Happy Friday...

Japanese version follows below

Today was a bit humid.

I guess summer is here. Haha! Thankfully, Cool Biz dress code has started this week. Otherwise, I would be sweating like crazy.

Today was my fake day off. Fake because it's only half day. In the morning, I had three lessons. After my third lesson, I headed home, changed and went for a jog around the Palace.

After that I headed back home to take a shower, change and return again to the office for two lessons. Unfortunately, my 1PM didn't show up today. The student was probably busy at work.

Too bad but that also meant I got to go home early.

In the afternoon, I did a bit of housework. Then, I bought some stuff for my day trip on Sunday. A few posts ago, I mentioned starting two new hobbies this month.

The second hobby starts on Sunday... provided that the weather cooperates.

Looking forward to it. Hehe!

Happy weekend!

日本語のバージョン:

今日は蒸し暑いよ。

夏になりるそうです。笑。　神をおかげさまです、今週は仕事でCool Bizを始まったよ。

今日は僕のお休みよ。でも、半日だけだよ。朝は三つのレッスンがあったよ。０８：３０のレッスンの後で帰って、着替えて、皇居の周りにジョギングをしたよ。とても暑かったよ。

ジョギングの後は家に帰って、シャワーを浴びて、会社に戻りたよ。

午後に仕事の後では家に掃除した。後は銀座に行って、買い物をしたよ。

今週の日曜日にもう一つの新しい趣味をはじまるよ。いい天気があるといいね。

楽しみによ。笑。

週末が楽しんで。

Sometimes, I think I'm too nice...

Someone once told me that I'm too nice. And that I have to stop being too nice.

That person's not the first one to tell me such.

The thing is I don't think I'm a nice person. I'm just your usual guy, I think. I wouldn't say I'm rude, though. Lol. I would say that I was much nicer when I was in my early 20s.

However, life has taught me so many things. Maybe it also comes with age. Now that I'm in my 30s, (most of the time) I just stopped caring about what other people think. I now feel like I can say no without the guilt. I will leave a place if I don't feel like being there. And I noticed I have no more patience to listen to idiots. Lol!

Even so, I still think I'm a nice guy.

Sometimes, I think I should heed that person's advice.

The other day, a friend I had not seen for some time asked me to lunch. I was happy because I had not seen this friend in a while.

On the day of the lunch, all of a sudden this friend dragged someone along.

Long story short I ended up being the third wheel in what was supposed to be a catchup.

It makes me wonder why some people do the things they do.

Lol.

Random stuff...

In The September Issue, Grace Coddington tells Edward "Don't be too nice... even to me... otherwise, you'll lose." It's a completely different situation but I guess it somehow applies to many situations.

Sometimes, I think I'm too nice. And I let other people walk all over me. This year, my resolution was to stand up to others but I can already recall a few situations where I didn't do anything and I felt terrible after.

Tonight, I had another similar situation. Long story short, a person I consider as my friend told another friend that I'm angry with someone. It's funny because the person I'm supposedly angry with is someone I've never met.

I was completely caught off guard when people started asking me why are you angry with this person. I was like, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Things became clear when they said, "Well, this person said you're angry."

I was completely floored. It made me wonder why some people would do that. If I were indeed angry, that should come from me. I don't think this person was in any position to speak on my behalf.

So I was left wondering what this person's reason for doing such a thing was. Oh well.

Another lesson learned.

Mother Teresa said, "Some people come into your life as blessings. Others come into your life as lessons."

Well, I hope God will stop sending lessons my way. Hehe!

Relaxing Sunday...

What a really nice day Sunday turned out to be.

First of all, I had six or seven hours of sleep. Hehe.

In the morning, I did some preparation for work. After that, I attended the 7AM Mass at St. Ignatius.

I was extra excited about today because the weather forecast was between 20 and 12 degrees. Hooray!

Given this temp forecast, I had a plan in mind last night.

Around 10AM, I carried on with my plan.

