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Category Archives: Japan Stuff

t minus 2 weeks

05 Monday Dec 2011

Posted by kilcher in Japan Stuff, Life Oh Life

≈ 2 Comments

At dahil nalalapit na ang aking paglisan (dalawang linggo na lang anubah), susubukan kong alalahanin ang pinaka-interesting na nangyari sa kin sa around four and a half years ko todits sa land of the rising sun and eternal office hours.

1. Mag-slide paibaba ng bundok dahil nilipad ng hangin ang isa kong glove. Saklap.

2. Muntik na mawala sa bundok sa Zao dahil super foggy at di makita ang harapan.

3. Ma-sprain ang dalawang paa. Nang sabay.

4. Ma-crack ang pinkie toe habang naglalakad with the bike (at marami ang version netong kwento na to).

5. Ma-attach sa isang upuan. I miss you Cher the chair. Sana buhay ka pa pero feeling ko hindi na.

6. Mag-hibernate nang isang buong linggo (golden week) without going out. Hibernate nga eh, shempre no going out. May pagka-redundant din pala ko no?

7. Mag-bakasyon (!) nang 2 months sa isang hospital.

8. Naadik mag-online-shopping. I will defo miss you Amazon and Rakuten.

9. Photography. ‘Nuff said.

10. Magcollect ng napakaraming scarf (scarves?). Ano kaya gagawin ko sa mga yun no?

11. Matutong magluto (level up from boiling water and *cooking* pancit canton). Pwede na ko ngayon mag-nilagang-B (bubuyog? bisekleta? bentilador?). Kaya ko na ata mag-grill ng steak at maggawa ng sinigang. Pero siyempre pinakamagaling akong magpipindot ng keys sa microwave at mag-type-type sa keyboard para umorder na lang.

12. Sara Bareilles concert. Yeh! Best concert ever! At asa video pa kami ni Benny hahaha. It was an awesome show. Kahiyuuuuh.

13. KT Tunstall concert. Yeh! Napagod paa ko sa kakatayo pero prime position kami ni Benny as in sa harapan. PS parang kamukha niya si Jolens. Hmnnn.

14. Maroon 5 and Aerosmith concerts. Yeh! Ang lalayo nila (Nippon Budokan and Tokyo Dome ang mga venues, respectively) so ang hirap makita ng pilantik ni Adam Levine and bibig ni Steven Tyler. Nevertheless, enjoy to the max ever.

15. Sakura Tulip Festival chuchubelles. Very special mention ang Meemax ahaha. Memorable talaga yun. Pero I don’t want to make lublob myself in the putikan and damage my camera haha. Traumatizing siya.

16. Sprint to shuuden galore. Kelangan abutan ang last train sa gabi. Buti na lang hindi ito parati.

17. Sprint in the morning para habulin ang tren na naman. OA na yang train na yan ah. Parating hinahabol. Five seconds lang naman ako nalelate di pa ko hintayin. Imbey.

18. Snow. Masaya pero nakakairita. Bakit ba kasi ang lamig-lamig niya?

19. AUTUMN — ang walang kamatayang autumn. I love autumn.

20. Kafunsho. Siya na, siya na talaga. Hanggang ngayon di pa din ata ako naka-recover sa damage na ginawa niya sa sinus ko.

21. Kyoto + Osaka + Kobe. Saya neto. Ang saya talaga.

22. … (Teka saka na yung iba, wala na ko maalala ngayon pero baka mamaya meron pa).

Sara Bareilles in Tokyo

21 Saturday May 2011

Posted by kilcher in Japan Stuff, Muzzak

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Tags

sara bareilles

2011.05.17

Man, she was awesome live. That was a really, really great show. I enjoyed it even more than the Maroon 5 concert we went to the night before this one. I mean, she sang Cee Lo Green’s Fuck You song with Gonna Get Over You. How more awesome can you get?

Too bad we weren’t allowed to take pictures. The only thing that I brought back as a proof of meeting her is this:

Cool huh?

10 Things To Learn From Japan

30 Wednesday Mar 2011

Posted by kilcher in Japan Stuff, Life Oh Life

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1. THE CALM
Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.
2. THE DIGNITY
Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.
3. THE ABILITY
The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.
4. THE GRACE
People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.
5. THE ORDER
No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.
6. THE SACRIFICE
Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?
7. THE TENDERNESS
Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.
8. THE TRAINING
The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.
9. THE MEDIA
They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.
10. THE CONSCIENCE
When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly!

* * *

Reposted from the 2.000.000 People To Support Japan Group on Facebook.

* * *

Photo gacked from here.

Shaken, Not Stirred

12 Saturday Mar 2011

Posted by kilcher in Japan Stuff, Life Oh Life

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Tags

Japan Earthquake, Sendai Earthquake

There’s something about experiencing massive quakes and aftershocks that don’t seem to end. I guess when we think about how we’re alive and safe and our houses not part of a massive misou soup due to the tsunami, that kinda puts things into perspective, and it makes you thankful, at least, that you’re marginally fine and not physically damaged or anything.

