thoughts of a deranged cacao bean

Nope, I'm not a BUM

2006-05-02T12:18:00.000+09:00

...not yet.

It's been almost two months since I finished school. And what have I been doing? Well, nothing much. Before I graduated, the game plan was to find work before graduation and go straight to work right after finishing my last final exam. I didn't want to go on a vacation because I felt that I've already had my "vacation" when I went to Japan for a year. Well obviously, the game plan didn't materialize. I'm now at home, writing this blog. Geez...

So, am I a bum... well, not quite. I have decided that between my graduation and my employment (and I hope this doesn't take too long), I'll do some of the things that I have always wanted to do. Simple things that I wasn't able to do basically because I was too focused (was I?) on school.

Bring out the artist in me. Yes, I believe I am an artist. Haha! I've been painting recently. It's something that I've always wanted to do, but wasn't in my set of priorities ever. But now that I've got nothing to do, I actually have time to try it out. Maybe I'll post some of my works soon.

Read. Yes. I'm a 22 year old adult and I'm just discovering the joy of reading. After reading all those textbooks on Calculus, Project Management, JAVA programming, I realized that I have never read for my own pleasure. I read Shakespeare and liked it, but I hated studying his literature. I've read a novel and have a short line up of the books I want to read. If you have any recommendations, please drop me a note.

See the Philippines. Well, thanks to my mom and dad. Hahaha! Obviously I wouldn't have the cash to do this on my own. But the family's planning some travelling. We've been to a couple of weekend short trips since graduation, and I think the family's planning for a few more.

Invest on the next generation. I've been spending some time with my church's youth group. Basically helping out in laying the foundations for a stronger organization.

So yes, I've been a bum, but a productive one at that. And until I get a job, I'll be happy to do what I'm doing.

Yup, it's been nine months since

2006-04-17T23:21:00.000+09:00

I never thought I'd start blogging again. Maybe I've gotten too bored these days. Haha!

SO, nine months have passed. A lot of things have come and gone. I'm a university graduate now with a degree in Management Information Systems. The past year was very hectic. Of course I got a few tips and some lecture notes from my friends who've finished a year earlier, but then it was basically my show. I had to deal with pressure and stress without the luxury of what we call in Filipino, a "karamay" (how do you say that in English? geez...). It was a true experience of "fending for one's self". You bet it was tough! But looking back, I think it was a true experience of growth and maturity.

I'm totally over Tokyo life, and somehow gotten used to merely talking with my friends online and receiving infrequent emails. Oh well, things change and people move on. Too bad I can't get to hang out with them on weekends, but good that somehow we've gotten to maintain a certain "freshness" to our friendship.

Christmas has gone, so has my birthday, and easter. Time just can't be stopped. I never imagined myself feeling this way, but things seem so normal. A year ago, I was frantic about going through my senior year all by myself, while feeling really sad about not seeing my friends from Tokyo. But, wow, things are really normal now. People really just need to move on with life, and bring with them nice memories that will be needed for the journey ahead.

Yup, it's been nine months since I posted anything online. It's refreshing, that's all I can say.

Stress + McDonald's = Cerebral Meltdown ???

2005-09-02T01:20:00.000+09:00

Have you ever felt sooo tired that you just can't seem to function properly? I mean, it just seems like your brain went through a nuclear meltdown. Well, although I'm trying to write something right now, I feel like my mind is just floating around aimlessly. I know my brain is right there but it just feels as if my head has nothing but empty space in it. (Hmmm, I guess by the stuff I've written so far, you can easily get my point.)

Anyway, this week has been really stressful. Exams, projects, meetings, errands. Woah! It's friday and I cant believe I'm still getting by. The more stressful part is the fact that next week and the following weeks ahead will prove to be more stressful! (Ahhhh! Simply writing about this makes the veins in my eyes pop out!)

That's the reason why I refuse to believe that it is my frequent intake of McDonald's burgers and fries that is causing me this cerebral meltdown. Since I came back here in Manila, I've been eating the most McDonald's ever. I think it's my class schedule... you see, every tuesdays and thursdays, I have classes from 10am 'til 3pm straight. SO, I get out of class really tired and hungry. AND, the most convenient thing to do it to get a drive thru meal from McDonald's and eat it while driving. Just yesterday, I ate McDonald's for lunch and McDonald's for dinner (yeah Jordan, it's getting that bad...).

So, is it stress or McDonald's? Hmmm... probably both! Ok ok, I know I'm not making the least amount of sense right now. Well then, after all the crap I have written and subjected you guys to read, all I really wanna do is to say "HI!!!" to you guys. So now I'll crawl into my bed to get a little rest, then hopefully wake up tomorrow, read what I just wrote, and have a good laugh at myself. Sorry for the waste of time guys! Goodnight! HAHAHA!

Hui the Hairdresser

2005-06-08T20:28:00.000+09:00

There are some things that you just do without really thinking about it. Today, I had my hair cut by Hui, without giving it any thought. It all started with Jordan asking for a haircut. So, after class we go to my place to give Jordan a haircut. Well, mostly it was done by Hui. But I got to handle the electric shaver for like two seconds, when I almost gave Jordan a bald spot behind his head. Hahaha! I never thought those things had so much power in it!

Anyway, Jordan finished having his haircut. Then Hui goes, "How about you?". I was really thinking of getting a haircut one of these days. The last time I had my haircut was back home, when I had it all shaved off. So now, even though the length of my hair was pretty short, the back and the sides were starting to get bushy. So, yeah, instead of paying someone Y2500 for a quick cut, I decided to be subject under Hui's scissors.

OK, it didnt turn out to be bad. Although there are some spots that I think can be a little more neatly trimmed, but nothing that can't be handled by hair gel. So, thanks Hui! I saved Y2500, and had a great afternoon. Hahaha! And just in case your Shanghai plan gets a little shady, there's always hairdressing! And then, we can call your beauty salon "Annie's".

Bull Finding

2005-06-07T00:53:00.000+09:00

In Spain, one of the most interesting things you can see is the Spanish Bull Fight or the Toro. In our JLP class however, a similar event occurs once in a while, but instead it's called the Great Bull Find. Let me just say that I am now acting as a toreador looking for my "bull". In other words, I'm trying to finish writing my report. I think you've got my point by now.

