Save.Help.

The first time TEPCO announced the scheduled power outage, people started again to panic buy. This time flashlights, batteries, rechargeable lamps and the likes easily vanished in stores. Even candles were not spared. We were able to buy a small flashlight and a pack of candles from the 100yen shop. We tried to minimize the usage of the candles by alternately using our laptops as source of light. I even used my kindle. Scheduled brownouts usually last for 2-3 hrs. So it was not really that bad.

When TEPCO and the government asked everybody to save electricity everyone responded. These are my observations.

-       Lights from the vending machines are turned off (leaving only the lights of the selection buttons on).

-       Grocery stores also lessened the number of lights in use. Same with the convenient stores. Even the temperatures on the coolers/chillers/refrigerators were set higher than the usual. There is this one store (Maruetsu) which has an escalator still unoperational. Kawawa tuloy ang mga thundercats.

-       Lights on the displays of some shopping malls are turned off. Electronic billboards are not in full operation.

-       Government offices use less numbers of elevators as well as the number of lights switched on.

-       In our office 50% of the elevators are temporarily not being used. Lights on the hallways are switched off. Nakakatakot tuloy lumabas sa gabi. Ako na matatakutin.  I think they also turned off the warmer for the seat covers of the toilet. Lamig tuloy sa pwet hehe.

Siyempre pahuhuli ba naman kami ^_^


- There are nights when I sleep at Ate Joy and Kuya Roel's room so we just have to use 1 heater.
- We eat at the same time so that we can turn off the lights in the kitchen as soon as the chores are finished.
- Before we sleep we turn off our heaters or set the timer for an hour.

What I do not like about the system of the TEPCO is that when they see that the supply of electricity is enough they cancel the brownouts 2 hours before the scheduled time. This is a problem in our company. Just like what happened last Thursday and Wednesday. The company decided to transfer the Saturday and Sunday rest days to Thursday and Friday because of the scheduled brownout. Thursday and Friday came but no brownout happened. TEPCO decided to cancel them. Hassle. Sayang. I know they have been thinking a lot about the nuclear plant problem but I hope they can fix this issue.

      Bottled mineral waters are starting to be available in supermarkets but selling is restricted to 1 bottle per person. The ban on giving tap water to infants was already lifted. However we still refrain from drinking tap water. Palipasin muna namin ang 1 linggo. Nag-iingat lang kami. So aside from bottled water I'm taking sports drink and Calpis water. Yun na lang kasi ang available sa grocery the last time I went there.

    Thank you very much for the words of encouragement. For the positivity. For the prayers. With God on our side I believe this too shall pass. ^_^

oyasumi nasai!

Mother knows best

When I had to move to another country for my new job I asked my mom to make curtains for me. I know I can buy the curtains wherever place I will be but I just want something that is created by my mom. Since I have trouble sleeping in a very bright surrounding I see to it that my windows have curtains to block the light coming from outside. My mom would choose the pattern of the cloth from plain to floral. There was a time when she just picked two cloths with different pattern and combined the two to make my curtains. These past few days I was considering of changing my curtains to vertical blinds. The color of my curtains is stating to fade due to frequent washing. I am also planning to change the theme of my room so the curtain also has to go. I got the idea of the blinds when I had a chance to visit my husband’s sister’s house last year and saw her blinds. It was awesome and since it is customized I can add some tweak in my blinds. How great is that? I am getting excited again.

Since my mom’s curtains will be gone I will be asking her to make me a set of bed sheet. I just hope this time she won’t play with weird combination of patterns and colors again. Love you mamoo ^_^

magnitude, MW, microsieverts and becquerel

Little by little basic commodities like rice, bread and cup noodles are starting to appear in some grocery stores. Last Saturday the 10-kilo rice from Ate Joy's friend arrived and some of us picked-up the rice that we asked from a Japanese friend to buy for us. Alleluia! I guess food supply is starting to be normal again. Mejo nakakahinga na kami ng maluwag hanggang sa narinig namin sa NHK news at nabasa namin sa NHK World ang balitang....

High levels of iodine in Tokyo tap water

Radioactive iodine has been detected in Tokyo tap water in levels above the safe limit for infants.

The Tokyo Metropolitan government says 210 becquerels of iodine-131 were detected on Tuesday in one liter of water at one of its purification plants in northern Tokyo. Read more here...

na sinundan pa ng ganitong balita...

Tokyo shoppers rush for mineral water

Supermarkets in Tokyo are crowded with shoppers buying mineral water after a radioactive substance in unsafe levels for infants was detected in Tokyo tap water.

At a supermarket in eastern Tokyo, stocks of plastic 2-liter mineral water bottles sold out in 20 minutes, immediately after the Tokyo Metropolitan government's announcement on Wednesday about the detection of iodine in tap water. Read more here..

