IT'S SO COLD!

If the cold weather is any indication of a change in climate, Autumn is definitely here. For the past days, the temperature has changed dramatically. One day we were all in our skirts and shorts and flipflops and then suddenly, we had to bring out our long-sleeved shirts, thick blouses and pants because all our previous clothing was not enough to keep us warm. Today we went to church and I wore leggings in my pants and aside from my long-sleeved blouse, I had a light jacket with me. Of course, it was not enough. I wanted to bring my thick jacket instead but before we left home, Ruther said that my jacket was for winter. And I hesitated to bring it because I didn't want to look like a fool and wear a winter jacket when everyone was not similarly dressed. I should have remembered that this is Japan. No one cares what you wear here. And I should have brought my jacket. Well at least now I know better...

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There's something wrong with our stove. The other day, I tried turning it on and the whole apartment lost electricity. This happened before and since we have 2 burners (well, they look like hot plates actually) I use the other burner and after a few days, the other burner is okay again. But the other day, both burners weren't working. And no matter how many times I tried to fix the problem the fuse just kept turning off whenever I turned on the stove (Ruther says that's a safety feature). Finally, I just stopped trying all together and just fixed myself a sandwich. Ruther said he'll have the stove checked but that will most probably happen on Tuesday. For the meantime, we'll have to cook our food some other way. Knowing me, I'm sure we'll be able to manage.

.....

Been listening to Christmas songs the past few days. I know for some people it's still pretty early for Christmas carols but not in the Philippines. And I so love Christmas carols and Christmas songs. I've been listening to Ryan Cayabyab's Christmas album and it always, always gives me a happy feeling whenever I hear the lyrics and melodies I've heard all my life. I just love Christmas.

Here's some of the songs in the Pasko 1 album (Pasko is Christmas in Filipino:

PASKO I

Festive Filipino Christmas classics, all songs arranged & conducted by Ryan Cayabyab and performed by the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra and the San Miguel Master Chorale. Certified Gold Record. Under Sony-BMG Pilipinas.

• Kampana ng Simbahan
• Heto na Naman - music and lyrics by Ryan Cayabyab
• Namamasko
• Tuloy na Tuloy pa rin ang Pasko
• Sa Paskong Darating
• Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon (Ang Pasko ay Sumapit)
• Kumukutikutitap
• Mano Po Ninong, Mano Po Ninang
• Noche Buena
• Heto na Naman ang Pasko
• Maligayang Pasko
• Pasko na Naman

SAD... AND HAPPY

The other day, I was checking emails and learned that my High School classmate and her 2 kids would be joining her husband in Kobe, Japan in November. Permanently. Her husband started working in Japan last April and he wanted them to join him here. I have to say that the first thing I felt (after the first few seconds of reading it) was jealousy. And then, I felt so ashamed. I mean, this is my friend. I'm supposed to be happy for her. I guess, in a way, I AM happy. It's just that I am more jealous than happy.

This is what I've always wanted for my family: to live together permanently. I can't even recall how far back, how long I've wanted this to happen. All I know is that that is the driving force for my existence right now. And my dear friend will be living my dream. And I just felt so sad. And I felt terrible for feeling sad and for feeling jealous.

I'm not stupid. I studied Psychology and I know the exact reasons why I felt and reacted the way I did. I just feel ashamed in God's eyes that instead of being happy for my friend (primarily), I felt something else. Why shouldn't I feel bad? After all, envy is one of the seven deadly sins, right? But I also feel as though I would be lying to myself if I say I'm happy for my friend when I'm not exactly joyous about the news. Yes, a small part of me is happy but another part - jealousy, sadness, disappointment that it couldn't be us. The Catholic in me is partly scared that my weakness will result in a form of punishment. Will our visa extension not be approved because of my jealousy? Will I be able to feel 100% happy for my friend who did nothing to deserve this?

Sigh. I feel so lousy. I haven't checked emails from my yahoogroup for a few days now. I'm scared that I would feel that same pinch I felt from a few days back when I read her good news. I don't want to be a hypocrite and be all cheerful and wish my friend glad tidings when deep inside I felt sad. But despite feeling all these things, I definitely don't blame her for anything. That would just be petty. Nor am I blaming God for anything too. That would just be too ungrateful of me. God has been very good to my family and for me to blame Him or to direct my heartache towards Him is just not fair.

I suppose I'm just sad, plain and simple. Knowing myself, I'm sure I'll get over this in a few days. I know that by then, I would have let go of any of my sadness and be truly happy for my friend. By then, I would wish her congratulations and give her advice on which things to buy and bring from home, what to expect here and tell her the million and one things I love about Japan.

