Wednesday September 9, 2009, 02:55
9:00 in the morning, pretty early for an interview. I went to Shirokane Takanawa, next to Azabu, to meet with the recruiter who was going to interview me about my skills and job history. Recruiters are people who look for skilled people for their customers. Their customers are for example companies looking for new employees, and usually they leave this kind of stuff to recruiters, at least, that is how it often works in Japan.
I arrived timely, at 8:45 at the office, and the reception told me I could wait in the lounge. So I did that, prepared my netbook, and waited. A tall guy came in, introduced himself and offered me coffee. He said something I couldn't understand at first, but in the end he said something about it being OK. I asked what was OK. Then he said something again, that I could not get again. Then he said in English that he was from Belgium, and it appeared that he was saying things in Dutch, telling me that Dutch would be OK. I actually expected him to speak English so I didn't get what he said at first. Surprised by this, we continued in Dutch: "So you don't speak French?" "Well yes I do, but I grew up in Gent, between Brussels and Brugge." Cool. A Dutch-speaking interviewer!
We went to the meeting room and he asked me if we are going to do it in English or Dutch. I thought it would be cool to do it in Dutch, so we did that. I felt much more relaxed actually, lipreading Dutch from him, with sometimes an English term in between which I didn't get because it was in English - and replying to his questions in Dutch, telling about my skills and work history in the language I was most familiar with.
Belgian people, and generally most Dutch people from the southern areas like Brabant and Limburg, have this little lip-accent, so to say, as in that the shape of the mouth or lips are different from what is common with some words/sounds. For example, the W is different. Dutch people usually pronounce it with the same mouth pattern as F, but voiced, and without blowing. With Southerners I noticed that they do it differently, they do it with the same mouth pattern as U but a bit more open, and the lips a bit curled in. Which my dad would call a "Surinam W".
The interview felt good, and it went very well. At the end he led me out to the exit. I said "It was fun to speak Dutch again after a while!" "Yes, me too! First interview in Dutch actually!" I hope to hear from him soon again about job openings!
I arrived timely, at 8:45 at the office, and the reception told me I could wait in the lounge. So I did that, prepared my netbook, and waited. A tall guy came in, introduced himself and offered me coffee. He said something I couldn't understand at first, but in the end he said something about it being OK. I asked what was OK. Then he said something again, that I could not get again. Then he said in English that he was from Belgium, and it appeared that he was saying things in Dutch, telling me that Dutch would be OK. I actually expected him to speak English so I didn't get what he said at first. Surprised by this, we continued in Dutch: "So you don't speak French?" "Well yes I do, but I grew up in Gent, between Brussels and Brugge." Cool. A Dutch-speaking interviewer!
We went to the meeting room and he asked me if we are going to do it in English or Dutch. I thought it would be cool to do it in Dutch, so we did that. I felt much more relaxed actually, lipreading Dutch from him, with sometimes an English term in between which I didn't get because it was in English - and replying to his questions in Dutch, telling about my skills and work history in the language I was most familiar with.
Belgian people, and generally most Dutch people from the southern areas like Brabant and Limburg, have this little lip-accent, so to say, as in that the shape of the mouth or lips are different from what is common with some words/sounds. For example, the W is different. Dutch people usually pronounce it with the same mouth pattern as F, but voiced, and without blowing. With Southerners I noticed that they do it differently, they do it with the same mouth pattern as U but a bit more open, and the lips a bit curled in. Which my dad would call a "Surinam W".
The interview felt good, and it went very well. At the end he led me out to the exit. I said "It was fun to speak Dutch again after a while!" "Yes, me too! First interview in Dutch actually!" I hope to hear from him soon again about job openings!
Yea I am planning to mail him soon again, to keep the contact going. See how that turns out.”