Himeji, Japan

When I was in high school/ college, it wasn't a secret that one of my must-go-to destinations of all time was Japan. I grew up watching anime and because of its influence, I was fascinated by the culture that brought tentacles Gundam.

I thank my lucky star that my first project in HP was in Japan. Without going into details about my project (which was awesome, btw), I'll focus more on what I did during the weekends. It was my first time in Japan; therefore, wasting the weekends in my hotel room was not in my vocabulary.

I took the flight from Manila to Osaka. Our customer's office is in Kobe, so I took a bus from Kansai International Airport to Rokko Island. It was a smooth 60-minute ride using nothing but the expressway.

My first picture in Japan, onboard the shuttle to Sheraton Towers, Kobe.

Semi-trashed room :-)

Had time to ogle the toilet. It had a butt-warmer and different kinds of "sprays" for all your hygienic needs. Way to go, Japan.

Despite being so late in the evening, I still had the adrenaline to try the only way out of the island Rokko Liner.

Osaka at night is very "sparkly". Obviously I was underdressed, I only had a light jacket on. This was end-winter, entering spring but it was still friggin' 10 degrees out!

Kobe to Osaka is a quick ride if you take the Shin-Kaisoku (Special Rapid) trains. It has the fewest stops and usually stops at major stations. If you prefer the sighseeing episode, take the Futsu (Local) which stops at all stations. You can also take the Kaisoku (Rapid) which is between Futsu and Shin-Kaisoku in terms of number of stations.

The boards indicate which type of train is approaching a specific platform. Don't worry, it has an English translation so you don't get lost in translation.

Which train to board...?

That week, there was a Japanese holiday which means, I get to explore Kansai! I hopped on a train with Phoebe (center) and Anne (left) going to Himeji.

Me (right) in "newspaper boy" outfit.

Travel like a local

Take the Rokko Liner - Center Island Station going to Sumiyoshi, which connects to the JR Line - Sannomiya Station. The JR Line is the lifeline of Japan - you can access almost any prefecture using this rail system.

Himeji, located in Hyogo Prefecture, is along the Sanyo Shinkansen line. For those coming from Tokyo, hop on the Nozomi (bullet train) and gaze at Japan's landscape for an easy breezy 3-hour 200mph adrenaline rush. If you're lucky, you might see Mt. Fuji. The same Nozomi stops at Osaka and Kobe.

Hop on the Shin-Kaisoku train for a smooth 38-minute view of Kansai, unless you'd like the stop-go motions of the Futsu. From Himeji station, it's an easy 7-minute walk to the famous Himeji Jo.

Swooning over the castle moat and bridge leading to the castle.

Admission is about JPY600 (~Php 300)

Dating back to 1333, Himeji is the most beautiful castle in Japan. The structure today was the result of continuous fortification and expansion until 1609. Once called Shirasagi Jo (White Heron Castle), this cultural icon is a UNESCO Heritage Site. It was lucky enough to be spared by earthquakes, civil wars and World War II bombings. 

Courtyard leading to Himeji Jo. It's still winter so the trees are still bare. Best season to go here is spring when the area is littered with sakura (and people).

Can't help doing the "V" sign

Leading to the admission booth.

Himeji, like most Japanese castles, was designed to withstand attacks from warring feudal lords. It was built atop Himeyama (Mt. Hime) and had holes for archers, drop windows for pouring burning oil and stones, as well as confusing pathways and solid wood for gates.

Leading to the first gate

Enter!

That's a really high and mighty stone wall you got there, Ikeda Terumasa.

Roof details containing family crests

Looking out

A view of modern Himeji

Ancient map of Himeji Castle and its town

Oooh, long-barreled guns

My dark hair and pale face blends nicely with this Japanese horror-esque scene.

Samurai sword belonging to one of the lords

Dojo

Hidden rooms, designed for quick escapes should the castle be overrun by invaders.

View from the highest room in the castle. No, that is not the Hollywood sign on the mountain!

