Jeepney Press July-August 2011 page 8

JEEP TRIPS

By Jade Pangilinan

Retracing Rizal’s Footsteps

in Hibiya Park

On June 19, 2011 we are celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of publicly-acclaimed National Hero Jose Protacio Rizal. Let me pay tribute to him with a reprint of an essay I wrote in 2007 when I visited Japan.

My Japan sojourn will not be complete without paying homage to my idol, the great Philippine patriot and our national hero Jose Rizal. This meant a visit to Hibiya Park, Tokyo where a marker was erected during the centenary of Rizal’s birth in remembrance of his Japanese trip in 1888. The marker is nestled at the former site of the Tokyo Hotel, the precursor of the contemporary Imperial Hotel which is now located just across the park. In 1998, as part of the Philippine Centennial Celebrations, the Philippine Embassy in Japan added a bust of our hero to the marker.

I have gone around Hibiya Park once before I approached the information center to ask for the location of the Rizal marker there. I had difficulty finding it since the maps were all in Japanese and the marker was not placed in a prominent place in the park grounds.

I could have hugged Rizal when I finally caught sight of the bust. The same impeccable hairstyle and the immaculate manner of dressing could not be mistaken anywhere. It was on a partly - hidden, solitary pathway shaded by a canopy of trees that I found Rizal, looking quite forlorn in the serenity of the surroundings. Rizal, as depicted, appears rather lost in deep thought.

The bust is located behind the stonewall remnants of the Hibiya Gate from the Edo period centuries back. From Rizal’s perspective, one has a good vantage point of a peaceful looking pond and greenery well - suited for wistful thinking.

As I was taking pictures of Rizal, I was trying to recall from my readings and university days the facts that led to his journey to Japan. I remember that Rizal visited Japan, en route to Europe, in the late 1880s (1888 according to the marker) at the peak of controversy after his first novel Noli Me Tangere was published. What stands out in my memory is Rizal’s love affair with the beautiful daughter of a samurai, Seiko Usui, who went down in history more popularly known as Osei-san.

While his love affair with Osei-san fizzled, Rizal must have been enamored by Japan – the scenic beauty of its nature and the attitude of the people. In the Rizaliana archives somewhere, there survive brush and ink sketches unmistakably done in the Japanese style by Rizal, as may have been influenced by his short sojourn.

Visionary that he was, Rizal even went so far as to foresee that Japan will rise to become among the leading nations of the world, and in his essay “The Philippines, A Century Hence” there was a passage referring to how Japan will set its imperial eye on the neighboring Korea, which did happen as recorded in world history.

While strolling around Hibiya Park, I was wondering whether the same trees must have greeted Rizal in his walks. He must have enjoyed watching the cherry blossoms fall as the flower is etched in his marker, and he visited Japan in springtime when the phenomenon takes place.

Even then, Rizal must have taken much pleasure in the serene atmosphere that such open spaces in Tokyo offer. There is even an anecdote narrating how Rizal met some Filipino musicians playing Strauss while taking a stroll at what is now Hibiya Park, to his surprised delight.

I learned from the Hibiya Park office that what constitutes the grounds now used to be part of the mansion of a daimyo or feudal lord during the Edo period, and were used as army drill grounds in the more recent Meiji period, during which Rizal visited Japan. The park as we know it now was planned as such only in 1903 as the first western style garden in Tokyo.

In my effort to retrace Rizal’s steps in Tokyo, I feel that Filipinos who come to visit Japan must take a bit of their time to visit Rizal’s marker and bust at the Hibiya Park and experience, even for a while, a sense of connection, a little pride and a burst of nationalist sentiment in remembering the past by treading the way which Rizal himself had passed. In this foreign land, it is only to us that Rizal’s sojourn to Japan will find a meaning, more than anybody else who pass the park everyday.

As for me, my afternoon at Hibiya Park will be etched in my memory along with the sense of fulfillment at having paid homage to one who greatly deserved it. My only regret about visiting Rizal there was that I didn’t come sooner in time for his birthday.

------------------------------

A Cup of Coffee

by Richard Diaz Alorro

Keeping With the Pace of Time

It seems that time has never travelled at such a frightening speed as these days. As a proof, parang kailan lang nilabas ang ating spring issue but now you are holding and flipping at the pages of our summer issue already. The sands of time are dripping faster than we expected. If we don’t keep notice of the passing of time, we might get caught unaware and puff, it’s game over!

What happened? Magkaiba ba ang ikot ng orasan ngayong panahon kung ikumpara sa nakaraang sampung taon? Did our planet get smaller making its rotation around the axis less than 24 hours to define a complete daytime? Time has never changed ever since man has started to measure and record it. The tickling of the minute hand as you are reading this article is the same as when the day you were born. What changed was our way of living, our lifestyle.

It has been scientifically proven that our state of being busy or our lifestyle affects on how we perceive the passing of time. People who have very swamped schedules tend to notice that time seems to pass by swiftly and more often complain about not having enough time to complete their tasks. While those who have very relaxed calendars may think everything seems coming very slow and feel impatient about the passing of time. The pace of time is only in a state of mind and the word that makes the difference is “busy.”

While having a cup of a brewed coffee in a broad warm afternoon, I wondered how many times do we hear or speak of the word busy as an adjective to describe our day? In my case, hindi ko na ata mabilang. When asked by friends how my day or my week is, “busy” seems to be the easiest and non-complicated answer.

I can’t help but recall the life that I left behind more than 5 years ago when I chose to pursue a postgraduate study and start a career in Japan – payak ang buhay, simple needs, simple joys, undemanding, somewhat laid-back at hawak mo lagi ang iyong oras. I spoke of busy very seldom. Ngunit dahil sa kagustuhan kong mapag-husayan lalo ang aking propesyon, umangat ang antas ng pamumuhay, at makatulong sa aking pamilya, I chose the opposite. There are no regrets, so far. By choosing the life that I am treading now, I was defined as an individual, I learned to know my capabilities, my strengths and weaknesses, and I was molded to become a better person.

Pinili ba natin ang Japan upang maging “busy”? Naging layunin ba natin sa buhay ang maging busy? Sabi nga nila, we are not on this earth to be busy. Nandito daw tayo para makipagkapwa, lasapin ang buhay, bumuo ng mga bagay-bagay, o tumulong sa kapwa. It was never our goal to be busy but the society that we have embraced continues to emit this concept of a lifestyle and trains us to be this way. This is what Japan is, where being busy is thought to be good and a measure of worth.

Alam kong hindi ako nag-iisa sa usaping ito. Marami sa ating mga kababayan dito sa Japan ang nakaka-relate sa topic na ito. Marahil ang iba sa atin ay nasanay na rin at naging hiyang na sa Japanese way of living. Thanks to the Filipino versatility! Madali kasing maka-adapt ang mga Pinoy sa iba’t ibang sitwasyon. Ngunit sa araw-araw na pagsisikap natin dito sa bansang Hapon para sa iba’t ibang layunin, we should always remember that life is irreversible. As we move forward, we can never repeat the gold, olden days or rewind the precious moments spent together with family or friends. We can always re-visit the places we’ve been at but everything will never be the same again. The best we can do is to find joy in whatever we do and to keep abreast with the pace of time.

Before I finished my cup of coffee, I was convinced that it is very difficult to go against the tide. This is the kind of life that we chose to live so we must stand for it. Ika nga, “Go with the flow” and “When in Rome, do as Romans do”. Instead, we have to find joy and positive things even in the most frustrating situations. During rush hours when trains are crammed, why don’t we fill our senses with our favorite music from our iPod and shut our world for a while from the chaos of the city life. While waiting in a long queue, why don’t we take the opportunity to observe the faces and expressions of the people around us, compare and contrast our similarities and differences?

Finally, why don’t we eliminate the word “busy” in our list of adjectives to define our day? Change it with “crammed”, “full”, “occupied”, “great”, “demanding”, or any other word. There is something negative about the word “busy” when we use it to characterize our schedule. Let us see how this could change our perception of life and the evolution of time.

Jeepney Press July-August 2011 page 10

Shoganai:

Gaijin Life

By Abie Principe

Pagtulong sa Kapwa:

Heartfelt Outreach for

East Japan

Greetings dear readers, medyo naiiba ang column na ito kung ikukumpara sa mga nakaraan kong mga isinulat. Gusto ko lang i-dedicate ang column na ito sa recently concluded CPFA event. Sa susunod, balik na uli tayo sa Gaijin Life at ang iba't ibang idiosyncrasies na kalakip nito.

Nagkaroon ng outreach event ang Chubu Philippine Friendship Association (CPFA) noong June 5 (Linggo). Ito ay ang Pagtulong sa Kapwa: Heartfelt Outreach for East Japan. Ang CPFA ay gumagawa ng event na tulad nito taun-taon, ngunit ngayon lang ito naging isang outreach event. Dahil na rin sa nangyaring lindol at tsunami noong March 11. Kaya ngayong taong ito, mayroong porsyento mula sa sponsorships at ticket sales ay ibibigay sa Philippine Embassy in Tokyo at sa Japan Red Cross, para ka kanilang mga proyekto sa pagtulong sa East Japan.

Nagpapasalamat ang CPFA sa lahat ng dumalo sa event. Lalo na kay Ambassador Manuel Lopez, from the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, Vice Consul De Jesus, also from the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, Vice Consul Imperial, from the Consulate General of the Philippines in Osaka, Honorary Consul General to the Philippines Masaaki Furukawa, at Tourism Attache Araceli Soriano, from the Department of Tourism in Osaka. Dumating rin ang mga members ng Consular Outreach Program from Osaka. CPFA was honored by your presence at the event.

Nagpapasalamat rin ang CPFA sa mga kapwa Pilipino na sumuporta sa event tulad ng PSJ-NC, sa kanilang dance presentation noong opening ceremony.

Masaya naman ang araw na yun, maraming mga booths, including Philippine food products distributed by Buds Corporation. Ang mga sponsors tulad ng SBI Remit, SPEED Money Transfer, PNB, AVANCE, ABS-CBN, Brastel at iba pa, ay nag set-up ng mga booths sa hallway ng NIC Annex Hall, kaya't nabigyan ng Pinoy atmosphere ang NIC sa araw na iyon.

Nagkaroon din ng documentary film showing, YANIG, courtesy of ABS-CBN, na nagpapakita ng pinsalang idinulot ng nakaraang lindol at tsunami. Pinakita rin sa documentary na ito na dapat handa rin ang Pilipinas, dahil tulad ng Japan, ang Pilipinas din ay isang earthquake-prone na bansa. Matapos ang documentary, nagsalita si Mr. Enrique Olives mula sa ABS-CBN, at nagbigay din sila ng donasyon sa CPFA, para sa East Japan relief projects. Ang donasyon ay tinanggap nina Mrs. Linda Taki, CPFA Chairman at Ms. Marita Castaneda, CPFA President.

