Coming and going to Misfits
On the way to Misfits, the driver was an alcoholic. He wasn't drinking on duty, nothing nasty like that. He told the story of going to the hospital many times with his damaged liver. He still drank at home - he drinks a lot less and his wife and daughters control bhis drinking a lot. He said that he needed this control. Without it, he would have killed himself years ago or caused terrible problems for his family.
On the way home, it was a kojin taxi. He had been a kojin taxi for over 20 years. So you drive whenever you feel like it?
Oh no, I set myself a schedule. Everyday (except Saturday), I drive from lunchtime until 3 in the morning. People are weak. The only way to lead a good life is to impose discipline.
One gets his control from the people around him. The other gets his control from the routines that he sets. Where do the rest of us get our control?
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Flatulent encounters
I was on my way home from a rock and roll that we had played in Sakae. We found a friendly driver who was willing to stop for us on the narrow crowded streets of Nishiki even when he saw the huge pile of speakers, mic stands and other musical gear that is technically known as stuff. I spend most of my life carrying around stuff. Boxes of books are also known as stuff.
I was in a bit of a cranky humour because I had carried in all the stuff, but it seeemed to work for everyone else but me. My guitar amp was stuck on some crazy reverb effect that couldn't be turned off. Ah, give me the simple type of amp that just has three buttons. In the shop, it seemed like such a good idea to have an amp with 400 effects, but since I only ever want a clean sound they do tend to just get in the way of actually playing properly. I ended up not using my 20kg amp at all, but borrowing someone else's. Similarly, I didn't actually use the beautiful Roland acoustic amp as a monitor. Just like the last show, it keep producing ear-damaging feedback.
Tomo then tried to talk to the driver. Tomo's surname is Shagger, but that's a story for another time.
"Hello".
I didn't know who Tomo was talking to. We had already said hello several hours later. I assumed he was checking that he was still in touch with himself. We had all had a few beers and that seemed like a sensible thing to do.
No, he was talking to the taxi-driver.
"He's ignoring me," said Tomo.
"Hmm, that may be because you're speaking in English," I said. "Maybe you should try Japanese."
"No, he's ignoring me. He's not a nice man."
Of course, he was actually a very nice man. Because when I accidently let out a beer-inspired fart, the driver laughed and turned around to say "ii ne." Nice one - ah yes, I agreed that it was a nice one.
It's so hard to get appreciation for the work that goes into some things, like carrying stuff and producing fine flatulence. He was indeed a nice man.
I was in a bit of a cranky humour because I had carried in all the stuff, but it seeemed to work for everyone else but me. My guitar amp was stuck on some crazy reverb effect that couldn't be turned off. Ah, give me the simple type of amp that just has three buttons. In the shop, it seemed like such a good idea to have an amp with 400 effects, but since I only ever want a clean sound they do tend to just get in the way of actually playing properly. I ended up not using my 20kg amp at all, but borrowing someone else's. Similarly, I didn't actually use the beautiful Roland acoustic amp as a monitor. Just like the last show, it keep producing ear-damaging feedback.
Tomo then tried to talk to the driver. Tomo's surname is Shagger, but that's a story for another time.
"Hello".
I didn't know who Tomo was talking to. We had already said hello several hours later. I assumed he was checking that he was still in touch with himself. We had all had a few beers and that seemed like a sensible thing to do.
No, he was talking to the taxi-driver.
"He's ignoring me," said Tomo.
"Hmm, that may be because you're speaking in English," I said. "Maybe you should try Japanese."
"No, he's ignoring me. He's not a nice man."
Of course, he was actually a very nice man. Because when I accidently let out a beer-inspired fart, the driver laughed and turned around to say "ii ne." Nice one - ah yes, I agreed that it was a nice one.
It's so hard to get appreciation for the work that goes into some things, like carrying stuff and producing fine flatulence. He was indeed a nice man.
The Taxi Theorist
Are you busy?
