Mar Yan

Category: Philippines

  • 11 Things in Japan That Surprised Me As a Filipino

    11 Things in Japan That Surprised Me As a Filipino

    I came to Japan in the spring of 2011 when my sister who lives in Japan invited me for a month-long spring vacation. During my stay (and even up to now) there are several things that surprised me.

    11. There are many elderlies. It is a known fact that Japan is an aging country. When I first came here, I was surprised to see people looking beyond their sixties/seventies working as traffic aid, gardener, and even working in the malls. In my country the Philippines, most people you see around are young. Mall workers are usually in their 20s to early 30s. It is also uncommon in the Philippines to see groups of elderly hanging out in a restaurant or taking a walk in the park. Whereas in Japan, this is fairly common.

    10. People wear masks. I was very surprised to see many people wearing masks when I first came to Japan. I asked my sister if there was a spreading disease or something but she said people wear it for protection, especially for people who are having kafun allergies, which was fairly common during springtime. In the Philippines, if you wear a mask, people will speculate that you are ill and need to wear a mask to avoid spreading the “contagious disease”. When I came back to the Philippines, my students were all very surprised and kept asking me if I were sick when I wore a mask to protect me from chalk dust from writing on the blackboard.

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    9. Some fruits, vegetables, and spices are oversized. I was so amazed when my sister took me to the supermarket. The ginger was big and the other vegetables were as well. Eggplants, tomatoes, and bell peppers were bigger than the usual size I have seen in my country. Eggplants also came in different shapes. The round eggplants amazed me the most. That feeling of amazement from seeing something different is a precious experience. I don’t get that same feeling anymore for being here for a long time already.

    8. There are many buildings they called apartments and mansions. I was also amazed by the buildings in Japan. There are many apartments and mansions. The smaller buildings are called apartments and the high rise are mansions. Some are government housing dedicated to low-income families. In the Philippines, big houses are called mansions, and the mansions in Japan are what we call condominiums. Although condominiums in the Philippines usually have more elaborate designs and hotel-like lobbies, complete with amenities such as swimming pools and clubhouses. These are for Filipinos who can afford them. Housing in the Philippines is still way behind developed countries. People below the poverty line mostly live in shabby houses in lots that they don’t own. ‘Squatter’ as they are called. I hope one day the Philippines can also provide government housing like in Japan to improve the living conditions of the impoverished.

    7. Most people wear subtle colors. Unlike in the Philippines where color and variety is the more popular trend, in Japan, I noticed that this was not the case. Most Japanese wear colors that don’t make them stand out from the crowd. They like to blend in and match the season. Pastel colors are the trend in spring. I also noticed that most Japanese don’t wear revealing clothes. Filipinos on the other hand, have no problem wearing colorful, sometimes showy attire. We like to be different and it is okay to stand out in the crowd. When we went to Huis Ten Bosch, a famous tourist spot in Kyushu, I made sure to wear the most colorful attire to match the happy and festive mood I had. That time, I was told that my outfit was really colorful and “medatsu”. Medatsu means to stand out. I thought it was a compliment. Maybe it was or maybe not. Now, that I have been here for a long time, being medatsu is rather a thing to be avoided. It is better to blend in than to stand out in Japan.

    6. People bow when they greet. When my sister said Konichiwa, which means hello, I noticed that she did a slight bow to the person she was greeting. I noticed that other people do it too. Vendors and restaurant staff sometimes do it by welcoming their guests. The funny thing is sometimes I noticed my sister do a slight bow even when talking on the phone. In the Philippines, bowing is not a common practice. Instead, we move our heads or eyebrows up with a smile to greet a friend coming our way.

    A tip: when you leave Japan, try to sit on the window side and watch the airport workers wave goodbye and bow to the leaving plane.

    5. Japanese money bills are big and always look new. In the Philippines, we call Japanese money “lapad” which means wide. Before coming to Japan, I didn’t know that Japanese money is actually big in size, the reason why it is called ‘lapad’. Japanese money bills are always crisp and new. In the Philippines, it is not unusual to see folded (sometimes dirty, stapled, and marked) bills, Recently, when the Philippine government released a new one-thousand peso bill with a strict handling guideline that says no folding of the bill, there was a mass uproar against it.

    4. Vending Machines are everywhere.

    Vending machines are everywhere in Japan. They are in train stations, bus stops, near a park, tourist spots, or outside an apartment complex. Or just along the streets. Vending machines are not limited to bottled drinks. There are also those that sell ice cream, coffee, hot choco, cigarettes, and snacks. I was surprised to see one selling condoms! Whereas in the Philippines, I haven’t seen or experienced buying in a vending machine. We have “sari-sari store” – a small residential shop that sells anything. Sari-sari means variety. The more complete and wide the selection of merchandise a sari-sari store has, the more popular it becomes in the neighborhood. Sari-sari stores are also everywhere. In a busy neighborhood, you will be surprised to see the number of sari-sari stores and that most houses have their own sari-sari.

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    3. Toilets are fantastic!

    Nothing beats Japanese toilets! I was very impressed with its very high technology and efficiency. Most toilets in shopping malls are very clean, have an automatic flush, and have different buttons for different purposes. Bidet’s water pressure – Strong? Gentle? Do you need a massage? Do you want to flush with a little water? A lot? Do you want to hide the sound of your pee with a recorded sound? Go ahead. Just press the right button. Make sure not to press the “call an emergency” button or else the alarm will sound and a couple of responders will come to your “rescue”. I had trouble one time I was in a hospital to visit a patient. I wanted to flush but pressed the wrong button. The alarm sounded and two nurses came. My mom also accidentally pressed the emergency button in a toilet at a subway station. Two women came rushing to the site. But, not all toilets in Japan are that hi-tech. The very old traditional style squat toilet still exists and usually found in a community park or old buildings. For women, watch where you face when squatting and how far your legs are apart if you don’t want to get your feet wet with the splash. In most households in Japan, toilets are high-tech. My sister’s toilet automatically opens and closes its lid and automatically flushes when you leave. Philippine toilets are pretty much basic. A small cubicle, a toilet bowl usually with no cover and if you’re lucky, some tissue paper. Don’t be surprised to be asked to pay for toilet fees in some malls or bus stops, too. Also a different fee for pee only and poo.

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    2. People line up for their turn. I was very impressed with how disciplined and patient Japanese people are. They line up getting on and off a bus or a train. They line up to go up and down the escalator. They are always very patient and just wait for their turn. No complaints. No overtaking. Everything is in order. Whereas in my country, most people are impatient and just want to be the first. Many jump lines which sometimes can cause disagreements. Even inside the church when taking communion, in Japan, they do it by the proximity of the seat to the priest. But in the Philippines, everyone just flocks towards the priest to be the first. There are many instances that I can compare and contrast Japanese and Filipinos but this “waiting in line” in Japan is something that the whole world, especially my country, should learn and adapt to.