A Bull Find begins after you've exhausted all possibilities of writing a report based on facts. Like in my case, I conducted a survey. However, I can only go so far as to talking about Japanese baths and how foreign students see it. Therefore, Bull Action takes place.

Let me tell you though that Bull Finding is not an easy feat. It is essential to find the right "bull" or else, it'll simply end up as bullshit. Thats not good.

So for now, I'll be the courageous toreador, trying to find a nice bull to write about...

ストレスをたまること

2005-06-06T01:51:00.000+09:00

It's almost two in the morning... I give up. I just spent practically the whole day in front of my computer trying to write a report in Japanese. So far, I've come up with four pages, double spaced, with huge fonts, and wide margins... I didn't write a background, and I can't think of anything to put in my conclusion at this hour... Ummm... I don't think this is good... To make matters worse, I just survived a two-hour dorm meeting... tired... sleepy... wasted...

I'm going to bed now. I'll just see how this works out tomorrow...

See ya guys, 頑張って！

Sashimi Outbreak

2005-06-05T22:51:00.000+09:00

There's a sashimi outbreak in Tokyo now. A few days ago, two of my friends had sushi at a nearby kaiten sushi place. All of a sudden, they start feeling itchy all over. Yesterday, I buy two small packs of sashimi. I go home, take it out of the bag, get a pair of chopsticks, and eat it. A minute or two after eating the last srumptious piece of fresh tuna, i get an itch in my forehead. Then on my back. Then on my knee. Then on my hip. Before I knew it, I was itching all over!

So, i searched for some medicine, something to relieve me from the itch. I open the pantry box conveniently right under my bed, and found the best remedy for my itch.... a huge bar of Kitkat! There it goes, down my throat, into my stomach, and most importantly, into my brain. I forgot all about my itch! Ping pong!

That 70s Show, Jason Mraz, and The 6th Sense

2005-02-26T23:59:00.000+09:00

I'm done!!! Today, I was in bed 'till 12nn. Winter Term is over, and I'm free! From bed, I moved to my computer and watched four episodes of That 70s Show back to back. I prepared lunch at 3pm and listened to music the rest of the afternoon. I dont believe that some of my American friends dont even know Jason Mraz. I dunno, but wasnt he quite popular in Manila? Or is the music I listen to unique... or outdated? Anyway, I had a good afternoon listening to Jason Mraz, Julia Fordham, Dave Mathews, Paula Cole, D'Sound, Lauryn Hill, and of course music from Empire Records. Hmmm... okay, quite a unique mix of music indeed, but I like it! For dinner, I had a good portion of Bagoong Rice. It was a little weird though. Rice with tuna, korean chili paste, and of course bagoong. It didnt quite taste like real bagoong rice, but the taste wasn't that important since I was eating it while watching The 6th Sense. Even before seeing the movie, I already knew what was gonna happen, thanks to seeing it six years after it was released. But, still I was freaked out by the movie. Now, I'm listening to some noisy, fun music to make me forget about the movie so I can go have a bath.

Today was spent bumming around. And after one very tiring term, I think I deserve it! But I don't think I can be this way too long. I just feel guilty not doing anything or being unproductive.

Snow, Sumpong, Snow, Sumpong....

2005-02-24T23:28:00.000+09:00

I dunno what's with snowing, but it really gets me into a good mood. Thank God its snowing now, 'cause I've got a really really big exam tomorrow, and I need to study. Lately, I haven't been in the best disposition, making studying such a burden. But tonight, I'm hoping that I'll be able to study quite smoothly, once in a while looking out at my window. So, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

Sunny Disposition

2005-02-24T15:59:00.000+09:00

THE REAL DAVEY IS BACK! My last entry was totally out of character, too sad. But today, I'm feeling nice and cheerful. I woke up to a nice, sunny day; and I guess how you start your day pretty much determines the rest of it. I had two oral exams today -- one speech and an interview. The speech went ok, well I think it was good. It wasn't my best though, 'cause I would usually make the whole class crack up when I deliver my speech, but today's was kinda' serious. Not bad though, my teacher gave me a nice smile after my delivery. Then, the interview test wasn't that bad either. Compared to yesterday's interview test, it was really really good. Yesterday's was just suicide. Tomorrow is the big day. We'll be taking a test that pretty much covers 30 percent of our final grade. I'm glad that I'm not very anxious about it. I'll be reviewing the stuff from the beginning of the term, but I won't allow myself to be stressed out. Today is too good to ruin.

2005-02-23T20:29:00.000+09:00

Nope, I'm not feeling homesick but I'm kinda' feeling gloomy these days. Maybe it's school stress making me feel extremely tired thus emotional, but I think it's also because these days there are some things that are happening beyond my control, and I feel as if I'm being left behind or something. I feel like a 13 year old boy again, scared of growing old and facing the future. Only this time, I'm actually old and I've already made some decisions that has changed the direction of my life since. I don't regret any of the decisions I've made so far, but suddenly I just find myself in a very vulnerable situation, vulnerable to emotional stress:

First, all my college friends are graduating in March. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, some of there are through with school beginning today. This only means that next year, I'll be going to school all by myself. Yeah, its an opportunity to make new friends and its gonna make me grow as a person, but then I know that I'll be missing my friends terribly. Through my three years in college, my friends have become a breath fresh air amidts the choking troubles of college life. Guys! Help me! I'm desperate!! Anyone interested in taking a 5th year extention?

Then, I've got my friends here in Japan. I know it's too early to say goodbye. But everytime I go out and have a good time with them, at the back of my head I know that soon, we'll all be going our separate ways, never knowing when we'll ever meet again. They've become my best buds here in Tokyo. I guess we're all far away from home, making us hungry for real relationships, thus making us best of friends. We've got no one else to be families with. I try my best not to think about it yet, but I'm pretty sure June will be a sad time for all of us.

So, that's me for now. Still struggling to study for the final exams, while going through all those mixed emotions. That's life... bleak

2005-02-21T18:14:00.000+09:00

This isn't good anymore.... I haven't done any serious studying and the first wave of exams begin tomorrow. I have to do something about it.

Log out from MSN, Yahoo Messenger; Turn off my music; Shut down my laptop... okay...

Ready, Get Set, Go!

2005-02-20T17:19:00.000+09:00

Final exams is fast approaching... Last weekend...

