How are you all doing?

Dear All,

Hope everything is doing well and also had a fantastic Christmas day as well.
Oh well, I was at work and since Tokyo was the only office in business, I got quite a few items to work on from colleagues! Nice pressie indeed.

Julian,
Pleasure is mine. It was very nice to meet you in person finally. Apologies that I had to rush and you are right... NTU was relatively far away from the centre. Overall, my visit this time was very good. I had meetings with all the three target universities and also met up with some friends from university as well.

So, year 2008 is nearly coming to an end. Does everyone had your new year's resolution in your mind? I am sure everyone will have a very exciting new year because you will be joining the firm! I cannot wait to welcome you all here. Me? I now have additional challenges, which could be quite something but I am enjoying being busy for some reason.

Anyway, have a fantastic year ahead and I shall be speaking to all of you in January 2009!

Y

I met with Yukiko!

Yukiko was in Singapore today, and kindly made space for me in her busy schedule! We met at Raffles Place (somewhat similar to Tokyo in Japan) and had a talk over lunch at the Coffee Bean. I had, on a whim, suggested a place with somewhat more Singaporean flavour, complete with the sights and sounds (especially sounds) of Singaporeans talking at normal volume (read: very loud) over lunch. This was, on hindsight, not the best idea I have had in my life.

We very quickly got down to business (read: I asked questions in rapid staccato, and Yukiko took it all in her stride), and then the conversation turned towards more general things. I seem to recall the conversation turning to the weather somewhere along the way. This is inevitable in Singapore, because a thunderstorm can and will interrupt any conversation one may be trying to have at any time. Singaporeans have thus adapted by pre-emptively talking about the weather before it strikes, just to get it out of the way.

After lunch Yukiko had to leave for NTU, which was all the way on the west side of the island (read: 30 minutes away.) I left quite gratefully with a much better idea of what to expect in Japan.

Thanks for lunch, Yukiko!

Gym in Tokyo

Some of you talked about gyms in Tokyo, yeah?
(For some unknown reason, I am not able to add comments!!!)

Anyway, the one I go to is called Konami Sports Club. Konami has a lot of branches around too.
Most of my friends go to the Gold's gym but unfortunately, they do not have swimming pools... I guess Gold's is more suitable for those who want to pump up???

Does anyone have any comments?

Okie. Let me get back to check applications on the system.

Y

Brand new week!

Good morning, All.

Hope you all had a chance to check this blog page.
Sumi, Wenjie, Julian and also Simon,
Thank you for putting your posting your profile and etc...
I also love Umeshu and in fact, I went out with friends yesterday to have some drinks at a nice bar in Park Hyatt in Shinjuku. (Please allow me to say that last Friday was my birthday.)
Has anyone been to "the" New York Grill on the 52nd floor there? Some of you might know this but Lost in Translation was filmed there. Anyway, food there was good and the view was quite something. When we all get together in Tokyo, perhaps we could reward ourselves there!

Anyway, hope you all have a fab week ahead!
See you very soon, Julian!

Y

Hi everyone!

Thanks for inviting me to the blog. I find it really spiffy how everyone has a different background and is so diverse. Are we all starting in March? I look forwards to seeing you all!

A bit about me:

Name:
Julian

From:
Singapore (about 15 years?)

Major:
Computer Science

Joining:
Technology

Hobbies:
Inline skating. (I picked up snowboarding in Japan and want to do it more)

Favourite Drinks:
Wine (red/white), Tea (Pu-er, Nilgiri), Umeshu, whiskey, stout.

Currently:
Indulging a hobby

p.s. Simon: Of course I remember you! I'm glad we made it!

Hi, there

Hi everyone, nice to meet you guys. Here are some information about me:

Name: Wenjie Ge
Background: Originally born in Nanjing, China
--> Moved to Japan in 1998 along with my family
--> Had high school education and university life in UK since 2003
--> Interning in a financial firm now
Major: Natural Sciences
Joining: CMO
Blood type: O
Hobbies: Swimming, Waching films, Diving etc

So far, I have only met a few of you but I am so looking forward to working with you next year. A bit early, but merry Christmas to all of you and hope to see you soon.

Hey, Simon! Great work!


Wenjie

Thanks Yukiko and Sumi!

Well I guess I should add some more stuff:

Age:
You can click my profile and see

Major:
Computer Science

Favorite drinks:
Beer, wine (red or white), vodka, rum, whiskey...

More hobbies:

• Traveling, me too! (been to a lot of places in Japan, and some Asian countries, but I really want to travel a lot more)

• Movies (I just saw WALL・E, it was good. I can't wait for the next Bond)
• I want to start playing football again and maybe learn tennis when I have time.
  

Holiday plans:
A lot of people seem to be traveling or going home. But not me. So far my plan is to just stay in Tokyo and go to parties.

Heya all,

Just checked my inbox and as I have no class on Fridays here goes:

Name: Kasumi (Nickname: Sumi)
From: Japan
Time spent in Japan: 13.5 years?
Current activity: Uni student in Tokyo striving to finish writing dissertation
Major: Linguistics
Joining: CMO
Blood type: A
Hobbies: Hanging out with friends. Drinking, pool (billiard), swimming, waching movies, poker.
Favourite drink(s): Beer, Heather cream, mohito, umeshu, not that big a fan of tequila!

Cliche but a huge Jane Austen fan.

I've lived in Jakarta and Edinburgh and go to Hong Kong a lot as my family lives there now, although they are coming back soon. I've met quite a few of you but looking forward to meeting the rest of the crew :) And thanks again Simon!

x Sumi

Oh. Self-Introduction here...

As Simon put in the below, here is mine:

Name: Yukiko
From: Japan (was raised in Southeast Asia)
Time spent in Japan so far: 12 years or so
Current activity: Working as a graduate recruiter in RBS
Blood type: AB
Hobbies: Going to the gym, Swimming and Travelling (Of course dining out with friends too!)

And...
First-hand experience with RBS: Freshers' fair at my university in the UK

Hoping to hear yours!

Yukiko

Hiya!!!

Hi All,

Fist of all, a big "Thank you" to Simon who did everything to create this Blog.
I am so much looking forward to welcoming you into the firm next year.

Any special plans for this holiday season?

And also, do you happen to know anyone who is interested in our summer internship next year?

Yukiko

Congratulations on getting the job, everyone!

おめでとうございます！

Hi, I'm Simon. Some of you have already met me, but for those who don't know me yet: I'll be one of the Graduate Trainees joining RBS Tokyo in March 2009.

Yukiko-san asked me to set up a blog for all the new people joining, so that we can stay in contact. (We'll all be meeting in March, and then in Summer we'll all go to London for training. But for now, it'd be nice if we chat here.)

You can all write anything you want on this blog. Click "New Post" in the top-right of the window (or just add a comment by clicking "comments" at the bottom).

So, please don't be shy. Why not write a few words to introduce yourselves? I'll start. Here's some facts about me.

Name:
Simon

From:
England

Time spent in Japan so far:
about 3.5 years

Current activity:
working in research

Blood type:
???

Hobbies:
currently, mostly just drinking with friends and exploring Tokyo

Ok, now you!
よろしくお願いします！

p.s. Julian: It looks like it's just us two joining Technology. Remember me from the interview?