And then after that, I'll be working on how Ruther, the boys and I could also accomplish what my friend has accomplished. Hopefully, that won't be too far off.

MILD WEDNESDAY

We’re kind of taking it easy today. By “easy” I mean no worksheets and formal lessons. The boys are free to play with their toys and use the computer. Earlier today Nikki was checking some games on NickJr. I’m not worried about that because the site is educational and Nikki and Ethan know most of the NickJr. characters and shows. So that was fine. Later, before the boys nap, we’ll probably read some books and then take a trip to the playground for some physical activity. It’s a nice sunny day and I think it will be great for them to have some exercise for a change.

…..

It’s a bit difficult looking for English books for the boys here. They are quite expensive in the bookstores (I go to Yurindo) and almost non-existent in secondhand shops. We did check out some books in amazon.co.jp and they were all right but we don’t want to have to order all the time and not all of the books there are on sale. So I’m gonna try to ask my sister to send us some books through mail. It won’t be as expensive as I originally though it was (going to be) so I’m not worried about the expense. I hope she gets some really nice books for the boys. They are starting to get fed up of their current books. I do print some (free) books for them from the internet and I put the printed sheets in a clear book. So far, Nikki reads them as well so I suppose I’ll keep on doing this just to keep our reading materials interesting.

…..

Right in front of our apartment building and across the road, there’s a hilly vacant lot and for the past weeks, there was a sort-of construction going on. According to Ruther, they might make the vacant lot into a park. Now that’s a really cool idea because not only will it look fantastic (imagine opening your windows to tall grass and weeds; in other words NO view) but the boys will have another place to play and frolic and it’s just right across the street. How neat is that? According to a sign (that Ruther read of course), the park’s completion date will be in December. Now, if that happens, it will be so wonderful to just spend a nice cool wintry day there. I can already imagine sipping hot chocolate on a bench with Ruther while the boys run around with frozen breaths. Isn’t that a pretty picture?

AT ODAIBA

A family photo at Odaiba. I just love family outings...

HOPING FOR THE BEST

So we finally submitted our documents last Friday. We went to the ward office at Kannai and everything was okay with the papers. When I say "okay" I mean they were complete. So now, all we have to do is wait and see if the boys and I are going to stay in Japan for another 3 months. I'm really hoping and praying that our visa extension gets approved. Please help pray for this. Our family really needs this right now.

.....

This morning at around 730, we felt this really intense earthquake. Even Ruther, who often has difficulty getting up in the morning, sat up and commented about the intensity. It was definitely side-to-side and the shaking was quick and short, similar to someone shaking you on the shoulder to wake you up. Anyway, after several seconds of that, there was a mild aftershock and then everything settled down. I've now lost track of how many earthquakes I've felt in the 8 months I've stayed in Japan. The first time I felt one, I of course, wanted to run out of the apartment and go to an open field. But now, I understand that it's just a normal part of Japanese life. And as long as it's not destructive, I'm okay with it.

.....

Am thoroughly enjoying the tv series Bones. Not only is the story entertaining, I just adore the innocence and the very logical mindset of Dr. Temperance Brennan. She's just so intriguing. I was a bit sad though, when Zack had to leave the group and be a bad guy (end of third season). That to me was just unacceptable because Zack was a funny guy in the lab although he didn't mean to be. And he and Hodgins were a great team. I just didn't want Zack to go. It was just so sad. But I will continue to watch Bones. It's just a wonderful tv series, I think. I just love it.

.....

It's so rainy today. Which is kind of unexpected because the forecast this morning said it was going to be cloudy. But after church, it started to drizzle then it became a downpour. While we were eating lunch, the rain didn't let up so we had no choice but to brave it. It was a good thing I bought our umbrellas and the boys' ponchos. We were still wet but at least we didn't get drenched. So we're spending another Sunday in the apartment, just doing what we do best: being a family. :)

WATERMELONS

I've always been amazed at the ingenuity of the Japanese but when I saw these watermelons, I was really blown away.


A watermelon in the shape of a pyramid. The price on the tag is Y50,000 (approx. US$469). Wow.



A trapezoid-looking watermelon and a cube-shaped one.




A really yellow watermelon, and 2 heart-shaped ones. Question is, is anyone going to buy these watermelons before they ripen and rot?