Some people are starting to get into the final stretch, let's study hard mood:

::...Gentle Rain....:::: says:
o, i guess ur brain is gone by now since i cant see any snow around here anymore

I think my brain is melting away with the snow... HELP!! says:
yeah, thats so true... im so not in the mood to study today. i dunno why

::...Gentle Rain....:::: says:
haha....ganbatte~...thats like me from yesterday. you're truely my friend

::...Gentle Rain....:::: says:
kk

I think my brain is melting away with the snow... HELP!! says:
so, ur ok now?

::...Gentle Rain....:::: says:
yea, i;m all geared up

I think my brain is melting away with the snow... HELP!! says:
good for you

::...Gentle Rain....:::: says:
though, i havent started a thing-_-

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
hehehe

::...Gentle Rain....:::: says:
there we go........

::...Gentle Rain....:::: says:
kkkkkkkkk

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
yeah

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
i just realized that we need to study everything from the beggining of the term

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
i dont wanna do that!>!>!>!>!>!

::...Gentle Rain....:::: says:
we all hav to be nerds for this week

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
HAHAHA

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
i dont wanna waste the little brain cells left in my head

::...Gentle Rain....:::: says:
i totally understand buddy

::...Gentle Rain....:::: says:
take ur time

(...)

::...Gentle Rain....:::: says:
davey, stop whining and get to work

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
HAHAHHA!

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
yes ma'am

::...Gentle Rain....:::: says:
u know u can do it

::...Gentle Rain....:::: says:
ganbaroo!!

Some people still dont care:

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
ohh... so you're studyin'?

Jordan says:
yeah . . .

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
WOW!!!

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
for the finals? or for wednesday's test?

Jordan says:
notice the ellipsis? it means "no i'm not really studying, but i should be"

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
hahaha

Some people are dead tired:

Joan-I am trying very hard to hold back my tears caused by exam stress!!! says:
i havent started on japanese!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joan-I am trying very hard to hold back my tears caused by exam stress!!! says:
going quite unstable...

Joan-I am trying very hard to hold back my tears caused by exam stress!!! says:
so stressed i wanna cry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
hehehe... looks like it...

Joan-I am trying very hard to hold back my tears caused by exam stress!!! says:
not funny

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
i know... i couldnt study either. im just not in the right mind

Joan-I am trying very hard to hold back my tears caused by exam stress!!! says:
i ma studying but very slow. i hate to read. i almost finished reading my music text book

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
thats good, right?

Joan-I am trying very hard to hold back my tears caused by exam stress!!! says:
but i still have one more music textbook to go

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
YIKES!!!

Joan-I am trying very hard to hold back my tears caused by exam stress!!! says:
which i was supposed to finish yesterday. i am so behind in my plan. but i am trying!!!!!

Joan-I am trying very hard to hold back my tears caused by exam stress!!! says:
but so boring!!!!!!!!!!!!!

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
yeah!!! i dunno whats wrong these days... maybe the weather... i dunno. you can do it!!!

Joan-I am trying very hard to hold back my tears caused by exam stress!!! says:
i can do it

Joan-I am trying very hard to hold back my tears caused by exam stress!!! says:
... i can do it

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
yes you can!!!!

Joan-I am trying very hard to hold back my tears caused by exam stress!!! says:
yes i can!!!

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
yes you can!!!

Joan-I am trying very hard to hold back my tears caused by exam stress!!! says:
hahahaha we are so funny

... ... ... b.r.a.i.n...d.e.a.d ... ... ... says:
hahaha!!! yeah!

* * *

Me? One word... Brain Dead... ooops, two words...

Post Christmas Feel

2005-02-19T10:45:00.000+09:00

It's still snowing! And I know this is weird, but I'm listening to Christmas music in my computer. Haha! Maybe 'cause I was away from home during Christmas, I haven't had my fill of that nice-old Christmasy feeling. Don't get me wrong, I had a great Christmas here in Japan, traveling with my friends and kuya. But, its just different being away from home. And of course, snow just makes you think of Christmas, right? Just like in the movies! Haha!

So, for the rest of the day, I'll sit back, listen to my nice Christmas music, eat the chocolate pastry I bought last night, drink hot chocolate, watch the snow slowly fall, and do a lot of homework! Boo!

2005-02-18T23:39:00.000+09:00

It's my DAD'S BIRTHDAY and it's SNOWING!!! My dad's having a party tomorrow and I dunno, I hate the cold, but I just love watching snow fall. Great, great, great! It's 11pm, and I'm feeling good. I think today was very productive. After class, my friend and I went to the Philippine Embassy for her VISA. Then, from there we went to my travel agency to get my plane tickets to Manila. Tomorrow's a weekend and after a very tiring week...

I'm not looking forward to it...

Next week is exams week already. From tuesday, we've got major exams, and get this... on wednesday, thursday and friday, we've got WHOLE DAY EXAMS! Whole day exams! Isn't that crazy?!? Whole day exams, for three straight days! I'm wondering if by friday next week, they would still have questions to ask us. I hope that out of lack of questions, they won't ask us to explain the Theory of Relativity in Nihonggo. Well, I guess that's life, a bit of snowy-white pleasures, some good times, and a ton of hardwork. So this weekend, I will be stuck in my cave, trying to scratch Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana off my walls. It's gonna be a long weekend...

But since I'm feeling quite good right now, screw the test (for now)! I'm gonna have a nice warm bath, and have an early night cap.

2005-02-17T19:15:00.000+09:00

Sometimes the most honest things come out from the most innocent online conversations:

Jordan says:
see, this is how i can explain not doing homework. i get home at 5, and
before i know it it's 7, dinner time. then i take a shower, so it's already 8:30
or 9 by then. and i'm too tired to work.

Davey says:
well, for me, i get home at 3pm, do nothing in front of the computer... realize
its 8, so i make dinner, be surprised that im done fixing dinner and its only
8:05, and then eat. its already 830, too tired to study, but need to. so start at
9pm. its already 1230am, and still im stuck figuring out one homework, time
to go to bed. but i still have to shower, and get back to that stupid question.
its 3am... still, i dont know the answer, so i give up and sleep

Jordan says:
hahaha

Earth, Wind, and a bunch of other Forces

2005-02-16T17:28:00.000+09:00

This morning, I slept at 2:30am. While asleep, I felt my bed shake, and realized that it was an earthquake! I throw my blankets, sit up, and find myself frozen, not knowing what to do. A few weeks ago, we went to this "disaster preparedness museum". They taught us what to do in case of earthquakes or fire. BUT! when I was encountering an actual earthquake, which by the way was kinda' strong, probly the strongest I’ve ever felt, I find myself caught in a still, not knowing what to do. I wanted to switch on the lights, but according to the guy from the museum, we shouldn’t. I thought of hiding under the table, but it was 4:30am for crying out loud, and I didn’t want to move from my bed. So, it wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but... I just sat on my bed and waited for the quake to stop. And it did! so I just went back to sleep.

