Blogger’s Block

I don’t think it’s a very long absence but the inevitable thing has happened to me the past week: experiencing a bad case of “blogger’s block.” Akin to mental block and our very own writer’s block, blogger’s block is my inability to write anything of value. Despite the fact that I’ve got a lot of “pending stories” and so many thoughts are running in my head, I’m at a total loss for words (well, except for this one.)

I guess this happens many times once in a blogger’s life. My only consolation is that you can never call yourself a full-fledged blogging bug unless you experience this. To borrow that much-abused term, we’re only human, aren’t we?

The condition I am sure is temporary. After all, people can go on hiatus for many reasons. Blogging can’t be our life, there are many other components of our life and there are certain circumstances in our life which can intervene with the time we spend on the computer. We cannot share everything in this seemingly tiny yet limitless space because truth to tell, there are some things we’d rather keep to ourselves. We can’t be eloquent all the time and frankly, we’d rather lie on the beach watch a movie go biking skinny-dipping throw the garbage … blah blah blah. Yet I know that I can never say goodbye to blogging despite the fact that the whole updating thing can be really unnerving. Hope to back in the loop in the coming days .

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Magical Norway

When it comes to Norway, two things immediately come to mind: my all-time favorite Norwegian salmon or laks and my high school buddy Anna Lyn who is comfortably settled in that faraway place with her two lovable daughters and husby.

As a travel destination, I have to admit that Norway, the Land of the Midnight Sun, is out of my radar. And so it came as a surprise when my close high school pal, Lei, decided to spend her vacation there after smelling the breeze in Paris. Judging from Lei’s account of her trip, I am suddenly intrigued by this country which has one of the best standards of living in the world.

Lei’s email to me:

Thanks Ju. How nice of you to remember my birthday.
J’adore Paris. It kicks NY’s ass, must say. You’ve been, I’m sure, during your croupier days? Norway exceeded my expectation. It’s unspoilt. Have never seen skies so dramatic nor breathed air so fresh. I honestly wouldn’t mind living there even if it’s very expensive (25% tax). The fjords are breathtaking. Anna Lyn and family were the perfect hosts. I had whale steak. Not planning a trip to Manila anytime soon, NZ notwithstanding. Also considering Japan – Kyoto most likely.

Take care. Do let me know when you might be Canada-bound.


Lei

My reply:

Hi Lei! How can you excite my interest about Norway in such a few lines?

I’ve never been to Paris even though I’ve been to France.

Never been to Madrid even though I’ve been to Spain. Same with Brussels even though I’ve been to Belgium (… but I think Brugges was equally beautiful!)

Never been to Hong Kong even though I’ve been to the airport.

How ironic is that?

I would like to know why you are not keen on setting foot in Manila. I understand , you might have your reasons. I am stuck in Manila. Maybe you’d have to tell me when Norway opens its immigration soon, hehe. Regards.

Ju

Un-Friendstered! & Other Lapses in Etiquette

Two persons deleted me from their Friendster accounts the past two months which caught me by surprise. One did so mysteriously, the other told me why. I really don’t think I should be losing sleep over some people who have profound attitude problems but this is exactly the reason why I think Friendster sucks in the first place. Why should they inform me about the new features they’ve added, who’s uploaded new photos and who are celebrating their birthdays hhetcetera, but leave me at a loss as to when I’ve been removed from somebody’s circle. Do the admin guys really assume that Friendster members are so juvenile they wouldn’t take this bad news kindly if it was delivered to them straight in the face?

I don’t pretend to be Miss Congeniality but what do ex-Friendsters get by un-Friendster-ing me as well as others before me, in the absence of a sane and mature reason? Being the pragmatic person that I am, I believe that people who expand their network and gain buddies (rather than enemies) will achieve more in life… kailangan pa bang ispelingin ito (do I need to spell it out?)? Unless of course the object of my hatred has done something that’s below the belt, such as what some evil ex-friends have done to me in the past, then I take the calculated risk of isolating them.

Back to what we were talking about, the first person to un-Friendster me was MBA stude, the guy I’ve been seeing for months. I was Friendster-surfing one day when I realized I could not access his profile. So I YM him, almost frantically: “Why did you remove me from Friendster?? ” And the reply came a few days later: ” I saw you with another guy..”