    1. It is very clean and orderly in Japan! The cleanliness and orderliness in Japan will impress every visitor. I loved how the streets are very clean and clutter-free. There are no trash that can be seen on streets. There are no broken roads and almost no open dirt that could turn to mud on rainy days. There are no excessive posters on building walls. Cars and other vehicles look new and well-maintained. Public toilets are clean and free. There are no beggars or obvious homeless people in sight. Houses are clean outside. Parks and playgrounds are plenty. Flowers and greeneries are everywhere. I never heard a car honk and even myself have never ever used the horn while driving for almost seven years already. Traffic is smooth. Japanese people dress nicely and neatly. No loud noise from car stereos or neighbors’ karaoke. It is peaceful, clean and orderly.

    I fell in love with Japan the moment I arrived here. I wished to stay longer and it happened. I wished to stay even longer and now I am still here. A permanent resident and settled. I now call Japan my home. But despite that, there is still no place like my original home – the Philippines – where even though there is a big social disparity, everyone finds happiness in the littlest of things. People celebrate the littlest success. Scarcity doesn’t matter when Filipinos want to celebrate. And that is one thing hard to find in Japan. Japanese are frugal, practical and private people whereas Filipinos are celebratory and mostly open and happy people.

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  • 10 Differences Between Elementary Schools in Japan and the Philippines

    1. Teachers in Japan do not have a permanent school assignment. They change schools. They can only teach in one school for three to four years the longest. They have to move to another school within the city or the neighboring cities. New teachers change from one to three years and veteran teachers who are about to retire can stay in the same school for up to seven years.

    In the Philippines, most teachers stay in their assigned schools until retirement, unless they want to be transferred to another school for personal reasons or for promotion.

    2. Teachers in Japan change grade level assignments. Not only that teachers have to change schools in Japan, they also have to change their grade levels assignments. For example, a teacher who teaches first grade this year will most probably be teaching second year the following year. They follow the students they are teaching. Few teachers remain in the same grade for consecutive years.

    Whereas in the Philippines, most teachers stay in the same grade level until retirement. It is not uncommon for siblings to have the same first grade teacher.

    3. Class schedule in Japan changes everyday. Class schedule in Japan is not fixed for the whole year unlike in the Philippines. The schedule is announced a week or a day before usually on Fridays. It is very easy to change the class schedule in Japan because all subjects are taught at equal amounts of time. Each subject is taught at 45 or 50 minutes. Unlike in the Philippines, academic subjects like Math and Science are taught up to one hour or longer and shorter time for non-academic subjects like Music or Home Economics.

    I was very surprised about this when I came to work in Japanese public elementary schools because in the Philippines we decide on the schedule at the beginning of the school year. Teachers gather and spend a good amount of time making the schedule that would fit every teacher’s individual schedule and every class’ individual schedule. It’s not easy to make the schedule work for every teacher and every class. Once decided, we follow this schedule from start (June) to end (March) unless there are important changes that we need to do.

    4. Japan is a country that values equality and uniformity. Equality in schools is observed through equal treatment of students in terms of opportunities and participation in activities. For example, on a Sports Day, all students participate regardless of their physical abilities. Everyone can participate in racing whether he runs fast or slow or even in wheelchair. Whereas in the Philippines, competition is common. We have all sorts of school competition (Quiz Bee, Spelling, Beauty Contest, Money Contest, Sports Meet, etc.) which is not very common in Japan. It is a battle of the fittest in the Philippines. And only the fittest and the brightest shine. Uniformity is also a very important attribute of Japanese schools and the whole society in general. This can be seen through uniform designs of school bags, school shoes, haircuts and even hair color in junior high schools and high schools. Wearing black suits over white inner is common and considered standard for students on the job training and for those looking for a job. Subtle, basic colors are the staples. It is not pleasing to stand out like a sore thumb in Japan, which is the opposite in the Philippines. Filipinos like individuality and assortment and we like to stand out. Medatsu is a Japanese word which means to stand out. In Japan, you don’t want to be a medatsu, but in the Philippines, being a medatsu is encouraged.

    5. Outdoor and indoor shoes shoes culture in Japan. The footwear worn from the house and outdoors will not be allowed to be worn inside the school buildings. Each class/student has their own shoe box. Upon entering the school building, outdoor shoes are changed to indoor shoes. Japanese are very particular about cleanliness. Indoor shoes help to avoid dirt getting inside the school building from outside.

    In my native land, this custom doesn’t exist. Although some individual teachers require their students to bring indoor shoes, and have their own classroom shoe box, this is not considered a standard for everyone to follow. It’s all up to the teacher or the principal.

    6. Japanese teachers should be able to play the piano and swim before they can pass to be a licensed teacher. In Japan, each elementary school teacher is expected to teach music, play the piano of course and to teach swimming in the school’s swimming pool.

    Most public schools in the Philippines don’t have a single piano. Even the small private schools don’t. Teachers teach music even without the ability of playing any musical instrument. It is not a requirement. But, Filipinos love to sing. And I wonder why even though we lack many musical instruments, which sometimes we can only see in pictures or drawings that teachers ask the students to draw (draw the three types of musical instrument: brass, wind and percussion and make a scrap book in music class), we can still sing out loud from the bottoms of our hearts. 🙂 Many Filipinos are famous singers locally and internationally.

    For an elementary student in the Philippines, having a swimming pool in the school is like living the dream. Filipinos love swimming. Most occasions like birthdays we like to celebrate it in the beach. But, unlike Japanese, we don’t learn basic swimming skills in school. We learn it on our own. Pretty sure by just going to the beach often or the nearby river. Beaches in the Philippines are open all throughout the year and we even have night swimming. This is a big surprise to the Japanese people since they can only go swimming in the beach in summer. Night swimming is rare. Swimming schools are open all throughout the year but swimming pools are only open in summer.

    7. School lunch in Japan is prepared at schools or school lunch centers. School lunch is one of the best features in Japanese schools. I have a different detailed blog about it here. I like Japanese school lunch. It saves me from the hassle of preparing my own packed lunch and saves me some yen since school lunch is cheaper compared to buying food outside. It’s nutritious, well-balanced and well prepared. Japanese students help in the distribution of their school lunch. Whereas in the Philippines, students can opt to bring their lunch boxes, buy at the school canteen or go home and eat if their houses are close to school.

    8. Japanese children walk to school on their own (with exemption of those living in far-flung countryside). Chaperon and giving children rides to school are greatly discouraged and most often not allowed in Japan. Students go to school by groups according to their area of residence. In the beginning of classes in April, parents and guardians will accompany grade one students on their way to school but only up to few meters away from their houses. Not all the way to school.

    It’s a different scene in the Philippines. In the beginning of class, about 90% of grade one students are taken to school by their guardians. Guardians even stay to watch the class from the classroom windows. Although this is discouraged by the school, some parents couldn’t help but watch their kids in class. In the weeks that follows, fewer guardians do this. Many children, especially lower grades, are taken to school (up to the school gate) by their guardians all throughout the year. In some private schools, there are car pool companies that take children to school for a specific amount of fee.

