I’m late posting my photo hunt entry! I hope I haven’t posted these yet as photo hunt entries. 
These are 2007 spring pictures of Kyoto – my favorite place in Japan, and I think the most beautiful, too!
Happy photo hunting!
Archive for August, 2008
Photohunt: Beautiful
August 30th, 2008
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Another Busy Week
August 30th, 2008
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I’ve been absent from blogging world these past few days. I didn’t have time to watch my favorite animes because my hands were full (and still is) configuring a Joomla-powered website. Joomla is way more difficult to configure than WordPress but it’s really good. Enough of geeky stuffs…
I was on my way home yesterday when my flatmate called. I was a bit alarmed when she told me that there was a fire in our apartment building! But I calmed down when she said that she couldn’t see smoke coming out. I rushed home and still saw the building surrounded with firetrucks and firemen. Maybe it was just a false alarm, or was it because the firemen were too quick to respond to the emergency? With our limited Japanese, we couldn’t ask anybody about it, so until now, it remains a mystery.
Shaynna and her stroller
August 24th, 2008
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I came across this site of Bugaboo stroller. This made me remember those days when I had to buy baby stuffs for Shaynna. I bought her a stroller, too. But it wasn’t put into much use before Shaynna turned two. She didn’t like sitting in the stroller. She preferred to be carried. A cousin gave birth to a baby boy and she borrowed the stroller. Each time Shaynna sees my cousin using that stroller, she wants to sit in it, too! At three, as expected, she got over it. Now, that stroller is being used by my niece. Here’s a photo of Shaynna during her “stroller” days. Too bad I don’t have a photo of her in that stroller.
4×6 Meme
August 24th, 2008
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I can’t remember when I did my last meme. Thanks to Fortuitous Faery for this one…
The rule: Click copy/paste, type in your answers and tag four people in your lists! Don’t forget to change my answers to the questions with that of yours.
1. Four places I go over and over
* malls
* Kyoto
* second hand shops
* electronic store
2. Four people who e-mail me regularly
* my sister
* Mr. T
* a tita (but mostly forwarded emails)
* a cousin
3. Four of my favorite places to eat?
* Mangan Restaurant in Glorietta, Makati City
* Dessert all-you-can-eat buffet in Hep Navio, Osaka
* Tita Fanny’s in Iligan City
* Dessert Factory in Ayala Center, Cebu City
4. Four places you’d rather be?
* in my hometown, with my family
* in Australia (if only I had the money…)
* in Europe (money is still the problem)
* in Manila where I can hop from one mall to another to eat Filipino dishes and watch movies
5. Four TV shows I could watch over and over.
* Bubble Gang
* Britain’s Got Talents (auditions)
* American Idol (auditions)
* Friends
6. Four lucky winners ( of this tag..)
* Yeweifang
* Florence – I know you’re busy but you can do this after you’ve settled down in your new home!
* Elaine
* Levian
Photohunt: Wrinkled
August 23rd, 2008
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Didn’t have time to browse through my photos, so I present you this one: a photo of Shaynna and her great-grandmother. She’s my grandmother, my mother’s mother, and I fondly call her “Lola* Iyang“. She helped raising me up, and now, she’s also helping raising my daughter, Shaynna. At 71 years old and wrinkled, I think she’s still beautiful and she’s the sweetest and the best grandmother in the world!
*Lola – A Filipino term for “grandma”
How was my week?
August 22nd, 2008
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Two major events happened to me this week: it was my first day of work at another company and the panic upon hearing my family’s evacuation due to MILF’s attack near my hometown. Most of the people have gone back to their homes but they’re still afraid of MILF’s possible attack especially at night. I just hope there’d be no more bloodshed over this centuries of disagreement in Mindanao.So, how was my first week at work? The office is just small and there are only 10 us at the office. So far, I love it there! Here are the reasons why:
- We’re allowed to dress casually,
- We can eat at our tables
- Work time’s from 9:30AM-6:30PM. Most of the companies here have 9:00-6:00PM working time.
- The office is only about 7 minutes by bicycle from my apartment. I don’t have to wake up early to catch the train!
