Jun 25, 2006

梅雨(tsuyu)- the rainy season

Here comes this season again. In Japan, June is the rainy season which is called tsuyu in jp. Most people don't like it cause it rains all the time which makes them depressing. yeah, that's true but I kinda like it personally. Don't know why but I don't mind the rain. Plus, during this season, we see this flower called ajisai everywhere. cute, huh? I don't remember if I saw this in the U.S. Is there?

One more thing about June. June has another name; June Bride. It is said that if you get married in June, you can be happy forever. Just a legend but why June? I don't wanna have a wedding on a rainy day, you know. is this June Bride thing only in Japan or all over the world??

Jun 22, 2006

Factory Work partⅡ

it's a bit while ago but let me write a little bit about the factory work.
So yeah, I was making friges for hours and hours... that was soooo stressful. check out my last blog for the details. but you know what, I did learn some things.
I was able to experience how hard it is to do the factory work. You can't imagine how tiring it is to just continue doing same thing for 8 hours a day. We shouldn't forget that because of them, we are able to make products and do business. Also, I knew that so many people are involved to make one prouct. of course, machine does most of it but still human hands are necessary. Human needs to watch the machines if it's working well, machines can't tell if they're doing it wrong, robots can't fix the problems, machines can't do small things (like taking off the tapes, connecting the right wires together), and they can't see & check the quality, safety, looks. And if you include the people from producing to shipping and sales, I bet hundreds and thousands of people have touched it till it gets to the consumer's hands. I was like, "wow, so many people are involved to make one single thing... because any kind of people must use man-made products, humans can't live by themselves. People help each other to make our life better." This may be too exaggerating but I was moved.

Anyhow, I just wanted to say this before it fades out from my memory. It was interesting but 1 day is enough. I would never ever do this again. Never.

And this week, I'm finally doing my "work"! Don't be surprised but I'm doing Accounting. Why? yeah, yeah I know it's not me but don't ask... it's a long story. I'll just say that's the Japanese Company. I'd never thought I'll do accounting either.

So next time I think I'll write about my work "accounting".

Jun 10, 2006

Factory Worker

so now, I'm doing factory work. haha. so much fun...
why am I doing this?? Ask my company!!!

well, there is a concept though. You know I'm working for a electronic company, right? we make products. so my company wants us to know the Genba (isn't this English word like sushi? it means "actual place where things are happening"); know how products are made, experience how hard it is to work at the factory, they want you to "feel" something by actually doing it and use that in our own field. Yes, this is very good and meaningful.

However, it's soooo tiring!!! Imagine you have to work from 8:30 am till 5:10 pm, only 45 min lunch break and two 5 min break in the middle. and guess what I'm doing, I'm making fridges!!! more specificly, I'm taking off tapes and small boxes from the fridge before it goes to the quality check point. Of course we can't do something difficult or important cause we're non-skilled worker. so don't worry, I'm not making defective product. I'm probably touching more than a hundred fridges an hour! It makes me crazy just doing this whole day... so stressful. I did understand how hard factory workders are working.

Some of you might be thinking "isn't things are made automatically by machines?" Yes, that is true but most of our products are made in other countries such as China, Europe, South-east Asia, U.S. and there, it is automatic mass-production. But since it costs more to make products in Japan, we are taking small but various kind-system, more value-added product. So, we do have machines working but in some parts we need human hands.

Anyway, that is what I'm doing these days and will be doing this next week also. ahh, I'm having muscular pain... can't wait till it's over.