Hamada Matsuri 2008

It was raining yesterday but Hamada Matsuri, a community festival event in Shimizu went on! For 4 consecutive years... our Philippine NAKAMA group was again invited by Kazuma san to celebrate with them. We were asked to perform another round of Philippine folk dances. The event was held inside Hamada Elementary School's auditorium. Pandango sa Ilaw...
Tinikling...
Almost all the featured event was held here... including the bazaar With Kazuma san and Saito san...
Phil NAKAMA group... heeey, where is Dang and Marissa!?
Kazuma san, Shimada san and company... oSeWa Ni NaRiMaSu Thanks be to God that our show was safe and sound. HISASHIBURI NI, we danced Pandanggo sa Ilaw. It was well apprecieted!

We had free obento for lunch. Kazuma san's ODEN was trully tasty!

The group also enjoyed the event's bazaar... what more could we ask?!

Once again... our group was again requested to perform next year.

NAKAMA NO MINASAN... MATA YOROSHIKU ONEGAISHIMASU (^-^)b

It's my day!

Last June 26, Wednesday... was "my day"! I was wakened up by my cellphone rings! I received a lot of texts greetings... ang sarap talaga pag-birthday lalo na kung marami ang nakakaalala... feel ko na importante rin pala ako! To all my families and friends who always keep remembering me especially on special occasions like birthdays ... maraming salamat po!

A birthday drawing message from my 3 years old nephew... Emil I spent "my day" just like my other ordinary days but I still did not miss to prepare some noodles as a birthday tradition... I prepared soumen for dinner! Certainly unique... isn't it!A birthday present from Royal Host!

I did my birthday celebration gathering today, Saturday in my house. According to weather forecast, it will be cloudy and rain today but I was blessed with a fine day!

↓Here's one of the birthday cakes that I received from my friends ↓ A lovely birthday roses from Liza!↓Belinda led my birthday prayer.

I made an effort to prepare about 8 menu for the gathering. In addition to it, Belinda brought some leche plan and bopis. She also cooked my pansit bihon. Sarah surprised me with her biko... sinok mani daw yon sabi nina Tita Lilia and Amie! What so ever... mas maraming handa... the better and I am glad that my friends and family had good compliments on our foods.

The gathering was a garden party like! Mommy said it was like a compound party in the Philippines! (^-^)vSome of our friends who joined my private event!The bonding of friends!We had fun!Our kitchen is also packed!I started the gathering at noon... but friends still coming till late afternoonMatira... matibay! ↓Some of the gifts I received... thanks to all the donors! hehehe!

Some friends also brought and shared some cakes and some home made sweets...

Courtesy of Leah... a yummy Goldilocks' chocolate flavored cake... NATSUKASHII!

Chocolate cake from Lilibeth... may my three wishes comes true x(^-^)x

The gathering was a blast! Thanks to all of my friends who took time to join the event. You all made it fun and memorable!

An impressive Japanese restaurant

I was surprised to my friend Ohashi san's email last Monday. It has been almost a year since we last met and I am so excited to her invitation that she want to date me for lunch to a Japanese restaurant. Without any second thought... we decided to have our date today.

She picked me up to my home and took me to Cafe Namazu. The place is located in a mountain area of Mukoushiki, Suruga District. It is a very old typical Japanese house that the owner turned into a typical Japanese restaurant. What impressed me more is that the place is also a ceramic gallery. The owner also teaches pottery making.

↓The unique restaurant!

I love the food we ordered. It was so tasty... really terrrrriffic! The eating utensils are also impressive... it's the restaurant original ceramics!

↓Opppsss... this is not a broken plate... this is one of their interesting piece of art.The friendly... Ohashi san!
The small ceramic bowl was a gift from Ohashi san. I'm touch... she remember my birthday!

The couple owner of Cafe Namazu was so kind to give us a cute ceramic image of a cat fish. What a great souvenir! Actually... the named Namazu means catfish. I just don't know why they named the restaurant after the catfish!

I will surely go back to that place hopefully with Ohashi san again! Thanks to Ohashi san for the wonderful day and experience she shared to me.

Our next date will possibly in Vietnam... It's a restaurant actually!

Can't wait!

Saturday fun!

It's Saturday! I had a meeting with SAME staffs this morning at CCC. The meeting was a good idea coz we had the chance to meet other members especially the new foreigner staffs since we seldom see and talk to each other due to our different work schedules. Looking forward to another get together gathering in the near future... so we can have the chance again to discuss and develop some stuffs regarding the concept of our works.

After the meeting... we are suppose to have lunch together but I split already. I joined my family for lunch instead.

In the afternoon, I picked up Amie and Lilibeth coz we were all invited to have the folk dance practice at Maritess home in Marikane.

Aside from the dance practice... the main reason Maritess invited us to their home was that... it's her birthday gathering! Well... kainan na naman po!

It was surprising to see Joanna there. Maybe that was almost 7 or 6 years ago since the last time I saw her! As usual she's jolly and talkative! No wonder... why she and Maritess are still close (笑)!

I hope Maritess enjoyed her birthday... like we did. Thanks to the treat and omiages!

Next year ulit (^-^)v!

It's Lilibeth treat!

The month of June for me started with birthday invitations! This time... it's Lilibeth birthday gathering! We gathered to her home yesterday to have some merienda and at the same time, we held our Fandango dance rehearsal there. From 4 dance members... we became 6 members this time! Sounds exciting... hoping to see same members lining up till the main event on 29th of June at Hamada Community Fest! I lost my time to buy a birthday present for Lilibeth ... so I just decided to bring her a cheese cake with some candles to blow... simple is best... as the image of the celebrant!

She said it's her first time to celebrate birthday in Japan with friends! Gochisosama deshita... Ojama shimashita!

Birthday blow-out from Jonalyn!

It was Jonalyn's birthday yesterday and she invited me with Liza to her personal birthday lunch celebration at buffet restaurant in Nakajimaya today. We enjoyed our kalokohan as well as our delicious lunch. I love the tiny pastry... a Chinese donuts with black sesame inside!

We're so full... so after our lunch... we decided to walk and window shop around in the mid of the rain! Sometimes it is good to go out with friends we hardly knew. She got this charming character anyway!

We'll expect to see her again on July 13th at Maritess Summer Live... with the cute yellow dress we saw in Parco today!

Happy birthday Jonalyn! Good luck to your coming new house! Wishing you a home sweet home!

GOCHISOSAMA DESHITA!