Icy lake...

Yummy Annie's crepes...

My family comes first...

Dati kung sino sino ang iniisip ko. Lahat gusto kong iplease at matulungan. Up to the point na ang family ko na ang nagsa-suffer. Hindi ko pala kayang isipin ang lahat...ma-please ang lahat...at matulungan ang lahat. I need to concentrate on my family muna, before anything else. They're the only one I've got. And that should always be the case. :D

What's best...

I am thinking of having an American shorthair for my bunso who really loves cat than dogs but he assured me that he loves Mishah and Enzo. I want to give him a pet cat dahil naaawa na ako sa bata dahil thrice na siyang nawalan ng feral cat. Naligaw yata. I saw a Himalayan cat at Tiendesitas. Maybe he'll be made to choose between a cat or an FX. He'll be celebrating his birthday in March. And I want to give him a special gift for that very special day. I love you my bunsoy...

Busy morning...

Had coffee and with buttered raisin loaf bread...and took my madicines. Been busy arranging my 2 big balikbayan boxes. One with shampoos, soaps, kitchen utensils, house decor, gadgets and other more...while the other one will be with foods like noodles, choc'lates, sembei, and many more. Whoah it's hard to put things and segregate them in groups. Taking extra careful with those babasagin like syawan, and some china wares I like to use at home. And mawawala ba ang uwi ko para sa dalawa kong pets na pinakamamahal ko. We paid a little less than P10,000.00 for the boxes going to Pinas. Not much though for that big size boxes. Nakakaexcite magprepare. And nakakapagod din.

When everything falls into place...

Been here for more than a month and I now realized how time flies. Many things happened so swiftly, good and bad. And to quote my dear friend Tack, "everything has a reason"...and this holds true indeed. Not really bad I supposed. It happened for some reasons I believe...to teach us lesson from every fall and struggles, to know what's best and what's good and what is better. These help us grow, and to achieve knowledge coupled with better wisdom and fair judgement over things that comes our way. This vacation of mine has been helping me a lot. And I think it makes me more feel blest with how things are going. A good job not just for me but for people whom I cared for. Isn't that great?! Working in a big company like ------, is a great chance and with that I am truly grateful. After all those trials, comes challenges and chances. I always do believe that, "what comes around goes around." Being nice and respectful of others is all we've got while we're all still hanging in balance.

Now, I'm back n my feet again.

To Anthony...

P E A C E
Belated Happy Birthday 'tol!
C H E E R S!!!

PS/ Sorry I'm always en retard... :D

Mwaahugzzz!!!

I miss these two kids...Nathan I wish and do pray that he'll be able to pass the exams in Ateneo...but right now he's studying in Lourdes at Mandaluyong. While the kikay tot (Yndee) is still in her prep. The ever loving mother wants to enroll her in Assumption this coming June and I'm giving a 100% nod for her plans.

Kudos to you inay...

Gee, that's great...no more pain now!

A good Tuesday morning though it's drizzling a bit and quite gloomy...'coz dark clouds began to overcast the sky. Our windows are all foggy and blurred same as the mirror. Man...it's really cold but I do feel so so happy because of my present condition. Gosh I woke up without that queasy feeling and I just couldn't believe what I saw...my left toe has healed already. I can wear my sox now. I thank God for this because just last night it was so reddish and inflammed. Not worrying now, 'coz next week we're going to visit okasan at Gifu...where snow is inevitable.

Let us help...

I received this sad message from a good blogger/friend, Makoy. Anyone can help...


max fm: Please pray for Nelson Capulso aka Sgt Pepper. He was involved in a big car accident and passed away 1:20am last night> Please pray for his soul. May his legacy live on forever. If you want to send you condolances to his mother please contact her at 0921 228 5325. Or contact the station through our MAX text line..max_fm_"your message" send it to 2968.. your condolances will be read on air

Blogthings

You Are 84% Happy

It's unlikely that you know anyone happier than you. You know how to be happy, no matter what life throws at you.

How Happy Are You?

Still lightheaded...on a monday Monday...

Sigh...thought this would go away this morning. A little queasy I woke up and eat breakfast just so i could swallow my Norvasc...and 2 tablets for my light headache. It's really discomforting me yesterday pa until now. Got no appetite but force to eat a loaf with my favorite raisins, that I felt like pushing it down so quickly...and had a good cup of coffee. It's quite sad to eat alone. There's so many food stocked in here but the craving is quite lessened. I had my left toe pa that's giving me so much hassles the past few days. A little reddish due to inflammation, but I already put some first aid treatment na. Makki thought of seeking medical treatment but I just couldn't imagine the needle that would prick me, and positively I knew already how to cure such dilemma...having under this circumstances many times in my life, kabisado ko na ang dapat gawin dito. Good thing at may dala akong antibiotic and I thank God, at hindi ako diabetic.

Oyasumi...

Feeling queasy and lightheaded this time after an early joyride and eating shabu shabu outside. Nice to eat at fine dining. Great cuisine...right on your table.

But will do rest now and sleep this not so nice feeling away.

Something of a cock and bull story...

