Adventure in Corrigidor Island

This time it was my treat!

After a long days of hard works ... as a sign of my sincere gratitude for being so nice and support to me ... i did treat my dear sis Malou, bro Sonny and our dear father-like Mochizuki san (too bad it's school day-- sis Emily missed this)   to Corrigidor Island --- a small rocky historical island located in the entrance of Manila Bay.  It is a historical monument wherein Filipino, American and Japanese all fought during World War II.   

It was a day tour package which covers ferry transfers between Manila to Corrigidor, a guided island tour aboard a tranvia, fees on terminals and shrine... and a buffet lunch at Corrigidor Inn. We were able to visit Malinta Tunnel too.  

It's all our first time visit in this island ... we were able to review our history ... post war memorials are very interesting.  

It's not all about history ... everyone can also enjoy hiking, bird watching as well as biking in this island ... and not to forget ... the beach is also nice here. 

The Philippine War Heroes Memorial

"We shall not forget" -- this is to honor the fallen soldier in the Philippines

Small museum-- "Lessons of war in the 20th century" 

Japanese War Memorial Garden 

the garden of peace... 

Malinta Tunnel--
headquarters of the Philippine Government after Manila was declared Open City

 

Buffet lunch in Corrigidor Inn

Locha Dock ... also known as Mc Arthur's Dock or the Army Dock

Douglas Mc Arthur departed from here!

"I shall return"

Middleside Barracks

The acacia tree... more than 100 years old 

Mortals of the Battery Way

Set up in the island at the outbreak of war in 1941

  

Buildings of Battery Way -- for shell rooms and rooms for weapons and soldiers 

Our tour guide -- smarty^^

The biggest gun on the island

Fort Mills Post Headquarters and Chapel

Parade Ground and Golf Course

Pacific War Memorial

Eternal Flame Monument -- overlooks the rest of Corrigidor Island.

An epitaph to the Americans killed in battle during the Pacific War

  from the roof, there is a hole that beam of sunlight in... 

... and shine on the altar

Cine Corrigidor

small tadpoled-shape island

South beach is worth a dip

We are family xx 

After a Storm Comes a Calm

I woke up extra early today for a business trip to Philippines with my Japanese friend, Mochizuki san ... but we end up stranded in Shizuoka Station due to strong typhoon No. 18.  All the bullet trains and other transportation were suspended ... and this typhoon has also grounded more than 600 flights including our flight.  

Typhoon brushed past Shizuoka at about 10:00 am and it turned out to be a sunny day.  

We waited for some chances but we end up cancelling our flight today and resume tomorrow coz even if we try to go to Narita Airport ... still all the bullet trains in capitals were delayed and suspended ... we don't think we can catch up our plane even they re-scheduled it for 3 hours delay.  

 Well ... everything happen for a reasons ... when i went back home in the afternoon, i was able to wash all clothes and did some general cleaning in our yard.  I think the last time i did same thing was early summer due to my busy sched... but now, everything was clean again around the house and it felt good and refreshing to see... seems all the bad luck and bad spirit were gone :P 

... and yaaay!!!  i was able to update my blog today ^_^

Tomorrow will be another wonderful day ... we are one day delayed for our work in the Philippines ... it means we need to do some double time work there ... but oh well... i know everything will be alright ... see u soon again Philippines :) 

 

↑A beautiful sky after typhoon went out over the Pacific!  

 After a Japanese set lunch meal treat from Mochizuki san ... 

it's time for fast food sushi dinner treat with papie !!! 

Thank u Lord for all the blessings ... heheh xx 

Happy October everyone!

Oh wow ... am I too busy last September and it just flew like that ??? 

I hope our October is off to a wonderful start...

This will be another busy month for me ... i am leaving Japan soon for another work with my Japanese friend.  I hope it's business with pleasures :P

I will also be busy with some other works and activities but still there is something more to look forward too ... my travel abroad with my precious daughter  ... 

Oh well ... i am also excited because autumn season is here again ... 

chill is in the air ... time to put on something warm... 

my camera is also ready for the autumn leaves ... yaaay i love the colors of autumn nature xx

An autumn greetings ... a cute present from my sweet friend Gunter kun made by chestnuts :) 

He said he make stuff like this during autumn since he was a kid. 

I am interested to learn and make one like this too ... hope he can teach me soon xx

In loving memory of my dear Tatay Raffy xx

This is for our loving father that we lost on the night of September 8, 2014 at the age of 76.

