From the last post I did a couple of weeks ago, I am better… but it took me a while to get where I am today…

So for a recap… the last post was this stupid I had this urge to vent off and at that time I thought that archinect would be a perfect place to do it… and it was, I got everything out of my chest and released all my frustrations… for that day only… why is that… after my [I’m not proud of saying this but let’s be honest] uninspired architecture finals I was asked [well actually, more like told] to hold a lecture and present my life, past projects and the main event, my experiences as an exchange student and my thoughts on Japan oh and the thing I dread the most, my future plans… they gave me two weeks to prepare... and gave me an option to present in English… but since I am a masochist by heart [explains my love for torture call architecture school] presenting in English was just not an option… I was literally sh*tting bullets that two weeks because first of all I had no Idea where to start, I was mentally drained and every time I write something it either feels too preachy or critical and I don’t know the proper protocol in Japanese lectures since respect is a very big deal here… and I am not calling out my dad (I think its funny) but he said to me [translated from Filipino to English] “Don’t mess this up, it seems like you’re their cock that is about to into a cock fight” which made me even nervous. This lecture literally the reason of many sleepless nights… But as the saying goes every dark cloud has a silver lining, and that would be my amazingly awesome friend back home Miki, who helped me translate my speech…. As for the lecture I think it went… not great, more like ok but not really [that’s my personal opinion] but everybody else seems to like it…. I’m just glad to get it over with…

But even though I was stressing for a bit I also had a great time doing other things unrelated to architecture… I participated in a festival where we danced in the street as a part of parade… I did this a couple of months ago and they had another festival at this town so they asked me to go and I did… since it was my second time I didn’t quite make a fool of myself!!! And I got to spend a weekend in the road with great friends… I also witnessed Obon which is like Japanese version of “Dia de los Muertos” or us Filipinos call it “Araw ng mga Patay”… I spent that Obon season in a friend’s house and during that time I also spend a weekend working in a carnival/fair/festival thing… so I was not technically a “carnie” but would like to think so… I spend two nights as the bar tender and the last night in the darts booth!!!

Next week I will be going back to my homeland, The Philippines, and I will be assisting my Professor and a couple of his students for their research about low cost medium rise buildings in and around Manila… then after that I will join my other professor and assist him and his 3rd year class to their field work in Bali and Singapore… I would be a hectic 16 days with back to back work trips but since it seems like I got my sanity back (for the moment at least) so I could blog regularly again… I hope…

Oh one last thing to share I guess… today marks my last 10 days in Japan… I’m excited to go home and see my family and friends and finish school… but it also seems sad to leave the people that literally treated me like family here… you know that one cousin who was dropped as a baby and now slow as heck and later on will be diagnosed with an acute mental retardation… that would be me in my Japanese family, hahaahah…

Picture time!


kitchen using hot spring steam in Beppu, Oita
[I got a chance to use this kitchen that night and all I can say was it was hot as hell... quite literally... but I had fun anyways]


Kaze No Oka by Fuhimiko Maki


its a crematorium in Nakasu, Oita


Haiya Festival...this shot was taken after asking for some blessings from temple...


Amakusa Island...


me preparing for my speech while in a bus...


Minami Obon festival in Hita, Oita


Maruoyaki, traditional japanese pottery with a contemporary twist...