To help someone who's in need is such a good deed. But if it is always the case everytime you'd hear of her, or let say she's a perrenial flat broke...whoah...something is wrong somewhere. Oh that's such a pain. It's better to buzz off...easily and quickly without looking back, a clum up treatment begins. I don't know why generosity and compassion always end up at the wrong end.

"I thought I was in heaven!"

It was a careless mistake when last night I failed to notice that I was heating the water in the bathtub, only when Makki arrived and open the bathroom...she half-screamed impishly to catch my attention..."Wow, tita (always mimicking Jasmine Trias in Extra Challenge)...ang ganda...puro usok...parang heaven!" I was in the kitchen, so I opened the door, and I was shocked to see thick smoke all over coming from the tub. Shucks...it was so foolish of me. Hay naku...nakakahiya talaga on my part. Grabe. :(

My horoscope says...

Overview:

You can reconnect with almost anyone today, no matter how much bad blood has come between you in the past. It might not be the easiest thing in the world, but it could pay incredible dividends!


PS/ And so I did...without intention. 'Coz I don't believe talaga in horoscope for an obvious reason. Nagkataon lang, before I read this, I just had an overseas call for someone who I didn't talk for quite some times and got a lot of my crinkly eye treatment.

Tadaima!!!

Wow ang galing! I've wanted pa naman sana to take a rain check, but then kakakaenjoy silang kasama. And I do enjoy teaching them. As usual heavy lunch talaga. Talagang di ko makaya lahat, pero at least naipakita ko ung yummy factor nito. Napakaraming pagkain. At mega kain naman ako dahil kailangan ng projection. Kahit alam kong I eat like a bird, I have only but a wish to make them feel that I do appreciate their effort at talagang they are really warm. We had tempura with mayo dip, breaded oyster(yummy), breaded (lean) pork, miso soup, daikong with miso, miso soup and mikan. But I like the kimpira (native atchara)and daikong atchara. Had coffee after and black sesame ice cream...wheeew!

One thing I like is consistent sila, ung time nila to the dot talaga. Pag sinabing dadating sila ng 12:10, magbilang ka na ng 1-5...presto nasa harap mo na sila. I really admire their punctuality. Kakaiba talaga. And yatta, everything is...on the house!!!

To you guys, arigatou gozai masta...

Had corn soup (half serving only) and my favorite RITZ biscuits and hot coffee for my breakfast. Today will be another girls day out...with my 4 gakuzei(student), for English...dah...hindi naman ako inglisera sa personal. :D Anyways, di naman ganun katindi ang lesson, simple construction lang ng Ego. We'll eat lunch first at Sakura kan siguro, then the lesson will follow. Madali lang naman, chika chika lang cum lesson na. As easy as pie. Got runny nose and windburn...man, it's really cold now...and to top it all, can't wear my gumshoe due to my ingrown...sigh...I don't want to touch it because I had already 2 minor operations on this, both L&R (big) toenails. Kaya takot ako, na dapat lang naman to cut it from one end to end lang at di na dapat ginagalaw ang ingrown. But I am used to how Lanie handle my toenails. I missed Lanie.
And will bring my Wingvocal, the talking translator...'coz I am alone now. Meaning, I am the only one to go and nobody except me and those 4 Japanese women. Kaya I'll depend on my translator and my little nihongo. No problem.

Menage, Pinoy style

We all know that as Pinoy, most of the time the family wanted to stay close together. Sometimes even extended families far from their provinces live with them specially to find luck or a greener pasture as the old cliche goes. Anyway, there's no harm there as long as nobody is taking advantage of anyone. It's 50-50. A lot of advantages and disadvantages also. If you want privacy you'll certainly won't like the idea, I supposed. But if you want to be of help, it's okey. Sometimes naman kasi there are people who do not know how, or do not know where he stands. If that is the case naku mahirap din ang tumulong. Yung bang, haler...parang ako na ang tumulong ako pa ang magdudusa factor, lol. Kasi it's much easier kapag kayo kayo lang sa bahay. Na when one member of the family becomes so lazy, you'd go something like..."will you please do this" or sometimes, "I think you ought to help me here" and "can you do this for me?"....without having any petty issues. But if someone is there, sometimes if onion-skinned, or paranoia exists, they'd go, "para naman akong katulong dito ah"...or kawawa ako syndrome. Or sometimes nakakabaliw kung makita mong text lang ng text ang bisita mo. Yup bisita. Bisita sndrome. Hay naku di ba nakakaaliw. Grrrrr. Buti na lang hindi kami ganon. So far naman eh we live on our own at walang uninvited guest whatsoever. Eh ang dami ko pa namang do's and dont's. Naku bawal sa aking ang nagiislurp, eh kahit sino naman ayaw di ba? Pero strict ako sa ganyan. Kahit kanino naman siguro di ba? Iyan ang di ko makasanayan...kasi pag nakarinig ako ng ganyan nawawalan ako ng ganang kumain, but never this time siguro. I am used to na hearing this noise here in Japan. Here it is wala lang. Nagsanay ako how they eat hot noodles here, the Japanese way...at first muntik ko nang malulon ang chopsticks...lol...eh sa hindi talaga marunong magslurp eh. Pero ngayon okey na..."when you're in Rome, do what the Romans do" daw. At isa pa, no offense meant ha, for us it's not nice to fart in public, pero dito okey lang, so one time di ko napigilan ang magburp, eh nasa restaurant kami. I always eat fast kasi. Pareho lang naman yan sa pagyoyawn di ba. Eh sila nga okey sa kanila ang farting, eh ng magburp ako na di ko talaga napigilan si gas na lumabas, ayun...at parang napakalaking kasalanan ang nagawa ko...lol...I was like, sorry tao lang...hay naku di matapos ang tawanan namin. Hay naku I do miss home talaga. One time I was chatting with my bunsoy naman...my great guitarist...na nangungulit na naman ng FX...sigh. I asked him, uy namimiz mo na ako eh. He answered abashedly, "syempre naman po, wala po kasing maingay dito ngayon eh" and to this I only say, I love you bunso ko.:D
I missed being a nanay to my kids. Yup. Nageenjoy ako dito, but in a way, lumilipad din ang utak ko sa mga bata. Syempre pati sa tatay di ba, and who won't feel this way. In western countries, as early as 18(matagal na yon)liberated na ang isip ng kabataan. They can simply declare freedom from their parents. Pero mostly sa pinas, matindi ang attachment ng pamilya. Maganda. Pero may negative din na results. Merong umaasa sa magulang kahit may sariling pamilya na. Pero kahit ano pang sabihin, iba pa rin magmahal ang Pinoy...

