Hello GFXers. I am from the Philippines but presently here in Japan earning my bread and butter. My most interesting experience here is the confusion that the Japanese have with regards to my nationality. The top 3 misconceptions they have with me is that I am:
1. Japanese
2. Chinese
3. Korean/Thai

To my surprise and I dare say baffling, is that some locals even thought I am:
1. French
2. Canadian
3. English
4. American

I can understand the first 3 since my Asian feature can be misleading but the last 4? Hhm...

Anyways, even though I am breathing the air of the "Land of the Rising Sun", the blood that runs in my veins is from the "Pearl of the Orient".

Maraming salamat.

Maridol
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September 22, 2006

Just a delayed update...LOL

Adieu...for now

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March 31, 2007

Well folks I left Japan, (land of the rising sun) last August 22, 2006, stayed in the Philippines (pearl of the orient) for half a year and now starting a new life in New Zealand (land of the long white cloud [Aotearoa]). I have many things to see, people to meet, things to learn (and unlearn)...I guess what I'm saying is...life is full of surprises! Bet you know that already...BUT what you don't know, I'd rather not know...seriously...I have to think about this...will chew on this later when my big intestine is not feeding on my small intestine and my brain not on "blank mode"...

TO BE CONTINUED

April 24, 2007

DOWN UNDER: Highs and Lows

I have a fear of flying and never thought I would be doing it. Amazingly enough I made it without a scratch. There was one event though that scared me. The girl sitting beside me was probably more frightened than I was. She was shaking and moaning when she took her seat. I thought it would be the best time for me to get over my fear by making her feel better thus make me face my own phobia. I wasn't fast enough to prevent her from speaking to somebody else - her cell phone was closer to her heart. She started blabbing away in Spanish and from what I understood she was talking to her Dad. This went on for a few minutes. This went on while the engine started. This went on as the plane was taking off. This went on while the plane was getting higher. I sat there thinking what should I do. I sat there waiting for the stewardesses to notice her. That was the problem. I just sat there thinking about all the dreadful thing that could happen while she was being consoled by her "Papa". Luckily, nothing went wrong with the plane. So, I had to be civilized to her for 11 hours. We both passed that acid test. It was obvious that her English was as bad as my Spanish. She tried reading the instructions for the video on the plane but didn't succeed. She wanted to read the inflight magazine but failed at that too. I felt sorry for both of us. Then it was time for the plane to land. She started her shaking and moaning again. She was taking deep breath. I was taking deep dreath. It was then that I noticed she had unhooked her bra straps. She was having a hard time hooking them back. I made a gesture of helping her out. She smiled and let me. I put down the form I was filling out and she noticed the word Japanese on it. Her face lit up and started speaking in Japanese! The two of us were sitting side by side during that long flight. Both of us assumed that the other won't understand the other and yet we managed to talk using a language outside our mother tongue just before we got off the plane. Lesson learned for me.

Recalling that flght, while trying not to bother my "neighbour", I woke up in the middle of the night and accidentally glanced out of the window. I"ve seen stars over my head before, like a blanket on the ceiling but I was not prepared to see a wall of stars! It was the very first gift that I got from moving down under. I feel so lucky to be alive.

FIRST JET LAG

One never understands fully well what something is until one has experienced it and experience I did! Flying from the Philippines - with a short stop over in Hong Kong - to New Zealand gave me a taste of what I consider one of the “jet-setter syndromes”. I thought that surely it’s just me not used to hanging upside down for more than 2 minutes but talking to people about my long flight made it obvious that I was having jet lag. My body clock was in total dysfunction and my system went haywire for a week. I am very thankful to the people who helped me get over it and made my future long flight worth looking forward to.

AUCKLAND AIRPORT

I was already told that it’s not that big but since my perception of space has been affected by my long stay in Japan that when I arrived I thought it was more than what I expected.

Must just be the day that I arrived but the place was pretty quiet even with all the people and the long queue for the luggage and immigration that made my brain sort of wonder why suddenly we all decided not to use our right of speech. But one dared to break this “rule” and was almost screaming and made eyebrows raise higher than the normal flight plan. The funny thing is, the lady who appeared or sounded in desperate need of help was addressing me. IN CHINESE! (I know, my nationality can be confusing at times.) With a graceful smile and a frantic wave of my passport towards this Chinese lady, her high pitch voice that if went higher will probably send all the dogs barging in, stopped. One has to realize not to judge the book without checking- as subtley as possible - the passport first. If that sounds more difficult then it would be best to not to judge at all.

CULTURE SHOCK

Not been here long enough to identify which probably would mean that the Philippines and New Zealand have a lot in common. This could be possible because of the high population of Asians inter-culturing with the locals. Will definitely note them down as soon as I see/feel them. One thing though, which does make me question the definition of violence is that a certain percent of the kiwi population themselves made a new law that was passed recently: Anti-smacking. In a gist, parents are not allowed to smack their kids. This of course asks for other answers when it comes to disciplining the children. Mine is, if parents are not allowed, then can the grandparents? Seriously though, this is something of a concern for me and for the future of my own parenthood. Am certainly not into violence but depending on the situation, a doze of spanking does a lot. Now, if that would be a positive or negative result…

WHAT I NEED AT THE MOMENT

A JOB and 5 kg MORE on top of the 5 I already gained!

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