first weekend

its a sunday and it is our first weekend here at the hotel...we were suppose to have a sleepover at one NEC people here n japan, but we decided not to..we do not know well the group we're going to stay with and we wanted to sleep longer on sunday...planned activity was to just explore the area near our hotel...we had a small map we got from the lobby and there were some shopping mall that we can visit...

edric and i decided to meet after lunch...we still have some foods and we wanted to sleep longer.....i woke up at around 9am...i planned on doing some laundry but decided to do it at night so i could wash the clothes i am going to wear dat day...dat has been my mentality..eheh..nyways, i turned on my laptop as i was about to have my breakfast..i checked on some mails..went online and met jaspher on the net...twas near lunch time when we come up wid d idea dat we're going to Akihabara(a place where most electronic devices are sold), we wanted to meet with him too at the same time...then we decided not to coz the place is far from our area and we're not yet dat good at riding trains...

past 1pm, edric and i decided to go out and check the place...our first stop is the Mikasa shopping plaza..the mall is jst near the train station...with the map, we went to the Mikasa shopping plaza...the place is not a really a mall but some sort of area with lots and lots of stores....they have cellphone shops, botique, grocery, the 100yen shop..and jst near Mikasa, is the Daie shoppers plaza...this time, its a big mall...they have this video shop with lots and lots of animes, and series for rent...the mall is nice..got to see lots of stuffs to buy..eheh..some were expensive and some were quite ok....from Daie shopping plaza, we decided to stroll around the area...i wanted to check out the park that can be seen on the map...it was not hard to locate the place...the park is just simple..nothing extraordinary or what...so we jst walked around the area...we were thirsty so we decided to stop by one convenient store...the store we went in happens to sell stuffs that can be found in the philippines..there's chippy and some noodles...i seldom see chips or junk foods in the stores that's why i really noticed the chippy being sold there...ehehe..we bought rice crackers and bottled tea...along the way, we've seen another mall, that was not in the map...we went inside and the place is complete too...from department stores, to grocery...inside the dept store, we decided to buy some pasalubong since we do not know when we will have time to go back to the place...the schedule is quite full for us...i bought toys for my niece, and some chopsticks and a small pillow for my sisters and friends...

we went to their grocery...i was hoping i could buy some foods for dinner there...then there's this bakery that sells pizza...we tried their pizza that has corn and potato as the toppings...bought some bread and some noodles...and if we will not be able to go to the shop that NEC people are buying chocolates, we decided to jst buy it on that mall..

tired from walking, we went back to the hotel...i decided to do my laundry so it will not pile up....it was quite early and i knw got nothing to do at my room except surf the net, well, no one to chat to on a sunday..tsk tsk...

i went down, inquired at the front desk where the laundry area is and get my clothes at the room and start my laundry...that was my first time to use the coin operated washing machine and dryer...the set up was, above the washer is the dryer..and the cover of the washer was lifted up covering the slot for coins...so what i did was, put all my clothes at the washer, pour some soap, and inserted coins...i mistakenly inserted the coins to the dryer slot...and i was so lost and i cannot understand why the washer is not starting yet...and why there is another noise...it turned out that i turned on the dryer...ehehe..and the washer is not turned on yet...finally i was able to see where the slot for the washer is and was able to start my laundry...

my room is in 3rd floor and so instead of going upstair while waiting for the 30 minutes washing to finish, i decided to jst wait at the lobby and surf....finally, i was able to finish washing and drying up my clothes...was also able to iron them and finally went to sleep...ehehe..

the sunday was quite good...its my 3rd day here and i am coping up well..i hope id be able to for the rest of the trip...well, got to sleep early...i should wake up early tom...

:)

YRP

Yokosuka Research Park. It is known to be the popular place for IT people in Japan. That was our first time there and we are not familiar with the place or how to get there. We agreed with our japanese counterparts that they are going to meet us at the YRP-nobi station.