Joke, joke, joke!

Coffee Dilemma
A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.

The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee".

The husband said, " You are in charge of the cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."

Wife replies, "No you should do it, and besides it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."

Husband replies, " I can't believe that, show me."

So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and shows him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says:

"HEBREWS"

Let's go jazz...

Affinities with nature...

Good morning! I ate my breakfast already, a cup of coffee again na ang bilis lumamig, and biscuits with blueberries. Wow ang sarap...ang gaan sa stomach. Good thing am not craving for more.

It's another cool day...gloomy and overcast. Yesterday it drizzled. Now, we have gusty winds na talagang parang may sariling buhay ika nga. Grabe...nagwiwhistle siya. Kulang na lang na ilipad ang roof namin oh. But I hope not. Ganito siguro dito talaga dahil ang Japan is a mountainous land 75% covered by forest...at wala akong masabi sa gaganda ng kanilang kabundukan...mapapansin mo na talagang alagang alaga nila ito...though sa ganitong winter marami ang mga punong mistula'y patay at tuyot na tuyot, pero ito'y buhay pa at naghihintay ng panibagong pagsibol. Wow, feel kong magsulat gamit ang aking sariling wika. Extremes dito ang panahon, malamig na malamig sa ngayon, pero pagdating ng summer, grabe naman ang init nito. Kaya sa aking obsarbasyon, ay napakaswerte pa nating mga Pinoy talaga na 2 season lang tayo mayroon. Dahil medyo mahirap din ang nagssnow na bansa. Magastos sa lahat.

At isa sa napansin ko dito ay ang natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing, idea, animals etc. Medyo kakahawig din ito sa atin. And some examples of these affinities with nature are,

1. napakahilig nila sa CATS, we have Puyo-chan here na kung ituring ay parang kabilang talaga sa family. Athough cats were kept to kill rats kahit sa Pinas, in resto or other forms of businesses in which customer turnover is important it is customary to display a figure of a maneki-neko or beckoning cat. sitting upright with one paw raised in a beckoning motion...said to invite customers and riches. Ay bibili ako niyan pag-uwi ko. Uhhrrmmm...that gives me an idea. Dami niyan sa Pinas. :D
2. DOGS, there's a saying that to die like a dog is to die meaninglessly. And to call someone a dog is to accuse him of being a spie or dupe. Phrases referring to this is somewhat derogatory. But old folks here always walk with their own dog pet sa paniwalang nagpapahaba ito ng buhay. Totoo man o hindi, mahilig na ako sa dogs. I'll add another pet dog this year...it will be a big dog naman. Hopefully. We always assumed the animosity between cats and dogs. But Japanese thought that this animosity exists between dogs and monkeys, such as two people who cannot go along well are said to have a dog and monkey relationship. The onomatopoeia for a cat's meow here is nyan-nyan, eh bakit kaya hindi ung meow-meow ganung klarong klaro naman hindi ba...lawl...and for dog's bark is wan-wan, na klaro din naman na arf-arf di ba? Am I right here? :D
3. Japanese expresses such high esteem for sea breams, considered to be the most delicious in cold winter and the early spring. It is eaten in many ways, most popular is being as sashimi and salted and grilled. The eyes of sea bream is rich in vitamin B1. It's delicious but I am not used to eating raw except for oysters. Hindi na rin naman ako kumakain ng oyster sa Pinas, ask again Mike Enriquez.
4. They have CARP, or what they call KOI. Colorful ornamental carp is known the world over. Minsan may pinuntahan kaming shrine nila...naku naawa ako sa mga koi, dahil ang ibabaw ng pond ay nagyeyelo na talaga. Sakit kaya yon sa mata. :D
5. They have CRANE as a symbol of longevity akin to dogs. As in the old saying that crane lives for 1000 years. With this in mind, origami paper cranes strung in strings on 1000 and often presented to patients recovering from accidents or illness.
6. CROWS have an unsavory reputation. Scavengers garbed in black, with harsh ear grating caw. Anabnormal cawing of crows portends death, they say. But this is not true of course. And they say that ifsomeone is hit by it's droppings brands a person marked for disaster. Yet in some folklore they are messengers of gods. Since all crows are black, in English if we say six of one or half a dozen of the other, it means indistinguishable. The crows caw is ka-ka in Japan. But it's easier saying it u-wak...u-wak! :D Kaya naman ang tawag natin sa kanila ay uwak. Carrion, raven and crow yata are all the same. Will research on that later.
7.PINES are the majestic evergreens...that grow into towering trees , symbolizing longevity again and steadfastness.Thought to portend good things, they are set out on New Year and other ocassions.
8. SAKURA, Japan's national flower, commonly called as cherry blossoms. everybody likes this fluffy pink blossoms, that is suggestive of a bright future. This is one thing I look forward to, to see sakura in bloom. Malapit na...
9. MUSHROOM
10. PLUM and PEACH
11. BAMBOO, and manymore...but am right now lazy and exhausted in long sitting position.

