Tweet of the Week #157: Back To Office Blues

The coronavirus situation in Japan has improved thanks to good vaccination rates. Thus, the government finally ended the state of emergency—great news for restaurants, businesses, and those looking forward to going out and about again. But for company employees who got to taste remote work, this could mean the end of working from home in Japan. Especially sad since Japan’s work culture is notoriously rough.

At their recent online company meeting, this @aki8ma_3 learned he would be required to come back to the office from January, and the company is planning to organize a year-end party. If some enjoy drinking with colleagues, other dread these often “mandatory” work parties called 忘年会ぼうねんかい (bonenkai).

Aki8ma_3 didn’t take the news well—sharing their feelings using their take on the “this is fine” meme.

This is not fine

オンライン会議で「今月末で在宅勤務の終了」と「忘年会の開催」を同時に告げられた日の私です。 pic.twitter.com/w4SM4rkpuT

— 秋山 (@Aki8ma_3) November 17, 2021

オンライン会議（かいぎ）で「今月（こんげつ）末（まつ）で在宅（ざいたく）勤務（きんむ）の終了（しゅうりょう）」と「忘年会（ぼうねんかい）の開催（かいさい）」を同時（どうじ）に告（つ）げられた日（ひ）の私（わたし）です。

“Me [on] the day I was told in an online meeting that remote work would end this month and that I would have a year-end party at the same time.”

Expressing ‘at the same time’

The JLPT N2 key phrase “同時（どうじ）に” expresses at the same time as; while; simultaneously. You can combine 同時に in various ways with verbs, nouns and adjectives. Here are some quick examples:

• 笑（わら）うと同時に泣（な）: To laugh and cry at the same time.
• 好（す）きなものであると同時に嫌（いや）なものでもある: Something you both like and hate.
• 仕事（しごと）は生活（せいかつ）するためのものであると同時に自分（じぶん）が変化（へんか）していくための手段（しゅだん）: “Work is not only a way to make a living but also a way to change oneself.”
• ほぼ同時に: “Almost at the same time.”
• みんなで同時に話（はな）してはいけない: “Don’t speak all at once.”

Vocabulary

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