Omoshiroi Desu-yo!!!! - Japanese Night With My Neighbor and Friends!!

- February 25, 2011, Friday

- Last night, Charmaine and Tifa asked me to join them with their Jap Food Culture class' culminating night in Little Tokyo. Both wanted me to join them because of my not-so-unknown interest in cultural stuff. Tifa also planned to have a karaoke session in a nearby Japanese karaoke place with her cosplay friends.

- This afternoon, Tifa, together with her La Sallian cosplayer friend Audrey, dropped by around 5:45 to pick up Charmaine and me. We arrived soon at Little Tokyo, met Charmaine's class (and Cheska sensei) and Tifa's other cosplayer friends, Charizze and Peppy.

- Cheska sensei gave us the freedom to choose whichever restaurant we'd like to eat in, while the main bunch of people was at the courtyard, eating. Tifa and Charmaine chose to eat at a small okonomiyaki place, where the okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancakes) are cooked in front of the customers.

- The service at the okonomiyaki place was very very fast and efficient. The food was undoubtedly authentic, fresh, and filling. The place was very small, clean, bright, and minimally-decorated with Japanese souvenirs, and small statues of famous Japanese sports idols and personnel. What caught my (our actually) eyes was a small statue of a baseball idol that was decapitated. The head was placed beside the erect body.

- After the rather short filling, we said our goodbyes with Cheska sensei, and went to the Japanese grocery to buy Japanese snacks. Charmaine and I bought some ice cream. The milk ice cream (Hokaido style) was interesting, because it seemed like we were eating frozen butter. While enjoying the ice cream, we read the cover just to make sure that we were eating ice cream, and not frozen butter.

- We later rode Peppy's car to Wako, the karaoke place. That's where the "real" fun began. We dug through the song books to look for Japanese, Korean, and English songs. The Japanese songs were the most of course; it even had its own songbook. Aside from the usual anime songs we sang, (I mostly sang Sailormoon songs. Haha. *Don't judge me.*) we also became crazy, and sang retro songs, as well as Tifa's "Basketbol" song by the Viva Hot Babes. We didn't really know what came over Tifa, so much so that she decided to sing this rather un-Tifa-like song.

- My only concern with the place was that the songs are not updated. According to Tifa, the "latest" songs in the song books were from the year 2007. Even so, not a lot of songs from 2007 were there. Still, we all had crazy fun, and sang our hearts out. Again, it was also Tifa's idea to sing "Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin" (The Moon Represents My Heart -> a really really old Chinese song that may be considered one of the Chinese counterparts of "My Way" in Chinese karaoke places.)

- From our two hour reservation, we had to extend another hour since Tifa's dad wasn't around yet to pick us up, and that we were having too much fun as well. Tifa's dad picked us up at around 11:30, and had a chatty rode home.

- Hopefully, this adventure will make a bright future for me, and that I'll have more adventures to come. My first day as a free bird from college (hopefullyyyyyy) had been great. Again, cheers to more adventures. :D:D:D:D

Japanese Night With Some CKSC People. :) :) :) :)

- December 21, 2010, Tuesday

- I finally finished my classes for 2010, and I'm headed towards the heaven I call "REST." Well, maybe I can't rest that much since I have Christmas homework to do.

- Honestly, I could've rested at home since I am half-sick right now. (My cough and nasal allergies are making it hard to breathe walking around my big school.) I also wanted to attend the Korean dinner for my Korean class, but I am too sick to go, and my friend who I was supposed to be my ride home also wouldn't be able to go. She's also sick. Because of this, I think the heavens were giving me a sign to not go to Korean night. Don't get me wrong, I would really have gone to the Korean dinner; I even packed my hanbok in my school bag.

- Since I decided not to go, I pushed myself to go with Lala and company for our Japanese night in Omakase, again, even if I'm ill and coughing like crazy. :|:|:|:| After I arrived home, I had a quick change to my Chinese attire earlier today, into my Japanese attire. I went to Marnie's house, waited for her to finish preparing, and off we went to Omakase in Il Terrazzo.

- I am glad that I had the chance to see these people again this (almost) Christmas. However, many nuances made the night more interesting. First, I saw Jes and DA at the other table. Haha. Second, a group of children and early teens from a foundation (forgot which one,) went inside the restaurant and sang Christmas carols. The elder members played instruments (3 bandurias, 1 guitar, 1 box-thing that acts like drums, 1 violin,) while the younger ones were in the front line, dancing. After their performance, the kids would go around from table to table and ask for donations. They would also kiss random people, maybe as a "cute" tactic to get donations. The children were cute anyway, and the whole group added a bit more light to my Christmas.

- One of the things that made our night a nose-bleeding experience was counting and re-counting who pays how much, and wondering why there was an extra amount of money. After some more tabulations and whatnot by Lala, we realized 15 minutes later that the extra money belonged to Joanna, since she used her own money to change all of us first. Haha.

- After eating, we tried our luck at Banapple for dessert. As expected, the place was overcrowded with people. I really think the place should add more chairs/tables, or better yet, make the place bigger (if possible, which I highly doubt,) so they could accommodate more people. Many people would like to eat there anyway, and they lose customers because not everyone has the luxury of time. Instead of waiting (for eternity,) we just decided to go to Banawe's Dezaato Pan, beside Tempura. coincidentally, the dessert-place was also Japanese. (I guess I was able to maximize my Japanese attire for the night.)

- While finishing our cake slices, we all had really random jokes. Marnie's jokes were the most "sabaw." (Speaking of "sabaw," I really can't find an acceptable translation for "sabaw," aside from "soup," of course.) We also had a bit of planning on the very ambitious abroad trip this summer. If ever this pushes through, I really hope my parents would allow me to go. :|:|:|:|

- I am glad that I was able to enjoy my night even if I'm having a bit of difficulty breathing, and controlling my coughs and sneezes. I know I would also enjoy Korean night with my Korean class, had it not been for this silly little flullgery (flu + [nasal] allergy,) and of course, if my friend weren't sick as well.

- I just want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas. I also wish everyone who's sick, and I know there are a lot (souce: recent experiences in school and the LRT,) to get well ASAP. Christmas ain't the perfect time for flus, allergies, or flullergies. :|:|:|:| I hope I get well soon too. I have to much to do during this Christmas break - and I'm talking about homework. :|:|:|:|