- Yes, it's hanami season now. That's the season when Japanese like to go out and sit under the trees and drink. It's a uniquely Japanese phenomenon.
Actually, I was out there myself last night. It's always fun. There was a big group sitting next to us under the next tree having a formal banquet. They had brought out tables and formal cutlery.
- Ah yes, that's what foreigners are used to. Japanese sit on tatami but foreigners sit on chairs.
Well, actually it was the exact opposite.
- Yes, yes, the Japanese sat on the ground and you sat at tables.
No, it was the opposite of that.
I finally got through to him, so he adapted the theory.
- Ah yes, that's because foreigners who come to Japan want to experience the Japanese way. That's why they are here. And the Japanese, they want to experience another culture, too, and that's why they sit at tables. Everyone wants the thing that they don't have.
Interesting about-face.
So, is there anything foreign that you like yourself?
- Well, if I were younger, it might be different, but I'm 61 and foreign things don't really appeal to me. Japanese young people today have lost the bushido spirit.
Really. If you were live somewhere outside Japan, where would it be?
- I'd live in The Phillipines or Vietnam where men are still strong. Young Japanese have no respect for the strength of men. When I was growing up, men were strong and admired. Women were looked down on because they were weak. In the Phillipines, they still believe that men are strong, and a man can walk with pride. In my father's day, we looked down on women. We were strong.
Are you married?
- Yes.
And how do you get along with her?
- Well, we're not exactly equal in status. She is still weaker, but we are more equal than the older generation. Sometimes, I will go for a walk with her. In my father's time, a man would never walk with a woman. That would show weakness. Now young people walk beside each other all the time. They have lost respect for men. A man would have been ashamed in the past to walk beside a woman. That's why I still don't believe in lady-first, although the young people do that. Where are you from?
I'm from Europe.
I don't know why I say I'm from Europe these days. I used to say Ireland, but I got tired about hearing about the program that they had watched about the Irish countryside. Europe is too big to be easily classified and allows more ambiguity. Being ambiguous is good for a taxi chat because these guys can walk themselves into more dangerous alleys of conversation.
- Ah Europe. Then you're different from the United States. Over there, they all believe in lady-first. You don't all follow that in Europe, do you?
Well, we do a bit you know.
- That's because Europe is like Japan. Japan is based on the bushido system. Europe is based on the feudal system, so you understand the difference between different groups in society. In America, the people came from all sorts of different places, so they are far more diverse than Europe.
Indeed, that's why they all speak different languages and don't have the same chain stores in replicated malls :)
Ah yes, theorism is a moving feast. Moving in the taxi, I was sad to leave it, but the driver helped me unload my eight heavy boxes and seemed extremely happy with the 20 yen tip.
- Yes, it's hanami season now. That's the season when Japanese like to go out and sit under the trees and drink. It's a uniquely Japanese phenomenon.
Actually, I was out there myself last night. It's always fun. There was a big group sitting next to us under the next tree having a formal banquet. They had brought out tables and formal cutlery.
- Ah yes, that's what foreigners are used to. Japanese sit on tatami but foreigners sit on chairs.
Well, actually it was the exact opposite.
- Yes, yes, the Japanese sat on the ground and you sat at tables.
No, it was the opposite of that.
I finally got through to him, so he adapted the theory.
- Ah yes, that's because foreigners who come to Japan want to experience the Japanese way. That's why they are here. And the Japanese, they want to experience another culture, too, and that's why they sit at tables. Everyone wants the thing that they don't have.
Interesting about-face.
So, is there anything foreign that you like yourself?
- Well, if I were younger, it might be different, but I'm 61 and foreign things don't really appeal to me. Japanese young people today have lost the bushido spirit.
Really. If you were live somewhere outside Japan, where would it be?
- I'd live in The Phillipines or Vietnam where men are still strong. Young Japanese have no respect for the strength of men. When I was growing up, men were strong and admired. Women were looked down on because they were weak. In the Phillipines, they still believe that men are strong, and a man can walk with pride. In my father's day, we looked down on women. We were strong.
