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The Pros and Cons of Upgrading to Front Row Seats: A Cebu Pacific Experience
Vacation time, and we booked our ticket to the Philippines. My sister recommended upgrading to seats where we could select spots in the front row of Cebu Pacific, so we could have more leg space and, hopefully, a comfortable flight home. I have never upgraded seats before because I don’t really mind the skimpy space…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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How to invite your family to Japan
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…
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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…
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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…