Many thanks to Ms. Campbell for her interest in hearing the Jugemu chant. In return, I recorded a podcast with my daughter Aya chanting Jugemu. Hope you find this useful.
For those who are not familiar with this chant, just click on the controls below. Have fun! π
[podcast: “uploads/Podcast/jugemu.mp3”]
Year 1996.
I buy my books from a catalog. I place my orders through the mail. Then wait for a month for my orders to arrive. Afterwards I send a postal money order through the post office to pay for the books.
Year 2007.
I click and pay. The books get delivered the day after.
Ahh, the wonders of today’s shopping. It’s one of the reasons why I love the internet. It has made shopping more convenient than one can imagine. I’ve ordered everything from books to furniture to clothes via online shopping.
Who knows how everything would change ten years hence? If there’s one thing that I wish I can skip on weekends because it’s too time-consuming, it’s doing my groceries. Sigh. Not to mention the effort it takes to drive to the grocery store, pick the items off the shelf, bring the stuff to the cashier to pay, then haul everything back home. I’ve tried ordering by catalog before, but unfortunately found out that I couldn’t buy everything I want, so I still ended up going to the grocery store just to buy them.
We always do our groceries on weekends. For a family of four (including my wicked sister who’s staying with us), on average we haul four or five bags heavy with groceries every time. I shudder to think of how many more bags would be needed, or how many times one has to go to the groceries to refill, for a much bigger family.
I’ve heard that the futuristic shopping would involve RFID tags on consumer items, and one would simply have to breeze through scanners unlike the conventional and time-consuming checking out at the cashier. Here is an example of how doing your groceries in the future would be like:
Wincor Nixdorf uses a grocery store to demonstrate how todayβs β for the most part anonymous β grocery shopping can be developed into an individual and interactive process between retailer and customer. At the storeβs reception terminal, an employee greets the customer β but if the terminal is unoccupied, customers can also use the 180-degree rotatable multimedia terminal, which is built into the reception desk, to gather information and receive offers from a virtual consultant. Alternatively, they can use the terminal for personal contact with a special back-office employee via video conferencing.
The customer then takes a shopping cart fitted with a PSA (Personal Shopping Assistant). Wincor Nixdorf is presenting the first cart with a PSA that is permanently mounted on the cart. Customers identify themselves at these PSAs using their customer cards, and the system then guides them through the store, submits personalized offers to them, and can be used to scan their purchases directly.
Products kept in coolers and refrigerated displays feature RFID chips attached to the packaging. Electronic shelf displays automatically present important additional information on products and, for example, recommend suitable wines. If the customer presses a button on the PSA, the precise bottle of wine recommended to accompany a product will be lit up from behind so that it can be located immediately. To find out more about the wine, the customer removes the bottle from the intelligent wine shelf and the display on the shelf shows all the useful information on the product.
Read the rest of the article here.
How about it? A personalized shopping experience at the grocery! π
Here is also something which has been implemented in a place much closer to home, Tokyo:
The Tokyo Ubiquitous Network Project seeks to install RFID, infrared and wireless transmitters throughout Tokyo’s Ginza area, which is the most famous shopping area in the capital. The tags and transmitters will provide location-related information to people carrying prototype readers developed for the trial, said Ken Sakamura, a professor at the University of Tokyo and the leader of the project.
The system works by matching a unique code sent out by each beacon with data stored on a server on the Internet. The data is obtained automatically by the terminal, which communicates back to the server via a wireless LAN connection and requests the data relevant to the beacon that is being picked up.
Sakamura envisions that the system will be able to provide users with basic navigation and information about the shops and stores in the area in at least four languages: Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean.
For example, bringing the terminal close to an RFID tag on a street lamp will pinpoint the user’s location and enable the system to guide the user to the nearest railway station; walking past a radio beacon in front of a shop might bring up details of current special offers or a menu for a restaurant.
Read the full article here.
If this trial becomes successful, who knows, maybe RFID tags in grocery stores will be around sooner than we think. π Anyway, the article is about 5 months old, maybe there’s an update somewhere that I don’t yet know about.
Incidentally, my brother-in-law, who is visiting Japan for the first time, was surprised by the mouthful he got from the cashier as he was checking out the items at the grocery store nearby. He asked me, “Ano ba yung pinagsasabi nila?” (What are they saying?) I explained to him: here in Japan, some (or most?) cashier personnels are required to read aloud the prices which appear on the monitor right after the product is scanned. I really wondered about this myself. Isn’t it enough that you can already see for yourself the price on the monitor? For a foreigner who doesn’t speak Japanese at all, it would all seem like wasted effort because he or she wouldn’t understand a thing anyway. How do you describe it? Like white noise. You don’t understand a thing and it just hurts the ears to listen. π I don’t know either that the buyer could benefit in any way from this, unless of course if he or she is blind or couldn’t read at all.
Quite recently, I’ve also come across a self-service cash register machine at a store. There was one store clerk keeping watch at all four self-service counters. The machines come equipped with a weight-sensing device which apparently verifies the weight of the product that is scanned to the one placed inside the shopping bag. Of course, not all stuffs can be placed in the bag (like the rolls of tissue), though, and there is a button you can press to “skip bagging.” It was rather fun to do the scanning myself, although admittedly it probably took longer than if I had gone through a manned cashier. Much to my dismay, the machine also “read” out loud the prices of each item and prompted me each time to put the item in the bag. Perfect. A robotic voice that is just as irritating.
