Thursday, January 25, 2007

Sinulog 2007

First time ko sa Sinulog Festival sa Cebu. Bitin nga lang, kasi my partner and I had to go back home on the 21st. Sayang, street dancing Mardi Gras pa naman yun! Nevertheless, masaya rin sa dagat mag piyesta! Ito kasi yung ililipat sa kabilang isla (Mactan to Cebu yata...) yung centuries-old na Sto. Nino icon.

Aba 5am pa lang ng umaga eh we were already wading through a low tide to get on a tiny boat to bring us to a 16 seater outrigger boat. It was still dark and thanks to one beam of light from a friend's flashlight, we were able to see what we were stepping on... squishy seaweeds and sand! The water was not cold but quite warm so ok lang.

Masaya talaga, may mga brass bands na tumutugtog at maraming nagsasayaw at mga naka-costume pa ang iba! May mga maliliit na bangka, mga yate, outrigger, coast guard na umaaligid, jet skiers at may isa pang maliit na eroplano na panay ang mala-Pearl Harbor na dive tapos nag sasabog ito ng flower petals na dapat bumagsak sa barko na sinasakyan ng Sto. Nino icon. Maraming nanoonood sa pamapang, tulay, harbor at mga barko. Sabay-sabay na nag-TOOOOOT, TOOOOOOT ang mga malalaking barko bilang salubong nila sa Sto. Nino, ito lahat plus fireworks and fire crackers!

Thursday, January 11, 2007

UNCHI cupcakes anyone?

There is this funny pic of cupcakes at this blog and it just reminds me of UU. That store might have to work on another way to frost their cupcakes, nevertheless, this might just turn out to be a HUGE hit among the Japanese and Koreans!



and this is actually a TURD HAT you can that you can purchase here!

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

iPhone --- ((( hikab )))

Nakakatawang basahin yung article sa INQ7 tungkol sa iPhone. The mobile phone reinvented daw ito. HA??

This is old news when you are in Japan. The phones here have been carrying these features for a couple of years now. Lalo na yung internet capability - ang tawag dito ay iMode, this was developed and introduced many years ago. May GPS features ang ibang mobile phones dito and pretty soon some will be playing hi-res TV programs.

More on the keitai from an LA Times article...

Friday, January 05, 2007

Mga Pinoy Inventors

I always come across this "claim" that a Filipino invented the moon buggy. I am just wondering why the inventor never laid claim to it. I might have missed it though, so please let me know where I can actually read a statement from our Pinoy inventor of the moon buggy.

Isa pa ay yung nag-imbento ng Flourescent Light, Pinoy daw. Ang kaso eh hanggang dun na lang ang information na makukuha ko sa kanya; sana may website siya o kaya mga well-researched articles tungkol sa kanya dahil sa kagustuhan kong paniwalaan ang mga claims na ito eh di ko naman pwedeng ipagmalaki dahil konti lang yung facts na alam ko to back up the claim di ba?

Tignan nyo yung imbentor ng FLOPPY DISC - si Dr. NakaMats...

never sober



ooops, I suddenly realized I have some unfinished bottles of stuff from the long holiday! glad to have a few rubber plugs and a vacu-vin pump. however, the sherry and the pinot will definitely lose a lot of flavor unless I go on a binge NOWWW!

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

a quiet new year

Ganito ang pagdiriwang ko ng pag dating ng bagong taon sa Tokyo...
9pm, mag umpisang panoorin ang KOHAKU program ng NHK kung saan mo makikita ang da best and the worst pag dating sa kantahan. Magandang experience ito sa ENKA - ang walang kamatayang Japanese Ballad!

Kain kayo ng Sushi, sashimi, nabe (hotpot) at walang tigil ng ka-iinom ng nihonshuu (sake), of course one has to get a really good brew! This year, I would recommend, YO-I-SEN from Iwate Prefecture. A dry sake. Truly nomiyasui! (easy to drink and it does not give you that dreaded hangover afterwards)

Kohaku will end about 15 mins to midnight, by then you will be sated, and if Pinoy, you will start yearning for the sounds of triangulo, superlolo, boga, and the pika pika of hamon, keso de bola, and the stuff you usually find on a Pinoy dining table. The inuman part, is of course de luxe so I do not complain... I welcome the new year quietly, sated and still mindful of what I have to do in 2007. As the Japanese greeting goes...
AKEMASHITE OMEDETOU GOZAIMASU, KOTOSHI MO YOROSHIKKU ONEGAISHIMASU!

(congratulations on a new beginning, this year, may I ask you to please bear with me as I go about pissing you off while learning your culture...) the latter part take on a different meaning since it depends on who is saying it... Yoroshikku Onegaishimasu!

12:00am - happy new year.. sa TV you will see how the new year is received... very solemn and quiet. Temple bells ring 108 times, I can hear one from where I live if I turn off everything. It is a truly awesome way for me to celebrate the new year, drunk and meditating to the temple bell. It did brought me to my senses!

HERE'S TO GOOD HEALTH IN 2007!