Archive for January, 2009

A mistake in placing the comma, perhaps?

January 18th, 2009
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Lately, I have been obsessed with wanting to buy a new watch.   I have always wanted to buy a Swatch or a Guess but again, budget issues comes in so I just have to make do with my cute, almost a year old,  supposed-to-be-temporary,  “so-so” watch.  While surfing a favorite online shop, I came across this one:


Cute, isn’t it? And looking at the price, it does look like a very good bargain. I was bent on saving up for it but good thing a friend informed me that other online shops are selling this watch at prices lower than the discounted price displayed here. Moreover, the other shops’ prices are just the regular, not discounted, prices!  This is a good tactic to attract the ever trusting Japan population to buy this product.  However, I choose to believe that this is just a mistake by the seller.  I choose to believe in the goodness of business men and the whole humanity. :D
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Japan: exposed, Things I love

Going for Smartphone

January 18th, 2009
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The phone that I got when I arrived here two years ago is already outdated. It is not even a 3G phone, not blue-tooth capable, and could support only up to 500MB mini SD card. It may have a 3.2 megapixels camera but with its memory capability, I can’t put in music, videos, and more photos! The contract for my previous phone is already over, I could now get a new model. After much deliberation, I decided to get an iPhone! Good thing Softbank had a promo so the monthly fee for the phone was cut to more than 50%. Now, I have my phone, photos, music in one gadget!

I have not tried out much of its features yet but when I came across this iPods buying guide, I learned that my phone is capable of more things than I am aware of. (I do think I sound like an old lady who is afraid to even touch a keyboard). I’m especially interested in the iPod Radio Remote. Listed in that page are shops where you could order this accessory from, making it much easier to compare prices. The iPod cases in this page are pretty cool, too!

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Gadgets

Birthday Lunch

January 17th, 2009
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I’ve been extremely lazy busy these past few days that I wasn’t able to post something about my birthday. Yes, I turned a year older last week. It’s the 11th birthday I’ve spent away from home since 1998 and the 3rd one since coming here. I miss going to church on my birthday and spending it with my best friend. Even if I’m away, my family always prepare something on this day. This time, I’ve prepared something too. We’re currently doing a home-based project so some of my colleagues and friends were already gathered. We had lunch and didn’t miss taking some pictures. We’ve found this Pinoy store and ordered something for my birthday. See if you could spot something “Pinoy” in the photos below:



Have you noticed the Selecta Ube Royale ice cream? I bought a kilo of pork barbeque but there was no time to put them on sticks so we just cooked it in a pan and it turned out something like tocino.
Once again, thank you very much to those who sent me their greetings and even those who forgot to.  :)
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Experiences in Japan, Food, Friends

Wordless Wednesday #27: Fries

January 14th, 2009
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Check out the Wordless Wednesday HQ
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Wordless Wednesday

Cards

January 13th, 2009
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Do you keep every membership card and point card? I have this small box at home where I keep my membership cards since I was in high school. Since arriving here in Japan, I have accumulated even more, despite the fact that I only have a little idea on how to use them! But I always keep my point cards of shops I frequent.  Like the gold point card in the picture, it’s from my favorite electronic store. I earn points each time I buy something.  I have already used some of those points to buy printer ink cartridges and discounts on some electronics.  I had a Mister Donut point card last year but the points I earned was not enough to get even a single doughnut! How I wish there’s a Mister Donut near my apartment so that I could use the point card I got this year.

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Things I love

Friday Quote #6

January 9th, 2009
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Funny birthday quotes, but true:

“The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.” – Lucille ball

“Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” - Jack Benny

“Few women admit their age. Few men act theirs.” – Anonymous

“It is utterly false and cruelly arbitrary to put all the play and learning into childhood, all the work into middle age, and all the regrets into old age.” - Margaret Mead

Happy birthday Guia and me!

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Quotes

Anything “Pinoy”, a phone call away

January 8th, 2009
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I’ve been ranting about how hard it is to find a Pinoy store here in Osaka. I was already familiar with two stores but they’ve closed down already. I could always ask my mother to send me something “Pinoy” here but canned goods are way too heavy thus, higher shipping fee.

Months ago, Brastel sent me a catalogue of Akabane Bussan, a Filipino goods distributor here in Japan. They are based in Tokyo but they’re just a phone call away! Give them a call, inform them that you want to order something, and they’d call you back.  So, you don’t have to worry about your phone bill.  Of course it is necessary to pay for the delivery but the items are far cheaper than the ones in the Filipino stores here in Osaka.  Aside from canned goods, you could also order green mangoes, Selecta ice cream, dried fish, boneless bangus from Sarangani , etc.  They even sell “adidas” (or chicken feet), uncooked chicharon bulaklak, and pork blood for your dinuguan! Just visit their website and you’ll be surprised by how many things you could buy from them.