It’s not perfect yet, but it’s a welcome change to futuristic shopping. Here’s to the future!
I grudgingly woke up this morning, stiff and sore. My arms ached. My head throbbed. I’ve got a stiff neck, probably from lying on the same position all night long. I was simply too exhausted the night before, after spending the whole day with my family and my sister’s family at The Magic Kingdom of Tokyo Disneyland.
I have already lost count of how many times I have visited the place (I’ve also been to Disneyland in Anaheim and Disneyworld, haha. Sucker.). Every time a relative from the Philippines visits us, we make it a point to bring them to this magical world where both adults and children can enjoy themselves in the make-believe world of Disney. As they say, there is no other place where adults can feel like children again. How else to describe it? You’ve gotta see it to know exactly what I mean. π
But this post is not exclusively about Disneyland. For me, going to Disneyland is always a family affair now, and nowhere can you find a place more dense with people pushing strollers with bratty babies and children. Having brought my own daughter to this place several times already, I’ve learned more than a few lessons about bringing children into the park. It’s not an easy task, but with a few smart preparations, even parents can enjoy their time. I’d like to share them with you in this post.
Here is my list of Do’s and Don’ts when bringing children to Disneyland:
1. Bring a stroller. Or better yet, rent one at the park.
Strollers are lifesavers. It’s the fastest, most convenient way to move around the park. And when your little tyke wants to take a nap, presto, he or she can just sleep on the stroller while you can still enjoy the parade or watch the shows. I especially liked the strollers they lease on the park, because they come with a medium-sized bag at the back where you can put in your things. The stroller is also quite sturdy enough to carry extra bags on its handle.
2. Bring a mat.
The best way to watch a parade is sitting down. If you bring a mat, then you can choose a location early on, spread your mat, and easily claim your spot. Take a breather while you wait for the parade to start.
3. Bring an extra battery pack.
I’ve forgotten how many times we missed taking shots or videos of our favorite float or show just because our battery gave out earlier than we thought. It’s a bit funny, you know, considering that most of the floats or shows are just variations of the previous ones we have already seen, yet we still want to take pictures of them. Suckers. π But I digress. The important thing is to have extra juice for your camera so that you will always be ready to take those shots you really want. It would be such a loss when your kid gets to dance in the parade with the dancers and you couldn’t even capture the moment because of one lousy battery!
4. Bring extra clothes for the little tyke.
Spring is a little tricky. It could be very hot at noon, especially with the sun’s rays directly on you. But at night it could get very cold, especially with the cold breeze coming from the sea. You would want to bring extra clothes for your kid, in case he or she sweats a lot during daytime, or would need an extra layer at night when you go home. Prepare in advance for the large swings in the temperature.
5. Check in at a hotel for the night, if you live in a place which would take more than one hour to commute or drive.
I learned this lesson the hard way. When Aya was only 5 months old, we brought her to Disneysea together with her grandparents. None of us enjoyed that day because she was cranky during the day, and even crankier during the evening. All I wanted to do is hit the sack, but I couldn’t because we still had to commute back to our place. If I had known in advance that I would be dead tired at the end of the day, I’d have chosen to stay at a nearby hotel for the night. The next time around, that was exactly what we did. We woke up refreshed the following day, and even had time for a sidetrip along the way.
1. Bring your child to the park if he or she is less than a year old, if at all possible.
This would seem contradictory to what I did with Aya, but in retrospect, I realized that there was really no gain in bringing a baby into the park. It’s just a lot of hassle for the parent, and the baby wouldn’t be old enough yet to enjoy the park anyway. So it makes better sense to just wait until the baby is old enough to appreciate what’s going on.
There are baby centers at both Disneyland and Disneysea. I’ve had the experience of bringing Aya to Disneysea when she was only 5 months old. During that time, I was still breastfeeding her, so I was in and out of the baby center because of the feeding and other matters. While the rest of our group was busy enjoying the shows, I was inside the baby center feeding Aya, changing her diapers, or even just pacifying her.
And the volcano inside Disneysea? When it erupted, it scared Aya A LOT. So much so that she wouldn’t stop crying! So, if you think that your child is sensitive to loud noises, think again. He or she won’t enjoy her time at the park, and neither will you.
2. Attempt to see all the sights in the park to get your money’s worth.
Bottomline: it’s simply impossible to do that without overstraining or overtiring yourself and your little one. If there are only adults in your group, then by all means, knock yourself out! :p But if you’re there to enjoy with your kid, and you want to make sure that he or she also enjoys it, well, just take it easy. There will always be another opportunity to enjoy Splash Mountain or the Mermaid Lagoon. The goal here is to enjoy. That said, I’d recommend the parades and shows and just stick to the slow and easy rides like the Jungle Cruise or the Western River Railroad. The latest attraction, Buzz Lightyear’s Astroblaster is also aimed for kids; it takes one on a slow ride while doing some practice shooting with an LED ray gun toy. I rather enjoyed it, even if I got a rather low score. I’m not a sharp shooter. Sigh. π
3. Assume that all rides/shows are suitable for kids.
There are height requirements for certain rides like Splash Mountain or Space Mountain. And for good reason! You don’t want your kid to break his or her neck because of the jerky movements. There are also “innocuous” shows like the Microadventure (3D movie) which you might think would be alright for a little kid to watch. But do be careful. Some kids could get pretty rattled by seeing those huge animals lounging towards them because of the 3D effect. One kid was so frightened by the snake in this show that he started bawling inside the theatre. Obviously, he did not enjoy the show at all, and neither did those unfortunate souls who were seated close to them.
