Taxis

It has been a long time since I took taxis home. Since it costs about US$100 for me to go home by taxi from the office, and since clients bear this cost, I feel bad about it and try as much as possible to take at least the last train home.

But this past week I have been taking taxis home again and whilst in the cab, I had this little trip down memory lane. The last time when I took taxis frequently was when M&A (mergers and acquisition) activity in Japan was at a feverish pitch, about year 2000. Some of my thoughts as I sat in the cab:

• taxi drivers are still so scary. They drive so fast. Even on Shuto expressway.
• Shuto expressway is scary. It's 2 narrow lanes. And it's above ground. And, the barriers on the side do not look solid enough to hold cars back when they crash through it. (Take last week where a truck crashed through the barrier and by stroke of luck, there happened to be some sort of pillar that prevented the truck from going all the way down, but the poor driver was thrown out of the cab, hurtled down and died.)
• there are too many trucks, esp. at that time of the night/morning, going way too fast on this narrow expressway.
• my office used to be in Otemachi and I used to stay in Jiyugaoka. That stretch of Shuto is curvy all the way with sharp bends. Curve right, curve left. Never straight. And the taxi drivers love this challenge, they step up to it by stepping on the accelerator.
• I have been told that that stretch is fabled and loved by race car drivers. So much so that when you play one of those driving games on Playstation, it covers that stretch. Exactly. Right down to the background scenery.
• I had 1 experience with a taxi driver once on that stretch that for the first time in my life, really made me fearful for my life.
• since that experience, I told all taxi drivers "No Shuto. Local roads please.". They all complied except for 1 taxi driver who insisted that we take the Shuto. He thought it was for cost reason and said he would bear the highway toll!!! My Japanese then was so bad that I could not even protest. So I just held on to my seat and did a little prayer.
• taxi drivers have good memories. I have had taxi drivers saying to me as soon as I get in and have not yet uttered a word, the location of my house. They actually remembered my face!

And for those of you who think Tokyo is big? My office changed locations. Totally different location as in different district altogether. Something like moving from Raffles Place to Orchard Road (in Singapore) and East End to West End (in London). Soon after the move, I hopped into a cab 1 night. The taxi driver turned around, took a look at me and said "Why are you here? Don't you work at XXX building in Otemachi?"

Men!

Or maybe, just my husband.

I have been keeping long hours at work of late (Japanese financial year end is March 31 and yes, M&A activity is indeed on a steep increase!). Monday night was no exception. I was thinking I probably would have to go home for dinner (at 3am) and work through the night, take a shower and get back to the office.

So I called Tomo from the office.

Me : I will have to work from home the whole night. Can you ask your mum if she can please stay over to help look after the kids [the baby does not sleep through the night yet].

Tomo : No need for that. I can do it.

Me: Are you sure? I mean I *really* have to work through the night.

Tomo : No problem. I can manage and still go to work the next day.

I arrive home at 3am and Taiga sees me and wants to be held. I hold him for a while and the next thing I know, Tomo has gone to his bed and was sleeping! Does not wake up despite my pokes!!!

The Things I DON'T Do for my Kids

Waving

Kai loves waving. Absolutely loves it. To anyone. To train drivers (one even honked the train after waving back!), to train conductors, to security guards, policemen. Anyone in uniform. Even to a passing ambulance (which was not in an emergency) and it was nice for all 3 men sitting in front to wave back. He does not just wave. He waves until they out of his sight.

Which is all fine. UNTIL, he insists that I wave along with him. Heck, he is a kid and can get away with it. Me? I will look like an idiot. So I don't. Which Kai totally cannot understand. In between his waves and smiles as he walks along and turns back, he would urge me to wave and then shoots me the puzzled "Why are you so unfriendly?" looks.

Warning Other People

And the other day we were standing outside the restaurant waiting for Tomo/Taiga to come out when Kai notices a group of women standing in the middle of the car park entrance saying their goodbyes (as many Japanese women are wont to do, which I don't understand). Kai got all concerned and in an urgent tone, started shouting out to them "kuruma kuru da yoou" (car is coming). There was no car coming but my boy has been well-trained that one should never stand in the middle of a road. The women were too busy chatting to pay any attention to him. After a couple more tries, Kai turned around to me and says, Mummy, tell them that car is coming. I did not. How could I? Kai was totally puzzled at this ineffective mummy of his.

Parenting is hard.

Urinal Sticker

What a brilliant idea!

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070220p2a00m0na017000c.html

It's still me

Same blog, different look. Have to give each of my multiple personalities some time to come through! ;-)

Well, I am a Gemini after all!

Tarot Card

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Valentine's Day

A day when the girls give the guys chocolates in Japan!

And in Japan, the gift giving is not just between lovers but is also a common practice within companies. So in the office where the girls are usually in the secretarial jobs and the guys are in the executive jobs, it has pretty much translated into a gift-giving practice of a junior to her superiors.

Now, where does that leave me as a female in a Japanese company working in a "superior" position? It is strange for females to gives chocos to other females, but I am sort of a boss ....

It means that I get fewer chocos than the guys, but I still get chocos. Can't complain! Below is a pic of some of the chocos I received today. OK, ok, they are all of the chocos I received today!