stop! infinity ends here..

A link to one of my favorite short stories of all time

2010-04-20T01:36:00.001-07:00

I am not much of a reader.

I have read a few books. Animal Farm being one of my favorites. Lately though I have been reading some short stories to pass time whenever I get a break from work. One short story that captured my fancy is this piece by H. O. Santos. Yes, we have the same family name. :)

Anyway, the title of the story is "The Bus Driver's Daughter".
Call me cheesy but this story melted my heart.
Each time I read this story, I feel that the main character in the story is me. :)

Anyways, see below the link to it. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :)

http://www.sushidog.com/bpss/stories_staff/daughter.htm

PS

One of Dr. Macario Tiu's works is also posted in the "sushidog" website. The title is "Nanking Store". It is also a very good read. Dr. Tiu is a professor in Ateneo de Davao University. He is an award-winning author. I believe he has won a Palanca before. He also almost failed me in his class when I was in college. +)

Flash of Genius?

2009-04-11T03:28:00.001-07:00

Something amazing happened today.

I was talking to my wife a while ago (thru Skype) when she went to the bathroom for a while. My 2-year old son then took over the laptop and sent me an mp3 file while muttering "thats how u know, daddy". That's how u know is the title of this song from the movie "Enchanted" that he sings time and again.

I am really surprised to this moment that my son, a toddler, knew how to send a file thru Skype (with all the File browsing, attachment and everything).

I am currently receiving the file right now.

Back then, my son also discovered things in some of the applications on my wife's iPod touch that even I haven't discovered yet. He also knows how to launch and operate applications in the PC and play DVDs. I shrugged it off back then thinking it was nothing special. But what happened a while ago was something else.

Was it a flash of genius? As his dad, I would like to think so ;)

My New Blogs

2009-04-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

Since I started this blog, all thanks primarily to Kathy Dacanay and her Kat's Corner Downtown blog http://katfdax.blogspot.com, I have been passively writing articles of personal musing on the web. And long since the birth of this blog, I have started to author other blogs. These blogs are all about my personal interests and information that may be helpful to others.

Listed below are my new blogs and their descriptions.

http://fighthype.blogspot.com <- Boxing Blog (My new interest)
http://fighthype.co.nr <- My Boxing Blog redirected
http://fighthype.co.cc <-The new Home of My Boxing Blog

http://jobsjapan.blogspot.com <- Well I have been living here in Japan for almost 2 years now.. and this blog is primarily for those who are interested to work and live in Japan.

http://weirdnewsjapan.blogspot.com <- Contains articles about the weirdest happenings in Japan.

http://chisantos.co.cc <- My newly-setup Photoblog which has yet to be finished.

And please do drop by my multiply site http://chisantos.multiply.com
You'll have to be a member though to be able to access my site and see my latest photos.

Jaa, Mata ne.

Kouyou, Public bath and the Geisha: A Kyoto Adventure

2008-12-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

My trip to Kyoto was one that was planned with two things in mind: Kouyou (Autumn colors) and the Geisha. I knew beforehand that the chance of seeing, much less meeting and talking to a Geisha, was a remote possibility.. but I was hopeful. I have read that the Geisha (Geiko in the native tongue of Kyoto) scurry the streets of Gion and spotting one is as seldom as the Sakura blooming or the Maple leaves falling on your head. But call me lucky, 'coz in my first trip to Kyoto I have seen, met, and talked to a Geisha.. and even had a photo taken with them. :)

The Autumn colors in Kyoto was nothing short of amazing. With the colors of the leaves accenting the already beautiful temples and shrines, it was really a breathtaking view to behold. The cool breeze of the Fall season, with the leaves slowly falling everywhere made my adventure even more worthwhile. From the Temple of Kiyomizudera, treading the Philosopher's walk all the way to the Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion), and walking on the mysterious streets of Gion and meeting a Geisha really made me feel like I was in ancient Japan.

Of course my Kyoto experience would have not been complete without a serving of a local dish. And so in one of the aptly designed restaurants in Gion, I helped myself to a huge (and I mean Huge) bowl of beef Ramen.

To add a little more seasoning to my already palatable adventure, I also got to experience bathing in public..the Japanese way (no, it's not as public as it sounds). As they say, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do".. and so I did. The experience was actually quite interesting. Getting fully naked in public is not really something I have experienced before (well, maybe) but, hey, I'd try anything once..or twice....and I am glad I did. :) At first I was actually hesitant, but I thought, what the heck.. and so I stripped (my inhibitions) and went for it. :) At least now I know how it feels to be Japanese, even just for a day.

