初めての映画祭！My first participation in Eiga Sai

Just this morning, I woke up earlier than usual and prepared myself to go to Abreeza Ayala Mall, where free screening of few Japanese movies was held. Abreeza was just one of the two venues for this year’s Japanese Film Festival (Eiga Sai). Thanks to The Japan Foundation for making this event possible, continuing the yearly cultural exchange between Japan and Filipinos through movies which deepen our understanding and strengthen the bonds and friendship of the people. Eiga Sai 2014 movies revolve around the theme “family”.

It was my first time to participate in this rare event, considering that it only happens once a year. I couldn’t let the chance slip by again, even if I had the option to just watch those movies at home or with friends. I am not a movie theatre person, but when I heard Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki (おおかみこどもの雨と雪) is one of the movies to be shown, I couldn’t help but be curious of the people’s reactions. I had already watched the movie last year for quite a few times.  I couldn’t get enough of it. I think I can even watch it many times again without the subtitles. It’s just too adorable. It’s my favorite anime movie at the moment.

Hosoda Mamoru's Wolf Children. Photo not mine.

So why would I watch it again in a confined space full of people? I was initially conflicted. A side of me was already content that I had already watched it. The other was really curious of what other people, especially those who would watch it for the first time, would think. I was imagining if people would laugh at the scenes I found funny, go “awww” at the heart-warming scenes, or scream “kyaaaa~” at the hinted romance. When I put myself surrounded by people in that dark place and hear their raw reactions, I almost lost contact with reality. My mind was drifting away in excitement. It was a 30-70 tug-of-war of these two choices. Basically, the latter choice won, and that’s how I ended up going to the cinema for once.

I met up with some senpai from the university. As early as 10AM, the opening of the mall, free tickets for the two movies of the third day of Eiga Sai at Abreeza were being distributed. I thankfully had my senpai get one for me while they were waiting for the doors to open. The first movie was Wolf Children, which started at 10:30 AM. It was about 2 hours long. The second movie was Like Father, Like Son (そして父になる). As expected, hearing the raw reactions and funny remarks was a fun experience, aside from the satisfaction from watching the two good movies.

Photo not mine

Eiga Sai 2014 is not yet over for those who live in Davao. Read this external post for more info. Although I hope to enjoy more of the Eiga Sai this year has to offer, but I barely escaped from the other stuff I had to do just to watch today. Nonetheless, I am really happy and satisfied with my decision. J

Walk Log: Adventure #001

Ever since I introduced my love for walking, I came up with the idea of tracking down the routes in the city (or maybe in the future, of other cities I can travel to) that I have traveled by walking. Yay~

This is my first record, but definitely not the first time I walked a distance this long. Last Tuesday, June 10th 2014, I went to DOST XI Regional Office by jeep to drop off my requirements as a part of my reporting routine every semester to keep my scholar profile updated (so that I won't lose my scholarship and won't have to deal with a scolding due to a late compliance).

I'm happy to say that I belong to this awesome organization,
the only/first DOST Regional Office that holds the yearly Scholars' Congress
where DOST-SEI Region XI scholars get along and build camaraderie
through challenges that are faced by teams of scholars.
Thank you, scholar officers and SEI staff, for your hard work
in making the event possible annually!

After resting a bit on the lobby's sala set while reading articles on some awesome Filipino inventions that are practically useful in many industries, I finally wanted to go home. (But resting for a little bit more would have been so much better. Hehe.) Even before getting there, I had already decided to get home by walking.


The map shows the route by which I went home BY WALKING. It says the distance from the office to my home is approximately 1.3 kilometers, taking only 15 minutes of walking. In reality, it took me 19 minutes. Hehe. Yes, I noted the time I started walking and the time I arrived at home. Gotta improve my time, too!

I should think of my next adventure, of where my possible walking starting point and destinations will be.

Until then, my adventure record is at 001~ My first big step!

People are nice

Today was such an eye-opener. I'm not the type to open the conversation with a complete stranger, but I miraculously had the courage to break the wall between me and a fellow job applicant. That was some will-breaking move for an introvert and loner like me.

The interviewer did not arrive yet, so we had plenty of time for waiting. We just talked and talked and I listened so much to her interesting stories. She told me where she graduated from, her current job (and how much she dislikes the job, despite the good pay she gets), and some things about her family and love life. I later realized that I didn't really share much of mine. If I recall correctly, I only disclosed my intention for applying and my status at school. After talking so much, we didn't even know each other's names, so we introduced ourselves after that long conversation. 

