My apologies up front for the super long blog today, but there were so many cool things that happened at work this week. I don't want to leave anything out!
I had to give an hour long presentation on my experience as a trainee at Mitsui.
My fan club has gathered in Nagoya to hear what I have to say!
I was invited to lunch with the president of the Nagoya branch, Mr. Hanagata.
He is a big fan of mine and loves stopping by my desk for a chat.
After this lunch, Mr. Hanagata invited me to ride back to the office with him in his really nice chauffeured Lexus. The funny part was that everyone else, like my manager and my trainer, had to walk back to the office in the rain...
(Don't I feel special!)
We had disaster training in the Mitsui office.
Tag, Fujii, Kataoka, & KG reporting for training duty!!
Step One: During an earthquake get under your desk.
People were pretty sure I wasn't going to fit, but somehow I managed.
Fujii and I were cracking up the whole time this was going on. Apparently me crawling around on the floor is pretty darn hilarious. At least I didn't have a skirt on!!
But Fujii does not want Americans to misunderstand the situation. He admits that this really is a serious training, and we shouldn't be laughing and smiling in pictures, but somehow I make everything fun!
Step Two: Fire extinguisher training
Everyone tries the fire extinguisher out and aims to knock down some fake fire signs.
Step Three: First Aid training.
Oddly, it was not CPR, but AED training.
Automated External Defibrillator is that machine that jump starts your heart if it stops beating.
(Defibrillator... look at the R's and L's in that word... it's a lot of fun for Japanese people to try to pronounce!)
Fujii and Tag try their hand at the AEDs.
I was actually really impressed how active and involved Fujii and Tag were during this training. They were each chosen to represent their department, and I think everyone will be safe under their care in an emergency. (Now let's just hope they are not on a business trip if a disaster strikes!!)
Shiraishi's last day!
He's moving to Transfreight North America, so he will be in the same office as me in Kentucky!
Kerri and Shiraishi celebrating their move to America
I am checking out a farewell gift from one of my co-workers.
Since I have been sharing a lot of American candy lately, she gave me a bunch of snacks to share at Halloween in Michigan!!
I have received some really cool farewell gifts from my friends. Items such as: Japanese/English cookbook, rubber stamps of Hiragana (one Japanese alphabet), "power stone" cell phone strap (the stones were hand-picked and most of them are for finding a husband...), sushi magnets, sensu (folding fan), small change purse, etc.
Cheers to Kerri's hard work!
I'm trying some plum liquor. It's pretty tasty and probably pretty dangerous.
It would be smart to stick to beer!!
16 people joined my farewell dinner!
Here's my speech, and it looks like I'm about to cry...
It must have been a really good speech because then they started putting my colleagues on the spot, and asked them to say a few words about Kerri!
Here's Higashi pouring me a sake shot.
He said we were going to drink the "German way", and then we had to link arms and down our shots.
I am clapping for someone's speech.
No doubt they are saying something ridiculously nice about me and giving me an extremely big head!!
Now that everyone knows the "German way" of drinking is an option,
I did a lot of bottoms up after each person said a few words about me!
The whole group has had plenty of food, and now we're ready to move on to karaoke!!
I kick things off with The Beatles "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da".
Shiraishi and Tag bust a move.
I do a duet with my boss, Kataoka.
It's probably to a Michael Jackson tune like "Billie Jean", but I can't really remember so well...
Last song of the night is "Y.M.C.A."
By the way, do you notice how many people we have crammed in this room?
It sure was cozy... that's the Japanese way!
Everyone gets up to dance and do the motions.
On Thursday a reporter from the central Japan newspaper, the Chunichi Shimbun, came to the Mitsui office to interview me. Mr. Hanagata called them, and thought they should do an article on a foreigner working and living in Nagoya.
So on my last day (Friday), there was an article with picture published about me in the newspaper!!
This was big excitement in the office because the reporter wasn't sure it was going to make it past his editor.
One of the secretaries even went down to the 7-11 store across from the office and bought the entire stack of newspapers because they wanted original copies for many people!
Again... I'm feeling really "special" here!
Friday after work we had a HanaPachi ceremony for me.
(Hana = flower and Pachi = Applause, so everyone who leaves gets flowers and applause!)
Here are the ladies from work.
They told me I should be the only one sitting since I was "their Queen".
Geez... these compliments are unbelievable...
And now the men from work.
(I once told someone at Mitsui that they always separate the men and women, and they looked at me like I was crazy. But I'm not crazy!! This separation of genders is a little strange.)
Finally, the entire Motor Vehicle Department says farewell to KG.
(If you want to do a comparison of how many people showed up for this little ceremony, go back up to the picture from Shiraishi's farewell.)
A sad day for me indeed, but I am very excited to return to America!!
Many Transfreight will take a hint and start treating me like "a Queen", too!
