Month: May 2003

So well, today i had several meetings with the general manager, and yesterday I met the IT manager. He’s a very cool guy and I’m happy I met him cause I feel I can relate to him.

I was working on making a map of the network and connecting my puter to the network. I wasn’t able to. After a while I saw a screen of one of the servers that do Point of sales for the system they are using here, it’s called fidelio, and it said there was some kind of error.

I knew this was going to be a HUGE problem, cause those servers manage all the phone calls that guests make and some of the charges the hotel does to the accounts. Well.. after maybe 30 minutes people were running around, coming in and out of the room and trying to fix what was wrong. Of course, noone had a clear idea of what’s going on. Neither have I, but I’ve been here only two days. The one who knows how stuff work, was working all night long as a front desk clerk, and of course, when he’s needed to fix what’s broken he’s too tired to be able to do it.

I’m tired. and my back hurts, I’ll tell you why later.

Well, after probably 2 hours of people running around, they rebooted one of the servers, then the next half hour was spent trying to guess the proper password for one of the servers because seems that nobody knew what the password was. My IT manager had told me one of this passwords, and I knew his login, was a long shot but I tried it on the server and it worked. I saved the day.. Wooohoo.. and the General Manager was right in front of me. I saved the company millions !! (well.. not millions, but.. it’s just my 2nd day here)

Narita, Japan May 28th 11:45am

Soo.. It all started back in december last year, when I went to a meeting I wasn’t supposed to go. There I met a nice lady, we talked briefly about my expectations from my major, and what I was planning on doing for my future. I told her I was studying japanese at the time and that I was planning on coming to Japan in the near future, to join a japanese school and learn the language. She got very excited about it and asked me if I would be interested in doing a co-op (Co-Operative Education, something like an internship but you get taught as well) in Japan, I jumped at the idea and told her it would be a wonderful thing if that would happen. That same afternoon I went to visit her in her office and she told me she had spoken with her contact in Radisson and he told her that there were probably some opportunities in Japan for me.

Well it was more easy said than done. Since December I was running around all campus at the university trying to convince people that me going to Japan was a good idea. At least it seemed to me, having my first real job in another country using other language would be a one of a kind experience for me, and well, I love living one of a kind experiences, even if I’m scared and lonely inside.

Well.. more than just a story about what is going on I just want to write how I feel. I’m soo scared. extremely super scared. Don’t know scared of what. Because I’m not scared of failure, because there is not really much to fail on. Seems that the computer work they needed here was just simple stuff, as the have told me, and that is okay, I don’t mind doing simple work, I can always build upon that and show. Maybe I’m just scared this is not going to work for me and I won’t be happy. I’m scared that I’m alone now. I don’t have internet access and I can’t talk with my friends and family (Jon & Tyler).

Wow, I’m about to cry. Why, cause I have nothing. I’m just dragging around the world this load of enourmous baggage of things I don’t need, things that make me confortable in some way, but in the end I don’t need and just seem to make my life a little bit easier, although ultimately it’s just a heavy load.

First Day at work.
Narita, Japan May 28th 8:00am
Today I was expected to meet with my manager at 8am, he was like 15 mins late. We had breakfast, he talked a bit about the hotel and stuff, most of the things I can’t remember anyways.

He asked me, what do I expect from the internship. I don’t really know. I guess I want to have a job, do the internship thing, that is nice, and also I want to gain some experience so I fill my resume and stuff. I don’t know. I wanna be happy. How can I be happy. well.. that’s a good question.

I want to learn japanese. I will enjoy that.

Then some japanese guy, the financial officer joined the table and the started discussing about some finanncial stuff that had nothing to do with me. We ordered breakfast. I think from the nervousness I’ve been feeling lately I haven’t been eating much. So ordered some scrambled eggs and toast. They were kinda dry. After a while Miyoshi-san 三好さん joined the table. They talked a little about miscelaneous stuff and about my sideburns and my hair. They said it had to be trimmed a little.

Day Before that.
New York,NY May 26th 8:00am
I was in NYC staying at the same chain hotel here, I chose it because I wanted to get a feeling of the hotel. I didn’t liked that one too much, it had nice rooms though, but the whole neighborhood and feeling of the hotel had kinda run down feeling.

So I woke up, hemed the pants of the new suit, chatted with some friends and got things ready for the trip I’ve been waiting for so long. The JFK is huge, terminals everywhere and specially the Northwest/KLM terminal has a very “brand-new” and nicely finished feeling.