I changed into my running attire and walked to the Imperial Palace for an easy 5K run around the palace. It was really relaxing and it was also enjoyable to see several runners enjoying the sunny weather. Can't wait to do more runs in the next few weeks. I think spring is coming soon.

In the afternoon, I headed to Shinjuku. I wanted to get more uniforms (read: black polo shirts) but I dunno why Muji doesn't have em.

Anyway, after enjoying walking around Nishi Shinjuku and Shinjuku Sanchome, I just headed back home and had a quiet dinner. Hehe!

Going to bed early. Hehe!

Slow Thursday...

Today's a bit of a slow day.

Not sure why but a bunch of students canceled lessons today and yesterday.

It's both good and bad. Good because I get more time to relax and do other stuff. Bad for my paycheck. Haha!

Anyway, this morning I did some house chores and some other stuff that I've been meaning to do. I took a nap and I finally got to drag myself back to the gym. I seriously need to fix my schedule.

My Thursday lunchtime private lesson was canceled so that gave me more free time today. Tonight, I don't have taiko lessons so I decided to do some work.

I knock at 745 though so that's good.

Just want to get some sleep. Lol!

Weekend shopping...

It was a shopping weekend of sorts.

As I may have written in a previous post, I'm at a stage where I rarely buy new clothes. Now I'm more after certain pieces. I'm more discerning I guess? Haha!

When it comes to office clothes, I'm a bit more stingy. Maybe because they're clothes I don't really get to wear on weekends. My shirts are from Uniqlo. I only have two styles of shirts, two pieces for each style. It's sort of like a uniform.

My suit used to be a mix of brands - jacket from H&M, pants from Armani Exchange. My only special pieces are my neckties, which I got from fave brand Comme des Garçons. And I only have four. That's enough, imo.

Recently though, I've been thinking that I should invest more in better suits for two reasons. One, I'm working in the business capital of Tokyo, (probably Japan). I have to look professional. Second, it's part of the whole self brand I guess. I feel like I'm doing my fellow Filipinos a disservice if I don't properly present myself. Hehe!

Thankfully, I have a good source for great suits. Last December, I got a suit from Beams. The jacket fits nicely. The pants could be a it tighter but that's just my preference. Last weekend, I went to the store again and tried a few suits. There was a Paul Smith suit I fell in love with but they didn't have my size. After going through a number of suits, I found a nice Barney's New York suit. It's charcoal gray and pinstriped. I actually like it.

The best thing was that it didn't really cost me an arm and a leg. Well, maybe it did cost me an arm. Lol.

I've also been meaning to have some skinny ties. So, I decided to get rid of two of my CdG ties and got two Dior Homme ties. Hehe!

That's it for shopping. I don't think I'll be buying new clothes anytime soon. There is a Longchamp bag I've been eyeing but I think it's a justified purchase because I don't have a weekender bag.

In any case, I haven't been the only one shopping. After a lengthy message exchange, I finally got my best friend Tey to invest in some good bags. So proud to have been able to convince (push?) her to get something from Prada and Balenciaga. Hehe.

My purpose in life is complete. Char.

Not replying promptly... is it a Tokyo disease? Lol.

It doesn't really take a lot of time to reply to a message, does it?

Read somewhere:

If someone wants to be a part of your life, they will seriously make an effort to be in it.
No Reasons.
No Excuses.

So true. For this reason, get a dose of your own medicine. Lol!

Random Monday blah...

My 18:15 student didn't show up. I wonder why. He must've been busy at work. I was looking forward to seeing him though.

Now, my 19:00 student also didn't show up. I wonder what happened to her. It was supposed to be our first lesson together.

Oh well, maybe another time.

Today has been quite an interesting day. It's super busy with 13 lessons, but I'm able to get through it because I managed to take a nap this afternoon. Haha!

In the morning, I stopped by Bake cheese tarts in Tokyo Station to buy a few pieces. They're not for me though. From Tokyo Station, I walked to nearby Marunouchi Building to deliver the tarts.

They were quite nice. Hehe.

Taiko boy....

So, this is what I've been doing three Thursdays a month since July 2017.

