Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Visited on December 2010

Show of Dancing Lights at the Ayala Triangle Park.  Runs every 30 minutes from 6pm onwards.  Hope you still catch it!  It’s really pretty!  Cheers!

A Short Trip To Japan

Visited 2010 October

Notes from the author.    Well, I had a very short trip to Japan of 3  1/2 days.  It was an official trip, so the chance to go around wasn’t much. Although when I was there, I’ve told myself that I should at least visit 5 interesting places or do 5 interesting things.

In my short trip, I was able to do the ff:

1) Eat Japanese food – of course! : )  On the average, the food costs about 500 yen to 1000 yen.  In USD, that’s about $8.00 to $12.00  per meal. 

I saw some interesting desserts  in Japan like this ice cream concoction on a big loaf of bread.  I hope the dessert tastes as good as it looks on display.  The food display isn’t the real thing.  It’s a very realistic looking display.

2) I visited the Shibuya Station where the famous Hachiku dog statue is found.  If you know the story, Hachiku is an akita dog who remained loyal to his master even after many years after his death.  He would wait at the Shibuya station every day for his master to return.  And he did this for 9 nine years after his death.

Above is the photo of the real dog born in 1923. Below is the statue in present Shibuya station.  People flock in this station to take  the photo of the dog statue.

And this is the  movie.

This movie is a tearjerker! For an animal movie, this is really very touching.

3)  I also had a glimpse of Shibuya, Tokyo.  Shibuya is known to be one of the fashion centers. I’ve seen teen agers dressed like the anime cartoons which I’ve grown to watch on tv.  The Japanese have a different fashion sense, uniquely different from the rest of the world.

The office workers are all dressed in suits.  I even took a photo of a street stall selling suits for men in Shinjuku.  I guess this is pretty common in Japan, but you wouldn’t normally find suits being sold in the street anywhere else. (I think.)

4)  I was able to ride the bullet train (or known as the Shinkansen in Japanese) a few times. 

The Tokaido Shinkansen, was inaugurated in 1964 as the first shinkansen line and the world's first high speed train service.  At that time the trains already ran at about 200 km/h. Today, they reach speeds of 300 km/h.

From the outside, you could see how fast the trains were, especially the newer ones. When you are inside, you can hardly feel a thing. 

The train ticket cost about 160 yen about USD3.00 but it depends on which station you are going to.  From Shibuya to the Narita Airport, it costs about 3000 yen.  That’s more than a one  hour ride, and plus I got the reserve seats, so it costs a little bit more.  But the seats are no different from the unreserved ones.  The unreserved seats are just basically first come first serve,  and they cost  cheaper.  There are 2 ways to purchase a train tickets – from the ticketing offices or counters, or the ticketing machines – found at the train stations.  If you are deciding to buy from the ticket office, as you might want to ask for more information or because you don’t know how to operate the ticket machine (because it’s basically in Japanese characters), you may need to tell them that you want the unreserved seats, as they will give you the reserved seats if you’re not specific.

Important:  I had a difficult time comprehending the Japan train line. For one, there are many trains operating on the same track.  So you can get on the wrong train which will take you to la-la land.  And there are train schedules to watch out for. They are on the dot.   They will leave you if you are late.   I even had a train closed on me without warning.  I think the best thing to do before you ride a train is to ask the commuters if you are riding the right train.  And yes, it can be difficult, because a lot of the Japanese can’t speak English.  But they understand  hand gestures and they are helpful.

5)   Because the training was in Gotemba,  I had the chance to go there.

Gotemba is actually just a small city, but looks like rural Japan.   The weather was getting cold. It was nearing fall.  You will also see Mt. Fuji from Gotemba.   Since the weather was mostly hazy, I didn’t see Mt. Fuji.  I just saw the tip of the mountain from the office, but I didn’t bother to take a photo.  It was too small to even be recognized.

It was a  hazy morning on Monday, but you can still see the mountains on my hotel window.

On a clear morning, the place looks like this.  Gotemba looks more like a small town.

