You may have heard, or even been warmed, by the heated Japanese toilet seats. In Japan, heated seats are so basic that even the most shoddy of public toilets have them.
To take it up 1 level, they also have a bidet function. And when I arrived in Japan about 7 years back, the pricier models then had a blow-drier function. Probably standard fare by now in all the new models. And oh, some special models have a water massage for constipated people.
A couple of years later, when we were outfitting our house and looking closely at toilet seats, they were just then introducing seat covers that automatically lift themselves up as you walk into the toilet, using a sensor.
And then after that, in my friends apartment, I saw a model where on top of the seat cover automaticaly lifting itself up, a light just above the water level comes on too. I don't know the reason for that - for people who go to the toilet in the dark at night?
And this takes the cake. In the daycare where my kids go to. Which is in a new building. So new that the only tenant that has moved in is the daycare (and probably cos of them the landlord will not be able to find another tenant! LOL). The moment I opened the door to the toilet, the toilet cover started lifting up. And then classical music started playing. It was really nice stuff. Good sound quality, not like the tacky stuff that comes out from handphones. I looked up to the ceiling. No, no speakers. I traced the music and it came from the toilet seat's remote-control panel secured onto the wall. The music was so uplifting that it took some effort to pull myself off from the toilet seat after I was done. It felt so peaceful!
I pressed the flush button. It flushed, the seat cover closed automatically and the music was gone.
Wednesday, December 13
On Leave/Testing new Camera
I have been on annual leave this past 2 days. Spent both afternoons at my fav Starbucks, also possible the biggest Starbucks in Japan. Photo attached. Picture taken with my new camera bought over the weekend!
Thursday, December 7
More Discipline Needed in the Office
A DD report was due soon and I had arranged with a 3rd year associate to discuss his portion of the report from 10.30am. I waited, no one came. At 10.50, I dropped him an e-mail (well, I knew he was probably at home sleeping and therefore no point calling him).
His secretary calls a minute later and says, "Do you REALLY have an appointment with him?"
!!!????
Of course, it was tempting to say, no, I just do it for the fun of it and check out reactions. But that would surely be lost on her.
It's just like associates calling our desks at 11pm to say, "Are you busy?". No, I like sitting at my desk late at night.
Anyway, back to that associate. He was indeed sleeping at home and according to his secretery, he normally comes in at noon. Then why agree to a 10.30 meeting? He did finally come in to the office just before 1pm.
Did I mention before more discipline in my office is needed?
His secretary calls a minute later and says, "Do you REALLY have an appointment with him?"
!!!????
Of course, it was tempting to say, no, I just do it for the fun of it and check out reactions. But that would surely be lost on her.
It's just like associates calling our desks at 11pm to say, "Are you busy?". No, I like sitting at my desk late at night.
Anyway, back to that associate. He was indeed sleeping at home and according to his secretery, he normally comes in at noon. Then why agree to a 10.30 meeting? He did finally come in to the office just before 1pm.
Did I mention before more discipline in my office is needed?
Wednesday, December 6
Shopping!
It's a sickness - the inability to stop myself from buying clothes for the kids!
I have spent a little fortune over the past week (actually, 2 days) at 3 different shops getting clothes for Kai & Taiga. They probably have a different outfit for every day of the month by now. As if that is not enough (and really, it is not when you see the cute clothes!), I have started buying clothes for Kai when he is 5 years old. He is now 2.5 years old.
Yup, you now understand how mad I have become.
I blame it largely on Itoyokado. Up to a couple of months ago, I would never have dreamed of buying any clothes from there. They had standard Japanese kids clothes i.e. dull colours (dull blue, dull orange and yellows, dark brown usually favoured), too many colours that it looks distracting, inane slogans, cotton that could have been softer for babies' skin and not necessarily cheap for that kind of clothing. Then they changed their line-up. Brought in i-petit and and bpi (bonheur something something). Both are marketed as French clothes although I suspect they are actually Japanese masking behind a French name. But they look so chic! The colours are more "foreign" and brighter, the designs simpler, no slogans and the cotton soft! I am known to buy the same item in different sizes (and hence shopping for Kai 2.5 years later already!) and then in the same size but different colours! And to fuel this craziness, the sales are on!
I dread to see my next credit card bill. And I have not even entered Du Pareil Au Meme yet,my favourite French kids clothes shop which is just down the road from my house!
I have spent a little fortune over the past week (actually, 2 days) at 3 different shops getting clothes for Kai & Taiga. They probably have a different outfit for every day of the month by now. As if that is not enough (and really, it is not when you see the cute clothes!), I have started buying clothes for Kai when he is 5 years old. He is now 2.5 years old.
Yup, you now understand how mad I have become.
I blame it largely on Itoyokado. Up to a couple of months ago, I would never have dreamed of buying any clothes from there. They had standard Japanese kids clothes i.e. dull colours (dull blue, dull orange and yellows, dark brown usually favoured), too many colours that it looks distracting, inane slogans, cotton that could have been softer for babies' skin and not necessarily cheap for that kind of clothing. Then they changed their line-up. Brought in i-petit and and bpi (bonheur something something). Both are marketed as French clothes although I suspect they are actually Japanese masking behind a French name. But they look so chic! The colours are more "foreign" and brighter, the designs simpler, no slogans and the cotton soft! I am known to buy the same item in different sizes (and hence shopping for Kai 2.5 years later already!) and then in the same size but different colours! And to fuel this craziness, the sales are on!
I dread to see my next credit card bill. And I have not even entered Du Pareil Au Meme yet,my favourite French kids clothes shop which is just down the road from my house!
Tuesday, December 5
Global 100 Village
I attended a seminar titled "Internal Controls for Corporate Governance" yesterday (courtesy of my firm). There was a very impressive speaker, Patricia Bader-Johnston who is currently with IBM. I liked her delivery but I think most of her little jokes were lost on the Japanese audience which would be very disconcerting for me if I were the speaker!
Anyway, her topic was on corporate social responsibility and she brought up the Global 100, which you may have already seen making its way round the e-mails. If the world were to be reduced to 100 people, this is what the village of 100 people would look like:
The Global 100 village:
Anyway, her topic was on corporate social responsibility and she brought up the Global 100, which you may have already seen making its way round the e-mails. If the world were to be reduced to 100 people, this is what the village of 100 people would look like:
The Global 100 village:
- 80 people are poor and live in substandard housing
- 41 live without basic sanitation
- 13 suffer from malnutrition
- 50 have never used a telephone and are unable to read
- 10 have access to a computer
I have 3 working computers at home (another 2 in storage to be dumped), numerous phones, heated towel rails that keep my towels nice and crisp in winter (although they are on the whole year through!), hot water......
That really puts things into perspective, doesn't it? Although I have seen the above Global 100 village stats before, it is always good to take a pause in my life to appreciate what I have and count my blessings.
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