Akita: The First Weekend

During my first official weekend in Akita, I hung out with a bunch of girls that I met during the week: Amber from U.S., Chimca from Mongolia, Sai from Taiwan, and Minhee and Wona from Korea. We all took the bus and local train to Akita's city center, about 30 minutes away from Akita International University. We arrived at Akita's main train station which is connected to two malls: Forus Shopping Mall and Alve Mall. We had a lot of fun shopping at Thank You Mart, which sells accessories, clothes, jewelry and other knick-knacks only for ¥ 390. 

Here is a photo of Akita's city center on a weekend--not much people and cars.

Mid-afternoon, we were famished so we grabbed a bite at a local ramen place. The system of ordering in the ramen place is so unique. A machine is set up near the entrance that accepts orders and payments then dispenses tickets. Customers then have to give their tickets to the chef after which he'll start preparing the orders. All the characters in the machine were in Japanese so I didn't actually understand anything. I just ordered the cheapest one-- ¥ 690 or about ₱ 350. It was quite pricey but it was worth the try. The serving was huge!

Nikaho: City Tour

Last August 29, the university organized a city tour for international students to Nikaho. I am so grateful that the university organizes free trips like this in order to introduce us foreigners to the Japanese culture. We were all packed in three big buses.

Upon arriving in Nikaho, our first stop was Kanmanji Temple, which was once at the center of the scenic "88 Lagoons and 99 Islands". For lunch, the university prepared bento boxes for all of us and we ate them near the beach. There were lots of huge rocks in the area so we squatted on them. The weather was quite humid so some of the guys started to jump on the water.

We also went to Mt.Chokai which stands at 2,236 meters and is the 2nd highest mountain in the Tohoku Region of Japan.

Welcome Dinner Party

Last night, a simple welcome dinner party was organized by the residential life committee and peer supporters of Akita International University at the school cafeteria. It was a night intended to bring together all the international students and the Japanese students who have volunteered to be peer group supporters. We feasted on pizza, chicken, curry rice, noodles and many more. I had the chance to meet and interact with many Japanese students as well as other international students, since we were grouped randomly. At the end of the party, we were led outside the cafeteria to watch a sample performance of the Kanto Festival.

Global Village Apartment

For the entire duration of my semester abroad, I will be staying at the Global Village Apartment located just inside the AIU campus. The design is said to be award-winning for its environmental friendliness. Look at the open-air hallways leading to the apartments.

I am billeted at Room G-106, a 26 square meter double room, which I share with a French girl. The room is quite small, but it is very cozy and modern. Most residents here are international students plus a couple of junior and senior Japanese students. My favorite part of the room is this ergonomically designed bed and study area. It is a big space-saver! And oh, did I mention we have unlimited internet access in the room? In my dorm in Manila, I've never had any internet. I love my new place!

Akita International University

I proudly present my new university for Fall Semester 2008, Akita International University. It prides itself for being the first university in Japan where all classes are taught in English, except for language-specific classes. I love the simplicity and uniformity of the facade of the buildings in the campus. As for the cafeteria, it looks really colorful and festive. It is decorated with flags from all over the world.

International students were also given a tour of the world-class library of the university. From the outside, it looks very ordinary with its minimalist design. But lo and behold, when we went in, I was very impressed with its high ceiling, wooden floors and wall panels. I love their amazing magazine collection. They don't only have academic-related magazines but also the fun ones like fashion and sports magazines. I even saw a copy of Vogue on the rack! I never expected to see a library this huge and grand. It resembles the library in my favorite Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast. The library here in AIU is designed with the theme "Book Colosseum" and built with trees from local cedar forests. 

My Journey from Manila to Akita

Aug 24, 2008


11:30am - After more than seven months of anticipation and stress, my Junior Term Abroad (JTA) finally began! My ever supportive father dropped me off the airport. I had with me a 40-kg large luggage, a 10-kg smaller luggage, an ultra heavy backpack and an equally heavy body bag.