Matapos ang documentary, nagkaroon ng Special Lecture. Ang lecturer ay si Prof. Atsumi na mula sa Osaka. Nagbigay siya ng iba't ibang impormasyon tungkol sa mga volunteers at volunteerism sa panahon ng kalamidad.

Nagkaroon din siyempre ng mga performances upang ma-entertain ang mga dumalo. Kumanta ng Gospel music ang New Life Gospel Choir, isa ka kanilang miyembro, ay miyembro rin ng CPFA, si Ms. Manami Yamada. Ang piano performance ay mula kay Ms. Yumiko Uchiyama, at belly dancing from Jansu Belly Dancing School.

At siyempre meron talagang hindi mawawala sa event na ito, ang Grand Raffle! Maraming premyong napanalunan tulad ng Outback Steakhouse meal coupons, overnight stay sa Nagoya Hilton, Mariott Hotel, and ANA Grand Court Hotel, dinner coupons and a lot more! Siyempre naman ang Grand Prize, na roundtrip ticket for two to Manila, courtesy of All Nippon Airways. Congratulations sa mga nanalo sa raffle. Maraming salamat din kay Mr. Dennis Sun, na tumulong pasayahin ang event, lalo na sa raffle draw.

Para sa taong ito, tapos na ang CPFA event, umaasa kami na sa darating na 2012, susuportahan pa rin ninyo, dear readers, and event na darating.

Maraming salamat muli!

Jeepney Press July-August 2011 page 11

KANSHA ALKANSHA

by PING-KU

Iisa lang ang buhay mo,

kumilos ka, gamitin mo.

At kung may nais ang puso mo,

mangarap ka't abutin mo.

Upang ito'y makamit mo.

Magsikap ka , Simulan mo.

“Magsimula Ka”

(Titik at Musika ni Gines Tan,

Inawit ni Leo Valdez, 1981)

Sa dami ng kailangan gawin sa isang araw ay ewan ko ba kung paano akong nakumbinsi ng aking asawa na mag-sine. Di ko naman kilala ang mga artista pero pumayag na rin ako dahil na-intriga ako sa istorya. Ang titulo ng pelikula ay 「もし高校野球の女子マネージャーがドラッカーの『マネジメント』を読んだら」(Moshi Kōkō Yakyū no Joshi Manager ga Drucker no "Management" o Yondara) o “Moshidora”. “Kung ang Manager na babae ng Hayskul Baseball Team ay nagbasa ng “Management” ni Drucker”. Hanep, ang haba! Pero ano nga kaya ang mangyayari kung ang isang hayskul na estudyante ay nagbabasa ng mga libro tulad ng “Management” at i-apply ito sa mga pang-araw-araw na gawain? Teka muna, sino nga ba si Drucker kamo?

Si Peter Ferdinand Drucker ay kilala bilang “ama ng modernong management”. Ang kanyang mga libro ay isinalin sa mahigit 30 na wika. Dito sa Hapon, si Drucker ay maraming taga-hanga. Upang idaos ang 100th year ni Drucker, noong 2009 inilathala ng Diamond Publishing ang nobelang Moshidora na isinulat ni G. Natsumi Iwasaki at naging best-seller ito. Lalong naging popular ito noong lumabas ang manga version noong Disyembre 2010 at noong Abril 2011 pinalabas sa NHK ang anime series version. Nitong nakaraang Hunyo 2011 ay pinalabas sa sine ang Moshidora at si Atsuko Maeda ang gumanap na bida sa pelikula.

Di ako kumbinsado sa pag-arte ni Maeda (sana’y mas bibo at sporty ang artista na gumanap na bida). Nguni’t kilatisin na lang natin ang mapupulot na aral dito. Ang bida ay si Minami Kawashima, isang 3rd year hayskul na babae. Ang unang eksena sa pelikula ay sa isang ospital. Binibisita ni Minami ang kanyang matalik na kaibigan na si Yuki Miyata. May malubhang sakit si Yuki at nag-volunteer si Minami na pumalit sa kanya bilang manager ng baseball team ng kanilang eskwela. Di niya nais biguin at saktan ang loob ni Yuki, kaya’t nangako siya na magsusumikap siyang gampanan ang responsibilidad ng pagiging manager. Ngunit walang alam si Minami sa pagiging manager ng baseball team. At nabigla siya na kaunti ang nageensayo at walang disiplina ang mga miyembro ng team nila. Ano ang magagawa niya bilang manager ng team?

Pumunta siya sa bookstore para maghanap ng libro tungkol sa pagiging manager. Ang nirekomenda sa kanya ay ang librong “Management” ni Drucker. Noong una ay di niya maintindihan kung paano gamitin ito para sa baseball team ng eskuwela nila. Kahit nakita niya na malubha ang problema ng team nila, di siya umiwas sa kanyang tungkulin. Eto ang kanyang natutunan mula kay Drucker:

Isang importanteng kwalipikasyon ng manager: Pagiging tapat at determinado

Ayon kay Drucker, halos lahat ng kailangang gawin ng isang manager ay matutunan sa trabaho at pakikitungo sa mga tao sa organisasyon. Nguni’t isa lamang mahalagang katuringan ang kailangan niya mula sa simula: hindi talino nguni’t pagiging tapat at determinasyon sa trabaho. 資質が一つだけある。才能ではない。真摯さである。

『顧客に感動を与えるための組織』というのが、野球部の定義だったんだ！Napaisip sina Minami at Yuki tungkol sa pagtakda ng layunin o bisyon para sa team. Ano nga ba ang baseball team? Sino ang nakikinabang sa paglalaro nila? Ano ang pakay ng team? Ang tinakdang layon o misyon ni Minami para sa team nila ay ang makalaro sa Koshien upang mabigyan ng galak at tuwa ang mga manonood at baseball fans. Para sa Hapon, ang Koshien ay mecca para sa hayskul baseball.

Ang tao ang pinakamahalagang yaman ng isang organisasyon

人は最大の資産である。人を生かす！ 大切は繋いで行こう。Naintindihan ni Minami na ang susi ng tagumpay ng team nila ay ang maunawaan ng lahat na ang bawa’t isang tao ay mahalagang kayamanan ng team. Oo, iba-iba ang diskarte ng mga tao at may mga mahirap pakisamahan o di magaling makitungo sa iba. Kailangang alamin ng manager ang mga lakas at kahinaan ng bawat isa at humanap ng paraan upang magamit ang mga ito para gumaling at magtagumpay ang team.

Pasibulin ang potensyal ng bawa’t isa. Para makarating sila sa Koshien, kailangang mahusay ang komunikasyon at teamwork at maging disiplinado sa pag-ensayo. Kung ang lahat ay magkaisa upang makamit ang layunin at bisyon ng team, ang susunod na kailangan gawin ng manager ay suriin at planuhin ang mga gawain upang masigurado na ang lahat ng kanilang hirap ay magbunga. Ang payo mula sa mga eksperto ay mahalaga rin. Dapat malaman ng manager ang mga pamamaraan, mga kasangkapan o tools na kinakailangan sa proseso. At higit sa lahat ay, mabigyan ng direksyon, balanse sa panga-ngailangan ng quality at dami, itakda ang mga standard sa team upang i-motivate at maging responsible sa ensayo ang bawa’t miyembro ng team.

Innovation

イノベーションとは、新しい満足を生み出すことである。組織の外にもたらす変化であること、つまり既存の常識をガラリと変えてこれまでにない価値を創造しなければいけない。Nakakatuwang makita ang bawa’t isa sa team na nagbabago dahil sa pag-uudyok ni Minami. Mula sa coach na si Makoto Kachi na mahina sa komunikasyon. At si Masayoshi Nikai na isa sa mga player na may hilig sa management at naging sounding board ni Minami para sa mga konsepto ni Drucker. Nagtulungan ang top management ng team na sina Coach Kachi, Minami at Nikai na planuhin ang innovation ng team. Nakipag-usap sila sa iba’t ibang club upang makakuha ng suporta. Halimbawa, sa pagplano ng mga meals ng team, sinuportahan sila ng homemakers club at nagkaroon sila ng regular na tasting sessions. At ang kapalit sa pagpapa-kain sa mga manlalaro ay ang pagsagot sa mga katanungan at pagbibigay ng feedback tungkol sa lasa, quality, presentation, etc. ng pagkain na hinanda. Mula naman sa track and field club ay binigyan ang mga baseball na manlalaro ng tips at joint training sa tamang paraan ng pagtakbo. At mula sa cheering club naman ay di lang pinaganda ang mga cheers, kundi ay gumawa sila ng mga special cheers para sa bawa’t player lalo na para sa ace pitcher na si Keiichiro Asano. Pag may error na nagawa ang pitcher, pinapalitan nila ang cheer para mabalik ang tiwala sa sarili ng pitcher at mag-concentrate muli sa kanyang laro.

Proseso o Resulta?

Isa sa paborito kong eksena ay ang diskusyon nila Yuki at Minami sa ospital tungkol sa alin ang mas mahalaga: ang proseso upang makamit ang layunin o ang pagtagumpay sa pagkamit ng resulta. Sabi ni Yuki na kahit di makapunta sa Koshien ang team ay naniniwala pa rin siya sa galing ng team at para sa kanya mas importante ang proseso na nagkaisa ang lahat para maabot ang pangarap nila. Nag-isip si Minami at naalala ang mga salita ni Drucker, 「組織構造は，組織の中の人間や組織単位の関心を，努力でなく成果に向けさせなければならない。成果こそ，すべての活動の目的である。」 Importante ito, kaya’t tingnan natin ang original na sinulat ni Drucker: "Organization structure should direct the vision of individuals and of managerial units toward performance rather than toward efforts. And it should direct vision toward results, that is, toward the performance of the entire enterprise. Performance is the end which all activities serve." (Drucker,1986 p.380）Sabi ni Minami: “Tungkulin ko bilang manager ang siguraduhin na ang team ay manalo sa mga laro hanggang sa makarating sa Koshien at mabigyan ng kagalakan ang lahat ng mga manonood at tagahanga ng baseball. Nagkukulang sa determinasyon ang mga taong nagsasabi na mas mahalaga ang proseso kaysa sa pagtatagumpay na matupad ang pangarap.” Gusto ko ang eksena na ito dahil pinakita na natuto ang bida na i-aplay ang nabasa kay Drucker sa paggawa ng sariling opinion at desisyon sa trabaho niya.

Ang pinakagusto ko na eksena sa anime (na di ginamit sa pelikula) ay ang pagbisita ni Nikai kay Yuki sa ospital. Humihina ang loob ni Nikai dahil bagama’t nagbabago na ang mga team mate niya ay sa tingin niya di pa rin kaya nilang umabot sa Koshien. Ang sagot ni Yuki ay, “Para di magsisi, gawin lahat ng kaya. Gawin ang magagawa ngayon.” 「絶対後悔したくないって。自分にできる事を精一杯頑張りたい。今,自分にできること。」

Magsimula ka,

tuparin ang pangarap mong tunay.

Habang ang lakas iyo pang taglay

Sa paghihintay, baka masanay.

