Posts

Comics: Hiring married women

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I had a classmate in US who used to work at an automobile company but quit her job to pursue illustration. She was also divorced. Upon graduation, she told me that she did not want to return to Japan because she would be "too old" to get hired and cannot have a career in the new line. I remember she was only in her early 30s and I did not understand why. I, on the other hand, was keen to go Japan to work one day. Years passed and I eventually gotten my wish to go Japan. Not to work, but to study. I was glad that I was studying so I had time to make new friends and do sight-seeing for a few years. I later know about the working condition and female discrimination that made me stop day dreaming about working there. Despite Abe's urge for companies to employ more women, employers tend not to because they are afraid that the female employee will quit when she has a baby, which sadly happens in most cases. It could be because their parents stay too far and are unable to

Comics: Japanese Office Toilet

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I went to a Japanese company for an interview before I decided to leave Japan. When I went to the ladies toilet, I saw a nice wooden locker cabinet mounted on the wall with small compartments. I know Japanese are very particular about hygiene but to see a locker for toothbrushes and sanitary stuff is a whole new world for me...

Comics: Working Early in Vietnam

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I was surprised when my talk was supposed to start at 8am at the Law University! Little did I know companies usually start work at 7.30am, which means I would have to wake up at 5.30am... ...

Comics: How to Cross the Street in Vietnam

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This is based on readers feedback on my previous comic strip. Just in case any of you are going to visit Vietnam!!! Though I admit wearing spectacles doesn't increase my eye power... (Actually I wanted to do another comparison strip about the roundabout traffic, but there is no characters involved and France has a lot of that too so I scraped it!)

Comics: Crossing the road in Vietnam

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Seriously there were no traffic rules in Ho Chi Minh City! Motorbikes can still dash the red light. My friend and I had to hold our hands tight or follow locals to cross the roads. Another friend of mine, who had experience working in China for a few years, was so terrified to cross the road that she had to take a cab to just reach the opposite street! (There will be 2 more comics about Vietnam for my Vietnamese fans, stay tuned!)

Comics: Job rotation

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Japanese companies do not let employees specialise in one skill but instead be a Jack of all trades. So even if the employee graduated from an engineering school, they will place him in sales. During promotion, they may even transfer a sales assistant manager to Human Resource!

Comics: Discussing with employees

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Although Japanese love to have meetings to gain a common consensus, they also may decide important things among themselves and simply let the employee know their final decision without discussing with them.

Comics: Getting New Namecards in Japan

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Based on my friends' real stories. Quite amazing that the CEO has to approve namecards too! No wonder there is a lot of overworking in Japan...

Sightseeing within Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in Vietnam

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Saigon Central Post Office The Saigon Central Post Office is one of the most popular tourist attraction in HCMC. It has a distinct architecture and colour that you will not miss when you pass by.

Mekong Delta day tour from Saigon Tours Vietnam

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We signed up a day tour from Saigon Tours Vietnam to visit Mekong Delta to see their floating market. Because it was a few hours drive from HCMC, the guide stopped by a cafeteria for us to drink Vietnamese coffee and coconut water. Vietnamese coffee tastes very strong and acidic, I became awake not because of the caffeine but because of the strong taste  ( ̄▽ ̄;;)