3/30/04 9:03 pm

I say….

“Video killed the radio star”…It’s a factoid which actually comes to mind. Fact is it’s the first ever music video released on Earth! Rock on!!!



3/3/04 9:10 pm

Just finished my can of Sapporo biru. Yoshiyama san and I went apartment hunting with Tokyo Chintai’s (a local leasing agency) “Apartment Consultant”. We had the luxury of riding his company car and pleasantly enough I got to see Shinjuku and Harujuku! I started salivating at the sight of all those couture shops we didn’t have back in Manila. But of course salivating is all I’m ever gonna do because I have to save money to fund my 10 yr, which now is my 5 yr, plan.

Afterwhich, I had the longest journey back to my temporary home. I am so worn out because it started to rain late afternoon and continued a ‘lil bit harder the last km home. This made me realize how much I miss my car! My feet aches from blisters because I simply had to wear my stylish pumps to work! Agh, I must search for sensible work shoes or I will go bow-legged! With the laptop alone my spine is starting to complain. Geez, I did have it easy over at Manila…no language barriers and no high cost of living to worry about.

Ergo, had to relax with my Sapporo and an episode of Queer Eye for the Straight guy…how I miss my uber-gay and metrosexual friends!!! Episode 3 was about this husband wanting to throw an exquisite birthday dinner party for wifey. I’d settle for a simple foot massage anytime….

Music videos?


Mine was Jamiroquai's Virtual Insanity. No particular reason why I asked, just that I read the phrase "music video" and then remembered Jay Kay. Love that clip...he has got the coolest moves ever. To this day, I still try and visualize how they did that video. Yeah I know how they did it, but the more I think about it, the more I'm amazed at creative people. I never would have thought of that.

This is suppose to be a Saturday morning...

3/26/04 12:00 am



Tidbit#1
It is the norm in Tokyo to have Toto the Toilet. If you refer to the picture above you will get an idea of how it looks like. It has an electronic menu on the side which lets you select the temperature and volume of the bidet. ANT! Hindi mo na kailangan ng tabo!

Tidbit#2
“Free-ters” are mostly young people who give away corporate advertising freebies such as flyers and tissue packets! They’re actually paid 800 yen an hour to do this…hmmm maybe I can moonlight as one!

Tidbit#3
There are more people per square inch in Tokyo than any other city in Asia. And equally more men and women carrying Louis Vuitton bags as if it were just a Jansport bag. Maybe that’s why they call it a megalopolis.

3/26/04 11:37 pm

Fourth day in Tokyo…drizzly and cold. I was expecting cherry blossoms, I guess I have to wait. It has been very hectic..left Manila in a rush and now I’m still in a haze. I haven’t really had time to breathe and absorb my surroundings. Just now have I found the time to sit down and chronicle this life changing move…

Day 1 March 22

Started the day with extreme paranoia. Just finished repacking for the nth time Sunday night because Northwest had to have a strict baggage limitation (27kg per passenger). I almost busted my back weighing and re-weighing my box. Good thing James, my boss, was flying in with me for a meeting over at “headquarters” so got his other 20kg! Another good thing was his brother was Northwest ground staff who turned a blind eye to my other 15kg excess!!! Wahooo…owe you one guys! I still have one big box due for shipping in Manila-yikes! = o.

So after a 5 hour plane and bus ride we arrived at the Narita Airport. We got to the office baggage and all. First impressions:

a. OFFICE- “Wow, so this is headquarters” – bright, clean, streamlined with a clutter of boxes which is a healthy sign of business
b. OFFICEMATES – “Oh so this how they look like” – finally got to see the people I’ve been emailing and “msn-ing”. Didn’t get to form an impression of them until the second day though.

After the introductions, we proceeded to walk to the hotel and got settled. Thank god, I didn’t have to carry my luggages =). We then had our first Shibuya dinner complete with Japanese beer and Japanese sweet potato wine called “socho” or is it “sochu”? I slept like a baby afterwards.

Day 2 March 23

Got down to business first thing in the morning then went out to lunch with some of the office people and had “Japanese pasta”. Imagine Italian noodles topped with shredded nori and squid strips in olive oil with red ginger and horseradish mustard on the side. Interestingly enough it was yummy!

Afterwards, I left the office to move in to my “monthly mansion” in Meguro which was 20 minutes away by train ride (with a little tutorial) and by walking….Impression: really nice: clean, modern and new. It was a one bedroom affair-furnished with kitchen and t&b. Nothing fancy it’s actually as small as a one bedroom hotel room.

We then sped off to big boss’ “aparto”, to attend our welcome party. It was there that I saw my first cherry blossom tree. It was right in the middle of their building’s courtyard where it stood tall and proud…elegant in the soft yellow light. To top it off…an old Japanese lady in a kimono was pointing it out to her grandchildren. Totally picturesque.