Because I wanted to improve my Japanese language skills, I joined a taiko group. I think there are one or two other foreigners but both of them can speak Japanese. So, I'm kinda the only one who's struggling with speaking in Japanese. Lol!

Six months later, my Japanese hasn't improved that much but I can say that I'm able to do some taiko now. Lol!

Last weekend, the group joined a concert where other music groups also performed. Our group did four pieces. I was in two pieces.

Tbh, I wasn't that nervous because we really, really, really practiced before the performance.

It was a good experience.

Who would've thought I'd be doing this. Haha!

Hey, December....

It's December! Sheesh, the year is almost over.

Tonight, I decided to get out of my comfort zone. I went to Nich on my own. I was just itching to do some clubbing and with my favorite clubbing buddies living 5,000 kilometers away, I had to be brave and go out on my own. Lol!

It was fun! Of course, it would have been waaaay more fun had my favorite people been here.

Also, tonight, I just got fed up with a few things so I decided to do some drastic measures. This year has been such a learning experience for me. With a brand new year just a few weeks away, what better time to close one chapter and start a fresh one anew, right?

So, I guess tonight was the first step to write a somewhat new chapter. Haha!

Let's do this!

Currently addicted to this show...

I think it was Jon who told me about this series. Anyway, recently I've been binge-watching this series. Haha!

It's actually good.

An arm and a leg for dry cleaning... lol...

Recently, our company released a bulletin saying that Cool Biz season is over. (Cool Biz is the term used for the summer dress code.) That means it's back to long sleeves and neckties. That means it's going to cold again really soon. (Actually, it has already started to get cooler. Lol!)

Sooo, to prep for the change in season and the change in dress code, I had to bring out the long sleeves and winter clothes from the depths (?) of my closet. Haha!

The pieces need to be dry cleaned. The shirts were okay to be washed at home since they're just my regular shirts. Hehe!

But the neckties and the winter coats had to be brought to a professional dry cleaner.

I could have taken them to the neighborhood dry cleaner but I chose to take them to this shop... in Tokyo Station... in Daimaru. Lol!

When I was in Singapore, I did use professional dry cleaners for the CdG Shirt shirts. The cost was okay.

Two weeks ago, I took the pieces to Daimaru. When I saw the bill, I laughed out loud with the shop assistant. LoloL!

Let's see - 1 Fred Perry winter jacket; 1 Comme des Garcons Homme jacket; 1 Burberry trench coat; 3 Comme des Garcons Shirtshirts; 4 Comme des Garcons Homme Deux neckties.

The price I paid could've bought me 10 new business shirts at Uniqlo. Lol!

Sometimes it makes me wonder I had to choose a Burberry trench over a trench from <...>. Lol! It was approved by Tipz though. In fact, there was some intercontinental consultation for that trench. Haha! It was one of the best purchases though. Seriously. (I actually can't wait to wear it again. Lol!)

Oh well... in Tagalog, anong magagawa ko. in Singlish, so how. in Japanese,しょうがない (shouganai).

Btw, I got my dry cleaning and the shop did an amazing job. Hehe!

http://www.hakuyosha.co.jp/

Productive day at the library...

I have a proper two-day break this week. Yay!

Tomorrow is a holiday and I decided not to work tomorrow. Today, I also don't have work. Yay!

So, I originally planned to head to Senjogahara in Nikko to hike. However, a typhoon is hit Tokyo this weekend so I'm stuck in town. Thankfully, it's not like any typhoon I had experienced in the Philippines.

I managed to get out of the house and I spent the entire day at the library.

Yup, it was actually a productive day. I arrived at the library at 9:20AM. The library opened at 9:30. I've been in the library since then.

I managed to finish a lot today.

Tomorrow, I might spend the day here again if it's open.

Hello, September...

Can't believe it's already September.

I've got a few things to write about.

Hopefully, I'll find time to do it soon...

いい日だ...