Duh? I almost fell off my chair. Truth is, anybody can see me with another guy since I have quite a few platonic male friends and male business acquiantances I often go dining with. I was 101% sure that he did not catch me in the incriminating act of holding hands or doing PDA with somebody. But since I was 99% certain that he saw me on an official date, all I can do was admit to the deed, that yes… he did see me with another guy. I just thought it was time to cut off communication with somebody who saw me once a month, texted once a week, chatted with sporadically and yet expected total fidelity. The friggin’ double standard is the reason why I don’t like to date “narrow-minded” Filipino men, but that’s another story. MBA Stude would text and YM me again but what’s the point? The moral lesson here is that you cannot be friends again with anybody you have so rudely un-Friendstered.

As a consequence, I’ve limited my Friendster profile to my first-degree friends and I really won’t scramble to add any more. It’s good enough that I have my high school buddies, blogkada, a few decent workmates and a few best friends. Frankly, am overaged for this stuff; it is my son who should feel at home here in the next few years (hehe). I still think it’s a glorified dating agency (or social nuisance, as the case maybe), prostitution joint ( what with all those x-rated pictures) and certified poster site for narcissists who think it is the high point of their earthly existence to have 98 forcibly-extracted testimonials, 500 friends and a second account for another 500 friends to boot (mag-barangay chairman na lang kayo!)

Japan by air, land and sea

Just got back from my whirlwind trip to Tokyo. Four days and three nights certainly wasn’t enough to discover the beauty of wonderful Japan. I am sure there were lots of gazillion things I missed, giving me more reason to go back there again in the future. In the meantime, I had fun absorbing the country, the food, and the culture in the shortest time possible. Tokyo was oh-so-cosmopolitan. I fell in love with it the way I fell in love with New York seven years ago. In the train station and everywhere, people seemed to be rushing rushing rushing. Somebody in our group observed that there didn’t seem to be a single pregnant woman around, making us wonder if these people still had sex lives…bwehehe. The clothes everyone wore were far from ordinary, making Pinoys look like cloistered creatures in a nunnery. The food was quite expensive, but boy, I could eat it everyday. But the most elating fact was that most of the Japanese people I met were warm, polite and friendly..eager to help anytime. A woman dressed in kimono in the train gamely posed for my camera, something which would have been impossible in America. Needless to say, the level of their technological advancement is amazing. One looks at the skyscrapers of Tokyo and wonder how this country mustered the will to rebuild itself from the devastation of the Second World War. Of course, the atrocities they committed in my country could not be forgotten but experiencing Japan first-hand in the heat of its summer, I only have the finest memories.

It was certainly great experiencing Japan by land, sea and air. Some of my notes from this trip:

The Japanese toilet. Sorry, I just couldn’t resist writing about this one. Some establishments still offer the traditional latrine-type toilets (the one attached to the ground) but the modern ones are your standard toilets with function buttons to the left. You can choose whether you want the “bidet,” spray” or turn the “powerful deodorizer” on. Heck, you can even select what kind of “flushing sounds” you like. Neat, no?

The bullet train (shinkansen) is one living proof of the efficiency of the Japanese transport system. It’s immaculately clean, and is equipped with telephones, Japanese- and Western-style toilets, as well as plugs for electronic devices like laptops. It also doesn’t come cheap. Our two-hour train ride from Tokyo to Nagoya cost approximately $100. But at least the ride gives one a good view of the suburbs, industrial towns and the countryside.

LCD screens everywhere! From giant electronic billboards to TVs in private cars and on the public trains, not once will you forget that this is one country where the gods of technology are found.

Sony Style Store. I wasn’t able to visit the huge Apple Store in Ginza but we did go to the Sony Style Store in Odaiba where I ogled at the gadgets on display (specifically the ultra-thin Vaio notebooks), played with the robot dog AIBO and literally tried my hand with the PS2 Eye Toy. In Odaiba, we shopped at the Venus Fort, an Italian-style mall and took a close look at Palette Town which reportedly has the world’s biggest Ferris Wheel and the Fuji Television headquarters. And oh…I also got on the wheels of an MR-5 at the Toyota Mega Web, a giant showroom of the famous brand’s vehicle line-up – from hybrids to upcoming models to those dating back to the 50’s. You can even test-drive the cars provided you reserve beforehand.

