Rare Photos: A Mother’s Day Special

Unless done and taken by a well-known or critically acclaimed photographer, a photo is often appreciated on what it contains.  Unless you tell that it’s shot by a popular photographer, only few or even no one would ask who took your photo.  May it be a good angle of your face, a suddenly slim-looking body or a surprisingly sweet smile it’s always the person on the photo who receives raves and praises and never the photographer.

So to appreciate a work done by a nonentity in the field of photography, let me post two rare photos taken by her.  These photos are preciously exquisite because the one who took it is often the one photographed and never the one behind to click the camera.   These photos are so rare because she never shoots photos for she doesn’t know how to operate a camera.

These photos were taken from our recent trip abroad.  In our trip to Japan, I and my family were able to accumulate more than a thousand images and snapshots to chronicle our delightful adventures.  And out of these voluminous shots, only four photos were made by her.  I will post only two of these four shots since the “qualities” and “characters” of such photos are basically the same.  Again and let me reiterate that she is always the one photographed and never the one who photographs.

no.  there's nothing wrong with your vision.  actually, it's very artistic.

no. there’s nothing wrong with your vision.
it actually looks very artistic.

love this shot!

love this shot! “may nginig paktor!!!”

These rare photos were taken by Nengkoy.

These photos are stupendously extraordinary because it took us long arduous minutes to prolong our smile, held our breath and stay motionless on a pose.  We need to stay still and wait for Nengkoy to peep through the narrow viewer and at the same time find her index finger to the camera’s shutter to shoot these atypical pictures. The waiting to hear the clicking camera to shoot these motionless moments were so gruelingly prolonged, all of us in the photo kept quiet which made the room so silent it hurt my ear.

After four shots, we gave up, no one complained and quietly proceeded to call a waiter to order our dinner.  Actually after these shots were taken, I felt exhausted!

Happy Mother’s Day Nengkoy!!!

Kakaibang talento hatid sa inyo ni Nengkoy sa araw ng mga Maders…

 

A Super Fun Day At Universal Studios Japan

One day.  That is how long me and my family has allocated for our attack and invasion of the first Universal Studios in Asia.

I was actually not excited that USJ (Universal Studios Japan) was in one of our itineraries in our journey to Japan this year.  Two weeks before our trip I and my niece Kim checked out the USJ website.  Both of us thought that it was plain, ordinary and simple run-of-the-mill theme park.

During our first visit to Osaka, we did not bother going to Universal Studios because we thought the thrill and excitement would basically be the same as that of our family’s former trip to Universal Studios in Singapore.

But we were completely, veritably and absolutely wrong!

had fun here...

had fun here…

the gang at the facade

the gang at the facade

look at how wide the streets are!

look at how wide the streets are!

As soon as we reached the façade, first thing I noticed (which is unlike the Singapore version) is that it’s huge!  The streets are wide and spacious! And the attractions do not looked cramped into a limited space.  Thus, even though there were lots of people, the park don’t feel like it’s congested and overcrowded.

But what was even greater about this theme-park-adventure was the rides and attractions.  Good thing Denden (my nephew) planned very well the sights and rides we are to take.   He seems to have plotted it in a thrill-escalating manner.  Except for the roller coaster Fantasy Ride which my nieces and nephews excitedly started with, imagine we (including Nengkoy, my 76-year old mother) commenced our adventure with the kiddie Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic program and ended with the viperous 85-feet near vertical drop of the hair-raising Jurassic Park ride.

luis with pink (not the singer but the stuffed toy)

luis with pink (not the singer but the stuffed toy)

after the amazing spiderman ride...

after the amazing spiderman ride…

the wacky photo taken during the 85 feet drop of jurassic park ride

the wacky photo taken during the 85 feet drop of jurassic park ride

Among the features of USJ, the ones that I enjoyed most were the rides of Back To The Future, The Jaws, The Spiderman and of course the Jurassic Park.  In all these amazing rides, I felt the cross-fertilization of fear, terror, shock, awe, astonishment and of course excitement hybreedizing down my spine.  That is why while on a ride, I was screaming at the top of my lungs so as to discharge these feelings.

denden, nengkoy and ate gaying loving the parade...

denden, nengkoy and ate gaying loving the parade…

And to cap the day off, USJ featured their jaw-dropping, amazingly awesome and totally fantastic Magical Starlight Parade.  It was the parade that brought the same feeling I had when I personally saw the Disney Parade in Hongkong.  I was so happy freaky tears of joy were running down my face.