The above list is a mere guideline for parents out there. Feel free to take what you need, trash whatever you think is unnecessary. Bottomline: be prepared! Make sure to have extra energy for the long haul home. The little ones would be very tired and would most likely sleep in your arms.
In closing, let me just say that aching muscles notwithstanding, there is no way I’d choose going there without my family just to spare myself of the tiredness and exhaustion. I’ve come to accept this as an inevitable consequence when bringing my daughter to Disneyland. While at the park, I saw Aya’s face lit up several times when she saw her favorite characters. No way I’d exchange that for anything in the world. π
I’ve already written about what it feels like to be a mom. I’ve also shared some of my thoughts and experiences as a scientist. But I have not written much about what it feels like to be all at the same time – woman, mom, scientist. And for good reason: it’s a lonely road. Not everyone can relate to my experience. In my circle of friends, I could always find someone who is a mom, or a scientist, but to find both at the same time – it’s like finding a needle in a haystack.
I’ve taken to reading several books and literature on women and their participation in science. And the statistics are disheartening. Experts describe the situation as a leaky pipeline: women “leak” out of the pipeline at every stage, beginning from students up to higher positions. Women describe their situation as akin to hitting a glass ceiling – a proverbial ceiling that prevents their ascension to the top. Thus, even if there would be a high percentage of women entering the scientific field at the very early stages of their career, only very few persistent ones manage to wiggle their way to higher positions. Understandably this is a reason for concern: how long would it be until I hit my own glass ceiling?
I now ask you to close your eyes and picture in your mind a scientist working in the lab. What is the image that first comes to your mind?
As it turns out, when asked to describe how a “typical” scientist looks like, many people would give these answers: male, wearing a white lab coat, and eyeglasses thrown in for good measure. People would think “Albert Einstein” – bearded, aged, and yes, still male. Very few people would actually conjure up images of scientists as women. In very much the same way that we always think of a woman when we think of a “nurse” or “caregiver.”
And I’m curious: how many parents out there do encourage their little girls to take up science as a profession? How many parents out there are supportive of the decision of their daughters to become scientists? And more importantly, how many husbands out there are willing to be flexible so that their wives could rise in their scientific careers? How many of them would be willing to relocate and change jobs as necessary to follow their wives? How many of them would be willing to be stay-at-home dads? Because we do hear of women doing these things all the time for their husbands. Would husbands be easily persuaded to make the same sacrifices for their wives?
These and other related issues were tackled in a special feature on women on cryogenics and superconductivity, which came out a few months ago. Several women were interviewed about their experiences as women working in the field. For me, it was an eye-opener – there are indeed other women out there, struggling to survive in a decidedly male-dominated field. And some of them are also moms!
Currently, I happen to be the only woman in our research group, except for our secretary who of course only does administrative work. And in most conferences that I attend, I could only count a handful of women out of several hundred attendees. In the university where I attended, for about a year or two I was the only female graduate student in the lab, until two undergraduate students came along. Hurray. Unfortunately, I found out that whereas it helped to know that there were other females in the same lab, it didn’t necessarily made things easier. Being a foreigner then became an issue. And since I was a sempai – a senior – it was difficult to relate to them on a more casual way. They treated me like a senior. And who wants to be buddies with a senior?
When I became a mom, I found myself juggling time between motherhood and career. I do not claim that I am making an excellent job at both. Sacrifices are inevitable. I can’t devote all my time to my daughter, and neither can I do the same to my job. The best I can do is to make my time more efficient at whichever role I need to be in. I am all too glad that I do not work in the academe, which does not really offer the same flexibility as in a research institute.
This is the juggling act of my life. I do find fulfillment in both roles, and I’m quite happy at the way things are turning out. And sometimes, just sometimes, it does pay to be a woman in this field. Why? Because people do notice you more. Being in the minority and all – it draws people’s attention to you, your presence seeming to beg the question: why on earth are you here? It makes them curious about you. Did you move heaven and earth just to be here? And depending on who you talk to, you might even find admiration in their eyes. In one poster session that I attended, after learning that I have a daughter (one of my former professors enlightened his female student, that’s why), the person exclaimed, “You’re a cool mama!” I could only wish that I had inspired her.
And above all, I am not alone. Our presence is a stark reminder to everyone that being a woman and a scientist at the same time is not impossible.
It’s a lonely road, indeed, but damn if I would give up trekking down that road. I love science too much to do that.
I woke up pretty early this morning – around 6:30 am – rarin’ to get out of bed and ready to go to work. It’s Friday, last day at work, and I just want to get this day done and over with as soon as possible. Can’t wait to get to the weekend!
After a few minutes, Aya got out of bed and looked for me. I thought it was unusual for her to wake up so early in the morning – usually, I have to create a grand ruckus in our bedroom just to wake her up. But today was different. She spoke hoarsely. Then when my hand touched her skin – yikes! She felt so hot. I knew instantly that she has fever. I measured her body temperature, and the thermometer gave a reading of 38.0 C.