Even with this level of acquaintance, she offered to treat me to lunch. I was reluctant at first, but it would be rude to refuse her offer so I gladly accepted it. I learned so much from her.

It made me feel like I really am inexperienced when it comes to the 'real world', the 'real life'. I still have a lot to work on and a lot of experiences to gain to help me gain confidence.

Thanks to this experience, I might become a social person, too. I hope that someday, I will be able to also share my experience to someone who needs to be briefed about the world and people around us, just like how she taught me all these things.

This is just the beginning for me. 

Go, me!

Embracing the culture of walking

Walking wasn't my thing, but I did a lot of walking even when I was an elementary kid. when going to church alone for supplementary lessons, I only walked from my home. The distance was more than a kilometer but less than two. When going to the nearest mall (Victoria Plaza), I would only walk from our house, too. Now that I think about it, I may have enjoyed walking ever since then.

Yurushi: a late-night dinner

Some nonsense introduction

June 4, 2014

This time I was with my high school friends. :) We don't always get together, so it was really a treasured day. We stayed for the whole afternoon in the house of guy friend#1.

\\We watched the first three episodes of You Who Came From The Stars, the hit Korean drama which aired from December 2013 to February 2014. The four of us shared a 6-pack cooked pancit canton. Wow. :)
\\Guy friend#2 went home, because he wanted to chow down the home-cooked meals of his mama. The remaining three of us went to Magsaysay Park for an hour of bike riding. It turned out to be 40-minute-3-rounds of skating (we are total beginners) and 20-minute bike riding. Hahaha.
\\It was already 8:20PM. As a cool down exercise, we just walked around the park until girl friend#1 decided to eat something, although we weren't yet particularly hungry. Oh, noodles and the time needed to digest youuuu.
\\We exited the park and went for the fruit stalls. I'm not a fan of durian (I don't eat durian), so I just watched the two of them eat to their hearts'/minds' content. Huehuehue. Something had been discovered, so they stopped eating the rest of the durian.
\\Not wanting to go home yet, girl friend#2 told us to look somewhere else to eat again. Wow. :3 What appetite. Well, it wasn't really her appetite. We walked the main street of China Town while having a deep discussion. Though the city is regarded as safe even during the night, we kept paying attention to our surrounding since there may be criminals lurking in the shadows.
\\Finally reached a stop for more food. At that time, I felt my hunger suddenly hitting the 'conscious' level. We decided to go in. :3 It was Yurushi.

The real content


Alas! We found the answer we had been searching for. (Well, weren't actively looking for a place to eat. We were just aimlessly walking until we spotted this place.) It was like, in an instant, an oasis.

Yurushi. I don't really know what it means. I know basic Japanese, but the word Yurushi just doesn't sit right with this kind of establishment. After all, yurushi （許し）means "forgiveness". It would be more suitable to use as a name of a shrine or what. It would have been appreciable if the place were named "Yoroshii" instead. Yoroshii （よろしい）means "good" or "all right." Well, whatever. I shouldn't question the naming sense of the owner. *peace*

Home Avenue Cake Galerie: a little after-school adventure

June 2, 2014

Today, I went to school because I and two of my friends were advised to enroll within this day for our research subject of the second round of summer semester, only to find out it is not yet the enrollment day! Well, I already figured out that much since today is the deadline of the submission of grades by our advisers for the previous summer semester which we spent on our on-the-job training or Plant Practice. However, I was driven by my fear and the threat of our our future (if we do not take this subject seriously), and I succumbed to the order of our adviser ("YOU SHALL ENROLL TODAY") .

Aside from my two friends, we met with two other friends who came to school to  pass their remaining requirements for the Plant Practice. After all the things we took care of, the guy friend decided to treat us to sweet desserts! I and the guy friend haven't gone to the place, so we all decided to go to Home Avenue Cake Galerie (or Cake Galerie, for short)! But before going to the place itself, we had our lunch at Tatay Ben's (now Prad's Eatery, but it's still more popular as Tatay Ben's!) and waved goodbye to one friend (because she had scheduled a date with her boyfriend-- I support this couple!). So.. it was the four of us, three girls and a guy, who went ahead to the place of my curiosity, Cake Galerie!

(c) Cake Galerie official FB page. Their official signboard, which is immediately seen outside the place. The overall feel of the place, starting from the entrance itself, is western. It's like you went to a European country, ehem, or France. :)