    The difference lies about the distance and safety. In Japan, students should go to the nearest elementary school in their area, not in any school they want to go unless they want to go to a private school. It’s usually a few minute walk from their houses. Except if you’re living in the inaka (country side) where your school can sometimes be as far as an hour walk. In the cities, there are traffic volunteers (usually the elderlies) that guide students in their way to school making sure of the safety of the road. Parents, teachers and principals also help in doing this. This is called ‘koutsu jidou’ in Japanese. Parents take turns doing this. It is very common to see the elementary school principal guiding the traffic and greeting students in front or near the school gate. In the beginning of classes, usually the whole month of April, teachers accompany students halfway on their way home where guardians are waiting to take them up to their houses. This is only done in the beginning and when students get used to it, they go to school and go home with their own groups. Whereas in the Philippines, many parents opt to send their children to central schools, the big schools in the heart of the city, which is very far away from their houses and nearly impossible to get to by foot. With the distance problem and the traffic, it is dangerous and impractical to walk to school.

    9. Recess time in Japan is not eating time. Classes in Japan usually starts at 8:30 in the morning. Four subjects are taught in the morning which usually last 45-50 minutes with 10-15 minutes interval. The nakayasumi is the mid-break and the longest break. During this time, students can go to the playground or to the library or just relax and have a break. In the Philippines, subjects are usually taught consecutively without intervals (for example, schedules are 8:00-9:00, 9:00-10:00) and during the recess time, students usually eat their baons (bring to school snacks), or go to the school canteen, or buy at the canteen tray delivered in their very own classroom. Baon can be food or money or both. This is a part of Philippine culture that most school children look forward to and recess time is jokingly everyone’s favorite subject.

    10. Bringing money to school is okay in the Philippines but not in Japan. As mentioned above, students can buy food to eat during recess time in the Philippines and students can bring money as much as their parents can afford to give them. In Japan, it is uncommon for students to bring money to school and if they do, there is a limitation, for example, elementary students can only bring ¥100, junior high schools ¥300. There is nothing to buy at the school so there is no need for money. Japanese students are also not allowed to bring their own snacks or use accessories or bring CDs etcetera.

    These are only few of the many differences between the elementary and junior high schools in Japan and the Philippines. These differences are of course very normal and not written to make one country look better or bad. These differences are part of the culture and that is what makes each country unique.

  • Valentine’s Day in Japan and the Philippines

    Valentine’s Day in Japan and the Philippines

    There is a huge difference between how the Philippines and Japan celebrate Valentine’s.

    What to give/receive

    In the Philippines, Valentine’s is more on flowers – roses as the main star. With matching teddy bears and chocolates on the side. And love letters too.

    In Japan, it’s mainly chocolate. Not very much on flowers.

    Who give

    Ladies are feeling princesses on Valentine’s Day in the Philippines because they are showered with love. Boyfriends, husbands and admirers are expected to give something to their girlfriends/wives. Teachers also receive presents from their students. And students are also encouraged to give something like a card to their parents as well.

    In Japan, it’s the opposite. Girls give to boys, and ladies to gents. There are three types of chocolate given on Valentine’s Day in Japan:

    1. Honmeichoko – for the opposite sex you like/love 2. Girichoko – from the word “giri”, meaning obligatory, like the subordinate to the boss. co-workers, not necessarily “love”, and 3. Tomochoko– from the word “tomo”, meaning friend, given between friends usually between girls. And this is getting more popular than honmeichoko.

    The Craze

    In the Philippines, you can feel that “love is in the air” in February. Shops, malls, restaurants, schools and offices get decorated with cupids and hearts.

    Come Valentine’s Day, red is the color. And many singles want to find “the one” to date or to settle down. Students celebrate by buying flowers and presents for their teachers. Sometimes, classes are canceled to give way to a Valentine Party.

    That would never happen in Japan. No disruption of classes because it’s Valentine’s. Not that I know of so far. Valentine’s Day is a somewhat ordinary day.

    Many couples go on a dinner date in the Philippines and many proposals happen too. I guess it’s similar in Japan but I just don’t see it or feel it.

    In Japan, girls (and their mothers) get really busy on Valentine’s Day (or the day before) making the best homemade chocolate.

    If you go to the supermarkets, the first thing you see on displays are arrays of chocolates and baking materials. It’s the season for chocolates. Actually, right after New Year’s, shops change to Valentine’s mood.

    Of all these differences, the girls giving chocolate to boys and expressing their affection is one thing that is hard for me to do. It’s not that it’s bad but it’s just something I did not do growing up. I was taught to just wait and never express your feelings to the opposite sex.

    But maybe it’s changing nowadays.

    What do you think?

    Would you rather be the one to give or receive?

    How do you celebrate Valentine’s in your country?

  • Biko-making

    Biko (bee-ko) is a Philippine dessert made from glutinous rice, coconut milk and sugar.

    We use black glutinous rice or white or mix of both.

    My mother usually do mix. We love mama’s biko. I still remember when we were young and mama makes biko. My sisters and I help stir the latik (caramelized sugar in coconut milk) and of course have a taste when it’s done. We would have our own spoon and scoop the remaining latik on the kawali/kaha (wide cooking pot). Mama would tell us to be careful coz it’s still hot and it would choke us.

    My mama’s recipe is simple. Cook the glutinous rice and make latik and mix them together.

    I’ve been wanting to make biko for a long time but I just didn’t have the time or complete ingredients to make it.

    And finally today, I did it.

    I did not follow my mama’s recipe this time and tried something else.

    I watched a video on Facebook and my friend also made something similar. It’s the style of biko where you put the latik on top and bake it.

    I also the ingredients to my preference.

    [wpvideo osqv2tir ]

    Ingredients

    2 & 1/2 cups glutinous rice

    1000 ml coconut milk

    1 cup white sugar

    1 cup brown sugar

    Procedures

    1. Wash and cook the glutinous rice. You can use regular pot or a rice cooker. I used a rice cooker. It’s easier.

    2. While waiting for the rice to cook, put the coconut milk about half and half into two pots.

    3. Put 1.5 cups of white sugar into one pot and 1.5 cups of brown sugar into the other. Turn on the stove to low-medium heat.

    4. Bring to boil the coconut milk with white sugar and put the cooked glutinous rice into it. Mix until liquid is absorbed. (I had to turn off the stove and wait for the rice to cook).

    5. Simmer the coconut milk and brown sugar mixture. Keep stirring in low heat until it gets sticky and brown.

    6. Put the rice in a container and pour latik on top. (I did not have the right container so I just used my leche flan heart molder and another rectangular cake tray. I also did not have banana leaves to put on the tray so I just used parchment paper.)

    7. Bake for 30 minutes at 380 degree Fahrenheit. I used our air fryer so it’s a preset function. I just chose “Bake” function.

    8. Let it cool and enjoy.

    Things I wished I should have done

    1. I should have mixed the rice and coconut milk and sugar mixture longer and waited it to dry a little bit.

    2. I should have used a bigger container and only fill it half with rice so there’s space for the latik. Mine just flowed out of the heart molder and left a mess in our air fryer oven.

    ……………………………………………………

    There you go. My first time making biko with latik on top. Not bad but I could have done better. Till next time.

  • Why most Japanese people don’t speak English well?

    Why most Japanese people don’t speak English well?