Abot hanggang Pasay ang sigaw ko grabe. 

Anna’s Cups Is Erika’s Music

erika: the lady with pretty good musical foresight

erika: the lady with pretty good musical foresight

This post is dedicated to my niece Erika who would frequently play this music when I and my relatives were having a fun vacation in Japan.

Last year when I was in Japan, Erika could not stop playing the song Call Me Maybe when it was still fresh and not yet a big hit.  She even fell asleep in front of the computer playing that song.

This year, while having a vacation in the same country again, Erika yet again keeps on playing a song.  This time its entitled Cups sang by the lovely Anna Kendrick.  Though not really a new track, this song was included in last year’s musical movie entitled Pitch Perfect.

As an upshot of incessantly hearing the same song over and over which is similar to a hypnotic induction, I and my relatives were actually swayed to watching the movie via web while in Japan.  And we did and we had a good laugh!  The movie was purely entertaining!

Surprisingly, while we were in Japan, Anna Kendrick last April 12 actually published/released a new (director’s cut) video of this track on YouTube which as of this writing has reached more than 2.6 million hits.  Though the acapella version is really fresh this remixed edition has some cool vibe it in.

Here’s another pretty cool version

Now that I’m back in Manila, Cups is starting to become a huge hit…

Tenks Ikang… Lavet…

Takoyaki

Aside from having the ardent desire to revisit my dear nieces and nephew, destiny concurred and recognized that I return to Osaka, Japan because during my first visit I failed to eat Takoyaki.

Everybody knows that a trip to Osaka won’t be complete without eating the tastiest Takoyaki in the face of the universe.  The best and most delicious is in Osaka for a simple reason that this lip smacking dish was invented right in the heart of the city.

cooking takoyaki

cooking takoyaki

that's my order...

that’s my order…

It’s actually easy to find a good Osakan Takoyaki.  Simply look for a store with a long queue selling this Japanese street-snack.  Then you’re in the right place!

my niece (kim) behind  her is one popular takoyaki store  near don quixote

my niece (kim) behind her is one popular takoyaki store near don quixote

the popular takoyaki store along dotonbori street

the often blockbuster takoyaki store along dotonbori street

Truly, a trip to Osaka won’t be complete without trying at least one ball of hot savory Takoyaki!

Pogita bols!!! Yum Yum!!

Inari Shrine & Inari Sushi in Fushimi

Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, Japan is probably one of my favorite shrines.  I love this temple of worship because of its aesthetics.  The color of the structures contrasts very well with nature.  It’s vermilion in color.  The red-orange color of the torii gates mixes well with the bright blue pigment of the sky as well as the lush green fauna surrounding the area.  It’s visually rich!

inari temple gate

the gang entering the main gate

nengkoy in inari shrine

nengkoy in fushimi inari shrine

 

 

 

 

 

 

inari shrine 2

beautiful and impressive

inari shrine 3

i love the colors…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe another reason why I unconsciously came to like this shrine is because it is dedicated to Inari, the Shinto religion’s God of Rice.  I guess I adore it  because I myself is a rice lover.  Close friends know that given a few numbers of meal periods, I will go nuts if there would be no rice served in any of my meals.

inari shrine 4

smile …

After going around the beautiful shrine, me and my family headed towards right beside the shrine’s local village where there were quaint restaurants aligned along the narrow street.  We entered one of the charming restos to have lunch.  Luckily, my nephew cleverly ordered the specialty of the village, the Inari Sushi.

inari sushi with a bowl of ramen

inari sushi with a bowl of ramen

yum!

yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another landmark experience I had in Japan was my tasting of the authentic, original and genuine Inari sushi.  I have tasted Inari sushi in the past but never in my wildest dream would I get the chance to eat this rice-stuffed dish in a tofu pouch in the place it was named after.