KEIRO NO HI

Last Monday was a holiday so we just stayed home and watched my new favorite series Bones. I just love this show. I suppose I've always loved crime/forensics shows because I've been watching CSI, New Detectives, Air Crash Investigation since before. I don't know why it's so appealing to me but the cases are just so interesting. Anyway, I like Bones a lot because of the characters primarily. I like Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz. I think their chemistry is hot hot hot! Anyway, I'm just glad that I've now a new show to watch. Since we don't have cable here in Japan, I kinda miss the shows I usually watch back home. Hopefully, this will keep me busy for the time being.

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http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/calendar/september/keiro.html

September 15 is a national holiday called Keiro no Hi, or Respect-for-the-Aged Day. When it was first named a day for elderly citizens in 1951 it was called Toshiyori no Hi, or old people's day. It was designated a national holiday in 1966, and its name was also changed.

Keiro no Hi is a day when one shows respect to long-time contributors to society, celebrates their longevity, prays for their health, gains greater awareness and understanding of welfare issues confronting the elderly, and thinks about how welfare services can be improved.

Because Respect-for-the-Aged Day is a relatively new holiday, there are no customs particularly associated with this day. Usually, though, cultural programs and athletic events spotlighting the elderly are held in the community. In some elementary schools, kids draw pictures or make simple handicraft items to present to their grandparents or residents of nursing homes.

The Tokyo metropolitan government usually holds a ceremony on September 14 to honor the older residents of the prefecture and also sponsors a number of events. The governor of Tokyo visits centenarians and presents them with commemorative gifts.

Japan has the longest life expectancy of any country in the world. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the average life expectancy in 1995 was 76.36 years for men and 82.84 years for women. The 100-and-over population is growing by about a thousand each year, and there were 7,373 centenarians in 1996.

The population of those 65 and over as of April 1, 1997, was 19.44 million, according to the Management and Coordination Agency, representing 15.4% of the total population. This means that one out of every six and a half persons is 65 or above.

Japan's fertility rate - the number of children a woman is expected to give birth to during her lifetime - is dwindling, moreover, and so by 2010, every fifth person in Japan could be 65 or over.

Japan's society is thus graying at a rapid pace, and Respect-for-the-Aged Day should become an increasingly important day in the years to come.

CHANGES

The nights have definitely become a whole lot cooler. Previously, I would sometimes wake up in the early morning and be uncomfortably warm so I would always have the AC remote beside me to turn the air conditioning back on. But last night was deliciously cool. It kind of reminded me of those chilly December mornings when my siblings and I had to prepare for school and of course, of Noche Buena and Misa de Gallo also. I dunno but I just can't stop thinking of Christmas. Anyway, I was able to convince the boys to sleep in the loft last night and fortunately, Ethan complied. I was at first guessing that he would come down in the middle of the night and insert himself between Ruther and me but he slept soundly through the night. This morning though, he was curled up into a ball so I covered him up with a blanket. Speaking of blankets, I usually sleep with one but in the morning someone steals it! Of course it's Ruther. I tease him about it because he always says I feel cold easily but this morning, he was under my blanket as well! Haha! Anyway, I suppose when the nights get a lot more chillier, we would need a bigger blanket.

.....

There's just so many things I love about Japan that sometimes, I get so overwhelmed and don't know which one to focus on and sometimes, I just feel like I can't decide on which particular topic to write about. This would be my 8th month living here (in total) and I just love it more and more. I am less intimidated by the train stations now and am more comfortable commuting. I find talking to people enjoyable and always a fun experience despite my very limited Nihongo. It's always interesting to find things out on my own and learning along the way. In a country where you hardly understand the language, mistakes and misunderstandings are often common but I find these things help me grow more and help me appreciate the culture. In the Philippines, I would always be terrified of making mistakes. I have a somewhat obsessive-compulsive nature and I would always worry about being unprepared or about making mistakes or saying something nonsensical when I interact with people. I just don't want to look well, I want to say obtuse but perhaps stupid gives you a clearer idea. I guess being a sensitive person makes me wary of criticisms and coming across as someone stupid is the least impression I want to give someone, especially to a stranger. But here in Japan, I don't have to worry about that. Well, I did before but I find that this country is helping me to grow as a person and to just welcome mistakes as a part of learning. I no longer freeze up when someone talks to me in Nihongo. I instead try to read the meaning behind the words and if in the end we still can't understand each other, I could leave that coversation with a smile and not worry and obsess about it. Most of the time though, I figure things out (it just takes a bit of time) so that's a good thing I suppose. Anyway, I really don't want my boys to be like me, afraid of making mistakes, afraid to grow as a person, wary of other people's criticisms. Hopefully, they won't and instead of being afraid of life, they will embrace it, just as I am doing right now.

