Spring Season: It's Sakura ~

Hello to my BLOG! HAHA! After more than a year of hiatus ;]


Last May 2013, I was in Japan for a short but a very memorable trip. One of the many experiences I had that made it memorable was the 'Sakuras' or Cherry Blossoms in english and 벚곷 in Korean sightseeing.


Once a sakura blossoms, it takes a week or even less until it withers. And since my trip was on the latter part of Spring, I didn't expect to see a parade of sakura anymore. Good thing we made a trip to Southern Nagano and saw a strip of Sakuras while plying the expressway. However, it was not our real destination..

Superhighway to Southern Nagano

And soo.. the following day, Sunday, we decided to get up early and purposely visit this parade of Sakura before heading to the 11AM Sunday Mass (Yes, wherever I go, I try my best to attend Holy Days of Obligation -- I just skip once, I think?). 

Here's the awesome place:

Sakura Heaven I

Sakura Heaven II

Japanese Life: Notable Experience

While looking at my old photos in Japan, I found several unique, distinct and noteworthy experiences that are definitely worth sharing. It can be the things that caught my attention while traveling around the beautiful city of Nagano. Or the activities I did with my foster family. It might also be Japanese actions or cultures that, in one way or another, contributed to their country's success. It might be nothing for us but its really something for them.


SELF SERVICE GAS STATION:
Have you ever imagined a well-respected corporate employee wearing coat&tie gassing-up and washing their own cars in the gas station? Well, you will find a lot in Japan. Self-service gas station are a little cheaper than gas stations with gasoline boys. However, looking it long-term, if you finish one full tank in a week, one can really save hundreds of money in a do-it-your-own station.  Just lower your pride a little. I also had my share of becoming a gas-boy fueling our car while preparing for the following day's big activity: Tokyo Disneyland trip.

Filipino Gasoline Boy

Waiting for full tank

Fashionable Japanese cleaning their cars

HeadStart 2012: Kinga Shinnen!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
It was January 1, 2012.

I woke up with renewed self for the coming year but I still could not understand my feelings. It was New Year. It was already 2012. But I'm not with my biological family. I'm with my foster family. I was not in my dormitory. I was not in South Korea, where I study for a year. I was not either in the Philippines. I was in a different place. I was in a house. I was in Inasatomachi. I was in Nagano City. I was in the Land of the Rising Sun when the sun first rose on 2012 or Hatsuhinode (the first sunrise of the year).. Yes, I was in Japan! I was wondering whether it was a dream or reality? Then.. It was definitely a reality!

Yes, it's really Japan

Japanese Custom: New Year's Day Postcards
I went down from "my room" (I call it my room because it's a spare room I used during my visit so I own it. hahaha) to the living room to greet everyone 'A Happy New Year!' And in return, they gave me New Year post card. My foster mom prepared it around 3am, when we arrived from our long-tiring transit (I will post about this soon).

My New Year Gift

My Happy New Year 2012 Postcard

They received hundreds of postcards and even the children received their own postcards from their classmates, friends, relatives or their own acquaintances. The Japanese have a very special custom of sending New Year's Day postcards to their friends and relatives (Nengajo / 年賀状).

Some of my foster family's New Year postcards

Ski Experience: 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics

Iizuna Ski Kogen Resort
"Ski the Heart of Japan"
January 6, 2012.

It was my 2nd to the last day in Japan but there were still a lot excitement and memories to paint. I was slated to a whole new experience: SKIING!

We went skiing at Iizuna Ski Kogen Resort, one of the Ski resorts used during the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. By the way, Nagano was the south most city that hosted Winter Olympics.

Iizuna Ski Kogen Resort: Used during the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics

Tokyo Disneyland: Where Dreams Come True

January 2, 2012.

It was already a dream come true for me when I got the chance to visit Japan once again. But it became truer when I came to visit Tokyo Disneyland. It was definitely a magical playground. I don't mind going back to Disneyland theme parks for the nth time.

This day was simply a blast.  We were out for this journey for 22 hours. Yes, 22 hours including travel time from Nagano to Tokyo to Nagano.  We started our journey 4:00am to be in the theme park at around 8:00am just in time for its opening at 8:30am.  We just had a stop in a 7-11 convenience store to buy our breakfast  and off to the long road trip.

Now, let's discover Tokyo Disneyland through the following photos.

Even though we were very excited, we still slept during the travel. Save some energy for this big day! Travel Tip: Like all journeys, you need to have a good rest. But you should get extra rest for this one. It's a very long day with thousands of people fighting to be the first.

