kyoto: of castles, shoguns, and geishas

"I have to see a geisha."  

That's what I kept saying over and over during our trip to Japan last March.

Since we were staying in Osaka, my travel companions and I decided to go on a day trip to Kyoto which was approximately just an hour and a half away.  I was excited!  Located in Kyoto is the Gion District, one of the last remaining geisha districts in Japan.  It is also home to several temples built by shoguns or Japanese military commanders centuries ago.

"Kyoto (京都, Kyōto) served as Japan's capital and the emperor's residence from 794 until 1868. 

Over the centuries, Kyoto was destroyed by many wars and fires, but due to its historic value, the city was dropped from the list of target cities for the atomic bomb and spared from air raids during World War II." (More info here.)

The moment we got down from the bus, I was immediately charmed by the city.  While Osaka was bustling and industrial (in some areas), Kyoto had a more quaint vibe with little cafes lining up the side streets and people going around in their bicycles.

Charming Kyoto.

The sun was bright and the weather was cool.  With cameras in tow, we set off to explore one of the most historical cities in Japan.

a life of wander and wonder

*Blog entry title courtesy of @truthseeker55.

Aside from New Year, your birthday is that other occasion every year that gives you license to have your "what have I done with my life" moment (something I think I'm too fond of doing haha).

When I was in college, I only wanted to spend every Holy Week break in Boracay,  getting a tan and partying.  When I got my first whiff of a foreign country during my Thailand trip with my sister, that's when the addiction began.  The goal was simple--save up for low-budget trips to nearby SEA countries like Singapore, HongKong, etc.  Places like South Korea and Japan (the more expensive Asian countries) were far down my list.  Farther down are places like Brazil, Greece, and Europe.  They all seemed like distant dreams.

But I focused on my goals.  I focused my energy on envisioning the places I wanted to go to.  And one by one, I ticked the places off my bucket list.  Then three weeks ago, I found myself wandering the streets of Osaka, Japan.  A week later, I booked a ticket, this time, to a bigger destination.   Without realizing it, I have slowly been making my dreams come true.

There are some things about my life that are not ideal right now.  But if I can make things happen, I can certainly workout the bad.

They say with age comes wisdom.  But with wisdom comes more curiosity.  And I believe we never really find all the answers we look for.  It's the asking and the passionate pursuit for answers that gives us character.

In that pursuit, here are some things that I learned will help you live a full life :

Spend time with your family.

Hug your kids, nephews, or nieces.  They grow up too fast sometimes.

Be generous to your parents.  Seeing them smile over the simple things is priceless.

Save money whenever you can.  But never scrimp over the things that are worth spending for.

Say "I love you" and mean it.

Say "I'm sorry" and mean it.

Open yourself to love.  Take risks.  If your heart breaks, take time to heal.  And then give yourself the chance to love again.

Keep the friends that will say the things that make you feel good but won't be afraid to tell you the brutal truth.

Keep out the negative vibes.  Overpower them with good vibes.

Be kind to the people who hurt you.  They might be having their own struggles.

Every year, discover a new place. 

Do not be afraid to explore on your own.

Find yourself a hobby.  Something to look forward to every time the work week ends.

Work to live.  Do not live to work.

Take care of your body.  You'll never be able to do all these things if you're frail and sickly.

The list goes on.  And I am open to learning so much more.  Because a wise person once told me, the moment you think you know everything is the moment you stop learning.  So yes.  I am determined to continue living a life of wander and wonder.

Wandering around the windmills of Bangui.  (Photo by my brother-in-law, Conrad Vidad.)

hanami in osaka

"Hanami (lit. "flower viewing") is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms ("sakura") or (less often) plum blossoms ("ume")." (More info here.)

Japan's famous cherry blossoms don't show up 'til late March or early April.  So when we went there during the first week of March, I decided to look for the next best thing--plum blossoms.  A friend who's been frequenting Japan suggested that I check out Expo '70 Commemorative Park in Suita, a city located in the Northern part of Osaka.

So during my and my travel companions' self-imposed "free day" (a day where we each followed our own itineraries), I decided to go there.  It was bound to be an adventure, what with me being geographically-challenged and all haha.  But this sight was definitely worth almost getting lost and boarding the wrong train!

The Tower of the Sun.

what every girl should have...

(Photo taken by Direk Jimmy Dasal during our taping.)

A PAIR OF TRUSTY CHUCKS!

Yes, I absolutely love all those girly ballet flats and kitten-heeled shoes (look inside my trunk cum mobile closet and you'll agree!).  But I believe every girl should have at least a pair of comfy, go-anywhere, trusty Chucks.

I wear mine whenever I'm out in the field, I'm traveling backpacker style, or I just wanna let loose the funky girl in me.

I've had mine for years now and I'm absolutely loving it!  And I love it even more when it's all dirtied up ;)

foodgasm in japan!

There are two things every traveler should know about the food in Japan:

One, they're expensive, and 

two, they're worth spending for.

It's like the Japanese is not in the business of cooking anything less than a gastronomic masterpiece.  Everything tasted sooooo good I'm surprised I only gained a couple of pounds from the trip!  My only regret is that I couldn't take home every dish, drink, and dessert we tried when we were there. 

Anyway, get ready 'coz here are some of the must-try food in the Land of the Rising Sun!  

Ramen

Of course, we just had to eat ramen on our first night in Osaka.  We could have just settled for hotel food but we braved the cold and searched for this popular ramen stall in Namba.

And man, the honest-to-goodness authentic bowl of beef ramen I had was worth the long walk!

Price : Y900 (USD9.44)

the geishas of kyoto: a sneak peek

900 photos and counting.  That's how trigger-happy I was during my recent trip to Japan.  I doubt I'd finish sorting and editing them soon (you know, the works) what with work, post-vacation errands, blah blah blah. In the meantime, I give you a glimpse of one of the most thrilling experience I had during the trip--seeing Geishas!

And  while they were so elusive, I wasn't gonna leave Kyoto without at least a single decent photo of these mysterious women entertainers.  And here's one of them.

the island of siquijor

The island of fire.  That's what the Spaniards used to call Siquijor (pronounced as "see-kee-hor") because it gave off an eerie glow from the swarms of fireflies on the island.

It can also be attributed to its reputation as the "mystic island", with stories of sorcery and witchcraft masking the island for decades.  But while there are a handful that shy away from the island because of this, I've always been curious about Siquijor.  It's one of the places in the Visayan region that I never had the chance to explore yet.

Until recently.

And contrary to all the spooky stories I've heard, the Siquijor I experienced was tranquil and picturesque.  It actually gave me the perfect jumpstart for the summer.

friday food fest at mezza norte

Overnight food fiestas are heaven to foodies like me.  Unfortunately, since I work and live in Quezon City during the weekdays, I have to travel all the way to Ortigas for their weekly Banchetto or to Makati for their Midnight Mercato.

Luckily, around July last year, the brains behind Mercato Centrale decided bring this delightful food fest up north!  Thus the opening of Mezza Norte at the UP-Ayala Land Technohub along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.   You could just imagine how happy I was to hear that!

So last Friday, after an evening run around the UP Campus in Diliman, my friend and I decided to reward ourselves with some Mezza Norte experience.  (Hey, we ate well within the magic hour. *Defensive* Haha.)

And just like the other food markets, it was quite a feast.