A news item is currently doing the rounds that Japanese companies are offering ‘weeping boys’ as a unique service to comfort and wipe away the tears of their staffers. The job of an ‘ikemeso danshi’, which translates to a ‘handsome weeping boy’, is to make people cry as Japanese people are generally not used to shedding their tears in front of other people. The services of the weeping boys are available for 7,900 yen, which roughly comes to about Rs 4,400, as per reports. Here’s looking at some quirky job profiles that the world has seen in recent times…
Island caretaker
In 2009, Tourism Queensland sought applicants for the ‘best job in the world’ that required the ideal candidate to be based on the luxurious Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, as its caretaker. The caretaker was to have a live-in position with flexible working hours. His/her key responsibilities included exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef to discover what the area had to offer. He/she was also required to report back on their adventures to the Tourism Queensland headquarters in Brisbane (and the rest of the world) via weekly blogs, photo diary, video updates and media interviews. The successful candidate was to be paid a salary package of AUD $150,000 for a six-month contract and receive return airfares from their nearest capital city (in their home country), among several other perks and incentives.
Professional sleeper
In 2013, a hotel in the heart of Helsinki — the capital city of Finland — sought a ‘professional sleeper’ for 35 days to test their rooms and write about their experiences, as per reports. “This person will share his thoughts, adventures and experiences of living in the best spot of summery Helsinki. So, prepare yourself for a blog journey that you’ve never read before,” a blog posting on the hotel’s website had announced then. According to the manager of Hotel Finn, the idea came about after they thought of promoting the hotel following lengthy renovations. They were looking for a “dynamic person to write a quality blog” about their daily experiences at the basic hotel, which has no bar or restaurant, the manager added. The requirements for the job included speaking fluent Finnish and English, with Russian as an additional bonus.
Bicycle fisher
Being a bicycle country, the Netherlands promotes the environment-friendly mode of transport in a big way. No wonder then virtually every household owns at least one bicycle with people going to work, buying their groceries and practically doing almost everything with their bike. The Netherlands is also a nation with hundreds of canals. While there’s no clear answer as to how some bicycles end up in those canals, with the authorities retrieving as many as 15,000 bicycles every year from those canals, fishing for bicycles has become a full-time occupation. The job of a bicycle fisher is to keep the canals clean and safe for boats. The bicycle fisher uses a boat with a hydraulic claw to look for bikes and pull them out once they find them.
Golf ball diver
Ever thought what happens to the golf balls that accidentally fall into the water bodies at golf courses? Well, they are located by golf ball divers. According to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS), golf ball divers are professional recyclers — they retrieve golf balls, which are then cleaned, repackaged and resold. A typical golf course has four to 12 ponds. Divers spend 8 to 10 hours per day harvesting the ponds and may need multiple days to finish a job. Depending on the size of each pond, divers recover balls with the help of a dive crew or a roller. Using a roller is faster than a dive crew, but dive crews are more thorough, the BLS adds.
Zombie actor
In 2009, the administration of London Bridge Experience and London Tombs advertised for a job that required the candidate to perform the role of a zombie at the popular tourist attraction in Southwark, London. After a record number of people applied for the 30,000 pounds-a-year job, the centre had to hold an audition to fill the vacancy. The wannabe zombies were to be judged by a team of ‘scare administrators’ and had to bring their own clothing. They were also required to be prepared to handle the make-up process before showing off their role-playing and haunting skills, as per reports.