A small shrine at the top room

Me, in all my "nene" glory

The castle courtyard. Best for zen meditation and the occasional discernment. Can also be used as a backdrop for period films.

It was a fine day indeed.

A more solemn part of the complex. Honor is an essential part of Japanese culture, as part of the Bushido (Way of the Warrior). Dishonored or defeated samurai commit Seppuku which is cutting of the belly and is then followed by decapitation. The stone slab in the middle is where the fallen samurai lay his head for the final blow.

(attempted) Majestic shot

That's me!

Providing a creepy facade...

Sleeping quarters

Look how thick and sturdy this door is!

Receiving room

Do you dare walk here at night?

This reminds me of a Japanese horror game

Reenactment using dolls

Bye!

Himeji Jo can be covered in half a day. You may opt to get an audio guide but it's best to immerse yourself in the architecture.. no translation required. There are (supposedly) free English guides (usually university students wanting to improve their English) but there are no definite times for these.

Unfortunately, Himeji Castle is being renovated from 2010-2015. You might want to enjoy the other spots in Himeji:
- Kokoen Garden
- Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History
- Engyo-Ji Temple

Other notable establishments:
- Koba and More - ramen shop that sells milk ramen
- Starbucks - for that souvenir mug ;-)
- Sanyo Department store - because you can't have too many department stores in small towns
- Himeji 588 Guesthouse - tatami style rooms with futons! Get ready to share as bathrooms are communal

Adventures of a traveller....

...soon

The world is mine to explore....

Struggling but still alive

I'm on sick leave today. Not really feeling 'sick' but I needed the break (despite having a relatively boring weekend)... and I was up and about doing chores (mostly dishes) and being the 'taong bahay' since mom, Pat and Anne were out.

 I decided to bring down my laptop so I could be more aware if there were visitors or if mom decides to come home early. So, after a few minutes of 9gagging and watching pewdiepie on youtube, I decided to fix the pictures in my laptop. With today being a Monday and all, my brain was set to do some productive work, so I sifted through a lot of material and tried to 5S them. Working through eight thousand raw pictures over a single afternoon is impossible, but I was able to work through at least a thousand of them... I wasn't in a hurry and I even tried to clean through them by deleting blurred or double copies and even editing some of them (crop, sharpen, straighten, enhance and all those iPhoto one-click wonders) and geo-tagging them for reference.

 You could say I was proud of what I did this afternoon. :-) Despite missing work today and knowing I'll have a load of them tomorrow, the creative side of my is urging me to follow through with a travel blog or at least a chronicle of my adventures. But sifting, sorting, sanitizing and scavenging photos (and some videos) would be the first and hardest step. Next would be going through all of Rick Steve's guides and try to be as accurate with my account as possible.

 It's a tall order, I know.. but everybody has to start somewhere..!

 I wonder when I can next sift through my piles of photos?

Test

Trying this blog app from my ipad/iphone

Criminals and More Zombies

So I’ve tried not to extend my zombie love affair in the office. Not that anybody’s interested anyway. I’ve put down “No Easy Hope” to give way to the season finale of The Walking Dead. Suffice to say, it was a good rendition of the classic movie, Night of the Living Dead. Of course, there former had more action with the characters fighting back and having that “God-mode” of hitting-zombies-in-the-head-with-just-one-shot-while-moving. I would remember as a kid that I first had a glimpse of zombies in HBO, while watching Night of the Living Dead. What got to me was the ugly and scary faces of the zombies, rather than their sluggish movements. The ‘walkers’ in the series were more energetic (?), maybe they were eager at the prospect of a fresh meal. Anyway, the next season would premiere on Fall, so it’s another long wait before we see what happens to the group.

Moving on to non-zombie matters....

Safety and security in the village has not been satisfactory. There were incidents of theft, carnapping and forced entry into some homes. Despite efforts of the association to increase security guards and their wages, it still wasn’t enough. They were suspecting tenants who usually rent houses inside the village and observe patterns of households. They would also befriend household helpers, sometimes get them as girlfriends who would serve as lookouts or informants. When they have acquired information, they would force themselves in the house when the owners are in their offices and schools.

