minamimusings

So this is where I get to share my most awesome day of wearing an actual kimono and walking along actual temple streets in actual Japan. LOL. Obviously, I love kimono! The color, the pretty designs, the formality, the elegance and daintiness of it all... One of my big dreams has always been to wear one, and specifically, wear it in its native land. Back when we first travelled here in 2007 , my goal was to own a set, however, I balked when I saw how much a new one (or even an old one) costs; I decided to purchase yukata, the summer kimono, instead. Because we were headed for Kyoto for this trip, I thought, well, why not see if I can wear one while touring their amazing temples? Magpaka-ilusyonada nang nasa Memoirs of a Geisha or Rurouni Kenshin!   It took procrastinating and a lot of very-rushed, should-I-shouldn't-I decision-making before I made reservations with Okamoto Kimono's branch in Kiyomizuzaka. At the time, I thought we could maybe visit three or four temples, an...

Girls in kimono in Kiyomizu-dera. There are a number of shops that rent out kimono in Kyoto and offer kimono-wearing services. Because Kyoto is a big tourist area--currently Conde Nast's top Asian destination for the second year --they cater mostly to travellers and tourists both foreign and local, although the Japanese are also apt to acquire their services for special occasions due to the expense of owning the actual garment. (Also, renting offers more variety.) Here are links to some of the stores with english websites: 1. Sensho Kitamura Location: 470 Shimokawaracho Higashiyama-ku Kyoto-shi kyoto 605-0825 Price: 5250Y (includes dressing, accessories and hair setting) Return on or before: 6:00PM 2. Yume-Kyoto Location: ( main shop ) 300 Gion-cho Higashiyama-ku Kyoto-shi ACROSS Yasaka building 4F ( Kodaiji shop ) Masuya 2F, 362-5 Masuya-cho, Higasiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi 605-0826 Price: for female, 3500Y if they choose for you, 5250Y if you choose for yourself (...

I've been meaning to join this, which I discovered courtesy of my friend, Meann . I just keep forgetting to post. Oh well, better late than never, right? :) Incidentally, I have a small collection of bookmarks from my childhood. I'll see if I can manage to find some of them and take photos to share here. But first, let's start with these anime bookmarks my husband brought home from Singapore. I think he managed to drop by Suntec while a convention was happening and saw these. One of them's Kagome from Inuyasha. The other is a character from Naruto. Sorry for the poor photo. We also had Inuyasha himself, which the hubby used. Then one day he checked his book and the metal bookmark was still there but the Inuyasha charm was gone. I guess that means I won't be using these any time soon.

Well, this is interesting. From site: Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines Following Japan's slight lift of visa restrictions last June , now Taiwan has decided to be more lenient with Filipinos entering their territory. The condition that you have never worked in the country means they're ensuring you're not there to become an OFW (or eventual TNT). And the one for having a valid first world country visa means that if those stricter, go-through-your-application-with-a-fine-tooth-comb embassies can let you in, then maybe you're good enough to temporarily visit them as well. Honestly, and let me get sidetracked here for a moment, I think it makes their job sifting through applications easier. Let's face it, the US, Japan, and Europe's applications cost, plus they're not very generous with giving away those fancy rectangular stickers. We have a friend who, despite his history of European travel, wasn't granted a visa this time around. And...

I'm not new to liking movies that are usually deemed critically-unappealing. After all, what matters to me is I enjoyed myself, cheesy plotlines, flat dialogue, bad acting and all, so I rarely ever listen to "critics" (which, by the way, in this age of the internet, almost everyone is.) And I only read reviews if I think they'll be positive, will agree with me or will entertain me so much that I don't care if they don't agree with me. LOL. Saying that, don't blame me for liking Red, and for actually looking forward to its sequel. Okay, so it's like an older-people, make-action-stars-out-of-non-action-stars version of The Expendables, but I _love_ it, see? The first movie was funny and I loved the original cast, and I think it's quirky, even if parts of this second one seemed so contrived and forced -- Catherine Zeta, I'm looking at you. You, too, StormShadow. WTH are you doing in this movie?! The action could survive without all the mart...

I saw this on the beautiful Tumblr blog Word-stuck , which I found on my Tumblr dash one day. Click on the photo or the link to go to the site for more pretty words for things that don't have an English equivalent!

