Q2 of 2018

Of course, there were two birthdays! Amber and I celebrated our birthday month in Boracay before it officially, temporarily closed down for rehabilitation. I could not repeat into the details but overall, it was an awesome experience for us.

Then in May, I resigned and took a month off before starting again for the same company I left last year. 

The month off allowed me to spend more quality time with Amber as I have always wanted. We went malling (very typical for Filipinos because parks are scarce) and just spent time watching cartoons (our favorites are Ben Ten and We Bare Bears of Cartoon Network) at home. 

As I would also wanted, I get to do some art. I practiced on my sketching hoping it will achieve realistic level and end up needing more improvement, but eventually with more practice, I will get there.

Also, I got to paint. My first ever oil painting. Oil painting used to intimidate me because I have always been reliant on hard medium like pencils (in short: control issues). With Acrylic gouache, although not a hard medium, it's not intimidating because the drying time does not take long and I can easily overlay it should I need to correct a mistake. On the other hand, oil tubes are expensive and requires a lot of patience, plus to overlay a paint requires at least a week (i did deviate to two days).

But here she is, call her 'Ina'. Ina is mother in Filipino. 

Definitely this is not the last. I am actually enjoying the process of oil painting. It takes long to finish but it will be worth. 

Boracay

Before its temporary closure as mandated by the government to fix its sewerage problems and environmental issues, we were able to visit the place on my birth week. In January, we decided to book a flight to Boracay (thanks partly to Mabuhay mileage redemption) before the whole closure issue came to light. We were lucky enough that it didn't happen sooner or on the day of our scheduled trip.

The last time I set foot on its white sands was in 2007, more than a decade ago. I even made two lengthy posts to document the whole trip which were cringeworthy but hey, we all go through that phase. Feel free to click here and here. 

Before, T and I did every tourist must do (i.e. snorkeling, island-hopping and boart riding). This time, having been there and done those, we just decided to chill, take all interesting sights in and let Amber have a blast.

us.

(Top L-R)

Boracay Island as seen from above. It was my first time to see from this perspective. Although we flew by plane last time, it seems the route was different because that was via Cebu - Kalibo. This time it's to Caticlan wherein the travel time is shorter. It was actually Amber who pointed out the beautiful view. Ever since Amber travelled with us, we always let her take the window seat and she seems to enjoy and even point out landscapes and seascapes coupled with questions which I try my hardest to answer.

Amber playing by the waves.

While waiting for the sunset.

(Middle L-R)

It cannot be denied that Boracay has one of the best views of sunset. Having been to several beaches in the Philippines, so far they pale in comparison to Boracay. And although it may be too soon to say that, I will freely correct myself in the future.

The selfie, of course.

The Tides, the hotel we checked in, was kind enough to give toys for Amber.

(Bottom L-R)

My neverending love for sunsets. Every thing falls right in perspective every time I look at sunsets or nature for that matter. It somehow reminds me to just chill and enjoy life, others are immaterial in the end.

Starbucks Boracay. The place is just love. I hate to admit that I am one of those who love the coffee chain and I am not ashamed. 

Still, it's all about her. Amber and my birthday are just four days apart. All this was for her to enjoy. I know at some point in her life that she will probably just remember a few bits from this trip or entirely forget about it but I will always remember this. We will definitely come back and I have to admit, the older she got, the more I am excited to see how far our wandering feet will take us. Happy Birthday to us, my love.

Q1 of 2018

(Top L-R) 

First saturday of January was spent at USJ-R (University of San Jose-Recoletos) to impart knowledge about my work. I and a friend gave an overview of Purchasing in EPC setting to Engineering graduating students. It was a first for me and I had a great time.

First book of the year was 'Origin' by Dan Brown. It took me less than a month to read considering I get the chance to read only at weekends due to work. As always, the protagonist is Robert Langdon solving cases conflicting science and religion. In my opinion, it ranks next to 'Angels and Demons' in terms of great plot and setting. Aside from religion, there's a lot of things to learn in that book in terms of Art and History.

Ashley came to Cebu for a short vacation. It was probably the longest I have spent time with siblings since Amber's birth.

