The Battle Carries On

For the majority of my life I have had to fight for every single inch of life I have gotten. It is safe to say that I was not born with a sliver spoon in my month. I am the kind of person who was born with a wooden spoon on my month and a foot up my ass. I am no stranger to working damn hard for even the smallest amount of success or pleasure. With that said the battle carries on.

I thought that I was fully aware of the situation that I was getting myself into when I started working for my current company. I knew that things had gotten really bad and some greedy asshole had fucked everyone over. I also knew that the stability of my company was very much in doubt. Well, I wanted a job and a challenge so I accepted the position. I went though the training and got myself posted...and posted again...and again. For a while I felt like a traveling preacher. I did not think much of this but I should have.

It appears that things are not going as well as expected. While we do not think that things are going to fall apart again our profits are not in good shape. So, it has come to the point in which I may not make the same amount of money which was promised to me. This comes as a big shock to me. I thought that Japan was better than this kind of behavior. I expect this kind of thing to happen in America but not in Japan. I have been proven wrong yet again. I now find myself wondering if both capitalism and socialism are a load of crap. In capitalism you make less money because the company wants to increase their profit. In socialism you make less money because the company does not want to put forth the effort to make more money. So either way your gonna get screwed somehow.

I have been told that we must all pull together and insure that the company makes it though these dark days. Honestly, I want to believe that this is true. I want to believe that if we all just suffer a little bit things will get better. This kind of thinking is not what I am used to at all. What I am used to is that if the company ties to hurt us workers in any way, shape or form we teach them a lesson. Well, it appears that in Japan this kind of thinking simply does not fly. So, I am getting with the program and have agreed, if and when the time comes, to take a little pay cut for the good of the company.

For now I am going to give my full support to the company. I want my company to be a success. I am willing to go to bat for my company. I am going to give this new way of thinking a try. The management is being cool with me. They have been very open and honest about the situation. I must respect them for their honestly. We will strive to be a success or die trying. For the first time in my life I am being a company man. I feel a little afraid. Although, I am up to the challenge in front of me. This is going to be one wild ride for sure.

Starting to Feel Like Home

When I finally made the decision to make Tokyo my home I had no idea how long it would take to fully adjust. Sure, I have been to Tokyo several times. I had even taken up residence for an entire summer a few years back. Making Tokyo the place I call home is very different from a short visit or a summer hide out.

A total uproot from everything I know and understand is one hell of a big change. I left all my friends, family and connections behind for the land of the raising sun. In some ways it has felt like a total restart for me. In other ways it has been just a natural progression in my life. I have had a connection to Japan for almost ten years now. It started with a group of Japanese gals in college developing a certain affection for me. Those were much more simple times. Image about seven or eight young girls from Japan trying to live and go to college in the mountains of West Virginia! They had a tough time handling the 180 twist. They took up with me because I helped them out and was nice to them. They never heard `jap` come out of my mouth. I guess my early experiences with Japanese culture and hanging with those gals would make for a good blog post later down the road.

Anyway, after almost nine months of living in Tokyo I am finally starting to feel like this place is home. I got a job made a few friends and know the places to have a good time. I have never really called a city home before. For the majority of my life I have lived in the mountains. Yet, I feel that I take to city life pretty well. I remember during my teenage years spending many late nights laying on the roof of my house smoking a joint and wondering what was beyond those mountains. Well, years later I have come to understand there is a lot beyond those mountains and I am having a damn good time exploring all that the world has to offer.

I have had some people tell me that I will start to hate Tokyo after a few years. I really do not see how this could ever happen. I really love living in Tokyo. I can do just about anything I desire. I can taste the sweet goodness of just about any desire which flows from my mind. I do not even have to hunt very much to find a place which will cater to me. It is very rare that I have any trouble in Tokyo. Sure, I have had a few hard situations but it was very easy to resolve with no bloodshed.

Overall, I am very happy with my life at this point. For the first time in my life I have personal peace in my heart. A peaceful heart is worth all the gold in Egypt. I do not see my self making a trip to America in the coming years. Tokyo is my home now. I do not know exactly what will happen in the coming years but I am sure it will be exciting and interesting.