....sigh, it's too taxing to blog while sitting, bending my knees 180 degrees tucking my calves under my thigh...ang laki ko pa naman, wheeew! Hindi naman sa nagpapaka-Japanese way ako. The table naman kasi here in the sala is the kotatsu, and ito ang gamit ko since masarap din dahil may heater sa ilalim. Hay ang hirap din...ang sakit sa likod. :(

Let's backtrack..down to memory lane!

I love this song...dahil sa pinagsamang paborito ko. Sina Carole King, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan & Shania Twain...

Hear this, from Michael Buble...

Melinda Doolittle, Peri Como, Dean Martin, and The Pussycat Dolls have done their own version of this song...

Tags: "8 Crazy Question"

1. 8 things I'm passionate about:
*blogging
*photography
*fruity chocolate
*music
*collecting chopsticks
*reading
*nature sightseeing
*making poems

2. 8 things I say often:
*Thank you Lord...!!!
*I LOVE YOU!
*MIZ YOU GUYS!
*ay tange!
*aba...aba...
*Hoy!!!
*Woohoo!
*Yahoo!

3. 8 books I’ve read recently:
*Japan as it is
*Checker's Guide to English Speaking like a native
*Heller Keller's Autobiography
*The Face of Fear by DK
*Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus
*Why men don't listen, and women don't read maps
(NOTE) Got not much time to read 'coz I am on my vacation right now...but I tell you I am a book animal.

4. 8 things do before I die:
I hate to answer this...I am sorry...for me to die is a serious matter so I'll skip this one. Npaka-morbid isipin eh...'yoko pa maiwan ang mga anak ko noh? OK?! :(

5. 8 songs I could listen to over and over again:
*All songs of Bon Jovi
*All songs of Blackeyed peas
*Smooth by C. Santana and Rob Thomas
*Reflection and I turn to you by C. Aguilera
*When Cherry blossoms falls...by Mika Nakashima
*Foever's not enough by SG
*The One Who Holds My Heart by Luther Vandross
*Broken Vow by Josh Groban
*If I ain't got you by Alicia Keys
*Sway by Bic Runga and the other Sway by Melinda Doolittle/Michael Buble
*I'll make love to you by Boyz2men
*When I close my eyes by Babyface
(NOTE) ...can't help it, I'm a loverof music kasi. :D

6. 8 things that attract me to my friends:
*aloof but friendly
*witty and jolly pag nasa mood at gusto ko company
*straightforward pag close ko
*g-e-n-e-r-o-u-s daw ako (to a fault)
*loyal and loving
*compassionate
*fair and square
*k-a-l-o-g at din at di maarte

7. 8 things I learn in the last year:
*To be thankful to my blessings more than ever...
*To love my family first and foremost...
*Life is beautiful inspite of...
*That there'S more to life...
*That I really love dogs...
*Giving too much attention to someone minsan ay nakakasama...
*To save...
*To enjoy life to the fullest...

8. 8 person I want to tag
Those listed in my blogroll...come on it's your turn now :D


PS/ Forgive me vera ha di ko na naman nasunod ang instruction ng tag mo. Anyway salamat ulit. Enjoy naman gawin. :D

Hard-working Japanese

As Japanese economy has grown stronger ever since, the japanese people have come to be known the world over as hard workers, grabe pag nagtrabaho sila, talagang tungo ang ulo at may concentration. But however this perception has got a negative elements, including the view that they aresimply "economic animals" na laging profits ang nasa isip above all else. But that was only distorted by misunderstanding about many aspects of the life in Japan. To trace the zeal of Japanese work ethic, it's a strong Buddhist tradition that gives meaning to spiritual discipline and selfless devotion to one's work. Instead of working in exchange for money. Kaya pag di nila nakakayanan ang mabigat na suliranin regarding theit task, ang iba naghaharakiri. Lalo na sa mga government officials. One Western observer characterized them as "workaholics who live in rabbit hutches"...dahil they put work before pleasure. For most Japanese, work has been what gives life meaning.

Gloomy...?! Of course not...