Sayang naman ang buhay,

mawawalan ng saysay.

“Magsimula Ka”

(Titik at Musika ni Gines Tan,

Inawit ni Leo Valdez, 1981)

Mga sipi ay mula sa:

1)「もし高校野球の女子マネージャーがドラッカーの『マネジメント』を読んだら」岩崎夏海［著］ダイヤモンド社, 2009.

2) Drucker, P. F. Management: Tasks, responsibilities, practices. Truman Talley Books, New York, 1986).

Jeepney Press July-August 2011 page 12-13

CENTERFOLD:

kwentong panulat.

by Steph-mm Leuterio Jallorina

Kwentong Panulat.

Gagawin kong mala-kwento itong centerfold natin ngayon. Parang ang dami ng nangyari sa taong ito, bagamat nakakalahati pa lang tayo. Mula noong Marso, tayo man bilang nabiyayaang magka-trabaho rito ay may mga pangamba pa rin, alanganin sa mga kilos, mapagmasid, mapagmatyag. Gayunpaman, hayaan ninyo akong gaya ni Fr. Resty Ogsimer, ay “pukawin ko ang inyong mga espiritu” ng isang nag-sanga-sanga ng kuwentong panulat. Inisulat ko ito noong mag-bagong taon, kung saan tayo ay sabay-sabay, saan mang lupalop ng bansang Hapon, na umasam ng panibago at mas maginhawang “tayo.” At hindi lang dahil bilang paggunita sa mga alaala ni Gat Jose Rizal at sa sinabi niyang “Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika ay higit pa sa mabaho at malansang isda” kaya ko inisalin sa wikang Filipino ang mga sumusunod, kungdi dahil sa ang magpahayag ng ating saloobin sa wikang kinagisnan natin ay nanunuot sa damdamin, nakakaantig ng puso. Ipagpaumanhin ninyo lamang kung may mga aberya sa daan ng aking buhay, pagkat ako’y unang naging Ilongga, bago naging Filipina.

Sige nga, paano mo tataga-lugin ang "God is so moving"?

Kasi, ngayun-ngayon lang ay nakatanggap na naman ako ng isang libro mula sa isa sa pinakamagandang tao sa mundong itago natin sa pangalang May Masangkay. Ang nasabing libro ay para daw sa mga taong mahilig magsulat. Hindi ako makaantay na makauwi pa sa bahay at saka pa lang buksan at basahin. Sa tren pa lang que se hodang nakatayo at nakipag-punong braso sa siksikan ang inyong abang lingkod, sinimulan ko na agad basahin ang Mahiwagang Libro ni Maya (syempre hindi iyon ang saktong pamagat ng libro). At tama nga ata siya, para nga ito sa mga gusto o mahilig magsulat. Ako yung gustong magsulat pero...

Kaya ko naman nasabing "God is so moving" kasi yung mga unang pahina pa lang ay nauugnay na sa usapan sa pagitan ng lolang si Norma, ang manugang na si Glenda, at pinsang si Pek (mga totoong pangalan ng mga tao sa paligid ko at pasensya kung walang pahintulot, alam kong maiintindihan din nila), patungkol sa Disney Land na ballpen ng apo/anak/ pamangkin na si Kairie. Kesyo daw bawal nung kinder pa yung maninipis na panulat at dapat yung matataba lamang para madaling matuto ang mga bata. Tama, yun nga! Naalala ninyo yung Mongol na malaki, yung kulay berde? Meron din ata ng itim noon. Ito yung usapang isang gabi na ibinalik ako sa musmos kong nakaraan.

Kinder 2 – Alam ko na na may kinalaman sa pagsulat ang isa sa mga gugustuhin kong maging balang araw. Parang alam mo yung isang alamat na sa eskwelahan ang gasgas ng tanong na, “Ano ang gusto mong maging balang araw?” Tapos, sabay sabay yung maiingay na bata na sumagot na ako, “doktor” o di kaya “pulis” hanggang titili si Titser ng “quiet!”

May tindahan ang lola kong si Aida (na malamang ay may Twitter na ngayon sa langit at inifa-follow na lang ako) at ginagaya ko ang mga katulong niya na gumawa ng kung tawagin ay “paktura,” yun ay kung saan ililista nila ang mga ipinamili ng mga mamimili, at saka susumahin. Maiinis lang sila kasi ang trabaho ay pabilisan, hindi ang pagandahan ng pagsulat. At ang kulit ko na dapat nilang pagtiyagaan dahil di ako titigil hanggang sa matuto ako. Noong bandang huli na-master ko din naman yun, pagkatapos ko nga lang takutin ang mga kapatid ko na kailangan naming magtinda-tindahan sa aming bahay. Siyempre, ako ang taga-lista, at sila yung matiyagang mamimili, na paulit-ulit lang ang binibili, para akong sira na lista ng lista ng “spagethi” “spagetti” “spag” sa isang bilihan lang. Nakakaloko lang di ba? Walang nilaga ang taong di matiyaga.

Grade one – Noong inako ko mula sa mga klasmeyt ko ang pag-gawa ng kanilang “writing composition” na takdang-aralin namin, dahil lamang sa kagustuhan kong lalo pang mapaganda ang aking penmanship. Tiyak kong maalala pa ito ni Baby M, at ni Philip na asawa na ngayon ng kaibigan kong si Mhar. Inaabangan ko sila sa pinto ng silid-aralan namin tuwing uwian. At naalala ko na sa tuwing gagawin ko yung mga takdang-aralin namin, hinihilera ko sa ilalim ng “stool” ang kanilang mga kuwaderno habang nakaupo sa sahig. Ikinasisiya ko ang makitang gumaganda ang stroke ko ng "m" o ang ka artehan ng "s" o ang tamang buka lang ba nung "o". Hindi ko inisip kung kailangan bang matuto ng aking mga kaklase. Sabagay, payak pa ang kamalayan namin sa kahalagahan ng pag-aaral, ng tama. Ang iniwasan lang namin noon ay yung di mag-squat sa loob ng klase habang pasan ang mga libro ng buong klase dahil di namin ginawa ang aming takdang-aralin o dahil nag-iingay lang kami sa klase.

Grade school – Lagi akong nanalong secretary. Minsan nga noong grade four ata ako, ahem, ako na ang presidente, ako pa ang secretary, dahil maganda daw ang aking sulat-kamay. At ng matuto na akong mag-ballpen, asul ang naging paborito kong kulay ng tinta. Maganda ang kulay asul, “feeling ko, it brings out the best in me.” Yung tipong, di ako magsusulat kung hindi blue ang ballpen.

Grade six – Nanalo ako sa Ovaltine promo sa school...ng ballpen, yung may tatak ng ovaltine siyempre! Sa tanang buhay-estudyante ko at may pa-raffle sa eskewelahan, yun ang kauna-unahan kong pagkapanalo. At ballpen ang napanalunan ko! Ang saya-saya ko nun! Kahit yung iba, t-shirt, relo, ako, masaya na sa ballpen kong Ovaltine! Orange ang kulay niya siyempre, kahel na kahel!

First year – Nagkaroon ako ng unang boyfriend. Weh? Oo, totoo! Haba lang ng hair no? At dahil wala pang cellphone noon, pa-love letter muna. Pero ang highlight noon, doon ko nadiskubre ang pagkahilig ko sa pagda-diary at natuklasan ko ding kaya kong manggaya ng sulat-kamay ng iba ng sa tingin lang. Walo na agad ang nagaya kong sulat-kamay. Bakit walo? Walo lang yung weirdo sa buong klase at nakakasalamuha ko na nabighani ako sa sulat-kamay!

Second year – Nakakatuwa lang at ngayong naalala ko, na sa kakasulat namin ng “love letter” ng boyfriend ko, naipit ang isa sa mga yun sa chemistry book, at sa kasamaang palad napadpad sa mesa ni Titser Rossana. Ayun, naging katawa-tawa sa klase..."pagdugtungin ko ang mga tulay, makarating lang sa inyo." Saveh!?

Third year – Ito, hindi ko ipinagmamalaki pero isang experience na isa sa mga naging dahilan kung bakit PolSci ang kinuha kong kurso at kung bakit gugustuhin ko sanang maging abogado. Ang pinsan kong si Joan, kaklase ko rin, ay may kulang na aralin, at hindi makakapagpapirma ng clearance. Eh mag-eexam, final exam, naawa ako, sa awa ko, kinalabit ako ni Taning at ayun, ako ang pumirma sa clearance niya. Hay sobrang nag-sorry naman ako nung nahuli kami. Nung nahuli! Tita ko by the way, ang titser naming iyon, sa science. Sumala-ngit nawa ang kaluluwa niya. “Luzviminda” pa naman ang pangalan niya. Kako noon, kung hindi ako titino, feeling ko pandidilatan niya ako saan man ako pumunta.

Unang Pagkabigo Sa Pag-ibig – Di ko maipaliwanag pero napansin ng tatay ko na parang naging sulat-kamay ng lalaki daw ang sulat-kamay ko. Malalaki, na pantay-pantay, walang arte, kalkulado. Nakita ko namang wala siya ipinapakahulugan, o sadyang magaling lang magtago ng saloobin ang mga tatay lalo na sa anak na babae...pero para nga lang daw...yung sa mga inhinyero, na siyang malapit sa puso niya, kaya siguro noong bandang huli parang mas na-amuse pa siya. Pero ang batang may “tutang” este musmos na pag-ibig, sakit na sakit na noon, parang binagsakan na ng mundo! Gustung-gustong tadtarin ng pinung-pino ang hinamak na lalaki sa papel na napagdiskitahan ng ballpen na kulay asul!

Kolehiyo - Nainlab ako ulit kaya di ko rin maipaliwanag kung bakit mula sa asul, naging violet na ang gusto kong tinta. Huh, dalaga na nga si nene!

Nung Nagtrabaho Na – Nahilig pa rin ako sa pagsulat, mapa-diary, pagkwenta ng mga babayarin, at sa tuwing mapadaan ako sa school supplies, asahan mong ang una kong pupuntahan ay ang section ng mga “panulat,” kung hindi notebook. Yun nga lang black na ang mas gusto kong tinta. Parang mas gumanda ang sulat-kamay ko sa black kesa sa blue. At naging loyal na ako mula noon. Parang buhay, habang nag-kakaedad, nagma-mature, habang nasasaktan, nag-iibayo.

Sa paglipas ng panahon, nag-iiba ang aking sulat-kamay. Pag gusto ko ang sulat-kamay ng makakasalamuha ko, tiyak, mayat maya lang magagaya ko na ito. Dito nga, nagugustuhan ko na ang kakaiba sa aking paningin na stroke ng mga Hapon. May dalawa na akong nagustuhan! At ‘wag ka, akalain mong minsan nung inenterbyu ako “on applications,” ang pinagawa sa akin ay kung paano ko ibebenta ang...”ballpen”. Pinangunahan ko na talaga na di ko forte yung pagbebenta. Tanggap na ako pero sabi, mukhang may potential ako sa promotions dahil sa likhang-isip ko, naks, hanggang ngayon masarap sa tenga lalo na’t alam kong drummer yung nag-interbyu sa akin pero ang sagwa ng sagot ko promise. It was something like (na may kasamang landi), “ito yung ballpen na ikakayaman mo dahil, pang-pirma lang ito ng tseke.” Napangiwi siya, sabay sabi, “Magsulat ka na lang!”

