Thursday, August 31, 2006

GREAT NEWS!!!!!

*for those of you who already know the news from the emails this post seems a bit stupid but I have been trying to post it for a couple of days.*

Hi Everyone!!

Today I can finally make official news to you about what I am doing now at Rally Japan!

I am now officially working for Takuma’s team: Subaru Team Quasys!!! I really can not believe this is happening, it is a dream. From Takuma’s English teacher to Quasys team member is really a huge dream come true!

I am the Global PR Officer. My duties are varied as with any job.. but this is the most fun job in the world!

Today was the first day of work…

Service Park Sunday August 27, 2006
Quasys Team Preparation

Better than a dream…

I had the most incredible day. It started out rough… I could not find the entrance to the service park and I followed an Outback through a gravel road. Since my car is set up for tarmac I can tell you… Well… anyway the Outback sits higher than the Legacy a bit and I scratched my front spoiler! I was sick. The Quasys Mechanics said “don’t worry it is a rally car.” But for me it is not just a rally car!!!The damage is not so bad but it is something and it made me sooooo mad.

At first I felt useless.. because there was not much to do but Kurisawa-san introduced me to everyone.. some people who already “know” me…

One guy said “Oh, you are Viki..” These were not Japanese guys they were WRC people! One guy “Nigel” said “oh You’re Colin’s Viki!!!” He said he was with Colin when I was talking to Colin at the airport on Eileen’s phone!

GREAT I am infamous like Colin!!!!

As you all know I am here with Ryohei and they put him to work setting up the service tent right away. He worked very hard, I was proud of him.
Just when I was feeling like I had nothing really to do except answers like “how you say xx in English?” I got my first important job. I took our “freelance” mechanic Ben Jones back to the hotel, he was exhausted from the flight from Australia and the rally car was not due till after 8pm. Then I was told Takuma would pick up Denis at the hotel and we should meet back at the serviced park. I said “If I am already going why don’t I pick him up?” GREAT idea so I did. I want to tell all of you ladies that Denis is SUPER handsome!!! Better than pictures!!!!!!! No Kidding!!! We went back to service and Takuma was there, finally I saw Takuma again! He is loosening up, I did get a hug!

It was great to have something to do…. Kurisawa-san (team president) told me to go and help the STI engineer teach Denis how to use the Toughbook computer for the car… then Denis and I went to check the car and he wanted to see how it was. Then he, Takuma and I sat down to go through all Takuma’s old pace notes from 2003,4 and 5. They are actually mostly in English but there was some Japanese. It felt good to teach Denis everything and help them out!!!!!

I am staying in the team hotel but Ryohei did not want to. So, I was going to take him home. Kurisawa asked how Ryohei would get home, I said I was driving him and he said “no, you aren’t you have too much work to do!!” I never enjoyed hearing those words so much before. So he said he would drive Ryohei home. This is not such a small task, he lives over one hour from Obihiro. Ryohei said he could wait but Kurisawa insisted that I stay and work, go eat dinner with them and then get my rest. That was so nice of him. “Thank you Kuri-san!”

We had a delicious dinner!!! We ate Butadon (delicious tender pork with sauce over rice) at a famous place. The same place Junko and I went to last year after Shakedown.

Finally back at the hotel, Kurisawa-san brought my luggage back from Ryohei’s house. I will take an onsen bath after this. We meet at 6am in the lobby and go to test at Rikubetsu all day…

Oh by the way, this is such a cute story too.. when we were leaving the service park Kurisawa asked me to take them back to the hotel and we got Takuma’s suitcases in and everything… then… I went back in to find my camera and my keys and Takuma was in the driver’s seat!!!!! Wow! I guess a driver is always a driver. It was great. He drove us back and he even remembered that I take off my shoes to drive so he did too!!! Isn’t he a sweetie??

Another great thing today was just before I was supposed to take Ben to the hotel I looked over and saw Aki waving at me from the TEIN sponsor tent. I went over before I left, I had just gotten a delivery of a huge Finnish flag that came to Ryohei’s house, thank goodness. I went over and Aki got up and I got a hug right off! He signed two pictures, one for me and one for Junko, then he signed my flag, his brother Miika also and then he said “do you want to meet Jari-Mati? Duh!! Silly question! Jari-Mati is sooooooo cute!!! I told him I love to listen to his English on the radio. He is so nice too, very much like Aki. He and his co-driver Miika also signed my flag.
I got a hug from him too and a picture… another hug or two from Aki and some pictures. He is even MORE handsome than I remember and I think it is difficult to be more handsome than how I remembered him. Then I also had a great idea, I dialed Junko and handed Aki the phone. She was soooo surprised! She was so happy too!! He told her he was sorry she could not be there but told her I did get some autographs for her.

Finally I noticed that Kurisawa was watching me… I thought he might want me to quit fraternizing with the enemy.. so I told Aki and the other guys goodbye, another hug and we were off.

I slightly remember Kurisawa asking me if I knew which team I was on!!! Aki said it did not matter as long as I was working for Subaru!

Well, for now I have to go!! It is so late and I have to take a bath and go to the lobby to post this!!!

Wish us luck, as much as you can!!!

Lots of love to you all!!!!
Viki

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sounds really fun!!! Great story!
Now I can know what happened before I got phone from you and talked to Aki!
It sounds like much busier than last year... do you have time to sleep?
I just remember we always had a pleblem at night when we go to bed last year. It was too excited to sleep...

Well, I'm crossing my fingers for your great job!
Ganbatte!

8/31/2006 08:20:00 PM  

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