I’m a Lucky Mom
Mari: I should be the one to thank you because you’re the one who made me in your tummy, right? Me: (Stunned by her answer.) But you grew inside my tummy, so thank you.…
The complete journal
All stories
86 essays about family, culture, travel, teaching, and everyday life.
Awakening
It’s almost midnight, but I’m fully awake. With my phone in my hands tapping letters on the screen, under the blanket. I’m feeling guilty. I promised myself to not use screens before bedtime anymore.…
April – the Start of a New Beginning in Japan
The end of March is, in fact, one of the busiest times for moving companies, as university students relocate closer to their chosen universities or entire families move to accommodate a husband’s new job.…
Mari’s Great-grandma
No one is ever ready to face the passing of a loved one, no matter how sick or old they are. It is the only truth that people keep on denying. Losing a loved…
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…
The end of my breastfeeding journey
Breastfeeding is hard in the beginning, harder in the end, and hardest when it’s over. I literally cried silent tears tonight afte my little girl, for the fifth night, slept without breastfeeding. I felt…
Why the end of my breastfeeding journey brought me to tears
May 15, 2022. Two years, six months, three weeks, and two days, for the first time, my little one snoozed without the boobie in her mouth. She believed the story I made there was…
Lines of a Toddler
“By Myself” My little one who is two years and eight months old as of writing, is always trying her skills and practicing her independence. Her favorite line to say these days is “By…
Gardening Trouble
One trouble about gardening is planting without knowing the characteristics of the plant. I fell in love at first sight and bought this “beautiful” tiny plant with attractive neon green leaves a year ago…
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…
Losing things in Japan again and again but they always come back except for one.
I have seen a video about how honest Japanese people really are. Japan is the most honest country in the world as the video claimed. The guy in the video dropped his wallet on…
My Toddler, My Life
Having my daughter is definitely the best thing that happened to me in my whole life. She is my source of happiness and inspiration since the day I conceived her, to the the day…
Renewing My Driver’s ’ License in Japan
Step 1 . Acquire Forms. I went to the receiving desk and showed my driver’s license to get the Health Questionnaire and Renewal Form. Step 2 . Answer Health Questionnaire To tell you honestly,…
How I got my driver’s license in Japan – My Driving Story
, tricycle, trisikad that will take you anytime, anywhere in the city, door to door if you like. Why did I need to drive in Japan In Japan , although public transportation is great,…
Weaning my two-year old is harder than I thought
I didn’t know that weaning is harder than when I was starting to breastfeed. More than the physical pain I felt in my breast when I started breastfeeding, weaning is breaking my heart seeing…
My 7 Years Life in Japan: A review
looong been overdue. I am almost 9 years here in Japan already. Reading this took me to memory lane so before this “evaporates” or sleep again in the draft folder, let me share it…
A Diary I Found
Tonight, as I was searching for my research paper in my hard drive, I found an untitled document with the first line saying “nine months have passed and nine months…” and when I opened…
13 Months and 13 Days Being A First-Time Mom
Today, Friday, December 4th, year 2020, while sitting in the reclining with baby in my arms, I figured that it’s already been 13 months and 13 days of me being a first-time mom. How…
My Baby Boss
I am her everything. And she is my everything. I don’t care if I have dishes waiting to be washed. It can wait. She comes first. I don’t sleep straight because I need to…
Coronavirus Effects in our Society
here ) We see different reactions and opinions from people – ordinary folks and politicians alike. Some say it’s really serious and deadly. Some say its nothing but some kind of flu that is…
11 Common Questions Students Ask the ALT
1. Why did you come to Japan? Students are curios why a foreigner is in their country. Although some students are just influenced or just copy the question from a famous TV show (You…
How I learned Japanese in 3 months
Oishi (Yummy) and arigatou (thank you). When I came to visit for one month in 2011, I learned a few more words. Words that are used in everyday life: ohayou gozaimasu (good morning) konichiwa…
Valentine’s Day in Japan and the Philippines
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…
Biko-making
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.…
My Breastfeeding Story
Our very first breastfeeding session 10/23/2019 7a.m, the day after delivery Below are some of my breastfeeding experiences I would like to share and only breastfeeding mothers can relate. 1. When baby was still…
Why most 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…
New Year’s Celebration in Japan and the Philippines
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…
My Childbirth Story
The Big Day – a Holiday October 22, 2019, Tuesday, the day I gave birth to my precious daughter. I was 38 weeks 6 days pregnant. This day was also the Enthronement Ceremony of…
Food Served at my Maternity Clinic