BTW,  the hotel rooms in Japan are quite small.  Very clean but small, and they only gave us one pillow.  It didn’t bother me though, it was better than most boutique hotels I’ve stayed in.

My Japanese colleagues were kind enough to take us to the Gotemba Premium Outlet stores where you can shop for branded and signature apparel and bags.   I didn’t need anything, so I didn’t buy anything, although they have a good selection of  branded items.

6) While I was in Tokyo, we had dinner at the Gonpachi Restaurant which is the set of the Kill Bill Movie, starred by Uma Thurman.

This is the actual restaurant.  Gonpachi at Nishiazabu, Tokyo

We ordered too much food, and it costs us about 4,000 yen each!  We are about 10-15 people. That’s roughly about USD65.00 each. I’m not really sure why we spent that much. But the food was good.

7) We went around Shinjiku for about an hour.  Shinjiku is where you will probably find a lot of  electronic and IT stuff.  The Odakyu Department Store is a whole building which has  a lot of gadgets and gizmos.  But they also sell toys and clothes on other floors.

8) Narita Airport – anyway, I didnt have much time to shop in Tokyo at all.   But there’s an airport mall in Terminal 1, 4th level, at the Narita Airport. I haven’t been in Terminal 2, so I don’t know whether they also have an airport mall there.  But if you’re lucky to be in Terminal 1, you can go there for your last minute shopping, which I did. 

Some other interesting things I learned in Japan:

- the toilets are so high tech!  So many buttons to play with.  Japan is just really technologically advanced in almost everything!   I haven’t ridden a single taxi which doesn’t have the gps system and power doors.  (The doors open with a  single push of a button from the driver’s seat.)

-Coffee is big in Japan.  They have a  variety of coffee products sold in the convenience stores .

- the sailor moon outfit is actually a normal school uniform

- people are so honest, that stores would display mobile phones (even iphones) outside the stores which you can hold and touch, and without  any glass encasement.

- Japan is very clean.  No foul smell even in the small alleys.

-I find the Japanese as  very courteous people and helpful even if there is a language barrier

- Halloween seems to be a popular occasion considering this is western influence.

- Family Mart, which is their version of 7/11 is in every nook and corner of Japan, literally.   So if you’re just looking for food to go or something cheap to eat.  There’s always  a Family Mart near you. :)

Careluega, Nasugbu – a new discovery

 

Notes from the Author.  Caleruega is a house of prayer and renewal located at Nusugbu, Batangas. The way to go here is using the road to Evercrest Golf and Country Club.  It's open to activities like retreats, weddings, environment related  and company activities.

Careluega is actually nearer to Tagaytay.  So if you plan to visit Tagaytay, I would recommend also going to Careluega.  It’s really beautiful place where you can be close to nature.

  

Tagaytay on a Clear Day

Visited on August 2010

Notes from the Author.    There are many new things happening in Tagaytay these days. 

My last visit was in 2009, and I’m seeing new developments.  There are new restos, more botique hotels, condo developments, town malls and new activities.

Tagaytay is  one of the nearest escapes from the city, about an hour 1/2 trip from Manila. 

Here are some photos to share:

The Picnic Grove.  

The Zipline at the Picnic Grove.  One of the popular activities in Tagaytay.  They also have cable cars.

Taal Lake and Taal Volcano on a clear day.

 

The Taal Vista Hotel.  My first time to come to Taal Vista, and it’s highly recommendable if you’re thinking of an over-night stay. The rates are on the high side, but it is one of the best.

  Taken from Leslie’s Bulalo Restaurant.  If you like Bulalo for lunch, go to Leslie’s.

Anvaya Cove Travel Photography

Visited on April 9, 2010

Notes from the Author.  I had another travel photography trip in Anvaya Cove last week,  conducted by the Filipinas Heritage.  Anvaya Cove is Ayala Land’s first leisure community located in Morong Bataan, not very far from Subic Bay.   It’s an exclusive beach resort with beach lots  for sale.  Aside from the beach, they have a nature camp for company team building activities.

