Category Archives: beginnings

talk about home

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If you have Six Million Philippine Pesos, it would go a long way in the Philippines if you’re planning to buy a house and lot and decorate it besides.

But we’re not based in the Philippines and we have to plan accordingly based on where we are based. Now, Japan. And if you live in the city like we do, and a city close to Tokyo at that, real estate prices really do skyrocket. Our previous researches points to houses with area of ~60sq.m. that’s priced at roughly (tadaan!) 60 MILLION YEN.

And that’s just the house. You have to buy your furnitures and home fixtures and home decors right? Plus the curtains, the carpet, the rugs, the linen. And of course you need to have those home interior goodies coordinate and compliment with each other in terms of colors and theme right?

I was window shopping yesterday in Bo Concept in Queens. I was daydreaming already as I walked around the place (and I’d say they have such a huge place for their display) and wondering how much should we earn for us to have our dream home already. The good store lady gave me a brochure. Guess, I’ll continue daydreaming with that.

Earlier, I was complaining about the expensive furnitures here in Japan with some colleagues and Teof recommended I go visit Nitori in Jack’s Mall. He said though that it would be good to browse their website first.

And boy it was such a good suggestion. The website told me it’s not a bad idea to dream, alright.

Do browse. http://www.nitori.co.jp/en/index.html

I love their digital catalogues. And I most love the kitchen part. Do check out the oh-so-convenient cupboards. Even if you’re of a petite stature, you don’t have to get a chair or a small ladder just so you can access your cupboards.

Ja. It’s 11:45 pm now. I guess it’s high time to continue dreaming about our dream house.

Happy dreaming minna-san (everyone)!

a Process Engineer once again

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As we prepared for our wedding, Atsushi and I both held this hope dearly between us – that I would be able to work as an engineer again, after settling in Japan. For somebody who really loves her career (and I hope my career loves me back twofold haha), I was teary-eyed when hubby told me it makes him proud to have an “engineer wife”. A lot of factors could hinder me from working again. And so I prepared myself to that possible reality. But our fervent prayers were answered; from tomorrow, I will no longer be a shifu or housewife and will work again as a Process Engineer.

But if truth be told, I am nervous, for reasons that I really couldn’t quite fathom. Hubby has been reminding me of the reasons why I need not fret in that our talk always ends up with me blushing and hugging him or me squeezing his hand because of happiness that my husband (and our colleagues as well, he argues) believes in my capabilities.

I’ll be working at a company that is both old and new to me.

Old, because I have been previously assigned here; sent here to work from Manila. Hence, I already know the nooks and crannies of the office (well, except the 36th floor which is for the CEOs and top management).

But new, because this time, I will not be working as somebody assigned from our branch office in another country but as somebody who is already based here in Japan.

Old, because I have already worked with a number of colleagues in the company and ergo I know a lot of people already.

But new, because the first project I will be involved in are composed of engineers that I haven’t worked with before.

I will be meeting again a lot of colleagues who wished me fare well during my last assignment here, two years back; colleagues who kept on asking me when I am going to marry and to whom I replied that I have no plans to get married and to which they would reply back it’s mottainai.

So again new, because the last time I was in the Yokohama office, I was very much a single. But I’m coming back now, very much a missus.

Nervous, yes. But nonetheless, very excited.

To God be the glory.

the ugly duckling

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Bought my first Japanese book last weekend – Walt Disney’s The Ugly Duckling. It was the only kiddy book whose story I know about that was on sale in Kinukuniya bookstore in Kannai hence I picked it up. Minikui Ahiru no Ko in Japanese.

Tried to start reading it while we lounged in Yamashita Park.

 

Quite a view, eh? But I almost didn’t notice it as I worked my way through the first sentence. Took me more than 30 minutes to work throught the first sentence.

All it said was that, “In the roots of a big tree lush with green leaves on a green coutryside, there was a duck’s nest.”

Aja! Oopps, Korean pala yan.

one month, a new header

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Funny how days can just slip and fly by and then wham! Before you know it, it’s been a month after your wedding.