Day 1 (Tuesday, October 22,2019) Lunch – so exhausted I couldn’t even eat much more take a picture. Dinner Day 2 (Wednesday, October 23,2019) Breakfast Lunch Snack time Dinner Day 3 (Thursday, October 24,2019)…
My Childbirth Seminar: Sneak Peek at my Clinic
Just a few minutes later, the waiting area was filled with very pregnant women like me. The bumpers paraded and settled on the chairs. Quiet and still. This is very naturally Japanese. Nobody talks…
My Pregnancy Journey – The Rough and Tough Road
THE IRONY AND THE STRUGGLES Pregnancy is not as easy as it seems to be. Generally, when couples are younger (late teens and early twenties) and just want to have fun and enjoy each…
My hospital bag
I am now 33 weeks and 2 days pregnant and weeks ago I could not help myself watching YouTube videos and reading articles about what to put in my hospital bag. I have come…
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…
Temporary Visitor Visa extension of my mother and sister in Japan
requirements : Application from (which you can download online) Personal appearance of the applicants Passport of the applicants Reason for Extension (can be written in a separate sheet of paper) Return ticket (open date…
Look at This Public Restroom in Japan
The entrance is very sophisticated in black and white theme. And even the female and male symbols are nice. I think the best part is the floor. I like the pattern of squares and…
School Lunch in Japan
1. Preparation time. Each classroom has ` kyushoku toban ` or lunch committee who`s assigned to prepare lunch. The first thing they do is wash their hands and wear their white apron, hair mask…
Elementary School Recognition in the Philippines compared to Closing Ceremony in Japan
In the Philippines Elementary School Recognition in the Philippines is always treated like a festival, a big event for honor students and a busy day (and days prior to it) for teachers. It is…
English Bulletin Board for March
At the end part of March, I took away the flowers and changed it with congratulations message for the graduates. The picture in the middle with the word March shows how we do Recognition…
English Bulletin Board for February
And came February 1st, the first day of the month, when I usually update the EB (English Board), I still couldn`t picture in mind what the final outcome would be. What I did first,…
How to distinguish Japanese from Korean and Chinese
Can you tell if a person comes from a specific country? Before coming to Japan, I had no idea how to distinguish Japanese, Korean and Chinese from one another. I had quite a few…
What makes kanji difficult and challenging and what are the ways to overcome it?
A. Writing The way to write kanji is based on strokes – number of strokes, stroke pattern. For example, the kanji for number one 一 read as ichi consist of only one stroke. That…
My Childhood Memories 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…
Whale for School Lunch and Other Stories of Food Culture Shock
Whale Yes. I had whale for school lunch! It was a shock for me. I heard the teachers say ‘kyou wa kujira da ne’ (today is whale) during lunch preparation. I help in setting…
English Bulletin Boards
As you can see, it’s Helloween, I mean, Halloween theme. I just put a little twist to the word to make it more catchy. I made three big jack-o-lanterns and aligned it under a…
Why is summer vacation in Japan not a vacation for students at all
kakigori or shave ice, most kids, elementary and junior high school somewhat hate summer. Why? For one reason. Homework. And it’s not just a piece of paper with few mathematical problems to solve. It…
Our Experience of a Cancelled Flight
The Long Awaited Day The 21st of July. We, the sleepyheads, specially my dear husband, miraculously woke up before our alarm. Our long awaited summer vacation will start today. We’ll be flying to his…
11 Annoying Facebook Statuses
1. Posting selfies (in towel) after taking a bath/shower saying “feeling fresh” with cleavage as the focal point. 2 . Burping in your status to show you are (damn) full. 3 . Saying “I…
Setsubun and Risshun: Say Goodbye to Winter and Hello to Spring
What is Setsubun? Setsubun (節分) means seasonal divison. The kanji 節 means ‘season’ and the kanji 分means ‘part’. Setsubun’s original meaning is the last day of any season. Spring Setsubun, usually February third or…
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…
Nagasaki Chinese Lantern Festival
The place was filled with people. You can feel the festive mood. One of the giant lanterns that lit up the city. Another giant lantern. This year’s animal. People climbing up the stairs to…
Japanese Elementary School Tour Part 2
Gymnasium city.tomisato.lg.jp Here is the gymnasium. The gymnasium is one of the most important and most memorable places in school because this is where the school ceremonies are held. Opening ceremony, entrance ceremony and…
Japanese Elementary School Tour Part 1
Japan is a highly educated country. It’s government invest a great amount of its resources on the education sector which is evident on the school resources and facilities. Educational institutions all over Japan are…
Eat Indian Curry in a Rustic Japanese House
The Restaurant The restaurant’s name is 古々地庵 read as Kokojian. It specializes on Indian curry. The restaurant building is actually an old Japanese house. Below are pictures from outside the building. Inside the house…
Pork dishes I love that you probably hate!
Fried pig’s ears. Pig’s feet adobo. Pork kilawin. Crispy pig’s ears.
Wedding Cultures in Japan and the Philippines
tickera.com In this article, we will talk about the wedding cultures in Japan and the Philippines. Being a Filipina living in Japan for few years now, I am confident to say that I can…
How to learn Japanese Fast
downloads.ws You are coming to Japan. Or maybe you are already here. Not as a temporary visitor but for a short-term stay. Maybe you are a student or a contract worker. You need to…
5 Reasons Why I Moved to Japan
my university 5. Economic Advantage tokyoezine.com Japan is one of the top economic powers in the world. What I (financially) earn here (with lesser effort and work) is almost four times as much as…
3 Things to Look Forward on Rainy Days
Many of us don’t like rainy days. It’s dark. It’s wet. It’s gloomy. I really don’t like going outside when it rains. It’s a nice time to just sit and relax, read a book…
How to say “I love you” in Japanese
What is love? iloverelationships.com “Love is a many splendored thing” as the popular old song goes. There are so many definitions of love. I bet you know more than three. I consider it as…
Why do so many Japanese commit suicide?
worldknowing.com 1. Overrated etsy.com Suicide happens everywhere. A sad fact that some people on their individual struggles on this lovely earth choose to not continue fighting and make a permanent rest. “Jisatsu” as called…
Sports Festival, the Japanese way
happystorm.x.fc2.com Many schools are having their annual Sports Festival or what they call “undokai” (運動会). The entire school and the community, especially the teacher-advisers and students are pushing themselves very hard to come up…
Halo-halo in Japan
I was a little bit disappointed because I was expecting to have the kind of Halo halo that I know. Instead, what I got is the one below. There are four choices of Halo…
The May 9 Journey
A new journey is set to start on May 9 in a community located down southeast. People will choose who will drive the jeepney. To be the driver is the most coveted position in…
Annual Events in Japan
Whether you want to maximize your travel experience or you just want to stock some knowledge in the pocket of your head, it is good to know the annual events of a country we…
How to distinguish Japanese from Korean and Chinese
Can you tell if a person comes from a specific country? Before coming to Japan, I had no idea how to distinguish Japanese, Korean and Chinese from one another. I had quite a few…
Discover Fukuoka, The Queen City of Kyushu
You heard about Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima for sure, but what about Fukuoka? Where is it located in Japan? Is it as nice as the other big cities I mentioned? Fukuoka City in…
Gone
Why? Why so soon? Why is life so unfair? But, in life, not all questions are answered. There’s nothing we can do but gather the pieces of our broken selves and continue to face…
Rose Festival in Huis Ten Bosch
Photo unavailable in the source archive. Rose and festival – two completely different words but are both related to love, happiness and celebration. Just imagine these two words being used together. It is indisputably…
Mask, a Must?
When I first came to Japan as a visiting relative, I was surprised to see a lot of people wearing masks. “What’s going on? Is there an epidemic?”, I curiously asked my sister who…
Sakura and Other Flowers That Bloom in Spring
Sakura Sakura is undebatably the most famous seasonal flower in Japan. It is the symbol of spring. People from all over Japan look forward to this season, when they can roll open their picnic…
A Love Story Made in Japan
“Life is like a box of chocolates, you will never know what you’ll get”. “Love comes from the most unexpected places.” These two sayings remind me of the love story of my friend who…
Earthquake in Kyushu: That Shaky Experience
(a snapshot from our TV) April 14, 2016, Thursday evening, I was on our living room sitting on the floor playing with my laptop on the low center table. I was all alone that…
12 Things People Miss About Japan When They Leave
DSC_0043 Japan is such a wonderful country. Most of whom I know, Japanese and foreigners alike express their fondness of the many aspects of the country: its people, food, celebration and culture in general.…
The Amazing Autumn Trees that made me ‘Fall’ in love with Japan
It’s already September. The cold autumn breeze starts to kiss our sun-drenched skin in the long hot summer months. What a relief! Goodbye scorchingsummer! Hello delicate autumn! Just by looking around makes my heart…
Celebrating Birthdays in Japan and the Philippines
(Photo from en.wikipedia.org) Celebrating birthdays, I bet, is universal. Whatever race we are, wherever we are born, it is a fact that a birth of a person calls for celebration. It is done every…