Maybe it was because my sleep was cut, but I don’t know why I woke up 10 minutes before classes. I literally jumped out of my bed, brushed my teeth turbo speed, and just grabbed any kind of warm clothing I could reach. I dumped all my school things in my bag, got the keys to my bike and rushed out of my dormitory. SNOW!!! It was snowing! Normally, I would have stopped and felt the snow, it probly would have been my last snow experience until who knows when..., but I was LATE! and I was trying to catch a quiz during the first period! So, I hop on my bike and rush to class.

Now, I'm back in my room, thinking of how to forces of nature made my day very interesting. But I think the more interesting thing is the fact that I'm just beginning my day right now. I've got tons of homework to do -- two sakubuns (written compositions) to write, and a speech to prepare for. So among the different forces I just experienced today, I guess there are other stronger forces I have yet to contend with... my laziness and the movie that just finished downloading.

Japan Checklist Update

2005-02-16T02:08:00.000+09:00

In my November 19, 2004 entry, I wrote down a "Japan Checklist", which basically contains stuff that i wanna do while i'm in Japan. I'll be going home for a vacation in a few weeks, and i'm quite happy that by now, i've been able to do some of the stuff i listed down.

During the autumn and winter break, I had the chance to go to Okinawa and Kyoto. ting! ting! two down. And when I was in Nagoya, also during the winter holidays, I got to try eating Natto. ting! i get another check for that.

I've been here quite a while and i think i've set new goals and wants for the remainder of my stay. But, maybe I'll just keep it to myself (just to spare you guys the boredom). For now, I better shut this PC down and sleep 'cause its past 2am already and I've got a vocabulary quiz tomorrow... LIFE!

wow! guess who's back?

2005-02-14T18:56:00.000+09:00

ok ok ok... i've decided to take blogging from a different perspective. no more long essays and comtemplative stuff. just plain everyday stuff, sensible or otherwise. so lets begin...

the last four days were no school days. thursday and friday were holidays, and of course saturday and sunday. so, you'd think that i should have been travelling or going out or just having a blast. BUT NO! i was working my butt off for some project that we had to present today. in fact, last night or.. well this morning, i slept at 4am, just to finalize the presentation and my speech.

this morning, me and my partner fortunately were first to do the presentation. we weren't really confident about our presentation because we were trying to use statistical variances to prove that our class has well adjusted with life in Japan. yeah, what the heck!? grabe, i was using full gear the 'bola' techniques i learned from xavier and ateneo. and yup, it was in japanese. but surprisingly, we seemed to have done a good job. we stood there for 20 mins, fully backed up by visual aids and a good script, just like how our teacher expected it to be. BUT THEN!!! during the discussion time, one guy from our class, and i have been warned before about his nasty competitiveness, questions one of the points in our project. he was such a jerk! nobody noticed it! but he suddenly blurts out that question, and to top it all of, the reason why he got to my nerves was that he ended his question with an evil smirk! what an (umm... nevermind)! ... alright, im a whining sore-loser, but still! hehehe.... that guy sucks!

anyway, he does his presentation after us, and gives a stupid, boring comparison on how europeans and japanese women see F1 race car drivers. it was dull and it made no sense... so, i guess he made up for it then... hahaha! (who has the evil grin now? bwahahaha!). it was a nice day afterall.

2004-11-29T18:43:00.000+09:00

Today was our last day in Okinawa. So, I woke up early to make the most of my last day at the beach. When I got up, I was surprised to know that I was actually one of the last ones to wake up. Everyone else were preparing breakfast or just hanging around. After breakfast, I didn't waste a single second; I immediately changed to my beach shorts and headed for the beach. I went straight to the water, went out again and just laid on the beach, allowing the sun to dry up my body.

After a few minutes, Paul and one the camp staff went out to the beach with their snorkels. They invited me to go snorkeling with them. So, I went back to camp and got a life vest and a pair of snorkels for myself. This time, we went a little farther from where we went to yesterday. It was around 10:30am and the sun was right above us, making the water crystal clear. It was great! It was like swimming inside a huge aquarium. From the shore, we were swimming over a rich coral reef. Gradually, the sea became deeper and deeper. But we came to one point where the reef suddenly stops. I looked back and realized how far we were already. We were really far deep into the sea. It was just that the reef made it seem like we were in shallow waters. The camp staff would go and dive down and look at the beautiful coral formations. He was looking at what seemed like a wall of coral formations. I couldn't do the same thing because I had a life vest on and I didn't know how to do it. But I'm sure it was much more amazing to go and see the corals and fishes right in front of you.

After snorkeling, I again laid on the beach for hours. I was just enjoying the heat of the sun and the warm tropical climate, because tonight, I was going to head back to the biting cold of Tokyo.

We left the camp site at around 1:30pm. We had to leave early because we needed to go to some other places. From Jinbunn no Sato, we went to Henoko. This place is to be the site for a new military base. And because of this, people started to organize a movement to oppose this plan. We visited the people and saw the beautiful sea that was going to be reclaimed to be building grounds of the new base. The retreat was officially ended in Henoko, after a local pastor gave a short message.

From Henoko, we went back to Naha. We were running a little late, so we stopped at Naha's Kokusai Dori (International Street) for a little shopping. Then after 30 minutes, we headed for Naha Airport. We arrived at Haneda Domestic Airport at around 930pm. From there, me and the other dormitory residents took the trains and went home. I reached my dormitory at around 11pm.

I say that my Okinawa experience has been great and meaningful. If I went to Okinawa by myself or with my friends, I would have only gone to the beach and missed out on Okinawa's history. The beauty of Okinawa was truly an experience of retreat. I was able to rest my body and be reminded of the majesty of God. I'm glad I decided to join this trip.

