It's been a long time.....
It's been a very long time since I touched this thing. I do have about ten thousand things to update on. But time has been an issue, also Facebook and twitter took over from blogging so I haven't had the need to update here too. I should do though, as now I have a shiney new ipad2 which I can type on anywhere and update anytime (social networks took over from traditional lj blogging).
So in a quick rundown, I'll name some awesome or maybe not so awesome things that shave occurred since last we met.
Belly dance has been going extremely well. I've performed a lot... I can't even count the number of times now... But I love it and I'll continue it as next I can.
I also went to New York with my international besties and had a great time!!!!!
Art wise...wow that's a big area of my life that's improved. I've been in many many art shows over the last 10 months. My favourites include a shrine in Inuyama where I made an installation of digital illustration work coming out of the ceiling and stairs. (this went down really well), and a cafe in the same building as the famous store Loft.
I also got through round one of a flag art competition in Gifu and my artwork can be seen at the station even now. I was picked out of about 200 applicants. I was so very pleased at that. I met the famous artist Hibino Katsuhiko and got through the presentation process without messing up (all of this is in Japanese).
Then... Last week I participated in GEISAI which is Takashi Murakami's art Market. This acts as a platform for new and young artists. I was very lucky to be allowed to participate as there's a strict screening process. I met some wonderful people, Takashi Murakami himself and also a few Japanese tv stars and Japanese artists. I've decided to also participate next year too. It's such an incredible process that not everyone can participate in. I was one of the lucky ones that could. I was also the only and possibly the first foreigner to do so and the only one with an entirely digital booth.
So yeah....art stuff is going fantastic. I never thought I would be able to where I am now, as being foreign its hard enough to know where to go, let alone be expected for national competitions and show work in Tokyo at one of the most powerful artists in the worlds art Market.
But....that is not at all what the purpose of this post was.... I have an even bigger change in my life.
I have attained the highest level of foriegnerness... I have gained the exclusive and super rare achievement of : 正社員 (seishain) in a Japanese design firm.
Now I probably should explain this a bit... In Japan you can work in a company but not be an employee of said company. You are a dispatched worker, or a temporary worker. Now these employees can have their contracts terminated at any time and the job security and benefits are not what you would expect.... Then there is part time workers and then support staff. Finally there are the company employees. These are a special breed... These are the employees that can go up and down the employee ladder, can get bonus, responsibility and a whole lot of company benefits.
To attain these positions is a difficult process of tests, interviews, second interviews and all sorts. For Japanese people it's a hard and gruelling process.
So imagine me, a Scottish girl, studying Japanese in her spare time, not at all Japanese, and hasn't taken a japanese degree.
I tried out for a design company that I wanted to work for. I went through the application process. I was taken aback because I sent my portfolio, cv, and picture and they still wanted me for am interview and test... I went for the interview...I thought, wow, this was a nice experience I can use in the future..
And I got the job!!!!!!!!!!!!!
......state of shock...
I got the job. I'm foreign, the odds were against me..but I got the job...
So, I'm starting work in April in a design firm in Nagoya. I'm so excited. It's hard enough to get a job in design in your own home country, but I we t and got one in Japan. Shocking especially as a I don't have that much experience too. It's the first industry job I've applied for, and Ive been successful too. Words cannot express how happy and relieved I am.
I'm really looking forward to starting work next year. But first, I have to study up on my design, Japanese and enjoy my last few months of freedom before I become an employee of a Japanese design firm.
Ps. The firm has real life size figures from Toy story and transformers trucks...and space invaders on the Walls... It's going to be awesome!
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