Got up a little bit late though I got an alarm clock, but the thing's...I quite didn't recognized the sounds. Iyon pala, ngayon ko lang naalala na I was dreaming...about my two relatives and a townmate. Whoah, what a dream. But it wasn't too bad either.
It's raining here, and it's cold...making me feel lazy...and sluggish I think.
I just received a call from Makki telling me while gasping between her breath, that a lola (obasang) who's immediately standing right in front of her in an escalator fell. She's so afraid that she saw the old woman got a nasty bang on the head. She thought it might killed the old lady 'coz she wasn't moving. Whoah, what a day...and what a sight. But anyway I told her to compose herself and pray na lang for the old lady. The ambulance arrived in time and so that's the story. And I hope too, that she'd be fine, Makki I mean and also the obasang of course.
Am having my breakfast now with me, hot coffee with creamer, boiled egg and thin wheat crackers with wheat germ, pang diet yata ito ah. Last night the sukiyaki was so great but I only had one bowl because I still got poor appetite. And last night Makki brought home some kinkan, it's a tiny kind of oranges. Ito talagang mga Japanese oo, lahat na lang yata ginagawang eksperimento. Parang bonsai na orange. Egg is 3x bigger than a kinkan. And you will eat it with the rind. Masarap siya.

Ouch...got a crick...!

I've got a painful crick on the neck, maybe because I did put another extra pillow last night.

Giving back the glory...!!!

Yahoo! We were given a 3 year visa...a great addition for celebration on February 02, 2008. Birthday ng 1 sa pinakamamahal ko sa buhay. Isn't it astounding?! Many good things are coming in and with that I give back the glory to God. I am so overwhelmed. Japanese embassy is really enforcing or acting in close conformity to their rules, requirements, and or obligations regarding on visa application. They are known for their strict laws. So it's really a great chance to be granted such a great privilege.

Ang aga namang birthday gift nito... :D Tama si Kat...everything has a reason. :D

Well, well, well...

This daily ramblings gives me so much satisfaction...really. And it feels great!

Late breakfast, again!

Done taking a hot bath, while washing clothes in the washer. My stomach is rumbling again as usual. I got this habit of eating only when hungry. But this is a good sign I guess. I only crave na naman for RITZ biscuits and a creamed coffee, and an instant sotanghon soup with a lot of slices of leeks. And I grabbed a thick liver sandwich, I put a slice of ham also. Wow, I just dived into it. Kailangan ko ng enough calories to burn..lol. :D Then will hang the clothes and will do some lesson for Mieko san and company for this Friday. Got to be prepared I think.

Man, it's sooo cold here...brrrrr !!!

Hello morning... :D

Been up early...and the good thig is, there's no more pain!

Rendezvous at Sakura kan...

Getting ready to meet my 4 Japanese friends for their simple or basic English tutorials. These women just have the urge and willingness to learn Ego in a flash. They are so excited everytime we meet. The sad part is...they still do not know when I'll be leaving. The scheduled meeting is up until February only and I just don't know how to tell them until when we would still be meeting.
The usual routine is they'd go fetch me here at home, and will do the lesson in a restaurant where we usually have a private room. Then we'd order a sumptuous lunch...table talk...then go to the lesson afterwards. They are so friendly and warm. I will really miss this group.

GREEN and white for my new blogskin!!!

Just thought of changing my blog skin for a change...since my eyes gets smarting from the black background I used for about a year since I started blogging...why not?!!!

A late lunch...

Been busy bloghopping and chatting at home via YM. When I took noticed of the time...whoah...25 minutes past 3 o'clock already. I sluggishly went to the kitchen awhile ago to find grub to eat. There's a risotto prepared by Makki earlier but I still have no cravings yet. I just got one corn soup packet and dissolved it by putting hot water on it, and my favorite RITZ biscuits that went well with the soup. I just finished half of it and made a coffee instead. That's my lunch for the day. I just wanted a light meal, maybe because of my upset stomach earlier this morning. Ang hirap pag ganitong winter, katitimpla ko lang ng coffee malamig na agad siya. :(
Pero mas lalong mahirap magkasakit. I am not suicidal on dieting, but what worries me is when our Japanese friend(tomadatchi) brings home a lot of foods, di pwedeng di ako titikim. To show that I appreciate, pero in the end ako napapasama dahil really, I eat like a bird na talaga. Parang my guts have grown accustomed na to smaller intakes. And honestly I am not getting any younger na pati. :D I eat less and less nowadays, pero kahapon binakbakan ko ang 2 sweet corn na s#*=t ng sarap. :D
At ayoko na munang kumain ng oyster noh?! Pero in fairness dito na lang ulit ako kumain nito dahil I don't like na to buy oyster sa Pinas. I saw in TV that bivalves are now unsafe to eat dahil there's little _____ found in it. Ask Mike Enriquez. My friend Makoy would be blurting ewwwwwwww again, when he reads this!
Btw, I have read of Makoy's entry that Inihaw Express (featured in ABS-CBN program, XXX)yata yon na may ____, yaikkks, I told him to try Joel Torre's JT's Inasal at Greenhills. Naku we always make it a point to pass by if ever naabutan kami ng lunchtime sa road. I like the place and okey naman ang price kaso lang naman bakit po P25.00 pesos ang soup nila if I am not mistaken. Joel di ba dapat libre na ang soup...suggestion lang naman po ng frequent customer n'yo like me. :D And Joel Torre is a bonus sight huh...:D Ang gwapo pa rin niya. At malalim na aktor kahit may pagka-baluktot ang Tagalog n'ya, okey na yon basta magaling siya.

