Hi Everyone! Global Cafe recently had its 3rd anniversary on the 12th of September.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude and write a bit about the last three years since the cafe’s opening.
I remember the very first day we opened the cafe. I had been very nervous for a few weeks before the opening. I was worried if any customers would come to the cafe. I was worried people would not even understand our concept.
So when we had our very first customer and received the very first payment I was so happy and it felt surreal.
These last three years have gone by very fast and have been super interesting. I like being at the cafe so much. I meet many people (customers) there and standing at the counter at the cafe listening to the conversation has become my favorite pastime. I don’t even consider it as work. I probably should do so but it’s too much fun to take it as work. By listening to the conversations I learn not only English but also a lot about various cultural stuff, the latest news and trivia and so on.
The customers at the cafe vary a lot too, age-wise and background-wise and everything and they meet at the cafe and sit at one table, talk about the same topics in English, and share ideas with one another and that makes me very happy. They might not have ever met if there was no Global Cafe.
I’ve also met many teachers from different countries at the cafe. They are also very interesting and I always enjoy talking with them.
Many teachers left Japan and had to leave Global Cafe. I am always sad when a teacher leaves Global Cafe but I have become friends or even like family with many of them so it does not make me too sad now.
I feel like all of those who worked at Global Cafe are alumni or family of the cafe. I would not have met them if I hadn’t opened Global Cafe so I’m really happy about opening the cafe.
Since the cafe’s opening, there are many changes in my private life. My eldest son is tuning four soon and I have another baby boy too. During my pregnancy I left my work to my staff. Until then I did everything in my own way and there is no clear instruction or manual about how to run/handle things in the cafe. So I had to make the everything clear and systematize the thing and I had realized how irresponsibly I did my job and how difficult it is to manage a business.
There were some difficult times too. My sons were hospitalized twice. My husband has been to transferred to Tokyo from this August. Actually the idea of closing the cafe had crossed my mind a few times but each time I thought about our lovely customers and the cafe as a community place which we have created and then I kept going.
Without the support from the customers and staff Global Cafe would not exist now and would not continue.
I am really grateful to our customers and Global Cafe staff. Thank you so much everyone!!
