Memorial flowers...

Last night, I went to a friend's place for a dumpling party. His parents are in town from China and they made dumplings from scratch! So awesome!

On the way to my friend's place, I decided to get his mom some flowers just to say thank you. I passed by a neighborhood flower shop and chose a small bouquet from one of the several pieces on display.

I took the flowers to the Obaachan to pay. As I was getting money from my wallet, I said to her, "これわプレゼントです。" (This is a present.) because I'd like her to add a ribbon. She replied, "これわプレゼントができない。" ("This can't be a present.")

She said, "これわ memorial flowers です。" We both LOL'd! So I asked her which flowers can be presents and she showed me.

Good thing I asked! LOL!

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!

Some Hakone pics...

The pictures don't do the real thing a justice. Hehe!

Hakone ga suki! =)

Hakone getaway...

I had another out of town trip recently. Yay.

Two friend from Singapore were in town and they were kind enough to let me tag along with them to Hakone. Hehe!

It was my first time to Hakone.

After the Nikko traffic jam experience, I braced myself for a similar situation in Hakone. But... surprise, surprise, the trip was generally smooth.

We stayed there overnight and it wasn't enough.

Here's our itinerary:

Thu:

0700 - Left Shinjuku via Odakyu Romancecar

0840 - Arrived in Hakone and took the Tozan Line to Gora Station for the Hakone Tozan Cable Car.

From Gora Station, we took the cable car to Souzan but we were told the Hakone Ropeway service was suspended due to volcanic gases. We didn't let this ruin the trip.

We took a bus that took us to Togendai-ko, where Lake Ashi and the mountainside with fall colors greeted us.

At Togendai-ko, we had lovely lunch by the lake. We planned to do the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise but we saw that the Hakone Ropeway was back in service. Sooo...

We took the Ropeway to Owakudani. We got off at Owakudani and took some pictures, then we took the Ropeway back to Togendai-ko.

It was such a beautiful ride as we got to see the fall colors from the cable car/gondola.

At Togendai-ko, we took the boat and we got off at Hakonemachi-ko.

Our accomms were a stone's throw away from Hakonemachi-ko Pier. It was defo a blessing.

After checking in, we walked around and then took the bus to Tenzan Tohji-kyo. It was my first authentic onsen experience and I loved it.

Fri:

Following breakkie, we took the bus to Mishima Skywalk. We spent about an hour or so at Mishima Skywalk.

Then, we had lunch at Hakonemachi-ko before taking the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise ship back to Togendai-ko.

At Togendai-ko, we took the bus back to Hakone Yumoto Station.

1619 - Left Hakone Yumoto via Odakyu Romance Car

1800 - Arrived in Shinjuku

There were so many other things that we weren't able to do... Need to go back to Hakone one of these days.

TIP: Get the Hakone Free Pass!

Stormy birthday weekend...

Sunday was a stormy day.

Typhoon Lan(?) hit Japan. Actually, it wasn't that bad in Tokyo. Yeah, there was a heavy downpour but it was not something I'm not familiar with having grown up in a country visited by at least 20 typhoons a year. Hehe!

Anyway, initially I made reservations at Barbacoa. I've been meaning to eat the restau for the longest time. I ended up canceling my reservation because of the weather. This is the second time I've canceled. Lol. I hope I don't get blacklisted.

For a few minutes, I debated whether I should step out of the house or if I should just stay put. I decided to head out and feel some sort of celebration.

Who cares about the typhoon? Lol.

Sooo... I took the train and headed to one of the hotels near Ginza for a nice breakkie. I've been craving for pancakes. I would've gone to bills Omotesando but again, the weather.

It was a good breakkie. I just didn't like that I had to wait for 20 minutes for pancakes. Seriously?! For the price I paid? Maybe they forgot. Anyway, I enjoyed my meal and headed to Ginza.

The highlight of the day was doing some shopping. Hehe!

Finally found a new pair of work pants, a new backpack to replace my ages old backpack, and a new scarf. Hehe! Love you CDG.

Weekend!

I decided not to work this weekend! Yay!

I have a busy Friday work night but I'm excited to get home and not have to rush myself to go to sleep. Lol.

Hmm, maybe I'll binge-watch Designated Survivor tonight.

It's kinda annoying though that the weather this weekend is ugh. Everyone's been saying a typhoon will hit Japan this weekend... so there goes the weekend.

