Company family day

Today (or technically yesterday since it’s now past midnight) was our company’s family day – a day in which employees’ kids could get a glimpse of their parent’s workplace. The program is open for those who have kids from 4th to 6th grade in elementary. So for those colleagues who have kids around that age, they had their kids tag along with them for most of the day.

You couldn’t just bring along your kid on an impromptu whim however, your kid has to be registered ahead of time. The program is very well organised, I think, owing primarily to security reasons. The kids even have their own IDs with their photos on it – with the card coloured a pretty pink! whilst employees generally have blue or green – which they can use to open the glass doors for certain floors of the building.

If I were the kid, I’d be really wide eyed the whole day. First they had an orientation which took most part of the morning. One of the assistant area lead of our project had a kid who was part of the program so we all had lunch with him. The early part of the afternoon his Dad took him to meet our Clients who shared that they too have the same program in their country. After which the kid stayed on the vacant desk beside his Dad and “helped” by filing some outputs. Yet even with the simple task, he was very serious with it.

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I’m really glad there’s such a program in the office. Sometimes people work so hard the work-life balance is often off-balance, and leaning always on the work side. Excited for our little one’s turn some 9 years from now! Haha.

elections in Japan

As what yesterday’s Japan Google doodle had shown, yesterday was Japan’s national elections.

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I wouldn’t dare explain here how elections and politics are in Japan – every time Hubs explain to me, I end up having more questions.
What I’m amazed with though is how clean the campaign season is. And no I don’t mean the part wherein no politicians are handing money to voters but how there is minimal garbage during campaign season.

Back in the country where I grew up, practically almost all vertical space are taken up by posters and flyers bearing politicians’ names and faces. What you could see here though are temporary wooden structures mounted up every block or so. Each structure has a wall wherein candidates from each party are allotted a certain space.

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Hubs said that posting in places other than these allotted spaces are prohibited in Japan. Very impressive. Think of how the flyers could have ruined this beautiful riverside walk had Japan didn’t ban random posting of election flyers.

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I just find it funny though how some of the flyers are so advanced. Some of them have barcodes that you could scan with your mobile phones to take you directly to the candidates’ website.

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Elections ended at 7pm but as early as 8pm, almost 90% of the results were already out! Impressive. But not nearly as impressive as how cleanliness is kept despite the intensive campaigning.

Kudos Japan for keeping your beautiful country clean!

Børnelund Playworld

As a treat for enduring yet another round of vaccines, we brought Yui to the newly opened Børnelund Playworld/あそびのせかい (openedlast June 21) located in the likewise newly opened Mark Is. Fees was reasonable as well with 600yen for 30 minutes for parent/guardian, 300yen for babies and kids, and 100yen for the adults for every 10 minute-extension.

It was a wonderland for Yui. We only mostly stayed at the babies section, however.

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This one is Yui’s favourite.

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There’s also ball pool like those that are popular in the Philippines.

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And an area for bigger, more active kids.

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Play partners!

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Thing is, we were only able to explore the left side of the place. There were more interesting stuff on the right side! Left side was already more than enough for a baby that we just stayed there mostly. I wasn’t even able to take a photo of the right side! But definitely there’s gonna be a next time!

the 80s exhibit at Landmark Tower

I was born just right at the turn of the 80s decade. I actually don’t feel old yet. But if you see that the decade you grew up into is on exhibit, then probably it’s time for a reality check?

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There’s 80s fashion, music, movies among others.

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Ahhh Ghostbusters. Karate Kid. The Blue Lagoon. The Labyrinth. Batman. The Ghost. Footloose. Gremlins. The Rocky series. I haven’t watched the other movies featured above but I firmly believe Star Wars (with Ewoks TV series), E.T., The Manequin, Neverending Story and Splash should be there too!! I guess though they’re just featuring those which were popular here in Japan. Ahh 80s!!
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Oh yes, I just have to add this in –> Dirty Dancing!!

melon fiesta

People in the office are frequent travellers. Be it for business or pleasure. So we’re used to the secretary walking around, distributing some omiyage/pasalubong/present at 3pm.

We usually have chocolates, crackers or some sweets. For today however, same as last year, some guy with a humour thought of bringing along a different kind of omiyage. It felt weird but I’m more than happy (and thankful!) to have a break with it. Who can refuse a sweet melon?!

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