Sa panahon ng computers, laptop, cellphone, iphone – nabawasan na yung pagsulat ko gamit ang panulat. Gaya nito, computer na ang tinitipa ko. Pero anu’t-ano man, feeling ko, hindi kailanman mawawala ang mga panulat – lapis man, ballpen, o pen – gaya ng kung ano man kahalaga ito sa pagpirma ng mag-asawa sa kanilang marriage certificate. Sa tingin ninyo, magiging computerized na lang later yun, kasi puwedeng scanned sign eh?

Nakaka-miss lang balikan ang nakaraan. Sadyang maliligayahan ka sa kasalukuyan at may sapat na lakas pa para sa hinaharap. Salamat din kay Bob Ong ang inspirasyon sa likod ng libro na ibinigay ni Maya.

Gusto ko lang din idagdag ang pananaw ni Bo Sanchez ukol sa mga panulat. Ang limang bagay na pagkakapareho natin at ng mga panulat ay:

1) Ang panulat ay may layunin – ikaw, alam mo ba ang layunin mo?Ang mga panulat, alam nila ang layunin nila, yun ay ang tulungan ang tao na isulat ang naiisip at nararamdaman nila.

2) Ang panulat ay may pagpapahalaga – ikaw, ano ang pinapahalagaan mo sa buhay? Ang mga panulat, pinapahalagahan nila ang layunin ng kanilang mga manunulat. Sabi pa, mas mahalaga ang niloloob ng panulat kaysa panlabas na anyo nito. Yung pagpalit-palit ko ng ginagamit na tinta, isinasalamin din ang asal na aking pinapahalagahan at karanasang aking natutunan.

3) Ang panulat ay kailangan ng sakit – ikaw, kailan ka huling nasaktan? Ang mga panulat ay kailangang tahasan para mas lalong tumalas. Tayo ay dumadaan sa mga pagsubok para mas lalong tumibay.

4) Ang mga panulat ay kailangan din ng tiyaga – ikaw, may nilaga ka na ba sa pagtitiyaga? Ang mga panulat ay kailanman hindi nagreklamo, kungdi agad binubura ang bawat pagkakamali. Sana ikaw, ako, tayo maisip na pwedeng magbura ng mga pagkakamali at tuluyang magpatuloy sa buhay.

5) Ang mga panulat ay may kalakasan – ikaw, ano ang super power mo? Ang mga panulat ay di kakayanin isa-katuparan ang kanyang layunin kungdi sa hawak at giya natin. Eh tayo kaya? Kanino dapat magpapahawak at magpapagiya?

Paano mo tatagalugin ang “God is so moving?”

Jeepney Press July-August 2011 page 15

Neriza Sarmiento-Saito's

ON THE ROAD TO:

Triplicating Lyle

Where are you from?

Baguio in the Philippines

and Gifu in Japan.

What is your occupation?

A first year university student in Osaka University major in Philippine Studies.

How long have you lived in Japan? 6 years

What do you miss most about the Philippines?

Pinoy family ties and all my cousins and other relatives back home.

What was your weirdest experience in Japan?

So far none yet that I can call weird except one time, my sister and I were trying to be friendly to some Japanese highschool students, the moment they found out where we are from, they were suddenly quiet. My sister was furious. We thought that they only had preconceived images of our country.

What do you like best about Japan?

Not only because I am an art enthusiast, but I think Japan is one country that encourages the propagation of art works from an early age.

If you can change one thing about Japan, what would it be?

I hope families can take care of their elderly family members by themselves. And if their only option is to entrust them to nursing homes, maybe they should visit them more often, as I have seen many elderly citizens lead lonely lives away from their families to the point of depre-ssion.

If you can teach things about the Japanese to the Filipinos, what would they be?

Planning way ahead of time. It seems like many Japanese are of the A, or AB or O blood types, capable of tedious paperwork and detailed planning.

What is your recipe for a successful life in Japan?

By being simply ME.Triplicata is a rare orchid that thrives in the wildest of forests in the tropics. When it blooms, lovely shades of pink, yellow and purple is like a young lady's coming-of-age -- fragile, sweet and innocent yet determined to face the challenges about to come her way.

LYLE ESPERANZA MENECIO was only 12 years old when she came to Gifu with her elder sister Keene and younger brother Sean. Their parents, Gerald and Fe, were offered to work for Sony corporation when Lyle was 7, so, they were left behind with their grandmother.

Families of millions of overseas Filipino workers usually suffer the consequences of long periods of separation. In some cases, children display low academic achievement or turn to drugs or alcohol abuse. In cases where

children have to join their parents or relatives abroad, they are assimilated into a mainstream culture and thereby

loses their previous culture, because they have to learn first and foremost, the language of the host culture because they have to interact with nationals of their host country. Many studies have been focused on the importance of communicating in one's native code because it is a strong bond that connects people of the same cultural backgrounds.

Lyle excelled in almost all subjects and the medals she earned each year was her way of forcing her parents to come home to Baguio, their family home for decades since Fe's

grandfather, Shimotsu-San, a Japanese carpenter settled in the beautiful city of Pines. If he were alive, he would have been proud to see his great grandchild's achievements in Japan.

The Menecio children all went to public junior high schools and studied Japanese at the Nihonggo Kyoshitsu in the school along with other foreign students. They needed it very badly to cope up with lessons in other subjects. At home, the family spoke Ilocano.

They talk in Filipino and English with their Pinoy friends. Keene and Lyle can handle all languages fluently- English, Filipino and Japanese, plus

Ilocano but Sean can only speak Ilocano and Japanese. In the beginning, Lyle was lonely in school because she could not communicate in Japanese so she talked most of the time with her English teachers and their ALT in school. She also missed her friends and relatives in Baguio.

Her teachers were impressed with her art works and entered those in art competitions in Gifu, where she won top prizes.

It depicted vibrant images of flowers as seen during the Panagbenga Festival in Baguio where flower costumes and floral floats are the main attractions in this 16 year old event held on the last week of

February every year. In Lyle's Heart, this festival which happens to be her favorite, is where she can find her true identity as a Filipino. As Lyle start to get used to her new school environment, she noticed the detailed planning of school events and intense preparations for college entrance examinations.

As a young girl, Lyle wanted to be a doctor. Many relatives are nurses in America like her mom. She has watched her work as a caregiver at the Home for Senior Citizens. She was contemplating on enrolling in Gifu University, but when she

passed the "Center Shiken," her homeroom teacher suggested her to try Osaka University where she was accepted. “Sabi po ng marami ang suwerte ko raw dahil maraming Hapones ang may gustong makapagtapos sa isang "prestigious university," wika niya.

It has been 3 months since the opening of classes and Lyle seems to be more at ease with her new life in Osaka. She joined the university's dance group "Roots" and they will perform at the Summer Festival in Osaka University's MInoo Campus on July 9 and will also play the guitar. "Ninenerbiyos na nga po ako dahil ngayon lang ako sasayaw sa harap ng maraming tao," sabay dagdag niya.

Prof. Masanao Oue of the World Languages Department of Osaka University, who is also doing a research on Filipino language acquisition of the children of Filipino migrants

commented that Lyle is the first among children of migrant Filipinos to be proficient in 4 languages and the first in the

Philippine Studies Department.

Lyle is but the same as most Japanese teenagers fond of Japan Anime culture like One Piece, Naruto, and she idolizes Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and her kababayan, Charice!

As Osaka sizzles in summer, Lyle will be watching colorful fireworks in the sky

marking a new phase in her life!

Jeepney Press July-August 2011 page 16

by Isabelita Manalastas-Watanabe

Dare to DREAM, and then to ACHIEVE…

And Pray, Pray, Pray, very hard, in between.

I did all of these, and for the Prayer part, I had my “Prayer Angels” – my mother, my siblings, friends, colleagues. Was it not our Lord who said that if 2 or more of us pray together, He will be present there with us? And of course, He will be there to listen to our hearts’ desire!

While I was still based in Rome as Philippine National Bank’s Sector Head for Europe, Israel and Africa, we had an Italian lawyer who always made a point to tell Filipinos he meets, that we do not seem to have that entrepreneurial spirit which is clearly seen in other migrants, like the Chinese. He said that we Filipinos seem to be satisfied at being ordinary salaried workers, unlike Chinese people who, according to him, dare take the risk to set up their own businesses, and even help their fellow Chinese, lending them needed capital, etc., to let them succeed.

Dare to Dream

A Company for Migrants, by Migrants!

And why not? How many million Filipino migrant workers are out there in various countries in the world? Why not set up something that will benefit our “Bagong Bayani”?

Maybe start something small? And then end up doing big, like an OFW Bank? A bank that will cater to the needs of migrant workers and their families, “from cradle to grave”!

A Dream Come True

No, not yet – not an OFW Bank yet. Only a small, start-up company in Japan. But nevertheless, a dream come true. A company that stays true to its Mission and Vision – a company for migrants, run basically by migrants themselves. A company that is fast becoming the remittance company of choice by the migrant worker in Japan. (We are migrants ourselves, remember? So of course we will know other migrants’ needs and priorities). A company that can provide efficient, reliable, trust- worthy, speedy fund transfers from Japan to all parts of the world, starting with the Philippines, while being compliant to all regulatory requirements of its host country.

Was It That Easy?

To set up a remittance company in Japan? Yes, but not to secure a remittance license - absolutely not! I heard that in Hong Kong, if you want to set up a remittance company, you can submit your application documents on Day 1, and start operating right away even on Day 2, until and unless the regulators tell you that you do not qualify and should stop.

In Japan, the process can take months, even a year. Also, the overhead is much, much higher. The regulators want to ensure that we can really run a remittance business with no trouble from the law. As to overhead, this is also because of the very, very strong yen, which makes everything here in Japan much more expensive if you are converting your foreign currency like the US$ or the Euro, into Yen. Also because a lot of costs have to be incurred already even while just on your application process.

You have to have a physical office, and this means, you have to be paying rent already, even while waiting for “you-don’t-know-when” the license will come out. And then, there we need to hire the services of consultants in various fields, and their fees, depending on how senior they already are, and how competent they are, can set your company back by as much as JPY 40,000 (US$500) per hour, for their professional fees.

And many of us have heard of the term “shikikin” – that advance deposit to rent an apartment or an office. For renting a “mansion”, many apartment owners will require a deposit of a minimum of one month; 2-3 months is generally the norm.

