By Mitsue Finch Uchida
☆ 日本語・多言語の人材紹介派遣はアクセスアポイントメントへご相談ください Access Appointments for Japanese speaking recruitment ☆
(Please scroll below for the English version)
日本では既に夏日がやってきていると聞きますが、英国はいかに。。。雨の日々から、ようやく太陽が降り注ぐ暖かな日々になりましたね。でも風が強いのはどうしてなのでしょうか。皆さまお変わりございませんでしょうか。「5月病」と言われる病いがあり、新入社員、学生の方々が新しい環境に慣れずに心の病に陥るのですが、皆さん、心当たりはありますでしょうか。私も少しそれに似た経験があります。今でこそ動じないふりしていますが、私も20歳で新入社員でアメリカ系の医療機器の会社に就職が決まり、胸躍り入社したのはいいのですが、やはり右も左もわからず、正社員としての新しい一歩、とても緊張していたのを今でも思い出します。
そして、この会社新入社員の私に大手の某日系製薬会社（大阪本社）へ出張で行かせることに。もう前夜は眠れず、当日も胃が痛み何も食べることが出来ずに臨んだ当日。しかし、皆さん大阪の方々とても優しく私に対応していただき、無事に任務を果たすことが出来ました。胃はころりと治り、大阪の友人達と美味しいものを食べに街に繰り出したのをを思い出します。本当に病は気からとはよく言ったものですね。しかし私の上司も大したもので、ちゃんと大阪商人をいかに撃ち落とすかわかっていたようで、20歳のはちきれんばかりのお嬢さん(私)を敵陣に送れば、向こうさんは何でも言うこと聞いてくれるだろうと！！最近は男女平等、格差のない社会となり、このようなお話は効かなく、また聞かなくなりましたね。
5月と言えば、連休のゴールデンウイーク。そして立春から88日目（八十八夜）の5月2日辺りは「茶摘み」の時期にもあたり、昔から、八十八夜に摘んだお茶を飲むと長生きするといわれています。八十八夜といえば新茶のイメージが強いのは、「夏も近づく八十八夜……」という歌詞で始まる唱歌がありますね。そして、5月5日の子供の日の鯉のぼり、「登竜門」 という古代中国の故事からきています。ある時、一匹の鯉が激しい滝水に逆らいながら竜門を登りきったところ、鯉は竜へと変身し天に昇っていったという話です。中国では竜は皇帝の象徴でもあり、とても縁起のいいものです。今年は竜年でしたね。もともと日本では、武家に男の子が生まれると家紋のついた旗や幟（のぼり）を立てて祝う風習があり、のちに江戸庶民の間で立身出世のシンボルとなった鯉を幟にするアイディアが生まれ、武家は幟、町人は鯉幟（こいのぼり）を揚げるようになったそうです。子どもの健やかな成長を祈る気持ちでもありました。
さあ、ここでいつもの愚俳句・川柳です。
老眼に もゆる新緑 まぶしすぎ
蕨摘み くるくる頭 かわいいね
小雨ふり 新緑まぶし 雨上がり
☆ お知らせ ☆
私事ですが筋トレと家の改築のInsta linkです。お時間のある時にご覧ください
桂三輝さんが、4月も大変盛況だったこともあり、5月もロンドンで公演を開催します。切符の購入はこちらからどうぞ
それでは、素敵な5月を楽しみましょう～
☆ Access Appointments for Japanese speaking recruitment ☆
I hear that summer is already in Japan, but what about in the UK? At last, the rainy days have turned into warm, sunny days. Well, everyone is keeping well. There is so called “May sickness,” in which new employees and students become mentally suffering because they are unable to get used to their new environment in Japan. Have you ever heard about this? I have a somewhat similar experience when I was 20 years old and as a fresh college leaver and I got a job at an American medical device company, and I was excited to join the company and I still remember being very nervous about taking a new step as a full-time employee as fresh graduate. The company decided to send me, a new employee, on a business trip to a major Japanese pharmaceutical company (headquartered in Osaka). I couldn’t sleep the night before, and on the day of the big day I had a stomach cramp and couldn’t eat anything. However, everyone in Osaka treated me very kindly, and I was able to complete my mission well. My stomach felt better and I remember going out to eat delicious food with my friends in Osaka. It is often said that illness originates from the mind. However, my boss was also seemed to know how to take down the Osaka merchants, so when they sent a 20-year-old young lady (me) to the rival camp, our trouble client listened to everything what I had to say and they all accepted!!! Nowadays, we have become a society where men and women are equal and there is no disparity, so stories like this no longer work and if it is so it would be a big issue.
Speaking of May, it’s so called a Golden Week in Japan. Around May 2nd, the 88th day after the first day of spring (the 88th night), is also the time for picking new tea leaves, and it has been said since ancient times that drinking tea picked on the 88th night will lead to a long life. When we think of 88 nights, we have a strong image of Shincha(New tea), as there is a song that begins with the lyrics, “Summer approaches…88 nights…” The carp streamer on Children’s Day, May 5th, comes from an ancient Chinese story called “”Toryumon” . The story goes that one day, a carp climbed up the dragon gate against the mighty waterfall, and the carp transformed into a dragon and ascended to heaven. In China, the dragon is also a symbol of the emperor and is considered as a very lucky. This year was the year of the dragon!!
Originally, in Japan, when a son was born to a samurai family, there was a custom to celebrate by setting up a flag or banner with the family crest on it, and later the idea of using a carp, which became a symbol of career advancement among the merchant people of Edo, was born. It is said that samurai families began to fly flags, and ordinary family began to fly carp streamers and wishing all the children grow healthy and well.
Now, here’s my usual goofy haiku/senryu.
*Fresh green leaves are too bright for presbyopia
*Cute bracken picking round head
*Light rain sprinkled with fresh greenery After the rain
< Information >
1) This is my Instagram for the weight training and house renovation: #
2) Katsura Sushine will perform in May again after successful April show in West End. Click here for the tickets!
Let’s enjoy the wonderful month of May!
From all of us at Access Appointment
☆ Access Appointments for Japanese speaking recruitment ☆