2004-11-28T20:04:00.000+09:00

From Tuchi No Yado, we left at 630am, back to Motobu Bay. We had breakfast at the docks. At around 1030am, we went to a local Church in Nago. From the outside, the church building looked big. But then, I was surprised to see the church empty when we went inside. The pastor's kid, around 5 years old, welcomed us. The boy looked very much like a Filipino kid -- well, a Japanese-speaking Filipino kid. He was very energetic. He would run around, shout, sing, and tease people. He was so talkative, entertaining the group. Then, service started after around five other people came.

After the service, Paul, ICU's pastor and I got into a small discussion. He was amazed how small the congregation was. It seemed that the churches in Japan are not very concerned about growing. He says that most Japanese churches lack "marketing" initiatives. I agree with him.

From church, we went to central Nago for lunch. It was funny that we went to A&W for lunch. There are no A&Ws in Japan except in Okinawa. Nobody knew what root beer was. Some liked it, some thought it was weird.

*** *** ***

From Nago we traveled for almost an hour to "Jinbunn no Sato". This was the trip's highlight for me. It was here that I saw the real beauty of Okinawa. Really, really great experience. We drove up a mountainous area. From the highway, we alighted from the bus and hopped on to the trunk of a pick-up truck. This pick-up truck took us until the end of a rugged dust road. On the way, you could see the sea peeping through the mountains and the lush tropical greens. From the drop off point, we hiked. First, to a high point where you can see a spectacular bird's view of the Pacific Ocean. The cool wind blowing on my face while in awe of God's creation was such an amazing experience. From the top, you'll get to see how the deep blue ocean slowly becomes lighter as it reaches the coral reef nearing the seashore. And how the waves break even before reaching the shore, as they crash to the thickness of the reef. From there, we hiked down for around 15 minutes. The path was quite narrow and steep. But it was made in such a way that it was manageable. We finally reached the bottom of the mountain. It was a very simple dwelling place. It only had three buildings. One kitchen, a covered open space, and a sleeping quarters. All these buildings did not have any walls and was only made of wood. The place was cool despite the scorching sun because it had a natural shade. The trees were not lined in any order. But somehow it was naturally positioned in a way that it made the perfect shade. It was like being inside a tropical garden.

Among the trees is one small pathway leading to the beach. I left my backpack at the sleeping quarters and immediately walked towards that pathway. I could feel my blood rushing while walking through the pathway and seeing the sea slowly uncover. It was great! It's weird but it was like I was seeing the sea for the first time. Or maybe, I felt so overwhelmed because it strongly reminded my of the beauty of the Philippines, after being away for quite some time.

We snorkeled. The reef was good. There were a lot of different fishes and live corals. Some people saw a nemo, but I only saw a dori. One of the interesting things I saw underwater were two blowfishes swimming near each other. At some point I had to take off my life vest because it was too big for me. So, after that, I was swimming freely and just having a good time. Most of the Japanese students stayed in the water for only around 10 minutes. But I was just enjoying my time. After snorkeling I just laid on the beach the whole day. At first it was cold. But when I got dried by the sun, the feeling was just wonderful. People would once in a while sit next to me and have a small chat. But I guess Japanese people simply ain’t beachheads, they didn’t want to stay out on the beach for too long.

Before the sun set, I was sitting on the beach with the International Men's Club and Fumi. We watched as the sun slowly crept behind the mountains. Our camp was really dark. It had no electricity. We only had three gas lamps. We had a nice supper. Some traditional Okinawan tofu soup, pork cooked with papaya, and nice fried rice. After dinner, Yoshio, Paul and I went out again to the beach. This time we saw the moon rise from the mountains. It was an equally spectacular sight. At first we could only see the moon's glow from behind the mountains. As the moon was beginning to rise, we saw the shadow of the mountains slowly become smaller and smaller. It was a full moon. So, from pitch black darkness, the seaside became really bright. The white sand was glowing in the night.

It was a great day. I saw the sun set, and the moon rise. The weather was perfect. The atmosphere was wonderful. A good day to feel the presence and glory of God.

"The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness; it becomes night, and all the beasts in the forest prowl. The sun rises and they steal away. How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all, the earth is full of your creatures. Praise the Lord all my soul." Psalms 104

2004-11-27T16:23:00.000+09:00

My third day in Okinawa. We left the seminar house early in the morning. From there, we travel north to Motobu Bay. From there, we took a ferry to Ie Island. Ie Island is a small island where a lot of people died during the war. We visited a cave that opens to the sea. The view was good and peaceful. There you would see some old men leisurely fishing. On the same island, there is a huge American Military Base. So even until now, the residents are battling against this.

From there, we went up to a high point. This is where we got a majestic view of the sea. This high point was a cliff facing the ocean. From here we got to see the vastness of the ocean breaking through a barrier reef, and then crashing to the foot of the cliff. The wind was so cold and strong, but the view was just too beautiful to miss. In movies, this was where someone would always fall off. hahaha! I remember the movie "The Little Rascals". "Choose or die, choose or die!"

That night, we stayed in a traditional Ryokan, a Japanese guest house. The name of the place is "Tuchi no Yado". An old lady lived in that house and we got to eat more Okinawan food. The house is near the beach so we got to visit the beach both during the sunset and night time. I was able to fold my jeans and walk barefoot along the seashore and then lie carelessly on the sand. I was glad to feel the nice beach once again. It's been quite a while since I've been to the beach. I think the last time was in Tali. The breeze was a little cold but lying on the beach was good. While I was on the beach, I received a phone call from Kuya Raybz. He told me that Lola was okay after her operation that morning. Of course I felt relieved and thankful to God. It was the best feeling, being on the beach seeing God's beautiful creation, and hearing good news of God's mercy and blessing. Truly, I was on a retreat.

That night, we got to hear some Okinawan music. One of the residents of the Ryokan knew how to play the Okinawan traditional string instrument. So, he played some songs. It was good! It did not sound too Japanese. It sounded like island music. Then, that night, before going to bed, we shared some chips and chocolates. Fun time. It's good that I got to know more about the people in the group.