    You might be surprised and ask yourself this question when you visit Japan for the first time.

    Having lived in Japan for many years now, I would like to share my thoughts on this matter. There are many reasons why Japanese people don’t speak English well.

    1. Japanese Sense of Nationalism

    First of all, I observed that Japanese people are very nationalistic. They love everything about their country and they are very proud to be Japanese. I am sure I am not the only English teacher here who encountered a student who resists learning English and says ‘Why do we have to speak English? We are Japanese!’ or ‘This is Japan! Speak Japanese!’

    2. Music Culture

    Learning English songs is one way to speak English fast. We learn phrases and new words through the lyrics. It helps us memorize lines and learn pronunciation naturally.

    While we in the Philippines are very familiar with English songs and foreign singers as the influence of American music is strong, Japanese have their own strong music trend and popular bands and singers. I was surprised that nobody knew Bruno Mars or his song ‘Count on Me’ among my students, young and adults as well. When I played ‘Always’ by Jon Bon Jovi, it was their first time to hear it. Or maybe my choice of music is just bad. Well, I just played the songs I like and I thought everyone knows it. Well, not in Japan.

    The influence of Korean artists, the K-pop groups is stronger than American music in Japan. I remember the phrase ‘Korean invasion ‘ that we used when we went crazy over Korean dramas in the Philippines. I was one of those who watched Jewel in the Palace, Full House, and many other Korean dramas. In Japan, it’s not Korean dramas but K-pop singers. This makes some Japanese especially the younger generation, interested in learning Korean rather than English.

    3. Shy Culture

    Learning a language is learning a culture. Most Americans and foreigners in general, are assertive and expressive people. They speak their minds and are not afraid to voice their opinions, using language as a tool. On the other hand, most Japanese are rather reserved and shy. They keep their opinions to themselves. They rather follow and listen than question. Very passive. While we were trained to orally participate in class in my elementary and high school years, I observed that it’s not very much the practice in Japan. Teachers mostly dominate the classes thru lecture method and employees seldom raise questions during meetings.

    4. Perfect English Concept

    “If you can’t speak English right, better not speak at all.” I’ve heard this line many times already. Even in my country. Many Japanese and second language learners are afraid to make grammatical mistakes when using English. Being looked down awaits to those who dare to. “It’s embarrassing.” In this case, many prefer to say nothing. Closed lips. Mum. Sshhh.

    5. English is taught mainly in Japanese

    Whether it is in elementary, junior high school, senior high school or university level, do not be surprised if one day you observe an English class, fully taught in Japanese. The books are in Japanese, discussions in Japanese, tests are in Japanese, what else is left? Greetings? That, too, is surely in Japanese. “Kirits! Rei! Onengaishimasu.” If there are institutions that use English, it’s very few and it’s not all English. Maybe 70-30, with Japanese as majority.

    6. English Teachers Don’t Speak English

    Not once, not twice but many times, I encounter a Japanese English teacher who blatantly (sometimes proudly) admit they can’t speak English. Yes. You read it right. I was so surprised the first time I heard it. Of course not all Japanese English teachers are proud non-English speakers. Most of them can actually speak (they studied it in the university ) but won’t. It goes back to the sense of nationalism and the perfect English concept. Why speak English when they are all Japanese and they are in Japan? English Department Teachers meetings are, of course, conducted in….Japanese.

    7. The Need to Speak English

    In the Philippines, there is a need to learn and speak English. Elementary and high school subjects like Mathematics, Science and English are taught in all English. In the university, all subjects except Filipino are taught in English. If you apply for a job, you have to have good English communication skills to have an edge and land a decent job. Many Filipinos go abroad to work, in which the universal language, which is English, is used.

    On the other hand, in Japan, all subjects are taught in Japanese. If they master the Japanese honorific language which is used in the business world, that is sufficient enough. Only recently that companies want employees with English speaking skills. Most Japanese are not interested in working abroad. Not even go visit English speaking countries. Some of my students in a little bit challenging junior high school told me why they don’t like English. They love Japan. They live and work in Japan. They listen to Japanese songs, watch Japanese dramas and movies. Why do they need English? Not even interested in having foreign friends/boyfriends/girlfriends. If there are those who are very interested in English, and have all the reasons to learn the language, only a few.

    These are only my opinions and observations based on my own experience in staying and living in Japan for some time now. If you have your own, don’t hesitate to share.

    To my Japanese friends and other ESL learners, who wants to speak English, I have some tips for you.

    1. Don’t just study but speak it. Just like driving, you have classes to learn the basics, but you will never know how to drive if you don’t get into the car and actually drive it. English (and any language you are learning) is the same. Speak it to learn it.

    2. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Even the native speakers commit mistakes. Ask yourself: Do I speak my mother language the proper way? Oftentimes no. We don’t. Language is a tool. It is used to communicate. To connect. What’s a small mistake will do but make you learn and become better. It is the mistake that we remember and learn to not make it wrong again.

    3. Accept that we are not perfect. If we don’t speak English perfectly, that means we speak another language, not just English. We are bilingual or multilingual. Take pride of that gift.

    4. Discover your interest in the foreign culture. Most often than not, the reason why we want to learn a language is our interest to learn the culture. It might be music, food, religion or tourism. Before, I had no interest in learning Spanish but when I discovered we have many similar words, that’s when I got so interested in the language. I also fell in love with Latin telenovelas and music. I love Thalia!!! As for my interest in Japanese, I love how interesting Japanese people are, their discipline, their politeness. And the beauty of Japan never ceases to amaze me.

    Speaking a foreign language or not being able to is not what’s the most important point. What matters most is our understanding and openness why some people do speak and some people don’t. No hate. No judgement. Just realities we have to face when we step into a new culture.

    Wisteria Gardens in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan

  • New Year’s Celebration in Japan and the Philippines

    As a Filipina living in Japan for many years now, I can compare how New Year’s Day is celebrated in both countries. There are few similarities and many differences between Philippines and Japan celebrating New Year’s Day that I would like to share according to my observation and experience.

    Decorations and Preparations

    In the Philippines, whatever is decorated for Christmas will be carried over for the New Year’s. In fact, the greetings “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” is commonly displayed in houses, offices, shops, restaurants and malls.

    To welcome the year, a tradition of displaying 12, which is recently changed to 13 round fruits – we call the lucky fruits on the dinner table on New Year’s Eve, is practiced in the Philippines. 12 represents each month and 13 represents an extra month which means abundance. Round signifies infinity, no beginning and no end of good luck and good fortune. Round objects are considered lucky so it is common to see people wearing polka dots. Round and sweet foods like leche flan, puto cheese, kalamay are considered lucky.

    In Japan, New Year’s is the biggest event of the year. Japanese start preparing for the New Year’s by doing a general cleaning which they call osoji. People clean their houses and offices from the main door to the windows, waxing floors , bathroom and everything in between. Shimenawa (sacred straw rope) also called shimekazari and kadomatsu (bamboo and pine decoration) are seen in main doors and gates. Shimenawa are seen in shrines all throughout the year but houses only display these in New Year’s season. There is also kagamimochi (mirror rice cake) and a display of the year’s animal symbol. These decorations are believed to welcome the ancestral spirits and gods to enter the home.

