I'm a Japanese housewife living in Japan. I'm in my 60's. I want to know daily lives in the world, so at first I'll tell my daily. What is your daily life?
Today, after having lunch at home, we are going to see his radiologist. We’ll be able to hear a clearer explanation of the CT results.
Yesterday, we also went to a musical instrument shop, where Yuki found his favorite guitar picks. So in the afternoon, Yuki practiced the guitar and I practiced the piano more eagerly than usual as we prepare for Christmas.
Since yesterday afternoon, I have been working on setting up my new iPhone. This time I decided to do it by myself, but I stopped at the very first step. An operation guide was included with the new phone, but it was difficult for me to understand So I called the company’s help desk. The staff suggested two options: one was to go directly to a company’s branch, and the other was to use a remote-support service. The fee is only 400 yen per month, and the first time is free, so I applied for the service.
I just followed the instructions from the support person, and now all my data has been safely transferred to the new iPhone. Today I will move my SIM card to the new phone, and then I need to initialize the old one and send it back to the company.
Also, some things were not written in the guide because it only explains iPhone operations, and not how to connect it to the phone line, including cellphone mail and so on.
Yuki couldn’t do that part either at first, but thanks to my method, he was also able to set up the part he had given up on.
Yesterday, Yuki was able to receive his chemotherapy. The doctor also showed us the results of his latest CT and MRI scans. His malignant tumors have shrunk by about 20% compared with the previous results. Unfortunately, they haven’t disappeared, but we hope he can continue to coexist with them.
On the other hand, his numbness is getting a little worse. So the amount of his medication has been increased again, and he also started taking Japanese herbal medicine. The sensations in his fingers and toes are dull, so he needs to be careful not to get burned or fall down.
Anyway, today he is going to play tennis.
This Thursday he updated his iPhone using the company’s insurance service. It’s not the latest model, but it’s still newer than his previous one. I will also update mine using the same service. When I change my iPhone with my insurance plan, it takes about half a day to transfer all the data and apps from the old phone to the new one. Probably my new iPhone will arrive in the morning, and I’ll have to transfer everything in the afternoon.
Yesterday’s online meeting topic was spreadsheet software. We talked about “Excel.
◆Can you remember the first time you used Excel?
Yes, I was in my twenties. After graduating from university, I joined a company where I needed to use Office software, including Excel. At first, it was challenging, but once I got used to it, I found it very useful. After quitting the job, I used it for PTA activities, and even now I use it to manage our household budget.
◆What do you use Excel for in your personal and work life?
I use Excel to manage our household budget. I also use it when we need to make lists of things. But I don’t use all of its features, such as the statistical or graph features.
◆What new features would you like added to Excel?
Honestly, I don’t really need any new features. Since I started using Excel, it has been updated many times, and I can’t keep up with all the new features, even though the software keeps improving.
There were five Japanese members, and I was the eldest. The others were in their 40s or early 50s. One lady is an office worker, and the others are probably housewives or have part-time jobs—I’m not sure. What surprised me was that all of them use Excel in their personal lives.
Around me, meaning people in their 60s or older, few use Excel; some use Word or PowerPoint. I didn’t realize that Excel is so familiar to the younger generation. But probably my daughters don’t use Excel—they use other apps directly. I mainly use Excel for our annual household balance sheet and to estimate how our savings might decrease in the future, although I also keep our household balance using a budgeting app. Many younger people probably don’t use software directly; instead, they use apps designed for specific purposes. Do you use Excel?