But did you know that for an office, you may be required a minimum of twelve (12), sometimes even sixteen (16) months deposit? Simple math: If your office rent is JPY 800,000 a month, then 12 months shikikin will be JPY 9.6 million (US$120,000); if 16 months, then JPY 12.8 million (US$160,000). An amount that you cannot touch, not until you finally terminate your lease, and then maybe you cannot even refund it all, as any damage to the property will have to be debited from the shikikin, and any reconstruction to return the office to its original state when you first rented it will have to be done, at your expense.

And this is not all – the Japan regulators have you, the remittance clients, in their top priority to protect, not only your personal data, but also risks of your money being mishandled. So every non-bank like our company which has been granted that coveted remittance license permit needs to post a deposit of a minimum JPY 10.0 million (US$125,000) with the Tokyo Legal Affairs Bureau, as security and protection for your remittance transactions with us.

Looking for the capital for the company is most challenging. I did not know where and how to put up at least a million dollars capitalization, but my Prayer Angels did their magic again. Somehow, I was able to impress two big potential investors with a presentation on the potentials of the remittance market from Japan. And I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to get commitment of hundreds of thousands of dollars from both, just after one presentation. They both think my business projections were achievable, and are backed up by solid data and research.

And if we are able to find such investors, and we have the right connections (especially in Japan), and we have a dedicated team of highly qualified professionals willing to stake their careers and their future with a start-up, a team committed to working very, very hard, we can never fail!

Finally…

After months of hard work, back-stopped by one regular Japanese part-time staff, and one highly qualified Filipino staff, and of course the legal, audit, accounting, and tax consultants that have to be consulted along the way, the financial regulator asked our company to finally submit the application documents. And after a few months, a final face-to-face interview, and a couple of days after, the sweetest words I have ever heard, which made me jump (literally) with joy, almost hugging our legal consultant whom I was meeting with, when the call from FSA came that we got our license approval!

Imagine, we were a David, amongst all the Goliaths, and we made it!

But This is Just the Beginning…

On Saturday, April 30, 2011, the Rev. Father Bob Zarate, blessed SMTJ office, with our staff, staff’s families, friends, and various consultants in attendance.

On Sunday, May 1st, SMTJ opened for business. And the rest is history.

Five Years From Now

If Jeepney Press will still be here to serve the Pinoy community in Japan in 5 years’ time, I hope I can write again and make an update.

Will we have already set up that OFW Bank? Maybe! But surely, we would have served our migrant workers continuously for five years. Our staff would have benefited from their hard work with our profit sharing. Our migrant worker-investors who have invested in the company with their hard-earned money, would have probably already doubled their investment by this time. And we will already be a global player, not only servicing Filipino remittances, but other migrants in Japan (and worldwide, we hope!) as well – the Chinese, the Brazilians, the Vietnamese, the Indonesians, the Peruvians…

After 5 years, ask us when our invitation will come out, for the blessing of our own OFW Bank. We have to send one and all!

Isn’t it nice to dream?

I dared to dream… and I know I can achieve. My family, my friends, my colleagues at work – all continue to pray. With a lot of hard work and dedication, and continued prayers from my Prayer Angels, and without losing grip on our Mission and Vision, we can never fail!

Isabelita “Lita” Manalastas-Watanabe, is the founder and President of Speed Money Transfer Japan K.K.

url: www.smtj.co.jp

Jeepney Press July-August 2011 page 17

DOC GINO'S PISNGI NG LANGIT

Tubig sa Baga (Pleural effusion)

Tanong (T): Hello. I just want to ask your opinion. May tubig sa baga ang father ko. Ano ang ibig sabihin noon?

Doc Gino (DG): It's like this, kung meron siyang problema sa puso, sa tingin ko ay “pleural effusion” iyon. Ibig sabihin hindi mai-“pump” nang mabuti ng puso ang dugo kung kaya naiiwan sa “lungs” ang tubig. Kung tama ang hinala ko sa kondisyon niya, “medical management” ang dapat gawin at hindi surgery.

T: Delikado ba yun?

DG: Oo, delikado iyon dahil hindi makakahinga mabuti. At kapag hindi makahinga mabuti, ang “carbon dioxide” sa katawan ay hindi makakalabas at magkakaroon ng “electrolyte imbalance” sa katawan. Pwedeng maging “comatose” dahil sa magiging “acidotic siya.” Mas magiging mataas ang “acid” sa katawan na pwedeng pumunta sa utak.

T: Ano ang “medical management”?

DG: Ang “medical management” ay puro intravenous medications at fluids lamang ang ibinibigay. Nothing surgical. Kumbaga, sa suwero pinadadaan ang mga gamut. Pero kung masyadong marami ang tubig, pwedeng magkaroon ng kaunting “surgical management like for example “thoracentesis’”, isang procedure na tutusukin ang baga ng karayom para mailabas ang tubig agad-agad. “Emergency procedure” lang iyon para makahinga siya agad, tapos “aggressive medical treatment” na.

T: What is the possibility of recovery?

DG: We have to be realistic. There is always good hope for recovery. But also, there are many risk factors like his age, and other existing illnesses.

T: Thank you. I appreciate it very much.

DG: You're welcome.

-----------------------------

PEDESTRIAN LANE

by Mylene Miyata

Minus Man Plus Din!

Be thankful daw!

Syempre naman! Kapag umuulan ng blessings, abot abot siguro ang pasasalamat natin talaga. Alangan naman, mayamot pa tayo at manlumo, di ba?

Pero sa kabilang banda, na-try mo na bang mag-thank you sa mga unpleasant situations sa buhay mo?

Naku! Parang malabo yata yon , noh? Kase kapag down tayo, madalas...inis...galit at hinanakit ang una nating naiisip, di po ba? Aba, natural naman po iyon, di ba?

But then again, eto, medyo imposible sa karamihan pero... try kaya natin?

Halimbawa daw... ganito---Say "Thank You" pa rin daw!

1. Sa mga bagay na minimithi mong makamit pero hindi mo pa makuha hanggang ngayon. Baket? Kase daw kapag nakuha na natin lahat ng gusto natin, wala na daw tayong i-lu-look forward na pagsikapan na i-achieve sa araw-araw na pamumuhay. Tama?! Tama! :)

2. Kapag daw meron tayong bagay na hindi alam, dapat din daw magpasalamat tayo! Yun bang "Naku! Buti na lang di ko 'to alam. Salamat at may dahilan para matuto ako ulit nitong araw na 'to."

3. Sa oras ng kagipitan daw, pasalamat pa rin tayo! Dahil doon daw tayo nag-go-grow as a better person. Doon daw natin na-di-discover yung super powers natin na lampasan ito. Sukatan para magpakitang gilas. Galing, di ba?

4. Sa tuwing nagkakamali tayo, be thankful pa rin. Kase dahil din don, nagkakaroon tayo ng chance na itama ang sarili natin. Panget naman kung di ka aware na mali ka na pala, tapos sige ka lang ng sige sa buhay, di ba? Check ito sa akin! E, sayo, 'teh?

5. E yung time na pagod na pagod tayo halimbawa?

"Arigatou" pa rin ba dapat?! Opo! Thank you pa din. Nangangahulugan lamang ito na may nagawa tayong kapaki-pakinabang. Kesa naman sa wala di ba?

Hindi po talaga madaling maging "thankful" kapag nasa oras tayo ng di kanais-nais na sitwasyon sa buhay natin. Natural po iyon! Pero ang matutong magpasalamat sa gitna ng down moments natin sa buhay ay importante. Dito tayo kukuha ng kinakailangan nating lakas! Bagay na dapat pagtuunan ng pansin higit pa sa kung anumang kinakaharap natin sa pang-araw araw na pamumuhay.

Napakadaling sabihin ang salitang "thank you" sa mga panahong matiwasay at maunlad na sandali ng bawat isa sa atin. Pero, ang matutong magbilang ng blessings sa oras na gipit tayo? Malay mo ay siyang magiging daan para maisaayos ang anumang hindi kanais-nais na parte ng buhay natin.

--------------------------

KWENTO NI NANAY ANITA

by Anita Sasaki

THE FOUR SEASONS

OF OUR LIFE

Sa Pinas mayroon tayong dalawang seasons: ang tag-ulan (rainy season) at ang tag-init (sunny season). Pero sa atin sa Japan, mayroon tayong apat (4 Seasons): Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall (Autumn).

Kung tayo ay isang magsasaka, ang bawat panahon or season ang mag-didikta ng ating main activity.

Pag spring - tayo ay nasa pagtatanim. (Time to plant).

Pag summer - doon natin aalagaan ang ating mga tinanim. (We take care of what we planted).

Pag fall or autumn - panahon nang pag-aani. (Time to harvest).

Pag winter - iniha-handa natin ang lupa para sa susunod na taniman. （We renew the land for the next planting).

Ang apat na pahanon na ito ay gaya nang ating paglalakbay sa buhay. (These four seasons are reflections of our life journey.)

SPRING - is our youth from ages 1 to 20. Panahon nang pagtatanim. (Season for Planting).

SUMMER - is adulthood, ages 21 to 40. Panahon nang pagta-trabaho (Season for Working).

FALL or AUTUMN is maturity - ages 41 to 60. Panahon nang pag-aani. (Season for Harvest).

WINTER represents senior years - ages 61 to 100. Panahon nang pag-hahanda. (Season for Renewal).

Sa bawat panahon nang ating buhay ay iba-iba rin ang ating dinaraanan o karanasan. (But these seasons aren't black and white because in each area of our life, we could be going through different seasons.) Ibibigay ko na halimbawa: ang sarili ko. Ako ngayon ay 63 taong gulang (pero sabi nila ang boses ko parang 16 taong gulang (biro lang po). Sinimulan ko mag- tanim sa spiritual na buhay ko noong 30 taong gulang ako. (I started to plant in my spiritual life when I was 30.)

Ngayon nararamdaman ko nasa FALL or AUTUMN na ako nang aking spiritual na buhay. Umaani na ako nang mga tinanim ko at nadarama ko na nalalapit na ako sa WINTER sa dahilan na ang pinagkakaabalahan ko na ay kung ano ang maiiwan kong magandang aral para sa mga susunod na henerasyon para sa mga kabataan. (Now I feel I'm in the FALL or AUTUMN of my spiritual life. I'm harvesting what I've planted all these years. And I am greatly moving towards WINTER - because my pre- occupation now is to leave a legacy for the next generation.)

But in my financial life, I am still in my “Summer.” I began working when I was in my middle twenties about 26 yrs old. I was a single parent then. God has blessed me so much, but at this stage of my financial life, I am still working hard towards my big harvest. My dream : To start the FEAST in Japan. I am positive we can have it soon. NOW. In my life now because I got married when I was very, very young (talagang bata pa), I am in the "Summer" of my family life --- because I’m still building relationships with my grandchildren and the CASTLE Youth - not my biological children -- dahil nag harvest na ako sa kanila.

Let me ask you : In each area of your life, what season are you in? Nasa anong panahon kayo nang buhay ninyo? If you know of the season you are in, you'll know your "mode of engagement" or how you will approach that specific area of your life. Gusto nang Diyos na mabuhay tayo nang maayos kahit saang panahon nang ating buhay. (God wants us to live our life fully in whatever season we are in.)