According to spy movies and novels, the most dangerous mistake is to have a routine that could help these criminals predict your next move. Sometimes, it is also a good practice to have erratic schedules and use different routes. It’s good to have a pilot for a brother as they have the most bizarre and erratic schedules.
A neighbor’s car was stolen as well, but it might be because it was parked outside his house. Secretly, I wouldn’t mind those cars being taken away... I mean, what’s the point of buying cars when there’s not enough space in your garage to keep them. Our village roads only have 2 lanes so when a car is parked on the street, only 1 car can pass. It’s such a hassle for everyone, really.

Fact is, criminals are getting smarter. They invest by staying in villages, doing their “due diligence” to make calculated efforts and maximizing their returns, given the risk mitigation that they took. I remember a story a few years back wherein South American ladies would fly business class and steal from other passengers in the lounges. Other passengers wouldn’t think so much about security as they are in an exclusive area and that everyone is “honourable” enough. Right now, we need to be more vigilant, keep an eye out for suspicious persons and be have erratic schedules.

Partial Review: No Easy Hope

I’ve been one of those people who are called spectators. I enjoy watching from the sidelines and cheer/boo people on. This would be mighty applicable with my fascination for anything zombie-themed. I like watching movies, reading books and even the walkthroughs of epic zombie games like Left 4 Dead and the Resident Evil series. But when it comes to actually being part of a world that is dominated by zombies (think 28 Days Later and The Walking Dead), I am pretty sure I’d be one of the first to freeze up, squeal like a sissy girl and cause myself more harm than good. I’d rather play Plants vs Zombies than play Left 4 Dead, which I know will induce a few white hairs and an increased heart rate.

So I am currently reading this ebook I got from Amazon.com. The title is No Easy Hope (Surviving the Dead) Book 1 by James N. Cook. It only costs around $4 and it’s a pretty easy read. It’s a first person perspective of protagonist Eric Riordan, where he narrates his life in a zombie-infested world. He then takes us back to a few years prior to the outbreak where he meets Gabriel Garrett, former scout sniper in the Marine Corps. To explain without giving up too many details, Gabe was aware of a virus that can kill people and bring them back to life as flesh-thirsty monsters. He and Eric prepared for the inevitable and true enough, when the virus took to the streets, they were capable of defending and caring for themselves.

I’m only 54% done in the novel (according to my Kindle App) but I would like to share that what struck and surprised me the most in the story so far was when Eric was watching the virus spread on TV. It’s that feeling of helplessness as well as frantic anticipation of the bad things that will start coming your way. Despite the fact that the hero had a well-equipped bunker in his semi-isolated home, there is still tension and nervous wonder if you’ll ever survive.
Is this preparation enough?
Do I have enough to last me weeks? Months? Years?
Is this the life I’ll live for the rest of my life?

It was the waiting and wondering that really got to me...how long do you think you’ll hide before deciding to go out into a new world?

...to be continued...

Second Wind

It's a beautiful Friday morning. I had to wake up early because of a "breakfast" thing with our managers and the president. We’re not really included in the breakfast but it was more of a “strength in numbers” kind. Should the president decide to go to our area, at least we were there. But that wasn’t what happened... you see, even if we were dressed in sort of business casual attire instead of the casual Friday look, we had our own breakfast at the pantry. I had my fried bananas and coffee while my officemates munched on Bread Talk pastries.
The week flew by fast (I guess that’s what happens when you’re suddenly bombarded with requests and some jumpstarted initiatives. Nope, I’m not going to discuss work. Not now. ^_^

This week, Joey flew to Singapore to attend a forum and take advantage of the IT Fair at Suntec City. I had felt a little guilty for not informing dad earlier so we could give him the apartment key so he could save on accommodations. Dad was also busy with his business trips and is still recuperating from his appendectomy a few weeks back. Dad’s back in Manila now, the hole near his bellybutton got infected and was recommended a few days of rest.