金曜日の朝仕事が あろ、あsじょた/ 仕事の後で家に帰りました。 三十分ぐらい寝ました。3時半に西日暮里に行きました。友だちと谷中にあそびに行きました。谷中銀座は沢山の店があります。その場所は面白くてきれいでした。友 だちにはがきを買いました。それからきっさてんでコーヒーを飲みました。楽しかったです. いい日だ。

Tsukareta....

What a tiring day.

Thursday is my half day off but the work just never ends. Lol.

After my morning lessons, I headed to Nishi-Shinjuku to give a private lessons.

Then, I had to go all the way to Tateishi because I needed to sort something at the Ward Office. I was told that I needed to go to another office. Lol!

Hmm, with my very limited Japanese, I was able to sort things out. Thank goodness.

Then, I went home. Now, I'm waiting for my laundry to be done.

After that, I'll go to the coin laundry to use the dryer.

In the evening, I'm heading to Kuramae for taiko practice.

Tired. Lol!

Thankfully, tomorrow is a public holiday. I originally had three lessons, but the other two lessons were canceled.

Earthquake...

For some reason, I usually get up at 2 or 3AM to go to the toilet to pee.

This morning was no different. The only difference was when I went back to bed, the ground started moving. I thought I was dreaming. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was strong.

When I got to work this morning, I overheard one of my coworkers ask another coworker if they felt the earthquake. So, apparently it was true. Lol.

While I was having my first lesson, the building's earthquake alarm went off. My student was unperturbed by the whole thing so I guess there was no need for me to be worried. Lol!

Interesting day.

It's August!

Whoa, it's already August!

Time is flying so fast! It's insane. Okay, I'll try to post more often. Lol. The operative word being "try."

Last Sunday, I went on a date. Or I thought it was a date.

Recently, I usually just meet with people for one hour. I don't know if it's because I'm getting old or it's because I just don't see the need to spend more time than needed if I feel there's no follow through. Lol.

With this guy though, I dropped the one-hour rule because of a few good signs. He said he usually video calls with guys first before meeting up with them. He liked Rose Bakery, too. (Lol!) As soon as we started chatting, it just felt natural.

Long story short, it was a great Sunday. We had lunch, dinner, and coffee. We went to one of my favorite parks in Tokyo. We went to an onsen.

So, those were all good signs.

Yesterday, I messaged him to ask if he wanted to hang out again soon.

He said yeah but he also said he has a partner.

My reaction was WTF?!

This is the third time that this has happened to me. I refuse to think it's a Japanese thing. (The other two instances were with Japanese guys, too. Lol!) Lying by omission is still lying, I think.

Oh well. I just kinda felt sad because I spent 8 hours with the guy and it was a good date. You don't get that often, right?

Okay, lesson learned. Next time, don't assume!

Matsuri time...

Since I had two days free, I thought I should do something and not just stay at home. Haha. Originally, I planned to go to Yokohama, or Kamakura even, to go for a stroll. I changed my mind at the last minute since I felt it was going to be too hot to walk around.

I ended up going to the library with Take. It was good for two reasons. First, I got to do some work I wanted to do. Second, it's my first time at this library and this library is awesome. It's a three stations away from the house. It's relatively new. I'm defo going to go back to this library many times.

Around 4PM, Take and I left the library. He headed to the gym. I was tempted to go home but I told my self I should do something.

So I decided to go to Yasukuni Shrine to check out the festival. It turned out to be a really good decision. There was a mikoshi parade. The lanterns were awesome. There was something spiritual and festive about the whole event. I wish I had a yukata though. Haha! At the last minute, my new friend(?) CS joined me. He's from Malaysia but he's been in Japan forever. After checking out the festival at Yasukuni, we walked to Jimbocho for dinner and walked again to Ochanomizu for coffee/dessert.

Great Sunday! =)

Uneventful Day...

Today was quite uneventful.

This morning, I went for my lessons. I was supposed to have three lessons but my regular student canceled his lesson. He's prolly busy.

After my morning lessons, I went to the headquarters for a whole day training. It was okay. Useful as expected.

In the evening, I went to Ginza to walk around before my private lesson.

It was a good Wednesday.