John W. wrote:
> Well, in the case of my sister-in-law she fits into the wanted to work
> until she had kids category, mainly because from the get go she pretty
> much figured there wasn't much chance of a career (and she is just as
> strong willed and determined as my wife, and she would have *liked* a
> career). This view was solidified after she graduated near the top of
> her class from a good junior college in Osaka (don't know which one).
> Her first job was with a nice prestigious bank's Himeji branch. While
> there was some equality in terms of job, at least at the beginning;
> there were men categorized exactly the same as her. Yet she HAD to go
> to work 15 minutes early every morning to get coffee/tea ready, and
> HAD to make coffee/tea for every meeting of her group, along with the
> other token ladies on the "career" track. After a year or so it was
> obvious that this situation wasn't going to change, so she decided to
> settle down and be a mom. I tell this story because I feel it's a damn
> shame that Japan lost a very, very, very intelligent, dedicated, and
> capable member of the work force simply because her company's male
> employees were incapable of making their own damn tea. Note that this
> male mindset is the reason that I most likely will never get to
> permanently live in Japan again, because my wife knows she can succeed
> faster and more easily in America.

While this story is unfortunate, the upside is that your nieces/nephews have
gained a very, very, very intelligent, dedicated, and capable mother.

-- 
Kevin Gowen
"The US economy accounts for about one-third of global GDP-greater than
the next four countries combined (Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom
and France)."
- "Advancing the National Interest: Australia's Foreign and Trade
Policy White Paper", Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade