KIKUTASAN AND OMIYAGE

Yesterday, Ruther and 2 of his friends met up with Kikutasan, their Japanese officemate and friend who arrived from Japan the night before. Of course, the boys and I tagged along. We first picked Mon and Dennis at Ruther's office then made our way to the hotel where Kikutasan was staying which was just nearby. When I finally saw him, I expected someone older. I thought he was going to be one of the senior employees. So I was wrong. He was jolly and friendly and gave each of us (well, Ruther and I had one) omiyage, which is the Japanese counterpart of the pasalubong (souvenir). (To read more about omiyage, go the end of this post.)

Anyway, he wanted to visit the burial site of Jeb, one of Ruther's officemates who passed away last month. Kikutasan wanted to pay his respects so we went there. It was a bit far and they spent the time chatting in Nihongo. I didn't mind. Sometimes, they would lapse into English but frankly, I was delighted to hear them speak Nihongo because I miss Japan a lot. When we picked Kikutasan up at the hotel, I was surprised to see him in a white shirt and tie. But I later on found out that this was how Japanese should be dressed when they paid their respects to the dead. (Of course, I was so embarrased that I was dressed so casually.) In the photo at right is Kikutasan praying...

After that, we had lunch at Congo Grille (Alabang). We got some adobo rice, sinigang, sizzling bangus (milkfish), chicken lollipop, sisig and spicy crispy squid. It was all yummy and Kikutasan really enjoyed it all. He especially loved the adobo rice and the bangus (milkfish). He said they were "oishii". Of course, we were all happy to hear that.

After lunch, we had to bring Kikutasan back to the hotel because he arrived (from Japan) pretty late the night before and really lacked sleep. Before he entered the hotel, he shook my hand and said "Nice to meet you and see you soon" and I replied, "Nice to meet you too and thank you for the omiyage". He was really friendly and Nikki told him "sayonara".

After that, we went to Starbucks for some coffee and I finally got my planner!! Yay! Sooo happy... Since Ruther was not feeling too good still, we brought Mon and Dennis back to the office (the car was parked there) and then we went home. And here is a photo of the omiyage:





They were cakes. Really like spongecakes but tasty nonetheless. =D




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Omiyage

In Japan, souvenirs are called omiyage. These are customary gifts typically given by someone upon returning from a trip to be given to family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, business associates, teachers, classmates and any other person socially related to the returning vacationer. By age-old Japanese conventions, it is shameful to arrive or return empty-handed and such acts as going on a vacation away from one's society could be perceived as selfish in a manner, anti-social at the very least. The omiyage gift placates all concerned and smooths intricate social ties, absolving the traveler of such shame. Omiyage shows the traveler was thinking of his or her family and community members while away.

Because of the number of omiyage often required following a vacation, travelers need to buy souvenirs in bulk (it is not unusual to bring one empty suitcase solely for the omiyage). Thoughtfulness is always an issue. It cannot look too cheap, and it is preferred it be something universally practical like towels, dinnerware, tasteful decorative items, broadly-popular foods and the like. It is not even necessary the choice of omiyage be particularly relevant to the place visited. Key chains and unfamiliar foods are not well received.

Places that cater to Japanese travelers will offer selections of suitable omiyage arranged by price, size and category. Several items of all-purpose omiyage are often kept by wise housewives to give on a moment's notice to avoid embarrassments. Due to the expense and effort involved in collecting and distributing omiyage, Japanese are often very close-lipped about their travel plans, hoping to minimize their omiyage responsibilities.