pinakamaganda

Friends thank you for your kind understanding. I knew I changed some stuffs lately:

My Cellphone Number
My YM ID

They have something in common: They’re my old “stuffs” and then lost and then found then broadcasted to use again for life.

One thing’s for sure: Wala po akong tinataguang hapon.

My number was the real one before I “migrated” to Japan last year but it was lost. Then luckily I found it again. I want to use it because it was my number for so long and many people (hs and college friends) knew it already. It was really hard to let it go. Click here for more rants about this issue (if you wanna hear more).

About my YM id, it’s really so haggard to manage a lot of internet accounts when you can actually merge them into one. Since I discovered the yahoo thingy (which was in 1st year HS, I was with my good friend/classmate anj at her tito’s internet shop somewhere near taft manila… and OMG it was already 12 years ago), I had created these YM ids: joaness(some forgotten number), bubbly_jeni (used for chaka chatting), qtdenise, joane_denise and jdbsaulon accounts…

Now I am being punished for not sticking to just one account because everytime I open my ym from my past account, and check my mail by clicking the envelope icon in it, I had to end up my previous session and start another one (because you can’t have two yahoo mail sessions each with a different user). And it’s really tiresome to open-close-open mails.. basta kaloka!

Anyway, my qtdenise ID is the most popular one and I am a member of most groups using that ID so I decided to stick to just that.

Kaya thanks for being sooo understanding!

My Saturday is not over yet. It’s already 10:49 sunday morning and I haven’t slept due to the packing galore again… Last week before the business trip I told myself that I’d put my stuffs in their respective boxes already so that I won’t spend my whole saturday night packing. Come friday night right after arrival, I told myself that I won’t sleep coz I’d pack. I didn’t sleep but I never accomplished anything.

Turned out my saturday (yesterday) was so momentous that I had forgotten already (and intentionally) this whole packing stuffs. A lot of celebrations in one day: february babies celebration, despedidas (those who’re going home to pinas next month) and of course, my victory party for winning Ms Okinawa 2008. Wow, I’ve got two titles already: Ms Interstage Asia and Ms Okinawa (wtf?!!?). But this time it’s not my treat anymore, I had my own share of “libre” spotlight already last week.

This may be the last time that we are THIS many here in Tokyo. Maybe next year or the year after, we’ll be meeting each other again back at our office in Pinas.

It is because of this special group of friends that you never feel the loneliness and longingness for home. Weekends become extraordinary because of this special gathering of extraordinary people (minsan “wala lang” okasyon but it’s still fun). It is fun stopping and forming a circle everywhere we went and spend minutes even hours of just talking and joking around (hence, the term “circle of friends” as rea-san explains it).

Anyway, ayun nga, I’m sure I’ll miss everyone.

So as I end my saturday today, here’s a picture of some bangag sleepless restless and still confused woman:

Later more packing to come for my cute little luggage. Haggard but me likes it.

(to the tune of leaving on a jetplane)

All my bags (and boxes) aren’t packed but I really should go.
I’m blogging here just on the floor.
I hate to wake all up coz of clothes to dry (the dryer’s really noisy).
And I’m drinking coffee to be up till morn
The courier’s coming, pick boxes galore.
My room’s a disaster and I cry,

Oh roomie be patient with me
Wish me luck and be happy for me
One more day and you will see me go
Coz I’m leaving on a jetplane
Don’t know when I’ll be back again
You’ll be clean but empty when I go

So many times you see me down
So many times I danced around
I tell you now
You’d seen a lot of things

Every laugh I make, I share to you
Every tears I cried, I lean to you
They all come back
But you still find me sing

Oh roomie you smile at me
Those sad and happy memories
All alone I share it all here with you
I’m leaving on a jetplane
Don’t know when I’ll be back again
Thanks for always showing me your glow

I was in a meeting and I knew “it” was coming, they might ask me to report my status… in Japanese! I thought about asking my teammate what to say but it’s an impolite thing to do since we’re in the middle of the meeting and whispers are not allowed. I was already sweating and my nose was already bleeding… And then, whew I got lucky! They skipped me!!! They asked my teammate directly!!! Yeyy! My mind was already jumping with joy… picturing images of me celebrating under a beautiful confetti… and then suddenly…

“Joane-San? (leader asks about my status)”

Waaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!! I cried!!! My eyes screamed for help at my teammate!!! But well he can’t speak for me…. so I was on my own…

In fairness, even though it’s just 1-3 almost-peed-on-my-pants sentences, I survived. Good thing, I crammed the basic japanese stuffs the previous night so I got to worked it out.