With a handful of souvenirs I bought from one of the smalls shops along the streets of Gion, I concluded my trip with some parting shots of the newly-renovated Kyoto station. It was a tiring trip but it was all worth it. Now, I can't wait for my next adventure. 楽しみにします。

For photos of my Kyoto adventure, please visit http://chisantos.multiply.com/photos/album/17/Kouyou_Public_bath_and_the_Geisha_A_Kyoto_Adventure

For hi-res photos of my Kyoto adventure, please visit http://flickr.com/photos/chisantos3 .

A trip to Geisha-land

2008-11-18T20:07:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since my last photo adventure. The last set of photos i took was that of the Dream Car Show event. I do have another set which I was not yet able to upload on my flickr page. It was the photos I took during our "inaka" barbeque party.. just a breather from work with our fellow Japanese kaisha-in(s). However, since Fall is finally here and the tree leaves have started to change colors to yellow and red, it is a perfect opportunity for me to go photoshooting.

I am planning a trip to Kyoto on the 29th. Kyoto, according to most travel sites on the Internet, is the most beautiful and picturesque City in Japan. Home to a number of awe-inspiring natural sceneries, temples, and other historic spots, as well as the Famous Gion District--home of the Geisha(s), Kyoto is the must-visit place for all photography-addicted people like me.

I would probably be taking the same picures of Kyoto as the ones already circulating around the Web (yes, it is that famous a city). But to experience Kyoto first-hand is going to be an experience that will go down to my A-list been-there places in the world [my hometown Davao City, Philippines being one of them :) ].

I am looking forward to this trip almost as much as I am looking forward to my trip Home on December.

To walk on the streets of Gion and meet a real Geisha up close is going to be a treat, for me and my camera :).

For photos of this trip, you can check out my Flickr account @ http://flickr.com/photos/chisantos3 .
After the 29th Nov that is.

Anticipation

2008-11-17T21:19:00.001-08:00

One more month and I am going home!
Oh, to be home and relax my ass off..
But really, with only two weeks to spare,
I don't think there's time to relax..
I am really looking forward to an eventful two weeks..
Roadtrip with friends..
Bottomless drinking nights..
All the parties..
Bonding with the kid..
And of course.. *you know what* with the wife ;D
But what has really lingered in mind..
In anticipation, besides the ones above..
is ChickenJoy.
Why? I do not know.
maybe its been so long a time..
that when you've missed something that long..
you begin to crave for it..
like a drug to the vein..
The wait is killing me..
A year of loneliness..
And for 2 weeks im free..
Oh! the anticipation..

My new Asus G50Vt-X1

2008-11-11T01:52:00.000-08:00

Last month I have been eyeing the G50Vm-x1 (as posted in my previous entry). The exterior of that notebook still awes me up until now. However, Asus has released a new model G50Vt-X1 last, last week and it packs a meaner spec sheet.

With a decent Centrino 2 P8400 processor at 2.26Mhz 1066 FSB (Montevina baby!), an eye-popping 512MB Ge-Force 9800GT, 4GB RAM, and a 320GB 7200 rpm HDD, it simply had "im yours bebe!" written all over it. The exterior made me think twice but the monster specs on it was what really woke the impulsive buyer in me.

The exterior on this one makes it look like Megatron (Transformers) on ecstasy.

Waiting, Wanting

2008-10-14T19:34:00.001-07:00

一ヶ月ぐらい絶好パソコンを探していました。先週にやっと絶好パソコンを見つけてあります。このパソコンはAsus G50Vm-X1です。この機械はゲーミンッラップタップなので高いです。だけどすごいですよ。妹とにベストバイで買ってもらった。

私のHPパソコンを妻にあげますのでこの新しいパソコンを買うことが決まりました。HPパソコンは好きですがこの新しいパソコンはもっと好きと思います。

写真：

Apology not accepted

2008-10-14T17:42:00.000-07:00

This is an article I read from the current events blog section of inquirer.net written by Manuel L Quezon III. I am posting it here for those who haven't had the chance to read it yet.

"********************************************************************************
Today is Blog Action Day, with the theme of Poverty.

I am republishing an article I wrote in two parts, the first when I was still in college, the second, a decade later upon rediscovering what I’d written a decade earlier…

YOU were standing by the jeepney stop in front of the Faculty Center. How you got there, I don’t know. It was early afternoon.