The Bible says: He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season. In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalms 1:3)

Jeepney Press July-August 2011 page 18

KANSAI CRUSADE

by Sally Cristobal-Takashima

Handa na ba kayo sa hamon ng tag-init? Your check list will probably include swim suits, sunglasses, reef shoes for walking along the coast to protect your feet as you might step on sharp corals and shells and perhaps end up with skin cuts on the soles of your feet. That will not be pretty. No need to buy expensive beach sandals. The pair of sandals I bought in Yes Landmark Makati was made in Cebu but a top quality product. Puede natin ipagmalaki ang sariling atin. Marami din mga tao na naghahanda ng mga kagamitan para mag picnic. So make sure you brush your barbeque grill to be sure it is safe and clean. I don’t know about you, but most people I know prefer a well done barbeque which reminds me of a couple of people who ate raw meat at a Toyonaka chain resto and they all rested in peace. A product one couldn’t do without is skin cream for insect bites, as well as insect repellent. A home made insect repellent can be made by mixing 1 tablespoon of lavender oil and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil but don’t use this mixture around the eyes. Alam ninyo ba na ang matagal na paggamit ng mosquito coils or Katol ay hindi nakakabuti sa katawan dahil sa maaaring makalanghap ng usok na may “carcinogen” na maaaring maging dahilan pagkakaroon ng cancer. Ang pagsindi ng citronella candles or incense naman ay nakakatulong sa pag-iwas ng kagat ng lamok.

Gaano kaya ka “Cool Biz” ang Japan sa taong ito. Kung natatandaan ninyo na ang cool Biz Campaign ay sinimulan ng taong 2005 ng kapanahunan ng dating Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The Japan Ministry of Environment wanted to raise public awareness to save electricity and prevent energy shortages. Now barely 2 months after the nuclear crisis, the Cool Biz Campaign will start and take into effect very soon. The MOE, Ministry of Environment hopes that this awareness to save electricity will catch up with the private sector. Marami din mga tao sa Japan na nagpapalipas ng oras sa Beer Garden pagkatapos ng trabaho. It is not really a garden but beer bars to relax and talk while drinking beer and eating salt boiled green beans in pods or edamame. The beans are squeezed out of the pods with the fingers. Low in calories, too.

Hindi lamang sa tamang pananamit na tayo ay makapagpaparaos ng tag-init ngunit sa pagkain din ng mga iba’t ibang pagkain na nakakabawas ng init ng katawan kagaya ng Hiyashi Chuka Noodles. It is essentially a bowl of chilled noodle salad, broth eggs and veggies. A popular and easy to prepare summer appetizer is Hiyayakko which is a block of chilled silken (Kinu) type tofu topped with sesame seed, scallions, bonito shavings (katsuo) and soy sauce. Each serving has only about 200 calories. Do you know that the Kinu type Japanese tofu is ideal for making taho and even taste better because of the high quality of the beans used. All you have to do is warm the block of Kinu tofu and make taho type slices sideways into a bowl. Pour the syrup and top with sago.

Then we have yummy Unagi Don or Eel Rice Bowl. This is my favorite and assures one to fight the Summer heat plus it generates stamina. Most unagi used in Unagi Don are now farm bred in China as they are more profitable and tastes just as good as eels farmed in Japan. So, that’s grilled unagi on white rice and with a brushing of kabayaki sauce. A real traditional Japanese Summer delicacy treat.

Summer Shabu Shabu is called Rei Shabu which is thinly sliced pork loin quickly dipped in boiling water then dipped-chilled in a bowl of ice water. It is served on lettuce leaves with boiled green beans, slivered carrots and goma (sesame) sauce.

Another summer favorite is a regional specialty from Okinawa called Goya (ampalaya) Chanpuru. This is a high protein dish which means you are less likely to get hungy soon because protein stays longer in the stomach than any other food. Goya Chanpuru is stir fried bitter gourd with pork, eggs, crushed tofu and flavored with soy sauce and sake.

Moving on to Japan’s favorite Summer desato (dessert), I will put Mizu Yokan on the top list being a favorite crossing all age barriers. Mizu Yokan is simply mashed red beans (pulang monggo) and set in agar agar (fine gulaman), chilled and served with cold tea. Can joy be any simplier than this lovely dessert.

Who likes Macha Ice Cream? I do, I do. Of all the 31 flavors in Baskin Robbins here in Japan, 95% of the time you’ll find me happy and content with 2 scoops of Macha (Green Tea) Ice Cream. That’s how faithful I am with this ice cream flavor.

If you like the bola bola in guinataan or palitaw, then I guess you will easily become a fan of Azuki Shiratama which is cold malagkit na bola bola with minatamis na monggo.

And now, our news from Kansai. The annual Flag Raising Ceremony to mark the 113th Philippine Independence Day Celebration was held on the grounds of the Twin Tower in Chuo ku, Osaka where the Philipppine Consulate General office is located. A Holy Mass was officiated by Fr. Mario Colina, CM. Breakfast was served to guests provided by the hospitable staff of our Consulate General as well as the Philippine Department of Tourism. The Welcome Remarks and reading of the Independence Day Message of President Benigno S. Aquino III was given by our Consul General Maria Lourdes V. Ramiro Lopez while Consul Jerome John Castro read the message of Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert F. del Rosario. The Panunumpa sa Watawat or Oath of Allegiance to the Flag was lead by Vice Consul Xavier Imperial. Among the guests present who braved the morning rush hour to arrive at the venue at 8:00 a.m. were Arcie Soriano who represented the Department of Tourism in Osaka, Zafrullah Masahud of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry. Joseph Pelaez, Manager of Metro Bank, Osaka Branch, Malou Sato, Chairperson of the Philippine Community Coordinating Council, Jovy Ferrer, Financial Officer of the Philippine Consulate General, Liberty Suzuki, Nina Barranta, Jojo Santos, Marnie Mangila, Joy Yoshitomi, Luz Teranishi, Delia Nakashima, Bernard Latoja, Amy Ooi, Bessie Vicente, Gloria Completo, Nina Carillo, and Margie Sarmiento.

The Oath Taking of the Newly Elected Officers (2011-2013) of the Philippine Community Council was held in May 28th at the Four Seasons Sky Lounge of the Osaka, New Otani Hotel. The newly elected officers are Maria Lourdes V. Sato, Chairperson; Joy Yoshitomi, Vice Chairperson for Social and Cultural Affairs; Rose Kasai, Vice Chairperson for Public Relations; Sally C. Takashima, Secretary; Luz Teranishi, Treasurer; Jorge Takara, Auditor. Appointed officers are Eunice Hashizuka, Assistant Secretary and Susan Fuchizaki, Assistant Treasurer. The Oath of Office was administered by Consul General Maria Lourdes V. Ramiro Lopez. Group Prayer was lead by Sr. Altagracia Miguel, SPIC. Welcome Remarks given by Yoriko Hayashi of Kansai Tomo no Kai. A musical rendition of “Tagumpay” was performed by Ellen Takeuchi and the Closing Remarks given by Jun Silva, past Chairperson of PCCC and Commander of the Knights of Rizal. Among those present in this event were Aya Hongo, Carisa Patrimonio, Daisy Kojo, Mirasol Furuya, Marjorie Oyama, Marietta Gejima, Giovanni Belgira, Katrina Fujikawa, Analyn Yano, Myrna Ito, Mavie Yasunishi. Melvie Miyazaki, Tess Dimalanta, Sonny Ferrer, Tess Kita, Julima Lomocso, Tess Takara, Ver Nakao, Jun Mashiro, Sheena Tatezaki, Nixon Cacao, Dory Takamine, Olive Kawaida, Rose Kasai, Joy Yoshitomi, Koji Ueno, Vicky Wakiyama, Delia Nakashima and Ryan C. Pondoc, Vice Consul of the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo. Advisers of PCCC are Neriza Saito, Sally C. Takashima, Noemi Itsukage and Jun Silva. Sa lahat ng nahirang na officers ng PCCC, may you all do your best to live up to everybody’s expectation. Kampai and all the best to all of you.

Being the July–August edition of Jeepney Press, let me briefly mention the various Fireworks Festival especially in Hyogo Prefecture which yearly attracts thousands of visitors. The Uchiage (fireworks for launching) mesmerizes everyone most especially the children. Some fireworks create shapes of cartoon characters in the sky. There will be a display of 10,000 fireworks launched from a boat in August 6th from 7-9 pm. The venue is a 5 minute walk from JR Motomachi station. It will be a historical celebration at the Awaji Island Festival in August 7th at the Sumoto Park in Awaji Island, If it’s a beach resort and marine sports you are after, try the Suma Beach Resort which is only a 40 minute train ride from JR Osaka Stati, not to mention the Aqualife Park and other historical attractions depicting samurai warriors in action during the Gentei War.

So enjoy Summer 2011. For all the viajeras, be wise spenders as it is easier to spend than to save money but just the same. Vaya con Dios. We, here at JP await

your safe return.

Jeepney Press July-August page 20

ISANG BARYA LANG PO

sa pagkukwento ni Alex Milan

Ang barya na kadalasang hindi pinapansin ay napakahalaga. Walang `buo` kung wala ang barya. Ganoon din sa buhay, ang mga tila maliliit, payak o pangkaraniwang bagay ang bumubuo sa napakagandang kabuuan ng mundong ating ginagalawan.

Sa unang serye ng kolum na ito, ating ibabahagi ang isang `barya` na kapakipakinabang sa bawat isang magulang na nagsisikap mapalaki ang kaniyang mga anak ng matagumpay at hindi pasaway. Ito ay ibinahagi ng aking kapatid na si Bishop Jonel Milan sa mga magulang na dumadalo sa Parenting Institute sa aming simbahan sa Bulacan.

Ang bawat bata ay nakatalagang magtagumpay. Sa katotohanan, ito ay nagsimula sa kanyang matagumpay na pagkakabuo sa sinapupunan ng kanyang ina at pagsilang o pagkapanganak pa lamang sa mundong ibabaw.

Ganoon pa man, marami ang nagiging hadlang para matahak ng bawat bata ang tagumpay sa buhay. Isa rito ay ang kanilang pagiging pasaway.

Mahalagang matutunan ng bawat magulang o tumatayong magulang tulad ng mga guro kung paano harapin ang pagiging pasaway ng bawat bata upang hindi mahadlangan ang kanilang pagtahak sa daan ng pagtatagumpay sa buhay.

Ang mga sumusunod ay mungkahi para sa mga magulang na seryoso sa pangarap niyang makita ang mga anak na natatamasa ng totoong tagumpay sa buhay. Para madaling matandaan, gagamitin natin ang salitang P-A-S-A-W-A-Y bilang acronym.

P – ASENSIYA ay pahabain

Ang mahina o maikling pasenya ng magulang sa mga anak ay malaking hadlang sa pagiging epektibong gabay sa mga anak.

