Thursday 9th of April; Workplace and Yoyogi park
Door: Michael Do
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Michael
09 April 2009 | Japan, Tokio
Well, look at this. Seems like I managed to post more than once a week for a change! Not sure if this is a good thing, since I just arrived at work and travel-blog update is the first thing I do...
The topics this time are my workplace and Yoyogi park (which I visited a few weeks ago, just never got the time to post about it). But I'll start with describing the country and it's people.
As everybody knows, Japan is high-tech. Talking showers/cash machines/ticket machines/elevators, heated toilet seats, automated taxi doors, latest cellphones and networks, and so on. Even the price labels at the supermarket here are digital!!! Sugoi, desne? (small note: I still avoid using the heated toilet seats, that’s just too scary for me!)
Anyway, besides the high-tech part, people here are way different compared to Europe. Everybody has good manners (really EVERYBODY), people are very friendly+cheerful+helpful (although most don’t speak English). Strange things about the people: everybody is always in a hurry, talking fast like hell, walking around with a cellphone glued to their hands (mainly female-gender), and somehow people always tend to sleep when in the train (morning, afternoon, evening, it doesn't matter). I guess that’s the only moment when they are able to sleep… (note: Tokyo is always busy, people work quite a bit and there are always things going on that you want to check out, like the Akihabara live stage going on for 100 days.)
Last thing about the people, Tokyo seems to be trying to be environment friendly. Trash is separated by burn-able, non-burn-able, resources, and pet bottles. Burn-able are mainly stuff like food leftovers. Non-burn-able; I guess all junk that doesn’t fit in all the other categories, I never seem to have non-burn-able trash… Resources are glass and cans. Pet bottles are plastic bottles. Sounds good, right? Well, here comes the strange part! Batteries are considered as non-burn-able trash. They don’t seem to mind that it’s somewhat toxic X_X (toxic stuff should be collected separately, right?). Tokyo uses A LOT of disposable chop-sticks (one time use), that’s a lot of wood they’re wasting! Plastic bags are used like mad as well, and recipes… They always put it up-side-down next to your order. Problem is, every time you order something extra, they print a new recipe! Wasting paper like mad! They got the orders registered digitally for god shake. Guess it’s good enough that they’re trying to be good for the environment…
Enough about that, workplace now. Kuwahara Labs is part of the University of Tokyo and is located at Komaba Research Campus II. People here are either busy completing their Master, doing their PhD, or are working as researcher. Makes me feel kinda weird, since I have nothing! I’m busy with my Bachelor T_T
Besides that low feeling of myself, everything here is GREAT. Working times are very flexible, basically I can come and go whenever I want. I try to arrive at work at 10:00 AM and work at least 6 hours a day (4 days a week). But for now I seem to screw that up. First week I worked like 6 hours in total, including time of 3 lunch breaks! And right now… I usually arrive at work at 11:00 AM or later, and leave before 6:00 PM. Means I go around a lot in Tokyo :D I really enjoy my stay here!
People in the Lab are very friendly, and it seems to be normal here to arrive at work after 10:00 AM. Check out the pictures I guess, can’t really describe this place in words. Made 2 pictures at the workingplace, seems empty right? Well, usually there are only like 5 people here. I’m not the only one not showing up daily, although the other people probably got a good reason for not showing up (unlikely me).
Hmm, been typing quite a bit. Should shorten it a bit. Last topic, Yoyogi park. It’s near Harajuku, so on Sundays you get to see strange people! Again: check the pictures. I really like Harajuku area, small but has lots of weird stuff. Akihabara is fun as well, but I’ll post about that later. (note: Maids café!)
That’s it, here is the link for pictures:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v42/moonlight2002/WorkYoyogi/
The topics this time are my workplace and Yoyogi park (which I visited a few weeks ago, just never got the time to post about it). But I'll start with describing the country and it's people.
As everybody knows, Japan is high-tech. Talking showers/cash machines/ticket machines/elevators, heated toilet seats, automated taxi doors, latest cellphones and networks, and so on. Even the price labels at the supermarket here are digital!!! Sugoi, desne? (small note: I still avoid using the heated toilet seats, that’s just too scary for me!)