(Middle L-R)

A book involving Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander became my second book of the year. Actually, as of this writing, I am still halfway to its last page.

Bacolod. The first family trip of the year.

Back with colour-pencil drawing. It was supposed to be a sketch of Scarlett Johansson but knowing my tendency to deviate, that became the outcome. I love the details but the way I cut it into a bust was a little off. I could have just faded the colors or made a vignette around the neck area.

(Bottom L-R)

Robert Downey Jr. version 2.0. Finally, a sketch that looks a little like him. My first work of him as subject was not good.

Amber's Kinder 2 graduation ceremony. They were required to wear clothes in relation to their career of choice. Amber wanted to be an Engineer, just like his dad. It was not a surprise that she was the only girl Engineer in her batch.

Her official Graduation photo. She is looking prettier and getting smarter every day.

Amber is moving up from K2.

How time flies! Amber will soon enter grade school.

By chance, I was able to take a photo of her extremely happy at the sight of sand and sea. This was taken right after her baccalaureate mass at Birhen sa Regla Parish. It was a Wednesday and I have  taken a day leave from work.

I have told T about wanting to celebrate this milestone in Amber's young life somewhere. Supposedly it was a dinner at a restaurant located on a rooftop but due to the usual immovable traffic in the city on weekdays, he drove farther Mactan. To be exact, he took us to Suba Basbas which he told me as the place of birth of his grandfather.

Well, we couldn't be more pleased that the resort (Pacific Cebu Resort) was almost void of people that it looked like we had the beach to ourselves. Amber was jumping and happy all over the place which I let her be.

Her graduation will be held on the 24th March 2018.

To Amber: May you continue to amaze me with your being. Love you always.

Back in Cebu

I left Japan last 4th July 2017 and began working in Cebu on 18th July 2017. I could have given myself time for a break but knowing me, I need to keep myself occupied. Besides, the first two weeks of work as a new employee were (as expected) boring. 

Now, two months after my departure from Japan, I am beginning to miss that place. I know the decision was sudden but no regrets (although a little) considering my main reason for wanting to be back in Cebu was for Amber, it was for good cause. 

So, as usual, Cebu is typically humid and getting oh-so crowded. The traffic is getting worse but the place is still love. 

Finally, Cebu's famous landmark (Magellan's cross) and I met again. 

The building at my left is CSN (Colegion del Sto. Nino). It was my school from K1 to Grade 2. My parents had us (with my 2 siblings) transferred to a school nearer to our home). I vividly remember that everything was so big at the time, all the time from a child's perspective.

Finally found the time to actually take a photo. Be reminded people that back in the 80s, smartphones did not exist. This led me to envy the current generation for always having the opportunity of taking photos anytime, anywhere. 

Back then, taking photos or having photos taken was a luxury. I remember there were so-called professional photographers around Sto. Nino church. One photo costed around 20php (at the time, that rate was expensive). Only on special occasions such as Christmas and Birthdays, my parents never failed to keep the tradition of having our photos taken to document a memory until we started high school. 

Amber at 5, getting wiser (proud mom) and a little spoiled. 

Is this temporary? Yes.

Call me whatever but I have always wanted to live in a four-season country. Japan is ideal (people, food, convenience, and environment) but the language is a barrier if one doesn't bother to at least learn the basics. I have the basics and will make it a point to go back. Other countries are welcome. Netherlands was nice and who knows really where life might lead me. For now, I am enjoying Cebu. 

Nagoya

T and Amber came to Japan just in time for Golden week. Since I had a whole week of no work, I began to think of ways how to spend it with them. There was no way that there would not be any travel outside Tokyo or Chiba.

We chose Nagoya because Legoland just recently opened its doors to fans like us and that travelling to Nagoya will not take much of our time as long as it was via Shinkansen.

Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. 

Knowing Japan, they have this eccentric way of designing their manholes. This one is a water manhole with Water Strider design. According to my research via google (ahhh, the wonders of technology!), Water Striders are known to live in clean waters only. Meaning that the water inside this manhole is clean, safe and potable.

Nagoya Castle used as background for my mandatory ice cream selfie.

 Legoland was around 30 minutes by train from Nagoya station. 