A- LAMIN ang pinanggagali-ngan ng pasaway na gawi

Bawat gawi ng mga anak ay mayroong dahilan o pinanggagalingan. Mahalagang maunawaan muna ng mga magulang ito para sa kanilang epektibong pag-gabay. Nauugat ang dahilan ng mga gawing pasaway kaya nalulutas ito.

S – AMAHAN ang mga bata sa kanilang nararamdaman

Ang damdamin sa likod ng bawat gawi o gawaing pasaway ay mayroong malaking papel sa pagka “outgrow” nila ng mabilis sa mga ito. Mapapansin na karaniwan na sa pagtanda nila ay nagma-mature ang karamihan sa kanila kung hindi man lahat.

A – KAYIN silang dahan-dahan sa katuwiran

Nagiging madali na sa mga magulang ang pag-aakay sa kanila sa mga alternatibo at higit na mabuting gawi o ugali nila kung ang mga magulang ay mayroong maliwanag na pinapahalagahan. Mga prinsipyo at batayang katotohanan sa kanilang mga paniniwala at gawi.

W – AG na huwag susuko sa pakikitungo sa anak

Maraming magulang na dala ng kadesperaduhan ay sumusuko (give up) sa kanilang anak. Nananawa na raw sila o pagod na dahil sa mga di umano ay pagmamatigas sa mga pasaway na gawain. Sino pa ang magtitiyaga kung ang mismong mga magulang ang susuko sa hamong maging gabay sa kanila. Baka naman ang kailangan lamang ay humanap ng mas higit na mabisang paraan ng pakikitungo sa kanila.

A – MINING hindi lamang ikaw ang nakakaalam ng lahat ng tama

Walang magulang na maituturing na eksperto na sa pagmamagulang kundi iyong mga hindi tumitigil sa pagpapaunlad ng kanilang sarili sa gampaning nabanggit. Ang pagpapakumbaba at pag-amin sa sarili na hindi lahat ng matuwid at tama ay lubusan ng alam o nagagawa ng mga magulang ang susi ng paglalakbay ng mga bata sa pagtatagumpay na kasama ang kanilang mga magulang.

Y – UMUKO ng magkasama palagi sa Dios sa pananalangin

Siyempre, ang sukdulang kapahayagan ng pagpapakumbaba ay ang palagiang pananalangin ng buong pamilya sa pangunguna ng magulang.

PASAWAY...lahat ng anak ay mayroong ganitong tendensiya. Ang mabuting pagha-handle nito ang susi para hindi ito maging hadlang sa tagumpay na buhay na kanilang patunguhan. Sa totoo lang, maging ang mga magulang sa kanilang kabataan ay naging pasaway din… ang ilang magulang nga, kahit hanggang ngayon eh may pagka pasaway pa rin.

Isang barya lang po na hatid ay paalala! Huwag po tayong pasaway. Hanggang sa susunod na 'barya'.

------------------------------

DRIVE-THRU

by Stephanie Jones Jallorina

FARENJER

“Farenjer,” that is how we endear tourists or non-Filipinos coming into our country. Here in Japan, we are that Farenjer. So, ilang taon ka ng Farenjer dito sa Japan? Or siguro sa mga Bisaya, naitanong mo na ba? “Paano mo nalamang Parenjir ako? Siguro sa paglakad ko ano?” That’s a good joke, no offense to Bisaya like me!

Yung iba sa atin, antagal ng nandito. Dito na nag-asawa, tumanda, nagka-apo, yung iba, permanent resident na nga kungdi man TNT (pasintabi po, pero ingat pa rin po mga kapatid lalo na ngayon na mainit tayo sa “immi”). Pero gayunpaman, sa hinaba-haba ng panahon, Farenjer pa rin ba tayong maitatawag?

When we were struck by a huge earthquake and tsunami, and had scare of radiation fall-out, many of us hurried home. Together with millions of other Farenjer here in Japan, I experienced falling in line, waiting for long queues and brushing elbows with those who needed re-entry permit. The airport seemed like an Olympic arena of Farenjer young and old who cheered and prayed not for their country team to win a game but for them to finally get out of Japan. Di man ligtas o ligtas sa Pilipinas, umalis pa rin tayo para lang makasama ang ating mga pamilya. Iniwan natin ang bansang naging pangalawang tahanan natin ng walang kaabug-abog. Yes, we feel for our Japanese employers who became our friends and family but we care more for our own. Afterall, they are the main reason why we are here.

Jeepney Press family with its last issue, the Hope Edition, is one with everyone of us who were scared, who felt helpless and at some point lost hope. It was an unlikely welcome for Spring which was always believed as the season of hope, of birth, of new beginning. I guess, change is inevitable, climate or otherwise. But after a huge storm in our lives, we can always change for the better. Ang pagbabago ay laging, at dapat tuluy-tuloy, para sa mas mabuti at matatag na “tayo.” Minsan nga lang mahirap magsimula, kung mag-isa. Kaya siguro ang magandang isunod sa hope, ay “unity” o pagkakaisa.

Last weekend, I was at Nagano to attend a Labor Union Summit for Migrant Worker’s here in Japan. It was an informative gathering attended by around 150 office, house and school employees all over Japan, and participated by six foreign nationals – Bangladesh, Brazil, Khirghiz Republic, Myanmar, Philippines, and Turkey - presenting their country of origin. Had it not because of an on-call duty, an Iranian should have been there, too, to showcase his country’s beauty and value. I was there to fill-in for a former colleague who was supposed to represent our country. I was there to present Philippine’s condition, demography and country profile. Para makita ang iba’t ibang bansa na naroroon at mapalibutan ng mas maraming Hapon, nakakapanatag ng loob at nakakagaan ng pakiramdam. Para akong nasa isang UN conference, kahit di pa man ako nadalo partikular sa ganun. How each country pride on their innate glory, and how thankful we were to Japanese who took us in, for us to better our lives, help our families, and finance our country, healed the wounds created by us for just leaving them in their time of need. Our sharing of our country’s condition and best practices has strengthened us, encouraged us and united us in pursuit of building a better and safer Japan. Constrained by language and the only one to have a translator for Nihonggo, I was not feeling “Farenjer” anymore. In life, once you made choices, you will no longer be alienated to anything or anyone. Kung pinili mong bumalik dito, manirahan dito, magtrabaho dito, panindigan mo. Gumagaan ang trabaho kung isinasapuso mo. Nagiging pamilyar ang isang tao, kung kinikilala mo, tinatanggap mo, minamahal mo. Iba-iba man ang bansang pinanggalingan natin, o di kaya probinsyang tinubuan, wag sana tayong maging Farenjer o Parenjir sa isa’t isa. Ang kapatid ay kapatid, pang-habang buhay.

Tanong nung taga-Khirghiz Republic, ang tumulong sa akin na ma-i-translate kung gaano ka busy sa pagtatanim ang mga tao sa Baguio kung kayat mababa ang crime rate doon (totoo, yun ang isa sa mga interesanteng ibinahagi sa akin ng mga Hapong nagawi at nakarinig ukol sa Baguio), “Bakit kayong mga Pilipino, pag nagkita, ang haba ng “greetings” na animo’y matagal na di nagkita? Kinakamusta ang trabaho, ang pamilya, ang ginawa buong araw. Tapos pagdating sa kanya-kanyang bahay, magtatawagan, kakamustahin kung nakauwi ng mabuti o hindi?” Sagot ko, “Kasi ganun kami magmahalan at magmalasakit sa isa’t-isa. Minsan kahit hindi lubusang kilala, natural sa amin ang pahalagahan nang di na maging iba sa amin ang aming nakakasalamuha.”

Tama ako hindi ba? Nagulat ako dahil kung may maisasabi man tungkol sa atin ang mga Farenjer bukod doon sa “adik sa pekchuran,” ito yung isa sa magagandang narinig ko patungkol sa Pilipino, na agad kong ini-apply pagkadating ng bahay. Iyong magpasalamat muli sa pagtulong nyang pag-translate at para i-check kung nakauwi siya ng mabuti. Dahil siya, ako, tayo, hindi na Farenjer sa isa’t isa.

Jeepney Press July-August page 21

ACHI-KOCHI

by Rey Ian Corpuz

Japanese School Lunch

A lot of my friends from my hometown envy me for eating such delicious variety of Japanese food everyday. Almost everyday, once a new menu debuts in my school, I immediately grab a picture of it and upload it right away in my Facebook profile. Here’s a brief introduction about Japanese school lunch.

A typical Japanese school lunch would comprise a main dish or shushoku

(主食) in a form of rice, bread, ramen, udon, or pasta. The rice that is used in the school lunch is most likely the produce of the city, town or prefecture. Rice is sometimes mixed with vinegar or sumeshi (酢飯), and chopped seaweeds or wakame (若布). Occasionally, rice is accompanied with a pack of furikake (振り掛け) which is used to dash on top of a plain rice to add color and flavor. Sometimes, rice is served with a pack of dried nori paper (the one used to wrap temaki). And on special occasions like the Tanabata Festival, rice is mixed with violet-colored sour-tasting flavored stuff, in which the rice is called yukari rice (ゆかりご飯). During autumn, rice is mixed with chestnuts (kuri / 栗). If bread is served, a pack of honey and butter combo is served. Sometimes, margarine or cheese is served with bread. And in a few instances, bread is served plain. Ramen and udon are both served with a soup stock. Spaghetti and yakisoba is served once in a while but I don’t really like them much.

Okazu (おかず), the accompanying main dish, or “ulam” in Filipino, could vary every week. Menu would differ from hamburger, fried cuttlefish, karaage, yakitori, grilled salmon, mackerel, saury, and many more. Beef is rarely served except for hamburgers. Shumai is sometimes served along with soy sauce. Veggies are always on the list. Carrots (人参), cabbages, moyashi (萌やし) or bean sprouts, broccoli, beans, tofu, daikon (大根) or radish and kabocha or pumpkin (南瓜) during autumn. Veggies always appear in the form of soup, and/or salad. When salad is served, mayonnaise or vinegar with sesame is served. I think autumn has the best food menu since most fruits and vegetables are harvested after summer and before winter.

Desserts are always served fresh or chilled. Banana is never served as it’s a common fruit here. Fruits depend on the season, during autumn and winter, apples and strawberries are served. Chilled pineapples (imported from Philippines), peaches, tomatoes, kiwi, and mandarin oranges are served all-year-round. Preserved sweetened fried sweet potatoes and anchovies with apples are sometimes served in replacement of desserts. Frozen crepes, sugar coated deep fried sweet potatoes and ice cream are served alternately every month. Ice cream though was only served during the last day of spring, which is in time for summer.

Prefecture-produced milk is always served and occasional milk, coffee or milk yogurt is served. Traditional Japanese food is served almost thrice a week. Last autumn, oden was served as the okazu. One thing I hate about the oden is the kombu (昆布) or the thick seaweed green thing that they include in the oden. Gobou (牛蒡) or burdock, hijiki, a kind of black seaweed, natto (納豆) or fermented soybeans, onigiri or riceballs (sometimes with umeboshi or sour plum inside), sengiri daikon (dried radish strips / 千切り大根), misoshiru and tonjiru soups (miso and pork soups), appear in the menu from time to time. All of these traditional Japanese foods are very healthy and contain rich amounts of fiber. But sad to say, most kids do not eat much of these foods.