Thank you for being patient... kind and the very best friend we could ever hope to find ... 

Thanks to all the hard work you did for our family... 

Thank you so much to all the wonderful things you have taught us.  

Thank you so much to your unconditional love ...

We are very proud to tell the whole world that u was our father.   

We take comfort in knowing that you are with our Almighty God.

RIP Tatay... missing you a lot ... 

We will be missing your smiling face and funny you ...

We were not able to say goodbye

but we will get to say hello again one day. 

We will always love you ...

Please give Nanay Cely a warm hug from us  xx

with love...
Mel, Ted, Lou and Leng

The morning i popped up !

Liza was surprised yesterday morning when i phoned to her that i am going to meet her in station and accompanied her to Nagoya today to pick up her sis Susan from Philippines in Centrair International Airport.  She said she gave up expecting that i could come with her because it seems that i was so busy.

(Well, that was my intention ...to surprise her :P)

That's what friends are for Liza ... as long as i can ... (even i cancel my work loool)  

i will be there to all people who are dear to me :)

I believe that ｆriends will come and go ... but true friends will stay forever with you no matter what. 

simple joy ... they make the greatest of memories :)

Welcome back to Japan Susan!!!

Outdoor Festival Feeling

September is here ... i can smell the breeze of autumn!

My last two days of August-- Saturday and Sunday was spent enjoying with friends-- Liza, Ana and Precy in Tokyo.

We visited the Philippine Festival in Ueno Park which was held for 2 consecutive days.  We actually represent our Philippine NAKAMA group there ... and we were happy that our other members joined us like Dang, Joy, Mary on Saturday and Rose and family on Sunday.

It's nice to meet old and new faces...

and meeting my cousin's son Aldrin from Canada was another delighted moment.

It was to be a rainy day that Saturday but it turned out to be a fine day ... look at the cotton candy clouds ... it's beautiful! 

with Aldrin ... hope to see u again here in Japan and in Canada xx

Jazz singer Marlyn ... one of the Filipino's pride in Japan

Liza, Precy, Ann and me in Ueno xx

Good times ... good bonding... good food... good music... good memories ... :)

Ice Bucket Challenge!

I knew this time would come ... now it's my turn!  :(

here's a nomination from my niece in Canada that was tag to me this morning for ALS ice bucket challenge...

waaaa ... mag-donate na lang ako!!! hahaha !!!

Jacky ...  if u visit us here in Japan on November ... watch out !!!  hahaha!!! 

FYI --- sharing portion! 

Ice Bucket Challenge May Cause Harm: (Read These Tips to Avoid Injury.)

By Dr Willie Ong (The Philippine STAR)

"Warning to elderly, pregnant women, ailing and those with medical conditions."

Ice Bucket Challenge is a charity campaign to increase awareness on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a paralyzing disease. During the challenge, freezing water and ice are poured over the person’s head using a bucket.

However, there are slight health risks involved.

1. Ice Bucket Challenge may cause head injury or fainting. Having a heavy bucket raised over your head could be dangerous. In an accident, you could hurt your head or break your neck.
2. It can lead to a heart attack and high blood pressure, due to constriction of the arteries.
3. Ice Bucket Challenge should not be done by the elderly, pregnant women, children and those with health conditions. You may also get pneumonia.
4. Most head bumps (from the bucket) are harmless because the skull protects our brain. However, patients should still be observed for drowsiness, vomiting or severe headache in the next few days. For more serious bumps, you should proceed to a hospital for a head x-ray (to check for fracture) or a Head Scan (to check for bleeding).

Tips to avoid injury during the Ice Bucket Challenge:

1. Don’t do it. Just donate money to charity.
2. Sit down on a sturdy chair while undergoing the challenge. (A helmet will help.)
3. After the challenge, dry yourself with a towel and take a few minutes to rest. Make sure you are not dizzy anymore before resuming your usual activities. Take care.

 — with Roman Empires.

It's doggy dog world!

From my family to yours ... happy national dog day !!! 

 We love puppy terrier xx

A throwback photo of my two precious ... we miss u Lucky xx

Philippine Festival in Ueno_2014

Tangkilikin ang sariling atin!!! 

