New Year 2009 Purikura...

New Year onsen!

Relax time! I invited everyone to Sumpu Yume Hiroba for spa bath yesterday! They have new management already. It reopened last November but it's quite different this time. No problem with the spa part... it seems the same like last summer when I, Sachan, Sarah and Yuta been there except for some interesting souvenir and old stuff stores that have gone and instead, it became a massage rooms.

It is disappointing that many restaurant had been gone. Many shopping facilities have been gone too! Not a good impression for those first timer customers.


wrist bond Entrance to former restaurants

OMAKE! Wala lang... katuwaan lang po! Meet Pooh, Stich and Mickey!Sometimes we need to be weird!

Former Elfin talents reunion?!

I was surprised to Sarah's phone call relying that Grace is visiting Shizuoka from Gifu and she wanted to meet us and at the same time to... introduce her 5 years old daughter, Trinity. Mabuti na lang at di pala s'ya baog! Grace's staying at Venus home. Sarah with Venus and Grace visited at home with their lovely kids! Wooow, ang lalaki na ng mga kids! It bothers me a lot seeing this kids growing so faaaast... that means that I am also agiiing! Naman... namaaan...

Seeing the girls remind me of the former Elfin's. Natsukashii! Sayang Maria did not made it to come this NewYear because she was ill. But glad to hear her voice by the phone... and by the way, happy birthday greetings to Papa Kushida. It's his birthday today!

Here are the former Elfin talents with the Elfin "products"!

After the visit, they invited me to go to Karaoke for fun!

It seems like we are having a reunion of former Elfin talents!

It's been a while for me in karaoke... I was amazed to hear them singing the latest songs. I also enjoyed the one-patan songs in karaoke! We also enjoyed the dance numbers of Grace and her kid Trinity! They promised to dance with Phil NAKAMA event next time.Like mother... like daughter Mariko and Trinity really had talents. Mabuti na lang namana nila ang DNA ng mga moms!The bondings!We enjoyed the gathering! Hope we can make it again someday with other former talents like Alice and her sisters. Katuwaan lang kasi this time kaya we were not able to have the chance to invite them... if chances forbid maybe in the near future... for sure... Maria will definetely be around daw... kaya for Maria... ngayon pa lang, you need to take extra care for your self para di ka palaging magkasakit. ODAIJINI !

New Year visit to Sengen Shrine and more

It's a tradition here in Japan to go to a shrine or temple on the first week of January to pray for good health and prosperity for the new year. My family did that today. We visited to Sengen Shrine to pay respect. 2009 is the year of the ox... my year actually!

We also tried the OMIKUJI-- meaning "sacred lottery". It predicts the person's chances of his or her hopes coming true. Sachan and Papie got DAIKICHI-- an excellent luck while I got KICHI-- an ordinary blessings... ... so I attached my strip of paper to a tree to prevent the bad luck written on it.Japanese DARUMA or wishing dollsActually... it is also written in my omikuji that my luck is almost there... all I need is to reach it out. While walking home from the shrine... I found 10 yen at Sengen street. Papie told me to pick it up and keep it. I become confused and asked him... "is that the meaning of the luck that I was suppose to reach out?!" hehehe! I kept the 10 yen coin... as amulet... maybe that will bring me luck! I hope so x(_ _)x

Below are some of the amulets I bought with the 10 yen coin amulet!Sengen Shrine entrance from Sengen streetSome of the amusing attraction along Sengen Street
After Sengen Shrine... Papie treat us to yAkInIkU Restaurant!
GOcHiSoSaMa dEsHiTa... that's what we call... a blessing! (^-^)v

Happy New Year 2009

A Japanese New Year decoration--our SHIMENAWA displayed at the front entrance to prevent "evil spirits" from entering the house.

I missed the first sunrise of the year! I woke up late already (what's new anyway!) since I slept almost 4:00 am already! Wheeew, not a good start ^-^;
I soon prepared our New Year dishes for our traditional New Year celebration at home.

Our OSECHI RYOURI, traditional New Year's dishes with OZONI, a Japanese soup containing mochi rice cakes.

Family pictures without lola. She's included in the pictures but I was forced to cut her due to bruises on her face after she slipped and fell down 3 days ago. Poor lola... she looks like panda now! 'hoping she get well soon. Every year... Lucky joined our celebrations... we don't want to miss it... so Sachan brought her photo and offered Lucky's fav... kamaboko-- minced and steamed fish! ↓　We also offered foods to altars of our departed loved ones like to lolo... ... and not to forget... our Lucky!
Happy New Year to all! More blessings and good luck to all of us!

KOTOSHI MO TANOSHIKU, GENKI DE GANBARIMASHO!

KORE KARA MO... YOROSHIKU ONEGAISHIMASU!

o(^3^)o

Goodbye 2008, hello 2009!

Ready for count down... Wala naman gaanong handa except for some chicken macaroni, embutido and pansit. We reserved most for our Japanese traditional foods... OSECHI RYOURI.

Sarah and Yuta joined us for count down at home. Yuki was in Tokyo with his cousins.

↓Hindi po yan palabok! It's my pansit bihon with kanton (?)... it's actually a ramen noodles... I learned that from Dang! 　Not bad!While waiting for the countdown... we're busy sending some messages to friends and relatives and at the same time, watching NHK musical program. 　　After the program... we had the countdown and we had some banging at home while yelling "HAPPY NEW YEAR" together!I had a four set playing billiard with Yuta. It's a kids stuff but it was fun!Uncle Jo and Dang came about past 1:00 for some greetings! Thanks for the accesories gifts from Dang!Thanks to year 2008 and welcome to year 2009!