Eh-hum # 119

Nothing will happen if I mope around in my room all day, so I decided to go out and see the sights and sound of Kobe.

Flea Market and Tabehoda

After attending Mass last Sunday, I went out with other Filipina students to a flea market in Harborland. I forgot to take a picture of the actual flea market, but its basically a parking lot where participants just place their goods on the pavement (the "stall" is simply delineated by masking tape) so that potential customers will have the chance to touch and examine the stuffs. We arrived there around 1:30; it was windy but the glaring sun made it tiring to go around and check every stall. In my case, I have just one objective: to buy a winter coat. And thankfully, all that walking around paid off, I was able to buy a slightly used coat (not too fancy, don't want to stand-out) that can be washed via washing machine. I was able to haggle the price and got 200 yen off the selling price. My flea market experience will not end here, this weekend, 2 flea markets will be held near my dormitory, which is much better.

After spending a good three hours at the flea market, we said goodbye to Harborland and went to Sannomiya to have dinner at an all-you-can-eat restaurant (Tabehoda, I think...hehehe). You pay Y1280 and must eat within a 90-minute time period. Eh-hum, that's not a problem for me. Within 90 minutes, I was able to eat 2 plates of rice curry, 1 plate of pasta, 2 plates of veggie salad, 2 glasses of juice, and 1 (somekinda) huge slice of cake (I dunno what it was, but it was good). I was stuffed, and from the looks of it, what I ate costs more than 1280 yen. That's Pinoy appetite for you.

Oh yeah, while in Harborland, I also had the chance to visit the Kobe Port Earthquake Memorial Park. Unfortunately, my camera's battery allowed me to take one picture...hehehe.

Eh-hum # 118

This is really nice. Enjoy watching!

Eh-hum # 117

Thanks to Liza for this　（While I have still time to slack off, hehehehe）.

20 years ago I . . .
Was in kindergarten at Maryknoll Child Study Center

10 years ago I . . .
Was 16 years old, a junior in highschool.

5 years ago I. . .
Was a junior in Miriam College, involved in both curricular and extra-curricular activities.

3 years ago I . . .
Was on a sabbatical, waiting for my target job.

1 year ago I . . .
Was a researcher for the GRP’s premier academic and (defense) research institution.

So far this year . . .
Has been interesting, an adventure with new experiences.

Yesterday . . .
I attended a bible study/small get-together with other Filipino students in Japan.

Today I . . .
Went to school and to my sensei’s office (to use the Internet).

Tomorrow I will . . .
Open an account at the Ginkou and take a test at the International Student Center to know my schedule at the Nihonggo Class.

In the next year I will . . .
Be going home to the Philippines after my exchange program.

In the next minute, I will tag . . .
the friendly friends.

Eh-hum # 116

Its already my 5th day in cool and peaceful Kobe, Japan. I would’ve updated this blog earlier, but the lack of an accessible Internet connection (meaning from the comfort of my dorm room) made it difficult to do so. Also, I have not adjusted well enough for me to include a picture of myself SMILING in the midst of Kobe’s picturesque sites. That’s how I felt in the first two days, but what made me look forward to my stay here is the fact that I’ve meet three Filipinas already. Nothing like a Kababayan to make you feel at ease.

Nonetheless, I’ve taken some shots of the view from my dorm (see above), which consists of mainly two things: Port Island’s apartment buildings and a view of mighty Rokko-san, the mountain where Kobe University is comfortably located.

Since I am missing home so much, let me just say that Kobe University is like UP Diliman, except that UP Diliman is nowhere near a mountain and the transportation is way cheaper. The two are alike because of the sprawling land areas both universities are built upon. Moreover, both institutions are open to the public; people who are not necessarily students can just go in and out of the campus area. While UP has its stray dogs and cats, Kobe has its wild pigs. Yeah, WILD PIGS. I shouldn’t fuss about this, but I am not a fan of situations where panic is inevitable. My adviser tried to console me about the University’s resident wildlife: “We don’t have wild pigs as big as Rokko Mountain”. Great...I wonder if the other exchange students know about this…hwehehehe.

Food is an important concern of mine. I have been eating mostly BREAD since I came to this country and it’s driving me nuts. Forget about losing weight, I need nourishment (I went to a convenient store this morning and brought me some prepared grub; its expensive but me stomach cannot wait. Besides, I have ulcer). Sigh, this is problem if you don’t do ANY cooking. I spoke to my mother last night and requested her to send me through e-mail (my brother’s charging her P50 every time she asks him to open the computer) a list of dishes I could prepare. So kitchen, watch out for Chef Concon, BWAHAHAHAHAHA!