Perks of the week

Hi y’all, Jorge here. What a week it has been.

Night Shifts and Customer Stories
I have been able to work nights more often recently. When we have many customers, it’s such a blast. I can talk to so many customers from all different parts of Japan or from different places around the world. I can hear so many different stories from our customers, and it always gives me new perspectives on life.

Meeting Guests from Around the World
In December, there were many guests that came from all over the world. They had super cool ideas and plenty of fun experiences to share, either from Japan or their home country. This week has been lots of that. I got to talk to guests from different places in Japan, some Europeans, and even a Canadian this week.

Everyone has a different reason for coming to Japan, and finding that out is always super interesting. Being able to find similarities in our stories is always uplifting. They also came to Japan for a similar reason. I love it when I meet others who have studied abroad here, are currently studying here, or perhaps are looking to study here in the near future. If they have studied here, I can talk to them about my experience and ask what theirs was like. If they are currently studying, I can ask what they are studying, how long they have been here, or maybe what their plans are for the future after they finish their studies and go back home. For those looking to study here, I can give them advice on what they need when coming here and what to prepare for.

The Importance of Giving Advice
It’s always nice to be able to have someone give you advice, especially for difficult parts of your life. Unfortunately, we can’t always have people in our lives to give us that specific life advice. Because I sometimes haven’t had people to help me out with certain things, I, in return, like to be able to give advice to those who need it. I think that being able to do that helps start a good cycle. Someone who receives good, helpful advice might then feel compelled to help someone else because they got good assistance or advice from other people.

Passing on Wisdom
I was fortunate to have had very good teachers and professors who gave me helpful future advice and things to think about which changed my perspective on life and how I go about my day. I am always grateful for having been able to meet them, and in return, I do my best to spread the information they gave me to others.

The Power of Listening
But sometimes you have to be able to just listen. Not everyone wants advice, sometimes they are not in the right frame of mind to be able to accept advice. That’s okay; understanding that is important. Sometimes people just need someone who will listen to them, validate their feelings, and give a little push on the back, encouraging them to do what they were already intending to do. Communication can be difficult sometimes, but doesn’t that make things more fun?

The Joy of Fleeting Connections

You can learn so much from a conversation with someone. There is also a satisfaction you get when you really make a connection with someone. That’s the great part about the bar sometimes. You meet such interesting people, talk with them at length once, and then you might never see them again.

Of course, you can always exchange phone numbers, or in this era, you can get their Instagram or Twitter handle which can be interesting if you have similar hobbies. But it’s also just as cool to meet someone and have that conversation, letting that meeting stay in your head for a while. To be remembered every once in a while as a fun story to tell people. I have always enjoyed those encounters.

Treasuring the Moment – Ichi-go Ichi-e
When I first studied in Japan, I learned the term Ichi-go ichi-e, a Japanese four-character idiom. It is the concept of treasuring the moment, as it will be once in a lifetime. Even if you get together with the same people the next day and try to recreate what you just did, it will never be exactly the same. There is an English slang expression that is slightly similar and probably takes inspiration from this Japanese idiom: YOLO, or You Only Live Once. Encouraging us to live in the moment and not worry too much about the consequences, which unfortunately has led some people to participate in reckless behavior because of it. So let’s enjoy the older Japanese idiom instead!

Creating Lifetime Memories
Small moments like this can really make your day, or week. Maybe month. Year? Lifetime memory? It depends on the person, really. There is something very special about having a long talk with someone over a few drinks, ending it with a handshake and never seeing them again, but living with the thought in your memory, as long as that memory might last. There probably is some movie with that premise out there, I’m sure. If not, go ahead and make one.

Reflecting on the Week
So my week was filled with little fun moments that I will happily look back on, until I forget. Getting little gifts is also such a heartwarming gesture that still takes me by surprise every time. I don’t ever expect anything besides a good conversation. This week I walked away with this little bottle of maple syrup. The conversation that preceded it will be remembered anytime I use a bit of the syrup with my meal, and probably in the future when I find the bottle tucked away in my storage, assuming I don’t end up breaking it or throwing it away.

What do you think? Have you had any moments like this, moments you will look back on that are just a fleeting memory? People you have met once, and then never again? Do you ever think back on them? Was it a fun meeting? Did this bring back any memories of the past? Hopefully, they were good ones.