Tomorrow, I am planning to check out the Tadao Ando exhibit at the National Art Center in Roppongi. It should be good. I'm just wondering if I should go because of the weather.

In the evening, I'm going to a nomikai aka drinkin party with some peeps. I'm hoping it'll be good. Haha!

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.

Filipino food... finally...

Last Sunday turned out to be quite a happy day.

While browsing Instagram a few days ago, I found out that there was a Philippine festival in Hibiya Park over the weekend.

The first thing that came to mind was food!!!

So, I messaged Dean and asked if he and Ryan would like to check out the event. Thankfully, they also planned to go to the event. Yay!

We met up at Yurakucho around 3. From there, we walked to the nearby park. It was my first time to see such a large gathering of Filipinos in Tokyo. Hehe.

Naturally, there was a long queue at all the food stalls. We figured the taste would be the same everywhere soooo we just headed for the stall with the shortest queue.

After buying the stuff, we looked for an area that wasn't too crowded. There, we had a mini-feast.

Lechon kawali, liempo, caldereta, sisig, lumpiang shanghai, rice! Woohoo! For dessert, we got halo halo! It was super!

I hope there would be another event like that in the near future.

For now, I'm just happy with the feast we had!

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/

Tsukareta...

Tired. Lol.

I don't know if it's because of the weather, the workload, or both? Haha!

Monday was crazy busy. Yesterday was also busy. Today was also busy.

I'm really grateful for the work and I really love teaching... but I wish I knew where to get more energy.

Haha!

There's a long weekend coming up next week. I hope it would be sunny on October 8. I want to go hiking or on a day trip outside Tokyo.

Saturday izakaya night...

I went to an izakaya with a friend last night.

Yesterday wasn't a really busy day so I wasn't that tired.

I was hungry though. Really hungry.

I didn't have time to properly eat the entire day. Haha!

I only managed to eat a scone from Starbucks.

So, after work, I was just sluggish and almost dizzy.

Thankfully, my friend had the bright idea of going to an izakaya. Except for the smoke from cigarettes, I think izakayas are always a great idea! Haha! =)

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.

Practice writing: 9 September 2016

この・あいだ・しんじゅく・に・いった。キノクニヤ・で・あたらしい・ほん・を・よんさつ・かった。さいしょ・の・ほん・に・ついて・は・にほん・の・れきし。にばんめ・の・ほん・は・ケヴイン・クワン・に・よって・かけれた。さんばんめ・の・ほん・は・にほんご・の・ほん・の・えいご・ほんやく。よんばんめ・の・ほん・は・どくしょ・の・でんしゅう、あたらしい・ほん・を・たのしみます。

Test post...

Just testing if I could post from where I am right now...

Lolol!

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。

Next guy... again...

I went to dinner last Saturday.

He's a nice guy. He's cute. He has a decent job. He can speak English. He also adjusted his speed of speech and used simple words when he spoke to me in Japanese.

But, he wasn't interested.

And he was late. He was thirty minutes late.

Haha! We agreed to meet up at 7:30PM. He messaged at 7:20PM that he was going to be late.

Of course, I was annoyed. Whether it is because of age or because I stereotype (I think all Japanese people are punctual!), I have not idea. I was just annoyed. Lol.

We originally agreed to have dinner at a restaurant a stone's throw away from Tokyo Station. In the end, I made an executive decision and told him to just meet me at Tokyo Station.

It was rather a stupid decision because first, restaus at the station are almost always crowded and second, it's a bit pricey. ¥600 for ハイボール?!?! You've got to be kidding me! Haha!

It was an enjoyable time though.

The following day, I messaged him to say hello. He didn't reply anymore. He replied today with a simple "Hi." but I'm taking it as a sign that he's not interested.

Oh well, moving on...

Chillax Thursday...

Relaxing day today.

I had a busy morning. All five lessons were booked. After that, I headed to Shinjuku for my private lesson.

In the afternoon, I headed home and just relaxed. I had no taiko practice tonight so I was able to chillax.

I got to go for a run around my neighborhood. I did my laundry, and so on. Hehe!

Nice, nice.

I still need a proper holiday though. Haha!

New book...

Today was a really slow day.

When I checked my lessons schedule for today a few days ago, I had six sehceduled for today. When I checked my schedule again last night, I was down to three. Haha!

Again, I'm guessing it has something to do with the oliday.

