It’s been a while since my last blog post. Recently, I’ve been dedicated to practicing metalworking, and I’m excited to announce that I’ve completed my very first ring, which I just listed on Etsy.com. When it comes to metalworking, I’m still very much a beginner, but I’ve managed to create simple rings. My current goal is to be able to embed Akoya keshi pearls of 1mm or smaller into the rings. It’s a challenging task, but I’m practicing diligently while also planning to create relatively simple Akoya rings for listing.
Metalworking is truly enjoyable for me. Even though I have hobbies like riding motorcycles and being in a band, I find metalworking even more fulfilling. I’ve become so engrossed in it that I haven’t been visiting my best friend’s house as regularly as before. However, his 6-year-old daughter asked him, “Did you and Jem have a fight? Is that why Jem isn’t coming over?” Upon hearing that, I rushed to my friend’s home to clear things up. Though she is not my own daughter, she’s incredibly adorable and has grown attached to me. When I try to leave, she cries and doesn’t want me to go, and I find myself almost in tears as well. In a lighthearted manner (of course), I may be causing women to cry with my dedication to metalworking.
Additionally, I’m still working on creating necklaces from numerous pearls. However, despite being involved in these creative activities, I am primarily employed at a company. I work for a company that cultivates Akoya oysters. My tasks at the office mainly involve administrative work, such as managing individual pearls on record, arranging supplies for oyster cultivation, and compiling reports from the cultivation farms sent to us bi-monthly. While these responsibilities are important, I yearn to be more hands-on in creating various Akoya pearl products, engaging in their promotion and customer interactions. However, in recent years, two new employees were hired to handle these aspects. Before their arrival, I used to take on those responsibilities as well. However, the workload became overwhelming, leading the company to hire the new staff. Although this eased my burden, I feel a bit lonely now, to be honest, even more so, very lonely.
To fill that void, I’ve been personally promoting pearls through my jewelry-making activities. Well, Japan is currently in the height of summer. Many people are exposed to the fear of heatstroke. TV and radio constantly remind everyone to be cautious about it. In recent years, it’s been said in Japan that leaving the air conditioning on 24/7 actually saves electricity. However, I have my doubts, and in any case, I am not particularly fond of air conditioning since I don’t tolerate it well. While my colleagues at the office dress in short sleeves, I always wear my jacket. My office job doesn’t involve much physical activity, and I tend to get cold in the air-conditioned environment. However, people around me label me as “quite peculiar” or “stubborn” because I don’t behave like everyone else. In Japan, deviating from the norm can sometimes be considered rude.
Additionally, for the past 17 years, I’ve been having only one meal a day. At around 26 years old, I was working in telemarketing sales, specifically piano tuning services. Every afternoon around 2 o’clock, I would become extremely drowsy, to the point where customers on the other end of the phone had to wake me up quite frequently. After trying various approaches, I noticed that skipping lunch prevented me from feeling drowsy. The first two weeks were tough, feeling hungry, but I got used to it. At that time, I used to read a lot of novels set in wartime. I’d read books even while on the train, during baths, and during meals. There were many stories of the Japanese Imperial Army marching for 20 hours without food or water, and even eating half-rotten white rice washed in rivers. Japan during that time seemed to have an obsession with the spiritual aspect, believing that as long as it was kamikaze Japan, they could defeat enemy countries even without weapons or food. I heard such stories from several elderly people I met through work who had experienced the war. They would say things like, “Three meals a day? Nonsense. We ate anything, even frogs,” and “We ate the stems instead of the potatoes.”
Speaking of which, in bookstores, you’ll find various books like “Three meals a day are recommended,” “One meal a day is the new health trend,” “Six meals a day is justice,” and so on. I no longer know what’s the right approach. At least I am considered healthy even by doctors, so I intend to live this way. However, the other day, I mentioned to a fellow pearl industry professional that I only have one meal a day, and he scolded me like a blazing fire. He said, “Hey, Japan is a country where freedom of thought, whether socialist or communist, is allowed! In any case, the majority of people in Japan eat three meals a day, and that’s absolutely right!” It was something along those lines. He went on for about two hours, lecturing me. Although I wanted to argue back at first, I thought this would be the time to stand my ground, so I simply expressed my gratitude. In Japan (and perhaps in other countries too), people who don’t push their own ideas but instead respond obediently without speaking up are highly favored.
Well, I apologize for the somewhat confusing content in this long-awaited post. During the summer vacation, I plan to visit the pearl cultivation farm for personal reasons, not for work. I’ll keep you updated on my visit. Until then, take care!
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