All in a Day’s Work: Working Away from Home (Part 2 of 2)

By Shiera*

Majority of the Japanese don't speak English so they might avoid engaging conversation with a foreigner officemate. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I never even knew the names of the persons seated next to me.

As a Filipino, I'm fond of eating every 30 minutes or so. If I were in the Philippines, a pack of potato chips wouldn't usually last for more than 5 minutes if I ever decide to pass it around. In here, you'd think twice of doing that. The Japanese are so polite that most of the time, they won't refuse even if they want to. I've stayed here long enough to have learned suppressing my self from passing food around.

How serious should you be at work? I've been glancing at my officemates' screens as far as my myopic eyes could see and yes, you guessed it right. I've never seen a non-work related window in their screens during work hours. How do they ever remain awake after staring at the documents or the source code? I should really ask tips from them.

How long do I work? It depends on the others, especially the team leader or the manager. It may appear rude to go home ahead of your superiors. Currently, my work starts at 9:00 o'clock but my leader usually works beyond 7:30PM. Everyday, I'd have to hope and pray for someone to go home early so that I could follow suit 15-30 minutes later.

Usually, they hold welcome and farewell parties. If you're the one who's being welcomed or if you're leaving the company, the others would pay for you. These parties are expensive at least for me and for many of the Filipinos. Monetary aspect aside, these parties are one of those rare times when they talk to the others, even if you're a foreigner. Others may even try out their English skills at you. However, don't be surprised when those people who chatted with you would not be as friendly the next day.

These are just my observations and comparisons between the Japanese and Filipino work environment. I still find some things bit difficult to get used to but I'm getting there and I kind of like they way things are. After all, I am just an alien in this land.

Read Part 1 HERE

*Shiera is our guest blogger. She is a Filipina friend and a young professional who works in a cozy office in Osaka, Japan. This is the first part of her post about her sojourn in Japan to work. She authors the following: BISDAK BABBLES, SYDNEY EXPERIENCE, EXPLORING KANSAI & SHAYNA LEXINE