Sigh. So much for my Friday. I sent emails to our group telling them that I won’t be coming in for work. π Hey, work will always be there. Right now, my daughter needs me more than my work does. But I guess, I could also view it this way: I got my weekend earlier than I thought. π
And so here I am, stuck in the house, caring for a sick daughter, and what do you know, finally getting to do some of the things that I’ve been postponing for a long time. Like cleaning our kitchen (the oil deposits are getting thicker by the day, and it’s been months since I cleaned the area!), tinkering with our new PC’s media center (thanks to Baggy who has been patiently setting up our new PC; Windows Vista has been a real pain in the ass, but now we can just sit back and enjoy) and uploading some pics and videos. Anyway, I realized that I have yet to blog about Aya’s first stage performance. I had been meaning to do this since last month!
And so, without further ado, here is a video clip taken during the musical performance by Aya’s group at the music school. The title of their performance is “Syamu Neko Kyodai.” In the performance, two different classes were actually joined together, although this was the one and only time that they saw each other and performed together. In Aya’s class, the kids had to practice singing and doing the actions for several weeks prior to the performance.
The tail that Aya wore for the performance was made out of one of her long socks, which was stuffed with soft yarn, sewn at top and fitted with a garter so she can wear it on her waist. I made it, of course. π Anyone interested in custom-made cat tails for kids? π
The stage was awesome – I didn’t expect it be so huge. And there was even a professional emcee – wow! Much to my delight, Aya didn’t show any signs of stage fright, unlike the other kid who held on to her mom for dear life (look for the girl at the leftmost side). Wow, I’m feeling like a stage mom already. π We stayed a bit longer to watch the older kids perform, just to get an idea of what Aya would be doing when she moves on to the higher class. We learned that the older kids get to play on the piano by themselves, cool!
This was the song they sang in Japanese:
シャム猫兄弟
全部で五匹
シロ、クロ、ミケ、ブチ、最後にトラ
チーズケーキを見つけると
仲良し兄弟
喧嘩しちゃう
シロ（シロ）、クロ（クロ）、ミケ、ブチ（ミケ、ブチ）、トラ（トラ）
シロ、クロ、ミケ、ブチ、トラ
シャム猫兄弟
お昼寝してる
シロ、クロ、ミケ、ブチ、最後にトラ
みんなくっついて寝てるから
ふわふわの毛布みたい
シロ（シロ）、クロ（クロ）、ミケ、ブチ（ミケ、ブチ）、トラ（トラ）
シロ、クロ、ミケ、ブチ、トラ
シャムは一匹もいないけど
シロ、クロ、ミケ、ブチ、トラ
And here is my rather clumsy attempt at translating it into English:
Siamese cat siblings
All in all five of them
Shiro, Kuro, Mike, Buchi and lastly Tora
When they chance upon a cheesecake
Chummy siblings will go on a fight
Shiro (shiro), Kuro (Kuro), Mike Buchi (Mike Buchi), Tora (Tora)
Shiro, Kuro, Mike, Buchi, Tora
Siamese cat siblings
Taking an afternoon nap
Shiro, Kuro, Mike, Buchi and lastly Tora
All of them sleeping close together
They look like soft blankets
Shiro (shiro), Kuro (Kuro), Mike Buchi (Mike Buchi), Tora (Tora)
Shiro, Kuro, Mike, Buchi, Tora
None of them became a Siamese
Shiro, Kuro, Mike, Buchi, Tora
Sometimes, despite the noblest intentions, best preparations, and even the best medical intervention available nowadays, tragic things happen. Sometimes they hit us without warning. We don’t know why they happen. We tear our clothes and cry to the heavens asking why, why on earth God allowed these things to happen. Some may even begin to doubt the existence of God.
Sometimes we hear of women dying from childbirth. Statistically this is quite low, given the recent advances in the field of obstetrics and medicine. Until recently, I have thought that this was something that could only happen in the small barrios in the provinces of the Philippines. In those places, more often than not, the women give birth in their homes, attended only by a midwife. Thus, when life-threatening emergencies happen, medical treatment is not readily available; the nearest hospital may be kilometers away. The baby is saved, but the mother loses the battle. We are all familiar with this story.
In a developed country like Japan, it is almost unthinkable that something like that could happen here.
Until last week, that is. When we heard of the story, we were shocked at first, then profoundly sad next. A Filipino woman, who also headed a church in Chiba prefecture, died after giving birth to her third baby in a clinic last Easter Sunday. She was en route to the hospital when she died. She was only 42 years old. She is survived by her husband, her newborn infant, and two elder children.
The cause? Postpartum hemorrhage. It is so unbelievable at first. What should have been an occasion for rejoicing became a terrible tragedy for the family. As the news sank in, we felt the terrible loss, not only for the bereaved family, but also for the church who lost their beloved Pastora. I haven’t personally her – such a shame really -but I mourn her passing with much regret and sadness. As a mother myself, I am greatly distressed for the newborn infant, whose entrance into this world has been unfortunatley marred by this misfortune, and who will grow up never knowing the one person who risked her life for him or her.
The last I heard was that the family was preparing for their trip back to Davao, where the remains of the mother would be interred.
Reality check. Women still die from childbirth. Even in Japan. It brings a sorely needed attention to the fact that childbirth, no matter how we look at it, should never be taken lightly. Lives are always at stake. Sometimes, as in the case of my sister’s harrowing experience, the baby could be lost, too.
