Saying Farewell to 中新井さん
Out of habit I would often look to my left towards where Nakaarai-san used to sit. Somehow he is always entertaining by the way he is handling his paper work, speaking in Bahasa over the phone, staring at the computer or making interesting statements in the languages he knows and picked up in Malaysia.
Now, it is just an empty seat, a void, and silence.
I was reading Susan’s blog and could not agree more to what a great boss/superior Nakaarai-san was to us. We see him as one of the most patient man about, never losing his calm or temper. Although goofy and hard to get at times, he is still always on the look out for us. He is the one we turn to for checking our Japanese, or dealing with difficult clients. What I miss the most is the client visitations we go together. The ride was always engaging and there is always time for a drink before or after.
Nakaarai-san was a good listener and a mentor. When I was over burdened with the workload I had, he would personally help me out by following up with the projects I had, calling the persons-in-charge, and re-delegating my work. I have learned a lot about the working life from him and about adaptation to working overseas. We hung out a few times for lunch where we discussed about work and the best approach to it.
But changes come and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.
"You will be missed Nakaarai-san. You will be."