Cruising down Tokyo Bay. I had the impression that people in Tokyo walk fast, really fast – one thing which I can very well relate to. But ’twas a totally different experience when you board a traditional Japanese houseboat and just let the wind blow your hair while enjoying the scenery of bright neon lights and glimmering buildings which dot Tokyo’s skyline. The houseboat we boarded looked small from afar but was very spacious inside, seating 120 guests. Here, we feasted on all kinds of tempura and sashimi. I also drank my first bottle of Kirin beer and had six shots of sake which was so sweet I thought it was… juice. Thankfully, I wasn’t inebriated at all.

100 Yen Shops – Yes, Tokyo is such an expensive city. I did the math and realized that my teriyaki burger value meal at McDonalds was P250, coffee at Starbucks was P200 and an average bento meal would cost me between P500 to P1,000. However, thank God for the 100 yen shops where everything was 50 pesos! I bought here loads of school supplies for the kiddies, kitchen/baking tools, omiyagi rice crackers as well as some Jap souvenirs for my pasalubong. Expectedly, most of the stuff was Made in China but then… good enough.

Le Meridien Pacific was our residence in Tokyo. I liked the fact that it was walking distance to the Shinagawa train station, restos and malls. It also had a TGI Friday’s and had a nice view of a lush garden from our room. And don’t forget the Shiseido toiletries in the bathroom. They smelled so good we simply had to stuff them home (hehe).

Ueno – Back in Palawan, I asked a Pinay married to a Japanese what she would recommend for affordable shopping in Tokyo and she pointed me to Ueno which is like the equivalent of their Divisoria. Going to Ueno by my lonesome on our last day, I was particularly fascinated by Ameyokocho which had rows of wholesale/discount shops as well as stalls selling fresh and dried produce. I also dropped by Takeya, a violet-colored building where Pinoys buy the requisite Nissin cup noodles in a box of 20s. Among promenaders, Ueno is noted for its sprawling park which hosts a museum, zoo and a number of temples. I dropped by there too.

Other things I associate with Tokyo - clamshell phones. Transparent umbrellas. Artsy nails. Even artsier food presentation. Accessories galore. Free tissues. School girls in mini-skirts. The fashion statement: definitely not boring.

As in previous trips, I overdid “travelling light.” To my horror, I found out too late that I forgot to stuff in my suitcase my two pairs of shoes and only had with me my high-heeled one. This proved to be unbearable during our walking expeditions and so walked the rest of the way in my hotel slippers. Bummer!

Now that I am back in Manila, I must say I left my heart in Tokyo. I really did. *sigh* I can eat soba, sashimi and tempura every day of my life.

A Bloggers’ Eyeball in Tokyo

During my visit to Tokyo last week, meeting my fellow blog friends who are based in the Land of the Rising Sun was high on my agenda. After all, we have this Blogkadahan network whose Filipino members are located not only in Asia but also the US, Europe and New Zealand. It has become a tradition for us to meet whenever a fellow Blogkada goes into town to visit, and the meeting comes complete with the exchange of little gifts, dinner and of course, loads of engaging conversation.

I was therefore filled with so much excitement to finally see Sachi, a Filipina who’s been living in Japan since 1984 and who is considered an expert on all things Japanese. It takes a visit to her wonderful blog to be thoroughly apprised of the uniqueness of the Japanese culture and what contemporary living in Japan is like. Prior to my visit, she advised me to keep in touch with another Pinay, Athina who is based in the heart of Tokyo with her Japanese husband, a photographer. Meeting Sachi and Athina for the first time upon arriving in my hotel that rainy Monday, I am once again reminded of the many good things that blogging has brought me and the most important of these are the genuine friendships I’ve struck with certain people who are as nice in real life as they are online.

Since we only had a few hours to spare, Sachi and Athina wasted no time in guiding me through the harried maze that was Tokyo, including teaching me how to buy tickets and ride the train. After a few stops, we landed in Harajuku, a trendy district which has all these quaint shops and is often frequented by young people. We had fun having our pictures taken in the “purikura,” an automated do-it-yourself photo shop where you can select themes and put designs on your own pictures. Then they treated me to a nice dinner at Jonathan’s, a Japanese diner where I had my lunch-dinner of chicken teriyaki. After a few hours of shopping (mostly at the 100 Yen shop), I had to convince them to have to a value meal at McDonald’s, which was equivalent to 250 pesos in the Philippines ~ whew! The teriyaki burger was good, and so was the following conversation with my fellow bloggers. As expected , Sachi had lots of interesting tidbits to share while Athina, who is well-read and well-travelled, was more quiet and introspective. Read more here.

