Kape at Keso

Now I understand why most Japanese I know say that Cebu beaches are clean - well some aren't actually. ⛅⛅⛅ For the Golden Week Holiday, we went to Fujisawa in Kanagawa to visit a friend. Enoshima Island is nearby so she toured us around. It was pretty much crowded than we imagined but we didn't bother anyway. We went up the lighthouse which cost us 500 jpy each. And from the top of the lighthouse, this is the view. 😍 The sea breeze is still refreshing although the water is not as clear as Cebu's. 😄 I could spend the day just looking at this scenery. With Ava, my childhood friend. We grew up in church together but I'm actually 3 years older than her. After skidding our way out of the island, we stopped by Ate Toshi's house to have some dinner. 🍣🍗 It's been a while since the last time I saw Ate Toshi. She has aged with grace. She's Japanese and she was a missionary in our church in Cebu f...

Just a month ago, I had to go to Itabashi-ku's local government office to get a certificate of residency. It was my first time to go around that area, so I strolled a little bit and enjoyed the local scenery. And what really caught my attention is this huge Philippine flag. I got so thrilled and rushed closer to this building. Then to my surprise... I really thought it was a Filipino restaurant, but it's actually a pub. I've heard about Philippine pubs in Japan long before I decided to become an English teacher here. More than three decades ago, some Filipino women were sent to Japan to work as "Japayuki". Well literally, this word is a combination of two words "Japa = Japan" and "Yuki = to go" so it means "to go to Japan". However, for Filipinos it would mean "to work as an entertainer in Japan". Suffice to say, we had negative and sensational connotations to that word. So, whenever somebody would go to...

The Place Goyong, Borbon is located in the Northern part of Cebu Province approximately 74 kilometers from Cebu City. To reach the place, it takes about 2 hours ride by bus and 30 minutes walking up and down the slopes and the rough, uneven path towards the village. The place was affected by typhoon Yolanda five years ago. Because of its distance from the highway, little help reached the people.  An organization once supported the community and encouraged them to move to a nearby area. While others did so, others just stayed. Compared with the southern part of Cebu, the northern area is not so abundant with crops and vegetation. So instead of farming, people opted to work in the city as house helpers or construction workers to feed their family. The children As young as 13 years old, most of the kids in Goyong grew up thinking of working than studying. They felt the need to earn earlier than they supposed to in order to support their family. Actuall...

At the end of a semester, READS Organization holds "Parangal" to recognize academic achievers and graduates of the year. About five years ago I was in it and was chosen to deliver a speech for the Batch Prophecy. A batch prophecy is like "how and where do you see yourself and others five to ten years from now". Instead of the usual success stories, I made mine fictioned . Please read on. 💗💗💗 "After us rebels win the war against capitol and president Alma Coin, I decided to stay at District 12 where I wanted to start a new life of hope and peace with my Peetah Mellark.. Life will never be the same…but I will always be the girl on fire, the mocking jay…  I heard that my fellow tributes, Kim Clavecillas and Achellie Berdin of Districts 10 & 11 accepted the offer of working at the capitol.. under the brilliant leadership of Panem President Razel Tagalog …  The annual hunger games will still be part of Panem but this year’s game will have ne...

It was too cold that I cried.  Born and raised in a tropical country, I seriously needed to prepare for Winter. However, I underestimated the freezing temp and I ended up getting sick on my first three days in Japan. My body is used to the 28 degree temperature. Adjusting to a 20 degree drop is something big. I felt so frustrated that I cried. Good thing, a Japanese friend sent me some blankets, socks, and packs of vitamin C drink.  My friend's gift (winter clothes) I was also advised to put a hot compress on my head after a nosebleed. I took some medicine too and had to always wear a mask every time I go out. Always keep your body warm, they say. In my room, I set the heater to 27 degrees. I was crying inside. Not that I already missed the Philippines, but how I felt so weak and pathetic. I don't want people to feel pity on me. I'm strong, says my pride. 😜 Winter is not a joke. The thought of snow doesn't excite me anymore. Not now...

Found a thank-you letter inside my locker. My heart skipped a beat. I realized how I'm still drawn by hand-written letters. If only I was born at the time snail mail and telegram were a fad, I would've sent and received thousands of letters and have them read by my grand-kids. The letter was from a student whose graduation I missed because I was on a holiday. Although the words were simple, they surely mean big to me. It's not often that we are thanked for the things we do which we thought are mundane and routine. That simple letter brought me back to the reason why I chose this kind of job. Whenever you want to thank someone even for the littlest thing they do, please do so. It won't hurt you if you say thank you, but it will surely add life to that person. We don't have the abundance of time. Let's say Thank You. 😉 Inside were a face mask, post-its and of course that Thank you letter. 😍

Doing a countdown can only speed up the time. It's roughly two months before I'm moving to another country. The thought of it is still so surreal. I wanna keep this feeling to myself but every night I'm consumed by it and stay up later than usual. I don't even know what's this feeling like. I think I'm in hysteria. But no. It isn't excitement, it's apprehension.God! Thoughts like, "God, do you really want me to go?" "Is it the perfect time?" "Lord, what if I'm just dreaming?" "What am I gonna eat there?" "What's my purpose?" and the list goes on. I'm clouded with petty concerns but they're overpowering my senses, making me lose track of what matters today, at this time, at this hour, at this minute, at this second. Then last Sunday, through the preaching of the word, God reminded me of his faithfulness. God reminded me of the cross, the finished work on the cross. God has alre...