Everything is different here at the jibtv office. I lived my whole life in a forest so these changes are taking some getting used to. In fact there is only one thing in all of the office that reminds me of home: a potted plant. It's a very nice plant. Not just to look at, I mean it's a friendly plant. It's also a good source of information about this new place. The plant, which is my senior in the office, has told me quite a bit about what is going on at jibtv. According to the plant, instead of sunlight these people require cups of hot black liquid to survive. More than three or four hours without a cup they start to wilt like a flower.
These humans are not easy to figure out you see. The old man who sits at the main desk seems to be the one in charge here. You wouldn't know it to look at him. Pretty much all day he spends sitting in his chair staring at a computer screen. But you see, this is how these humans get their rank. Whoever can sit in a chair the longest and stare the hardest at the computer screen is promoted. None of the humans can beat the plant when it comes to sitting in one spot, so that is why everyone takes care of the plant, bringing it water and giving it a nice view of the office. It's plain to see the plant has the number one rank in the office.
I didn't understand what all this sitting in one place staring at computers was about until I asked the old man one day. Around five or six each day I can see the signs. He starts looking around, licking his lips and checking his watch. He checks to make sure everything at his desk is in order then makes his way to the kitchen where he finds a small snack. The snacks come from all across Japan. They are souvenirs from the camera crews that travel around Japan. Once he has his snack, usually a sembei, his face changes completely. A "sembei" is crunchy, salty, delicious and when he eats them his mouth loosens into a smile and between bites he laughs and jokes with the other workers. He walks from desk to desk chatting with the workers and handing out little treats. When he was in one of these particular good moods I asked him "What do you do here exactly?"
He was a bit surprised at the question but answered, "Well, we make TV shows for the whole world to watch for free on these computers. We tell people about Japan and Asia. Then we relax, enjoy a snack and watch some of the many programs we produce" He showed me the website on his computer. The very same website you are visiting now.
It seems to me that this is an awful lot of work to do in order to get a snack. But it seems to be payment enough because at five or six o'clock everyone is smiling and enjoying their cookie, cake or some other treat. The office is busy all day, because the broadcasting is going on twenty-four hours a day. I'm doing my part too. I have been named "Official Left-Over Snack Disposal Manager." This means I have to eat whatever delicious snacks the office workers don't finish. Unfortunately, many times only crumbs remain. Still, I am always on call to help them in this important management task.