The weather was pleasant. I was in one of my endless sophomore years. You had on one of those simple dresses of 1940s cut, which the modest of means never gave up wearing long after the originals which had arrived during Liberation had out served their usefulness. I think your dress was a pale yellow; I know it was scrupulously clean, and I wondered whether you used Superwheel or Tide, or Perla and starch.

Funny. It was a pleasant afternoon but you had one of those little collapsible umbrellas, the most inexpensive kind, made of the thinnest nylon the manufacturers could inflict on their consumers.

A slight breeze lifted a wisp of your white hair, which you patted back in place. You had a half-smile -did I imagine the twinkle in your eyes, perhaps? You looked like a woman with a sunny disposition. Perhaps it was just the softening effects of age.

When you were young, your family and friends probably told you that they found you pretty, because of your fair complexion. Did you marry? Were you courted, in school? And what did you do over the years, I wonder. What sort of jobs did you hold?

Students hurried past you; occasionally particularly indiscreet passers-by stared at you, but you just stood there, looking around. You must have been used to being stared at, because of your skin. I have never managed to find out what your skin disease is called -if can be properly called a disease; maybe medicine has a more exact term for what you had. I’ve seen pictures of people -all elderly, if I recall correctly- with the same affliction. Little globules (of what? solid flesh? skin with something underneath?) covering every inch of the body.

Globules in the shape of lumps, others in the shape of small nuts which seem to have sprouted on the skin, ready to fall off. Growths whose composition I have always wondered about -growths which reduced you to a mass of protrusions and made you a sight for the idle to gawk at.

Disconcerting, how your affliction managed to shock without provoking disgust. Or maybe i’m wrong. In remembering the day I saw you I might be retroactively censoring my real feelings. Yes, I was disturbed. How can you live with such a disease, with such disfigurement, made all the more startling because no one can fathom its origin. You have no scars. You’re missing no limbs, you have nothing that can be attributed to the effects of a birth defect or some tragic experience. Although of course having your body covered in strange lumps and bumps must constitute a tragic experience in itself.

From the little I know -mainly from the testimony of an old man in a news article I clipped and since lost- you were not born “that way” (what a phrase!). What provoked the growths? The depredations of age gone more completely awry than usual?

Then you went up to me.

“Can you spare some money,” you asked, gently.

Flustered, I said no.

You smiled. And said. “I’m sorry.”

I said, “it’s ok.” And then I walked away.

The feeling one has when one’s soul wants to vomit: why did you say sorry to me? You should have said, “apology not accepted”.

***

YUKIO Mishima once wrote, “I came out on the stage to make an audience weep and instead they burst out laughing”.

Since you apologized over my apology, I have encountered many who remind me of you, though none exactly like you. Just the other week, and what has it been –a decade?- since we briefly met, I saw a man with no legs, sitting on the sidewalk by the wall of Camp Crame leading to the LRT, holding a plastic cup.

He was looking up at another man, dressed neatly in a kind of dutifully-washed-and mended polo shirt. The man was engaging him in conversation. Was the man a writer, perhaps, or simply someone on his way to work, engaging the man with no legs in conversation?

People rushed past. They gave the two troubled looks. What is more disturbing: to see a man with no legs begging on the pavement, or a countryman pausing to converse with him, man to man?

I saw that scene only briefly. We only see such scenes briefly, if at all. Just the other day, there was the scene, awful, and heart-breaking if only we weren’t so used to it. The parade, my writer’s mind tells me to call it, of the dispossessed. In front of St. Paul’s College, Quezon City, there is, day in and out, a man in his early fifties, piteously deformed; almost, it seems, a Thalidomide baby condemned to advanced years. He has become such a fixture that surely every person passing him by day to day has come to memorize his every twitch, his slack-jawed fatalism. On some days, a sign hands around his neck. Over the holidays it said, “Merry Christmas, God Bless you.” I gave him coins once. He tried to say thank you. Part of me was glad he was incapable of mouthing the words.

But of that parade, and they come in every shape, age, sex, and size –there is the blind old lady, with white hair, clothes of charitable origin, whose gaping eye sockets mercifully cannot see what her seeing-eye guide, probably a granddaughter, sees minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. The knock; the look of muted pleading; the counter-knock from the impatient, saying, “your petition is dismissed”; the shuffle on to the next vehicle.

Yesterday there was a man. He was missing a hand. He did the ritualized shuffle, too. Knock, plead, suffer rejection, shuffle on to the next, repeat. Around him and ahead of him swarmed children doing the same thing. One child was particularly passive; she knocked on one window, was rejected, sat on the sidewalk and sulked. Some others made it a game. One little girl got no coins, though a motorist handed her some crackers. She smiled the smile of a Pacquiao.

