Archive for August, 2008

Bitter Dishes

August 12th, 2008
{ 6 Comments }

We can’t always find ampalaya or bitter gourd here. So when they started to appear at the supermarkets two months ago, it has become a part of my weekly budget. Ampalaya with egg is very easy to prepare so I went on for weeks cooking ampalaya this way. Honestly, I had never tried cooking ampalaya before I came here. About a month ago, ampalaya or goya (in Japanese), became so cheap that you could buy 4 pieces for just 100 yen (US$1)! We bought so many goya but I couldn’t eat any more goya with egg! So I tried cooking it in different ways, one of them was adding it to a Japanese curry! I passed by a curry restaurant and saw a big picture of curry with ampalaya and squash. Here’s my version:


It still tastes like the usual Japanese curry (of course!) but with a twist. The squash compliments the ampalaya’s bitter taste. As I have put my heart into cooking it, I can say that it’s delicious! :P Summer will be over soon, and goya will be gone again, so I have to eat goya to my heart’s content.
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Experiences in Japan, Food

Fireworks and Rain

August 11th, 2008
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Since I’ve arrived here in Osaka, I’ve always looked forward to watching the Yodogawa Hanabi* display each year. It takes place on the first or second Saturday of August. I make sure that I don’t miss it because it’s just a few minutes walk from my place. There are lots of fireworks all over Japan during summer but I avoid the hassle of taking overcrowded trains. My experience this year was one of a kind.

We arrived at the river bank at around 6PM (the fireworks usually starts at 7:30PM). At first it appeared to be a fine day…


But the clouds seemed to have come to an agreement to gather in Yodogawa…

At around seven, we had to temporarily vacate our spot for fear of being hit by lightning.

Not long after, big raindrops started to fall so we had to take shelter in the nearby houses. I always bring my umbrella but unfortunately, I left it in my other bag.

We thought that they would hold the fireworks display until the rain stops but we were really surprised when we heard big bangs coming from the river! Yes, they still lighted the fireworks despite the heavy rains. So, we rushed back to our spot, while trying to keep our bags from getting wet. Just imagine running through a crowd of people, with the rain pouring down on your face and eyeglasses!

For the next 40 minutes, Idel and I used our picnic mat to cover just our heads and our bags, while staring at the magnificent display ahead.  As we had predicted, the rain stopped a few minutes before the end of the fireworks display. I’m sorry I still don’t have a digital camera yet so all I got were these lame fireworks display photos using my cellphone:


That small ball of light at the upper left was the moon :D
?? -> Hanabi -> fireworks
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Experiences in Japan, Simply Osaka

Sweating It Out

August 10th, 2008
{ 1 Comment }

A wedding, whether you’re the bride or one of the bride’s maids, is one of the major reasons why many ladies seek the aid of a weight loss product.  We have to be “fit” enough to wear those gowns!  Nope, I am not getting married nor am I going to be one of the bride’s maids, but some of my friends are.  Inspired by their drive to get rid of those extra pounds, I sometimes join them in their quest, though I don’t really deprive myself of those delicious but fatty foods.   In fact, in our apartment, we have our own version of weight loss products. Here they are:  a step machine and a hula hoop!

Truth be told, we seldom use these things. :D

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Health

Photohunt: Dark

August 9th, 2008
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Shaynna loves to pose for pictures as much as she loves to play with the camera.  She took this photo with a finger covering the flash.  The only good thing about it is that it made my arms look a little bit thinner. ;)

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Photohunt, Shaynna

Off to Preschool

August 7th, 2008
{ 3 Comments }

Took me some time to post about this, but Shaynna started preschool last June 10. It was sad, since my father could no longer be with us to see her off on the first day, but it was an eventful first week.

Day One:
Before leaving the house, Shaynna appeared confident to face a new environment. But she didn’t let go of me that I had to stay with her inside the classroom through the whole session! I managed to sneak out 30 minutes before the class ended but she cried so hysterically that the teacher had no choice but to let her leave the classroom earlier.

Day Two:
Shaynna was afraid I’d leave her again, so she chose my mother to accompany her to the classroom. She agreed to let my mother stay outside, but she started crying when the door was closed. The teacher just left the window open so that she could see my mother and stop her from crying.

Day Three:
Shaynna’s father and I accompanied her to the classroom but she didn’t let go easily. So we had to bribe her with something – let her take my MP3 player inside! Another parent bribed her son with her cellphone!

Day Four:
Thankfully, we didn’t have to convince her. Shaynna willingly took her teacher’s hand and went inside the classroom!

