Category Archives: life

world map

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Atsushi was attending their department’s party hence I was left to my own devices for the night. Alone at home, I was searching frantically for the world map book that Atsushi has. Not able to find it, I waited for Atsushi.

No sooner than 2 minutes after he got back, I asked him for the world map.

M: Atsushi, do you know where the world map book is?

A: It’s here

He then hurried to the bedroom, with me following closely behind him, and retrieved the book.

A: Why were you looking for it?

M: I’m looking for a place where we can go tomorrow to get some exercise and possibly invite our officemates to.

A: The world map book? tomorrow? Which country do you want to go?

There was actually a detailed map of Japan in it with some tourist sites. But yeah, he does make some sense. No wonder he was very surprised. Why the world map indeed. 😀

chimes

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The Yuasas and Pepitos had some sightseeing for two days after the wedding. Dropped by People’s Palace in the Sky (the name of this place is too long for me I always seem to call it as “People in the Sky” LOL). The Yuasas and Hamakawa and Akiko-san all bought windchimes to bring back to Japan.

And finally, I was able to hang ours this afternoon. Perfect timing for hanging it what with the summer breeze playing with it, hence creating beautiful chime that makes our home more….homey.

Summer so far has been really breezy. Deep blue skies it looked like a tropical country sky, blue skies that’s reminiscent of autumn or winter. Balmy and cool evenings. And the wind! And brilliant sunsets that looked almost like sunsets during autumn and spring. Hubby and I both agree it is a beautiful summer, sooo different from the previous ones. Wonder why so? We hope though this keeps up till end of August.

teeth check!

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I know I had a number of posts already on how expensive it is here in Japan. Trust that there’d be more every now and then.

So yep, it’s about teeth this time. Dental services has got to be among the most expensive here in Japan. I had my wisdom tooth extracted late last year and it just cost 500pesos in the Philippines. Okay it was discounted as it was done by my ortho and yes it was braces related. But still, I think the most you’d pay for teeth extraction (save for root canal; and well, that’s not really extraction per se) in the Philippines is 1000pesos. But. I had my other wisdom tooth extracted here in Japan back in 2007 and it cost me 10,000yen (roughly 5,000pesos). Needless to say, having your teeth corrected by braces and retainers here would cost you millions of yen.

Given that, dental services is honestly one of my worries whenever I’m here in Japan. Thankfully, dental services are included in our company health insurance and up to 70% of what we pay, including medicines, is covered by insurance.

What’s even better is that the company holds periodical health and dental checks in the office for their employees; probably because they know how their employees are such workaholics that they might not have time to have their regular checkups. Hence the health and dental check venue.

Had my first dental check earlier in the office. Yey! Teeth were declared all healthy and well taken cared for. We were also given a loot for takeaway.

And look how fast time flies! It’s been exactly one month since I joined the workforce again! Thankful for the blessing.

breakfast

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I just love breakfast. It’s the best meal of the day for me. One probable reason why I love it is because of its novelty, ergo rarity of having it; especially ever since I lived apart from my parents.

Back at the time when I was just daydreaming for my perfect man, I dreamed of him cooking breakfast for the two of us. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Just a few bacon and sausages and sunny side up would be splendid for me already.

And today, I woke up to having that dream come true. I woke up to the smell of my favorite sausages and bacon; woke up to the sound of them hissing on the pan. We ran out of eggs already though but it’s ok. It was still a dream come true.

It felt all the more better because I didn’t ask him to. He did it out of his own volition.

Thanks A for making my wishes come true.

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.

great customer service, anyone?

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I think anybody would readily agree with me that nothing beats Japan’s excellent customer service. Want proof? Here’s one:

From the southern-west part of Japan, Okasan went on a business trip to Yamanashi prefecture. Thoughtful as she is, aside from her Inden-ya present to me, she bought us shiro (white) wine. Yamanashi sits in a basin and because of its location, the prefecture has been famous for its sweet grapes. And ergo, the winery.

After her Yamanashi trip, she then went to Tokyo as she also got invited to a special film showing. Cinema staff then took care of her wine bottle. But alas, after the movie, everyone found out that for some reason, her bottle of wine got broken.

Can you imagine what a cinema staff would do had it happened in your country?

Anyways, what the cinema staff did was they got the address of the recipients of wine (us!) and they promised to deliver the wine to us. That was Monday.

Friday, I received the package. Of course i’m happy, there’s another delivery! Another gift/mail to open! Yey! 🙂

It was a box specially designed for bottle deliveries.

The wine was inside one of the smaller boxes whilst a letter was on the other small box. As Hubby put it, the letter contained their deepest apologies as well as explanation of the contents of the package.

So here’s the wine, safely wrapped with big-bubbled bubble wrap.

And yes, cinema people replaced the broken wine with a wine they bought straight from Yamanashi. Not replaced with just any wine that can be bought in a neighboring mall in Tokyo.

Oh, they didn’t stop from there. Because it was a special film showing, some brochures about the movie were being handed out. Okasan’s copy got wet as well. So cinema staff promised to send a new one along with the wine.

But they didn’t just send a new brochure. They sent one that had a sign by the lead actor Daiichi Yasuo.

Simply amazing customer service. Can anybody else top this?

Inspires me really. To go the extra mile.

Oh by way, The movie is entitled “Love Tomato” or “Koisuro Tomato” in Japanese. It was filmed in the Philippines and has a Filipino title of “Kumain Ka Na Ba?” (Have you eaten yet?).

It stars the beautiful Alice Dixon. She’s 43, can you imagine??

 

Here’s one scene of the movie. Sorry it’s blurred. Photo taken from the brochure print.

Okasan gave us a copy of the movie. The print may be weeping (yes, blame it on the wine) but it is workable, probably. Weekend is for movies so Hubby and I definitely have this movie in our lineup. Over a bottle of wine, most probably.