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! E sa gripo lang kami kumukuha ng tubig para inumin at pangluto (pero siyempre finiflter muna namin). anakngteteng. panic buying na naman ang mga jinayupaaaaaak! Kaya kong hindi kumain ng bigas for 1 week pero kapag tubig na ang involved e ibang usapan na ito. Call us paranoid but we're talking of radiation here. Ayoko naman na tatlo ang kamay ng batang iluluwal ko. According to the news rain might have put iodine in Tokyo water. Umulan lang naman nung Lunes at Martes at naulanan kami. Kumusta naman yun.

Up to now we're still experiencing aftershocks. Yesterday (Tuesday) we felt 5 earthquakes. 3 while we were in the office (between 9AM to 7PM JST) and 2 while we were already in the apartment (between 7PM to 11PM JST). Kausap ko pa si Basuraman kagabi sa skype when the 5th earthquake happened.This morning we felt a small quake before leaving the apartment. Kung kelan naman mejo napapanatag na kalooban namin dahil dumadalang na ang lindol e bigla na lang bumawi ng bonggang-bongga ang mga aftershocks.

Wala kaming pasok bukas at sa Biyernes kaya papasok kami ng Sabado at Linggo. Epekto ng mga scheduled brownouts. Ang haba ng working days namin next week. Hanggang kailan ang mga nasabing brownouts? hindi rin namin alam.

Nakaka-frustrate. Just when we thought everything's getting better it turns out to be getting worse. Hindi namin alam kung may mabibilan pa kaming bottled water bukas. Uulan pa mandin. God help us.

A Week After

To make up for the loss of power from the crippled nuclear plants, TEPCO announced that there will be scheduled rolling power cuts. The first planned power outage in Japan after World War II. The power outages do not affect central Tokyo. Unfortunately we're not part of central Tokyo that's why we are affected. The roration brownout started in our place last Wednesday. The power outage lasted for 2 hours, from 7pm-9pm.
 

our first candlelit dinner. parang nasa pinas lang ^_^

Last Thursday I did not go to office because it's my furikae (exchange rest day). Despite the crisis that's happening I went with my original plan of going to the immigration office to fix some papers. I was soooo surprised with the number of people lined up applying for re-entry permit. People of different nationalities (most of them are Chinese). Because I was scared of being stranded in that place (the papers can wait) I decided to leave immediately and search Tachikawa area for rice. Yes we're running out of rice.

As you all know people started panic buying as soon as they've heard of the power outage, the nuclear plant disaster and the possibility of another big quake. They are hoarding food and water in convenient and grocery stores. Even gasoline. Sa Pilipinas kapag nagpanic buying na ang mga tao malaki pa rin ang posibilidad na may mabili ka pa kasi hindi lahat ng tao may pera. E dito lahat may pera kaya wala na talagang mabili.

The scene in the first grocery store I went.

toilet paper rack

wala pa ring tinapay

cup nudols rack

But GOD is GOOD.

I was able to buy bread in the fifth grocery store that I went. ^_^

Less aftershocks. For the last 3 days just once per day.

A friend of Ate Joy's called today and told her of the 10kilos of rice she sent for us. Then we learned from a Japanese friend that we can buy rice in his place. yey ^_^

Today after work we went to our "suking" grocery store and we're kinda relieved that we were  able to buy meat, veggies and some stuff that we need. There's still no bread and rice but we are very very very thankful of what we've bought. ^_^

There is still the nuclear plant problem and the nuke plant disaster rating was raised to 5 but I believe God won't let any harm come to us.


God bless the people in Fukushima. 
Please continue praying for Japan.




Pahabol....

Thank you to those who have showed concern. Thank you for including us in  your prayers. Thank you thank you thank you! luv yah all! Let's continue praying ^_^

Isa pang pahabol....

Nung nagbrownout ulit nung Huwebes ng gabi patok na patok ang Christmas gift sakin ni Basuraman.

Kindle - subok na maasahan sa panahon ng brownout ^_^

oyasumi nasai!

The day I thought I was gonna die

After the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan last Wednesday another earthquake rocked the country last Friday having a magnitude of 9.0. The strongest earthquake to hit the country and the fifth-largest in the world since 1900 and was nearly 8,000 times stronger than one that devastated Christchurch, New Zealand last month.

Sa lakas ng lindol nung Biyernes akala ko mamamatay nako. As of this writing/typing I am still restless. The earthquake started last Friday March 11, 2011at 2:46PM JST and hanggang kanina meron pa ring mga aftershocks. Sa dami ng aftershocks diko na mabilang. it's just so fuckin' unbelievable. it was different from the previous earthquakes that I experienced here.


