at that).

cheers for 2012!

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Marjorie

A few years back, I welcomed the new year in Japan with friends and colleagues. When we raised our glasses for a toast, before anyone could utter cheers and well wishes for the year, Gali enthusiastically and selflessly exclaimed “to Ate Marj’s love life!!!”. With a cheers as enthusiastic as that, even when everyone had their own wishes for the new year as well, everyone raised their glasses for the toast; a toast for my love life for the new year.

Funny. Because whaddyaknow? It was actually the year Atsushi and I started to become an item.

And so for this new year’s toast, after having had raised our prayers for the new year, I raise this imaginary toast to Gali. Gali, this is for you as my way of saying thank you.

Cheers to Gali’s love life!!!! 🙂

in-laws

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Marjorie

We’re staying over with Hubs’ family for the new year holidays. The past three days had been really interesting and fun that it’s just but right to have this post for them, which I know is not enough to express how thankful I am to them.

As we go drive around for a road trip, my chest swells with thankfulness. We have received a lot of blessings this 2011. But one of the biggest blessings is that Atsushi’s family warmly welcomed me as a new member of the family that leaves me with a feeling of wanting to be a better daughter-in-law because of all the good things they’ve done to me.

Ojichan, Obachan, Otosan, Okasan, Mayumi, ありがとうございました. I’ll do my best to make your son even happier.

Will feature later on the places we’ve been to the last couple of days once I’ve downloaded the photos. Here are some teasers for now.

Free milk from Shionoe (しおのえ), the dairy farm we went to yesterday. Their milk jam is just so delicious!!

A stopover at Osaki no Hana (おさきのはな) in our road trip earlier for this beautiful view.

By the loooong Seto Bridge (せとおはし).

For most part of this evening, we watched videos of when Atsushi and his sister were still kids, with Atsushi as young as four years old (gee that’s almost 28 years ago!). One thing I learned: like how he is as a grown up, hubs was definitely NOT a boring kid as we had tons of laugh with Atsushi’s antics. As Otosan has said, he sure was a comedian. 😀

getting ready for the new year

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Marjorie

It always comes as a surprise that the day right after Christmas, all those elaborate decorations in the malls disappear overnight; making you almost feel like Christmas had been only a dream. In place of the Christmas trees and decors though, these are slowly put on display, like mushrooms that has popped up overnight. And yes, it is for the New Year Japanese festivities.

Spent a number of new years here in Japan (all spent on shopping because January 1 sale gives you one of the best bargains throughout the year). But this’ll be my first time to really immerse myself with the Japanese festivities. And you bet I’m excited! 🙂

Two things we’re thankful for. We finally placed an order for the Laura Ashley curtains which will be sewn and delivered in four weeks. Yey! Was also able to send a box for my family. I know it’s late for christmas but the box was bigger than I’ve anticipated hence it took me quite a while to fill it up.

Tomorrow’s gonna be a mad dash in the office to issue outputs that needs to be issued before the holidays. Good luck to me! 😀

on dates and muji

Posted on December 24, 2011 by Marjorie

Hubs took me out for a movie date this evening. What else! Mission Impossible of course, which proved to be quite interesting and engaging. Go watch now if you haven’t yet.

We have some three hours to spare before the movie started though hence plenty of time to walk around Colette Mare and shop – for more books LOL. Hubs bought his usual number of book purchases while I bought these for the evening.

I bought these books in a matter of five minutes, too short a time for hubs inside Kinukuniya hence I wandered around Colette Mare looking for a stationery box to house our stationeries which are practically scattered about in the house. Wandered towards Muji, located at the basement of Colette Mare. And it made me smile to see this.

Maternity coats. Truly a big help for pregnant women and moms with newborn babies who has to carry their infants around during these cold months.

Here’s another style but I like the first one better.

Before the movie, there’s dinner of course. To celebrate the evening. A romantic chandelier.

And a platter of freshies arrayed beautifully.

On our way home, hyper from all the action in Mission Impossible, we dropped by Family Mart. Decided to purchase this Muji knickknack.

Seeing it wrapped so simply, as is all Muji food products, I didn’t have high expectations on it. But boy we were in for a surprise. Wonder why it is heart shaped as thus?

Frozen strawberry coated with white chocolate. Simply delicious.

Happy evening. Thankful.

presents and mails

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Marjorie

Monday.
People in the office are so well travelled. Ask them if they’ve been to Europe and you’re sure the answer would be that they’ve been to at least two countries at the other side of the globe. Hence, considering the tradition of bringing home presents/omiyage/pasalubong, there were times in the office when we’d have a motley of chocolates on our desk – like the day I had on my desk a chocolate from Russia, a Ghirardelli bar from California (this one’s a favorite together with Lindt and Godiva and Royce!!) and another piece of chocolate from UK. Sometimes we loose track already who gave the presents as sometimes, our secretary would make the rounds and hand us the chocolates by just saying (sweetly) where they came from.

Today, our “ration” is quite a number as well. (I wasn’t able to take a photo of the flat slab of chocolate from UK though).
This one’s a traditional Japanese sugar candy (I don’t know from what prefecture!). It reminded me of meringue only it’s creamier, and finer and, because I chose the green color, has the teeny weeny hint of green tea (matcha). Ain’t the design pretty?

Durian merlion from Singapore. Gah, I miss the prawn rolls (and the chicken rice and the chili king crab and the eat-all-you-can shrimps).

Now, we have a secretary who absolutely loves Disneyland so much that she’ll hand us her omiyage from Disneyland on a Friday or Wednesday making me feel sometimes like I’m time warped (I smile and nod at her as I deeply try to recall if it had been a holiday the day before). Yes, she takes a leave to go to Disneyland. This time, she got us this. Be magical! (Dear Disney, you never fail to remind me to dream ☺)

The pink Mickey I had before this was cuter (our secretary gave me two of this, yehey).

Sweet tooth is happy.

Monday and Tuesday, fruitful days at the office. Thankful. And finally, our wedding album is ready for shipping. Yey! 🙂

On Chocolate Hill

A chocolatey journey, with Yui!

Category Archives: life