Archive for the "Experiences in Japan" Category

Hopeful in 2009

January 1st, 2009
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2008 was not a good year for me and my family. With my father’s death, last year has been filled with grief, emotional and financial struggles.  My family is still in deep pain but we want to face the new year full of hope.

So, how did I welcome 2009? Yesterday, I tried to do a general cleaning but it was impossible.  I wasn’t able to buy groceries a few days earlier and due to the sudden increase in food prices, I just opted to buy frozen food (pizza, bacon, etc.)  and a pack of oranges.  Then I rushed to meet with friends and attend a midnight mass in Kobe.  The mass started at 12 midnight and as expected, the church was only half full.  After the mass, there was a small, short, and a very quiet party in the church hall…


Then we headed back home. Here, the trains run 24 hours on January 1st, but the 30-minute interval made us wait shivering at the train station. I’m supposed to go out with some friends today to take advantage of the New Year sale in Kobe but I woke up late.  I don’t have enough finances, too!  I went out for a while but only the 24-hour supermarkets and convenient stores are open.  So once again, my first day of the year is spent in solitude.  Anyway, I choose to believe that this year is gonna be a better year for me and my family.  Despite the economic slowdown happening all over the world, I know that something good will happen this year. ;)

Happy New Year to all!  I hope and pray that this year is better for you, too.

I also pray for peace in Mindanao and in the whole world.

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Experiences in Japan, Family, Sentiments

Not so eventful December

January 1st, 2009
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It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve last posted an entry.  I didn’t even post a single Christmas greeting! Anyway, some colleagues and I have been assigned a very difficult home-based project.  This new challenge has kept me busy.

So how did my Christmas go? Last Christmas eve, I went to mass  and had a small Noche Buena with some friends.  The small gathering ended at 3A.M. and I spent the rest of the Christmas day sleeping.  I really miss spending Christmas with my family…

Before Shaynna’s Christmas break, they had a Christmas party.  I once again missed another of Shaynna’s firsts.  I just have to be content with the videos and pictures.  I can’t share the longer video because there’s a little bit embarrassing moment for Shaynna and she might get angry at me for placing it here.  So, here’s a peek only:

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Experiences in Japan, Family

I wish I were a beauty queen

December 21st, 2008
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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. :D
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Experiences in Japan

Wordless Wednesday #26: Just another parlor game

December 17th, 2008
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One of the parlor games we had at the Christmas party.

Check out the Wordless Wednesday HQ
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Christmas, Experiences in Japan

Paskong JaPinoy 2008

December 16th, 2008
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Many things kept me from blogging constantly these days. I do have many drafts but somehow, I just can’t finish writing them.

Anyway, it’s almost Christmas and many Filipino friends are going home on Saturday so we had our Christmas party last December 13th.  14 Filipinos and 5 Japanese joined the party so basically it was a “Paskong JaPinoy”. Yes, about 20 people were present and despite the cramped venue, we managed to have some parlor games. All prizes cost 100-yen and yet everyone was very competitive to get hold of one of those mugs. It felt like a real Noche Buena because food and drinks were overflowing.  We can’t let this Christmas pass without exchanging gifts, so we had a Kris Kringle.   To liven up the party more, some of us even tried to do the cup beat!

As one of the organizers and the host, I’m glad everyone had fun at the party.  To those who joined the party and to my fellow organizers, thank you!

The JaPinoys:

Those who tried to do the cup beat:

The most interesting gift:

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Experiences in Japan, Friends

Flatmate for two days

November 18th, 2008
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Why went all the trouble of cleaning? Aside from wanting to do this for a long time, here’s another reason why:


Meema came all the way from Tokyo to see Kansai’s autumn scenes. She stayed with me for two days. She’s living in Kanagawa but she’s been to more places here in Kansai than I do. She even went to Himeji Castle! Meems, please let me borrow this Himeji Castle photo:
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Experiences in Japan, Friends

Bijin Nabe

November 3rd, 2008
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According to Wikipedia>, Nabemono (??, ???, nabe cooking pot + mono things, stuff, kinds) or simply called nabe, is a term referring to all varieties of Japanese steamboat dishes, also known as one pot dishes.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia:
A Japanese friend invited me and one of her close friends to her place. Too bad I forgot to bring my cellphone so I couldn’t share some photos. Indeed, cold weather is the best time to eat nabe and it becomes more delicious if you eat it together with people dear to you. There are lots of nabe “flavors”. One of them is Kimchi, but we got the “Bijin Nabe”. Bijin (??? is a Japanese term for “beautiful woman”. Really interesting flavor, isn’t it?

I really had a wonderful time with those two ladies and we even made a promise – they’re going home with me next year, to experience “Paskong Pinoy”!