I was at the office when the earthquake happened. We are located at the 6th floor. Napalipas na namin yung takot namin nung lumindol ng Miyerkules. It was a normal Friday afternoon. We were waiting for the 3 o'clock break. Then the ground started shaking. Up and down. We stared at each other as fear started to creep in. Then we were swaying sideways. It was getting stronger. Someone shouted to grab our helmets and hide under our desks just like what we do in the earthquake drill. I started crying. I thought I was going to die. I was trying to reach Ate Joy's hand but we were separated by our cabinets. The building was swaying violently. Up and down then sideways. Things on our desks were starting to fall. Our drawers sliding out. The shaking won't stop. The sound was deafening. I was crying and praying and was thinking bout my loved ones in the Philippines esp. Basuraman. I have never been that scared in my entire life. According to some news the quake lasted for 3-5 minutes. I was asking God to stop the shaking. If God has to take my life at that moment then let His will be done. As I am writing this entry I am crying and the tears won't stop from falling. Everytime I remember that situation I can't help but cry. I am still scared. I am really really scared. Hindi ko akalain na yung nakikita ko lang sa TV na nangyayari sa mga offices sa Japan e mararanasan ko rin.

We went out of our desks as soon as the shaking starts to weaken. I was still crying and shaking. There were still aftershocks and they were strong. But there was no immediate instruction for us to evacuate the building. The 6 of us (the only Filipinos on the floor) were starting to panic. We wanted to get out of the building as soon as possible. But we waited for instructions. We tried to remain calm just like our Japanese colleagues. Kawamura-san instructed everyone to fall in line so that the persons in charge of the disaster committee can start counting. We stayed for another 10 minutes while the building was continuing to sway because of the aftershock. It was so painful I wanted to faint. We ran as soon as we were ordered to go down.

We were directed in a futsal field located within the vicinity of the company. We saw how the glasses of our building moved and the antenna on top of the building swayed. I was trying to call Basuraman and my mom but the phone line was down. By 4 o'clock we were instructed to return to our floor. With what had happened we opted to go home. Good thing is we just bike the office from our place. All public transportation was suspended. I immediately called Basuraman and my mom as soon as I got connection to inform them that I was safe. We were very lucky because there was still an internet connection when we reached our apartments. Thank goodness there's facebook. I was able to communicate with my loved ones and friends through it.

Thank God we are safe and we are far from the coastline. Many cities in Miyagi prefecture were literally wiped out. Kalunus-lunos talaga ang nangyari sa Japan. Especially those who were hit by the tsunami.

Yesterday we went to the nearest grocery store in our place to stock some food. Better be prepared. I wanted to cry when I saw the situation in the store. There was no bread. Paubos na ang mga cup noodles. The number of people shopping was not normal. They were panic buying. Diyos ko ni hindi ko naranasan ang ganito sa Pinas. Pinigilan ko na lang sarili ko na huwag umiyak.

Because of the effect of the quake in the nuclear plant in Fukushima, rotating power outages will be implemented tomorrow Monday. Earlier this evening the schedules were already announced. No electricity in our place from 9:20- 13:00 and 18:20-22:00. Ang lamig pa mandin ngayon. Buti na lang may isa pa akong comforter. Lamigin pa mandin ako. Hindi namin alam kung hanggang kailan yung brownout rotation but according to Kuya Mylo hanggang katapusan daw ng Abril. I hope there will be no further damages in the nuclear plants.


Thank you Lord for keeping us safe.

Thank you for all the prayers. Sa mga nag-alala sa kalagayan ko maraming salamat. Ngayon ko nalaman na marami palang nagmamahal sakin.

Please continue to pray for us. For Japan. For the safety of everyone. With what's happening to our world we do not know what will happen next.

Be safe everyone. May God bless us all.

the life in the ring of fire

At 11:45AM JST, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit Japan. It was centered 160 kilometers east of the Ojika Peninsula (Read more here).We felt it here in Tokyo. The earthquake lasted for almost 30 seconds and there was even an aftershock. The longest and strongest earthquake I've ever experienced in this country. I'll never get used to these effin' earthquakes. I got dizzy and Ate Rhodz was close to vomiting.

While the 5 of us (the only Filipinos/foreigners in the 6th floor of the building) were starting to grab our helmets in case the earthquake alarm goes on, some of our Japanese colleagues were joking around and laughing. Some were still working as if nothing's happening. What the F right? But they are used to it and they are confident that the building won't take damages at a certain intensity and it was designed and made for earthquakes.