Anyway, besides the high-tech part, people here are way different compared to Europe. Everybody has good manners (really EVERYBODY), people are very friendly+cheerful+helpful (although most don’t speak English). Strange things about the people: everybody is always in a hurry, talking fast like hell, walking around with a cellphone glued to their hands (mainly female-gender), and somehow people always tend to sleep when in the train (morning, afternoon, evening, it doesn't matter). I guess that’s the only moment when they are able to sleep… (note: Tokyo is always busy, people work quite a bit and there are always things going on that you want to check out, like the Akihabara live stage going on for 100 days.)
Last thing about the people, Tokyo seems to be trying to be environment friendly. Trash is separated by burn-able, non-burn-able, resources, and pet bottles. Burn-able are mainly stuff like food leftovers. Non-burn-able; I guess all junk that doesn’t fit in all the other categories, I never seem to have non-burn-able trash… Resources are glass and cans. Pet bottles are plastic bottles. Sounds good, right? Well, here comes the strange part! Batteries are considered as non-burn-able trash. They don’t seem to mind that it’s somewhat toxic X_X (toxic stuff should be collected separately, right?). Tokyo uses A LOT of disposable chop-sticks (one time use), that’s a lot of wood they’re wasting! Plastic bags are used like mad as well, and recipes… They always put it up-side-down next to your order. Problem is, every time you order something extra, they print a new recipe! Wasting paper like mad! They got the orders registered digitally for god shake. Guess it’s good enough that they’re trying to be good for the environment…
Enough about that, workplace now. Kuwahara Labs is part of the University of Tokyo and is located at Komaba Research Campus II. People here are either busy completing their Master, doing their PhD, or are working as researcher. Makes me feel kinda weird, since I have nothing! I’m busy with my Bachelor T_T
Besides that low feeling of myself, everything here is GREAT. Working times are very flexible, basically I can come and go whenever I want. I try to arrive at work at 10:00 AM and work at least 6 hours a day (4 days a week). But for now I seem to screw that up. First week I worked like 6 hours in total, including time of 3 lunch breaks! And right now… I usually arrive at work at 11:00 AM or later, and leave before 6:00 PM. Means I go around a lot in Tokyo :D I really enjoy my stay here!
People in the Lab are very friendly, and it seems to be normal here to arrive at work after 10:00 AM. Check out the pictures I guess, can’t really describe this place in words. Made 2 pictures at the workingplace, seems empty right? Well, usually there are only like 5 people here. I’m not the only one not showing up daily, although the other people probably got a good reason for not showing up (unlikely me).
Hmm, been typing quite a bit. Should shorten it a bit. Last topic, Yoyogi park. It’s near Harajuku, so on Sundays you get to see strange people! Again: check the pictures. I really like Harajuku area, small but has lots of weird stuff. Akihabara is fun as well, but I’ll post about that later. (note: Maids café!)
That’s it, here is the link for pictures:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v42/moonlight2002/WorkYoyogi/
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09 April 2009 - 09:23
Chuck:
Nooooos, two posts a week! And I have so much to read already ;)
Seriously, talking showers must be awesome... I imagine it being something like 'You are now clean, have a nice day!' (You already said it's just temperature, but thats boring mate :P)
Also, you shouldn't feel bad about yourself, see it this way, you not even have your Bachelor and you are ALREADY traveling around ze world!
My colleague says hi! -
09 April 2009 - 14:57
Chuhui:
Hey Dude,
It's oke to be a Bachelor i'm here at NO also alone as a Bachelor student between all the other Master students. But hey I’ll manage, just have fun and forget about the difference. Plus you may make mistakes :).
Great pics btw.
Greetz from the Big Easy!!!
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10 April 2009 - 14:32
Shelly:
kan niet wachten tot het pakketje er is =D =D -
12 April 2009 - 14:50
C.Woot:
Man don't hurt your back working too hard! ^^
Nice pics! :)
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