I have to say that the price was too expensive (500 JPY short of Disney resort tickets) considering the park was not huge. On the plus side, the variety of food are many and kids below 10 will appreciate and enjoy the attractions more.

It Girls

A scale model of Tokyo Station and famous skyscrapers of Tokyo metropolis at the back. Just a few of the many scale models of Japan's famous landmarks.

Amber getting along with a Lego family

So secluded that we were one of the two sets of tourists strolling around.

The rotary just in front of Nagoya Station

We just stopped by the Science museum but did not have much time to get in after having seen the long queue!

Amber teaching me how to pose ala Little Pony. If I remember correctly, she changed her name to Apple Jack during this trip. She was Rainbow Dash during her birthday. As of this writing though, her name has changed again.

Overall, Nagoya may not be as famous and unique as Osaka but it was the experience that really made it special. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it was one of the best trips I have had because Amber was at the stage of getting funnier and wittier. She turned 5 a couple of weeks before this trip and her ability to retain information and attentiveness to details were amazing. I know this is nothing special for kids her age but I am her mother so to some it may be an exaggeration. 

Amber @ 5

This is a late post. She turned 5 over a month ago and it was amazing for i was able to celebrate it with her. 

Above was 2 weeks after her birthday, where she and T spent a couple of weeks here in Japan.

My lovelovemama, Elsa, R2D2, Shutterfly or sometimes any character in The Little Pony cartoons depending on her mood, you make me smile and feel loved! 

2016

Apparently, I forgot to blog about the highlights of year 2016. As most people do in social media, the need to recall the major events or happenings of a year has become mandatory.

Well, better late than never. Here it goes..in no particular order.

- Amber turned 4 and after a year of living in Cebu, she set foot again in Japan twice this year (in April, just in time for Spring and in late October, before Autumn officially began). At her age, she understood the concept of me away for work but if she were to choose, she wanted me to stay with her. Of course, it breaks my heart every time she randomly says that because I knew she meant it and I knew it was possible. But here I am, 3,220km away from her and an hour ahead of Cebu.

Just a few of Amber's favorites: Shinkansen toy, a Frozen wallet and her handmade necklace.

- Getting older and wiser. Let me be clear that wisdom-comes-with-age does not apply to all people but little did I know that the ability to give a sound advice and opine with conviction are something I thought I would never be able to do. Well, I guess, being a mother and having enough work experience do pay off.

- Less busy with work allowed me to reenter the world of arts for the nth time. I have an on/off relationship with my art but hopefully this year, I will be able to come up with a masterpiece.

- Being alone is not for the faint-hearted. I do admit to have bouts of depression especially right after coming back from Cebu for a short vacation. Twice this year, it lasted for at least two weeks. I was hoping for homesickness to leave after a couple of days but it did stay longer. It was a difficult time for me because it affected my appetite and that no means of entertainment could ever lift my spirit. Surprisingly, it did not affect my work. I was like a robot and hated it. Good thing now I'm feeling well even if I just came back from Cebu three days ago.  Here's hoping I will be stable for the rest of winter knowing that being surrounded with grey and cold are depressing enough.

- Osaka was unforgettable. It was our first trip as a trio to the western part of Japan, and also our first time to stay at an accommodation booked via Airbnb in Japan. The latter proved to be a good experience leading us to use Airbnb in our future travels.

- Back with Nihonggo class since September 2016. Our classes are held twice a month. Not enough but it will serve as good practice for me. I knew a little Nihonggo but with my lack of usage, it is still poor. So, I decided to sign up because it was free and I was bored.

- The house in Mactan has become our official residence for a year now. It was expected that we will accumulate a lot of things, nonsense and toys in a year. While spending my holidays in Cebu, I made sure to wake up early (while Amber and T were still asleep) so that I could just have the whole small area by myself with a cup of milk tea and thoughts on interior design. I know, I'm getting older.

Next post will be my 2017 goals. 

Osaka

T and Amber were here in Japan for two weeks just in time for the semestral break. We took that short time as an opportunity to travel. Initially, I had proposed Hiroshima as our destination but due to the distance - it will take 5 hrs by shinkansen - we changed it to Osaka. Though Hiroshima is still possible by traveling via air, it just had to be postponed at some later unknown date in the future.