That man, though. One motorist was particularly curt. The man reacted with a look of rage. I have seen that look of rage more often now, than ever before. I never used to see it. He was not even given an apology. But as for his condition, he could at least express his hate.

circa 1994 and 2004. It is 2008, and they are still there, in front of St. Paul’s
*********************************************************************************"

Yani Isaac

2008-09-30T19:11:00.001-07:00

At 2, my son has now shown interest in music. When his mommy bought him his first toy drum, it instantly became his favorite toy. Each time I called them online, he would show me his new toy and pound on it like crazy, saying "drum daddy, drum".

Lefty with a passion for music. He definitely is my mini-me.

Too bad his drum did not last. It was just a toy after all. Maybe when I get home this Christmas, I can buy him another one. A real one perhaps? haha He is still to young for that.

Maybe someday I can teach him a thing or two about drumming. To watch him watch me play drums is gonna be awesome. And maybe someday I will be the one watching him.. in concert. It will surely ba a performance of a lifetime :)

I woke up this morning..

2008-09-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

7:25am
The cold weather woke me up this morning. I sat up and upped the temp in my room. It sounded like it was raining hard so I took a peek. It WAS raining hard.

7:30am
I took a quick shower, brushed and prepared my lunch for the day. I was about to leave when I suddenly remembered that I left my umbrella at the office. **Baka desu* I thought to myself.

8:00
I grabbed my housemate's umbrella and headed out to the nearest store. I bought an umbrella and went back to the house.

8:05
When I went out again, headed for work, the rain stopped.
"Nice joke.", I thought. "Baka desu".

*Baka = idiot

Dream Car Show 2008

2008-09-17T00:36:00.000-07:00

I finally have a ticket for this event! Woohooo! とても　嬉しいよ！

As a consolation for not yet getting the 2G iPod Touch (which by the way could make me wait around at least two more weeks based on an Internet article I read), I bought myself a ticket for the event last night.

This event will showcase "dream" cars like my favorite Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Jaguar, Ferrari, MB and other luxury cars out there. Sports cars and other Dressed-up cars will also be featured in the event. This info of course is based on the pictures I saw of the same event last year.

I hope it will really live up to the "dream" hype.

I love cars. I love them so much that I gave up a year of my life formally studying them. I even worked as a car mechanic for a while just to be able to feel what its really like to play with cars to the core. I am proud to say that I have experienced breaking down a whole engine and transmission assembly and putting it back together again. This with the help of more experienced mechanics of course.

I just cannot wait for this event. Expect that I will be flooding my Flickr and Multiply accounts with pictures of it. September 27. Mark this date! :)

Next up..? Formula 1 Race Japan. If I can afford it! hahaha

iPod Touch 2g

2008-09-15T23:12:00.000-07:00

Before September (2008) came, I have already been planning to get myself an iPod touch. I originally wanted an iPhone 3g but (for some gaijin-no-de reasons) there is no way I can get it here in Japan.

I almost made a big mistake of buying the coveted iTouch last, last week. Thankfully my brother informed me about the "Let's Rock" event scheduled on the 9th of September. Days before the event, there were already rumors about a new line of iPods to be released world-wide on that same date. And true enough, new versions of iPods were announced and released that day.

Could you imagine if i had bought the first generation iPod Touch just a week before the iPod Touch 2g was released? I would not only miss on some very important features of the 2g, I would have also spent about 4k pesos more.

The 2g is obviously way better than the first gen iTouch. With the internal speakers, longer battery life, genius, Nike+ and a sexier, sturdier design, it just blows the first gen out of the picture entirely. What makes me drool even more about this new gadget is that is comes at a much lower price.

But I guess I will have to drool a little longer.

I already have visited the Apple store here twice (Sept 10 and Sept 12) but I was told that they still do not have the new iPod Touch 2g. They kept telling me that they do not yet know when the new Touches will be released. What I do not understand though is that, during the Sept 9 (Sept 10 in Japan) Let's Rock event, it was announced that the new iPods are scheduled for release on the same day world-wide.

I have to admit I am a little disappointed. I already have downloaded the new iTunes 8. I already even have a copy of the popular apps like Asphalt, Real Soccer, Spores, Crash Bandicoot, Texas Hold'Em and aSleep. You can see how excited I am for this gadget.