Dinner was fabulous…loved Shoko-san’s mushroom dish and the warm sake…most of all the warm welcome!

Day 3 March 24

Work…work…work! But it’s good to be busy. Gosh…must learn Nihongo!

Examples of my hilarious attempts:
“Watashi wa sushi-o tabe-mashita!”…”Oh yes…KFC furaaaaido chicken-ga firipin are-masu”.

Day 4 March 25

On this day, what stood out was the fabulous ramen house we went to. Actually, getting there was an event in itself…Shibuya, where our office is located, is simply thriving with youth and commercialism. Around the office everything is a bit modulated. But that night was the first time I saw the Tokyo often portrayed in the movies…loud and unique!

Big boss took James and I to the MIRAC to have dinner. He ordered this ramen dish that just blew me away. The egg in the dish was the best ever…it looked like a light brown (soy marinated) hard boiled egg but inside it was the softest yummiest yolk!!! Hmmm…just love ‘em!

Buddy is my new camera. We go everywhere together...including the office. Yeah, it seems pretty weird bringing it along with me even when I go to work, but then again, I don't want to risk losing him this time. They can break into my place and take whatever they want, but they're not taking Buddy.

But anyway, we were at the city last Friday night, and it was the perfect opportunity to take some night shots. Needless to say, I'm so proud of Buddy. :)

Every time I'm not doing something -- which is most of the time -- I end up thinking of what I would be doing if I were home. Its a very dangerous line of thought, especially since I counted 14 more weeks before this bloody project is over and i can go home. Sigh. Funny since I was the number one enthusiast when it came to overseas assignments. I kept saying it didnt matter how long and where, as long as its not in Manila, then it SHOULD be fun.

Dont get me wrong, I am having fun. I think I'm just OD'ing on Footy, Cricket, DIYs and reality shows from the Aussie Telly. Maybe if I were in the city and not in some suburb 45 minutes away from everything then things would be just fine. But then again, it did take me 7 months before I started being homesick.

Some of the things I miss:
1. "my kids"
2. Friday night movies and dinner for under PHP 500 per person
3. core
4. heading home late and not really knowing why
5. billiards in the Manila office
6. my favorite gimik places -- 70s, Sanctum,Cafe Karabana
7. weekday gimiks (work tomorrow? so what?)
8. the once-in-a-blue-moon Sunday afternoon Futbol games in Ateneo

*Sigh* work isnt even hectic enough to keep me pre occupied. I guess when you start wishing you were busier at work, then it can't be good.

I've always been amused by YM Status messages. I've also noticed that there are a growing number of people who rarely leave their YM stats empty (myself included).

I suppose when you have to resort to talking to another person via chat, then there has to be some sign that says, yes, it is me, and this is my mood today. After all, you can't see their faces and you can't guess their mood. At least this way you can tell what song they've been listening to, or what movie they've seen recently. Now there's an opening line for you! No wonder chat is the best way for shy people (myself included) to reach out and start a conversation.

Now lets see...what should I set as my status for today....

LOST IN TRANSLATION

Took time out to post my first ever "snippets" blog. I bought a copy of this movie thinking that it would give me a nice picture of Tokyo. I didn't know it was a serious comedy...as soon as I watched it I was floored by its simplicity and purity.
You also better check the website coz its really cool. I guess it is true that everybody wants to be found...but its also true that sometimes you just want to get lost...

Well anyways, on to lighter things I am so excited about this trip. I have heard so much about Tokyo but I cannot wait to find out which is fact, fiction or urban legend=P. Its spring there and the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom! What a nice transition it would be! Wish me luck!!!

I was in the middle of work when it suddenly hit me...with my new toy, I can actually take a photo of my workspace, upload it to my gallery post it in my blog....




so I did. and all of it was done in under 30 minutes. Don't you just love technology?

Phillip Island's Wildlife features that you can see and observe, but never, ever touch (and in the Penguin's case, can't photograph either)

1. Koalas at the Koala Conservation Center. They are within arms reach, no walls or gates or cages separate you from them...only the site of their claws and the warning signs make you think twice about hugging these bears.

2. Seals at Seal Rock. They have an island filled with sunbathing Seals. You can hear them from the Nobbies which is approximately 2 kilometers away, and looking through the telescopes, they pretty much cover the entire island.

3. Penguins at the "Penguin Parade". At sundown, these fairy penguins return from a day of swimming and fishing to their burrows. The Center is built in such a way that you have two viewing areas where you can see them come in pairs (that eventually turn into small groups of 8 or 10 since they seem to be waiting for each other). Whats nice about the place is that they built walks around the burrows so that when you walk back to the main building after watching them swim and wobble to shore, you can actually still see them walking here and there...heading to wherever they're spending the night. And you can hear them snore too! Or at least I think that's snoring...it could very well be their mating call...

more photos here.

Snippets
bits and pieces
morsels of information both interesting and ho-hum
Snippets