So anyway, I’m giddy to see Joey again tomorrow with his bag of goodies. I didn’t ask him to buy anything from the IT Fair but I know he bought some gadgets and I just want to see his latest toys. =)

I’ve also been busy in the nostalgic department. I still need to create a slideshow of the trip we had in Europe 2 years ago! That and fix the slideshow of our trip the year before! The transition of the slides were too fast for mom and dad’s comfort so I had to fix them manually. I hate rework so I decided to start all over. Clean slate is better than looking at a horrible mess.

I’ve been meaning to leave the office on time today and spend a few good hours at a coffee shop and finish my slides. My good ‘ol ipad is struggling with the massive photos and videos but seems to be keeping up. I’ve finished Zurich, Lucerne and almost done with Vienna... it’s a wild ride back to memory lane. I’m still thinking if I have time to create a blog entry about it. Or maybe create a separate blog for my travels.

Seriously, where is this energy coming from??? ^_^

On Working and Research

As much as I'd like to blame the office broadband for spewing out crappy internet for my research, I think about 20 years ago when there was no internet for reference. I'm assuming most of the people have to talk to experts or experienced colleagues to get answers or information.

Now I'm curious how dad does his work...how he got so far and so up so fast. He is absolutely my work guru. A lot of people who know him in the office regard him as strict, hardworking, thorough and brilliant (one of the SVPs even said he looked like a genius: maybe he is!).

Living with my dad for a year in Singapore opened my eyes to his work habits. Since we never saw him other than the holidays when we were kids, it never occurred to me how he worked and became successful.

1. Work hard, work smart -- he always told me to work smart.. make sure you know the purpose of your work so you don't end up wasting time in meaningless work.

2. Have concrete goals -- dreaming of becoming a CEO in 5 years is not very objective. Take it a step at a time. Start with accomplishing a task and move forward; you get to see real results- which is more motivating!

3. Never be afraid to ask questions -- it's better to make mistakes at the start. Asking questions and sending drafts saves you and your boss future headaches and delays

4. Learn -- you are never too old to learn. Combine education (book smart) and wisdom (street smart).

I'm sure dad does a lot more. He's the kind of guy that goes the extra mile. I'd love to pick his brains one time and ask him what's a day like for him.

Life was so much simpler way back

I read past entries and realized that I had a lot of time to blog back then...! I just feel that time slips past my fingers and I barely realize it's the middle of the week already.

I looked at the blog entry that I did while I was starting HP..my very first company. Compared to my first day in EDC, HP was a walk through hell... in all honesty, I wasn't prepared for a life of German programming language, flex time (when you're young and given that much freedom, it's BAD) and no sense of discipline (I mean it in the "non-traditional corporate environment" sense).

Since my parents were baby boomers area, one could only imagine the corporate life way back when. And that is the kind of corporate life I was expecting. Of course, things change, people change culture and the culture now is a celebration of independence and accountability. At least in my mind of MNCs.

EDC seems more structured, more "back to the future" type of environment. Since my parents came from that company 20+ years back, this is exactly the corporate life they were painting in my mind. It's not so bad. It's an eye-opener for me. The difference between a local and a multi-national company. A flat organization vs. structured hierarchy. A private company vs. a recently privatized GOCC.

There are so many things I have yet to know about corporate life. The formality, the "traditional" sense of going to the office...

I must say, working in EDC has charmed me. It seems down-to-earth (in it's literal and figurative sense!) but at the same time, I'm learning a lot...fueling (hahaha) my knowledge of management and governance from masters classes.

HP and I had a good ride. I met a lot of people who have become my closest of friends. I have shared wonderful experiences and have experienced the best and worst (so far) of living an adult life. But now, it's on to a new chapter. Move on, move forward, move towards future and wonderful opportunities out there.

Ah life, we haven't even started!

Getting fit for the apocalypse

Lately I've been researching on books or fiction with alternate realities, specifically the scenario wherein Nazis won World War II and left the Allied powers almost broke with no military force to protect them incase the Axis powers decide to invade their country. One good suggestion for a novel is Robert Harris' Fatherland. He's the same author of Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. I personally haven't read Fatherland but I read Hannibal and Red Dragon. I'm thinking of buying the Fatherland ebook. It might be a good read and see from his imagination and perspective a world with Germany as the most powerful country on earth.