Due to the recent nosebleed experience, I prepared here a few basic techniques when telling what you did, what you are currently doing, and what else should be done:

<<Memoirs of a Gay-Sha: Nosebleed 01>>

Last 2006, I asked the muscleman to help me with my chorei. And it turned out that he did all the translation to japanese. Fast forward to present day, I got to make my own speech. They’re not entirely perfect the first time. On the last minute I asked my teammate some questions if some particles are correct or not. It’s just 9 sentences but it’s an achievement hehehe.

How about a comparison of the following speeches:

My introduction speech to the Okinawa Team:

“Konnichiwa.
Hajimemashitte.
Watashi wa Joane desu.
Nihongo o benkyoushimashitte imasu.
Soshite, watashi no sukina nihongo no kotoba wa ‘gambarimasu’ desu.
Sorekara, Nihongo de hanashitte kudasai.
Watashi wa kaiwa o gambarimasu.
Arigatou Gozaimasu.
Douzo Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu.”

Translation:
“Hello, how do you do? I am Joane. I am currently studying the Japanese  Language and my favorite Japanese word is ‘gambarimasu’ (which means ‘I will do my best.’) So please speak to me in Japanese. I will do my best for our conversation to turn out fine. Thank you very much, I’m pleased to meet you”.

That one, versus this one:

My introduction speech to the Tokyo Team (5 or 6 months ago):

“Konnichiwa.
Watashi no namae wa Joane desu.
<<< long pause and super duper big smile >>>
Douzo Yoroshiku”

Translation:
“Hello, my name is Joane……………………….. It’s nice to meet you.”

?!?!?!

I think I’m in the peak of my career right now. Not really the peak, but I’m getting there already… I’ll be working.. studying.. and will be facing more challenging roles as I journey to the stressful but fascinating corporate IT life.

I love it and I am so eager to do this.

<<This is my song of the moment>>

This is not related to this post: Just something to remember today: I’m not sure if I did the right thing coz today, I bought a dotmac account. So help me God.

Here I am in the beautiful place of Okinawa, a high-class, high-end country side where you could see how calm it was by the way the people there move and walk around.

It just happened that I was with Tokyo people who walked soo fast that I was always left behind.

I couldn’t help but wonder, was it just the heels on my shoes? Or was it just the fast paced Tokyo that they got used to? I noticed that Japanese women are wearing shoes with higher heels than mine, and they can still walk that fast. It’s amazing how they never felt the tiredness and the stress of walking too fast… I don’t know. Nevertheless, I admire their fast-walking style because it just looks so fabulous on them, like a catwalk.

I just walk fast, and run sometimes, if I am late. But if I’m not in a hurry, I walk too slow and I take along with me my non-stop thinking mind. It was like a walk in the clouds and I guess it’s my way of relaxation. You know, think things over, fantasize on what I wanted to do, and eventually contemplate on my mistakes…

And just like that, I realized that I think too fast, and decide impulsively on the things that are needed to be thought on over for quite some time… That’s why I enjoyed the slow walking so much because it gives me so much time to think things over, fantasize on what I wanted to do… and eventually contemplate on my mistakes (that’s take two). Well it does make sense to me.

(sorry, this is a super boring post coz I’m so sleepy… more updates coming up tomorrow!)

The flight was very early, so despite the 3-hour sleep I had to wake up. It was snowing when I left my dorm. It was the first time I disliked the snow coz I have to walk my way to the station with the freezing cold. It never occurred to me to reserve a taxi. Oh well, it’s still snow. I still love it.

We also took off still with the snow falling. I had to take a picture of it in the window but the flash was so obvious that everyone was shocked with the flash. Talk about bloopers, I didn’t disable the flash.

I’m still sleepy coz I didn’t get much rest so goodbye for now. Ala lang, our EA told me this morning before we checked in, “Who cares I’m still going to Okinawa!” *claps*claps*

I invited my Tokyo friends for a lunch out… sagot ko! OMG! Tignan mo nga naman. Well, let’s just say a lot of blessings came in a month and it’s a good thing if I get to share it with everybody. For good karma I suppose.

It was also like a Farewell Tokyo lunch out since I’m gonna miss these friendships that I had here in Tokyo. I wanted everyone to come so I told everyone I’m giving a lunch treat. wew! Not only that, in the afternoon we had a coldstone ice cream treat from Nila-San. Ang saya saya!

I think they’re happy. I hope so, coz I’m happy too!

In spite of the late night packing and getting ready for the early morning flight tomorrow, I ended my day with a smile.

Oh this is also a test shot of my tripod (I got it for free! I have a lot of points at yodobashi, that famous gadget etc store)

This is one of my nikowle’s first shots – at my last project’s closeout party. It is sad ending this project coz I enjoyed it too much despite the working schedule. My japanese team are the coolest. It is also sad leaving them.

But there’s more in store for me at Okinawa. And I just can’t wait.