We were a little late, coz i woke up already 845am and were suppose to meet at 845am..we ended up taking the 925 or 935 train instead of the 915 coz we arrived late at the station...at the YRP-nobi station, we met sagawa-san and hasegawa-san..miss noemi is still not there. they called her up, and since she also woke up late, we headed directly to the bus stop and waited for the bus to YRP station..twas a saturday so most of them are in casual, while we are in our formal coz it will be our first day there.

the bus arrived, and since it was a weekend, its not that full...we are able to grab some seat...its just a 10minute ride, and on the 2nd stop, is the NTT Docomo building...since we still do not have our IDs, we passed by the basement(the security is in there and since its a saturday, the main reception is closed). we had a temporary ID, issuance will be on monday so we'll have the temporary one...

the security is tight. u nid to swipe in entering the main building, u nid to swipe in entering a room and different departments...the temporary id wont allow us to enter the room or the departments..so we had to be with them always in order not to be locked out ;)

the whole morning, we were toured around the building..where the pantry, smoking areas, toilets, massage room(yes they have that), exits, canteens and store....after that they introduced us to all the equipments inside the lab...we had lunch at 1pm(yes u heard me ryt, that's 1pm), since the canteen is closed, we went to this cafeteria at YRP...

OMG, i do not know what these foods are...taking their suggestion, we had katsu-curry(looks better than other foods), looks yummy too...but, twas spicy..i finished it though..poor me, m really am hungry...
back to the lab, we set up the equipments, so we can start testing...from 130pm(that was right after the lunch break), we worked directly until evening, no 3pm and 5pm breaks or dinner breaks...at last, at around 730pm, they decided to go home...so we went out, wait for the bus, and the train, and at yokosuka-chou, they went out with us and told us were having dinner :) again :)

hmmm...kinda like this :)

arrival

1pm and we arrived at the narita airport...we followed the other people since we are not familiar of the place...we've seen our jap manager and we also followed him...he passed by the quarantine, then the embassy...at the embassy, we lined and waited for our turn..after the embassy, our jap manager met us and joined us..he helped us look for our baggage and checked out from the airport..
we purchased the ticket for narita express which will bring us to shinagawa and as to what mr shigeta said, from shinagawa we can take another train for yokosuka-chou where our hotel is...

the trip is for 2-3 hours..the train is nice, and it was peaceful..i was able to look at the view outside and see places in Japan...we had several stops, i think 2-3 stops, then we arrived at shinagawa..

shinagawa station is big and has lots of people...people come and go and are all in a hurry trying to catch up a train...or going out from the station...we just followed mr shigeta, with our luggages..ehehe...he was not familiar of the liner we are going to take so he first asked for some directions...we purchased again another ticket for keikyu line train and waited...inside the train, mr shigeta is teaching us how to ride and look at the map...he also told us that the train we are in will be the same one we will be riding everyday going to YRP...

around 4pm, we arrived at the yokosuka-station...i was so tired carrying the luggage, and we even took the stairs...ehehe..the luggage was so heavy that i felt like it will carry me down the stairs..ahahha...mr shigeta and all the other people are walking so fast and i am left behind coz my luggage is so heavy...

we stopped at one map at the station and we tried locating where the hotel is..the name of the hotel is Hotel yokosuka. it says that it is only a 5minute walk from the station..we went out from the station, and went our way to the hotel...we were a little lost coz we have been walking for 5minutes or more but we havent seen the hotel or any sign of it...we stopped and asked...there is one guy who helped us...and finally, after almost giving up coz my hands are aching, my shoulders are aching from carrying the laptop and my another bag(that i was about to tell edric if its ok if ill jst stop and wait for them to see the hotel...ahahah..), we are finally near the hotel...

it is near a hospital but not near the highway...we checked in, paid the bills, agreed to meet at the lobby at 7pm for dinner and went to our respective rooms...

my room is nice...i started unpacking, rested a little and took a shower to freshen up...it was almost 6pm coz we arrived at the hotel at around 530pm...quarter to 7 and i went down to the lobby, texted home that i am already in japan and waited for mr shigeta...he arrived several minutes after and we went out to look for a place to eat..