2004-11-26T18:38:00.000+09:00

Today was another full-packed day. We started at 8am for breakfast. Then, from the seminar house, we went to a mountain from where you can see most of the city. Naha is a big city. It does not have high rises like Tokyo, but nonetheless, still a concrete jungle. From that same point, we also saw a huge American Military Air Base. I learned that Okinawa has 75 percent of all American bases in Japan. This is one of the struggles of the people of Okinawa. Okinawans are strongly against the noise created by these bases. They say that after the 9/11 Attack, the noise level in Okinawa drastically increased. And now that there is a war in Iraq, military activities in the islands are also increasing. Moreover, a lot of land is being used by these bases. There are stories of people being driven out of their land by military forces in order to build bases. Other significant events that stimulated Okinawans to rally against these bases includes a rape case of an Okinawan school girl by American Military Personnel and an American Military helicopter crash on a university school building. From there we went to an art gallery. This art gallery is somewhat special because the art pieces depict images of the Battle of Okinawa. It showed images of war-time cave dwellings, mass suicides, and Japanese-American combats.

For lunch, we went to a traditional Okinawan restaurant. Here I had the very popular Okinawan vegetable, "Goya", or in Filipino terms, "Ampalaya". Goya is popular all-over Japan as an Okinawan vegetable. I was surprised that the way Okinawan prepares Goya is very similar to how Filipinos eat Ampalaya, sautéed with tofu. I'm not sure if they also do it in Okinawa, but at home, Ampalaya is prepared with tofu and egg.

From there, we went to Yomitan Castle. Okinawa used to be a separate kingdom, independent of Japan. That is the reason why Okinawa's music, food, dialect, lifestyle, and general feel, is very distinct from the rest of Japan. Yomitan Castle is very different from other castles in Japan. They say it is because Yomitan Castle's architecture came straight from China. Archways were first used in Okinawa, which then was transmitted to Nagoya and other parts of Japan. But the most significant difference between Okinawa's castles is its shape. Okinawa's castles have circular, very fluid wall structures, compared to other castles in Japan which have very boxed, straight architectures.

After a long day of going around the island, we went to a former military base that now became a popular commercial area, Mihama Town. Just like Subic and Clark, here you can find different American stores and restaurants. Paul, Kazuki, Yoshio, and I ate at Tony Roma's. Paul is American, Yoshio and Kazuki are Japanese, and I am Filipino, thus making us the International Men's Club. We had good American burgers, onion rings, potato skins, and french fries. Good, fattening, American food. Then, to top our nice American dinner, we had ice cream at 31 Baskin Robbins. I had a scoop of choco-mint ice cream. Good meal! One side of this complex was a small beach front. The sand was nice and white but it was surrounded by concrete walkways and seemed like a man-made beach. I was a litle disappointed, because I was looking forward to the beach even before going to Okinawa. I hope this isn't Okinawa's best beach.

I think that Okinawa and the Philippines share the same kind of history. Both Okinawa and the Philippines became battle grounds of warfare between two strong powers. Okinawa was a peaceful, independent land before the Japanese came. And then, at one point in time, became battle ground of a war that does not essentially concern them. Same thing in the Philippines, before the colonizers came, the Philippines was just a simple-living group of islands. The Philippines has its share of bloody warfare, between Spain and America, America and Japan. But then, if these things did not happen, both Okinawa and the Philippines would not be what it is today. Whether this is good or bad, we wouldn't know.

2004-11-25T12:28:00.000+09:00

Okinawa is the southernmost islands of Japan. I remember that half way through my flight from Manila to Tokyo, we were flying over Okinawa. Even before coming to Japan, I've seen pictures and videos of Okinawa. The beaches and different sceneries looked great. So when I heard about the ICU Okinawa Retreat, I immediately asked about it, and soon signed up for it. I signed up by myself, and I was the only non-Japanese speaking member of the group.

Finally, it's the 25th! Our group consists of 17 ICU students. 6 guys and 11 girls. We also had two church ministers with us. Paul and Kitahara Sensei. We flew in through the Naha Domestic Airport, and arrived at around 1130am. So from the airport, we went straight for lunch. All of us were excited to eat some Okinawan Ramen. I have a Thai friend who studied in Okinawa for a year. When he found out that I was going to Okinawa, he told me not to miss eating Okinawan Ramen. To my surprise, Okinawan Ramen was not too foreign to me. It was ramen with a huge portion of pork on it. This pork is very similar to Philippine Pata Tim. They used the same kind of meat and the same kind of preparation of Pata Tim. Only here, they put it on noodles. While I was enjoying my Okinawan Ramen, I learned that Okinawa and the Philippines are very similar. Over lunch, our tour guide told me that I looked like an Okinawan Junior High School Student. Then, I realized that out tour guide indeed, looked like a Filipina. She continued that there are common Filipino and Okinawan Dialect terms, like "patay" (corpse) and "bolo" (a big knife).

From there, we went to a couple of museums. Okinawa used to be an independent kingdom. But then it was occupied by Japan. During World War II, Okinawa was one of the huge battlefields between American and Japanese forces. We went to a museum that showed different things gathered from the war. Military clothes, weapons, pictures, documents.

An interesting, at the same time shocking fact of the war is how caves in Okinawa were used. The war was really intense that people hid in caves for protection. Some caves became underground hospitals because all hospitals were being bombed and destroyed. There was a group of school girls who became heroes during the Battle of Okinawa. They are the girls from the Himeyuri Girls' School. At a very young age, these girls served as nurses in these underground hospitals. They would bring in food and water, at the same time assist doctors in amputating or operating on soldiers. They had to bury the dead and the amputated body parts, at the same time get rid of human refuse. At some point, these underground hospitals were discovered. So a lot of these caves were attacked. Soldiers would use flame-throwers to get rid of the people and patients inside these underground hospital. A lot of these girls, their teachers, and other civilians were killed during the war. We went to different memorials, museums, and the caves themselves.

We stayed at a seminar house for the night. It was a little old, but okay since we only stayed there for small talks and sleeping. That night, we had a meeting with a survivor of the Okinawa War. He is now a Christian Pastor in a local church. I did not realize that his testimony would be very shocking until a heard it -- at least the translation of it. He was a young boy when the war broke. He lived in one the smaller islands in Okinawa. When the American troops started to come, the Japanese army told them that when the American forces arrived it will be better to just kill themselves than be caught and kept captive by the Americans. So, when they heard the Americans were near, their whole village started to commit "mass suicide". He had an older brother, and two younger siblings. He and his brother had to kill their mother and younger siblings. He remembers using a huge rock to kill his own mother but forgot how he killed his younger siblings. When it was only he and his older brother that was left, they had to decide who will kill who. But before this happened, some villagers told them that it would be better if they killed Americans soldiers. It at this time that he saw how they were betrayed by the Japanese military. He saw that the Japanese military were all alive while most of the people in his village were all dead. Eventually, they realized that captives by the American forces were not tortured or raped. So the more he felt betrayed. While he was talking, I could still see the pain in him. I guess that is the bitter reality of war.