    Kadomatsu at Munakata Shrine

    Food

    In the Philippines, people rush to the market at the break of the dawn on the 31st and expect the supermarket to be flooded with shoppers to prepare for media noche. There is a long list of food prepared for media noche but the regulars are lechon (whole roasted pig), pansit (noodles), lumpia(spring rolls), fried chicken, macaroni salad and spaghetti and of course the lucky fruits. Mostly people prepare food that are either round and sweet and those believed to make the year lucky and abundant.

    In Japan, there is toshikoshi soba and osechi ryouri. Toshikoshi soba is eaten on New Year’s Eve as a symbol of crossing to a new year. Osechi consists of many different kinds of food in a box. Each food carries a meaning. For example, shrimp means long life as the shrimp is curved like an old person.

    Our first osechi ryouri in our house 2018-2019

    Toshikoshi soba (Japan) on the left and pansit (Philippines) on the right

    New Year’s Eve

    It’s hard to keep up with the energy of the Filipinos when it comes to welcoming the new year. The most exciting countdown begins hours before midnight ( three more hours, two more hours, one more hour) and the closer it gets, the higher the energy and the louder the noise. Party starts when darkness hit or even before that. The neighborhood turns into karaoke bar and disco bar with people drinking and dancing on the streets. The ten minutes before 12 and the first ten minutes of January first is the noisiest, loudest, craziest, happiest time of the year. Before the ten-second countdown, people scream of excitement, get ready to jump (for those who wants to get tall), turn on all the lights in the house, turn on the car or motorcycle engine, blow the horns incessantly, get something even the pot cover to make noise. Everyone counts the last ten seconds “10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1! BOOM! The fireworks, the blowing of horns, the noise of cars and motorbikes, the jumping, the dancing, the shouting “Happy New Year” is endless. You don’t say it once, nor twice, nor three times. You say it to everyone in the house and to the neighbors. People go crazy with New Years. And many goes live on Facebook. It is believed that noise shoo the bad lucks. Some people wear polka dots (rounds objects are lucky), put coins in their pockets and shake them to make noise, and sometimes throw coins for the people to catch (rain of money – paulan ug kwarta). And after the countdown is the feast. Everyone gathers in the dinner table for the media noche.

    This scenario might not be the same in the entire Philippines. I am speaking of my experience and my neighborhood and I am sure many can relate.

    I remember the first time my husband spent New Year’s in the Philippines, he couldn’t stand the noise. It was too much for him it gave him headache. He wanted to go somewhere quiet but I told him, it’s the same everywhere we go.

    On the contrary, in Japan, New Year’s eve is a very silent night compared to the Philippines. All is calm, all is normal.

    Last year I spent New Year’s in our newly-bought house (the reason why we spent New Year’s in Japan). I was kind of disappointed or let’s say frustrated. It was just me, my husband and our daughter (my step daughter). Yes, we had our special dinner. I cooked special menu. But when it was almost 12 o’clock my energy as a Filipino was really high, I was the only one who was very excited to welcome the new year. I turned all the lights in the house, went upstairs and downstairs. I got really excited. But when I looked outside the window nobody was there, it was a very silent night. I was like a burning fire thrown a bucket of water. This is not the Philippines. This is Japan. But I’m not saying Japanese don’t celebrate. They do but in a different way.

    Most people in Japan go back to their jikka (実家) or parents’ home to celebrate. On New Year’s Eve, Japanese eat toshikoshi soba and greet each other ‘akemashite omedetou gozaimasu’ (Happy New Year). They don’t normally do countdown at home, but you can go to clubs/bar in the city where the young party people go and party like there’s no tomorrow and welcome the new year. That’s how I spent New Year’s in Japan in 2014. It is a peaceful and simple celebration at home. On the 31st, after doing the general cleaning (osoji) and preparing or buying the special food osechi ryouri , most Japanese families gather and watch NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen or commonly called kohaku. This is a TV program where Japanese singers are divided into competing teams of red and white. This finishes shortly before midnight and judges and audiences vote which group perform better.

    Some people visit temples and shrines. At the temple, or if you live nearby, you will hear the bell ringing on New Year’s Eve. This is called joyanokane (除夜の鐘). They ring the bell for exactly 108 times at New Year’s Eve which symbolizes 108 human sins in Buddhist belief.

    First Day(s) of the Year

    It is very common for Filipino families to go swimming on January first or anytime during the first days of the week.

    Family Samal Outing 2017

    The party and merry making continue. Left-over lechon will turn into lechon paksiw. There is also a belief that whatever you do on the first day of the year will forecast what will happen for the rest of the year. If you wake up late on January 1, expect that you will always wake up late. If you spend, you will always be spending. If you cry, then your year will be full of tears. In bisaya, we say “malihian“. My mama would say to us to do good things on the first day of the year and we will be lucky the whole year. “Magpalihi ug swerte.” She also told us not to spend a single cent or else money will fly away and we will keep spending the whole year and we will go broke. Lol.

    In Japan, it is very famous to watch the first sunrise of the year (hatsuhi/hatsuhinode) and people go to temples or shrines to pray (hatsumode).

    [wpvideo JxWGAn34]

    The first day of the year is one of the happiest days for children because they get otoshidama, which is money gift from parents and relatives. People flock to the stores for its hatsuuri (first sales) and buy their fukubukuro (lucky bags). These lucky bags are sold for a certain price with random unknown things inside. The total value is more than the sale price.

    If you notice – hatsuhi, hatsuhinode, hatsumoude, hatsuuri, all starts with hatsu. It’s because hatsu (初) means first and that is how Japanese values and enjoys the “firsts” of the year.

    My sister’s Japanese family gather on the first day of the year in the parents’ house and review the year that passed. They also express their aspirations for the new year and they drink otoso (お屠蘇) New Year’s sake. The drinking of otoso starts from the youngest in the family up to the oldest.

    Mari ‘s first new year and first otoso

    Conclusion

    New Year’s is the most celebrated event around the world. It doesn’t matter where you are from or what race you belong. People celebrate New Year’s regardless of religion.

    Both Filipinos and Japanese celebrate it. Both value the gathering of families to welcome the new year. It is in the same manner that most go back to their parents’ home to celebrate and do things (although done differently) to attract good fortune for the whole year to come. Filipinos party and make noise to welcome the new year while Japanese enjoy the firsts of the year. Although the food prepared is entirely different, they share the idea of good luck, hope for good health and longevity.

    If you ask me which celebration I prefer, I am sure I will have a hard time answering your question. It is hard for me to choose. Of course, there is no place like home. I like to celebrate this event with my family, with the merriment, with parties left and right, with the noise of excitement and bliss. But I also like the simplicity, the practicality, and the idea of enjoying the firsts of the year.

    If you have reached this part, thank you for your time reading this article. I hope you enjoyed it and learned something from it and I hope you enjoyed your New Year’s celebration where ever in the world you are from.

    Happy new year!

    Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu!