Feels like heaven...

Arai Barrier Ruins...and museum...

Signing on the guest list...



The old well...






No cameras po sa loob ng museum...dahil nga siguro na maaring makasira ang mga flashes nito sa mga iniingatang manuscripts doon na more than 300 years pa nag exist. Dito sa barrier na ito kailangan dumaan ang sinumang papasok sa Shizouka prefecture. Prefecture was adopted under the Manchu Empire. Today these are usually translated as "provinces".

From Wikipedia:
In reference to the Japanese system of administrative subdivisions, prefecture is used as the translation for todōfuken (都道府県). The system of local government in Japan consists of two classes: prefectures as the large-area local governing units and municipalities as the basic local-level governing units. In Asian practice, the administrative segregation of a country or unified nation-state is usually trifold: the state, large-area local governing units, and basic local-level governing units; Japan follows this pattern.
Japan is divided into 47 prefectures, and each is further divided into municipalities. These prefectures and municipalities neither overlap geographically nor leave any area uncovered; all residents of Japan are therefore residents of one municipality and one prefecture. The prefecture plays a sufficiently large role in personal identity that Japanese introducing themselves abroad often mention their prefecture of origin as well as (or instead of) their municipality.

Fun time at Chausuyama Kogen Ski Park...

The best na maiz na nakain ko ever...grabe ang sarap...and the kutsinta on stick?! :D

OUR CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FAMILY OF MY COUSIN, WHO JUST PASSED AWAY TODAY.....

I woke up feeling a bit lightheaded and queasy because of my upset stomach. When a sad message from my niece via YM greeted me this late morning. She told me that her Auntie Nita just left earlier this day. Whoah...her younger sister who was ill then just also passed away latter part of last year. Really life is uncertain. And so...


May her reposed soul rest and lie in peace forever, amen.

What a day to start... :(

Tuhog tuhog Japanese style...

Just got out of bed...'coz stomach pain gave me an unsettled sleep. Think it was from the raw oysters I ate with my nightcap...(Smirnoff :D). Imagine eating raw seafood just before going to bed...that's too bad. But anyway, it goes out now, pero I'm lightheaded naman siguro dahil naman sa the pain kept me almost awake the whole night. And isa pa I am not a drinker. Just tried having nightcap here in Japan...for friendly reason lang. I am used to having a glass of thick milk before going to bed.
Afraid of that pain again, I just took a small sweet potato cake my friend bought for me and 2 tablets for pain with just a warm water.

And one thing more. I've learned from my niece Russel that their Tita Nita just passed away na this early morning...sigh...lalong sumakit ang ulo ko ata. :(

Goodnight everybody.... :D

It's been a long day indeed...I am so tired and just want to sack out!!!

My thoughts at 30,000 ft. high...

(...at the background, our plane when it touches down at Nagoya Chubu International Centrair)

I remember, when I was flying to Japan, exactly 1 month ago and 17 days. I loved the sights of clouds I saw through the plane's glass window. I wanted pa sana to see every movements of the clouds I was seeing when the steward announced to closed the window shutters. So we, who were seated by the window area abided by her announcement. So then, I closed my eyes na lang and contemplated on things about my life backgrounded by the drone of the plane's engines, while some slept, some whispered to their companion. Others watched the film on hanged DVD monitors and others were anxious and uneasy as firstie I guess like the one seated right next to me. I forgot the title of the film but I did seldom glance on the screen.

When I left, it was the time when I got so devastatingly sad with how some people close to us tried ruining our life. They just did. Maybe the trip's a blessing from heaven that I have learned to accept things now. That no matter how I'd like them to be happy, they would just ignore everything and would just do their wish. Some people who feel miserable really love to have a company, as an old adage says. But no matter how one tries, really God has something instore for us. I managed to pull myself together in one piece and took a better understanding why these things have to happen. I am not trying to sound holy or to get an impression that I am holy which I am not. But the Bible says, "I set a pattern for you, that, just as I did to you, you should do also." (John 13:1-17), and with that we are asked to be humble. Jesus did not become provoked. (Luke 22:24-27) Even "when He was reviled, Jesus did not go reviling in return, when He was suffering, He did not go threatening, but kept on committing himself to the one who judges righteously."

Hay ano ba yan...parang hindi ako. Kinda far different from the real me. I felt in need of reality check. Well to close this on a lighter note, we just can't please everybody. Still I feel blest...really I can finally managed to get my act together and is now doing great turning over a new leaf! :D

Home of Mt. Fuji sightseeing...

Will go to Yamanashi prefecture tomorrow. Am already excited...and will surely bring our digicam with us for sure. Want to capture the sight of Mt. Fuji with snow...I only get to see on tv, magazines and books I read...now there'll be a great difference. A very rare chance...

Parts of the repertoire last Jan 11, 2008

Pasencya na talaga at overwhelmed lang ng sobra...dahil andoon ako sa concert. :D
Grabe 'di ko ito makakalimutan...

So please bear with me na lang. :D

Silver Chair

I was there!!!

