UYal's blog

1. Living on Short-Term Gigs

These days, I make a living through short-term part-time jobs.
Sometimes four hours a day, sometimes just two.
I help at events, load boxes at warehouses, or work behind a café counter.
Each job comes with different clothes, locations, and responsibilities.

It’s not so much “going to work” as it is “dropping in briefly.”
Someone needs help urgently, I show up for a few hours, then leave.
No contracts. No promises. No real affiliation.
And the thought crosses my mind: “Anyone could do this job.”

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2. What It’s Like Living in the Gig Economy

This way of working is part of the Gig Economy.
The term “gig” originally referred to jazz musicians playing short sets at various venues.
Today, it refers to a work structure defined by short-term, on-demand, and flexible jobs, often facilitated through digital platforms.

There are upsides.
I don’t have to ask permission to skip a shift.
And since employers are often desperate, the hourly pay can be surprisingly high.
On some days, my time feels unusually valuable—like time itself is being inflated.

But it’s also unstable.
I’m easily replaceable, and there’s no guarantee for next week’s work.
It’s a constant cycle of getting used to something new, adapting quickly, and then being done.

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3. The Japanese “Freeter” Culture – A Parallel Story

This lifestyle reminds me of Japan’s “Freeter” (フリーター) phenomenon.
In the 1980s–90s, during Japan’s economic slowdown, more young people chose part-time work over traditional full-time jobs.

📝 Freeter = Free (freelance) + Arbeit (part-time work in German)
→ Young people working non-permanent jobs instead of pursuing a traditional career path.

At the time, this lifestyle was frowned upon.
But now, it’s sometimes seen as a low-consumption, self-sufficient way to live.

In a world where capitalism urges us to earn more and spend more,
choosing to earn less and live modestly breaks the system.
No wonder it made traditional society uncomfortable.

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4. Gig Workers and Freeters – Similarities and Cultural Differences

	Freeters (Japan)	Gig Workers (Global)
Origins	1980s–90s, Japan’s job market crisis	2000s–2020s, rise of digital platforms
Job Type	In-person part-time jobs	App-based freelance & delivery, remote gigs
Social View	Seen as outsiders or failures	Often viewed as flexible and modern
Cultural Context	Clashes with hierarchy & social norms	Aligns more with individualism & contracts

While freeters emerged from a cultural resistance to corporate conformity,
gig workers often reflect technological shifts and lifestyle flexibility.
But at their core, both represent those living outside the “normal” career path.

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5. My Present and What Comes Next

This is the world I live in.
I jump between jobs, tally up my day’s pay, and plan week by week.
It keeps me going—for now—but a quiet unease always lingers.

And I ask myself:
Must I always chase a life of consumption and upgrade?
Can I live quietly, modestly, and still feel fulfilled?

I may not have a title, or a stable paycheck,
but I do have this:
my own time,
and the right to say, this life is mine.

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