tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1620688452882835422009-11-14T17:47:55.977+08:00r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.comBlogger294125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-56134057345578648372009-11-10T08:50:00.005+08:002009-11-10T09:08:24.407+08:00

Tokyo Metro trains have for some time been running a campaign featuring a series of posters encouraging proper decorum at the trains. With the slogan "Please do it at Home" the subway management admonishes people not to do things that are best done at home like eating, drinking, being rowdy, playing, etc. Using cartoons as medium, some exaggeration is understandably employed.But the most recent

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-23767691664496747002009-11-02T09:14:00.005+08:002009-11-02T09:37:16.847+08:00

Allow me to share some of the few good pics recovered from my busted memory card. These were the ones I took during my visit to Hokkaido, an island north of Japan. Regularly, the place is covered in snow, but summertime converts it into one vast grassland (cultured). The place is known as Japan's milkland, where there are more cows than people.The farmers in the area are rich, living in

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-56710890454042013612009-10-24T18:09:00.005+08:002009-10-29T11:37:14.478+08:00

I first saw the fallen angels ... resting beneath the tall trees that seemed to fence the large flower farm. I asked permission to take their picture, but before I could even make a few decent clicks, the other tourists rudely took my frame. I was not in the mood to serve as their official photographer so I decided to wander afar.Luckily I met other interesting creatures, mostly on their way to

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-77361592107273986982009-10-21T19:53:00.009+08:002009-10-30T11:36:31.288+08:00

For the nth time, I joined a Filipino organization in a bus tour - this time in Japan's science showcase, the city of Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture.Our first stop was the Tsukuba Expo Center which greets visitors with an impressive 50-meter high full-scale model of the Japanese-made H-2 rocket. Once inside, we were exposed to many Japanese inventions, like the ocean floor investigative

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-10878298582854815812009-10-19T10:39:00.003+08:002009-10-19T11:13:12.847+08:00

I was in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost part, the past few days. And there I got exposed to the Japanese "inaka" or countryside - a scene so unlike the image that comes to mind when people talk about the high-tech, populous land of the rising sun.From above, one could see vast plains all over the area, with greens that look like golf courses. It turned out that most of the land was planted to

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-37635987068814690392009-10-13T07:02:00.002+08:002009-10-13T08:54:15.741+08:00

He he. Ala lang. Napagaya ke Abaniko.(This song is one the most popular Waray ballads of all time.)

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-46096367190178216172009-10-09T14:48:00.007+08:002009-10-09T19:12:34.715+08:00

I just had a conversation with a friend who was one of those who were badly hit by Ondoy's fury. Having had no communication since that fateful Saturday, I was simply too eager to know how things were going for him.But in reply to my "kumusta?", he chided me for not giving him any form of assistance - and further noting that I did send little "somethings" only to my relatives. Taken aback, I

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-50214062251915245672009-10-06T08:58:00.006+08:002009-10-06T09:43:39.715+08:00

I just finished watching ANC's Face to Face where Sec. Gilbert Teodoro had an open forum with local government leaders (three more are supposed to follow).Admittedly, I was impressed with his eloquence and his firm hold on issues - he does have the big brains that's a plus for any presidential aspirant. I even think that if he gets pitted with Chiz Escudero, Gibo will level with him content-wise.

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-5554273228416356242009-09-30T07:53:00.007+08:002009-10-01T11:19:16.179+08:00

A friend from Saitama invited me to visit his home last Sunday. From there, we drove to the Nagatoro area where he surprised me with a riverboat ride.It turned out that Nagatoro is a center for whitewater activity just a few miles out of Tokyo. City folks troop to the area for kayaking and other water activities.We rode a traditional large wooden boat manned by two local navigators in uniform.

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-92077275807071112802009-09-28T09:35:00.002+08:002009-09-28T09:55:37.083+08:00

My heart bleeds for relatives and friends living in the areas affected by the floods.I am particularly worried about those from Marikina. I'm quite sure that by now, there already are hundreds of people I know who are now in the evacuation centers. You see, there is a specific area in Marikina where most of my kababayans from Samar converge and that is exactly the purok beside the river.For

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-82498178472970872852009-09-22T09:06:00.008+08:002009-11-02T15:14:29.595+08:00

Have you ever fancied soaking yourself in red wine?Or "sake" (Japanese wine), perhaps?Hmm, coffee?How about tea?These baths may seem too exotic for your taste, but a resort in the mountains off Tokyo hit the jackpot when it started making these ideas come to life. Patrons just kept pouring in despite the fact that it was pretty obvious that the pools were not designed to accommodate a deluge of

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-86174764568995103222009-09-18T08:28:00.005+08:002009-09-18T09:47:17.017+08:00

I have just gone out of the Philippine Embassy gate when I noticed a woman coming towards me. Probably on her mid-forties, she looked like any other Filipina at the Embassy for some consular transaction.As she drew closer, she smiled coyly and asked, "Pinoy po kayo?".I smiled back.As if that were her cue, she opened the small traveling bag she was carrying and said, "Sir, bilhin nyo naman 'tong

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-86476347567828050392009-09-15T21:18:00.004+08:002009-09-15T23:32:23.825+08:00

This one's surely going to be another You Tube sensation. No doubt, because it is truly amazing work, both in musicality and editing. Basta, ang galing!

