Bisdak Babbles

I was on my way to the Osaka train station when I passed by the activity hall in a department store. H.I.S., one of the largest travel agencies here in Japan, had some sort of promotions. I really had no idea what it was exactly. But the people on stage caught my attention:

At first I thought they were Filipinas, but they were from Guam. Yes, H.I.S. invited these beauty queens from Guam to promote their products.  You can’t read it from the picture but these lovely ladies are all wearing “Miss Guam Universe …”  sashes. The gown wearing the peach gown was wearing a “Miss Guam Universe Finalist” sash.  Anyway, I do envy their height! But the physical attributes are not the reason why I dream of becoming a beauty queen (a dream which is has always been impossible).  Rather,  I want one of the perks that comes with it -  travel opportunities!

If only I wasn’t in a hurry, it would have been me posing between these ladies instead of that Japanese lady.

For years, I have had this problem with acne. I have tried out dozens of ways to make them disappear for good. Then my flatmate recommended taking birth control pills! She told me that she also had the same problem so she went to a dermatologist. The prescription did not include any acne soap, acne bar, or virtamin for the skin, but only birth control pills! Surprisingly, it proved to be very effective.

Recently, I read something about Decaslim. It is actually a supplement for quick weight loss, but at the same time, it gets rid of acne! I would have thought this is unbelievable before hearing about the acne-removing birth control pill.

I have always believed that athletes just loose weight the “natural way”. I had thought that all of them are just too disciplined to stop themselves from indulging in food like my favorite cheese cake, and that they are too dedicated to their exercise regime, thus avoiding weight gain. I was once again very naive. Despite all those sacrifices, of course, they could still gain weight. I was actually surprised when I’ve read an article saying that bodybuilders sometimes take fat burners such as Fenphedra.

I think everyone loves Christmas decors. There’s this one department store in Osaka that has wide display spaces to put up Christmas decors such as this one:

I have been to a casino only once. It was when a close friend took me with her to the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu. I didn’t have money to burn, so all I did was act like I was her chaperon. At that time, I was amazed at the tension and excitement that reverberated throughout the place. How much more excitement can one feel when you’re in the Entertainment Capital of the World, las vegas nevada?  If I have the financial abundance, I’m pretty sure I would not do much gambling.  Staying in a luxury hotel such as The Mirage or Ceasar’s Palace is already enough for me.   Las Vegas, along with Orlando, Florida and New York, is one of the places in the U.S. that I dream of visiting some day…

“What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.”

-Agnes M. Pharo

Just like what Agnes M. Pharo said, Christmas is a fervent wish for peace. In my hometown, this Christmas is different.  Just yesterday, two separate bombing incidents occurred in Iligan City.  Many people got injured and three people died.  Right now, residents of Iligan City and the rest of Lanao del Norte are still facing bomb threats.  Silence and fear replaced the usual fire crackers.  Curfew has been implemented.  This is not the Christmas we had been used to.  I couldn’t get enough sleep worrying about my family there.  I hope and pray that this act of terrorism would stop. I hope and pray for peace in my hometown and in all corners of the world not only this Christmas…

One of the parlor games we had at the Christmas party.

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Most of my friends and I have worked here in Japan for more than a couple of years.  Just like almost every Filipino working abroad, we don’t intend on growing old outside our native homeland.  We sometimes talk over some things and daydream about what we want to do when that time comes.  Some of us even made an agreement of becoming business partners.  Many came up with putting up  vacation rentals. Taking advantage of our contacts here and of our IT experiences, this kind of business is definitely not farfetched.