I'm OK

Just to let everyone know I'm still alive...


Japanese are very different. Maybe because their economy is much more influential, bigger, stronger...

Their aircons are outside! Such a wealthy country! In Manila, our aircons are inside. In Japan, it's very hot inside buildings and when you go out, that's when you shiver and try to crawl inside your coats and thermal undies.

Hahaha, please don't take me seriously today.


Anyway, last night was crazier and I have one word that ran in my mind the whole night:

EXORBITANT

Butterflies in my Stomach

I'm finally going to Japan.

Yatta ne~!

It's more of a business trip than a tour though...but I guess anything is better.

I've been to Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and South Korea but I've been dying to go to Japan.

And here I am, trying to get myself ready for next week. It's winter season there and all my life, I've only experience 2 seasons...wet and dry (I don't even know if those are considered seasons). I'm afraid I have a low tolerance to the cold. I can't stay outside for long whenever we're in Baguio, which is only 15 degrees.

I've talked with my business counterpart, Takai-san and she told me that it's warmer in Kobe this year compared to last year's. The warmer temperature she was talking about was less than 10 degrees.

I've been keeping tabs of the weather in CNN... Tokyo's colder, I guess as they have winds of about -2 degrees. I can't say I'm more thankful because the winds in Osaka-Kobe is only 0 degrees. Lesser of evils I guess.

I'm saddened because I may never have the time nor money to go to Tokyo... and I'm also complaining why P&G's Japan Headquarters is in Kobe and not in Tokyo or Yokohama. Anyway, like they say, beggars can't be choosers.

I can't say I'm very much intrigued and excited about tasting authentic Kobe beef since I'm allergic to 'em cows... but I'm bringing an arsenal of Claritins and a presciption from my doctor to administer Ventolin nebulizers in case of an attack...just in case my curiosity becomes overwhelming.

I haven't packed yet. I'm still not sure if the list I'm making is enough... or the winter clothing I have is enough to keep me warm and sane. I have yet to practice my Japanese... I'm thinking that Nagai-sensei will kill me if she knew I'll be speaking clumsy Japanese.

Of course, I don't want to look like a baka-gaijin (stupid foreigner) and violate all Japanese etiquettes available. I still have much reading and reviewing to do... and then make sure that the configurations from my side are ok before going there.

I'm also planning to create an itinerary for my trips to nearby cities, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka...maybe jog across the world's longest suspension bridge (Akashi-Kaikyo). My finger's going to be trigger happy once again!

I'm excited and nervous at the same time... this is my very first business trip...with only 6 months into the company. Sometimes, I'm thanking my stars above for giving me such an opportunity but sometimes I just can't hide my anxiety, thinking, "I might not be ready for something like this..."

Being a tourist is more fun than going there on a business trip. No offense to Japanese here (I think it's more of a compliment to them) but they are such hardcore hard workers! They work until the wee hours of daylight and are very much pressured and challenged to finish their work in record time and with quality. They expect nothing less and I'm more pressured to keep up with them.