2017-05-28 22:03 Looking for something worthwhile
Y (Kuma's owner)
I like to listen to a radio when I'm working or driving. Radio broadcasting teaches me songs that I didn't know and it's a chance to find the songs of my tastes.
Recently my favorite is Labrinth who is an English singer and songwriter. My favorites of his songs are "Beneath Your Beautiful" and "Jealous." I found a man who attended the famous TV program "The X Factor" and sang Labrinth's song on YouTube. He sang very well and it was really touching. I realised how music influences people's hearts.
Long ago when I was one of the accounting staff department, my colleagues and I talked about how lucky artists are jokingly. In every month, we calculated and entered the data on computers and made reports. If we miscalculated and made wrong reports, we would be warned. Our job had to be always accurate and it was a stressful job for me, even if we made correct reports our work didn't deserve to be praised because people thought it's natural to be correct.
I remember one of my ex-colleagues said that he has finished making the monthly report correctly and said that "I have made sure that all the numbers are accurate. Isn't it wonderful? Will anyone clap their hands for me please?"
I know that the artists or singers who are often on TV and radio are the tip of the iceberg. Most artists and singers are having a difficult life to earn money. So, maybe doing accounting is not such a bad job to do, as at least people who work at an accounting job, who cannot get either the applause or the cheers, can have a stable life instead.
I respect people who can express their talents in any way; singing, painting, writing, dancing or whatever, they are great. The creations they made ease the stress of my life and make me happy. What a wonderful job that can make people happy!
I'm not an entertainer and an artist but I have an experience of being thanked by a stranger who played my jigsaw puzzle on my website long ago. At the time, I made online jigsaw puzzles just for fun. One day, I received an email from a man who played my online jigsaw puzzles. He said that he hadn't laughed for a long time and he didn't think he could laugh any more but after he finished assembling one of my jigsaw puzzles, he laughed. The jigsaw puzzle he enjoyed had a little trick that was a funny and comical animation that would be displayed after he finished assembling all the pieces, and he saw it and laughed at it. He seemed that he was suffering from depression or something. He said that he has got hope and said thank you to me. Actually, I have got hope from him. It was one of the most remarkable emails that I have ever received. I was so happy when I read the email and it became an opportunity to encourage me to make more puzzles. Making online puzzles wasn't my job at the time but I felt it was worth doing it.
I wrote about artists above, because it's easy to imagine that they felt merit from their fans. I'm very sure that every artist had the same kinds of experience that I had once and I think that it's not only artists, any kind of jobs have a moment to feel worthwhile.
Since I have received the email, I had been looking for a fulfilling and worthwhile job for me and I think I found it. A job is not only for making a living.
2017-05-27 05:39 Knowing each other
Y (Kuma's owner)
Long ago when I was young, I got a working holiday visa and visited Australia. At the time, Japan recognition was not high. Most people knew that Nissan and Toyota are Japanese companies but they seemed not to know about Japan. For example, when I was asked where I came from, I answered I came from Tokyo, then an Aussie lady said to me that she has a Thai friend too. She believed that Tokyo was located in Thailand.
At the time, common people didn't know about Japan, therefore Japanese food wasn't popular at all. There were several Japanese restaurants in Sydney and most customers were Japanese businessmen who worked for Japanese companies in Australia. Now, Sushi restaurants are everywhere, the differences between at the time and nowadays are remarkable. Common Australians are getting used to the taste of soy sauce and I can buy Japanese soy sauce at the local supermarket even though I live in a remote area. Once people got used to the taste of soy sauce, it seems that the other Japanese dishes are easily acceptable. There are several Japanese restaurants and I heard that most customers are locals, not Japanese businessmen.
As the recognition of Japan is getting high, the number of Australian tourists in Japan is also increasing. It depends on the foreign exchange rate but the visitors to the famous ski resort at Niseko are mostly Australian. I heard that the rate of Australian tourists at Niseko is higher than Japanese. The prices in Australia are high, and also the prices in the Niseko area went high. Australians get used to the high prices and they think the restaurants' prices at Niseko are reasonable but Japanese don't think so. This is one of the reasons that Japanese don't visit Niseko a lot.
Even though most Australians' purpose is skiing, people visit other cities in Japan as well and have a chance to communicate with local Japanese, and I think that is good to know each other. What is more, lots of Australian students learn Japanese at school and some Australians who I met speak Japanese fluently. I think the distance between Australia and Japan is getting closer.
In the economic aspect, Australia and China are very close. I think there are many Australians who can speak Chinese well like former prime mister Kevin Rudd. Most Japanese cannot speak English well, what's the difference?
Now, I'm not misunderstood that I eat raw fish (not sliced fish) from the head, people know what Sushi is like now. On the other hand, sometimes I hear that Japanese say there are many flies in Australia. I think the Cork Hat influenced the image of flies in Australia. Actually, there aren't many flies in towns. There are still some that misunderstand each other.
It will take time but both nations are getting to know each other little by little. The day that Australians eat Sukiyaki for dinner and Japanese spread Vegemite on a slice of toast in the morning are not far away.
2017-05-25 03:12 The hurdles of handicrafts
Y (Kuma's owner)
I love miniatures. Whatever they are, I love miniatures; houses, cars, food, furniture and plants. I hadn't tried making miniatures before and now I really think that I should have made miniatures when I was in Japan because there are lots of materials and tools in Japan. Not only miniatures, there are not many choices of materials and tools for crafts here in Australia, especially in remote areas. I think it is because the population of Australia is not large. It cannot be helped that the supply decreases if there is little demand.
However, there is another reason. One day I heard that the younger generation people don't make things using their hands compared with older generations. A few years ago, I attended a gathering of handicrafts at RSL. There were more than ten people and most of them were over sixty. The people who are the older generation got used to making things. I guess that it wasn't easy to buy cheap things when they were young, like nowadays. Now, there are so many shops which sell cheap products that were made overseas. People don't make things if they can buy cheap things easily. I can find amazing cheap products that if I made them in Australia, the cost of materials will be more expensive than the cost of product in the cheap shops.
The prices in Australia are high, therefore it will be expensive if I make something. I can buy cheap products everywhere but cannot buy cheap materials and tools for handicrafts. This is my problem making miniatures. I sometimes see the websites of Japanese shops and I can find so many options with cheap prices. In Japan, people say that the younger generation don't use their hands for making things but I think there are still lots of people who love to create things. The many kinds of materials, tools and books for handicrafts in shops are maybe proof that there are still lots of people who love making things. In fact, I had several friends who loved handicrafts in Japan but I don't have even one here now.
If Australians who love handcrafts go to Japan, I'm sure they would be happy to go shopping. I sometimes buy materials and tools from Japan, even I pay extra postage, it depends but mostly it would be cheaper than buying them in Australia. I'm disappointed to hear the news that the Australian government is going to impose a tax on products which were bought overseas.
I'm now struggling with buying the materials and tools for miniatures. I want to have Aussie friends who love miniatures and also who love to make miniatures. I know it's not easy to find them here because I live in a remote area. I found information about The Sydney Miniatures and Doll House Fair on the internet. There seems to be lots of Aussies who love miniatures. I wish to attend the event someday and also I wish that more Australians were interested in handicrafts. If the population who love handicrafts increases, the chance of finding materials and tools will also be increased, I think.
For the time being, I'm going to pay attention to make miniature furniture and food, and I would like to join some events of miniatures at some future time.
If anyone who read this blog loves miniature, please feel free to talk to me.
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