My idol Richie Sambora singing These Days at Nagoya Dome, when Bon Jovi took time to drink and changed his wet tops after singing 12 songs non stop. We remained standing even while Sambora was singing to show that we also appreciate his great talent not only for singing but also for his guitar playing prowess. Woohoo! Sh#t ang gwapoooo!!! I love his red pants. (Iwwww...says someone dear) :D

'Xenxa na po...idol ko lang talaga. :D

Why don't we try tea instead?

I cooked my favorite pininyahang manok, with pineapple of course. I did add canned green peas, cream and potatoes minus the raisins...sigh...paborito ko pa namaan ito. I wonder bakit ang canned green peas natin hindi talaga green, kungdi more of yellowish...at malabsak (soft)?! Ah, that gave me an idea na maguwi ako ng mga 10 cans back to the Philippines, hehehe. Why not?! :D

So, I will have it for lunch...later. I just had coffee and cake with fresh strawberries on top with leche flan too...na medyo matabang 'di gaya ng gawa natin na talagang sweet. Ok lang din healthwise. i do away with sweets kahit na alam kong sweet tooth ako. I know I'm not getting any younger so mas dapat maingat ako sa food intake. Mahirap ang magkasaakit...of all eh diabetes.

And according to what I just read...drinking hot tea is good in our body. Says, if you want to live longer, better drink hot tea after each meal...and so I do now! And it's true, dahil I saw many olds here, say like 70 pataas. At nakakalakad pa sila ha, doing most which our older people there cannot possibly do. With the help of the silver chair minsan, nagggrocery pa sila. O di ba?! Hehehe, I bought my own silver chair, dahil minsan di ko matagalan ang too much walking because of my scoliosis and stenosis. I will bring it with me when I go back home in the Philippines. :D

Asperities of cold winter...

It's the season with the shortest days and the lowest temperatures. Either way, it generally has cold weather and, especially in the higher latitudes or altitudes, snow and ice. We have what we call this sadness during winter, called winter blues or "Holiday Depression" that is seen amongst people because of too much cold and decreased sun exposure. The increased amount of clothing that must be worn to keep them warm makes them a bit lazy and sluggish sometimes. And to someone like me who is more on the heavy side, it makes me more heavy and look stouter and bulky with my heavy sheets of inners or undergarments and overcoat...sigh...and that's the way it is in winter. Most of the time, it's so hard to get up in the morning specially if you have to wake up earlier. I feel bloated and lazy. And omg, my shoulder (frozen shoulder I got) and my elbow joints are real painful because of the heavy futong and winter comforters...everyday I have to fixed it and put them back together again and again. Imagine those heavy bulks that usually go in 5...yes 5 layers that will keep us warm at night...wheeew! Not to forget that what I notice today that my hair is somewhat dry. Due perhaps to hot bath everynight. We have to take ofuro everynight and at first I just couldn't take a dip to a very hot water temperature in the tub...but today I can already withstand it and getting used to it. And I love it already spending an hour dipping into it...everyday...yun nga lang dry na yata ang hair ko dahil dito.

Various animals and birds migrate or go for hibernation to get away from severe coldness. Flowers do not bloom, and some plants dry and some do not survive the winter. We still have a month or so here and we're looking forward to spring where everything blooms. But there are still flowers that only blooms uring winter, thw winter blooms like what we planted in the frontyard last month. A cabbagelike that usually comes in violet and white. But for me it's quite tasking to change your plants every season, unlike sa Pinas pag nagtanim ka sa garden, 'yun na 'yun. Papalaguin mo na lang.

It's quite gloomy but I enjoy the cool weather because in the Philippines, my country (syempre mahal ko 'yan)...medyo mainit naman...so enjoy na lang talaga.

I think mas pinagpala tayo na 2 season lang tayo, because we can't afford kapag too cold at may snow tayo. Electric bills nga lang problema na eh...what more if we have dambo and heater? At ang furry coat, ay ang mamahal!!! Kaya ako I got 1, 2, 0r 3 lang to change dahil 'di ko naman ito magagamit sa atin. :D

Gamagori visit...

BFF, as in best friend for life!!!

Tired and hungry!!!

Waiting for our food here...

Jazz Dream frontage...

At Nabana no Sato...

No worries!!!

Restrooms here are sugoi ne. They are so clean and equipped with nice lavatories and toilets with enough free tissue rolls for everybody.

Namfra, ikagadesu ka!

Still bloghopping and watching music video on You Tube of several artist who I like most. Had leftover CP adobo for my lunch and 2 slices of canned pineapples for a dessert. Would you believe na ngcrave ako sa fish sauce or patis? Naku talagang we looked for supermarkets here...ayun at nakakita kami ng YOUKI namfra, katumbas ng patis natin sa Pinas. Eh syempre marami silang isda dito, sila pa ba ang di makagawa ng patis...pero di sila gumagamit nito. I am not so sure kung Japan made nga ito. And minsan na lang ako magcrave ng ganito lalo't bawal sa akin ang salty foods. I'm getting used to eating Japanese food already. Last night I ate raw oyster, and what's good here ay yung nakalagay sa packing nya kung pwede itong kainin ng raw or not. Napakahigpit kasi dito lalo na sa expiration date.