No worries. I didn't stress over it because seriously, what can I do? There's a phrase the Japanese use for such situations. Shouganai (しょうがない) means "It can't be helped" or "Nothing can be done"

With several breaks in between my lessons, I decided to head to the nearby Maruzen and do something I had not done in such a long time - buy a paperback. Lol. I've been so used to reading via Kindle so I dunno why I decided to get a paperback again.

I got Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies. I enjoyed the HBO miniseries very much so I'm curious to read the book.

So far, I got to finish 100 pages in two (or three?) hours. It is a page-turner.

Perhaps because I was in love with the miniseries. I dunno. Haha!

Friday in Yanaka...

Today is a holiday - Mountain Day

It's a new holiday. It started last year and it's meant to celebrate all things mountain-related in Japan.

I decided to work in another learning studio. Initially, I had three lessons but I guess the students decided to go on a holiday instead. Lol. So, I was down to just one lesson today. It was okay. After my one lesson, I headed to a nearby cafe to work on my semi-sideline job.

After that, I headed home to take a nap.

At 3:45, I left the house and took the train to Nippori to meet up with housemate Shuto. It was his birthday last week and I told I'd buy him dinner. Before going to dinner, I told him I'd like to check out Yanaka.

The place was actually interesting. There was a street called Yanaka Ginza, which was lined with many interesting shops. There were a million cafes. I definitely want to go back and check out the place again.

On top of the cafes, there were a number of cultural places. However, I didn't take any photos because the sky was gloomy. The photos wouldn't look nice. Haha!

From Yanaka, we walked to Ueno and headed to a tonkatsu restaurant. It's the restau where Dean brought me a year ago. I should take more of my visiting friends to that place. The only downside is that you smell like oil when you step out of the restau. Haha! We also went to an izakaya where we had a couple of drinks and had some kushiage. Nice nice!

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.

Sunday afternoon with dinosaurs...

Last Sunday, I went to Makuhari Messe in faraway Chiba to check out the Giga 2017 exhibit.

I had no other plans and I was done with my work so I had free time.

The exhibit was okay. I thought it was more interesting for the kids, rather than adults.

Perhaps I was expecting something more in terms of the exhibit's layout and set design. I remember going to a similar exhibit in Singapore and I was floored by the setup.

So, I kinda hoped this one was going to be just as exciting if not more.

Oh well, it was still a good visit to faraway Chiba. Plus, I now know that there's an outlet store in Chiba that I can visit. Haha!

Dear Evan Hansen...

Curent earworm.

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! =)

Tugs tugs Saturday night...

It was a busy week. It was a busy Saturday.

I didn't have work today. Tomorrow is a holiday.

What was I supposed to do on such a rare occasion? Take advantage of it, of course.

Last night, I went out with Take 1 and Take 2 at our usual clubbing spots. I also invited another friend, Sol.

It was a different night from the crazy one three weeks ago. I made sure I didn't get wasted this time. I made sure that we got the better whiskey and not some I dunno what whiskey it was that they used.

It was a super fun night!

I saw some photos and videos of the Ageha party and I kinda wish I also checked it out. Maybe next time.

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.

Stepping out of my comfort zone...

I stepped out of my comfort zone last night and did something different. Lol!

A few weeks ago, I found this group online.

Last night, I went to their gathering for a trial lesson. It was fun.

I think I'll go again.

Still here...

In a recent chat with Tipz, he said that I don't update my blog anymore.

That's true. May and June were extremely busy so I didn't have time to sit down and write an entry, even a lousy one. Lol!

So, what's new?

Work. I can't believe it's almost a year since I made the move. I'm grateful for the job. I love what I do. When I wake in the morning, I don't feel like going back to bed. The only thing I wish for is more physical energy. Haha! On some days, I really feel the exhaustion. I want to do more, but I just don't have the energy.

Other stuff. Let's see. I signed up for private Japanese lessons. So far, it's been enjoyable. The teacher is good. The most important thing is that she listens to my requests. Haha! Aside from this, I still go to the Wednesday Japanese lessons at another center. It's a group class but since there are only two of us in our group, the other student and I already became Wednesday lunch buddies/friends. Yay.

Hmm, I've also been trying to be more health by trying to go to the gym at least twice a week. On some days, I'm able to go for a run along the river near my house. I'm actually happy about that.

What else? No other news, I guess.