12:00pm - I met my fellow Atenean, Jamila, in the airport. We'll be going to the same university in Japan. During check-in, the airline staff told me that I exceeded my luggage limit. Grrrr! So I took out some of my clothes and toiletries. Good thing Jam's mother offered to keep my things until I get back. 


1:00pm - We went inside the pre-departure area. While waiting for our flight, I went inside the Mabuhay Lounge thanks to I-po's mileage points. I got some peanuts for Jam and me.


2:30pm - Our plane to Tokyo, Japan took off. I was giddy with excitement since it was my first time to be seated in Mabuhay Class. 

8:00pm - After a hefty meal on air and a superb experience in Mabuhay Class, we finally landed at Narita International Airport. Jam and I went to the information counter and asked for directions on how to go to the city. 


9:30pm - We took the Narita Express Train to JR Tokyo Station. 


10:30pm - We arrived at JR Tokyo Station. When we stepped out of the train, all I could say was "OMG!" JR Tokyo Station is a big maze! I swear I have never seen a train station so huge and so packed. Our next challenge was to find our way to the Maronouchi Exit that would lead us to the bus station. When we found the bus to Akita, we were told that it was already full and that they don't sell tickets on the bus. We have read about these buses online but we didn't research about buying tickets ahead of time. So stupid of us!

11:30pm - When the bus left without us, we asked for help from some locals as to where to stay for the night. Somebody suggested that we go to Shinjuku and sleep inside a place called Manboo. 

Aug 25, 2008


12:00am - Our next challenge was to find out where the hell is Shinjuku. Since we no longer wanted to walk, we opted to take the taxi. We were surprised that their taxis are very modern! The doors automatically open and the drivers have GPS. But we almost passed out when we found out that their flat rate was ¥ 790 or Php 400. Whoa!!! And ¥ 90 or Php 45 for every succeeding change in the rate. When we got to Shinjuku, our meter amounted to ¥ 3050 or  Php 1500. Shet ang mahal! 

1:00am - We inquired about the rates at Manboo Internet Cafe (¥ 980 for 8 hours). Unfortunately, we were not allowed inside due to our oversized luggage. Shet! I felt like the whole world was crumbling! We sat outside the internet cafe and pondered on what to do next. We were tired, sweaty and so ready to give up. 


1:30am - Some of the staff at the internet cafe shooed us away because we were blocking the entrance. Hence, we found ourselves on the street once again! I checked out the nearby establishments and found the 24-hour eatery, Sukiya! Ahhhhhhh, life-saver! We ordered a curry meal just so the waiter won't shoo us away. I promised not to sleep but I couldn't help it. Jam, on the other hand, didn't sleep at all.


5:00am - We were already wide awake. We walked several blocks to Shinjuku Station. Screw the slower bus, we'll take the faster train! The ticket counters were still closed. 


5:30am - Gosh, the price of the train ticket from Tokyo to Akita was mind-blowing! It was almost ¥ 25,000 or like Php 12,500. Japan is crazy expensive! But with messy hairs and haggard faces like ours, we no longer cared.


7:36am - We took the Komachi Shinkansen or Bullet Train at Shinjuku Station. We snoozed immediately.


11:32am - We finally arrived at Akita Station. Our final challenge was to contact our university for the free pick-up service. Good thing Jam copied all the necessary contact numbers! We were given instructions by a personnel of the university to go to the West Exit near the Lottery. It took us some time to find our way out because all the signs in the station are in Japanese characters. Thank goodness we met an American student named James, who is also waiting for the pick-up service from the university.


Finally, for the first time since we arrived in Japan 15 hours ago, Jam and I were sure that we were not on our own.

Kotra Internship

When my hectic JTA Semester ended last July, I immediately started my internship at Korea Trade and Investment Promotions Agency in Makati City. So why get an internship instead of just chilling out during my six-week break? 