It's too cold here still...so I still got a dambo here beside me with kettle on top boiling with water. Friday na pala ngayon...ang bilis talaga ng araw. The next time I'd wake up...pauwi na pala ako ng Pinas. :D

REFLECTION, by C. Aguilera

Look at me
You may think you see
Who I really am
But you'll never know me
Every day
It's as if I play a part
Now I see
If I wear a mask
I can fool the world
But I cannot fool my heart

Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?

I am now
In a world where I
Have to hide my heart
And what I believe in
But somehow
I will show the world
What's inside my heart
And be loved for who I am

Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection
Someone I don't know?
Must I pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?

There's a heart that must be
Free to fly
That burns with a need to know
The reason why

Why must we all conceal
What we think, how we feel?
Must there be a secret me
I'm forced to hide?
I won't pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?

Life is beautiful...

Just woke up a bit late...just had black coffee and cream puff. Talking to my dearest daughter via YM...great! We talk about a lot of things...girls talk...we give advices to each other. Talk about family matters, budgeting, her studies and about Mishah and Lorenzo. Everything is great except for some little problems that has to be ignored for the meantine I said. No big deal I meant. Life is beautiful still and we should smile everyday 'coz life is greater than those little concerns.

JOKES: Goony Bird

After many years of marriage, a husband has turned into a couch potato, became completely inattentive to his wife and sat guzzling beer and watching TV all day. The wife was dismayed because no matter what she did to attract the husband's attention, he'd just shrug her off with some bored comment.

This went on for many months and the wife was going crazy with boredom. Then one day at a pet store, the wife saw this big, ugly, snorting bird with a hairy chest, powerful hairy forearms, beady eyes and dribble running down the side of its mouth.

The shopkeeper, observing her fascination with the bird, told her it was a special imported "Goony bird" and it had a very peculiar trait. To demonstrate, he exclaimed, "Goony bird! The table!"

Immediately, the Goony bird flew off its perch and with single-minded fury attacked the table and smashed it into a hundred little pieces with its powerful forearms and claws! To demonstrate some more, the shopkeeper said, "Goony bird! The shelf!"

Again the Goony bird turned to the shelf and demolished it in seconds.

"Wow!" said the wife, "If this doesn't attract my husband's attention, nothing will!"

So she bought the bird and took it home. When she entered the house, the husband was, as usual, sprawled on the sofa guzzling beer and watching the game.

"Honey!" she exclaimed, "I've got a surprise for you! A Goony bird!"

The husband, in his usual bored tone replied, "Goony Bird, my foot!"

My brunch...

I am now hungry...says my stomach. I'll have hot creamy corn soup today, and yesterday I marinated 2 slices of tenderloin beef in sushi vinegar and shoyou with a dash of pepper. Will have it fried and a shawan of gohan. And of course, steaming hot kohi.

Will go to the kitchen now to prepare my brunch. :D

PS/ Instead of coffee I had tea and boiled egg and some RITZ biscuits. :D

I love being a mom...

Pretty weather here today in Japan...'coz sun is up and not too cold now. Dati parang ang bagal ng takbo ng oras pero now it seems to be running so fast. Am still indesicive 'til now. Hindi ko masabi kung mageextend ako for another 3 months...I still don't know. But I do enjoy everything here...but being a mum is quite a big load. I think of everything at home where I left my children doing everything for them by themselves, without househelp except one who goes there every week to wash clothes. Their father is right now in Bataan. So they're left on their own. Good thing I do appreciate is that they have now time for each other and they do enjoy going to the mall now and they get a lot of bonding time and enjoy each others company. Last time they went to a movie theatre to watch...and it's kinda nice to hear. I do monitor everything there at home including Mishah and Enzo's health too. When Acey had his birthday I was shocked, dahil we made an agreement beforehand that they'd just eat outside, preferably sa Max's, or Kenny's para naman masaya. Ang nakakatuwa nagtipid ang mga bata. They just cooked spaghetti at home, bought cake and ice cream...voila...nakaraos at nakatipid pa raw sila. Ang nakakatuwa natutong magluto samantalang noong andoon ako, kulang subuan ko pa sila ng pagkain. :D
Ngayon wala ako sa bahay, they try to do things on their own...pati pagbabudget monthly. Most of the time it would annoyed them via YM dahil para akong sirang plaka, telling them ang door ilock lagi...sina Mishah baka hindi napapakain ng maayos, baka makalabas ng gate, ang tangke baka maiwan na bukas, etc...etc. Hay ang hirap maging nanay...but on the other hand, masaya and fulfilling lalo't napapalaki ko sila ng maayos at mga magalang. They are a treasure talaga. Kaya naman makakapuno na ako ng 2 big boxes para maipasalubong sa kanila. Isa lang ang request ni Acey, boxful of Kitkat, wala ng iba pa. Addict sa Kitkat talaga. :D

They are my happiness...

This is cool...try it :D

What Leonore Means

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Sipping hot kohi sa tabing dagat...

Isa po ito sa paboritong puntahan ng coffee lovers...dahil nasa mismong tabi ng dagat.


Hehehe...ang daming creamer! :D


Uy...melancholic...oy hindi ah...!!! :D




Ang sarap ng feeling...
I love umi...