Palawan, The Beautiful

Palawan has always been one of my dream destinations in the Philippines. Having been there last week, I am glad that it surpassed all my expectations. Going to these remote islands makes you forget all the troubles the country is in. After all the smog, traffic, dirt and noise of Manila, Palawan lets you believe once again that this was how God envisioned our beloved country to be – beautiful, pure and pristine from the very start.

Going to north Palawan, our group boarded an Asian Spirit flight which landed at the Busuanga Airport. This is a very small airstrip but it’s certainly commendable for having a clean toilet with a roll of tissue. I’d say this is worth noting considering the pitiful state of public restrooms which sometimes make you swear off travelling and leaves a bad impression of Pinoys being an unhygienic lot (so not true!!)

From the airport, we rode a huge outrigger boat. This I absolutely loved because the wind caressed my face and the open deck gave us a scenic view of the islands with their abundant greenery and the tourquoise blue waters underneath. It was so clear we can even see a school of fishes swimming and swimming.

Thirty minutes or so later, we arrived at the place which would be our home for the next three days, Club Paradise. We were immediately given our welcome drinks (fresh fruit shake) and partook of a hearty lunch. The softshell crab in chili sauce was to die for and so were other seafood specialties like the grilled labahita, squid, and tanguigue. I munched so much that I forgot I had been poisoned by mussels weeks before. I would learn later that while fish and other treats from the sea were abundant in Palawan, the vegetables and fruits come all the way from Manila. That’s because agriculture is not a common industry in the province.

Afterwards, we settled in a nicely-appointed cottage which had a cozy hammock at the entrance and a breathtaking view of the sea and the mountains from the verandah. Most importantly, the beach was just a few walks away.

My roommate Zee was the greatest, and to think she’s only 22 years old! She makes these fancy accesories and jewelry which I couldn’t resist buying! Zee was also nice enough to take pictures of me with her cam and let me borrow her cellphone. I was aghast to know that there was only Smart, and no Globe signal where we were and so I was dissociated from my mobile for the next few days. There was satellite TV though and also internet.

The next few days were spent savoring nature at its best as we went boating through the island’s lush mangroves, swimming, snorkelling and engaging in a few adventure sports in the sea ( I thought the Ringo Tube was scary enough because I was attached by my lonesome to a rushing speed boat).My companions also told me that the waters were a haven for divers..too bad I wasn’t one. Even then, I was in love and in awe at the beauty surrounding me that it made me think I would definitely retire in the islands by the sea someday.

And what would a perfect vacation be without lots of laughter, dancing and booze going around? Make it a few shots of tequila please.Even though the whole place was too romantic and reeked of “honeymoon,” our group of predominantly single girls were determined to enjoy it the best way we can.

When you’re in Palawan, you don’t really need a man…lol.

For the few pictures I’ve salvaged, click here.

My remaining Philippine travel wishlist:

- Batanes
- Vigan, Ilocos Sur
- Bohol
- Banaue & Sagada
- Donsol, Sorsogon (for the whale-watching)
- Cebu (one more time!)

Spot the twins

My favorite at the moment is this one of my twins hamming it up for their class picture (even though Dianne the other one seems oblivious to the moment)As a single mom, it is a source of pride for me to be enrolling them in a good kindergarten school, despite the odds. So far, they’ve been loving every minute of it and I couldn’t ask for more.

Full-fledged Haponyuki

Yay! I am definitely going to Japan next week. Finally got my Japan visa today.. otherwise known as the visa others would die for, hehe. That means I will soon fulfill my dream of setting foot in The Land of the Rising Sun.

In the meantime, I’ve been researching the Net for places to dine in, shop and see. Forgive me for gushing, but am all too excited with the fact that I’ll be riding the bullet train, having a river cruise, and staying in this top hotel, among other things besides. Hopefully, I’ll be able to meet with some blog friends too.

Watashi wa Ginza e-yukitai desu.

Abu-nai!