Saturday, July 28, 2007

Fire Works Exhibition in Abe River 2007

Lucky it's a fine weather today! Just a right time for HANABI TAI KAI---fireworks exhibition. Well... this year, Liza, Sarah with Yuta and I went together to Abe River Fireworks Exhibition.
Later at the mid of the exhibition, uncle Jo and Belinda followed us. We were impressed that they found us in that crowded event!
The event was so cool...
and yah... thanks for the blue sheets na naiuwi namin from the viewer reserved area. Tinatapon na raw kasi ang mga blue sheets which they provided free for their viewers para maupuan... kaya heto naman kami... nakipulot naman para maiuwi sa Pinas. Belinda and Sarah said na sayang daw 'yon. Pwede nga namang mapakinabangan not only as a sheet or tolda kundi pang-cover sa mga sira ng bahay just in case of disasters like typhoon! Pinoy talaga... mahilig mamulot ... hehehe! So to my tatay... wait ka lang at me pasalubong ako sa 'yong isa! Promise!
After the event... we jammed together at home. Ahhh... tanoshikatta!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Time to celebrate!

Today... I attended the meeting and election of new officers for year 2007-2009 of Philippine NAKAMA Organization which was held in Gofukucho Building. Together with the event was the celebration of Uncle JO, Yu and Shinichi's birthdays.
Wooow! It's full of celebrations... so to all the birthday celebrants... happy birthday and best wishes to all of you... (^3^)mhwaaah! What a lively and excellent party you have. I personally enjoyed all the foods including my adobo (love your own huh! hehehe!) But seriously... all who shared home made foods were really terrific like Chat's leche plan, Neri's menudo and Belinda's sweets to name some.
The birthday kids... Shinichi and Yu with Maika and Nao hiding in the back!

The new Officers (2007-2009) of Philippine NAKAMA with some of the advisers ... CLICK HERE for MORE PHOTOS↓

... and yes, congrats to all our organization's new officers headed by Uncle Jo as our new coming President. Almost all of them were unanimously voted! Well... I think, we can really rely on them! All we need for most is to work together and enjoy the next generation of Phil NAKAMA.

They will be inducted together with the new members on the 6th anniversary of Phil NAKAMA on September 9 in Coupole Kaikan Shizuoka. Ahhh...haaah... another busy days to come! OTANOSHIMINI!
Liza as our present President on the other hand, will gonna join our rank as advicer. I won't say "welcome to the club " yet ... not up to September 9--- her last day term!

Something old but new!

It so happened that Sonny and Emily's desktop computer in the Philippines is dying especially their internet that always seems to malfunctions... so even I am in the mid of money crisis, I decided to provide one for our home out there... what a kind sister I am desho?!Charaaan... here it is...it's a new laptop device of Epson but not Vista version... only XP desu. Bettter than nothing desho?! Actually... I have to pay the remaining balance up to November to our computer friend...Sato sensei (^-^;

Friday, July 20, 2007

A day of friendship in Shimada

Here we are again... at the TOMODACHI NO HI event in Shimada Dai Ni Elementary School. It's an international interaction! We are about 15 foreigners invited to join this school event.
Taiko da!
Shimada sensei was the one who invited us. We were ask to teach our native cultures and I was assigned to Grade 1 students... yappa... all they want is to play... so... jump kids, jump! ... we sing, dance and play... including the incharge sensei!Lunch time with the kids and my partner teacher Danny.School lunch for today!...with my partner teacher Danny from England. He'll be visiting the Philippines next week... so good luck and happy trip!... with friendly Rebecca from America!We had great time!Some of our messages on last year event!
This is my 3rd years to join the event together with Liza, Marites and Precy as Philippine NAKAMA's representatives.
We were asked this year to exhibit the Philippine bamboo dance... and would you believe... we performed at the center stage without any practice and the most shocking part was their provided bamboo... whaaa, it's too thick and heavy... but I'm glad... we had a nice team work and the performance was quite good inspite of some mess like when Precy's head was hit by bamboo while performing... hehehe!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

ODAIBA, here we come!