The whole place was swaying. Si kuya mylo konting-konti na lang daw tatakbo na talaga. Si Kuya kim pangiti-ngiti pero kitang-kita mo sa mata na gusto na ring tumakbo. Ako as usual was already panicking inside. I was holding my mobile phone very tight, starting to pray and was thinking of my loved ones in the Philippines. Nerbiyosa much. Pasensha na. Siguro kung lumindol pa ulit pagkatapos nung aftershock umiyak nako. After the earthquake that happened in New Zealand sinong namang hindi ninenerbiyosin sa lindol? dabah?

Anyway we're still good and no harm was done. Thank God. I can't wish that it won't happen again because as long as Japan lies on the Ring of Fire, earthquake will just be a common thing. I'm just hoping for low magnitudes. Magnitudes that will not bring any damage. Magnitudes so low that you will not feel any movement. Please.

Oyasumi!

liham para kay piolo

Dear Papa P,

I crush you. Kahit sabihin pa ng lahat na bakla ka ok lang. I still crush you. berimats. Muntik nakong sumigaw ng "i love you piolo" ng minsang nakita ka namin ni Basuraman at MD sa Quiapo Church. Napadpad yata kami dun kasi malapit na ang board exam. May shooting ka nun para sa iyong teleserye na nakalimutan ko na ang pamagat. Naknampoocha. Ang kinis mo boi. Ebaaarrrrr. Alam mo ba na iniwan ako ng 2 hitad na kasama ko para masilayan kagad ang owmaygoolay-sowgwapo mong mukha?

Crush kita pero hindi naman umabot sa lebel na bumili ako ng album mo or pinanood ko lahat ng movies and teleserye mo. I just like your face. Masaya nako sa nag-iisang bagay na binili ko na andun ang larawan mo. Isang issue ng Metro magazine na ikaw ang cover at topless ka. Yes TOPLESS. Ahm.

Hindi nako magpapaliguy-ligoy pa. I am not buying your "umaamin na kami" chenes with Kristina Cassandra. Pinapasakit niyo ulo ko. Sinong magjowa/boypren-gelpren/magkasintahan ang naghahawakan ng ganyan ha? Sinoooooooo?!?!?!?

Picture courtesy of google

'Teh please lang itigil na yan. para sa buong mundo at sambayang pilipino. amen.

♥ sikoletlover

Hina Matsuri

The Hina Matsuri or Doll Festival or Girl's Festival is celebrated on March 3. On this day, families with girls wish their daughters a successful and happy life. Dolls are displayed in the house together with peach blossoms. The doll festival has its origin in a Chinese custom in which bad fortune is transferred to dolls and then removed by abandoning the doll on a river. On Hina Matsuri, sweet sake is drunken and chirashi sushi is eaten. (Source)

I really really wanted to have this set of dolls. But that thing is very expensive! And how on earth am I going to bring it back to my lupang hinirang? Baka mas mahal pa ang magastos ko sa pagpapadala compared to the price of the commodity itself. But seriously I really want them.

Anyway I didn't know that today is hinamatsuri until I received some goodies from Hayakawa-san. Last year she gave us ladies some hello kitty munchies.

And that's when I realized the logo of Google today. Toinks! Parang wala ako sa Japan hehe

Oyasumi! ^_^

the burger - the fish - and the teebee

dinner courtesy of kuya mylo. masama yata ang loob kaya pagkadating na pagkadating ko sa bahay nagtae ako :(

hanggang bukas na lang ang 200yen-bigmac promo ng mcdo. anong product kaya ang susunod? last week yung filet-o-fish burger nila na worth 100 yen. na-miss ko tuloy ang jollibee. dito lang ako sa japan nagma-mcdo. solid jabi kid kasi ako sa pinas.

habang namimili nung sabado napukaw ng isdang nasa larawan ang aking pansin. isang bagay ang pumasok sa aking isipan. JANITOR FISH ba yan??!!!! or kamukha lang? janitor fish na kulay red/orange?

kung kelan naman sinaniban ako ng espiritu ng kasipagan e tsaka naman ako nagkaroon ng teebee. magbabakasyon kasi saglit sila daddy roel and mommy joy kaya pinahiram muna nila sa akin. oo ako na poorita. sa loob ng 2 taon kong pamamalagi dito sa nihon e hindi man ako bumili ng teebee. bakit? hindi ko naman kailangan. ayos nako sa laptop basta may net.

Dear Papa Jesus,


Exactly 1 month from now i will be taking an exam and up to now I am not reviewing seriously. I finished watching the latest episodes of Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries, Imortal, Seasons 1,2,3,4 of Hell's Kitchen and some movies. Please help me not to get distracted. If I get the band that I need I will not annoy Basuraman for a year. Promise. Thank you in advance :)

♥ sikoletlover