When my husband goes on out-of-town trips, I tend to tag along. (I pay for my own expenses, of course.) So in February, when he said, "Hey, I have another conference and I'm thinking of extending my stay. Wanna join?" I said, "Sure. Where to?" He replied, "Jakarta." I exclaimed, "You want to extend your stay THERE?! WHY???" In all honesty and with no disrespect, I've never heard good things about Jakarta. When people think of Indonesia, they think of Bali beaches. Or Yogyakarta's ancient structures. But when the capital is mentioned in the news, it's accompanied by reports of unrest, rallying, fighting, things getting bombed, and traffic. LOTS AND LOTS OF TRAFFIC. I really didn't want to go to Jakarta.  But that month, I found myself inside the Soekarno-Hatta airport musing for the thousandth time about how pathetic any of the NAIA terminals compare to those of other countries. Ok. So it's not so bad...

UPDATE! Looks like we reacted too soon. Popping our bubble, the embassy clarifies that Filipinos still need to apply for visas when visiting Japan. However, when approved, you can now be granted multiple entry for up to three years. From: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan June 25, 2013  In celebration of the 40th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, the Government of Japan has decided to begin issuance from July 1, of multiple entry visas for short-term stay to nationals of the Republic of the Philippines (ordinary passport holders) who reside in their home country. The further development of Japan-Philippines exchange is expected as a result of the issuance of multiple entry visas, including increases in the number of tourist from the Philippines who visit Japan and the enhancement of the ease of business transactions between the two countries. «Reference» Multiple entry visas for short-term stay for nationals of the Republic of the Philippines (ordinar...

I'm not much for reality shows, but the Top Model series is one of my guilty pleasures. I don't watch them religiously, but I do tune in when I manage to catch an episode on cable. Then last year, they started Asia's Next Top Model, which pits girls from each Asian country against each other. Naturally, and you should be aware of this if you're Filipino, nothing gets that whole "Pinoy Pride" blood pumping than an international competition with a Filipino finalist. What made me more intrigued was the said finalist also happens to be from Bacolod, my family's province. Plus, I'm a curious frustrated fashion wannabe (I mean, I wish, but it was one of those never-ever-insertTaylorSwiftSong-meant-to-be things). So you can see how this all contributes to make me turn on the TV every Sunday night when I normally wouldn't, and risk waking up my son. My favorite is actually Kate Ma of Taiwan. I love that she's so crazy. That is, until...

In the first few months after Munch was born, I must have burned terabytes searching for, clicking on, and reading post upon article upon post on the world wide web with information on how to better care for your firstborn.  This included looking for shopping lists for baby gear. I don't like spending unnecessarily, and baby stuff costs so much, which is why I tried to do my research before actually going out and buying anything. So this post is about what I have found to be invaluable, which purchases I'd gladly repeat if I were to do it over again, and which ones I wish I could have refunded. This is all based on my experience and all my point of view. Crib vs. Playpen. My siblings and I grew up owning, sleeping and eventually playing in one of those sturdy wooden cribs in the 80s. Naturally, it was top of mind when I got pregnant, and it was a foregone conclusion in the beginning that I would get a crib. I did look at some playpens before making my decision, and the ch...

I love buying books for my baby, but they can cost a pretty penny. Fortunately, last month, we stumbled upon the not-so-secret, veritable treasure chest that is Booksale in Festival Mall. They had a bargain bin of children's books in the front and most were in good condition, secondhand and some brand new. My cheapest find was 45PHP (Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present). I think the most expensive of the lot was only 210PHP (Treasury of Fairy Tales). That's less than the price of one board book in Fully Booked, which usually averages about 250-300PHP. Sherlock Chick's First Case and Mr Rabbit and the Lovely Present were secondhand; the latter even came from a library in the US and was marked for disposal. (Sad. But happy because it'll be given new life in our house.) And yes, that is an original copy of Darth Vader and Son  which I got for only 85PHP. :D These books seemed mostly new, although the button on It's Potty Time  doesn't make a flus...

I've been reading to my little munchlax since he was a few months old. His pediatrician recommended it (along with the admonition that he not be exposed to too much TV) and I've also read online about how it'll help his comprehension and get him used to reading. In fact, just recently, there was this article on the Smart Parenting Philippines site about the 6 Stages of Reading Development and Why You Should Read to Your Babies . It made me feel good that at least in this regard, I was on the right "mommy track". Being a lover of books --- though presently choosy with the types I add to my shelf after YEARS of poring over nothing except college manuals --- it doesn't take much effort on my part to slowly build my son's (and maybe future son's/daughter's) library. Whenever I'd pass by a bookstore, I can never resist buying him a book... or five. In fact, one of my most extravagant purchases at last year's MIBF was a set of stories that tea...