    あけましておめでとうございます！

  • How to invite your family to Japan

    How to invite your family to Japan

    japanese flag

    I have been living in Japan for almost seven years already (I will be seven years exactly on September 24th.)​

    With that span of time, I have invited my family to visit Japan three times already.

    The first time was in the spring of 2017. I invited four family members – my mother, two sisters (eldest and youngest), and my sister-in-law.

    The second time was this year`s spring. I invited four family members again this time – my mother, my sister (second eldest), my youngest brother and his daughter, my niece.

    The third time was two months ago. Only my mother and my youngest sister came at this time.

    Few friends, both Filipino and Japanese, asked me how I did the invitation process.

    So, in this article, I will give you the details of how I invited my family to Japan in the hope that it will help somebody planning to do the same.

    First of all, you have to have savings and a job here to be able to show that you are capable to be a guarantor. In my first year of work here, when I had an instructor’s visa, I invited my sister but the application was denied because the agency said my savings were not enough. I don’t know if that is still the policy now, but that was what happened with me five years ago.

    Three years later since my arrival in Japan, my visa was changed from Instructor’s Visa to Spouse of a Permanent Resident because as the word ‘spouse’ means, I got married to a Permanent Resident.

    I don’t think your visa status is important to be able to invite but it helps. Whether you are a student, working visa, or spouse, you can still invite as long as you fulfill the requirements.

    I wasn’t really planning to invite my family to Japan anymore, but the promo of Cebu Pacific (Piso Fare) got me thinking. I was in the US in July of 2016 when I found out the airline promo and right there and then booked their travel ticket for spring 2017. I got a very good deal for four people round trip. Imagine, P1 fare! I can`t remember anymore how much I paid exactly for four people but it was very cheap. I only paid the taxes and fuel surcharge etc.

     

    At the back of my head, I thought if their visa will not be approved, it would not hurt that much to lose the money I used to purchase the travel ticket because it was just a promo fare but at least I tried.

    But I was optimistic they will get approved. I`m not gonna waste this chance.

    Next, I went to uncle Google to check the requirements for visiting Japan.

    For the information of non-Filipino readers, yes, we Filipinos need to get a visa to most countries to be able to travel.

    It did not take me long to arrive on this website: https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html

    That`s the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. There you can check everything about visa and coming to Japan.

    To make it easier for you, I copied here the necessary documents to be prepared for visiting relatives:

    (Provided by visa applicant)
    ① Valid Passport
    ② Visa application Form
    ③ 1 Photo（Passport Size）
    ④ Birth certificate (Note1)
    Including the birth certificate that can attest that the relationship of the applicant to the Japanese relatives is within the third degree.
    [Examples] when a spouse of Philippine nationality residing in Japan invites her younger brother, 2 certificates – the younger brother’s (applicant) and spouse’s one- are required.
    ⑤ Marriage certificate (if married)
    ⑥ Proof of sufficient funds to defray all the expenses while in Japan
    ・A certificate of income or tax payment issued by a public agency
    ・Certificate of deposit balance

    (Provided from Japan)
    ⑦ Invitation Letter
    ⑧ Documents explaining the reason for invitation (copies of medical checkup,maternal health log, etc.)
    ⑨ Family register ’Kosekitohon’ (when the inviting person or his/her spouse is Japanese)
    ⑩ Itinerary during stay in Japan
    ⑪ A certificate of residence ‘Jyuminhyo’ (with description of his/ her family relationship with all family members)
    (Note) When the guarantor is a foreign national, submit a photocopy of the both sides of the valid Residence card , a Certificate of residence with full details except for Individual
    Number(“My Number”) and Resident Record Code, and a photo copy of his/her  passport(including the pages of status items,the record of entry/departure, and of residence permit)

    (Please submit the following documents if the  guarantor pays a part or all of the travel expenses)
    ⑫ Letter of guarantee
    ⑬ More than one of the following documents pertaining to the guarantor:
    (a) The latest Certificate of Income / Taxation issued by the head of administration of the place of residence, or a certificate of tax payment (Form 2) issued by the
    director of the tax office
    (Note1) Each certificate should indicate the gross income for the previous year.
    (Note2)Statement of Tax Withholding is not acceptable.
    (b)A copy of the counterfoil of final tax return with the seal of reception of the Tax Office. (e-Tax: please submit Receipt Notification and Final Tax Return)
    (c)A certificate of deposit balance 

    You can download the forms on the website I mentioned above.

    And for further details, you can check this link: https://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000121323.pdf 

    They have included necessary forms in that link as well.

    Take note that for visiting visa, you have to submit these documents through accredited agencies. The list of accredited agencies are also in the link.

    In my case, my family submitted the documents to Discovery Agency, Inc., Davao Branch (address: Door 109G/ F Court View Inn Bldg., Quimpo Blvd. Cor. Sandawa Road, Davao City, telephone numbers: 082-285-7188, 082-284-4114, 082-321-1315, 0915-326-0111（GLOBE）, 0920-210-4677（SMART), 0923-423-2207（SUN）

    After about two weeks of submission, my family was notified about the result. The agency asked them to pay P2,500 for each visa. And that was it. They got their passports with a Japanese visa in it.

    Next, I asked them to get travel insurance thru Pacific Cross. It is not the best but it is better than nothing.

    Inviting a family to visit Japan seems complicated at first but as long as you communicate with the travel agency, they will help you comply with everything so you can get your visa approved.

    If this information is too much for you, I advise you go direct to the travel agency nearest you or just give them a call and I am pretty sure they will assist you all the way.

    Good luck to you and may you enjoy having your family in Japan.

  • My Childhood Memories in Mati

    My Childhood Memories in Mati

    Mati, the place where I spent the first nine years of my life. I was born in Davao City, the biggest city in the island of Mindanao, but because of my father’s job as a Red Cross Administrator, we moved to a region down south, Davao Oriental, with Mati as its capital town.

    I have rich childhood memories in Mati that keep coming back every time there’s a trigger. Like one day, when my husband and I were talking about our last trip to the Philippines, when we met this very cool taxi driver who coincidentally we had a ride two times within our ten-day vacation. He’s a good taxi driver who kept us entertained during the ride with his talk about many things and one of them, bananas. Bananas in the Philippines sometimes just pop out from nowhere and you can see them everywhere even in a big city like Davao. Much more in the countryside, like Mati, and that banana topic opened a stocked memories of my very precious childhood in Mati.

    BANANAS, BANANAS

    I remember how my siblings and I played outside of our backyard pinching and poking holes on the banana trunks with sticks and watching the sap flow out from it upon pulling out the sticks. We used to say that banana trees are peeing or crying. I know it’s not very nice poking banana trunks but we were kids and we didn’t see it like that. We enjoyed watching the water flow like it’s magic. And of course, our parents scolded us for doing that. That we should not ‘hurt’ the banana trees.

    We used banana trunks to feed our pigs we raised in our backyard. We call banana trunks ‘bani’ in our local language. We sliced bani thinly and mix it with ‘tahop’, grounded husk of rice grain. It’s too expensive feeding pigs with commercial feed in the market so we settled with bani. My mother used to ask us to cut the bani when it’s feeding time for the pigs. We of my siblings took turns doing it . Sometimes we liked it, most of the time we didn’t. It’s a menial job. We did it in our backyard, where we had a small pigpen and a small duck’s pool.