I have shamelessly copied the following information from the website of POPHI (Prevention of Postpartum Hemorrhage Initiative) concerning postpartum hemorrhage and death in women:
The risk of maternal death from childbirth represents one of the greatest inequities in global health. Women in developing countries are more than 40 times more likely than women in developed countries to die in childbirth (1 in 61 women in developing countries versus 1 in 2,800 women in developed countries).1 This rate is significantly higher than the ten-fold difference in risk for infant mortality between developed and developing countries, which is 5 per 1,000 live births versus 61 per 1,000 live births respectively.2 Even within developing countries there is a striking differential risk of maternal death for women who have access to basic essential obstetrical care compared to those who do not. Within a country, as poverty increases so does the proportion of women dying of maternal causes.3
Obstetric hemorrhage is the worldΓ’β¬β’s leading cause of maternal mortality, causing 24% of, or an estimated 127,000, maternal deaths annually. Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the most common type of obstetric hemorrhage and accounts for the majority of the 14 million cases of obstetric hemorrhage that occur each year.4
In the developed world, PPH is a largely preventable and manageable condition. In developing countries, however, mortality from PPH remains high despite international efforts. While data are limited, studies have shown that PPH causes up to 60 percent of all maternal deaths in developing countries. For example, PPH accounts for 59 percent of maternal deaths in Burkina Faso, 53 percent in the Philippines, and 43 percent in Indonesia.5 PPH also causes considerable suffering for women and their families and creates major demands on health systems.4 (Emphasis mine.)
1 WHO. Managing Complications in Pregnancy and Childbirth: A Guide for Midwives and Doctors. WHO/RHR/00.7. Geneva: WHO; 2000.
2 Cunningham F, MacDonald P, Gant N, Leveno K, Gilstrap L. Williams Obstetrics. Nineteenth Edition. Norwalk, Connecticut: Appleton & Lange; 1993.
3 Rogers J, Wood J, McCandlish R, Ayers, S, Truesday A, Elbourne D. Active versus expectant management of third stage of labour: the Hinchingbrooke randomized controlled trial. Lancet. 1998; 351: 693Γ’β¬β699.
4 World Health Organization (WHO) Department of Reproductive Health and Research. Maternal Mortality in 2000: Estimates Developed by WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA. Geneva: WHO; 2004. Available at: www.childinfo.org/maternal_mortality_in_2000.pdf.
5 Child mortality page. UNICEF Monitoring the Situation of Children and Women. Available at: www.childinfo.org/areas/childmortality/infantdata.php. Accessed July 11, 2004.
The rest of the article can be found here.
Are you an overseas absentee voter? If, like me, you reside outside the Philippines and are registered as an overseas absentee voter, then by now you must have received by mail the ballots and instructions on casting your vote. Voting of all registered overseas absentee voters commences on April 14, 2007 and will end at 3:00pm (Philippine time) on May 14, 2007. You may elect 12 Senators and a Party-List Organization/Sector. The Certified List of Official Candidates and Party-List Organizations may be viewed here.
If you live in Tsukuba or somewhere near Ibaraki, you may be interested to know that there will be a “Kapihan” event entitled, “Hala! Halalan Na!” to be held this coming April 22. Please read on below for further details.
A distinguished panel of speakers is expected to discuss significant election-related issues during the community forum dubbed “Hala! Halalan na!” (Kapihan sa Tsukuba), which will be held on April 22 (Sunday), 1:30 p.m. at Friends International Mart, Amakubo, Tsukuba.
Leading the list of speakers is political scientist and former activist Dr. Nathan Quimpo of the University of Tsukuba. His talk will revolve around βElitismo, Showbiz at Partidong Pulitikal sa Pilipinas.β Two top diplomats from the Philippine Embassy in Japan will also discuss the absentee voting mechanism and other related topics. Consuls Gerardo E. Tamayo and Felipe F. CariΓ±o III have confirmed their attendance to the said forum.
To provide an OFW perspective to the discussion, Tonton Hernandez, a leader of Filipino migrant workers in the Ibaraki area, will speak on βAng Kahulugan ng Halalan para sa mga Migrante.β Socorro (Yuko) Takei, spokesperson of the Philippine Women’s League of Japan, co-chairperson of the Coalition of Enlightened Filipinos in Japan and convenor of the UP Alumni Association β Japan chapter, will talk about election-related cheating and electoral anomalies.
A mock election for senators and party-list groups is also being considered. The discussion forum, which aims to heighten the awareness of Japan-based Filipinos on the significance of the May 2007 polls, will be moderated by Benigno Tutor, Jr. of Uninetwork Inc. and Philippines Today Online.
The Kapihan is being organized by the Association of Filipino Scholars in Tsukuba (FAST) led by Benjamin San Jose in cooperation with Philippines Today Online and Uninetwork Inc. The eventβs main sponsor, ABS-CBN, will provide promotional t-shirts and caps to the participants.
An access map to the venue is shown below.
Don’t miss this event! And most of all, VOTE WISELY. Don’t waste that vote. π
“Kayo po?” the woman standing behind the counter asked.