Are you married?
- Yes.
And how do you get along with her?
- Well, we're not exactly equal in status. She is still weaker, but we are more equal than the older generation. Sometimes, I will go for a walk with her. In my father's time, a man would never walk with a woman. That would show weakness. Now young people walk beside each other all the time. They have lost respect for men. A man would have been ashamed in the past to walk beside a woman. That's why I still don't believe in lady-first, although the young people do that. Where are you from?
I'm from Europe.
I don't know why I say I'm from Europe these days. I used to say Ireland, but I got tired about hearing about the program that they had watched about the Irish countryside. Europe is too big to be easily classified and allows more ambiguity. Being ambiguous is good for a taxi chat because these guys can walk themselves into more dangerous alleys of conversation.
- Ah Europe. Then you're different from the United States. Over there, they all believe in lady-first. You don't all follow that in Europe, do you?
Well, we do a bit you know.
- That's because Europe is like Japan. Japan is based on the bushido system. Europe is based on the feudal system, so you understand the difference between different groups in society. In America, the people came from all sorts of different places, so they are far more diverse than Europe.
Indeed, that's why they all speak different languages and don't have the same chain stores in replicated malls :)
Ah yes, theorism is a moving feast. Moving in the taxi, I was sad to leave it, but the driver helped me unload my eight heavy boxes and seemed extremely happy with the 20 yen tip.
Taishokkin
He was a friendly fellow and we got on to the topic of retirement. It seems to crop up in all kinds of places now that I am heading towards 40. My friends and I are no longer afraid to talk about exciting things such as pensions.
The driver is 58 years old and he's facing mandatory retirement in two years. After 18 years of service at the company, he will get a taishokkin of 3 million yen. After that he can work part-time at the company for as long as he likes. Many of the drivers in Japan work until their mid-70's, but of course, the pay is much lower for a part-timer than for a full-timer. Thinking about my age and his age, I realized that he started driving a taxi when he was about the same age as I am now.
He wasn't happy about the 3 million yen sum. I didn't know what to say. I don't even know if it's normal outside Japan to receive a lump sum when you leave the company. Here, it is most defintiely normal. For my university job, I will apparently receive a month's salary for every year that I have worked there. That money is taxed at a lower rate than regular salary, so it works out much better than the one twelfth wage increase that it implies. Just the other day, I discovered that I receive that money even if I don't stay around until the mandatory retirement age. It certainly beats the idea of receiving a gold watch on leaving.
What is fair? Why should a company be paying you a lump sum when you're leaving? Don't they pay you your salary for all those years - it seems a little tough on them to have to pay you a large lump sum just when you are leaving.
Interesting fact: statistically, people who work for other people earn more per hour than people who run their own companies. Even anomalies like Bill Gates don't manage to overturn this.
The driver is 58 years old and he's facing mandatory retirement in two years. After 18 years of service at the company, he will get a taishokkin of 3 million yen. After that he can work part-time at the company for as long as he likes. Many of the drivers in Japan work until their mid-70's, but of course, the pay is much lower for a part-timer than for a full-timer. Thinking about my age and his age, I realized that he started driving a taxi when he was about the same age as I am now.
He wasn't happy about the 3 million yen sum. I didn't know what to say. I don't even know if it's normal outside Japan to receive a lump sum when you leave the company. Here, it is most defintiely normal. For my university job, I will apparently receive a month's salary for every year that I have worked there. That money is taxed at a lower rate than regular salary, so it works out much better than the one twelfth wage increase that it implies. Just the other day, I discovered that I receive that money even if I don't stay around until the mandatory retirement age. It certainly beats the idea of receiving a gold watch on leaving.
What is fair? Why should a company be paying you a lump sum when you're leaving? Don't they pay you your salary for all those years - it seems a little tough on them to have to pay you a large lump sum just when you are leaving.
Interesting fact: statistically, people who work for other people earn more per hour than people who run their own companies. Even anomalies like Bill Gates don't manage to overturn this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)