Jumping to the future, I've been watching some gameplays of Left 4 Dead on youtube. This also makes me wonder what kind of world we'd have if zombies live among us. Many popular theories are depicted either in books (Max Brooks' World War Z and Zombie Survival Guide), movies (Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days/Weeks Later, I am Legend) and even on TV (The Walking Dead). This may suggest the possibility of a widespread virus that attacks the human body and turns it into lifeless cannibals.

Apart from The Zombie Survival Guide, the movie Zombieland gives us tips and tricks which may be useful in the event of that catastrophe. Which kind of changes my perspective on fitness. Instead of going to the gym to help me lose weight, I could see this as a paradigm shift a d turn it into a training for zombie protection. Improve stamina, build mental toughness and even learn how to fire high-powered weapons. Personally, I'd think it would be a better motivation than improving self confidence and body image. But that's just me.

Cooking Kars!

The past few days, I've been experimenting lately in the kitchen. With much prodding from my mom to *at least* try cooking something simple, I've finally tried making simple dishes (thank you Mama Sita and Knorr mix!).

Wish I could post the pics now but my iphone can't get a wifi connection properly to email the pics in my laptop. Maybe next time I'll use my ipad or an actual camera.

But anyway, I cooked chicken caldereta on Monday night, which tasted incredibly edible! On Tuesday, I tried Sinigang (which was a bit too sour for our liking) and Pork Caldereta (aka Plan B) and asparagus with garlic and oyster sauce. I think I'm doing pretty well with this cooking thing.

I guess one pet peeve about all this is the dishwashing part. Thank God for younger sisters who can't cook! Mwahahaha!

More Motivation

I got a new (smaller and lighter) notebook last year for class. I was hauling it to class everyday.. and even if the transportation is very efficient in Singapore, it was still a challenge to haul it.

From dad's apartment, I would take:
- a 10minute walk to the MRT station
- take the red line to City Hall to transfer to green line (11 minute ride)
- 40minute travel to Boon Lay station
- wait around 10minutes to hop on the 179 bus going in the campus
- walk uphill from the bus stop to Research Techno Plaza for about 3 minutes

My old laptop isn't really that heavy. It's one of those multi-tasking notebooks that's not too big, not too small. But with constant travelling, it gets heavier the longer I hold onto it.

But now that I have a smaller laptop, it's more portable and has more battery life. I also like the color! It's a swirly pink with purple and white with some butterflies (how girly can you get?!.

I also promised myself that I'd be more active in my blogging in parallel with my masters but sometimes, I don't have that much inspiration to create something for my blog.

I still want to creative..maybe more witty than my older posts... not just create half-hearted posts and ideas.

2010

The year I'm about to leave behind was a year of many things. It would take me more than my fingers and toes to describe memorable and valuable events that would forever cherish my heart. But, that would be a different entry.

2011..new years always give me something to ponder. What would be this year be for me? Of course, I am more of a "I-control-my-destiny" type of person rather than being fatalistic. The new year brings promise, hope, opportunities and happiness. But all of them can be achieved if you put your heart into making it happen.

One of the more interesting resolutions for me is to start being a serious runner. I made a list once of things I wanted to accomplish early this year and I found myself writing, "Run a marathon". It's not easy to begin with... studies and other things keep me occupied most of the time. Running a marathon is no joke... and it's something I wanted to accomplish before I end my 20s. Maybe I should start a running regimen early this year and run a marathon as a 'test'.

He he, who knows... I might get a finisher shirt =)

Linger

My mind's been wandering after trying to figure out what's happening during our class... I've been fleeting from one thought to another...

I got an opportunity to bond once again with my (4-year old) iPod while commuting to and fro school. It's been almost a year since I've last sync-ed it and I've never really made a lot of effort in updating it with new songs. If it helps, the songs I last sync-ed were old school music (Christmas in Our Hearts, anyone?)