Last Saturday morning, a strong typhoon named Man-yi from the main island of Kyushu passed to Shizuoka and headed to Tokyo... so no doubt that the bullet trains bound to Tokyo stopped to avoid any danger! Well... in other words, we can't travel to Tokyo by shinkansen as what our sched planned. We need to wait until the time it operates!
While waiting, we had our lunch at Mariko's branch Japanese restaurant in Asty.
Tororo (grated yam) lunch! My fav!Ayu... Sachan's fav!

After lunch, we moved on to the station, waited for a while and lucky us, after... maybe an hour... we did had the chance to rode Kodama bound to Tokyo. Then we went to ODAIBA and stayed in Hotel Nikko Tokyo!
Sachan at the lobby... OHISASHIBURI da yo!
Our room overlooking the Rainbow Bridge.
After checking in, we strolled around Odaiba vicinity. What an old familiar scenes! It's been some years since we used to visit this place. Those were the days when Sachan was a die hard fan of Arissa Mizuki. We used to visit Fuji TV especially those days of "Nurse no Shigoto", tv drama of Arissa.
So, we did not miss to dropped by in Fuji TV... hoping to discover something new... and oooh... they're having a summer event!
Exhibit stuffs
A night view of Fuji TV buildingStatue of Liberty in Odaiba... a present from France!Shopping in Aqua City... still on summer bargain campaign!Dinner time! Papie treat us to Red Lobsters... we're so satisfied to the yummy seafoods and the lovely view! Pirates of Caribbean... Johnny Depp is really cool even in wax image!My family!A view from our room... Rainbow Bridge at night...Rainbow Bridge at early morningOur morning Japanese breakfast... ...at Sakura Restaurant! Oishii katta yooo!What a view!
After our breakfast, we went back to our room at 11th floor... then suddenly the hotel started waving back and forth! Ohhh... that was an earthquake... very frightening! Soon, we turned on the tv and we saw later in the news that a magnitude 4 shock was felt in the Tokyo area while the worst thing was in Niigata, a magnitude of 6.8.
We're lucky that Sachan was with us but we were still worried about her classmates and friends in Niigata... so Sachan mailed to them soon. Thanks be to God... there's nothing to worry about in her area according to her classmates.
The worst part was in Kashiwazaki City. Hang tough Kashiwazaki jin!
Well then... if we were stranded from Shizuoka to Tokyo by train because of typhoon... Sachan was again stranded from Tokyo to Niigata because of earthquake! We tried to wait for Joetsu bullet train for Niigata but unfortunately... no service deshita! Even when Sachan had the chance to rode Max Toki... she was forced to go back to Tokyo because the shinkansen staff announced to passengers that they can't proceed to Niigata... blah...blah... blah! So, papie decided to take Sachan back home in Shizuoka and continue to travel back to Niigata, the next day on early morning.
Haaah! That was such a terrible and tiresome episode of our travel! But anyway... I'll take that as one of our memorable family travel.
Scene from Yurikamome train... on the way to Tokyo Station. I go gaga over this Mc Flurry!

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Sachan's OBON visit to Shizuoka

It's obon season and Sachan had 3 days vacation like us... so we decided to have a family date. From Niigata, she visited us first here in Shizuoka to pay respect to giigi, her late grandfather.
Sachan told us that she wants to eat meat... well, this was papies treat to Sachan... yakiniku desu... takusan tabeta yo!Thanks to Sarah for always taking care of Lucky when we are going out to somewhere!
We're dating with Sarah and Yuta A morning pose with Lucky before ate Sachan leaves to Tokyo with us↑Seems Lucky is lonely... ate Sachan will be away again!

