My Boss

My boss always calls me into his office at the end of the month. Usually it is the 20th something of the month. Sometimes I do not know the reason why, but most of the time, I know why. It is about my payroll.

I truly think that my boss is one of the best boss that I have. At times, our clients show some contempt to him because of the game he plays over the negotiation. However, there are times that he shows he is a human with feelings just like us.

When he goes over the payroll, he asks me if I could survive until next paycheck. Who would ensure my life like that? My parents would not even do that. Yes, my pay is not as high as people who are at my age, not any employee at my company. However, I adjusted my life accordingly, and I do not have much complaint.

So it is such a joy to know that there is someone who cares about my financial situation and willing to negotiate.

I give him respects and trust every month, and I think that this is such a clever to make me work, definnitely much more effective to tell me to work.

The Starbucks in the morning!

On the way to my work, I always find people pouring out of the small starbucks right next to my building. It is right before 9:30. At least there is 20 people inside.

What is it that attract business workers to stand up in line in the morning at Starbucks?

I always wonder why they are willing to spend precious time in the morning on just a cup of coffee. They can catch breaking news on the internet, or they can go over their schedule one more time to prepare for the day and make it most productive. Yes the coffeee at starbucks brings an distinct aroma and flavor. It is bitter than that of Dunkin Donut or Crumbs. But is it something to wait every single morning? Is it that difficult to make their own coffee?

In my office, we can have coffee from Peru for free. Of course the taste is completely differnet from that of Starbucks, and I do not have a fluffy form in the morning but it wakes me up enough in the morning. For me that what the coffee is for.

I feel that sometime we drink starbucks coffee because subconciously we believe that it is a must to have in the morning. For sure, getting a coffee at Starbuck in the early morning is becoming just a daily routine for some. That is why they can still buy it when they are half awake!

A way Japanese co-workers interact with each other

I believe that Japanese people have an unique way to interact with each other compared to that of other cultures. As I started to work at Japanese company, I realized more and more about this unique tendency that its society has. They tend to create insiders and outsiders among Japanese at work or at any community where people gather. For us, Japanese living in the States, we seem to have the greatest icebreaker to get to know each other. However it is not that easy in reality. After we acknoledge that we are foreigners, we just move on.

One of the good examples that illustarte about the concept of the insiders and outsiders.For example, one of the interns from our company is going back to Japan and apparently, "we" are having a party in "the room" that only certain people have the privilage to request. The person in charge send e-mails about this farewell party to most of the staff members, but of course not to everyone. The funny thing is the party host does not realize they are creating insiders and outsiders by this simply action.

It is okay to have a group of people that they like to hang out with. Unless they act as if they are the best of the all of the other groups or try to interfer with other group's activities. Another example is that some of people from work are going to the concert this week. It is great that they try to forge a relationship on a personal level ouside work, but I wish that they do not act as if they are the only chosen one to become a member of 'we are the best' group and make others who did not get invited inferior to them.

All in all, this is just one of the ways the islanders communicate and interact with each other. I do not know if this is good or bad. I just hope that people are not get used to this isolated way of starting relationships because it does not apply to any cultures for sure.

A joy from this day on!

It was just an ordianry morning, when I was running a little late for my work. Even though I was in rush, I couldn't not stop enjoying chilly but pleasant breeze on my face. I knew it was little before 9 a.m. and there was not many people around me as most of the office workers left probably an hour ago. I thanked again that I can go in at 9:30 a.m. I also felt happy to realize how forunate I am not to get squeezed in the subway for an hour every day. Such a beginning of a day!

Then, a newsstand on the street came into my eyes. The main page of the paper stick to the plastic window facing the street said 3 day sale and it had an image of a telephone. I needed to go back and see what paper they are. The paper turn out to be the paper a.m. I was suprised to know that they distribute a.m. around my neighborhood. The only time that I can pick up a.m. is when I get out of subway in midtown. Even though the content of the paper is not as rich as that of New York Times, I like this free paper because it covers from local stories to international stories, and it not too biased.

Now, I know that I can get the paper before I start a battle of pushing myself into crowds and staying there for an hour and half communite! I am very positive that my morning will be much more exciting and more meaningful!

New Intern

Summer time is the best time for students to have professional experiences at companies. What we offer as a compnay is an internship program just like the others. However one thing that seems different from my internship when I was in school is that our interns do only choirs and routine mandane work that anyone can do. Honestly I feel that the position does not require any skill at all.

For example, last month, a lady started her internship. She is pleasant and easy to work with. She seems always happy with what she does, even it it is just folding envelopes for hours. In the past I also have folded thousands of envelopes to get recognized at my internship. I voluntarily took any task that lied in front of me.

However, I cannot wonder enough if these so-called internship is just a convenient program for employers to cover up talented youngster with office choirs. I feel that this program is taking away one of the most precious summer experiences from students to enhance their profesional skills.

The scam on the craigslist

It came all unexpectedly. I was walking to the kitchn, holding the check for the rent . I was just going to give it the owner and then to get back to my room to relax. Then, it happened. The words came out of the Chinese owner's mouth completely stunned me.
He said," you need to move out of this apartment in a month." He went on,"the landlord wants to give this whole 2 floor to his brother who is coming from Hong Kong. He is coming with a work permit and he has a wife and kids."
Moving in a month? I have a full time job, and I have a work to do after my regular work. It is not that easy to find the apartment that I want to live for the next couple of years. I did not want to rush into it. None of these made sense to me.
First of all, is it reasonable to ask someone to leave the place in a month is out of norm. That is a very unprofessional way to deal with his tenants.
Second, the landlord insists that he will not return the deposite back until I move out under this unlawful situation.

Saving money

This one Sunday morning, I realized that the owner of my apartment was still at home. It was quite strange to see him sittig at the kitchen table and still eating his breakfast as late as 9 a.m. I did not question much about this bazzar event at the time. I thought maybe he was off work.
For the last couple of months, he has been telling me about how slow his restaurant got . He told me who got laid off every other week, but also told me confidently that he would not be the one who will be in the same situation because he was very close to the restaurant owner. He trusted the strong bond and business relationship over ten years with his boss at one of the expensive restaurants on the 5th avenue.
However, he was not special to the owner as much as he thought or wished to be. He lost the job that previous Friday.
He has a family to support three little kids and his wife who just bore a baby. He used ot have a pretty decent life-style. He brought tons of crabs and ripen fruits to the table every weekends,go out to play grounds in different areas by his SUV and for some reason, he is still able to do the same, after losing his job.
I believe that he had been saving money for their kid's education, and now he is spending it little by little to survive this current situation.
It was just nothing but impressing to know the power of preparing for the big changes in life.