Bjorn Apprenticeship

I can’t believe this thread is still alive.

Internships and apprenticeships are and have been common in the U.S., not some indoctrination of eastern practice.

Anyone know the Texas A&M jobs board? Is a serious reference for folks wanting a career in biology. This is an amazing resource. Not hard to find internships that pay dirt and ask you to be covered in dirt sleeping in a shack. Not for everyone…? Your choice

 
(All my actual, non-joke feelings are already present on this thread ;) )

....

I just CAN'T get down with the whole "Yes, Chef. Thank you, Chef." Lifestyle. (I worked AS a Chef for the last half of my kitchen years 🤦🏽‍♂️)
 
roberthu said:
And is Bjorn’s connection going to help in the apprentice’s future? Bjorn is young still. Is he really looking for a strong candidate that is going to potentially compete with him in the future?
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Unless he's pulling some kind of Mr Miyagi reverse psychology shit, obviously not.
 
Me: "Rodney! 4 veggies, 5 Plates, last one only Pots."

Rodney: "You got it, Chef."

Me: "Don't call me that, Rodney!"

Rodney: "Call you WHAT, Chef? I didn't say anything."

Me: 🤬

...

Me: "Mexi Line! Pollos Platos..... ehh.... Quatro, Por Favor."

Ramon: "Si, Chef"

Me: "No, Ramon! Llamo Estas *Burns my hand on fried Mahi-mahi* AHHHH!!"

Ramon called me "AHHH!" From then on out.

...It's weird... because when I was working Executive.. and UNDER the "Head Hancho" (he TOTALLY deserved that, also)... I REFUSED to "Yes, Chef. No, Chef.".. I'd Call them "Chef Theirname".. and only that respect if i'd seen them "in the trenches" ;)

...I'll keep talking until someone stops me.
 
roberthu said:
And is Bjorn’s connection going to help in the apprentice’s future? Bjorn is young still. Is he really looking for a strong candidate that is going to potentially compete with him in the future?
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Teachers' relevance is measured through the success of the students
 
The question for me is why does it have to be like that? I understand that menial tasks need to be done and that maybe they can't afford to pay you, but all the "don't expect to be taught, nothing will be explained" stuff just doesn't really make sense to me. It feels like a bit of "people were unpleasant to me when I was an apprentice so I'm going to make it unpleasant for you".

To me, passing on knowledge and teaching the next generation something you are passionate about is an absolute pleasure, why wouldn't you want to experience that and pass all that knowledge on to your apprentice?
 
IsaM said:
The question for me is why does it have to be like that? I understand that menial tasks need to be done and that maybe they can't afford to pay you, but all the "don't expect to be taught, nothing will be explained" stuff just doesn't really make sense to me. It feels like a bit of "people were unpleasant to me when I was an apprentice so I'm going to make it unpleasant for you".

To me, passing on knowledge and teaching the next generation something you are passionate about is an absolute pleasure, why wouldn't you want to experience that and pass all that knowledge on to your apprentice?
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I totally understand..

And no... it doesn't HAVE to be like that.. It's all in the method/intent of the information delivery.. and it's corresponding registry can/can NOT make "Knowledge Permanence".

All teachers are different... just like all students.

I didn't "spank"... but I SHOULD have.

;)
 
IsaM said:
It feels like a bit of "people were unpleasant to me when I was an apprentice so I'm going to make it unpleasant for you".
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It seems like the crux of this discussion is the cultural disparity between Japan and the USA. From that it feels like you have two schools of thought - one wholly embracing Japanese culture surrounding bonsai and another that takes the Japanese craftsmanship and uses that to inform a more western ascetic.

I'm too close to the start of my bonsai journey to have an opinion on the matter but I tend to gravitate towards more naturalistic styled trees, particularly Hinoki
 
rockm said:
Worth a read to put things in perspective:




www.abc.net.au

Ancient art of bonsai threatened by waning interest in Japan

There are concerns the Japanese art of bonsai could die out in 30 years unless young people start taking it up.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
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I do think we need to take the relativity of this into account. A decline in bonsai in Japan still leaves it stronger there than almost anywhere else.
I believe we're witnessing the very end of Japan's bonsai golden age as it's reaching new heights elsewhere in the world and. As much of shame as that may be, it is the natural progression of things.

As far as this pertains to the topic of the thread, I feel there's little chance that the craft and its traditions will disappear completely from Japan, but it is good that there are people across the world keeping them alive.
As stated many times before, if this apprenticeship isn't for you, then don't do it, but it's obviously for someone, and I'm glad it is.
 
This is my take on that article. It's the same thing that is happening here, and in almost every country in the world where this young generation eyes are set into an office job. The trade industry is dying, no longer jobs that are performed with your hands and involved "hard" labor are been sought after. This is what's going on in Japan with the lack of bonsai apprentices. While there are a few youngsters around the world just learning about bonsai and fantasizing about going to Japan to train with a master, the Japanese youth don't want to deal with it.
 
Maiden69 said:
This is my take on that article. It's the same thing that is happening here, and in almost every country in the world where this young generation eyes are set into an office job. The trade industry is dying, no longer jobs that are performed with your hands and involved "hard" labor are been sought after. This is what's going on in Japan with the lack of bonsai apprentices. While there are a few youngsters around the world just learning about bonsai and fantasizing about going to Japan to train with a master, the Japanese youth don't want to deal with it.
Click to expand...
In the rest of the world it's still a novelty. In Japan, and much of east Asia, bonsai is a bit more mundane.

Here in the states I think a big chunk of the phenomenon you're describing goes back to the push over the past few decades in highschool education to equate career development with college education. It's not the kids, it's the people who taught and raised them, and the growth of a political and cultural climate that equates blue collar work with dumb, conservative rednecks. Everything from school career days to Jeff Foxworthy have steered young people away from working with their hands to working with their money, and short term thinking where the relationship between careers and finances are concerned.

I know that's what happened to me, otherwise I wouldn't have a degree in communications that I've never used. I'd likely be working in forestry, or landscape architecture if I'd been left to my own.
 
ShadyStump said:
I know that's what happened to me, otherwise I wouldn't have a degree in communications that I've never used. I'd likely be working in forestry, or landscape architecture if I'd been left to my own.
Click to expand...
same here. In the early 90-ies i wanted to start a software compagny, with a focus on database driven websites. I listened to my parents and finished my education. Now I think gas is expensive, instead of flying a private jet to the caribean. Sigh!
 
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