Here’s a photo of Shaynna at school. Her classmates were running all over the place but she and a classmate just watched. When asked, she said she was afraid of stumbling down.

Some people say she’s still too young (3 years old) to go to school, but I think I’ve made the right decision.  Each time I talk to her on the phone, I can tell she now enjoys going to school.

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Shaynna

I’ve Had Enough of Eyeglasses

August 6th, 2008
{ 4 Comments }

“She’s dark-skinned, pimpled-faced and always wearing an eyeglasses.” This was how other people usually described me. I may have overcome the pimples a little bit but the eyeglasses have always been a part of me since I was 12 years old. I started to notice that there’s something wrong with my eyes when I was 9 years old and I didn’t tell my parents about it. Besides, nobody in the school wore eyeglasses, so I had no idea that I was becoming near-sighted. When I started high school, I could no longer ask my teachers to make me sit in the first row. So, my dependence on eyeglasses began.

I couldn’t count how many pairs of eyeglasses I have had. I’ve also tried contact lenses and loved it but it cost more. But without them, I couldn’t see clearly everything that’s half a meter away from me! Maybe that’s why I don’t enjoy swimming. Plus, I couldn’t wear ordinary sunglasses! I can’t afford it now, but I’m really bent on undergoing a Lasik (laser in-situ keratomileusis) eye surgery in the future. I’ve read some information regarding Lasik and the photos look a bit frightening. But I’d rather be brave enough (of course, have enough finances) to get rid of near-sightedness, than be bonded with eyeglasses.

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Health

Wordless Wednesday #21: Not for All Ages

August 6th, 2008
{ 9 Comments }

a Japanese soy sauce, for ages 0-100

Check out the Wordless Wednesday HQ
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Food, Wordless Wednesday

Cheaper and Better

August 6th, 2008
{ 3 Comments }

My first flash drive was only 128MB. That was more than five years ago, and it cost a lot! I think it cost me more than US$25. Now, flash drives and the rest of the electronic gadgets are getting smaller, better, and cheaper. I was in the supermarket a few days ago and there’s a heap of 1GB flash drives. They’re selling it for about US$9 each! Adding a little more amount, you could get yourself a 2GB MP3 player, which you could also use for other data storage purposes. I got one myself a few months ago, but I’m thinking of buying a flash drive. I don’t want to mix any data with my MP3 files. Besides, I’ve used up most of MP3 player’s 2GB. Maybe a few months from now, those 1GB would go down to US$5… I hope!

But I do hope food prices will also go down together with the electronics!

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The Geek in Me

Photohunt: Clouds

August 2nd, 2008
{ 15 Comments }

Taken at Ma. Cristina (Pryce) Gardens, Iligan City – my father’s final resting place.

 

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Family, Philippines, Photohunt

Theme Parks

August 2nd, 2008
{ 3 Comments }

I love theme parks! I just don’t like getting in those roller coaster rides.  I could take on the challenge, though. I just love to walk around the park and to take pictures. My visit won’t be complete without visiting the souvenir shops. Above all, I love fireworks display! I’ve been to Disney Land and Disney Sea in Tokyo but during those two visits, I wasn’t able see the fireworks.  That’s one of the reasons why I want to go there again.  And staying in one of those Disney resort hotels would be a real blast! The Universal Studio Japan is just a few stations away from my place but I haven’t been there yet. I’ll definitely visit it before I leave Osaka in the future.  I wish I could avail that 1-year pass in January.

I love theme parks, so experiencing Orlando vacations is on my “things to do before I die” list.  The largest recreational resort in the world, Walt Disney World Resort, the Universal Orlando Resort and other very interesting and huge attractions are in there!  I wish Florida was just a few hours away from Osaka, by train. :D

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Things I love

Punctured Tire Repair, anyone?

August 1st, 2008
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I don’t like to admit it. But like many people out there, I often complain or let the pessimist in me take over when things don’t go well. And many times, I come to think that it is OK to do so, until I see other people.

I got these photos from a forwarded email and I just have to share these with you. I’ve been going through hard times but after seeing these photos made me realize that despite the heavy loads I have to carry, at least I still have both of my hands to carry them…

Please click the Play button to start the slide show



People like this guy are really angels here on earth. If I were in his shoes, I hope I’m at least half as optimistic as he is. I don’t want to give up no matter how impossible it is. I want to continue believing that I am not alone as I go through life’s difficulties.
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Eye-opener
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