***

Still unable to form coherent thoughts. I’ll probably write more about this when the shocks stop. Whenever that is.

***
Update: March 15, 2011

So it’s currently March 15 already and today marks my 4th year anniversary of being in Japan. It’s been 4 days since the massive earthquake and we’re still experiencing tremors that it felt like our office building never really stood still. And yes, we went to work today even if it took two freaking hours just to travel from here to there.

***

My friends and I have been losing our heads over this nuclear meltdown thing and how radioactive particles released from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant could reach Tokyo and/or Kanagawa. Lo and behold, radiation is present but they say it’s a really small amount. Our company president posted these values in our bulletin/news group/group page in Facebook:

Tokyo(Shinjuku) 0.809microSv/h
Kanagawa(Kawasaki) 0.209microSv/h

Comparing those with the usual levels they use for CT-Scan (6900microSv/h), these are still really low, right? I just hope those values won’t rise over the next few days.

***

It’s been, what, 3 days since I haven’t gone home because the train line that goes from where I am now (a friend’s place somewhere in the outskirts of Tokyo) to where I live (somewhere along the Odakyu-Odawara Line) has been cut off. I thought I could go back earlier since the line going to my station’s operational but the one connecting that line to the one I’m in just started at 2230H or something. I’m not sure when the trips will stop so I decided not to brave it out there and risk the chance of getting stuck somewhere that I don’t know the area of.

***

It’s March 15 and amidst the chaos and the hysteria and panic and whatever else shite there is, I almost forgot MarcT’s birthday. So anyway, before it’s too late — HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE!

***

When I was walking home from the forced overnight stay we did over at a hospital near our office, I was composing this blog entry in my head. I told myself I’d write those thoughts down when I get the necessary rest and time.

But then again, after 4 days, I can’t remember what to say anymore. I know that the terror I felt during the first 7.9 quake will never be erased in my mind and that will probably still be the most terrifying moment of my life (we were still inside our building during that one and we were on the ground watching the buildings sway during the massive 9.0 quake). I dunno, I’m not sure why I can’t exactly tell the story about that day. I’m pretty sure those people up north would blank out when they’re asked about their more horrifying experiences, too. Blank out or break out in hysterics or most likely just proceed about the whole thing calmly, like most Japanese people do.

***

I’ve never been more thankful about Japan’s strict building codes and their awesome earthquake engineering. Buildings swayed like crazy, yes, but at the end of it all, they were still left standing tall.

Exception to that are those up north in the coastal prefectures — Miyagi, Ibaraki, Iwate, Fukushima. The quake didn’t destroy their buildings and homes — the massive tsunami did. 🙁

Concert Line-up

18 Friday Feb 2011

Posted by kilcher in Japan Stuff, Muzzak

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First of all, I would just like to shriek first and release all this fan-girling energy before I go crazy.

SARA BAREILLES MIGHT COME TO TOKYO WOOHOO!

No date yet and I can’t remember the Japanese site that Benson sent me but WHATEVER!

For the meantime, here’s a video of Sara performing in the Chicago Hard Rock Cafe last year:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1paebsoH8o

***

Okay, before I go get myself LSS~ing on King of Anything and Let the Rain and One Sweet Love and Gravity and City Lights again, I probably should get myself ready for the following first:

3/30 – KT Tunstall @ Shibuya. Gad, I hope my 1-day leave gets approved already.

5/16 – Maroon 5 @ Nippon Budokan.

Can’t wait!

***

ETA the page where the news came from:

サラ・バレリス 初来日公演が決定!

全米アルバム・チャート初登場1位!アメリカが認めた真の実力派シンガーソングライター「サラ・バレリス」の初来日公演が決定!

本年度、第53回グラミー賞「最優秀女性ポップ・ヴォーカル・パフォーマンス」に、レディ・ガガ、ノラ・ジョーンズ、ビヨンセ、ケイティ・ペリーと共にノミネート!
惜しくも受賞を逃しましたが、既にここ日本でも1stシングル「キング・オブ・エニシング」がFMラジオ局を中心にパワー・プレイ!

サラ・バレリスは2007年にアルバム『リトルヴォイス』でデビュー。
このアルバムはグラミー賞「ソング・オブ・ザ・イヤー」「最優秀女性ポップボーカル」の2部門にノミネートされ、大ヒットを記録。
日本でもシングル「こんなはずじゃなかったラブ・ソング」がスマッシュヒットしたのも記憶に新しいところ。
そして、2/23(水)にはいよいよ待望の2ndアルバム『カレイドスコープ・ハート』が発売!
今最も注目を集めるシンガーソングライター「サラ・バレリス」の初来日公演は必見。

公演詳細は近日発表です!