It was a no brainer!  For me it was the best Inari Sushi!

Pinaghalong ganda, hanga at sarap! 

A Siopao In Kobe

Food has always been an integral part of my travels.  Though I have a limited ability to explain my wondrous experience about food in all of my travels, I try as much as possible to describe it.

Just like what I just had.  It`s about the tastiest siopao (pork meat buns) in the face of Kobe, Japan.  Thanks to my niece Erika for bringing me and my family to have this amazing palatal experience.  At first I had doubts when she told me that we should try the best pork meat buns in Kobe.

But when we reached the middle of Chinatown of Kobe, I was surprised.  I was surprised to see that there was actually a long queue and these people were patiently waiting for their turn to have the chance to enter the very small yet infamous Rosyoki store.

blockbuster!!! pila balde ang peg!

blockbuster!!! pila balde ang peg!

waiting in line

waiting in line with kim and luis (two of my monster pamangkins)

how i wish i can bring all of these back to manila

how i wish i can bring all of these back to manila

 

packing the taste of heaven

packing the taste of heaven

happy and excited with our purchase

happy and excited with our purchase (with erika & luis)

what a palatal surprarise!!!

what a palatal surprise!!!

Rosyoki store only sells siopao (known in Japan as butaman).  It is a bite-sized pork meat bun with taste that can actually bring you to the doors of heaven.  On my first bite, I knew that Erika and the people who fell in line were all correct.  It was one of the worthy waiting that I had to do in my life.

Walang sinabi ang asado ng mamunlok at chowking…

Hanami in Osaka

Some people believe that blossoming of flowers at the start of spring is one of life’s simple pleasures.  But not in Japan,  because here in Japan, the blossoming of cherry blossoms (known as Sakua) is such a BIG DEAL!  It is such a big deal that they were able to establish one fantastic tradition known as Hanami Picnics.

hanami3

hanami

hanami2

During limited number of weeks when the Sakura are in full bloom until the latter days when it falls of from its branches, people of Japan gather under the cherry blossom trees to watch and appreciate the beauty of cherry blossoms.  This tradition of barbeques, bento boxes and Japanese alcoholic drinks in the park ushers the start of colorful spring.

hanami food

notice the ochiba (fallen sakura petal) at the left side of the blue plastic mat

hanami4

me and my niece (japan’s ms. congeniality)

Today, I personally experienced what it is to experience an Hanami Picnic.  Thanks to my niece (Japan’s Miss Congeniality) who brought me and my family along to the Hanami Party organized by her Brazilian-Japanese friend.  Our picnic spot was at a park around the Osaka Castle in Osakajo.  I can definitely say that Hanami is one rare experience.  Yes I can have a picnic anytime in any part of the world, but this event is one authentic adventure.

Piknik na ibang level…

My First Visita Iglesia

I have been to Bangkok, Thailand three times.  And in all those times I with friends tour their well known Buddhist temples in a day.  I even coined it Visita Buddhista.  This made a tinge of guilt because in my homeland and with my very own religion, I’m too lazy to pull off the Filipino Catholic Lenten tradition known as Visita Iglesia (Seven Churches Visitation).

But I’m guilty no more because in this year’s Holy Thursday, I have completed my very first Visita Iglesia. I did this pious tradition not with friends but with my family.  We did not chose the grandest and tour-worthy churches and cathedrals found in Metro Manila but instead we settled on visiting the houses of prayers that are in a way close and connected to our hearts. Five of which are located in Pasay City, 1 in Makati and 1 in Manila.