How I wish I could some kind of bonus for mentioning them here! :D  Anyway, some friends and I have already received our first batch of orders:  frozen goods, and we’re looking forward to buying dry goods later this month!

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Experiences in Japan, Philippines

Imported from the Philippines

January 7th, 2009
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I’m out of medicines among other things, so I asked my mother to send me some stuff from the Philippines. As I have mentioned in the past, there are things that I could not just replace with something Japan-made. Here are the things that I often have my mother send me here:

  • dried fish (Bisaya term is “bulad”) – I could find some “bulad” in the supermarkets here but they’re not salty enough.
  • chips – I was into “Chippy” years ago, but the taste somewhat changed, so I shifted to “Clover”, particularly barbeque and cheese flavors.
  • Nescafe 3 in 1 Coffee – Of course, there are instant coffee packs here but they are more expensive and they don’t taste that good
  • rubbing alcohol – Not a single bottle of rubbing alcohol can be found here.
  • tangle-free comb – Those cheap, Hair Doctor-like combs aren’t available here. Because they are cheap, they break easily so I need to have some of these shipped from time to time.
  • allergy medications – I react to many allergens so I musn’t run out of these.
  • stomach problems medications – My stomach is a oversensitive, too. So I always keep over-the-counter medicines such as: Diatabs, Kremil-S, Simeco, and Flagyl. These are more essential to me than Biogesic.
  • baby cologne from Johnson & Johnson or Avon – I am used to basically pouring cologne all over me after bath so I need to use a cheaper cologne. Avon always put their cologne up on sale (usually less than $2 each)! So far, I haven’t found an Avon shop here.
  • lip gloss – I’ve tried out some lip gloss brands here but I don’t like it. I still like Avon’s lip gloss, after all.
  • Ovaltine chocolate drink – I prefer Ovaltine over Milo, and I couldn’t find Ovaltine here.
  • lingerie from Avon – I’m more comfortable wearing lingerie from Avon and I think it’s hard to find an Avon lady here.
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Philippines, Things I love

Remember Matrix?

January 6th, 2009
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For most of us, Keanu Reeves comes to mind when we hear the word “matrix”. But for those who have to face advance mathematics in college, matrix is a rectangular arrangement of numbers. I had to deal with matrices for a semester and I thought that passing the course meant I could already freely forget about them. But I was wrong. Ten years after our first acquaintance, I am now faced with a dilemma: I had to undelete all part, if not everything, I have learned about matrices and somehow use them in 3D programming!

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At work

Home Theater

January 6th, 2009
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When my father took home those big, flat-screen, CRT television, my siblings and I were really awed that we spent too much time in front of those bright objects watching our favorite action movies. When I first came back here last 2006, I was amazed more by the appearance of those LCD television that I frequented the nearest electronic store. At that time, most of those huge LCD television cost about half a million yen. Two years later, the prices became more than 50% cheaper. Maybe I would just wait another two years when my dream home theater and home theater seating becomes more available, eh? Of course it still depends solely on my finances. :)

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Others

Photohunt: Hope

January 3rd, 2009
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This photo was taken on January 1, 2005. Shaynna was still a year old and I was still in my post-pregnancy weight of about 58kgs!. Then I’ve spent the next 3 New Year’s Day celebrations here in Japan. I just hope that I could spend the next Christmas and New Year’s Day with her and the rest of family. Not only the next holiday but more holidays to come.


Just don’t mind the date on the photo. Forgot to correct the date.

Once again, Happy New Year to all!

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Photohunt, Shaynna

Long-term wishlist?

January 3rd, 2009
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I think some of you guys know about “The Secret”.  I have only seen part of it but I still got some encouraging tips.  It is said there that I have to visualize the things that I want.  So, for starters, I have already begun drawing up plans for my dream house and it’s not that bad trying to visualize the car of my dreams, too.  I’m attracted to cars like Ford Escape but this baby, the Toyota Land Cruiser has always been my favorite.  Any color would do but I love black the most, then I’ll get one of those stylish tire chains.   A friend always tell me that this car doesn’t suit me because I’m too small to be driving this car.  But I don’t mind really.  Let’s just see until I get this wish granted and until I learn how to drive. ;)

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Things I love
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