26 THINGS WE CAN DO TO HELP SAVE PLANET EARTH

http://www.geocities.com/enchantedforest/8319/savethearth.html

26 things we can do to help:

1. Turn off lights.
2. Turn off other electric things, like TVs, stereos, and radios when not in use.
3. Use rechargable batteries.
4. Do things manually instead of electrically, like open cans by hand.
5. Use fans instead of air conditioners.
6. In winter, wear a sweater instead of turning up your thermostat.
7. Insulate your home so you won't be cold in winter.
8. Use less hot water.
9. Whenever possible, use a bus or subway, or ride your bike or walk.
10. Try to buy organic fruits and vegetables if you're concerned about pesticides. (Organic food is grown without man-made fertilizers and/or pesticides).
11. Don't waste products made from forest materials.
12. Use recycled paper and/or recycle it. Reuse old papers.
13. Don't buy products that may have been made at the expense of the rainforest.
14. Support products that are harvested from the rainforest but have not cut down trees to get it.
15. Plant trees, espessially if you have cut one down.
16. Get other people to help you in your cause. Make and/or join an organization.
17. Avoid products that are used once, then thrown away.
18. Buy products with little or no packaging.
19. Encourage your grocery store sell environmentally friendly cloth bags for people to use when they shop, or bring your own.
20. REDUCE, REUSE, & RECYCLE.
21. Compost.
22. Buy recycled products.
23. Don't buy pets taken from the wild.
24. If you have a good zoo nearby, (if the animals are healthy and the zoo takes care of them), support it! Espessially if they help breed endangered animals.
25. Don't buy products if animals were killed to make it.
26. Cut up your six-pack rings before throwing them out.

TUESDAY THOUGHTS

Autumn is just around the corner and I am so excited! I can't wait to see the fall colors once more. This will actually be only my second time to experience autumn and I plan to savor everything about it. Already, the nights are getting colder and pretty soon, I would have to say goodbye to my flip-flops and sandals. I suppose it's well worth it if only to experience my favorite season of all.

.....

The rains have finally gone and we have sunny weather for the rest of the week. Well, at least that's what the forecast says. At least now we won't have to worry about getting caught in a rain shower and getting sick when we're out visiting places. Anyway, I suppose that's one less thing to worry about, which is always a good thing. :)

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Japan is such a lovely country. There's just so much to see and do, the people are so nice and you feel safe all the time. I wish we could live here one day. I think it would be so nice.

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Now that it's September Christmas carols will most definitely be heard over the radio back home in the Philippines. For us, Christmas begins in September and ends in January. That's quite a celebration, huh. Long before Halloween became a part of Philippine culture, September would mark the beginning of the Yuletide preparations. However, after Halloween celebrations became popular in Manila and at the malls, people have now resorted to postponing putting up decorations and lights and their Christmas trees until after Halloween, All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day. Preparing for Christmas is always a fun time for me. It's my favorite holiday. I always love making my Christmas list as early as July and just buying the perfect present for loved ones. I love how people start being a little more cheerful and less stressful. I love how people take the time to focus on their own traditions and follow them year after year. I love how colorful and gay the season can be. I love how the story of Baby Jesus is retold to young and old alike. But most especially, I love how Christmas brings families together to celebrate a very special birthday. I am SO looking forward to spending this Christmas with Ruther in Japan. :D

SOME PHOTOS

Here are some random photos I wanted to share:



At Minatomirai Station. It was our first time to ride that line. I loved this bas relief. Really colorful and fun.




At Round 1. We played bowling one Saturday because Nikki wanted to. We all had a fun time and this was a fun photo.











At Mitsubishi Minato Mirai Industrial Museum. Nikki loves the solar system and enjoyed this part of the museum.






At the Zoorasia entrance. This was late afternoon because we were there for the Night Zoo. And again, we all had fun. :)

UPDATES

So much has happened these past few days that I didn't have time to write anything....

Ruther took a few days off work and we spent those days together with the boys. It was nice and I really really appreciate whatever time we could get for bonding. Living apart from Ruther has made me learn to just let go of the less important things and focus more on the things that matter at the moment and matter to me.

.....

The weather has been erratic this week. Sometimes it would be rainy, and then it'll get so warm, then one day it'll be cloudy. Ruther has got a cold but it's getting better now. The boys are doing okay so I'm glad for that. It's just really terrible if one of them gets sick. Not only do they get cranky but it's hard to cure a cold in kids. Anyway, am trying to drorwn Ruther in fruit juices so hopefully, that will do the trick.