Baggy and I looked at the lady in surprise. We were at McDonalds near Hiroo Station in Tokyo. It came as a complete surprise, because right up to that moment the lady was talking to us in perfect Nihonggo. Then she overheard us talking to Aya in Tagalog, which prompted her to switch to Tagalog as well. I looked at her name tag, which was written in Kanji characters. That sort of confused me about her real identity, until I realized that she must be a Pinay married to a Japanese. Anyway, at that time Aya was taking a long time deciding on which toy to go with her Happy Set meal. The counter lady, trying to be helpful, brought out two of the toys so that Aya could choose for herself. “O, ayan, pumili ka.” she said. We’ve done this ritual several times before – that of Aya taking forever to decide on which toy to choose, and the Japanese guy/girl at the counter eyeing us with impatience. But in this case, no, this Pinay just beamed and smiled at us without any signs of urgency. Take your time, her eyes pleaded. Ah, the perks of being served by a fellow Pinoy. π
Whenever we go to Europe, expect us to be wasted the first few days because of the jet lag. We’d hit the sack as early as 5 pm, skipping dinner in the process, then wake up at midnight or in the wee hours of the morning ravenously hungry. At first, we tried bringing instant cup noodles with us, but unlike in Japan, electric pots filled with hot water weren’t always available at our hotel rooms. So our solution was for Baggy to scout the area for some McDo store early in the afternoon and buy some goodies to go. And in the early morning we’d be munching on burgers and (cold) fries. I swear, when you’re so hungry you can eat a bear, cold burgers and fries would seem like the most delicious things on earth. But I digress.
What’s the connection, you ask? Well, to our amusement, it seemed as if in every McDo store we went to, there was always a Pinoy/Pinay working at the counter. While I may often be mistaken for a Chinese, there’s no mistaking Baggy for a Pinoy. So he always gets identified by fellow Pinoys at McDo. In Vienna, for instance, even before he could utter a word, the guy at the counter asked him, “Sir ano po ang order nila?” That made Baggy look up – for how often would you be asked in Tagalog, in Vienna of all places? Do they even talk to you in Tagalog when you order at McDo in the Philippines? As far as I could remember, they always talked to you in English, right? Anyway. When we were in Florence, Baggy was again served by a fellow Pinoy working at McDo. When he got back to the hotel, he was grinning from ear to ear as he handed me the McDo paper bag. Even before I heard his story I knew already that it was about meeting another Pinoy. Ang galing nila. Syempre, working at the counter and talking to the customers require them to be quite adept at the local language. We Pinoys are so versatile!
I’m pretty sure that in the US, the chances of meeting a Pinoy at McDo is also quite high. I heard that my cousins, when they first arrived there, got their first jobs at McDo. When I was in LA, there was a Pinoy (or was it Pinay?) at the counter. And even if he (or she?) talked in impeccable English complete with Hollywood twang, there was no mistaking about his country of origin. Heck, only true-blooded Pinoys could perfect that Hollywood twang!
The next time you see the word “Love Ko ‘To” in your McDo paper bag or cup, think not only of the Filipino consumers worldwide, but also of the many Filipinos who tirelessly toil in this fastfood chain. I bet some of those Pinoy dreams were jumpstarted from humble beginnings, like working at McDo.
Disclaimer: This is not a paid post for that food chain. π Just so you know. And yup, I did watch “Super Size Me” and was guilty for a day. Old habits die hard.
Have you ever applied for renewal of your passport? How about having it amended from your single name to your married name? Was it as simple as 1-2-3?
Because I live in Tsukuba, I am under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo. Here, we can apply for passport renewal by mail. Yep, no need to appear in person at the Embassy. Hurray. All we have to do is submit our application by mail, and as long as our documents are complete and in order, we can expect our new passports to be delivered through the post office or takkyubin. As simple as that.
However, what I had expected to be a simple process could get pretty complicated sometimes. Read my “tales” below and judge for yourself. Pray, tell, was I amiss?
The One with the Passport Amendment
I got married in January 2001. My passport was expiring in March of that year, too. During that time, as far as I could tell, the Embassy still didn’t have any website that I could consult regarding passport procedures. So I sent a letter to the Embassy, inquiring about the required documents that I have to submit. This is the body of the letter that I sent, dated February 6, 2001:
I have to renew my Philippine passport which will be expiring next month. For this matter, I would like to request for an application form and other relevant information regarding the application process. I would also like to inquire what documents I need to submit if I would change my name because I recently got married. I would appreciate it very much if you could kindly send these by mail. I have included a self-addressed, self-stamped envelope with this letter.
Thank you very much for you kind accommodation.
Clear enough, eh? After several days, I received a copy of the application form, as well as a list of requirements that I needed to submit. I prepared everything, and submitted the documents on February 26, 2001.
However, even after about a month of waiting, still no passport. What happened? There was absolutely no attempt on the part of the Embassy to contact me if there was anything amiss with regards to the documents I submitted. By this time I was getting anxious, understandably enough, because my passport would be expiring in a few weeks. I tried to follow up by phone, but as you can read below, it availed to nothing. Read all about it in my next letter, dated March 21, 2001:
This is a follow-up letter regarding the application for passport renewal which I have sent by registered mail last February 26, 2001. Exactly a week ago I called up your office, but unfortunately could not get any direct answers from the person I talked to. Apparently there seemed to be no way to trace the status of the current application, because, as the person said, they were receiving up to 50 applications per day that they could not accommodate my request. Instead, I was directed to the “Personnel” department and from my conversation with the person there I was told that they have not received my processed passport yet. From there I was redirected back to the passport division, but I only got the answering machine. I was led to believe that it was all an exercise in futility.
