Malapit na ang Tag-init...

Malapit na ang Tag-init...sa Tokyo, lalabas na ang pusod, balikat, likod, mga binti, hita, tuhod, at lahat-lahat na! It gets pretty hot and humid here in the summer, just like in Manila. Kaya bahay na bahay ako sa panahon na ito. Yun nga lang, this season sets me into daydreaming mode - thinking about the beach and the sea in Pilipinas, while a salariman starts his day asleep on my shoulder (despite the sharp nudges I give him) on my may to work.
What to do then? I can't afford a plane tix to Manila right now so I've drawn up a list of things that I can do in Summer:

1. Visit Tsukiji Fish Market before an outright ban on us pesky tourists is put to work. I have never been to this place in my 10 years here, just because I have to wake up pretty early, like 4am! Now that there have been several "rules" for tourists - because they supposedly interfere with the day-to-day going ons at the Market... like touching a prized tuna with bare hands! HOMAYGASS...alam mo ba kung magkano yan?! or just being in the way of those speedy people carts that whiz through the wet and busy aisles!

2. Go to Kappabashi.
I met a chef once who told me that I should visit Kappabashi since I also love cooking and good food. It's been about 7 years since she told me so, I better get going.

3. PAINT.
Recently, a dear friend of ours crashed at our place and she noticed that there were NO new art on display at home. She has a couple of my works at her place already. Lola C has been at it ever since, "I have never seen you paint ha (may Tagalog na sya) ".... ok, ok, I will summon my muses and I hope they are not on summer leave. I also have a couple of commissions for dear friends that I have to work on. They too have been wondering wtf has happened to me. Sana magawa ko na nga ito.

4. Continue my Nihongo classes - so far so good but very slow.

5. Workout - as usual, same-o, same-o

6. Go to the Tokyo L&G Film Festival and Pride March -
http://www.tokyo-lgff.org/2008/e/index.html

e-22-loy!

Zaturnnah sa Maynila

oo ang sequel ay makikita sa blog ni Carlo Vergara!
"ra-ckyyy".. ika nga ng mga Hapon kapag naka-jackpot sila. Ako, beri beri ra-ckky! I missed visiting Carver's blog and was glad to find out that he's posted a series of the sequel to Zsazsa!
Kaya magmadali at bumisita na!

I love a rainy weekend

The rainy season has started, the weather is still cool though a bit muggy at times. A perfect lazy weekend, nothing to do but snuggle in the sofa bed, draw open the terrace doors while enjoying the soft rain and cool breeze, listen to Michael Franks and fall into a deep slumber, then wake up to a dark living room, throw in a dvd and watch, then snack on whatever in in the fridge, catch the world cup qualifiers - Japan vs Bahrain, run to the convenience store in house clothes at halftime and replenish drinks and chips, scribble, draw and blog about it.


Yummy wasabi potato chips, cold beer and well, a not so fantastic game this time, although Japan won in the last few minutes of the game.

Less is less

大学校のとき、Mies Van Der Rohe (けんちくかです)のデサインのてつがく、“less is more”,をならいました。私のかいしゃくは、“less is less”です。
むかし、バンコクにすんでいたときに、ぜいたくな生活をしていました。ちょきんが、ほとんどありませんでした。だけど日本では質素な生活なので、大丈夫です。
さいきん携帯電話のせいきゅうしょをもらったとき、びっくりしたよ！ごうけいが２ばいだったから、ヤーダです！そのりゆうが、携帯電話でたくさんしゃしんをとった、それをパソコンにおくりました。はんせいでした。ほんとは、携帯電話はあまりつかわないで、るすばんでんわだけほうがいい。そのうえ、私はククレジットカードをあまりつかわない。たまに、せいきゅうしょが、ゼロです。
マンションのでんきせいひんはほとんどない。テレビがあるけれども、ケーブルはない、電子レンジとさらあらいきもないです。ほんとに、こどものときからいままで、こういうものはぜんぜんつかわない。東京は、こうきょうのこうつしゆだんがとてもべんりなので、くるまはいらなにとおもいます。たくさんあるくことは、からだにとってよいことです。

"do one thing a day that scares you"

treasures

My chipped coffee filter and mug, both of which I could not part with. They have seen me through countless mornings, all hungover or rushing to catch my train, and more. The filter is from a dear friend who left for greener pastures and yummy pho 24/7. This is the same filter that we used to pour coffee in when I first set foot in Japan, 10 years ago, and had to share an apartment with 2 friends who readily and unselfishly accommodated I and C, since we did not have enough money to rent our own place yet. The glazed mug, a present from Lola C, well, I asked her to buy this for me since I love glazed stoneware that's hand-made.

Sabi ng matatanda sa atin, kapag may basag na ang tasa o pinggan, dapat na itong itapon dahil malas daw ito. Hmmm, di naman totoo yun. I guess it's more of a safety precaution di ba? My mug's rim is chipped in places where I usually sip coffee at so now, I have to
turn it a bit. Ewan ko ba, I am so attached to these two talaga.

I also have really worn out T-shirts and summer shorts from my Bangkok days, mostly from JJ (Jatujak Market) and a special tee from Khao Yai National Park. C and I really love these and just could not send them to the Salvation Army next door everytime we do spring cleaning.

never ending ending

Langya, kakatapos ko pa lang magsunog ng kilay sa aking maikling kuwento na salin sa wikang Hapon eh, may nag-amok ba naman dito sa malapit sa amin! Ayoko nang isalin ito, patayan nanaman, nakakapagod na! Kaya basahin na lang ninyo sa susunod na link.

A week has passed since this shocking incident in Akihabara, a popular otaku hang out, where a man mowed down some pedestrians with a small truck and then went on a stabbing spree that left 7 dead. That place would not be the same anymore.