It was quite a long day. I expected Okinawa to simply be a pacific paradise, but I didn't realize that it has this very serious historical background.
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2004-11-23T01:41:00.000+09:00

It's Don's birthday on saturday. But he's leaving for Korea tomorrow and won't be back 'till next week. So we, his really good I1 friends, decided to give him a surprise birthday party. Ji Young, Margarette, Paing Soe, Allan, and I, all together went to Ito Yokado to buy some groceries. Then, we all went to Paing's unit and made some Korean food! Allan made a really nice strawberry cake. It was sooo fun!

Don went to Hakone the whole day and came back to Global at around 830pm. At first, he was trying to help out, but as soon as he stepped into Paing's unit, everyone started to give him tasks that didn't involve hm entering the unit and seeing the cake we were baking.

We had dinner; of course after saying "Kampai!" and "Itadakimasu!". The food was really good! Thanks Ji Young! Then, Don had to go out to make a phone call to his family. So while he was out, we took out the cake, lit some candles, and switched off the lights. We were all waiting for Don to come back to surprise him. Don took quite a while, but then eventually came over. "Happy birthday to you! Happy bithday to you! Happy birthday, happy birthday...". Don was surprised and had very little words. It was great! Yatta!

It was a really good day. Quite tiring because of all the preparations -- like biking to quite far places, cooking the food, cleaning up. But, it was really really fun! Good times!

2004-11-19T23:11:00.000+09:00

I'm soooo happy! I just realized I can make an OMELET!!! I cooked my first omelet today. It was a two-cheese ham omelet. I mixed cheddar cheese and mozerella cheese (I got from the 99 yen shop) with ham. Great! Tomorrow, I'm gonna try to make a two-cheese mushroom omelet. I cant wait! I think I have a new favorite meal. hehehe.

Talkin' about my milestones here in Japan (which reminds me of our lesson about dekimasu/dekimasen), here is a list of things I've done and things I still need to do, while I'm here.

DAVEY'S JAPAN CHECKLIST:

Things I've Done:
Ride the trains
Ride the subways
Ride a bike
Make my own Omelet
Meet different people
Speak Crooked Nihonggo
Drink Japanese Sake
Ride the First Train in the Morning

Things Yet to be Done:
* Eat Natto
* Go to Okinawa
* Go to Kyoto
* Go to Disneyland
* Speak flawless Nihonggo
* Get an Arubaito (Part-Time Job)
* Get a Picture Taken with the People of Harajuku

2004-11-17T00:26:00.000+09:00

Im officially on vacation! Autumn Term is over!!! Wohooo!!!

It's been such a long time since I last wrote here. One reason is that my old blog site was crappy. I was so satisfied with it until it started charging me some fees. I didnt pay so they took all my pictures away. So it's just now that I got to transfer to this new blog site. Still learning the ropes, but hopefully i'll get to write here more often now. Second reason is that I've been really really busy the past term. I took the Intensive Japanese I class, and boy was it intensive. We had homework and quizzes everyday!!! The first few weeks were okay... I still had the stuff I learned from Ateneo Jap 1 Class quite intact. But then, ICU's Intensive I course is not called "intensive" for nothing! All the stuff I learned from Ateneo for 1 whole SEM (5 months worth), was covered in two weeks! So, after those two leisurely weeks, I was studying like crazy -- staying up late, memorizing tons of vocabulary, writing compositions and stuff. But then, the past autumn term was great! muzukashikatta desu ga tanoshikatta desu.

My class is really small. There are only 8 of us. But then, we have 5 teachers! hehehe... overkill. But since our class is really small, after 2 months of seeing each other EVERYDAY, for FIVE hours, we have become really good freinds. We're like a family! haha!

I just came from our class party. We had it at Sato Sensei's house. It was great! We had good food, good fun! What was nice about the party was that everything was prepared by our teachers. AND they didn't serve Japanese food! PLUS, they even bought some wine and beer! KAMPAI!!! It was nice to get to hang out with each other and all our teacher outside the classroom setting. I guess my 1st term here was great because I had great teachers and classmates. I'm glad I like all my classmates and teachers.

Tomorrow, Jordan's going back to America, and on the 25th, Hui's going back to China, same day I'll be going to Okinawa. Don's going to Korea, end of the month. It was a tiring, stressful first term for all of us. SO, autumn break should be loads of fun!

2004-09-12T04:58:00.000+09:00

Yesterday was a day of firsts. I cooked my first meal yesterday. Being a saturday morning, I woke up at around 11am, and started the day determined to cook myself a nice brunch. The day before, I bought raw eggs, and a pack of luncheon meat. Rice was prepared ahead by my flatmate.

I started by rinsing the cooking pan and cooking utensils. Halfway through slicing the luncheon meat nicely into thin portions, I placed the pan into the electric stove and poured a small amount of cooking oil. When the pan was hot enough, I cracked an egg and poured it straight into the pan. I knew that it would take a while before the egg cooks so, I continued slicing the luncheon meat. Thirty seconds after, I glanced back at the stove and saw the egg turning brown. But then, the yolk and some of the whites were still liquid. So just like how Lola Aline does it, I tilted the pan and whisked some of the hot oil to the uncooked portions of the egg. But the egg just got browner and browner. By the time I took the egg out of the pan, the edges were already black. But then, I did not get dismayed, I got the luncheon meat and started to lay them down the pan one by one. By the time I layed the last piece of meat, the first one was already burning! So, quickly I removed all the meat and placed then right next to the egg.

Then at that same time, my flatmate goes out of the his room and says: "Wow, why is our room all smokey?" I looked around and saw that the dining area was filled with smoked! I forgot to open the kitchen vent! We opened all the windows in our unit and just laughed about it.

So, after that, I was ready to eat my brunch. I got my bowl, placed rice in it and placed the egg and the meat on top of it. The taste was not bad, not at all. Come to think of it, how can you go wrong with frying an egg and luncheon meat. The only problem was, my egg was a little too cruchy and some of my luncheon meat were toasted and some were undercooked. But then, that was my first attempt at cooking, so I think I did not do so bad.