Are the data for passport applications not stored in a computer where they could be easily accessed for referencing? It has already been more than three weeks since I have sent my application. My passport number is XXXXXXXX with expiration date March XX, 2001. It is very urgent that I get my new passport since I am also applying for a name change due to my recently acquired marital status (Maiden name: ______; I have included the marriage certificate along with the other documents in my application.) Without the passport, I could not make the subsequent changes in my name in all other important matters like the driver’s license, ACR and bank accounts. I would appreciate it if you could, at the very least, inform me of the status of my application for renewal. My sincere apologies if this letter has crossed with the mailing of my passport.
But, no dice. Para lang akong nagpalipad ng sulat sa hangin. Nobody bothered to acknowledge my letter, nor attempted to contact me at all.
I became extremely agitated. How much does it take to renew one’s passport here? Y10,500, or about $100. Surely this would have been enough to avoid the unnecessary aggravation? But I was so dead wrong. So dead wrong.
I gave up on calling the Embassy myself. I mean, what was the point? I would only be passed on to one person to the other – it was indeed an exercise in futility. Enter Baggy to the rescue. I made him call up the Embassy to ask exactly what happened with my application. Between us, he is the more patient one, and he has proven time and again that he is definitely more persistent than I am. Plus, kaya niyang makipagtigasan sa mga tao. Me? Nah, I’m too impatient and I tend to get angry when talking to dumb people.
To make the long story short, after talking to many persons, he finally ended up talking to the Vice-Consul. Matinik talaga si Baggy. π It turned out that my application lacked one vital thing – an authenticated marriage contract. Huh? I didn’t even know that there was such a process as authentication of a document. Turned out that this had to be processed in the Philippines, not Japan! Sheez! Now why didn’t they tell me that in the first place? And why was my application left to languish for more than a month? Time’s a-wastin’, and if I hadn’t taken the initiative to follow-up my application, I wouldn’t even have known about that document. Whoever sent me the list of requirements overlooked the fact that I was married in the Philippines, not Japan, and that I am married to a Filipino, not a Japanese. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.
And so what happened was that since there wasn’t enough time left before my old passport expires, I was issued a new passport using my maiden name. I was advised to submit the authenticated marriage contract and apply for the amendment of my name later on.
That was exactly what I did after several months of waiting (the marriage contract issued by the NSO (National Statistics Office) had to make the rounds of Malacanang and DFA to be authenticated). While I was able to get the amended passport without any setbacks, I still had to pay an additional amount of Y5,250 for them to “process” my request for amendment.
In fairness, when I applied again for the renewal of my passport early this year, surprisingly I didn’t encounter any problems. Nowadays you can consult the Embassy’s website for information regarding passport renewal and other matters. I got my new passport by mail after two weeks. So, some things can change after all! π
The One with the Passport Renewal
I almost believed that things have changed for the better. But now comes Aya’s turn to have her passport renewed. I prepared the usual documents. I checked and double-checked everything; I downloaded the application form from the Embassy’s website. The application form comes in two pages – the first page being the application form itself, the second page bearing the details of documents to be submitted. Here is what it says on the renewal of passport:
Renewal of Old Passport
1. Duly accomplished passport application form available at the Consular Information Counter, or downloadable from the official Embassy website at http://www.tokyope.org.
2. Three (3) passport-size photos;
3. Old passport – to be presented for cancellation but will be returned to applicant;
4. Copy of the following pages of old passport:a. data page (1st page)
b. visa page (with latest visa)
c. page bearing the signature of the signing officer (last page)*If old passport is a brown passport, submission of an authenticated Birth Certificate from the National Statistics Office (NSO) is required.
Renewal Fee: Β₯10,500
Additional Documents for Seamen:
1. Certification from the corresponding shipping agency in Japan or from the ship master;
2. Philippine Seaman’s discharge book
3. Landin permit from immigration
So I submitted Aya’s application, confident that everything was complete. Unfortunately, after a week, all the documents were returned to me, with a stick-on note stating:
PLS. SEND COPY OF MOTHER’S PASSPORT CONTAINING THE FF. PAGES:
PAGE BEARING THE NAME, LATEST VISA, AND SIGNING OFFICER
What the?!! ASAN YUNG INFORMATION NA YAN? It’s not just my time and effort that was wasted, mind you. From the Y10,500 that I sent, only Y9,400 was returned to me; the bills and coins were taped together and simply inserted into the mailing envelope that was sent back to me (huh? They can do that? I thought sending money through the mail has to follow the appropriate procedures? The very reason why we use a genkin kakitome envelope – the official and legal way of sending money through the post office? D’oh!). Apparently, the amount of Y1,100 was subtracted and used to pay for the sending of my documents through registered mail.
So what else can I do? I know it’s futile to argue, but I wrote them a letter anyway. I like writing letters – it allows me to express myself whilst documenting everything. And I was actually hoping that I’d push the right buttons for someone to answer me this time. Together with the documents, plus a copy of MY passport pages that they requested, I sent the following letter:
It was truly a total waste of effort, money, and time on my part to submit documents that were deemed incomplete by your office. It was a complete shock for me to have my documents and money (minus the postage fee) returned, with a simple note that says that I have to supply additional documents for my daughter’s passport renewal. After all, I followed to the letter the information available at your website.
All of these would have been avoided had you taken the effort to update the information you have posted in your website. There is absolutely NOTHING there that says that for a child’s passport renewal, copies of pages of the mother’s passport are still necessary. If there is, then by all means please let me know where I would be able to find it, and that I may advise other parents to do the same.
As with the first time, I paid for registered mail fee, plus the fee for the genkin kakitome (cash registered mail), amounting to a total of Y1,140.
