A month has passed in the blink of an eye, and I’m starting to miss Japanese food.
My family back home is worried about my diet here, but please, everyone, rest assured.
As the old saying goes, "an army marches on its stomach"—food is truly essential to our daily lives.
And here, there is an environment that thoroughly nourishes both our hearts and our stomachs when it comes to that very sustenance.
It’s well known by now that Chris King has an on-site cafe (cafeteria) where a dedicated chef prepares and serves breakfast and lunch. The prices are extremely reasonable, and it’s a spacious, relaxing place to be. Considering the day-to-day, it’s far better than going out for meals.
Just like the company’s products, the food is made one dish at a time using local and fresh ingredients whenever possible; it’s no exaggeration to say that this is why I’ve been able to stay healthy every day. Plus, I find myself looking forward to the daily menu. That’s why I’ve ended up taking so many photos.
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To create good things, human hands must obviously be at work, and I think it is truly wonderful that this cafe is operated with careful consideration for what is needed to build an environment where those people can work healthily. We follow their lead, providing food services ourselves—Earlybirds in Chiyoda and Pine Fields Market in Matsubara—where, naturally, staff meals are served that always keep our own stomachs full.
I am starting to miss #aribano_makanai and PFM’s koppepan, but the culinary delights here seem endless, which is quite a dilemma.
One day, staff members gathered at the cafe as they finished their shifts. Simple sandwiches were served, and the chefs and staff relaxed, eating and chatting together. We poured glasses full of ice-cold IPA from a local brewery, served from a custom tap made out of a refrigerator.
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At Chris King, they hold a campaign twice a year, in May and September, called the Commute Challenge to encourage cycling to work, and this day was the awards ceremony for the May program.
You might think it’s a given to ride a bike when working in the bike industry, but Portland is quite spread out depending on where you live (it takes me about 50 minutes even at a good pace), and May is still right in the middle of the rainy season. This program is a way for the company to demonstrate to society how eco-friendly the bicycle is and how effective it is as a means of transport in a city plagued by increasingly heavy traffic congestion, while rewarding the staff who use them—winners get credits to use at the cafeteria, and employees earn paid leave based on the number of days they commuted by bike.
In other words, for a cyclist, it’s a dream come true: getting food and time off just by riding your bike.
I genuinely believe that by taking both work and play seriously, we can enrich our lives, and since I chose the bicycle as my best tool for both living and playing, I want to live this one life playing as hard as I can. Similar people have gathered at this company, all serious about their work and play, sometimes acting like fools together, and each one of us keeps rolling forward powerfully.
Yes, just like a bicycle that won’t move forward unless you pedal.