These are photos of the roads that make me feel at home.
Taken at my hometown in the Philippines:
Archive for September, 2008
Photohunt: Road
September 20th, 2008
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Sayonara Sale
September 18th, 2008
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The nice thing about Japan and some countries is that it would cost a fortune to have the garbage collector pick up big stuffs such as electronics, furniture, etc. So, many people who are leaving Japan, either hold a “Sayonara sale” or give their stuffs away. And where can I find such Sayonara sale ads? Where else, but online at the Kansai Flea Market website.
I often visit this website hoping to find stuffs that might be useful to me. I don’t mind buying and using second-hand electronics, books and some furniture. After all, I save a lot if I buy second-hand stuffs. Plus, they are way cheaper than those in the second-hand shops. Recently, I’ve seen this ad at Kansai Flea Market and here are the treasures I found:
For those who don’t know what sayonara is, it means “goodbye”.
Eat and Jog
September 17th, 2008
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One of my Japanese acquaintances is a biologist. He is currently involved in a research about losing weight. Nope, I think he is not trying to develop a new diet pill. One very important point he told me was that decreasing one’s food intake is effective in losing weight but the effect wears off in the next few weeks. Even with the decreased food intake, one could still gain weight. His suggestion? Find a fast fat burner. This doesn’t have to be a medication. It could mean that we have to sweat it out. The more energy the human body consumes, the higher chance of getting rid of those extras. If you’re dieting and exercising at the same time, then you’re on the right track. So, now I’m no longer afraid of eating anything I crave as long as I jog every night. Hope the rainy days (and late-night work days) would go away soon because I feel that my ugly curves are getting bigger. Ugh!
Technocrati Boost
September 11th, 2008
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Since I’ve transferred to this domain, I’ve never regained my Google rank. So, it has become impossible for me to grab paid post opportunities. Hope this one would help me get back in line. 
presenting a meme from the queen’s production:
Is your Technorati number a goner? Then in the spirit of 8 of 2008, let’s see if we could bring it back to life! I have randomly selected 8 bloggers below. Publish this post in your blog and tag 8 other bloggers by simply adding them on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes let’s hope a long list!) It’s real easy! Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially! And what are the benefits of Viral Linking?
- One of the fastest ways to see your Technorati Authority explode!;
- Increase your Google PageRank fast;
- Attract large volume of new traffic to your site.
- Build your community
- Make new friends!
And these are the people who already took part on this tag:
Reyna Elena, Bluep, Kotsengkuba, Jojitah, Pusa, Malen, YoungCanCook, Chuva, Kengkay , Max Female Beauty, Ely, Manilenya, Vanidosa, Repah, Rhapsody, Sherliz, Fortuitous Faery, Bisdak Babbles, Princess Ody, Gingmaganda, GMirage, Celia Kusinera, LittleMsFirefly, Shiela , Idel, Levian, Elaine, Stephen, Lizeth, Rey Ian,
Drug Store Finds
September 11th, 2008
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I love to window-shop at drug stores here in Japan, even if I can’t read most of the stuffs. I’m pretty sure which ones are Vitamin Cs, though. So what do I love about these stores? Well, for vitamin C, there are lots of brands on display and I usually pick out the cheapest one. I’ve recently changed my acne cream and because there were so many brands to choose from, it was hard to decide. But so far, I think it’s working well. Aside from medications, I love scouring for drug stores that has the lowest prices of my basic toiletries: soap, shampoo, lotion, moisturizer, and conditioner. Above all, most of these drug stores also sell (snack) food at prices lower than those at the supermarkets. If given the chance to go home, I’d definitely go to that drug store where Idel took me a while ago. In there, I was able buy the cheapest KitKats I’ve ever found.
One friend asked me if slimming medications are also available over the counter. Is it because I could read only a handful of Kanji characters that I haven’t noticed even a single diet pill? But I’ve seen boxes of slimming tea.
If ever you guys have a chance to visit Japan, be sure to drop by one of those big drug stores. I bet you’ll enjoy it.
Bettyful!
September 10th, 2008
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It’s been years since I’ve last watched a series from the Philippines. Before I came across Korean, Taiwanese, and Japanese drama, I didn’t mind watching a series that runs for years. I thought it was just normal, and I was surprised that drama from other countries only have around 15-20+ episodes. It’s a good thing that they no longer do that.
One new dramedy (dramatic-comedy) from ABS-CBN that I find so interesting is I Love Betty La Fea, based on Columbian series Yo soy Betty, la fea. I love Betty’s very optimistic character, and I love Bea Alonso portraying Betty. She may not be good-looking but as what they’ve said, she’s beautiful inside. There are many good actors and actresses in the series, including Ai-ai delas Alas playing the role as Betty’s mother.