The new generation of songs, I get it from Joey. And I'm quite contented with listening to it with him. But when I'm alone, I'd rather prefer the smooth and more free-flowing melodies of ballads and standard songs; they type that just makes me want to sing my heart out and feel really really good!

A few days back, I was scrolling through my ancient playlist and was still amazed that my most played songs were still Japanese. =)

Lho and behold, there were still anime songs. Gundam rules in my heart! There was a time in college that that song rocks my car day in and day out, until I got to memorize the lyrics...that I got to understand the lyrics. I listened to it again and once again let myself be dragged into wanton screeching and belting, amazed that I can still go along with the lyrics!

Ah those were the days. =)

Homebound!

Finally! After our finals, Joey and I are taking the 0635 flight back to Manila. Despite the anticipation of going home and being with our family and friends, we (or rather I) was doing last-minute packing, forgetting something here and there before coming to the present wherein I'm blogging and yet I'm still not done packing.

=D

I really don't like packing... and I hate unpacking.

But anyway, these are minor things and we're looking forward to tomorrow... errr later. I'm just about ready to finish everything...

See you in Manila!

Breather

Just a little post before I "review" again in Venture Capital Financing...

Earlier today, I bombed a part of the exams (Accounting for New and Ongoing Ventures) which was really very easy to answer. I was down, combined with a very upset stomach... which clearly did nothing to help me ease the helplessness I was feeling over my exams.

But you know what..? Joey made me realize to take a deep breath and take a step back. Life and masters degrees are not about grades and marks and report cards. What really matters is you learned something that you know you will use in the years ahead.

I got to learn more about Financial Reports, Cost Accounting and Financial Ratios for the semester as a Masters student than when I was an undergrad. I guess it was understandable that I bombed taxation since I'm not really interested in Singapore taxation.. and I know I won't get to use it when I start my business in Manila anyway...

Tuesday Mornings

We're currently having our Accounting class. It's a bed-weather in Singapore. Outside, it's raining like crazy but here we are, studying Financial Ratios and Singapore Taxation.

Dad brought me to school early (he has a flight today) so I bought Joey and us lunch at the very very far Subway.

We're doing Financial Ratios exercises... hayyyy

Coffee Fail!

Dad's new coffee machine has been whirring disturbingly..I checked the manual and saw that one of the solutions was to clean the brew group (the mechanism inside the machine that collects the ground beans and combines it with water).

Cleaned it, I did... but did nothing to solve the problem. It kept whirring and grinding the beans but no coffee was coming out! I checked inside again and all the coffee ground and water were scattered... argh! Such frustration (and a bit of fear..)

Maybe tomorrow would be a better day... I hope so! It's gonna be the first day of (graduate) school!

Alive!

I've decided to revive this blog... might do a bit of tweaking to make it more... presentable..? =D

I've had this blog since I was in college (posted a lot of entries!).. but lost a bit of mojo blogging during my "corporate years"..

But now I'm going to school again! Graduate school, that is. I'm really excited in this chapter of my life... and the fact that my significant other is attending the same school and class with me... makes it all the more interesting. =)

So hopefully, I might have time to fix this page. =)

Goals?

I just had a 1:1 session with my manager and our discussion involves goals for the new year. It is after all the start of the year which means there's around 10 months of proving yourself once again to the company, that you deserve to be called an employee of Company XX and you deserve the rewards and recognition.

But of course, there's also such a thing as.. has the company proven itself to you? One of the many ideas I ponder on is how the company works for you. Are they giving you your due worth? Do they give you the benefits/salary increase you deserve?

Going back to our discussion, the meeting's objective was to determine your goals for the year and at the same time, look back on your previous accomplishments. Well, long story short, most of what we discussed were my results of the previous year. Sometimes it's also nice to look back on how you've grown since you started working for the company.

I'd like to believe that everyone deserves to be recognized for being part of an organization that grew because of the people. Everyone deserves to have the spotlight once in a while. Everyone deserves to be recognized.