Ariana Grande is coming to Japan next month. I hope I can score some tix. Seriously.

Shake Shack with J & D...

Nice Saturday night with Jack and Daiki.

Originally, the plan was to cook dinner at Dean's. However, we had to change plans because Dean also had some last minute change of plans.

So from a home party, it became a Shake Shack dinner. It was great though since it's been awhile since I last saw these guys.

Enjoyable Saturday night.

Pressies from students...

I must be doing something right.

At least with two of my students. Lol!

Last Wednesday, I was surprised to see one of my regulars whom I haven't seen in a long time. The last time I saw this student was just before he flew to the US for a business trip. We had a few lessons before his trip to work on his presentation. I did wonder about the outcome of his business trip.... so I was really happy when I saw my schedule last Wednesday.

The other surprise was yesterday. It was also one of my regulars. She's almost done with the course. I actually thought yesterday was her last lesson so I got her some brownies to say thank you.

To my surprise, she gave me a bag of biscuits when she arrived at my booth yesterday.

This afternoon, another one of my regulars also had his lesson. So I also got some brownies for him.

I'm actually sad to see these students go. Sigh...

Happy Pride!

I finished work early today so that I could go to the Pride celebration in Shibuya.

It was actually fun.

First stop was Omotesando to meet some friends and catch some bits of the parade.

From Omotesando, we walked to Yoyogi Park where the main event happened. As expected, there were many booths - NGOs, LGBT groups, pro-LGBT companies, and so on.

The atmosphere was really colourful and vibrant.

I'm glad I was able to go.

Happy Pride!!! :)

Golden Week holiday...

It's my first Golden Week!

At first, I thought of working in another learning studio during the three-day holiday. In the end, it looks like I'm going to have a holiday because I didn't book any lessons. Haha!

Oh well, I still have loads of things in mind to do. I want to do some paperwork, and I guess the main thing I'm looking forward to is hanging out with Monay (and his fam) this Thursday and Friday.

It's May...

I can't believe it's already May.

Yesterday, it dawned on me that I've been living in Tokyo for 8 months now.

Whoa! 8 months. Time is flying by so fast. Haha!

Dinner with Dean et al...

What an enjoyable Saturday night!

Yesterday was a public holiday, and I decided not to work in another learning studio. I basically had the entire day free. In the morning, I just stayed home and did some house errands. I still got up at 6AM (it's my body clock!) and I ended up doing a bit of work, my laundry, and having my breakfast while waiting for my laundry to be done.

In the afternoon, I had a few meetups.

First was with Monay, who's in town with his family for a holiday. Originally, we planned to meet next week but I ended up rushing to Shinagawa Station for a quick meet. I just sent his entire family off as they were headed to Kyoto.

From Shinagawa, I took the Keihin Tohoku and got off at the next station - Oimachi.

Dean and I planned a house dinner at his place. I invited our common friend, Kohta, to the dinner. The last time I saw him was back in November. Thankfully, he was free yesterday. Kohta and I agreed to meet earlier so that we could catch up. Afterwards, we headed to the grocery to grab some stuff to bring over to Dean's place.

It was a great Saturday night! Dean and Ryan prepped the dinner - pasta, salad, store-bought dessert. Kohta and I brought some beer and umeshu and store-bought grilled chicken. Hehe!

Really great evening!

Kamakura and Enoshima...

Some photos from the day trip to Kamakura and Enoshima a few weeks ago...

Can't believe it's almost May...

Ii hi da ne...

So beautiful, Tokyo.

Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between catalogue

Wooohoo, Thursday really is my favorite day!

Since it was my (half) day off, I decided to head to Ginza to check out the newly-opened Ginza Six. The mall had a Tsutaya Books and I wanted to check if the bookstore had the catalogue for the upcoming Comme des Garcons exhibit at the Met.

It's my lucky day. Yes, the bookstore has copies of the catalogue... and they're in English!!!

Yahooooo! Gotta love Tsutaya!

Tbh, I was contemplating ordering the book from the Met online bookstore. Haha!

Sakura 2017: Cherry blossoms at Chidorigafuchi...

Since I finished my lessons early, I decided I have time to go to the library to study for my Japanese class.

I always go to the Chiyoda public library. Today, I did a side trip to nearby Chidorigafuchi for the cherry blossoms.

No further text needed. Let the pictures do the talking. Hehe!