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Experiences in Japan, Food, Friends

Winter Preparations

November 1st, 2008
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“I prefer winter over summer” or “I’ve had enough of summer“. These are my usual answers when some Japanese acquaintances ask me about winter. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate summer. I just don’t like sweating. But at the peak of winter, I often take back these “anti-summer” words. Literally, winter chills me to the bones! So far, I’ve survived three winters with just my little heater and layers of clothing. This winter, I’m thinking of adding some “winter survival tools”. Maybe this time, I’ll finally use the kotatsu, a low, wooden table frame with a heat source underneath.  I’m also planning to buy heated mattress pads and a new thick blanket.  Above all, I should think of energy-saving ways because I’ll be alone for three whole months. Luanne, my flatmate, is staying in the Philippines from November to end of January. So I don’t have anybody to share the electricity bill with.

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Experiences in Japan, Lifestyle

A Wedding

October 30th, 2008
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Many friends and acquaintances got and are getting married this year. My roommate is going home to the Philippines this Saturday for her wedding in December. Rose got married on the triple 8 day (August 8, 2008). About half a dozen people I know from highschool and college got married during the first half of the year. And last Saturday, Raneil, a good friend, got married to a beautiful Japanese lady.  Since the wedding was held here in Osaka, I got invited and was able to witness this happy event.

The wedding was very interesting. Among the guests, you could see some people wearing Kimono (Japan’s traditional dress), Filipiniana, and Barong Tagalog (Philippine’s traditional dresses). The best man was Raneil’s brother and he wore a Barong Tagalog. The maid of honor was the bride’s sister and she wore a Kimono. As for the food, mostly Filipino dishes were served. The presentation numbers made it more interesting. My favorite was the Cariñosa dance. The rest were song numbers.

The newlyweds:

At the reception:

reunited with friends from previous companies:

 Raneil and Yukako-san, omedetou!

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Experiences in Japan, Friends

Feels more like home

October 20th, 2008
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I’ve lived here in Japan for more than 2 years. But, I’m still not that used to sitting cross-legged. I still get leg cramps and I still consider sitting on the floor sometimes uncomfortable. My flatmate and I were very delighted when a friend gave us her Japanese-style sofa. (Thanks again, Rose!) However, we didn’t expect to find something that would make our apartment more like home…


Yes, finally, a sala set! But, we paid nothing for it. Someone from our building might have relocated to another place or bought a new sala set and put the old ones to the building’s garbage room. Actually, there are two more chairs but we left it behind because they won’t fit in our small sala. Nope, the sofa and the table aren’t that old yet. They’re still in very good condition, or should I say… “second-hand shop” quality.  That very colorful cover is an extra curtain.  :D

Below, my flatmate, another friend, and I getting comfy on the “new” sofa:


Some of you might have noticed the Christmas decors in the first photo. We aren’t putting up decorations early. They’re decorations from last year!
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Experiences in Japan

Grow Old With You

October 15th, 2008
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One of the things a like (a little) about train rides is I get to observe other people.  In some ways, this helps me reflect on my own life.

This morning, a very old Japanese couple was on the same train.  The old lady sat beside me and her husband sat behind us.  I wanted to switch chairs with the husband so that they could sit beside each other but I held back.  I thought that it would be easier for both of them to sit along the aisle as they had a hard time moving.  At the next train stop, the husband’s seatmate got off and the husband helped the old lady up to let her sit beside him.  The old lady seemed weaker than the guy and it really touched me seeing the guy taking care of the old lady.

Indeed, falling in love means taking a great risk.  You could get hurt.  But if you find that someone who’s really meant for you, then you’re blessed to have that someone who grows old with you.

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Experiences in Japan, Sentiments

Another Train Moment

October 14th, 2008
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I’ve just lost a coin inside the train and one of those train moments happened again this morning.

Since there’s no tea, coffee or even water dispenser in the new company, I usually bring with me a bottle of tea I’ve prepared at home and a can of coffee.  The ones in the vending machine costs are twice as expensive as those I bought from the supermarket. So everyday, I always have two big bags in tow, one is my “main” bag, and the other one contains my lunch, drinks, and snacks.

While I was seated in the train this morning, I painstakingly squeezed my jacket into my main bag, I lost balance, and my food bag jumped out of lap. Good thing I packed them nicely but I wasn’t quick enough to catch my can of coffee before it rolled out to the seat infront of me.  I planned to go after it, but the ones seated in front were deep asleep so I dumped my coffee-retrieval plan.

Action plan:  I should buy a sealable food bag before I lost another can of coffee.

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At work, Experiences in Japan, Ooopppssss
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