Friday, July 13, 2007

Our OBON 2007

What's up with OBON? Well... it's an annual Buddish event here in Japan to honor the departed spirits of our loved ones. It is held every 13th to 15th of July but many regions in Japan still celebrate Obon on mid August according to their beliefs to the formally lunar calendar.
Japanese believe that their departed families spirits come back to their homes to be reunited with their family during obon.
We've been practising this traditional event every year for 4 years now... since giigi, my father- in- law gone.
It is also a part of the event to do omaeri or grave visiting. We offer flowers and osenko or incense. Every 11th of July, the obosan was sched to visit to our home to pray for the repose of giigi's soul.
Foods and flowers offering are made to butsudan or home altars. It's a tradition to hang a lantern in front of the house to guide giigi's spirit.
On the 13th, fires called mukaebi are lit at the entrances of homes to guide the departed families spirits to return home...
and on the 15th, fires called okuribi should also be lit at entrances of homes to send the departed families spirits.

My blog is one year old!

Hello fellas! Fine? Great!
It has been a year since I made my first post! Sa totoo lang, writing this blog has been hard work, but it's been wonderful. Blogging is my online personal diary... largely to pass time, share experiences and interests through photos... and my outlet to express of my feelings and thoughts!
Personally, minsan kapag nababasa at nakikita ko ang previous posts ng photos ng mga dating happenings ko sa buhay... natutuwa rin ako... this blog reminds me everything from the past... and of course, this also inspire me to make up and move on better sa mga kapalpakan ko!
Sooo happy 1st anniversary to my blog ... (^3^) mhwaaah!!!
...and yeeh here's the deal... I will keep posting and you keep reading, viewing my pictures along the way and occasionally... leave a note (^-^)b ...kahit alam kung some buddies are complaining that they're getting hard time to post their comments in this blog! Sorry for the inconvenience!
Well... I'll promise to come back soon... chaoooooo!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Treat from EGG!

Wassup folks! About me... I had a fine date yesterday!
Friends from EGG-- group that promotes international understanding, celebrated my birthday... yah, better late than never celebration! They treat me for lunch at La Fleur in Hotel Century Shizuoka. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet!
With Kanayama san, Lee san and Ohashi san. Masui san was late so she missed this group pictorial.
Lovely flowers from Ohashi san with her home-made sweet goody o(^-^)o
To EGG friends... I am grateful knowing you all. Thanks for the memorable birthday treat and all your wonderful friendship.
So long fellas and hoping to see or even work with you all again in the near future (^-^)v

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Unexpected Sched!

Wa...wow...wie! I just don't know how it happened. I thought I am free this Sunday... all of the sudden, my sched mixed up!
So ganito po yon... the Phil NAKAMA should be thankful to Oniisan Harada san, Nerissa's hubby for allowing us to use one of their rooms in their yard wherein we could put together the Phil NAKAMA's stuff like things we used in cooking, selling, costumes, props and so on. But there's a condition... we can use one of their rooms for free if we are going to clean-up the mess in it. Well... it wasn't a big deal... all we need is group cooperation! That's it... all of the sudden, we decided to clean-up the place and not knowing...I became one of the volunteers. Other volunteers who sacrificed their time and effort were Liza, Olivia, Maritess, Marissa, Aji and including Nerissa. To be honest... I wasn't able to clean the room. I only helped as volunteer's driver. I picked them up before noon at downtown and drove them to Hattori. For a while, I went back home to attend my unfinish business with my family and after an hour... I went back to Hattori... and everything was in order already... all I had to do is to say... OTSUKARESAMA DESHITA!
After that... because Elizabeth was very much eager to invite us to her son's Rei kun bday gathering... from Nerissa's home, I picked them all and went to Elizabeth place in Shimokawahara to have lunch. It was a big help that oniisan Harada san came with us. Some of the members got a ride to his car.
Rei is 4 yrs old now! Omedetou!
Opppsss... Belinda was there. S'yempre di s'ya pahuhuli... not to mention that she's also a Shimokawahara Jin! We had a chance to meet some of our kababayan who are living in Shimokawahara. They're friendly and funny too. Alam n'yo naman ang mga Pinay... akarui (cheerful)di ba?!
Well, thanks to their wonderful hospitality... hope to see you all again girls... and yes... GOCHISOSAMA DESHITA!