Last night was also a first. The first time I rode a bike. Mitaka is a biking city. Everywhere, you'll see people biking. I remember walking to the convenience store and finding myself the only one on foot. There were a lot of people passing my by on bicycles. For ICU students, biking is a must. Because ICU is such a huge campus, getting to the nearest convenience store takes around 15 mins. Plus, riding the bus and of course the taxi is not the most practical way of going around.

So yesterday, with the help of my flatmate, Tyler, I started learning how to bike. I really couldn't get it. I was tilting over to one side even before I could put both my feel on the pedals. So, I started by moving with my feet. Just to get he balance. Tyler suggested that I try to glide by starting with a push and just keeping my feet up. This was to help me learn how to balance. I tried doing that but it only took me a short distance.

Just before I was to give up out of exhaustion, I suddenly got to pedal a few times. So, I kept on going. Before I knew it, I was actually riding a bike. The only problem was that I was constantly swerving from left to right. Hahaha! I looked like a drunk biker! hehehe... That just means that I can bike but not yet on the streets. I'll probably practice biking on campus first... at some dark and secluded place. So no one can see me! Hahaha!

Two weeks into living in Japan and I feel like I'm beginning to get a hang out of the lifestyle here. Of course there's still a lot to learn , but I'm glad that I'm teacheable afterall.

2004-09-10T00:02:00.000+09:00

Finally, things are beginning to die down. After the busyness of settling-in requirements -- like alien registration, local city hall registration, insurance application, bank application, school enrollment and tons of 'New Student Orientations' -- my life is beginning to run at a more manageable pace. More or less, I have already determined a routine for myself.

It's nice to remember what it took me to get here. Haha! Coming here was not too easy.

I was met in the airport by a student volunteer, Kumiko Ota. My luggage was extremely heavy -- one 33 kilo large suitcase, one 13 kilo hand carry, one laptop bag, and a paper bag of sweets from Lola. Kumiko was kind enough to help me with my luggage. But then, commuting in Japan with heavy luggage is not easy! We had to transfer trains, and some stations did not have escalators nor elevators! I never thought that I would have to carry my heavy luggage up and down staircases!

But the worse part was walking from Ikebukuro Train Station to my hotel! It was like ten minutes of dragging my luggage! About midway through the hotel, I was starting to give up. I noticed that Kumiko too was having such a difficult time. We would stop every few meters just to switch arms because the one we were using was just to tired to continue. There were even parts where the ground we were walking on was really bumpy, making it doubly hard to pull the luggage.

Finally, we found Hotel Ohedo, the pittstop for this leg of the race... hehehe. But then the story does not end there. It was strange that the building where the sign "Hotel Ohedo" did not have any ground floor entrance. The was a liquor shop on the ground level and staircase going to the second floor. I told Kumiko to wait downstairs while I go up and ask the way to the elevator.

I go up to the second floor and see a very simple hotel lobby. I go to the front desk. I asked, "Is there an elevator from the ground floor?" The guy across the front desk answered, "No". I told him about the reservation made by Kuya Raybz. I also told them about my ultra-heavy luggage. Then I asked, "Can someone help me bring up my luggage?" Then the guy answers, "Please help yourself". Wahhh! I just had to call Kuya Rayboy to come down and help me. I just couldn't carry any luggage up on any staircase anymore!

Kuya Rayboy came down and met Kumiko and my heavy luggage. We thanked Kumiko for all the help, and then brought up the luggage. Of course, Kuya Rayboy handled the 33 kilo luggage!

I guess I am really fortunate that I did not have to arrive in Tokyo all by myself. Kumiko, definitely my first friend in Tokyo, and Kuya Rayboy's presence was really of great help. Cheers to you guys!

2004-09-04T22:32:00.000+09:00

Exactly one week after staying here in Tokyo, I find myself having mixed emotions. Of course its exciting and fun. But then, there are times that, I may admit it or not, I feel homesick.

Touring Tokyo with Kuya Raybz was a lot of fun. We went around the coolest places in Tokyo. From Ikebukuro, to Shinjuku, to Shibuya, to Odaiba, and the breathtaking Roppongi. The six days we spent just exploring and roaming around the booming city of Tokyo hid from me the fact that after that I'll be all alone. Wednesday came and I checked-in at the Global House -- definitely the best dormitory at the International Christian University.

We had dorm orientations all from 6pm till around 830pm. It was great! I met people from all over the world. There were French girls, Swedish guys, students from the UK, Americans and Japanese-Americans. It was awesome getting to talk to a lot them, making new friends. We were all excited that we belonged to the best dorm of ICU, we had our own rooms, everything is complete, from kitchen stuff to washing machines! The best part was, we did not have curfew!!! The students from all the other dorms have to be tucked in by 12mn, but we can stay out as late as we can! Hehehe... And we simply had to remember a code that will open the front doors of our dorm.

For dinner, we ate at a family restaurant around 20 minutes walk from our place. Imagine this bunch of foreign people marching down the quiet streets of Mitaka! Hahaha.. I thought we looked funny. Of course people were looking at us, probably knowing that we were the new foreign students at ICU.

We got back quite late that night, so I easily fell asleep.

The following day, we had our Matriculation Ceremony. It was this really formal and special event welcoming the September students. The ceremony was so special that I felt as if I was already graduating! Hehehe... it was a really nice time. We had a luncheon afterwards, so we had time to mingle with some of the other students. The rest of the day, I spent exploring Roppongi with Kuya Rayboy. It was our last night together.

We left Roppongi past 10pm. We were in a hurry because the trains in Japan only operated till 12mn. Roppongi was quite far. We parted was at the Shinjuku Station. I rode a train travelling through the Chuo Line. I did not realize it but I rode the Rapid Train, which only stopped at major stations. The train did not stop at my station! It was already 1130pm so I was starting to get worried about the time. I had to get off immediately and go back to Musashi-Sakai, the nearest station to ICU. Fortunately, I got off on time and arrived at the right station around 10mins before 12mn. The problem was, bus service was only up to 1030pm! I had to ride a taxi, which cost me a little over a thousand yen! Whoops! I guess thats the cost of learning the ropes! hehehe...

I'm getting drowsy already... More stories to come!