Philippine NAKAMA will be there ... will be in Tokyo for 2 days with some friends x

I also hope i could meet my nephew Aldrin before he goes back to  Canada  :) 

Work hard... have fun :)

Yaaay... i am done with my deadline works and projects for this month ... feeling satisfied! 

... after some days of rest this week ... September is coming ...another works and projects are waiting for me to be started and done ... never ending ... there are some pressures but i love being busy ... i love what i am doing ... thanks God for making me occupied ... 

done with one of my deadline works 

 i also finally accepted yesterday my ever first business trip offer abroad as guide and interpreter ...  

i hope it's business with pleasures... lol!  

looking forward to it ... 

thanks for all the blessings xx 

The harder you work ... the luckier you get :) 

My happiness belongs to me

Sometimes i can't imagine why it is easy for others to take for granted the wonderful friendships ... 

that i thought and believed it will always be there...  as long as you are faithful and trusting each other. 

Oh well, life is too short to worry about stupid things ... 

it's better to be alone than to be with someone who continue abusing, accusing and blaming me. 

I know everything happen for a reason and better things might happen to me if i will distance myself from negative.  

I should always remember how blessed I am... i must not be negative ... there are so much to be positive about.  

My happiness belongs to me anyway. 

If i will not step forward... i will always be in the same place...  

I am not perfect ... i forgive who have wrong me ... i don't want to be angry or mad anymore ... anger only hurts me... not the one who have wronged me.  

Coffee shake

This is it! 

Recently, i am sooo addicted to this coffee drink... it's a coffee shake.

Just perfect for summer season ... it's nothing special ... very simple but i love it's rich taste.

Everytime i want to have some coffee outside ... all i can think of is Starbucks ... but this summer ... i always go to Komeda coffee shop coz i can only buy my fav coffee shake in there. 

Have a try everyone ^_^ 

Happy set ...'lovin it ;-)

... matagal ko ng gustong gawin ito ... and finally nagawa ko rin tonight ... and that 's to order a happy set -- in other word yung kid set po sa Mc Donald :P 

di ko alam na pwede rin pala talaga akong maka-order noon ... mas type ko s'ya orderin kasi maliit lang ... and one more thing i can collect their promo toys so i could send them sa mga pamangkin ko in Philippines na talagang collector ng Mcdo toys promo collections.  

Happy set with Pikachu flying propeller

so wait lang kayo Emil and Kricel ... this is a seasonal collection from Japan ... i hope na mabuo ko lahat ng dapat kolektahin sa promotion ng Pokemon the Movie XY ... 3 more items to go :P 

Peaceful Live!

Finally ... the successful Peaceful Live event of Mayumi Nishida san wherein the Philippine NAKAMA had a special participation is over!  It was a blessed day!!! Everything was fine, smooth and safe ... so thanks be to God xx

Mayumi san also featured thru slides her activities in the Philippines last January with International Stationary Exhange Club of Japan and assisted by some members of Philippine NAKAMA.  (I missed it though because we were at the lobby having photo shooting) 

 Mayumi san did demonstrate how to work the stuff toys she bought in Philippines.

Again ... i would like to thank my ever wonderful NAKAMA family for all their time, effort, talents and cooperation for this program.  The performance was well appreciated ... thank u all !!! 

... and special thanks to our 7 year old promising girl --- Shizuchan to her wonderful performance.  

Peaceful Live was held last August 3, Sunday at Euphonia Hall, Shizugin, Shizuoka City

To our dear friend Mochizuki Akira san... thank u so much for the flowers you sent for Philippine NAKAMA group... you are all awesome! 

souvenir pic with my darling Shizu chan and my precious daughter Sachan 

My first latte art

I love coffee!!!  ... and one of my fav is cafe latte.  

I remember when i visited Rome ... there was this coffee shop near Vatican... me and my friends ordered cafe latte and the master did some cute arts and greetings in our latte ... 

that was the first time i became interested in latte art.  

Aroma was good , tasted good, and art was ... hmmm not bad... as long as you can notice that it was monkey art...  lol :P 

It was a great opportunity that my friend Manju organized a latte art class last Saturday in his restaurant-- Spice Cafe Modhaju.  

It was a good timing that my trip in Hamamatsu was cancelled and i had a chance to attend the class in last minute.  

I also learned and experienced the basic making of cafe latte ... only basic but not that easy lol ... however, our instructor Okitsu sensei said i am good as a starter hihihi--- oseiji desu!

