I have just calculated the expense claims which I have to report (the finance division shouted at everybody to submit the claim – they have to match up the number by the end of this month).
From this April up to today, the expense resulted in more than 500,000 yen. Wow… it is exactly like receiving a special bonus – we usually don’t have bonus at all.
Maybe I have to promise I will never do this delayed report again to my boss and to the finantial group, but look, this is too good to be true to stop immediately. This surprise actually added some fuel to my desire of having a long, relaxed vacation.
“Easy come, easy go” – this is true, but I like to see people spending a lot of money in a very stupid way. The point is, you have to spend REALLY stupidly, which is very rare.
A few years ago there was a TV documentary (from NHK, I guess) which showed bunch of talented salary-men who acquired tens of million yen as a bonus – the program was trying to show that we are going to face an uneven society and in addition, how those “survivors” act when they got the fruit.
At that time I already lost most interest against Japanese TV program, but that was too interesting to ignore. How did they spend the bonus? One automatic washing machine (50,000 yen) and the rest went straight to the bank. Comment from them:”These days we are not sure what happens in the future, so we decided not to spend the money right now – we’ll wait until the time come”
Well, NOBODY is sure what happens in the future at ANYTIME….that was so disappointed, made me think a lot. Well, he might be a super-salary man, but can his son respect his father? -A man who are too intimidated to spend more than 50,000 yen out of several 1,000,000 yen. And is he really happy? He must have sacrifised something on his way to that achievement – vacation, sleep, time with family….. And he does nothing to change the habit and go back to the battlefield, while he has the ticket to freedom – money.
I saw one of the reason why Japanese economy doesn’t get better. Companies are paying more to the above-average employees and firing the marginal person(they don’t have the option to spend) but the extraordinary ones also are too afraid to spend – the money doesn’t go anywhere. No flow, all stocks.
That was also the moment I decided I will never become like that – hard working but don’t know how to enjoy life. In this sense, NHK had done a superb job. They freed people from daydreaming about becoming super-salarymen. Money is important, no doubt about it, but try to enjoy life is more important, smart, and rewarding. And I write this entry in my cubicle, alone in the office at 23:30…..