Oh well, I guess waiting will just make me want it more. I just hope that when it will be finally released, it will not be
out of stock.. or else! :)

3 years

2008-08-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

There will always be something about Davao that makes it stand out from all the other cities in the Philippines. The quality of life, the honest people, the good work-life balance, the fresh food, the clean environment, the things to see, the places to go to, everything!

Unfortunately for me, in search for greener pastures for my family, or for some other reason, I opted to leave the place. But I promise myself, that when my sacrifice here is over, I shall return to paradise, my beloved Davao.

Since August of 2007, I have lived in Manila. Ortigas to be exact. The place is highly urbanized and I would say one of the better places to live in. Although, for over four months, I had to painfully take two rides everyday from where I lived going to work. I had to say 'painfully' because as soon as I was out of the Ortigas area, everything became, well.. painful hehe ;). During my last days in Manila though, I moved to Eastwood, where our office is located, and temporarily lived with an officemate.

But painful as it was, there were a number of 'interesting' experiences there that I will never forget. Coz u see, in that four-month time frame, I had to live with 7 different strangers. And it was the first time that I have tried that. I will also never forget that gay dude who kept harassing me each time I went for a swim at the top of our building. He would tell me each time that 'hey, I saw you again kanina sa blahblah..' and never fails to invite me for a drink afterwards hahaha! But that's a topic for an entirely different scary story.

When I went to Manila for work, I first lived with my cousin in Makati. Living there made me realize, for a million quality-of-life reasons, how fortunate I was for having spent most of my life in Davao. Because just like in Ortigas, once you stray a little from the place [Makati], everything just becomes painful.

You see, living in Manila was living in constant pain and fear for me. The pain of transportation. The pain of heavy traffic. The pain of pollution. The pain of overpopulation. The pain of inconvenience. The pain of long lines. The pain of having to live in fear. Fear in your surroundings. Fear for your health. Fear towards your fellow Filipinos who seem to want to swindle you if they have the chance, especially the taxi drivers. Fear of being harassed. And fear of being robbed and killed.

I guess it is a good thing that Manila has plenty of nice bars, coffee shops and restos as a place of temporary safe haven before one dives again into the pool of pain and fear.

But i guess I have no reason to fear anymore. Having been transferred here in Japan was a very fortunate thing for me. Although being reassigned here in Nagoya from Yokohama is a little bit of a setback, I cannot complain. Better here than Manila. All I have to do is endure being apart from my family.

I know the time will come when I can finally go home again. I can just imagine. The nice nearby beaches. The honest and friendly people, even the taxi drivers. The fresh food. The fresh fruits. The things to see and places to go to. The nice bars, coffee shops and restos. And the comfort of home and family.

And all these without having to live in pain and fear anymore.

My new lens

2008-06-02T05:36:00.000-07:00

Last week I bought a 2nd-hand Nikkor 55-200mm VR lens at Komehyou. I have been yeing the 18-200mm VR for so long but it was just too expensive for me. The 55-200mm VR was priced at 35000Yen while the 18-200mm VR was priced at 81000Yen.

The store offered relatively lower price compared to the other [big] stores like Bic Camera and Yodobashi Camera but without the points, of course. Komehyou even accepted trad-in. I thought of trading my Nikkor 18-55mm II lens but I thought it would be best to try out my new lens first. Now.. I am glad I did not trade in my old lens.

I bought the lens because Japanese people tend to be camera-shy. I was told that Japanese people find it rude when you take photos of them without asking *duh*. Being the trigger-happy hobbyist that I am, I had to find a solution: No..not ask but.. shoot from afar :D

So, yesterday I went to Jingu-Nishi to try my new lens. And I am very happy with the result. My photos at Jingu-Nishi are available here,

http://chisantos.multiply.com
and here http://flickr.com/photos/chisantos3 .

Initially, I only planned to go to the koen [garden] near the station. But there were plenty of places to go to so I decided to go where my camera takes me. I made stops at other koens in the area and at the Nagoya Daigakuin [Nagoya Graduate School] campus.

I planned to stay until after sunset to take photos of the Jingu Nishi koen at night.
I thought that the lit-up Japanese paper lamps inside the koen would look great on my photos. But my cam ran out of battery so my trip was cut short.

