tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398781353996043657.post7573047824289489591..comments2009-07-10T16:39:52.400+09:00Comments on The Monster Flower: Tales From a Japanese Office — A PrefaceUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398781353996043657.post-69372599108070462592008-08-23T15:33:00.000+09:002008-08-23T15:33:00.000+09:00Hi Emily. Actually is your old blog still online? ...Hi Emily. Actually is your old blog still online? Would love to read of some more of your office experiences and observations.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398781353996043657.post-30632193197374946132008-08-22T11:26:00.000+09:002008-08-22T11:26:00.000+09:00Hi, Seth, and welcome. Thanks for reading and comm...Hi, Seth, and welcome. Thanks for reading and commenting.<BR/><BR/>I had totally forgotten about the birthday thing that used to happen almost exactly the same at our office (sans microphone - we only had about 30-40 employees)! Your comment brought that particular memory back. :-)Orchid64https://www.blogger.com/profile/07132543155589881288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398781353996043657.post-15460418286923673372008-08-22T10:34:00.000+09:002008-08-22T10:34:00.000+09:00Great post. I worked in a family place, about 120 ...Great post. I worked in a family place, about 120 of us. Every time someone had a birthday (average 1 every 3 days) we all had to gather, just before lunchtime, where the 'victim' would be presented with flowers and then interviewed about their life (with mic and speaker) and then give a speech about the turning point in their life (often, joining the company - naturally!). The whole palava would take about 15 minutes per birthday.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398781353996043657.post-80976828387480795242008-08-19T20:55:00.000+09:002008-08-19T20:55:00.000+09:00One of my students worked at a relatively smallish...One of my students worked at a relatively smallish place up until very recently (she finally got another job). She constantly complained about how the "vice president" (who was the president's daughter) got big raises and bigger bonuses than anyone else.<BR/><BR/>I can't say if my company was so lop-sided, but I can say that the president's wife worked only about 1 day a week quite often (if that at times) and was paid 500,000 yen a month. <BR/><BR/>Later, the president talked his daughter into working there, too, but she really didn't want to do it and eventually escaped.<BR/><BR/>I wonder just how many of these places populated with family members are out there.<BR/><BR/>Many thanks for commenting, Emily. :-)Orchid64https://www.blogger.com/profile/07132543155589881288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398781353996043657.post-58462859625397385582008-08-19T19:25:00.000+09:002008-08-19T19:25:00.000+09:00These minnow-sized companies remind me of the one ...These minnow-sized companies remind me of the one my student worked in. It sounded as if she was by far the smartest tool in the box, and so she requested a pay rise. As yet I don't know if she got one, but the whole shebang stunk of nepotism. It sounded as if the whole family was working there, my student being the only non-member. Apparently they'd tried to talk around the subject to avoid committing to a pay rise. I was very pleased that she stood up for herself and asked for one though.Emskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01695482838326498180noreply@blogger.com