    THE DUCK’S SWIMMING POOL

    That backyard in our house in Mati is mostly where are precious childhood memories happened. That small duck’s pool, I can never forget. One day, my sister Dhaday and my cousin Dodong decided to ‘sail’ our big plastic basin across the green dirty duck’s pool. We put Dodong in the middle of the basin for balance and pushed it to start ‘sailing’. When the basin was already half-way in the duck’s pool, my uncle William, Dodong’s father, came and the sight of Dodong in the basin in the middle of the green dirty duck’s pool infuriated him because for him it was dangerous. But for us, it was fun. We were like aged 7 or 8 at that time. When uncle William told Dodong to get out of the pool, my sister Dhaday and I ran quickly and hid and left Dodong in the middle of the pool. Dodong was crying of fear of his father and said ‘mudunggo na lagi ko pa, mudunggo na lagi ko pa’ meaning ‘I’m gonna land dad, I’m gonna land.” That was just one of the funny childhood memories.

    THE MANZANITAS TREE

    Near the duck’s pool is a Manzanitas tree. Manzanitas tree bear fruits like cherries. Birds love it and we, kids, love it, too. The fruits are green at first but when they ripe, they’re red. Very red, very many and very attractive to the eyes. I used to climb that Manzanitas tree and pick all the red, ripe fruits. We used to call them apples. Apples don’t grow in the Philippines and the idea of having mini apples is very heart-warming for us. One afternoon, siesta time, when my older sister made us take a nap, my sister Lea and I sneaked to the backyard and I climbed the Manzanitas tree. She was too little, at maybe age 6 or 7 to climb the tree and I was thinking I was big enough I could do it. I was about age 8 or 9. I told Lea to stay by the foot of the tree and wait for me while I get the red ripe fruits. I was enjoying picking fruits when I heard my mother’s voice coming. I was screwed. I will be punished for sure, I thought. So, I suddenly gestured my sister Lea to not look up the tree and to pretend she doesn’t know where I was. But of course she was too little to know how to lie. She panicked when Mama asked her where I was and looked up the tree and that’s how my mother caught me climbing the Manzanitas tree. I was scolded, yeah. But that stayed as a precious childhood memory I always love to look back.

    THE MANGOE TREES

    I loved climbing trees. I remember we had two mango trees in our house in Mati. One big “Carabao” mango tree in the front yard and one small “Cebu” mango tree in the backyard. (These are variant of trees we call in the local language.) We used to climb that small mango tree with salt in a saucer and a kabo (small bucket)filled with water. We picked the fresh budding leaves, wash them with water, dip in salt and eat them. All of that we did up in the tree. Yeah, that sounds crazy but I don’t know where we got that idea. Somebody just started saying ‘You can eat the young leaves…oh it’s good’ and we did it and it became one of our past time activities. Of course we also eat the fruit. We like the green ones. Oh, just thinking about it makes me droll. Sister Dhaday and I used to sneak out our window in the second floor up to the rooftop where we used a dughit (catcher) to pick the mango fruits. Of course we had our salt in saucer and small knife with us to peel the mangoes. We were careful not to drop the mangoes and hit the roof to avoid any sound that alarm our family downstairs that were up on the roof getting mangoes. We’d be screwed if we’d be caught doing that and it happened many times. Papa caught us one time because while he was walking in the front of the house with Lea, Lea saw us on the rooftop and pointed to us. I remembered we hurried back inside the house and hid but of course we couldn’t escape Papa. Papa got so angry and we were scolded.

    OUR GUAVA TREES

    We also had our own guava trees. Lea’s guava tree in the backyard was the most fruitful of all guava trees. Maybe because there was like a bunch of compost by its foot. It bears big, oval guava fruits. But, the fruit, they’re not tasty. It tasted bland. So, even if it bears a lot of fruits, we didn’t care that much. Ate Dhaday (ate is how we address our older sisters) had the best guava tree. The fruit are tiny and green but they tasted so sweet. I think they are the native kind. My guava tree outside the backyard fence bears fruit like once or twice a year. And when it bears fruit, only the biggest, most delicious fruit you can ever have. But, yeah. What good does it make when you have to wait for months. We were kids and we were impatient like that. We love ate Dhaday’s guava tree. During siesta time, when I get to sneak, I would climb ate Dhay’s guava tree and pick guavas and enjoy them while whistling and rocking on a branch. She would get angry at me the next day because the fruits she’s been waiting to ripe are already gone. Who else is the ‘thief’ but me. Lea couldn’t climb trees. And our older siblings already lost interest in them. They did their own ‘teenager’ things.

    SUGAR CANE

    My older siblings, on the other hand, they did have their own sugar cane plant. We call it tubo. Cutting and munching tubo is one of the happiest thing in our childhood. We cut and share tubo equally among us like we had to measure them in equal length for if one is bigger than the other, it could start a fight. We munched tubo and enjoyed it’s very sweet, juicy taste. If you don’t know, sugar is made from sugar cane.

    PLAY HOUSE, PLAY STORE

    My sisters Dhaday and Lea, we used to play houses a lot. We played house in our living room where we move chairs and use cardboard boxes and blankets to design our own spaces and define territories. We also played outside in the front yard where we used the bench as our ‘store’. We sell make-believe ginanggang. Ginanggang is roasted bananas glazed with margarine and white sugar. We picked leaves for bananas skewed in silhig tukog (coconut broomsticks) glazed with gumamela oil (we mashed gumamela leaves to make the oil) and sprinkled it with bukbuk (wood particles) as sugar coating for our ginanggang. We used candy wrappers as our money to buy. The blue wrapper is valued at two pesos and green wrappers are five. Our coins were flattened soft drinks’ cap. I miss those times. Those are the real play. No touch of technology or whatsoever digital.

    PLAY FIGHT

    We also have memories of playing fight where we use banana trunk to make our guns and armalites. We were so creative we could make them look like real guns. Kuyang, as we call our older brother, liked playing gunfights. And we of my sisters play with him. We used the seed of plant called buyangyang as our bullets. Buyangyang seeds are red and black in color. I’ve never seen that plant since we left Mati. I don’t know if they still exist up to now. When we play gunfight, we go all over the house, to the backyard and beyond that. We hid behind banana trees and our guava trees. It was so much fun running and hitting each other with our improvised weapons.

    WATCHING AND CATCHING BIRDS

    When I was young. I was crazy about birds. I so loved birds to the point where I was kind of obsessed about them. I remember I would stay near the bushes in our backyard. I don’t know what they’re called. Those bushes bear tiny fruits that the birds love to eat. I used to stay near them and tweet like I was talking to the birds. One time, I hid inside the big rubber water container near the bushes and called the birds. Of course, not a single bird came to play with me. I was also almost bitten by a snake just because I always stay near the grasses and bushes to watch and talk to the birds.