we decided to eat at Denny's...its a western style restaurant that serves steak and a little japanese foods, though the preparation and some other stuffs are still japanese.. :)

mr shigeta said that he will be treating us for a dinner..he asked us what do we want and i was a little shy to choose coz its his treat ;) i decided to have chicken and salad...tried something different this time..the food is served with either rice or bread and a corn soup...for drinks, i ordered milk tea with pearls or "sago" :)

the food was great and that was my first time talking to our jap manager..he is nice and we talked about what to do the next day since we will be going to YRP and report there..

when done eating we went back to the hotel...then minutes after, edric called me up and said mr shigeta wants to meet us at the lobby coz ms noemi and our jap counterparts are there...

i went down, and we are shocked coz we did not talk but instead they are going somewhere...that is for a dinner...ahahha...

we went to this place that is sort of a bar, with lots of teenagers drinking and smoking and are so noisy..ehehe...there i had my first taste of different japanese foods...they are the one who ordered except for drinks so we simply ate what is on the table...

first we had this sort of bean, baguio means that is what we are calling it...it is boiled yet it looked raw...it is eaten like peanuts...for drinks, i had a fruit juice...i dont really like the beans but out of respect i ate a little... :) then comes the different jap foods...some looked interesting, some looked weird, some looked tasty...i jst tried those that i am not scared of....ahahha...

they drunk...they had sake..and since were girls of course we are saved...had a little chat, with the help of miss noemi and mr shigeta and at around
11pm, they decided to went home coz they might miss the last train...

we went back to the hotel, continued unpacking and checked email....

that was it for the first day...ahaha...it was late so id rather sleep...

yasumi... ;)

nihon ga arimasu

wrong grammar? ehehe...sorry, forgot my nihongo already....but well, been here and was able to learn some more..like, "dame", "yapari"...dnt knw if the spelling is correct..

anyways, i was really planning to blog all my japan experiences since day 1...but, my laptop crashed and was very busy so was able to start it just now :)

and i am still going to post all d places ive been to...with pix :D

especially abot blue fall!! was really proud of it ;) ahaha

july 28, 2005
i was busy preparing stuffs for the upcoming trip...i was also busy preparing stuffs for the house since my sis is also leaving...
a couple of week ago, we received an email from our counterpart in Japan that they are inviting 1 or 2 of our group's member to go there for a Business trip to help them in their testing at the customer site..
we are busy and the confirmation was made a week before the said date..the invitation is from July 28 to August 31 but the testing schedule will be until August 21 only...that will be more or less 3 weeks at Japan.
it was settled then. Edric and I are going there on the 29th...we have been busy with the project and so with the preparation...release of source code, processing of visa, my DOST clearance, stuffs to bring especially formal clothes since we should be in business attire..
i went home early that day..which is very unusual since i would go home normally from 10pm(which is the earliest) to 2am ehehe...
it was raining dat nyt and since i was carrying lots of stuffs and had a laptop wid me, i took a taxi and went directly home...when i arrived home, my sis was also packing her stuffs..
we are both leaving..she is leaving cebu for good and i will be away for almost a month...we packed our things...settled several things and decided to go out...we went to metrobank atm and since i wanted to eat fries and she wanted to drink softdrinks, we went to mcdo..that was actually our dinner at around 1030 pm...
we went home after eating..i went out to meet someone dn at around 300am, i get a taxi for my sis, dn went home to prepare for my flyt at 745am...
edric and i agreed that we'll meet at 430am dn go directly to the airport..airport is about 30mins away from my bhaus...at 430 am, edric texted me...
i went out to meet them...he is wid his parents and i was a little shy..nyways, we went to the airport and wen we arrived, 545am, the checkin counter is not opening till 6am..we waited at one resto, his mom urged us to eat something...i was shy but afraid they myt be offended, so i jst ordered hot chocolate...
i was jst starting to have my hot choco when the check in counter opened, we said goodbyes and went inside...we checked in our luggage, paid terminal fee, pass through the embassy and waited to went inside the plane...
had the final text messages and calls and turned off my fon..715a and we were advised to go inside the plane...and at 745 am, we departed cebu for narita...