During the 4hr road trip

The Tokyo Disneyland Map:
Travel Tip: Make sure to get your map at hand and plan your route inside the park. You don't want to waste your time by doing back and forth because of the attractions not visited when you pass the place. Make sure to consider live performances as well!

Tokyo Disneyland Map

Unexpected Vacation: Japan&Korea

This vacation had mixed feelings for me. Winter vacation in Korea is Christmas vacation in the Philippines. And when you talked about Christmas in the Philippines, it's a very special season of the year because it's the time when families would gather and spend time together. This is the first Christmas without my family. Back in the Philippines, even though I lived away from my family due to university studies, I always make it to the point to go home on this very special season. However, for this Christmas vacation, or shall I say winter vacation, I cannot make it. It’s quite sad but I have to accept this reality. Nevertheless, I spend time with them online through video calls. Thanks to technology and the fast internet in Korea and Japan.

And my winter vacation does not end there!

At Gyeongbokgung Palance

I was not able to be with my family physically but I was able to meet and spend time together again with my Japanese host family back in 2009. I participated a cultural exchange program in Japan and met my lovely host family. When they learned that I’m currently studying in Korea, they immediately made a plan to spend their winter vacation in this neighboring country. A perfect consolation for not spending my Christmas with my family.

At Seoul Tower with Snowy background

They went to Korea for 4days and 3nights. I was literally with them the whole time, from airport to airport. First, we went around the city – Gyeongbok Palace (경복궁), Insadong (인사동), Myeongdong (명동), Seoul Tower (서울 타워), Teddy Bear Museum (테디베어뮤지엄) and Nami Island (남이섬) to name a few. I could remember when I asked my foster mom what she wants to do in Korea; she cheerfully told me that she wants to go shopping. Indeed, we spend several hours shopping in Myeongdong and Insadong. We also had random shopping in other places of our city sightseeing. Aside from the tour, we didn’t miss to try different Korean dishes and street foods such as Bibimbap (비빔밥), Samgyetang (삼계탕), Samgyeopsal (삼겹살), Steam Chicken (찜닭) Toppokki (떡볶이), Odeng (오뎅) and many more. However, we had one problem. Spicy foods. My foster mom, sister (11 years old) and brother (8 years old) cannot eat spicy foods. Even if we tell the waiter not to make it spicy, the restaurant’s “not spicy” is still spicy for my foster family. Nevertheless, they liked the food even if they cannot bear just a little bit of spicy foods. I just told them that even I myself don’t like spicy foods before. I just learned to eat it here and like it because it will be my meal everyday for the next few months.

“I was literally with them the whole time, from airport to airport.” Yes, because my vacation didn’t end when they went back to Japan. They gave me a trip to Japan. I joined them going back home. I stayed with them for a week. I spend time with them like my real family. I showed them the pictures we had during our first meeting, pictures of my family, pictures of my stay in Korea. I also told them stories that happened to me. They also told me their stories at the same time showed pictures of our meeting and their family. We reminisced together. On my last day in Japan, my mom and I didn’t even sleep just to maximize the remaining time left before I went back to Korea.

In Japan, we went to the places we visited before like the Zenkoji Temple. We also went to Tokyo Disneyland and Iizuna Ski Resort, where the 1998 Winter Olympics was held. It was one of my wishes to visit Tokyo Disneyland and it happened when I least expect it. In addition, the skiing experience was very fun. I didn’t believe it to be that difficult until I wore the skiing equipment. I stumble 5x but continued to play with the enthusiasm to learn how to do it because my foster mom was there to assist me. Like what Disney Parks would always say, “Where Dreams Come True.” Indeed, Tokyo Disneyland and Skii Ride were dreams come true for me!

At Tokyo Disneyland

At Iizuna Kogen Ski Resort

Aside from those ‘dreams come true’ activities, I also met a childhood friend of mine whom I didn’t meet for almost 5years already because their family migrated to Japan in 2007. We spend time and talked about the things that happened to us. In addition, we also prepared a very special Filipino meal for my host family as a gratitude for everything that they gave me. We cooked Filipino food, “Chicken Adobo” and “Nilagang Baka” for viands and “Fruit Salad” for dessert. We ate it with Filipino style and etiquette. This means that we get rid of rice bowls, individual viand bowls and chopsticks for big plates, spoon and fork. We also put the viands on the table just like what we do in the Philippines. My foster family was very grateful for what we did. But if we come to look at it, it is nothing compared to what they have given me.

They were very happy for me! Such a very kind and sweet family of them. I would say that they are not just any ordinary Japanese family. I am very grateful and forever be grateful to meet a family like theirs, Kawamura Family.

To summarize my winter vacation, I could only say a word: MEMORABLE!