This time last year...
Around this time last year, I had just arrived in Aichi Japan for a 6 months stint at the Singapore Pavilion, World Expo 2005. It was very cold and I was trying to get used to being away from home, sharing a small studio apartment with 4 other girls (there were barely room to walk), taking 'temperamental' showers where the water can turn from icy cold to scalding (and vice versa) faster than you can say "Ooouch!" On top of that, there's always P*** to drop a regular dose of "bombs" on us pavilion guides. Still, what I recall the most is the excitement and the sense of adventure and exploration of living in Japan.I still remember how excitedly I squealed over MSN to Steph when I first saw the posting of job openings for the Expo on the JS Dept website around Oct 2004. I've been yearning to go to Japan and finally, it seemed like my chance had come. Yet the whole idea of living and working in Japan seemed extremely far-fetched and uncertain then. For one thing, I was just starting on my first permanent job and didn't see how I can go for a temporary 6 months stint, without losing that stability. Then I missed the so-called briefing which turned out to be interviews, as informed by Jamie, and never got news again.
Then just as I tot it was all over, Jamie got the offer and the news that there's still vacancies. Of cos there are, when they leave people hanging in the air for months without any news and only start contacting people 2 months before the event. By then, I've realised I'm not happy with my permanent job anyway and applied again immediately. Stupid P*** was disorganized and inefficient, which didn't make the process easy, despite the fact that they need people. I finally got in touch with Colin after quite a while of calls and emails and also Jamie's help. He offered the contract fast enough. But we've come to realize that that's not without a catch. The contract wasn't fair to us. We had to attend pointless, and sometimes even obnoxious, training. Then the whole issue of how lowly and unfairly paid we guides are, as compared to the STB and Kriston staff, broke out. The following weeks were a gruelling period of lots of discussion, strategizing, confrontation, long emotional phone calls and self-dabate and struggle, before we finally got settled on going. Basically it wasn't easy. But we survived.
Despite some ups and downs, it was a wonderful 6 months and 11 days. 2005 will always be a significant year to me because of the Aichi Expo. Friends I've made - Elaine, Jamie, Al, Papa, Sawayanagi, Nakane, Koike, Tooki & Yui, Taiki, Imaguma... Things I've done. Places I've gone to. Feelings I've had. Tears & laughter. Friendships, support as well as conflict. And loads and and loads of memories. These will always on my mind and always in my heart.
posted by weiling @ 10:34 PM
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