Here they are…

The Shrine of Jesus, The Way, The Truth and The Life

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20130328_150248Located near SM Mall of Asia, my family calls this MOA Church.  It’s literally is close to our family because it is the nearest church to Nengkoy’s house.  That is why it is so obvious that it is the first church we visited.

 

Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Church

our lady of sorrows

20130328_151812This church is very special to me and my siblings.  We consider this place of worship as the “Binyag Church” (Church of Baptism) because all of our catholic baptism rites when we were still infants were held in this very church.

 

San Rafael Parish Church

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This is my family’s Parish Church.  In 1962, this was the very church where the glorious wedding ceremony of my parents was held.  Nengkoy was all smile when she entered and left this very quaint church, she feels like she’s so part of it.  Also, this was the very church that I was scolded by a priest (mind you, it was during the homily) for wearing shorts when I heard a Holy Mass one early morning a couple of years back.

 

Sta. Clara De Montefalco Parish Church

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This is the house of prayers of Nengkoy when she was a young girl studying in St Mary’s Academy.

 

San Isidro Labrador Parish Church

20130328_15515620130328_155410

20130328_155452

This one is the personal favorite of my nephew Luis.  The adjacent catholic school is where he studied in high school.  Anyway, I personally like the drama of this church… the holy cross was placed outdoor and visible indoor through a clear glass wall.

 

St. John Bosco Parish Church

20130328_16215820130328_161822

This is the church where my elder sister and her husband claimed to have first met.  Ewww super cheesy! As for me, I always wonder why every time I pray inside this church my prayers are in straight English.  Is it the location, is it the minimalist modern interiors or is it the stylish well-dressed church goers?  I don’t know why. (I think it’s the “pa-sosyal” in me. hahaha!)

 

Our Lady of Remedies Parish Church

20130328_16475820130328_164956

This very old yet majestic church was the venue of my elder sister’s wedding.  This church is a very popular church for Visita Iglesia aficionados.  It was full packed!  That is why when we entered to say our prayers the first thing I uttered was “Wow blockbuster!”  Anyway, Our Lady of Remedies otherwise known as Malate Church is a special church for me.  It is a stone throw away from my office.  That is why this is the church I go to for me to say my morning prayer every time I came too early for work.

Nanikip ang dibdib ko sa bisitang yan hah! Muntik na ko matunaw!

A Letter to Akihito (Again)

sakura 2012

cherry blossoms from my last year’s adventure

Once again, to His Royal Highness who sits on the Chrysanthemum Throne,

Ohayou gozaimasu.

I, the Delicious Earthling is writing you again to let you graciously be aware that I will visit your splendid empire for the second time.  No worries must be felt for I don’t intend to inflict harm nor wreak havoc towards your courteous dwellers.

In fact I, the Delicious Earthling, totally adored and fancied the experiences and adventures the last time I was in your delightful kingdom.  However, in my upcoming trip one worry has been lingering since the time I decided to be back.

It’s your ever famous Cherry Blossoms.  I learned and led to believe from various readings and manuscripts that the full bloom of these illustrious flowers has already fallen off the branches on the day of my arrival.  Therefore and unlike my previous correspondence (press LINK) to you when I demanded three requirements that your dwellers need to ensure, I instead will be petitioning for only one single yet simple demand.

I want your kingdom to ensure that fresh Cherry Blossoms are still on the sturdy trees right in its proper branches.  If not then I guess you will have to make use of your powers to impose that fresh cherry blossoms are glued and fixed on their respective branches.

I suggest you summon your people to stick and glue these flowers with cooked grains of your sticky tasty rice to keep it in their respective places.   Otherwise, this will be the source of disappointment by the Delicious Earthling.

Your Comrade in Wealth,

The Delicious Earthling

nengkoy from last year's trip

nengkoy from last year’s trip

As yuswal di paiiwan ang Nengkoy