So about my new lens. I am very happy with it! :D I would not have been able to take some of the shots I wanted if not for my new lens. But it does have certain drawbacks. I noticed that, without my 18-55mm lens, it was harder for me to take wide, landscape shots. I may need to find a solution for this: a new body perhaps? :)

Hounen Matsuri

2008-06-02T05:31:00.000-07:00

[Written on: 2008 May - 2nd week]

Sometimes at work, I get bored with the daily routine that I have to perform. I get especially bored when I am not busy. Half asleep, I sit in front of my desk staring at my PC. I keep my programs open of course, pretending to work while my mind slips away to my happy place *zzzzzzz*.

This is exactly what I am again feeling right now. Yawn after yawn, I try to keep myself awake by writing blogs like this hehe. I am feeling a little bit alert already x).

So let's see. I found out some interesting, not-so-commonplace thing about Japanese culture. Nagoya culture to be exact.

Every March, in a small town (whose name i forgot) in Nagoya, the Honen Matsuri (Fertility/Harvest Festival) is celebrated. In this festival, Japanese men parade a giant wooden phallus from the streets all the way to a shrine where the phallus is laid (pardon the tasteless pun ;D hehe).

Japanese women also carry around smaller versions. Imagine a small-scale version of the Kadayawan Festival (Davao, Philippines). But instead of flowers and fruits, phallus (or phalli?) of different sizes are carried around town by the people.

This festival is said to be a celebration of fertility and good harvest. Phallus-shaped food and omiyage (souvenirs) are also offered to the obliging spectators. Also, an all-you-can-drink sake (Japanese rice wine) is served for everyone joining the festival.

So, penis and alcohol anyone?

Leaving Yokohama

2008-06-02T05:08:00.001-07:00

[Written on: 2008 May - 1st week]

I had a pretty interesting trip yesterday coming home [well, not exactly home] from Shinyokohama. I have not gone out much lately so yesterday was a good chance for me to go photoshooting.

Equipped with my humble D40 and my savvy for taking photos of anything 'beautiful' I commenced my trip with this photo:

kono resutoran wa shinyokohama eki no chikaku no yoshinoya no tonari ni arimasu.
This restaurant is situated beside Yoshinoya near the Shinyokohama Shinkansen [Bullet train] Station.

Unfortunately and fortunately, this restaurant's specialty is tempura, which I am allergic to [and frankly quite expensive, around 1k+ yen], so I was *forced* to eat at my favorite tipid-restaurant, Yoshinoya.

With a delicious serving of omori gyuudon [large beef bowl], I was good to go.

At the station, I continued my photoshoot adventure. I snuck around and behind people, making myself invisible in the sea of Nihon-jin. But at times though I had to be visible. Taking photos up close.

[I only own an 18-55mm lens..dreaming of the 18-200vr]
One must always be ready to shoot..never hesitant..because Kodak moments wait for no one.

The highlight of my Shinkansen trip was that it was the first time I saw Mt. Fuji. I was a little disappointed though because this was my 5th Shinkansen ride and all I saw of the majestic mountain was its silhouette. I never saw it during my first four rides.

At Nagoya, I again took some photos near the Nagoya station and at the Central Park in Sakae. It was there that a Japanese girl approached me and asked if she could take my picture[Yes, I understand a little Japanese].

And of course I agreed. I did not want to rob her of a good photo :D hehehe. I was her Kodak moment..*ehem*

Some of my photos from this trip are now available at my flickr account:
http://flickr.com/photos/chisantos3

and my multiply account: http://chisantos.multiply.com

Comments are very welcome. Yokoso!

2008-04-23T06:03:00.000-07:00

whoa!..*cobwebs* its been a while since i've paid this place a visit.I guess i've just been really busy..or pretended to be.

well there's a lot to catch up with. But first of all I'd like to congratulate my family for having been granted their U.S. visa. As always, I wish I could go too but it seems that I always tend to tread a different path. tsk

So...hmm..eto..I've been here in Japan for like four months now. From the scorching-hot near-30 degrees celsius temperature of my beloved Davao, I arrived here late December of 2007 in a near-freezing 8 degrees. The coldest I have experienced here so far was a lip-cracking -1 degree celcius. It was around early February. It was also the first time I experienced snow.

During my first 3 months, I stayed in Yokohama City, which is situated southwest of Tokyo. I really loved Yokohama because it gave me this Davao-ey feeling. It is a perfect combination of city hustle and bustle, and relaxy-clean-sober-or-not-so-sober-fun kind of lifestyle. Pardon me for the lack of appropriate adjective there. ;)

Yokohama is just around an hour away from Tokyo, by train, and only around 15 mins away by Shinkansen (Bullet Train). Tokyo is to Manila (a much cleaner, safer, hi-tech-er *again pardon* and busier Manila) as Yokohama is to Davao I would say. In Yokohama, you could still go biking and see the beautiful koens (Japanese gardens) sprouting around like mushrooms all throughout the city. Tokyo is just crowded. Beautiful, but crowded.