After two weeks of waiting, Aya’s new passport finally arrived. Along with her new passport was the letter that I sent. No replies, no nothing. They just returned my letter. Gee, thanks for ignoring me. Hey, I am a nobody, I just happen to be a Filipino national, and I am absolutely NOT entitled to any attention from my own embassy. Gah, I suck at being sarcastic. Honestly, I do not expect any apologies; I am not even concerned about the money. I just want CLARIFICATION. I want somebody to explain things to me like I’m a four-year old.
The way I see it, the least they can do is update the information on their website so that parents out there who are going to renew the passports of their children would know exactly what documents to send. Or was our case special? How on earth would I know that anyway?
Again, let me ask you – was I amiss? You be the judge!
Hahh, what a week! I had to disengage myself from blogging activities in order to concentrate on other more pressing matters. Matters like making a presentation in a conference, writing and submitting my proposals, rewriting a paper for a journal, submitting an abstract to another conference, yada, yada, yada. March is always the busiest time of the year, which, incidentally, also coincides with the end of the fiscal year here in Japan. Anyway, I’m glad that I’ve completed most of the tasks I needed to do. I can breathe now, thank you very much! On a brighter note, the sakura (cherry blossoms) are already in full bloom, and we can enjoy viewing them this week! Yay!
Well, there is a particular topic that I want to write about in this post. Thing is, I’m turning a year older tomorrow. It’s no big deal, right? π Everyone else will turn a year older this year. But for some reason, I’m having a “When Harry Met Sally” reflective moment. Ok, sure, 40 is still several years down the road, but hey, I will turn 40…someday! To paraphrase Sally’s outburst: “Forty…it’s just there, waiting!”The big four-oh is hurling towards me, like it or not. Some people I personally know are already ranting about turning 40 – and for some reason, they end up buying themselves some expensive stuffs. Maybe to make themselves feel better? Is it really that bad? I couldn’t help but think that pretty soon, our batch in college will be writing emails with similar angst about turning 40 in our mailing list.
In a way, I can understand what the fuss is all about. When I was 10, 20 seemed ancient. Old. Scary. Unthinkable, even. When I turned 20, I realized that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Twenty was…cool. I got to be independent; I got recognized as an adult in my own right. I was happy to displace my idea of ancient to the more distant age of 40. Forty seemed like lightyears away.
Thirty came, and I realized, hey, this is almost like 20, but with more independence, more money, and less parents breathing down my neck. Emancipation!!! Earn a living, start a family, settle down in domestic bliss. Check, check, check.
When I do hit 40, how would 80 sound? Like my Mom would say, “isang bulate na lang ang hinihintay na pumirma sa kontrata.” lol
When I turn 40, would I end up looking back at how I spent half of my life (given that I would actually live until 80), and gripe about the things I have failed to do? Would I be forced to take a long, hard look at where my career has gone and feel satisfied, or would I end up beating my head for making bad decisions? Would I feel bad if I still haven’t amassed enough wealth to secure a comfortable life without having to work my ass off anymore? Would buying a new house or a new car be as tempting as it is now? Would having a fat savings account be something to be happy about when you’re forty? Would I be reflecting on how much of my life has been spent serving others and making their lives better instead of just focusing on my own comfort?
Ok, maybe that’s too much to reflect on, haha. As I said, I’ve several years more to go. Ample time to ruminate. But if there are others out there who have hit the big four-oh and would like to share the tidbits of wisdom that they’ve learned during this transition, feel free to rant, err, comment. π
For now, I bid thee adieu with these words of wisdom I scooped from the internet, hehe…and remember, age is a state of the mind! π Have fun.
YOU KNOW YOU’RE GETTING “MARVELOUSLY MATURE” WHEN…..
1. You and your teeth don’t sleep together.
2. Your try to straighten out the wrinkles in your socks and discover you aren’t wearing any.
3. At the breakfast table you hear “snap, crackle, pop” and you’re not eating cereal.
4. Your back goes out but you stay home.
5. When you wake up looking like your driver’s license picture.
6. It takes two tries to get up from the couch.
7. When your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio. (My idea of a night out is sitting on the couch and watching DVDs.)
8. When happy hour is a nap.
9. When you’re on vacation and your energy runs out before your money does.. (Oh mama…this is becoming too familiar.)
10. When you say something to your kids that your mother said to you and you always hated it. (This is soo true!)
11. When all you want for your birthday is to not be reminded of your age. (Thank you!)
12. When you step off a curb and look down one more time to make sure the street is still there.
13. Your idea of weight lifting is standing up.
14. It takes longer to rest than it did to get tired.
15. Your memory is shorter and your complaining lasts longer.
16. Your address book has mostly names that start with Dr.
17. You sit in a rocking chair and can’t get it going.
18. The pharmacist has become your new best friend.
19. Getting “lucky” means you found your car in the parking lot.
20. The twinkle in your eye is merely a reflection from the sun on your bifocals.
21. It takes twice as long – to look half as good. (Ouch. Just plain ouch.)
22. Everything hurts, and what doesn’t hurt – doesn’t work.
23. You look for your glasses for half an hour and they were on your head the whole time.
24. You sink your teeth into a steak – and they stay there.
25. You give up all your bad habits and still don’t feel good.
26. You have more patience, but it is actually that you just don’t care anymore.
27. You finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart.
28. You wonder how you could be over the hill when you don’t even remember being on top of it.