My reason was so shallow. I simply wanted to get the chance to wear high heels. Haha! I don't wear high heels in Ateneo and I don't normally go to fancy parties that allow me to wear such pairs of shoes. Hence, an internship in Makati would be the best opportunity! (I know I sound crazy! Haha!)

To be honest, it was arduous waking up at 7:00am from Monday to Friday for six weeks, while on the contrary, most of my batchmates were relaxing in their homes. Plus, the fact that I had to take the ugly and uncomfortable buses from Mandaluyong to Makati, and vice versa, everyday. But still, I loved my short stint in Kotra as their Project Assistant because it has been a great learning experience. I handled initial trading partnerships between Philippine and Korean firms. I also had the privilege of meeting some great CEOs as well as do intensive research on some industries that I have never heard of.  

My favorite part of the internship was the trade mission in Hotel Intercon because we were merely chilling and pigging out. Moreover, I got to see my name published in a newspaper ad since I was one of the contact persons for the trade mission. Thank you Kotra for the amazing opportunity!

Cagayan and Camiguin: Day 3

On our last day in CDO, we were scheduled to do white water rafting. We waited in the lobby of Mallbery Suites for a long time because my two little brothers took a long time to fetch us. We then went to Divisoria in downtown Cagayan de Oro to ride the jeepney that would take us to the rafting site.

For three hours, we had fun screaming, laughing and paddling through the numerous rapids. The water in the river looks murky. But it's not that bad. It is just colored brown because of the rain the night before.

After we took a shower, we visited a water treatment facility together with Den's dad. It was enormous! That night we had dinnner at Ramen Tei in Limketkai Center together with my family and Den's dad.

Cagayan and Camiguin: Day 2

On our second day, we woke up early to go to the famous White Island. Den's titos were kind enough to arrange everything for us. They even picked us up from our hotel. We settled in our makeshift tent, which was for rent for only Php 10. 

After two awesome hours in the pristine White Island, we took our banca back to the main island. We took a shower in the hotel and quickly packed our things afterwards because we had to catch our ferry back to Cagayan de Oro. Upon arriving in the pier of Balingoan, we had a late lunch at a seaside restaurant.

Cagayan and Camiguin Adventure

Last August 9 to 11, my friends and I went to my hometown, Cagayan de Oro, for a short weekend getaway. We were dropped off by Den's dad at the airport before sunrise. We got to CDO around 8:00am. My parents were excitedly waiting for us at the arrival area. We were then whisked to Sunburst for a sumptuous breakfast buffet.

After breakfast, we took our car for a two-hour drive to Balingoan Port. From there, we rode a ferry to Camiguin Island. The last time I was in the island was way back in 1998 for my 9th birthday so I was pretty excited to go back and see the new developments in this tiny island. Upon our arrival, we were met by a driver from our hotel. At the same time, two of Den's titos met us at the pier and invited us to have lunch at a seaside restaurant just nearby. We feasted on seafood for lunch. It was so damn good! A funny moment took place during lunch. Den's titos suggested we order buko juice because it is very fresh daw. I didn't think it was literally that fresh until I saw the waiter who took our order climb up a coconut tree. Haha! 

After lunch, we parted ways with Den's titos and checked in to our hotel, Bahay Bakasyunan. We settled in our small room and then changed into our swim clothes to prepare for our island tour. First stop: Katibawasan Falls. We enjoyed swimming in the 250-feet high waterfalls. Next stop: Sto. Nino Cold Springs. We got lucky because we had the place to ourselves. Third stop: Soda Pool. We didn't spend so much time here because there is nothing fancy about this place.

Fourth stop: Sunken Cemetery. We were lucky to catch the beautiful sunset upon arriving here. I will certainly miss this spectacular view when I leave for my semester abroad. Fifth stop: Old Volcano Walkway. It was already dark when we got here so we didn't have the chance to walk up the 14 stations of the cross. Last stop: Ardent Hot Springs. It was very relaxing to finish our island tour here. We stayed until 8:00pm. Back in our hotel, we enjoyed a nice dinner and had our last swim in the pool.