But enough about that.Lets talk about Nagoya, where I live now. Well Nagoya is ok. That's all :)Besides the beautiful sakura (cherry blossoms www.flickr.com/photos/chisantos3) that bloomed early this April, I have not yet really gone around much. I was all work-and-go-home these past few weeks so there is really not much to tell. Maybe I'll create a new post when I visit Universal Studios Japan in neighboring Osaka. I am sure its going to be an interesting trip.

Well as a wrap-up, I'll just list down the interesting things I've done and things I plan to do in my long-term stay here in Japan.

1. Tokyo Disneyland
2. Tokyo DisneySea
3. SnowBoarding/Skiing
4. SkyDiving
5. Universal Studios
6. Sea Paradise
7. Nagoya Aquarium
8. Nagoya Science Center
9. Hanami
10. Visit Castles
11. Shop at Akihabara
12. Omatsuri
13. Tokyo Night Life
14. Nagoya Night Life
15. Climb Mount Fuji
16. Ride Shinkansen
17. Onsen
18. Get fat with Jap food
19. more...

My YoungBlood Article PART 3: Infinity's Ending

2007-02-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

After 48 years of waiting, here now is the FINAL INSTALLMENT of the "bloody trilogy"..
My story begins here after i escaped the depths of hell to climb back to Mount Olympus.
Well, its sort of like that... :) So here goes...

****************Article PART 3********************

I was back on track. I must have been one of God's favorite people for He gave me another chance. I was teaching computer science at Ateneo de Davao University while attending graduate school at UP. The job was perfect for me because I've always had this passion for teaching. Just like that I was back on top of my anthill.

But this dream too did not last. Months later, I found myself working for a private investment firm here in Davao. I started working for the company the very next day after I left the university. I switched lanes without even glancing at my rear-view mirror. The next thing i knew, i was already traveling on another road.

In a span of 3 years, i have already worked for three different employers. It was then when i started having apprehensions about myself and my direction in life. In Coelho's the Alchemist, there was a proverb that said, "Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time." In my case, I already have
shifted careers twice. And sure enough, it is happening again for a third time.

Yes, I quit my job recently. I am now one of the millions of jobless Filipinos out there. My mountain remains an anthill but I am now hesitant to climb it. Afraid that what has happened many times before may happen again. Who knows where i'll end up next? The seminary perhaps? That would certainly make my lola proud. But for now, I really have to re-think my directions or i'll end up having none.

Maybe my problem is insignificant compared to the problems of other people, or perhaps of our country. But for those who are confused and lost like me, i hope it helps to know that you are not alone.

My YoungBlood Article PART 2: Darkness Fell

2007-02-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

So here is the continuation of my story... please don't mind the title as i am only trying to make this story more interesting than it is. So here goes... ***Flashback***

****************Article PART 2********************

This is a little bit of a cliche but the thought of seeing her again was what gave me a reason to dream. It was what drove me to, as Paulo Coelho would put it, realize my own Personal Legend. I was so sure that was it. My chance to prove myself to the world. I was all focused on my goal and there was no stopping me.

Back in Davao.

I was back in my hometown quicker than you noticed the skip in my story, figuratively speaking of course. But wait, let's rewind a little. After less than a year of stay in Cebu, I went home. My decision to go back home was so quick it made my head spin. I didn't know what came over me. All i knew was that i was home and that was it. I was jobless, girlfriend-less.

What happened to my 5-year plan? What about my girl and my year-long wait to finally see her again? I was doing well in work. Everything was so right and then, poof! All my dreams vanished into thin air. The only thing i could remember was that i got homesick. And just like that it was all over. All my questions still remain unanswered to this very day, this very moment i'm pounding my fingers on my keyboard.

Everything that happened was so depressing that i avoided thinking about it. I knew i had to move on. It was an opportunity for me to realize my other dream and that was to teach in a university. Weeks later that dream was realized.

I was back on track. I must have been one of God's favorite people for He gave me another chance. I was teaching computer science at Ateneo de Davao University while attending graduate school at UP. The job was perfect for me because I've always had this passion for teaching. Just like that I was back on top of my anthill.

Again... To be Continued.....