I attempted to watch other versions but I prefer this one, where I can relate as a Pinoy, and seeing Philippines through this series makes me feel at home. 
Their Other Side
September 7th, 2008
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In most work places here in Japan, welcome parties for new team members are held. One was held last Friday for the three new members at the office, me included.
I’m always uncomfortable at parties such as this one and I’m not really as extroverted as I want to be. Somehow, I’m still shy. Worse, almost nobody would want to sit next to me because majority don’t speak English. This time, it’s a little bit different. One officemate volunteered to sit next to Idel and me because he wanted to speak English. Much to my surprise, he’s not really shy at all! Well, almost everyone showed their “other side”. During work hours, it is so quiet in the office that every squeaking sound a chair makes could be heard by everybody. Everyone seems to be always engrossed with what they’re doing that it’s seldom to hear them conversing (except on work-related discussions). At the party, everybody talked a lot and loudly, too!
At the party, I’ve learned that…
- Idel and I are older than most of my officemates (the person seating next to me is just fresh from college)
- Our team leader is naturally talkative in the office but he’s more comical at the party
- Majority at the office don’t have a car and owning one’s a big deal for them, too!
- Idel and I are usually the earliest ones to leave the office (at about 7:00PM), but unsurprisingly, most stay at the office until midnight everyday
It was fun speaking to some of my officemates in language that I understand. I just hope they’ll at least be half as talkative in the office as they were at the party.
Wordless Wednesday #24: Can you tell if these are real?
September 3rd, 2008
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I need a watch!
September 3rd, 2008
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It’s been a few years since I’ve last worn a good wrist watch. Good for me, means that it must be one of those Nautica watches or Swatch watches. But I have priorities (lots of those), so I have to put off buying my dream watch until the next year or so. The last decent one I had was a gift from my father but it’s now broken. I still have it and for its sentimental value, I want to keep wearing it. I intend to have it fixed when I have the chance to go home to the Philippines.
The watch I’m wearing now? It’s just a cheap one, it costs about US$20 only. But I like it because it’s cute and there’s a tiny beetle at the tip of the second hand. The original strap snapped so I bought a 100-yen (US$1) strap to replace it. Believe it or not, the 100-yen replacement held on longer than the original one and I’m pretty sure it’s gonna serve me for a little bit longer.
Not Excused
September 2nd, 2008
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Just had another extraordinary conversation with Shaynna (well, every phone conversation with my little angel is special for me )…
Me: Baby, where do you want to celebrate your birthday? (She’ll be 4 next month, and I meant to ask her whether she likes to have it at home or at the school.)
Shaynna: I want to spend it there, in Japan!
She’s been reminding me about this in the past few weeks. I wish to be with her on her birthday but I’m still trying to get over our family’s financial crisis, so I tried to console her with what I thought was a good excuse…
Me: You can’t celebrate it here because they don’t sell lechon here…
Shaynna: Then, we shall ask dad to send the lechon there!
Me: [speechless] ….
Searching again…
September 2nd, 2008
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I love the train stations here because they could be adjacent to department stores or sh?tengai (???). The Shin-Osaka station is one of my favorites. It’s neither close to a mall nor sh?tengai but the station building itself has many small shops and restaurants. I always drop by the Uniqlo shop and see if they have some stuffs that are on sale. In front of the Uniqlo shop was this small drugstore where I always buy the best acne treatment I’ve ever used. The prices there were generally cheaper than the others. Unfortunately, the location is currently under renovation and I forgot to buy an extra tube of my acne cream! I’ve searched through many stores but couldn’t find one. It’s really a wonder why it’s not available everywhere when that cream is manufactured by Shiseido.
Dream Room
September 1st, 2008
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I love looking at pictures of fully-furnished houses and I often day-dream of living in houses such as those. So, if money’s not an issue, how do you want your bedroom to look like?
If I live in the city, it would really be nice to live in a high-rise condominium building, so that I could have a room overlooking the city. My flat should be at least in the 40th floor. Is it just me, or does a city night view really help relieve stress? I find the sound of the distant traffic really soothing. The room should be carpeted and the walls should be painted white. I should have a walk-in closet and a huge comfortable bed (no more futons!). I’m no longer into computer games so I’m OK with a laptop but I want it to be a Sony Vaio . A very good audio player should be inside, too. Above all, I should have a home theater! And it won’t feel like a theater without a very comfortable theater seating.
This is the best photo that I could find that closely resembles what I have in mind. Behold… my dream room:
Don’t you think it’s just too “masculine”?