Thirty days after our dream wedding in Caleruega. Almost three weeks since we flew back here in Yokohama. Luggage yet to be unloaded and the library and bedroom are still pictures of chaos. Fortunately, because we pushed through with our housewarming a week after we came back, living room, dining room and kitchen are in some sort of order already. There’s still more that’s yet to be done though.

Thirty days! And I guess it’s high time we replace our header for one that we had from our wedding. Since our blog’s launching, we had been using this picture from one of our prenup last September in Minato Mirai, Yokohama with our friends-officemates-photographers Russell Olaguer and Douglas Cataylo.

 As with the new phase in our life, time to change our header as well.

Thank you much Russell for the great pictures! Sa uulitin! 😀

New photo courtesy of Dino Lara.

6th month

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We’ve been married for six months now, and living together for 2.5 weeks in our apato. In exactly 38 days, we’ll have our Church wedding. Although it’s becoming quite a trend lately (and it’s also quite the norm here in Japan), still, I find that it’s quite unconventional, living together and prepping up your new home and at the same time preparing for your wedding. But I ain’t complaining. In fact, I love the novelty of it.

I miss my work, terribly. But I love keeping home and arranging home as well. I love cooking for Atsushi, although it’s just in the evenings. I am ashamed to admit that I still am asleep when Atsushi goes out to work.

But I love how he wakes me up to kiss and hug me goodbye and wish me  a good day, as I in turn wish him the same thing. And I love how he allows me to go back to sleep. And I love how he puts the blanket back on me, in the middle of the night. Those, and other things besides.

There are a lot of adjustments to be made, that’s for sure, especially since we both have different nationalities; grew up in different cultures and backgrounds. But considering all the good things we have and are experiencing, getting married is indeed the best decision I ever made.

And of course, this comes with a prayer: That I hope we continue to be the loving couple that we are now, even after 50 years.

Haha, call it fate, but Journey’s “Faithfully” is playing in Accuradio as I wrote this blog.

Yep, Atsushi, i’m forever yours, faithfully and i’m sure you’re mine as well. And I can’t wait for us to finally make our vows this time, in the Church.

music corner

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It truly was a productive long weekend, mostly with home prepping. Dining table delivered at last by Watanabe Furniture Shop, the friendly neighborhood shop although i’m yet to decorate it. As expected, dining table came in pieces. Watanabe-san and his apprentice set it all up and gave us, as part of their service, the Indonesian malong that they used in their display. Yay!

The two DIY bookshelves (each as tall as Atsushi and twice his width) were also delivered and it’s already 95% filled as of last night. Yet, we’re barely 1/4 done in arranging the books. Some books may have to be sold/donated/thrown away. We ordered for 2 more bookshelves and thankfully, they’re not DIY so it’ll be easier. Yes, it’ll be a home cum library and I am not complaining. A lot of Atsushi’s books are really interesting with a WIDE selection of topics, making me want to learn Japanese and fast. Mine are more on fantasy and novels. 😀

Anyways, we also DIY-ed the shelf for the mini-music corner. Bought it at Tokyu Hands and since we want to get immediately started on organizing the mini-corner, we opted to carry it home instead of having it delivered. See how truly thoughtful the Japanese customer service is. They put a foam on the bag handle to protect our hands. How thoughful!

Japan is probably the DIY-country, where you can DIY a lot of stuff. Found the perfect corner stand I had in mind albeit we have to DIY it. But it was pretty easy to assemble so it was just perfect.

Behold, the stand adjuster – just in case you have uneven flooring.

BEFORE: Music corner with a boxful of music scores.

AFTER: Tada! 🙂

The music scores kept piling up after this shot as we “unearthed” more scores in the other boxes. We’re yet to look for four (yes, four!) guitar stands for Atsushi’s guitars but as Hubbie said, maybe we’ll just display two, for now. Atsushi told me to try and learn playing his base guitar – I have never been as pressured…HELP!!!

Oh, just now, we had another earthquake. Thankfully, the music corner held.