My YoungBlood Article PART 1: The Beginning

2007-02-03T18:58:00.000-08:00

I found my article which i wote for (PDInquirer's) youngblood some time
around 2005-06. And Since I have not really posted anything here for 48 years, i will be posting this one.

I'll have to warn you though that this may be one of the cheesiest articles i have ever written. Well, w.t.h. i am posting it anyway.

****************Article PART 1********************

I'm confused.

No. I'm lost.

I recently read this article about people in their mid-20's. It described how people in this age group experience significant changes in their lives. Quarter-life, according to the article, is the stage when people begin to make critical decisions. Decisions in life like which directions to take and whom to tag along. I found the topic very relevant to my situation now. I realized that I am fast approaching that stage.

Two years ago when i graduated from college, i felt like i was the luckiest guy in the world. I was one of those fortunate few who never had to go through the disappointing and frustrating post-university stage of joblessness. Job offers were practically lining up on my doorway. I had plenty of options but had my sight locked-in on one. While my peers started to show symptoms of quarter-life crisis, i was already having a clear vision on where im going to be in the next 5 years.

No, don't get me wrong. I am not one of those achievers who have worked their hardest and pushed themselves into the pinnacle of their mountains. I was just lucky, plain lucky. I must have been given an anthill to conquer.

It was on our graduation beach-party when the news broke out. I, together with a friend, was accepted at this Japanese IT Company based in Cebu. I can still imagine how i felt that night. I was elated. It was THE perfect evening. I was more ecstatic than a stoned hippie (just joking).

After a week of preparation, i was all set to realize a dream. Working for this company was my year-long dream during my senior year for two reasons: prestige and the girl. Well, maybe it was more because of the girl but the prestige was definitely there. It was the company every comsci student in my batch wanted to work for, or at least i thought so. And the girl, well we dated once just before she left to work for that same firm. She was on the batch just a year ahead of mine. And after that one whole year of waiting, fate finally smiled upon me.

This is a little bit of a cliche but the thought of seeing her again was what gave me a reason to dream. It was what drove me to, as Paulo Coelho would put it, realize my own Personal Legend. I was so sure that was it. My chance to prove myself to the world. I was all focused on my goal and there was no stopping me.

......To be Continued...

Me..The ROCKSTAR

2006-12-11T04:31:00.000-08:00

We all dream of becoming something or someone.

Me? I've always wanted to be a Rockstar. Definitely a rockstar.

"If i knew computer science would be like this, I would have dropped out long ago and pursued my dream to be a rockstar!"

I read this quote a long time ago and it reflected the exact feeling i had when i was in college.
Rock stars have it all.. fame, fortune and all the women screaming and going wild just to be with you ehehehe :p

Yeah i know. I am being shallow.. but hey, I'm just being honest.. that I would give up a day of my geeky life for a rock performance with a million fans screaming and fainting just to see me play drums or guitars.

I can see it all now...thousands of fans anxiously waiting for me to appear on stage.. then the drum beat starts, echoing like thunder all over the stadium as i come on..fans shouting.. and all the girls yelling.."I love you chi... marry me!!!" awwww hehehe

Oh to feel the rush of being on stage.. the excitement.. chills running through your spine..the heart pounding fast.. As madonna puts it "like a virgin.. touched for the very first time." hehe :)

Tsk tsk why oh why did I have to take up this course! I should have been a rock star..Oh well back to reality.. for a time there it almost felt real.. *sigh*

papa!

2006-12-06T00:30:00.000-08:00

mid 20s.
single.
dad.

that i am. i miss those days when all i did was hangout, drink, play, do *other* stuff and travel without letting anyone in my family know about it. I was carefree (or careless), shallow and selfish..and yes it felt good. :)

It felt so good not thinking about anyone or anything or the consequences of my actions. I miss those days when i acted on pure selfish instincts. I was free..... I was free.

I hated growing up. Grown-ups are unhappy people who work for money. And when they have enough money..they work harder for more. Yes it's a vicious cycle that grown-ups do. One of my favorite books told me that.

I knew the secret of happiness. It was to not hesitate. It was to go for whatever it is that you want. "If it feels good, go for it and think not", I always said.

I was happy. I knew the secret. Or so i thought.

But now things have changed. I now have a baby boy. A result of me not hesitating :) haha. Sadly i still think it's the secret to happiness. And i will be teaching the same to my boy..hehehe :)

Being a dad and all (it feels weird calling myself that :p), i believe i am more responsible now. I guess i am growing up after all. I am very happy now that i am a dad. But i do admit missing those good old days..and good old selfish me. :p