Situation not critical

The recent events have been quite frustrating for me. However, I am not too worried about my current situation:

- I got 3 more weeks to stay in my current apartment.
- After that, a co-worker has offered me to stay in his (currently empty) house (!!) in Kamakura - for free!
- In 2 weeks, I will have a job interview at a very nice laboratory.

Something is seriously wrong with this country

Yesterday, I had another great experience of Japanese hospitality. The background of the story is a little complex. A simplified version is: I might have to move to a new apartment within 5 days. This is logistically almost impossible. The only instance that can change this bad situation is the rental agency of my current apartment. Yesterday, I have asked a co-worker to call the rental agency for me. here is the dialog:

my co-worker: ... explaining the situation for about 3 minutes ....
my co-worker: Chris would like to come to your agency and speak with you about it.
agency: sorry, we do not talk to foreigners.
my co-worker: well, he would come with a japanese friend who could translate.
agency: that doesn't matter. we do not negotiate with foreigners.

I am still totally shocked about this. I will report this incident to the german embassy. however, i have little hope that i can change anything about my situation. there are no laws against racial discrimination in japan.

Japanese Cellphones

Unique features of japanese cellphones:
1. Electronic money
2. Watch anime
3. Easy check-in at the airport
4. House key
5. Employee ID
6. Public transportation access
7. Biometrics
8. Face recognition
9. Discount coupons
10. Olfactory function
11. Fashion coordinator
12. Broadcast TV
13. Motion sensor
14. Bookmark restaurants and points of interests
15. Privacy screen
16. Purchase movie ticket
17. 1D and 2D barcodes (QRWindow)
18. GPS navigation
19. Access poster ads with RFiD
20. Waterproof feature

Leaving work

Monday is my last day of work! Today, my bosses have allowed me to announce this to my co-workers. (I was anxiously waiting for this permission)

Of course, there is a rule in the company how parting employees have to conduct themselves. The amount of rules in the company is unbelievable. Being German, I was always convinced that no country has more rules than we do. Wrong! Japan is an order of magnitude worse... My traditional japanese company is no exception. I think that I could easily write a Kafka-style book about those things: "The company"

Example 1:
Chris: What do I have to do to get promoted? What are the criteria that determine that?
Boss: I cannot tell you - it's secret.
( I got promoted anyways, hehe)

Example 2:
Yesterday, I had to pay some cash in the human ressource (=HR) department - I had to pay 4000 Yen (32 $). I only had a 5000 Yen bill.
Chris: Hmmmm, what do we do now? Could you split up this bill? Do you have change?
Cute, but stupid HR girl: No.
Chris: Maybe we can ask somebody to exchange the bill? (about 100 HR people working in 20 meters distance)
Cute, but stupid HR girl: You don't seem to understand. There is a rule that we cannot exchange money.
Chris: ....
Cute, but stupid HR girl: but you can walk to the next supermarket and exchange your bill there.
It took me 20 minutes to split the bill....

Anyways, I am diverting. A co-worker has written me a very nice good-bye email. I was very affected by his email:

Hi, Chris

Thank you very much for having taught me the XYZ library.
It gave my life big influence.
I study and develop the XYZ technology to a base from now on.

[my comment: In case you wonder about XYZ: of course, there is a rule that I cannot speak publicly about it!]

New York Quotes

I have discovered an extremely funny web page with quotes from the streets of new york city.
i think that this page is especially funny if you know new york - these quotes are so typical for new york.... totally!
franz: please enjoy and ttyl

example from this page:

I Meant Nowhere White People Would Want to Go

Blond Tourist Bimbo: I've never even heard of the G Train.
Blond Local Bimbo: Yeah, it's a ghetto train.
Blond Tourist Bimbo: Where does it go?
Blond Local Bimbo: Nowhere.
Black eight-year-old boy: Except my home, bitch.

--G train Hoyt/Schermerhorn station

Overheard by: Ian Robertson

from Overheard in New York, Oct 24, 2006

Shocking Japanese Magazine

Recently, a disgusting magazine has been sold in Japan: see it here . It is clearly discriminating foreigners very agressively. Sick.... One quote:
Oi Nigger!! Get your fuckin’ hands off that Japanese lady’s ass!!

For publishing such an evil magazine in Germany: how many years would be the jail sentence?
10 years? 20 years?
I am not even sure, that this is being brought to court in Japan. This is just not right.

Unfortunately, Japan has not learned its lessons from World War 2....

Unemployed

I have decided to quit my job.
After July 1 I will be unemployed.