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-57799466679557572422009-09-14T12:02:00.007+08:002009-09-14T13:28:08.476+08:00

I don't even know what it's called in nihonggo. I just grabbed it at the convenience store as I walked towards the office. It's salad, with a thin slice of raw fish wrapped in edible film (whatever it is). Sauce comes packed with it, and it tastes, well, "japanesy" (whatever that meant).Since I got posted here, lunch has always been a problem. There are a thousand and one restaurants in the area

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-37932715725180849642009-09-09T10:52:00.011+08:002009-09-10T11:02:10.887+08:00

- Because as a result of the shenanigans of the Estrada and Arroyo dispensations, our country is now wallowing in deep moral shit - where the corrupt is exalted and the righteous scorned. We now need someone whose integrity is intact, whose morals is perched on high ground. Among those offering themselves for the presidency, Noynoy leads the pack as to purity and strength of character.-

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-20957635094230823082009-09-07T11:19:00.006+08:002009-09-07T11:40:06.792+08:00

The Tokyo Disney Sea Theme Park is supposed to be the more mature version of Disneyland, as it features faster rides and more polished shows. It is located just within the Disney Resort compound which also hosts Disneyland. One can therefore chose where to go, but definitely, one will not be able to complete the rounds in one day.One major attraction inside is the water show which features an

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-21212867236295530232009-09-03T09:32:00.003+08:002009-09-03T10:37:13.508+08:00

Noble. Statesmanlike. A supreme sacrifice.That's how many described Sen. Mar Roxas' announcement that he's backing out of the presidential race to support Noynoy Aquino.Honestly, I too saw it that way.But the pronouncements in the aftermath of the dramatic announcement made me realize it wasn't really so. I now think it was more an act of deep frustration than of selfless dedication to

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-63902895430932539142009-08-31T10:15:00.007+08:002009-09-01T06:26:56.611+08:00

" The Asakusa Samba Carnival is held annually, on a Saturday towards the end of August, in Asakusa, Tokyo. Attracting about 500,000 sightseers who fall under the spell of the passionate rhythms of the samba, the event has a strong international flavor. As a town that grew up around a temple, Asakusa observes many traditional

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-78304676662655370532009-08-30T08:57:00.009+08:002009-08-30T09:48:22.115+08:00

... And all I got were ...BUTT SHOTS!But before you even dare start calling me a pervert, please let me explain (I deserve a day in court, hehehe).I was already positioned, together with photographer friends, right by the road where the dancers pass. But it was under the scorching heat of midday sun and my eyes can't bear the glare plus I had no sunscreen on (am too dark to even try getting

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-63646827794522448492009-08-28T11:55:00.006+08:002009-08-28T12:19:33.223+08:00

Baby boy dies in locked car while mother plays pachinkoFriday 28th August, 08:22 AM JST AKITA — An 11-month-old baby boy died in a locked car after his mother left him to go and play pachinko for nearly three hours in Yurihonjo, Akita Prefecture, on Thursday afternoon. Police on Friday morning arrested the baby’s mother, 31-year-old Junko Hori, on a charge of abandonment

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-48001744659460717312009-08-26T07:35:00.006+08:002009-08-26T11:55:14.567+08:00

People take various routes to survive through life. Some may by fate be led through soft, carpeted paths while many others get pushed through rocky, hilly, pock-marked roads. But no matter what the trek offers, what's important is everyone fights a good fight. But how should we regard those who were waylaid by the roadside? Those who chose to surrender and float, those who see no more reason

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-20848132216926356842009-08-25T09:47:00.003+08:002009-08-25T10:02:31.611+08:00

Just can't help it. This one's indeed a natural and an absolute charmer. But is he in for the long haul? We'll see.

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-77667279566365062032009-08-24T11:41:00.005+08:002009-08-24T12:05:28.465+08:00

Quite similar to how we Filipino celebrate fiestas, the Japanese also observe various matsuri or festivals, in honor of a local shrine or temple. Almost every locale has at least one matsuri in late summer or early autumn.I haven't actually witnessed an actual celebration and I thought I again missed one yesterday. I was just on my way to the neighborhood Filipino restaurant when I passed by

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-150770618567311922009-08-21T09:37:00.005+08:002009-08-21T12:32:17.228+08:00

I was introduced to Ninoy from the opposite side of the fence - as I was then a Marcos boy. I belonged to the last batch of Kabataang Barangay leaders, and as such, I looked forward to a career in politics under the tutelage of mentors who revered the Apo.I thus knew Ninoy to be not as heroic as he is pictured today. I thought of him as the rebel-villain - the nemesis of my idol. I fear him

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162068845288283542.post-34569885908176907762009-08-20T12:08:00.004+08:002009-08-20T12:22:21.891+08:00

It's been about a week since I arrived here in Tokyo, but apparently, I still am nursing a hangover from my vacation in the Philippines. I still prefer to stay at home and watch the telenovelas I missed. And I still make frequent calls to the people I just met back home. I have yet to make my presence felt to my friends here.Truth is I didn't do much while I was there. Aside from the five busy

r-yohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16762087147430357408rsandarino@yahoo.com11