 Thank you Okitsu sensei for "easy to understand and easy to do" latte art ... 

I hope to learn more although my problem is how to draw :P 

Spa in Summer

My daughter have duty to work here in Shizuoka this weekend. After her work , 

she invited me to spa near our place. 

Hot bath is actually enjoyable during cold season but it is another good experience in summer. 

It was a great feeling after bath ... so refreshing especially when you are having some cold drinks like beer but tonight we decided to have juice and energy drink coz i don't actually drink beer. 

Tomorrow ... after Sachan's work, we are sched to go to Yaizu for another spa at night...  

just perfect for relaxation after our long day activities xx

Japanese Cucumber Pickles

A patient in our clinic gave us too many cucumber ... so what will i do with them??? 

Of course i love cucumber and all i can think of is my favorite cold cucumber pickles or tsukemono as what they called it here in Japan.  

So 2 days ago, i tried to make Japanese cucumber pickles and luckily ... my family and my friends loved it ... so they been often asking me how i made it ...

I only know the basic and easy procedure ... that's one thing i like it... it's quick and yummy... 

so here it is my dear friends :   

5 Japanese cucumbers (seedless) 

1 teaspoon sea salt 

5 tablespoon vinegar

10 table spoon water

1 teaspoon sugar

(optional) goma-kombu (you can buy this in any Japanese supermarket in pack) 

First ... wash the cucumber and rub it with salt.  

Then, cut it according to slices you want ... mine is about 5 cm. 

(Maybe next time i like to try to cut it in 8 spears)

Put them in a container ... if you have a jar ... it's best.
(It's a good idea also if you can put it in a ziplock freezer bag)

Marinate them with vinegar, sugar and water.  It's best if you can add like some goma-kombu (it has a lil taste of soy sauce too-- for flavor variations lol) 

Lastly, cover the container or jar and put it overnight in fridge to season. 

There it is ... just perfect especially this summer.  

This is also serve during meal as garnish or salad... and we also enjoy this as a snack and otsumami-- that means appetizer xx 

   

Naturally Plus

Finally ... it's here!!!  

Let's see how this things will work out, influence and affect my life ... 

Starting today ... i have a year to challenge ... 

Looking forward to a blissful life ... think positive Mel ... it would help a lot p(^^)q 

Promising girl

Hayan na ... di ko na talaga mapigilan... sinamantala ko ng magpa-picture sa new darling ko bago pa man lang s'ya sumikat ... another half Japanese-Filipino kid to be proud of ;-) 

She is only 7 ... sooooooooo talented and smart.  

Watch for her surprise number with Philippine NAKAMA on August 3  at Peaceful Live of Mayumi Nishida san concert in Euphonia Hall !!!  

with darling Shizuka chan

Peaceful Live

Change is good!

Summer is here!!!  It's getting hot and muggy as hell everyday... 

One thing i can think of to make me cooler and comfortable is to cut my hair! 

Finally, i was able to get my short hair cut ... it's lighter and easy now ;-) 

but i want to cut it shorter to keep me cooler ! 

What if i don't like it??? Well, it will grow back anyway ;-) 

Tanabata Festival

Happy Tanabata or Stars Day to everyone in Japan!  

It's cloudy tonight ... we can't see the stars. 

Did you all make your wishes?

I did make mine last Thursday night at Tanabata shrine when i visited Shimizu Tanabata Festival ... hang my wishes at bamboo branches inside the shrine.  

Hope my wishes will come true again ... pleaseeeeeee xx 

Enjoy the night ... i need to work hard here again  ... so hard to work for a living ...
next time i better wish to become rich  :P  

Info:
Tanabata is a Japanese tradition wherein people write their wishes on tanzaku papers (colorful, small strips of papers) and hang them on bamboo branches. People also decorate bamboo branches with various kinds of paper decorations and place them outside their houses.
It's said that tanabata's origin dates back to more than 2,000 years ago with an old Chinese tale. Once there was a weaver princess named Orihime and a cow herder prince named Hikoboshi living in space. After they got together, they were playing all the time and forgot about their jobs. The king was angry at them and separated them on opposite sides of the Amanogawa River (Milky Way). The king allowed them to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar. Tanabata literally means the night of the seventh, and it's also known as the star festival. It's believed that Orihime and Hikoboshi can't see each other if the day is rainy, so people pray for good weather and also make wishes for themselves.