Shinkansen is the ideal mode of transport compared to airplane. For the sole reason that it takes you right in the city while the plane takes you to the airport, and from the airport, you have to ride a bus or express train to the city. Besides, the experience itself is amazing. 

We started the journey at Tokyo station. From there via Nozumi shinkansen which stops only at Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto and finally Shin-Osaka.

From there we walked our way around less than 10 minutes to reach at our humble accommodation which we booked via Airbnb. I swear, I will use Airbnb in future travels for the sole reason of affordability. Our host greeted us at our arrival in the accommodation. It was the usual Japanese apartment but the good thing, it was spotless and clean. I kept looking for some fault but failed. 

Osaka manhole. It is very common around Japan to design their manholes in representation of their town or city. This, of course, is an art based on the Osaka Castle.

My interest in signages and shoes (yes, it's NB and I have no plans of burning them because they are comfortable - main reason why I chose to wear them on the trip). 

The gang.

Me doing typical tourist obligations. As a tourist, one should not miss a photo with the famous Glico man at Namba.
Namba is reminiscent of Shinjuku or Myeongdong. It is the center of night entertainment in Osaka.  Considering it was  a Friday, the crowd at the background was expected. Most are tourists based on their actions. 

Osaka is slightly different from Tokyo as I have read and observed based on fashion and manners. People tend to be laidback, more colorful and yes, tacky billboards in this area are overloading, hehe. Some would say the people from Kansai are not cold compared to Kanto people but I will leave this judgment to those who have actually lived long on both regions. My insights are very touristy and limited to 3 days. 

Dotonbori canal. It's Amsterdam of the east. When we arrived, the place was just filled with noise and fun. I couldn't imagine what it would be like if there was a special occasion if an ordinary Friday was that lively.

The night is always this colorful. I think that billboard of a Glico man has become an icon and automatically identified with Osaka. The design itself looks dated but instantly recognizable.

Day 2 was spent roaming around Osaka Castle. When I prepared the itinerary, I tried to limit the places on the important landmarks as 3 days can only cover a few, and keeping in mind that we have a 4 year old kid in tow. Amber was very cooperative during the entire trip. Probably due to her age, she easily understands if explained well to her level, of course.

My little one liked everything strawberry and Elsa. It was expected she would choose strawberry-flavored soft cream while Mama had green-tea flavored. 

Osaka castle is one the few remaining original castles in existence, and played a major role in the unification of Japan. I have read somewhere that Osaka once became the commercial capital, Tokyo the government seat and Kyoto, the imperial capital. It seems that all are now present in Tokyo, while the other two major cities carved its own identity still consistent with the nation.

One of my travel buddies got up close with birds at Nishinomaru garden. I wish to see more places with her.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

In the afternoon of Day 2, we headed to Osaka Aquarium. The entrance fee is a little steep compared to other aquariums we have been to but this aquarium is the largest and holds the most number of variety of seawater creatures. They take pride of their whale shark.

..and this colorful school of fish. They even have a space dedicate to Finding Nemo creatures

Amber in her usual curious self. She enjoyed the trip and even wanted to become a walrus or sea lion just because on how awesomely they swam.

Me contemplating on marine life. 

Osaka overall looks a little dated but that is its charm. If you go to JR Osaka station, one would be amazed of its design and surrounding skyscrapers and landscapes. At some point, T was curious and interested to visit Shinsekai. There, you'll find Japan stuck in the 80s. It has been considered a dangerous town but knowing Japan's idea of danger is an over exaggeration compared to other places in the world. I have read blogs of foreigners who were brave enough to wander the place that it is indeed stuck in the past, messy and structures dilapidated - somewhat abandoned. Its history is something I would like to read in detail.

Airbnb and Japan-guide.com proved useful in our trip itinerary and plan. Shinkansen was, of course, hands down efficient and comfortable. Better than planes. 

Five Random (vol.6)

It's been a long time since I last posted. The only reason for this is due to the fact that I kept myself busy with other things. For one, there's my book project (which is a huge improvement compared to last year's. We'll tackle more on a separate post), and there's my never-ending quest for the Arts. I actually created a separate blog just for that in Wordpress. ArteAmor

I was in Cebu for a week by the end of July. This was taken in Lapu-Lapu City (for Cebuanos, you'd know you are in LLC if you find the streets filled with multi-colored walls).