Indian inspired food is also served in school lunch. Curry, is served once or twice a month. Chilled Nan, an Indian-type of grilled bread similar to pita wraps is served. Minestrone wanton soup, a mix of European and Chinese and the traditional gyoza, chopsuey (happousai / 八宝菜) and many more.

How much does it cost? Normally it depends per city, town or village. A meager share of approximately 5,000 yen per month is charged regardless on the number of days you had lunch at school is being collected from teachers and students every month. It’s really affordable. Also, you can have refill as many as you want as long as there is still left. Excess food can be brought home by teachers but not by students. I always stack milk at home. So, what do you think about Japanese school lunch?

Jeepney Press July-AUgust 2011 page 22

K by Amelia Iriarte Kohno

Funny Anecdotes

A recent visit by a niece and nephew made my Mother's Day enjoyable and delightful. Aireen passing the Nurses' Board Exam and Dondon who found a stable job, were enjoying their first overseas trip experiences. It started with their comfortable use of the modern toilet and bathroom. They were so amused all they could say was, "Wow! It's so different from the ones we have back home." Tacloban is an urban city but things like these (super toilets) are not yet available in the market.

They were really so delighted the first time I brought them to a big modern mall where the toilets were state of the art! Aireen and I were using this toilet for handicapped/old people complete with curtains and a reclining chair that could be converted into a bed. One could even take a shower complete with soap and shampoo. I had to use the toilet first thinking I'd make fun on Aireen testing her if she knew how to use such gadgets for the first time. The sensor-controlled flush did amuse her.

When I first arrived in Japan 30 years ago, the "but’ton benjo" was still used even at public places like train stations. It was the simplest toilet dug out of the ground and modestly wooden covered. So users could always see whatever droppings they made and the natural smell produced. Also, one had to squat which made going to the toilet a sacrifice.

Sometime ago, a European friend came for overnight stay in the house. As she was a good cook, she wanted to prepare her favorite whole chicken dish for dinner. So we left her in the kitchen, while we watched TV in another room. However, after a while when she called us, I thought we could start eating, only to find out that the chicken in the casserole was already boiling with soap bubbles. She had mistakenly used a bottle of liquid dish washing soap thinking it was cooking oil. We ended up eating a canned luncheon meat that night. But my German couple guest made the best onion soup we ever tasted with their home made ingredients.

On another occasion, another female guest with some other friends was again staying with us. As it was the Japanese practice of taking turns in using the same water in the bath tub, she wanted to go first. The Japanese custom was for the "men" in the family to use the bath tub first before the women. I had my first *unpleasant* experience the first time my husband and I attended their family New Year reunion. He came from a big family with 6 siblings and we were quite a number including the children. We were the last, as I was the latest addition to this big family. You can just imagine the feeling of getting out of the tub that winter night. To me, it didn't make sense staying in the tub that night, not feeling really cleaned. The good point was I learned many things from the “bath lesson” that night. Truly, experiences do make us wiser in the end.

In our Kyoto house, my husband got used to our practice that anybody can use the bathroom anytime. After telling my visitors that they could only wash or clean themselves outside the bathtub, they felt so refreshed after immersing in the bathtub – tub is only used for soaking and relaxing. But I still remember one time when my husband called my attention that, when it was already his turn, there was no more water! He had to wait for the new refill.

In our lives, we had to look at the humorous side in dealing with sudden unexpected events. As the line goes, “catch a falling star and enjoy those precious moments.” Smile and you will always overcome....

July-August Forecast

by Madam Marivic

TIGER

This month brings you good opportunities when it comes to work and relationship. At ito ang simula ng pag-angat ng iyong career. Makinig lang sa payo ng mga nakakatanda. Madaling makamit ang tagumpay na iyong hinahangad ng hindi hihingi ng tulong sa iba. Huwag munang pairalin ang pride. Magpakumbaba at magtatagumpay ka. You will be facing some slight problems. Be careful not to be depressed in August. Ipagpaliban muna ang mga malalaking events at meetings. Maghintay ng tamang pagkakataon para sa mga bagay na dapat gawin.

SNAKE

Pag-ingatan ang iyong kalusugan. Madali kang kapitan ng mga common colds, flu at ibang virus na nakukuha sa iyong kapaligiran. Uminom ng tamang bitamina at kumain ng nasa tamang oras. Kailangan mo ng sapat na pahinga at bakasyon sa trabaho. Month of August is the most exciting month for you kaya huwag maging mabagal. Grab the new opportunities that come your way dahil ito ay mawawala agad. Huwag magagalit o maiinggit. Be nice to everyone and help other people at babalik agad kung ano ang iyong ginawa.

RAT

May mga taong mag-aalok ng tulong at magiging abala ka sa buwang ito. Money luck is stable at para naman doon sa naghahanap ng love or romantic relationship, nasa tabi na ninyo ang iyong hinahanap. Maging mapagmasid. Month of August brings you good and bad. Good, dahil magtatagumpay ka iyong trabaho at sa mga darating. Bad, dahil may mga taong maiinggit at hihilahin ka pababa. Mag-ingat dahil baka isa sa mga kaibigan mo ang gumawa nito sa iyo. Huwag basta magtitiwala at maging alerto.

DOG

July is a great month to fall in love. Marami ang umaaligid sa iyo at gustong makuha ang atensyon mo ngunit hindi lahat ay may magandang intensyon sa iyo. Mag-ingat sa infidelity, maging sensitibo sa lahat ng nangyayari at huwag hayaang makagawa ng isang bagay na pagsisisihan lalo na kung makaka-apekto sa buhay may asawa. In August, quarrelsome comes your way. Madali kang uminit ng ulo sa mga maririnig. Pag-ingatan ang mga bibitawang salita at iwasan makasakit ng damadamin ng iba. Umiwas din sa tsismis at pigilin ang iyong sarili dahil ito ang hahadlang sa iyong tagumpay.

ROOSTER

May mga problemang darating sa iyo ngayong buwan ng Hulyo. Hindi ito ang tamang panahon para gumawa ng mga importanteng bagay. Umiwas sa problema ng iba, at ipagpaliban ang mga naiisip na plano. Maghintay ng takdang panahon para dito. Ma-didistract ka sa bagong pag-ibig because the magic starts to work to those who have the peach blossom stars in your chart this month of August. To those who are in a relationship, they will go to the next level. Some of them thinking about getting married. At sa mga may asawa, focus and spend more quality time with your family.

BOAR

“Love is in the air” para sa buwan ng Hulyo. Marami ang gustong manligaw; marami kang makikila; ang pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga kaibigan ay mas lalalim pa ang samahan. Attend some parties and expand your social network, baka dito mo na makita ang iyong hinahanap ngunit mag-iingat sa love triangle. Patuloy ang swerte sa pananalapi. Ang buwan ng Agosto ay magbibigay sa iyo ng problema pagdating sa trabaho. Ipagpaliban ang mga proyektong may kaugnayan sa trabaho. Ang pakikipag-sosyo sa negosyo ay hindi rin magandang gawin ngayong buwan. Lie low when it comes to important matters and when you are in a difficult situation; try not to be involved with anyone dahil hindi mo alam kung sino ang tapat sa iyo.

SHEEP

Maganda ang pasok ng trabaho at sa negosyo. This is a good time to focus on what you desire. May mga oportunidad na darating sa iyo; marami kang pag-pipilian ngunit mag-iingat na huwag magkamali ng desisyon. Share your blessings to the people who are in need. The good fortune continues to flow on your chart, may mga suwerting hindi inaasahan na darating maging positibo at huwag pairalin ang inggit dahil ikaw mismo ang magwawala ng suwerte na nasa iyo. Maniwala sa iyong kakayahan at mag-tatagumpay ka, tingnan ang positibong bagay; huwag ang negatibo.

OX

You are now ready to move on at nalagpasan mo ang mga bad luck na nangyari sa iyo last month. Magtatagumpay ka sa iyong mithiin, because heavens luck brings you good opportunities in your doorstep. May mga taong tutulong sa iyo at magiging abala sa trabaho. Huwag palalagpasin ang mga oportunidad na darating. Kumilos baka mahuli ang lahat. In August, madali para sa iyo ang bumuo ng mga kaibigan lalo na sa trabaho. Working with others benefits you greatly, ma-impress mo ang ibang tao. Make the best use of your ability to get along with others. Paglaanan din ng panahon at oras ang pamilya.

MONKEY

There is a lot of exciting new opportunities you need to grab the main chance and act as fast as you can. There is plenty of fire energy in your chart and it is produced by wood element. Heto ang magbibigay ng good luck sa business. Dito mo makikita ang malaking pagbabago sa iyong buhay. Money luck is good but you need to activate it if you want to benefit from it. Success! Career, wealth and money luck! This month of August brings you a lot of opportunities headed your way, if you believe this will make your dreams come true. Ipakita sa tao ang iyong kakayahan at huwag matakot na subukan ang lahat ng bagay. Maging positibo.

DRAGON

Your energy level is very weak this month. Umiwas sa mga taong may sakit at madali para sa iyo ang mahawa. Mag-ingat dahil may mga unexpected accident na darating and it could hurt yourself. You have to combat the negative earth energy by wearing metal energy. If you feel sick, visit the doctor. August is a great month for you, the victory star brings you more success in business and career. Malalampasan mo lahat ng mga pinagdaanan at mababago ang takbo ng buhay. Maging bukas ang mata at tenga. Kumilos at huwag palampasin ang mga darating na pagkakataon.

RABBIT

Medyo mag-iimprove ang buwan ng July sa iyo kompara sa mga nakaraang buwan. Matatapos ang mga project na nasimulan. Relationship with others is very smooth. This is a new beginning and start to enjoy your luck but you need to put extra effort in everything you do. Makikita mo ang tagumpay sa iyo. Month of August brings you small mishaps but it can become bigger problems. Don’t get stressed out over small things. You will be facing some financial losses or unexpected expenses. Hindi ito ang tamang buwan para gumastos lalo na kung ikaw ay nagigipit. Umiwas sa gulo or anything small argument, lalo itong makakadagdag sa problemang dinadala mo.

HORSE

Be careful when it comes to your personal safety. May posibilidad na maloko or mawalan. Aside from that your life goes smoothly and happy. Just remember to take care and avoid risks. Huwag basta-basta magtitiwala lalo na kung hindi mo gaano kilala. Check all the documents before signing. You have a lot of good fortune this month of August. May mga taong handang tumulong sa iyo. Huwag mo lamang babaliwalain ang mga payo ng mga nakakatanda. There are also people who will turn you down at hindi mo kailangan ang tulong nila because they are not sincere and genuine. Isa sila sa mga nakaka-istorbo sa iyo.