    There was one bird I found outside the backyard. It had a broken wing and it couldn’t fly and it kept chirping. That’s how I found it. I was so happy and kept the bird as my pet. I put him under a big wooden food cover and tried to feed him with all kinds of food I can grab and water to drink. I was hoping he would get well someday and become my best friend. Until one day, a horrible accident happened. As I stood to pick up something and went back near the bird’s improvised cage, i didn’t notice it came out of the cage and I accidentally stepped on the bird. I could hear the sound of the bone cracking as I stepped on it. It died right away. It wouldn’t move. It wouldn’t chirp. Limp. I was so so sad and I cried so hard. I gave my pet bird a ‘funeral’ in our garden and I put a cross on its mound.

    Looking back, now I realized why I really don’t have many close friends outside the family. Because I grew up playing with my sisters. We had a big house and a big lot in Mati and we explored and played every corner of it. Just us of my siblings and sometimes the visiting cousins. That moment of my life is very precious I will treasure it forever.

    CIMG8811
    childhood memories

    We did many other things in my childhood like playing with makahiya leaves. Makahiya is derived from the word “hiya” which means shy. It is a plant that when you touch it, it closes its leaves. We also listened to AM radio drama programs like Ramine ang Batang Bronse..lol. We went to the nearby stream to bathe and swim with our older siblings` pet dogs. Haha.. We joined Flores de Mayo where we would go pick flowers together with other children in the neighborhood. Life in the countryside is much different in the city. We moved back to Davao after fourth grade and it is a totally different experience. No more trees. No more streams. It is a big city. A new life. But the memories in Mati will never fade away.

  • When its Christmas and it’s not so merry

    It’s a day before Christmas, when usually the spirit is up. But it seems like the other way around. I can feel the sadness in my city.

    Yesterday, December 23rd, the day of our flight coming back to the Philippines, I couldn’t go to bed until around 2 AM. Yes, I was excited (I was excited weeks and even months before that), but more than being excited I was worried trying to monitor my family (and relatives and friends) in the Philippines. There was a flash flood brought about by typhoon Vinta in my hometown and our place, just by Davao River, the largest river in Mindanao, is one of the affected areas. I went to bed after knowing that they were safe and rescued.

    Waking up in the morning was a mix of excitement and sadness. The aftermath of flood is as distressing as the flood itself. I’ve seen pictures and videos of our house and my neighborhood soaked in mud. Everyone was busy cleaning up their houses. Just seeing them doing that made me feel tired as if I was there scraping the mud out, too. I’ve read news of death and missing people. Just bad vibes for the season. Not a good feeling to start our trip scheduled in that afternoon.

    And because of that I blamed the troubles I had in the airport coming to the Philippines. I don’t have my residence card and I lost my laptop along the way of getting through immigration without that very important card for foreigners living in Japan. Bad news after bad news.

    Yet, another bad news was on the way for my fellow Davaoeños. One of the big malls in my city and the nearest to our house, NCCC Mall, is on fire. The fire started around 9:30 in the morning of Saturday, December 23, and as of writing (morning of December 24) the fire is still on, engulfing the entire mall.

    Coming back to the Philippines, my family is excited to do many things in the city and one of them is going to NCCC Mall. We often go there for shopping, dining and just whatever. It’s a big part of us. I think most of us in our neighborhood go to NCCC mall for Christmas shopping or any regular day shopping. It’s not uncommon to see a friend, a neighbor, a teacher, a classmate, an ex in the mall if you go shopping there, especially for us living in that area.

    It’s just sad that around these days, when people usually go shopping for Christmas, they’re cleaning their homes of flood dirt and even if they finished cleaning and they decided to go to the mall they love, it’s not there anymore. It’s turned to ashes. An ugly sight. There’s no more walking distance mall to go to. Of course, there are still other malls in the city, but there’s nothing like NCCC. It’s a sad feeling. Not a very merry Christmas this year for my hometown.

  • Trending Na Miss U Sa Pinas, Trending Pud Ba Sa Japan?

    Trending Na Miss U Sa Pinas, Trending Pud Ba Sa Japan?

    Malingaw ko magscan sa akong timeline kay makita nko kalahian sa Pinoy ug Hapon when it comes to beauty pageants. Trending kaayo sa Fb sa Pinoy ang Miss Universe (Ms. U). Halos tanan akong mkita sa timeline puro about Ms. U. Halos tanan nakatutuk gyud. Ma pa-TV, streaming, etc.

    Ang uban gani, bisan naa sa trabaho, muundang ky mutan-aw gyud. Ang uban nga tigdugay mangmata nagmilagro ug mata sayo kay mutan aw lagi ug Ms. U.

    On the other hand, ang mga Hapon, wa koy nakita o nadungog about aning butanga. Busy sa ila work ug skwela. Bisan sa balita, wa koy nakita nga ginews kinsa nakadaog. Wala bisan isa ka commercial about sa pageant. Kung naa man ug wala lng nko nakita, dili gyud ana ka-big deal sa ila ang beauty pageant. Wa silay paki kung kinsa mga bayhana nangapil ug kung kinsay makoronahan. Dili sila hilig ug pagwapahay ug pa sexy-hay. Ang ilaha – trabaho ug responsibilidad ug realidad.

    Dili parehas sa kadaghanan sa mga Pinoy. 🙂

    O basi kami ra. Hehe.

    Maremeber lng nko sa una dugay na. Bata pa ko. Manan-aw pud gyud mi sa among balay ug mga pageant sama sa Miss Universe, Miss World ug unsa pa ng mga beauty pageant. Bisan gabii na kaayo, pulawan gyud makita lng kinsay makoronahan. Ganahan pud kaayo mi magtan aw sa mga sexy na kandidata nga nka swimsuit ug mga nagkalain-laing gown. Mag-iyahay pud mig pili ug kinsay mudaog. Mura pug judge hehe. Murag tradition na gyud sa mga Pinoy. Nka embed na sa kultura. Mao siguro, ang uban, ginatudluan nag rampa ug modeling (selfie etc) ila mga anak na babae sugod sa gagmay pa. Hehe. Cute tan awon. Bisan sa skul, beauty contest dili mawala. Ms. Nutrition, Lakambini, Ms. United Nation, Queen of Hearts. Bisan gani teacher naay beauty contest. Lol. Dala pa kwartahay. Funding para sa school. Hehe. Sa Purok, sa Barangay, sa Siyudad, tanan naay “Miss”. Kung lokal na lengwahe usahay tawagon ug “Mutya” o “Binibini”.

    Ug inig gani dili makadaog ang pambato, ang kasagaran rasun “giluto” lol. Ug kung dili maayo ang tubag, mag-andam nlng ang kandidata ug mga isa ka semana hantud isa ka bulan na pagpanaway sa iyang abilidad. “Bugua pud ui!”
    “Ngano kana gipili?”
    “Di kabalo mutubag”.
    “Paluma-luma!”
    “Maypag si kuan nlng tu..”

    Ug uban pa hehe..

    Bitaw no…unsa may benepisyo nato anang kahilig natu sa pageant?

    Maasenso ba gyud ta ana?  O makasamot ka pobre?

    Ikaw..unsa sa imo tan-aw?