With a very short schedule, one of my many tasks at hand was to put up the wall project. The supports were from Ikea which I brought with us in May, and were installed sometime in June. I had been long wanting to filled it with photos so the one-week in July gave me the opportunity to do it. Most of the frames are from Ikea that I hand carried with me. Good thing they did not break. I hoarded frames from Ikea because they're cheap and lightweight.

Another part of our small house that was slightly revamped was the mini-library. I decided to arrange the books by color, and added my framed artworks. The frames here are all from Metro Ayala because I ran out of Ikea frames. When it comes to variations in terms of size in frames, Metro Ayala has better selection and more stock.

The light blue chair (a.k.a. the blue throne) was bought from Mandaue Foam way back December 2015. The pillow and its cover are from Ikea.

Of course, I spent quality time with Amber. At 4, she's a little grown up and chatty. For that whole week, we were late for school, haha. It had to do with the challenges of waking up, getting ready and breakfast. The setting was new to me all over again. Amber, like me, is not much of a breakfast eater but we want her to eat considering her tiny frame. Not that she's very thin, she's healthy but like any other parent, we encourage her to eat breakfast to gain enough strength and nutrients to get through the day.

And a week after my arrival back in Japan, I finally decided to buy a new laptop, a MacBook Air. My dear 10 year old HP laptop is still alive but can no longer connect to the internet because it's still powered by Windows XP, whose support had long stopped effective last year.

I saw it coming. Though an OS update would have been an option, I knew the time has come to purchase a new one. I would even have chosen an HP as replacement because the brand has proven its longevity and reliability but I'd like to try Mac this time, being an iPhone user myself. The reviews of Mac are all praises so I am confident Mac and I will go a long way, maybe not 10 years but hopefully it will be. 

One Week in Cebu

It would be really too depressing to bid farewell at the airport so I had it planned to go along on their way back to Cebu and spend a week there. 

As it happened, our flight was on Mother's day and a day before the Presidential Elections. The whole election bruhaha was about to end and was looking forward to the end of political posts in my Facebook newsfeed (i miss shallow posts!).

#Halalan2016. 

As it turns out, Rodrigo Duterte won. I failed to vote because of my failure to register. If I did though, my vote goes to Miriam Defensor-Santiago. Even if her chances are slim, i'd still give it to her because among all presidentiables, she was perfect, super-achiever and not corrupt. Though her health was an issue, i do think it will not affect her capabilities to execute such job.

Something Filipino. I love Filipino foods; so it came as a no surprise that every time I go back to Cebu for a break, I always look forward to spoiling myself with it. This amazing photo of a ceiling was taken at Kan-anan by Lantaw. I love their interior and the food was not bad at all. 

Flashback to the 90s. 

These are just the only Sweet Valley Twins' books that I personally bought. The rest of the series that I had read were from the high school library. I was introduced to reading novels because of SVT and  Nancy Drew, while at freshman in high school. Luckily, our school library had tons of teen novels, from Love Stories series to Hardy boys (which I never read), and even old Time and Life magazines in binder files.

My default Cebu phone is a Nokia 105. Bought it brand new in 2013 at less than 3,000 PHP. I bought it because I don't allow my iPhone to do roaming for the charges would be too costly. With this cheap phone, it is functional and inconspicuous. I have been using this for two years now and its basic functions of call and text are all I really need while on break.

Summer is terribly hot and humid in the Philippines. The temperature in Cebu felt like around 33degC (according to my last check). Without even the slightest move and even after a very refreshing shower, I still get sweaty after a few minutes. In Amber's case, she sweats a lot, too; that I end up bathing her for the second time in a day just after dinnertime. 

Inset photo was taken at Plantation Bay Resort & Spa. It was my first time there, and our impression was that it felt like being trapped in an island paradise, like a Disneyland resort even. It's very different from the usual resorts around Mactan. What I love here are the many shallow pools suitable for kids, restaurants are many, and the maze-like feature of  the whole resort allows one to navigate and discover little nooks to hang out.