- Because it’s near, I can go home during lunch break which is at 12:30-1:30PM
- I can use NetBeans, SQL Admin and dozens of other applications at the same time! Unlike my beloved laptop that’s already too slow…
- Yep, finally after two years of bugging my boss for a Java project, I’m doing Java right now!
- There’s a surround sound system for music! Though most of the songs I hear are Japanese.
I still can’t remember everyone’s name but I hope they’ll remain as kind as they are now.
Wordless Wednesday #23: My Favorite Combo
August 20th, 2008
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Prayer for Safety and Peace
August 18th, 2008
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“26 persons — 23 civilians and three soldiers — killed in fighting triggered by attacks by fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Lanao del Norte province on Monday, officials said.” Inquirer.net
These killings happened just a few kilometers away from our house. Some of those casualties may had been my acquaintances. I called my family a while ago and they’ve evacuated the children (including Shaynna) to Iligan City. But my mother, along with some cousins are staying at my house tonight for fear of burglars.
Dear friends, I ask for your prayers for the safety of my family, friends, neighbors, the soldiers, and everyone in Lanao del Norte. For the families of those casualties, that they may find strength and healing. For the deceased, that they may enter into the fullness of eternal joy, despite the injustice that they had went through.
Photohunt: Colorful
August 16th, 2008
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I love autumn and here’s the reason why…
At Osaka Castle grounds, Fall 2007
First Day Jitters?
August 15th, 2008
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Since that April 1st incident, I’ve never worked in an office. I’ve spent a month in the Philippines, and the other 3 months, I’ve spent here in the apartment! It was only around June when our boss gave us some in-house (or should I say, in-apartment) projects. It was very convenient as I didn’t have to wake up early and I could take breaks as often as I wanted.
Unfortunately, those carefree days are over. I finally got in a small company and we are starting on Monday! Since the confirmation, I couldn’t help but be nervous on my first day at the company. 4 1/2 months is a long time, after all. Do I still know how to program? It is a common custom to say a short “speech” to your teammates on your first day. What will I say, then? Will our boss be as kind as the previous ones? Can I eat at my desk? Will there be unfiltered internet connection? Ok, I should stop listing all those questions because I’m getting more anxious. I guess I’ll have to prepare my little speech, then.
A taste of Chu-hi, a taste of anaphylaxis
August 14th, 2008
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“Anaphylaxis is the most serious — and, fortunately, the most uncommon and unmistakable — allergy symptom. Anaphylaxis, or anaphylactic shock, is a whole-body allergic reaction that causes difficulty breathing due to swelling in the airways and a rapid drop in blood pressure due to dilated blood vessels. Anaphylaxis usually develops quickly upon exposure to the allergen that triggers it, so the cause is often easily identifiable.
Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency. If symptoms develop, call 911 immediately and administer any rescue medication you may have been prescribed as your physician has instructed.” – About.com
There were a few times when I have to rely on small amounts of red wine to be able to sleep early. But I don’t really like the taste of it so I tried a different alcoholic drink: the chu-hi. It’s fruit-flavored and it has just about 5% alcohol level content. A few sips of red wine could easily make me feel dizzy and sleepy but a few seconds after drinking chuhi, I started to have breathing difficulties. The first time I tried it, I wasn’t able to sleep immediately because I experienced chest pains. I just ignored it and very fortunately slept through it. As I thought it over, I realized that I may be allergic to chuhi. So I gave it another shot last night. As expected, just a few minutes after I drank it, I started to have chest pains and breathing difficulties. Last night was a lot worse than the first time. I almost asked my roommate to take me to the hospital.
As a person who reacts to many food allergens, I always keep with me my anti-allergy medications. Fortunately, it soothed the anaphylactic shock and not long after taking my medication, I could breath again. I still had mild breathing difficulties until I flushed the liquid all out.
Chuhi might not be the only alcoholic drink I’m allergic to. I also experienced the same thing with beer and red wine, if taken in higher quantity. So, I can no longer depend on wine to put me to sleep, but I now have a very valid reason to say no to alcohol. I don’t really drink alcohol, if not for my insomnia attacks. But here in Japan, some may find you rude if you refuse to drink alcohol. Fortunately, I’m a gaijin* so I have an excuse to be different. 
gaijin – colloquial term for foreigners
Wordless Wednesday #22: What you get at “Viking”
August 13th, 2008
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