サラ・バレリス Sony Music Official Site

Source:  <UDO> Artists, Inc. ニュース

Sardinas Redux

02 Wednesday Feb 2011

Posted by kilcher in Japan Stuff, Life Oh Life

≈ 1 Comment

Crowded Tokyo Train

Matagal-tagal na rin pala mula dun sa huling maipit ako sa mala-sardinas na tren. Ni hindi ko na nga maalala kung kailan yun. Ito yung pakiramdam mo nandidilim na ang paningin mo at parang andaming dots (ilang dpi kaya yun– eheerrrm*nerd*eherrrrm) na everywhere tapos kapag naitaas mo yung kamay mo para mag-reach sa (unreachable) hawakan eh hindi mo na maibaba hanggang umabot ka na dun sa kung san ka talaga pupunta tapos hindi ka na makahinga kasi heller nasa mukha mo na yung likod (sana likod nga yun) ng kung sinuman yung katabi-kaharap-kalikod mo tapos ito talaga yung sobrang nakakapagod na pakiramdam mo ikaw si Leaning Tower of Pisa dahil napipisa ka na sa kakasiksik ng mga tao sa yo.

Hay, grabedad.

Nangyari ito kanina pag-uwi namin. Ang saya pa naman dahil yay pwedeng umuwi nang maaga dahil may (super-late) end-of-year eklat sa company. Nagtatanong pa ko kung anong gagawin ko sa free time ko dahil nga ang aga namin lumabas. Pero naman naman naman pagdating sa station, lekat na yan, siyempre kelangan late ang train. (Hindi namin ma-gets bakit basta late). Sa isang iglap nawala na lang bigla yung pinakamimithing free time.

Ayun, so late nga yung train di ba? Siyempre dumami nang dumami nang dumami yung nag-aabang na gustong sumakay na halos mapuno na yung platform. Tapos dumating na finally yung train. Yebah Hachiojiへ! Goodness gracious great balls of fire. Eto na bonggang-bonggang gitgitan woohoo! Grabe na ang hirap huminga at gumalaw at mag-stay upright kasi merong naka-lean sa amin na ilang persons ba yun. Iritasyones. Sakit ng likod ko. Super strained pa ang tuhod dahil hindi ka direchong nakatayo. At mula sa station na kung saan kami sumakay mantra ko na ang “sana Machida na”.

Andami ko reklamo haha, parang di pa talaga ko nasanay no?

Pero sa totoo lang hindi na talaga. Oo, ganito ang drama ko dati, pero circa 2007 pa yun. Nung bago pa ko nagkasakit na parang may elepanteng nakaupo sa akin (ibang kwento naman to). Enihu, kaya siguro ako nanghina nang bonggang-bongga at nagkasakit noon. Eh sa araw-araw na dumaan, ganun ang nangyayari. Pagpasok sa umaga. Pag-uwi sa gabi. Ganun pa din. Sardinas kung sardinas. Magkapalit na kayo ng mukha, likod, pwet, at kung anu-ano pa, ayos lang. Mapagod ka na nang sobra-sobra. Mahawa ka pa nung kung anong meron yung katabi mo. Keber lang. Basta makasakay sa train at makarating sa paroroonan nang on time.

Gigil.

Pero buti na lang winter. Buti na lang talaga. Kasi kung summer pa to, ewan ko na lang. Ayoko na lang ipilit. Magpapa-late na lang ako siguro ng uwi.

***

Photo from [ Link ]

Madarao Kogen Snowboarding

30 Sunday Jan 2011

Posted by kilcher in Japan Stuff, Life Oh Life, Sports, Travels

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Also, I never knew snow tubing and sledding are so fun!

Snobo Here We Go

27 Thursday Jan 2011

Posted by kilcher in Japan Stuff, Life Oh Life, Sports

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First Blood at Hunter Mountain Shiobara

Heck yeah! Another snobo trip this weekend. Excited much?

Blurry

14 Tuesday Dec 2010

Posted by kilcher in Japan Stuff, Life Oh Life

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Blurry

Everything’s so blurry
and everyone’s so fake
and everybody’s empty
and everything is so messed up
pre-occupied without you
I cannot live at all
My whole world surrounds you
I stumble then I crawl

{ Puddle of Mud }

***

That’s supposed to be my Christmas Tree — I know, black and blue, how festive — but it’s all blurred because, duh, BOKEH, and the blurring is supposed to be all profound and shite. But whatever, I guess I just have to accept that this year’s Christmas is just going to be one of the suckiest ever. After all, it’s just a day. They don’t even celebrate it here in this part of the universe.

/Obligatory Grinch~ing

Stationary

03 Wednesday Nov 2010

Posted by kilcher in Japan Stuff, Life Oh Life

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fisheye roll 001

Some people think that they’ll never move away
until they do and then they’re not there anymore.
Some people always think they’ll stay just the same
until they don’t and then they’re not anymore.

***

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