It was excruciatingly hot that day and to take photos in the middle of the day was not fun at all.  My thoughts were somewhere else like taking a dive into the pool or sleeping (haha).

But I paid for a photography workshop, so I had to make an effort at least to take good pictures or pretend.     I would say that my best shots weren’t about the beach or the pools (which were really inviting at that time), but  my shots of nature, people and the beach life.

Here are some of my best shots:

Good Friday Processions

Taken on  April 2, 2010

Notes from the Author.   A common Catholic practice in the Philippines during Good Friday or “Biyernes Santo” are the religious processions.  Catholics  join in as the different statues of Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, St. Peter and other significant characters during the time of crucifixion of Christ are paraded across town.

This year was my first time to join a procession.  It was a long and arduous walk under the summer heat,  which lasted about 2 hrs and 45 mins.   Truly it was a form of sacrifice.  And every year, Catholics would join processions as a way of showing their devotion to Christ, Mother Mary and the saints.  My relatives always join every year, and they have been walking for more than 30 years.  

Beautiful Central Park at NYC

Central Park in Autumn of 2008

Notes from the Author.  One of my favorite trips in NYC is my visit to Central Park. 

Central Park is about 843 acres or 6% of Manhattan's total acreage.  Practically, you would have to walk about 6 miles from North to South, or if you follow all the walking trails, about 58 miles.  In short, one day isn’t enough!   So, I just had a glimpse of  Central Park which is fine by me, although I would love to re-visit as there is still so much to see.

For more info, visit:  http://www.centralpark.com/

You can’t miss Central Park when you’re in New York.    I’m pretty sure summer is beautiful,  but autumn is also a nice season to be there with leaves turning red and orange.   

The Jellyfish Display at the Manila Ocean Park

Visited on March 2010

Notes from the Author.  Catch the new Jellyfish display at the Manila Ocean Park this summer.    Just got a preview today of the so-called “dancing sea fairies”.   Really magical to watch.

One of the jellyfish featured was the Blubber Jellyfish.  They were placed in light changing aquariums.  Since the Jellyfish is a semi-transparent creature, the colored lights pass thru their skins, and the effect is amazing!    (Reminds me a bit of the lava lamp.)

See the Jellyfish glow in the dark…

  Dramatic in Red!

One of the jellyfish which I found interesting  is  the ‘immortal jellyfish’ because it has the ability to return to it’s juvenile stage, thus, it never dies, until it gets eaten. 

Some facts about the Jellyfish:  They dont’ have eyes, noses, ears or brains.  They only have tiny sensors.   I’m not sure whether they have the ability to feel pain or fear, because even bugs can sense fear. 

Of course, the Manila Ocean Park is known for housing different aquatic animals, especially fish. 

Some photos in the Oceanarium

  The underwater tunnel

Visit their site:  http://www.manilaoceanpark.com/index.html

Hot Air Balloon Fiesta – Clark, Angeles

visited February 2010

Notes from the Author. My friend and I recently went to the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta at Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Pampanga. The Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is held once a year. This year was my first time to go and it was a smash! There was a big crowd doing the same thing we’re doing – taking lots and lots of pictures. (Didn’t know that a lot of Filipinos are fascinated by Hot Air Balloons.)

Hot Airballooners up in the sky. I was able to shoot this with a Panasonic Lumix 12x zoom.

Fancy Hot A ir Balloons – Turtle, Barnhouse, Sun. (The turtle was my favorite!)

Flight of the balloons at sunrise. (We had to wake up at 4:30 am and be at the site by 5:30am for the balloon flight. But it was all worth it. )

Balloons dispersing in the early morning sky at the Clark Airbase, Angeles City.

Taken at around 6:30 pm, almost dusk. This is what they call the Hot Air Balloon Night Glow.

The event started with a man parachuting while carrying the Philippine flag with the Philippine National Anthem being played in the background.

Aside from the Air Balloon Flights, the 4- day event was packed with other activities such as the Paragliding exhibition, Ultralight Aircraft Flyby, Kite flying, Skydiving exhibition, Aerobatic display and many more.

www.philballoonfest.net