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A few weeks ago, I read Breakfast at Tiffany's. I got the book at Yurindo and since I haven't seen the movie yet and since I always want to read the book first before watching the movie version and since it was not that expensive, I bought it. But unfortunately, I didn't like the story. Surprising, huh. I know and heard all the rave reviews about the movie version and how Audrey Hepburn's character Holly Golightly was called "a hilarious heroine" but that was not how I saw the character in the book. To me, she was just too ambitious, too flighty and just too self-involved. I know I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm making my comments based on the book version and really, I was not too happy with the story. After I read the book, I was aghast to be honest. I mean, who would want to base a character on Holly Golightly I really don't know... So disappointing.

But I still love Audrey Hepburn.

....

Ruther introduced me to a new tv show So You Think You Can Dance and I loved it. I just loved the concept and I think some of the dance choreographies in the show were just astounding. My favorite dancers in the last season were Katee Shean and Joshua Allen and if you watched the show, you'd know why. After I completed watching the entire season, I would sometimes check YouTube for some of their routines (they were partners in the show) and I would always be amazed at their movements and skillfulness. I just love them. Anyway, I'm looking forward to watching the next season and hopefully, it will be just as amazing as this last one.

MITSUBISHI MINATOMIRAI INDUSTRIAL MUSEUM

The Mitsubishi Minato Mirai Industrial Museum is just a street away from Ruther's office building. So one day, we decided to go there on our own and the boys had such a fun time. I had a fun time too! Here are some photos:


A rocket model.



















A walking talking robot.













The solar system, Nikki's favorite.













Deep sea sub research vessel.













How H2O works as an alternative fuel.













An interactive lesson on how to save planet Earth.

NIGHT ZOO

We were invited last Sunday by Ruther’s friend, Asuka to Zoorasia, a nice zoo just a train station and bus ride away from our home. We have been to Zoorasia before, in 2006, but for the whole month of August 2008, the zoo is opening its doors beyond its usual operating hours for the public to know more about the nocturnal animals. Thus, Night Zoorasia came about. I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for Nikki to review the animals at the zoo and for Ethan to be exposed to all the creatures there. So Ruther and I agreed to go.

We left the house at around 330pm, had a quick snack at McDonald’s, took the train to Nakayama station and then boarded the bus that would take us to Zoorasia. Since it was the last day/night for Night Zoorasia, almost all the people in the bus were headed there. When I smiled at the nice old woman seated beside Nikki and me, she smiled back and said Nikki was kawaii (cute). I said thank you and she said something else but I was lost. Ruther came to my rescue and what the woman wanted to know was if we were headed to the zoo. Ruther said yes. I think she adored Nikki because he couldn’t stop talking (in English) during the whole bus trip. Anyway, after 30 minutes or so, we finally made it to Zoorasia. Asuka and her friends were already inside so we bought our tickets and tried to make our way towards them while looking at the animals that were up and about. Nikki was quite excited and Ethan was too. It was a good thing Ethan was not too scared of the darkening sky and just walked along with us although there were instances where he asked to be carried. We finally caught up with Asuka at the Oceanian Grassland area where the kangaroos were busy eating and hopping about. Nikki loved their hopping movements and Ethan would say “hop! hop! hop!” as they jumped to and fro. As dusk turned to night, I was so glad that I applied Off Lotion on the boys and me because not even one mosquito found its way onto our skin. Anyway, we then looked at the animals as a group and we all had a lot of fun. We saw Shifu (from Kung Fu Panda), Shere Khan (from The Jungle Book), Hedwig (from Harry Potter), Simba’s relatives (from The Lion King) and even some of the Happy Feet characters. If you don’t know those animals well, you might need to do more movie-watching.

Anyway, it was wonderful to see all those animals but the nicest one was the extraordinary okapi. Nikki already saw this animal the last time we were there but it just looks so unique I’m sure he enjoyed seeing it again. He said it looked like a zebra and a horse. I was happy to see it up close again and it was so fascinating. It looked like a horse but walked more like a giraffe. (It’s actually called a “forest giraffe”.) I couldn’t take a good photo of the okapi because flashes were prohibited and the okapi kept on moving about so most of the shots were pretty blurry. But I did take a video of it and was quite satisfied with that.

At around 7pm, we were done with the tour and we checked the gift shop for some souvenirs. I got a cute coaster and 2 phone accessories that had an okapi on them. They were on sale. We then waited for our bus and when it was time to queue up, we separated ways with Asuka and her friends. We took the bus back to Nakayama, had dinner at KFC (which the boys loved because it was fried chicken) and then we went home.

I was glad we had this special trip to the zoo. Not only was it a great field trip for the boys, it was also a great bonding experience with new friends and for us as a family. Hopefully, there will be more fun trips this month.