So.. yesterday I talked on the phone with my new boss. He scared me, talked about the conservative japanese society, and how different they are, and how it was very important for me to make a wonderful first impression and that his image was on my shoulders because he was responsible of bringing me there.

He asked me if I had a suit, I told him I don’t own one. Well.. Today I decided to go to Manhattan, (ohh yeah.. I’m in NYC) and buy a suit, got a hugo boss suit a $1500 suit at only $600, what a deal … (stupid suit) . I wallked all over manhattan trying to find one, sunday, the day before memorial day. Was hard to find a place with a 36 jacket, americans are always too big. Went to Armani, versace, max namara (or sumething like that) .. geee.. silly stuff.. I dont even like suits..

So went to sleep late last night, playing with the computer (yeah.. j/o, don’t ask) .. and woke up at 8 am .. or so .. was tired the whole fricking day.

So got the tickets finally.. well… we’ll see what happens..

I met this girl on the bus to NYC, she was kewl.. I think she liked me.. I was dressed nicely, we talked like we were friends for quite some time, she was a travelling nurse, interesting, she gets to work where there is shortage of nurses, and she gets to choose where she wants to go.

She gave me a book as a present, The Summon by John Grisham.

Soo.. I woke up.. was very tired.. i had problems waking up.. the email from japan hadn’t arrived yet. I was a little bummed, didn’t really wanted to go to graduation, but well.. I thought this was going to be a one time opportunity thing, so well, i took a bath.. took the robe and stuff and under the rain and by myself walked to the dunkin donuts center in providence for the 2003 commencement (whatever that means) celebration thing.

There I met Dimitri and Sandra, we played around for a while and I wore the cap and gown. They say .. hey .. there are people needed to carry the flags from the countries being represented at the graduation, so I went in and tried to find the Venezuelan flag, but wasn’t there, meanwhile i kept on looking at the japanese flag, so lonely and so simple standing by herself in a corner, so instead I grabbed that one.. *giggles*.. so among a crowd of like 5000 people i carried the japanese flag, and of course everybody was asking if I was japanese.. Gee.. silly people !! watashi wa Nihonjin desu !!

Our names were read, we walked to the podium shaked the hand of some guy there, and got a nice little booklet thinghy with my name.

Oh.. I graduated Summa Cum Laude. (whatever that means)

So I come back to the dorms at 11:30 am .. and checked the emails, and there it was .. The email from Japan,

> Luis,
>
> Hope this e – mail finds you well. Your flight has been confirmed to
depart JFK on Monday morning May 26. I realize this is short notice, but
this makes it that more exciting.

So, well.. I had to leave the dorms in 30 minutes and in two days I had to leave the USA for Japan. Decided to take a bus to NYC and stay at a hotel there until my plane leaves.

I’m tired ! 🙂

Ate a grilled shrimp chicken salad. Yumm !.. at least the chicken

mental note : Luis Antonio is dead

Went to my last appointment with the shrink today. Was pretty emotional. After a BUNCH of sessions it was our last, she told me that she really liked me!. That was very sweet of her.

Sooo let’s see what’s going on ..

I have to move out of the dorms on saturday noon, after graduation shit.
I might stay at Dimitris place (my greek ex-roomate)
I was chatting with my ex, and he didn’t realized it, but i got pissed and hurt and all in between. When i told him I was leaving cause i felt bad he got pissy. Gee.. that guy is soo clueless
I’m still waiting for the plane ticket from Japan, it’ll get here, someday.. I’m sure.. the question is when

The only reason for coming back to USA is to visit my heroes in FL, otherwise, I have no special interest of coming back here.
My stupid ex is finally blocked on MSN Messenger. Hopefully won’t hear from him in a long time.
My stupid roomate will stay in here and I’ll be 1 million miles away.

soo. what else.. well..

not much..

just to wait and see what’s in the path that lies ahead

Oh.. and by the way.. I finished classes today, handed in all my projects, did the presentations. I’m a graduated man. Academically speaking, i still have to finish my co-op thinghy.

Talking about that, today, the co-op girl woke me up at 8:30 am and told me that she did talked with Mr. Manager from Japanese hotel and he apologized and said that he was going to send the paperwork and plane ticket this week.

SWEET.. !

Just like when some people, when they get a lot of money, go out and spend it all on stupid things and end up broke and living on the street, the same thing happens with love. Love is an asset and when you get it, must be wisely administered, if you go crazy demanding things or expecting impossibles and you will go loverupt.

just my 2 cents.