It’s 9 a.m. on Sunday, and I’m sitting at my desk in my Tokyo apartment, typing this. I’m feeling a bit light-headed — understandable after more than 20 hours of travel last night and the jet lag that comes with spending a week in Europe.
If you’re wondering why I’m up now — what was 2 a.m. for me just yesterday — there are two reasons:
- I have a weekend work shift today.
- It’s a beautifully sunny summer day and… yeah, no — I’m up because of reason #1.
My shift starts in less than an hour. I keep reminding myself: I signed up for this. My team lead even checked in to make sure I was okay working the day after my trip, and I said I would be. So here I am — slightly dazed, a little tired, but ready to roll.
Let’s enjoy the shift, shall we?
Here’s how my week 1,536 unfolded.
🎥 What I Created
Projects:
A real-world glimpse into what it takes to work at a truly global company.
Story behind it:
Lots of companies call themselves “global,” but it takes more than having offices around the world. It’s constant coordination, cultural awareness, and real teamwork — and through my day-to-day as a technical support engineer in Tokyo, I see the effort it takes to juggle time zones, cultures, and cross-border collaboration. I wrote this piece to show what that actually looks like in practice.
🏃 How Much I Ran
Distance / Time:
4.21 km / 31 mins
Body & mind notes:
Even after a break from running, I felt the workout — especially in my legs. While visiting a city in Europe, I did a lot of walking since places were more spread out compared to my neighborhood in Tokyo.
📚 What I Read
Book / Article / Podcast:
Enjoyed finishing Surrounded by Bad Bosses and Lazy Employees.
Quote that stuck:
As a specialist in communication, I think that when things go seriously wrong, it’s often because we haven’t talked to each other. We sit in our respective corners and wonder what on earth the other people are doing. What idiots! What is it they don’t get? Instead we ought to cross the room to the other corner and open up everything by saying: Hey, things aren’t working very smoothly between us. Can we talk about it? The person who takes the initiative is, in my eyes, the real hero. Regardless of whether it’s the boss or one of the staff.
🤝 Who I Met or Spoke To
Who:
During this work trip to Europe, I met and chatted with at least 50 people. About one-third were pre-scheduled meetings, while the other two-thirds were spontaneous connections at networking events. I appreciated both the planned and unexpected encounters — it was especially great to catch up with teams based in Europe and the U.S., since we usually work across different time zones.
Memorable moments:
At one team dinner, I sat with colleagues from Egypt, India, and Portugal. I really enjoyed our conversations — learning about the history of Portugal, parenting culture in India, and myths surrounding the Egyptian pyramids made for a fascinating and memorable evening.
🔭 Next Week’s Peek
Looking forward to:
Getting back to business as usual here at home in Tokyo.
Why it matters:
After a week of rekindling old connections and forming new ones in Europe, I feel refreshed and inspired. As I return to my cozy home in Tokyo and settle back into my regular office routine, it doesn’t feel like I’m simply picking up where I left off. Instead, the experience has reenergized me — and I’m stepping into this next chapter as a better version of myself.
Typing this far, I notice my heart skipping a little beat. Goodbye to my lazy jet-lagged body.
Hope you had a nice week.
Catch you next Sunday!