Hi, this is Nina.
May has just started.
How are you doing these days ?
This April was the 5th Spring for me after I joined Pongyi in 2017.
4 years have already passed.
Time flies !
"Wow ! I have been in Pongyi for 4 years ! "
I cannot believe that I have stayed here for such a long time.
The ex-staffs also worked in Pongyi for many years... about 6 years (Maru-san) and about 4 years (Yuu-san).
I am glad that I could continue working here for many years like them.
As you know, Pongyi spent the very quiet days last year.
I sometimes felt sad when I remember the busy but happy days with many guests from all over the world.
However, there is not just bad points.
These quiet days reminded me of a very important thing.
It is " the importance of loving and praising myself."
When Pongyi welcomed lots of guests everyday before the corona, I spent almost all of the day with them.
I really enjoyed talking and doing adcivities like origami, calligraphy and the hot pot party with them.
I was satisfied by their words " Thank you" and " It was a good memory ! "
Moreover, when I got the great reviews after check out... so happy !
I felt the things I did for our guests were recognized.
Thanks to those good reviews, I could be proud of myself.
However.... now I know this was wrong.
As the decrease of the number of guests, I was getting anxious.
I lost the opportunities of doing something to the guests.
This means, I also lost the people who recognize me and give me compliments.
I could not feel the satisfaction.
(Am I really moving in the right direction ? )
At that time, Masaki-san gave me an advice.
" You should learn how to love and praise yourself even though nobody recognizes you.
Don't care what others think of you too much and don't work for good evaluation.
'How I can fulfill my heart ? ''How I can move forward ? ' Always think about them.
Only people who can take good care of themselves can take care of others.”
..... I may have forgotten something important.
Suddenly I realized.
5 years ago when I came to Pongyi, Masaki-san taught me that " If we fulfill our hearts and live our own lives, that also make the guests happy." for the first time.
However, during my days in Pongyi, getting good evaluation from guests gradually became one of my purposes for work without realizing that and I somehow tried to satisfy myself with that.
Now I can understand that was completely wrong.
I have been cared what other people think of me and got influenced by their opinions too much......
"Don’t forget your first resolution."
From now on...
I won't care my evaluation too much and will praise myself.
I will fulfill my heart and keep moving forward.
And, I will live with room in my mind and be gentle to other people.
This spring, I felt like that.
I have never traveled many places, lived in other countries, and stayed in other guesthouses (less than 5 times !)
I think I may not a suitable person as a guesthouse staff.
However, thanks to all the guests who stayed at Pongyi before and 2 ex-staffs who made Pongyi a wonderful place, I have been able to work in Pongyi for 4 years.
Of course, I am grateful to Masaki-san as well.
He always makes me realize what is important whan I am worried or anxious.
This hard situation of the coronavirus expected to continue and guesthouse industly needs to eudure more,
but I would like to keep the positive pririt of Pongyi in my mind.
I will smile from the bottom of my heart and will do what I really want to do regardsless of profits.
There is definitely something more precious than money.
I am looking forward to seeing you in Kanazawa again soon !
Guest House Pongyi
Nina