OSAKA/KYOTO AUTUMN 2017 – DAY 3: KYOTO WITH JUN!

So, on our third day, we met a new friend and spent one full day in Kyoto. Meet Jun!

Just kidding – we did meet a new friend named Jun. He is Mhealler’s former workmate from when he was working back for a law firm. He was our tour guide for the day, and we were very lucky to have a local show us around! Our original plan was to go to Kobe through a rental car, but since it was raining, we decided to just take the train to Kyoto instead.

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Our first stop was the Fushimi Inari Shrine – famous for its clustered Tori gates that make up a walkway all towards the top of a hill. Despite the rain, there were so many people on this specific day that it was a struggle to walk through the gates, with everyone carrying their umbrellas. Taking a decent photo with this crowd was difficult. But, when there is a will, there is a way! We managed to get a few good shots both inside and outside the Tori gates.

Arcie: Where is Chiyo (Memoirs of a Geisha)?

Hannah: I’ll walk away, call me, and I’ll look back.

We didn’t go all the way to the top since the rain didn’t seem to want to stop, and we didn’t want to tire ourselves – we had a full day of walking ahead! After taking some more photos, we went back to the train station for our next stop – Kiyomizu-dera.

Lunch

This was already around lunch time so we looked for a restaurant along the way. A lot of the restaurants were closed (I don’t remember if this was a holiday in Japan), while most of those that were open were Udon restaurants, and we didn’t feel like having Udon today. We started heading up the hill to Kiyomizu-dera, and stumbled upon this quaint cafe that served curry and pasta (literally just 2 options).

Kiyomizu-dera

Kiyomizu-dera is one of my favorite temples to visit – again, if not for the crowd! It’s one of the most famous tourist-spot in Kyoto, so even the streets heading to the temple is packed. The best time to visit Kiyomizu-dera is in Autumn because the colors of the trees are breathtaking. We were a few weeks early so the leaves were still green, and the main building was also under construction – but we still enjoyed taking a lot of photos!

What a scary deity! Zoom in on the text!

Rain or shine: We will take photos! – Arcie

Kiyomizu means “clear water”, and was built because of the natural spring that runs along this mountain (Otowa Waterfall). When visiting, make sure to partake in this cleansing ritual where you wash your hands and your mouth with the water from the spring.

I’m actually thirsty so I may have drank some water…

After going around the temple grounds, it was time for our next stop – an area near Kiyomizu-dera, where one could step back in time to two to three thousand years ago.

Ninenzaka

Ninenzaka (and Sannenzaka) are a pair of streets downhill from Kiyomizu-dera that has well-preserved architecture from historical Japan. In short – it’s the most Instagrammable area in Kyoto, if you want something different from the usual temples. There are a lot of souvenir and specialty shops, restaurants and coffee shops along this street. This is also where you can find the internet-famous Japanese Starbucks (at least when it opened a couple of years ago).

Here’s a visual for you: Samurai coming out of this store with their frappe/lattes

We decided to have our coffee at a local coffee shop instead of this one, because it’s still Starbucks, right? We sat our tired butts and drank our warm coffee in Inoda Coffee (est. 1940).

After our quick break, we continued walking around the area, taking more photos and goggling at souvenirs we couldn’t buy (LOL), until we headed to our next stop!

You can only guess how much these bowls cost

Ryozen Kannon Statue & Maruyama Park

Our next stop was a big Buddha statue in another temple nearby. Unfortunately, the place was already closed when we got there. We settled for a photo from the closed gate – I didn’t get a decent shot, but just to give you an idea of how it looks like, in case you want to visit it – this is the statue:

As the temple was closed, we then proceeded to Maruyama park, which was so picturesque, despite the rain. We ended up spending a lot of time here taking photos and just laughing at each other’s poses!

Guess who fell down this ramp (and who laughed the loudest LOL)

It was getting dark already, so we started heading to the nearest train station. We were already very tired at this point and Osaka felt like a million miles away (okay, just exaggerating). It was a long way to the train station, too. I remember walking around Gion and Hannah looking for the nearest restroom for at least three times before we got back to our Airbnb in Osaka!

Dinner & Karaoke!

We rested for a few minutes before we headed out again for dinner. Jun took us to a very good restaurant that served duck soup, which I loved and up to this day, still think about. Their specialty dish was a little expensive so we just ordered the most affordable ones off the menu – but these were still so good! I would come back to this restaurant next time and order the real thing! Jun also ended up treating us for dinner, which was super nice of him!

After dinner, we went to a karaoke place to end a long and tiring, but fun day! Jun only stayed an hour with us since he had work the next morning – we tried our best to make him stay with alcohol and our great Japanese singing skills (HAHA) – but sadly he had to go home early!

The best thing about Japanese karaoke bars – Unlimited Drinks!

We stayed for two more hours after Jun left, and to be honest, I barely remember anything after that! As per Hannah, we were already very rowdy on the way back home, and she was scared that we’d be arrested or something! Haha. Well, Japanese people do love their alcohol so I guess that’s normal! She also mentioned that this was our most expensive Karaoke to-date, but to me – this is definitely one for the books!

That’s the end of Day 3! A teaser for Day 4 – a policeman visits us in our Airbnb! Oh no!!!

Minimalism: Beyond the KonMari method

I have been following Marie Kondo (KonMari) on Instagram since I started out my minimalism journey a year ago. She has published two best-selling books entitled The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy. I loved her idea of decluttering – thanking the things that have served you one way or another, before letting them go when they no longer spark joy. I have also done this several times before, starting with my clothes that no longer fit, to random things in my kitchen that really served no purpose anymore.

With her show on Netflix – decluttering and organizing has become the “in” thing to do. And it’s great because it spreads the minimalism lifestyle that I really support! But, I can’t also help but think of the impact this could make, with everyone discarding things that don’t bring them joy anymore.

Spark Joy

Before I proceed, I would like to explain that Marie Kondo’s “spark joy” concept should not be taken literally as just something positive. The word used in Japanese is Tokimeki – which means excitement or heartbeat. In that essence, something that brings you Tokimeki, can be something that brings you joy, or arouses your emotions, like sentimental objects. To answer an argument I read on Twitter about the ridiculous idea that books should spark joy for you to keep them – do not take it literally that you should only keep the books that have happy endings. Even if that book screws you up and makes you question everything in your life – if you were captivated or disrupted by it – feel free to keep it!

There is no right or wrong path in minimalism – you can customize it to fit your lifestyle or your values. Personally, I have had a hard time letting go of things that have sentimental value to me – but I also recognize that I should not be emotionally attached to things as if they’re the actual people or events that they symbolize. Eventually, I want to be the kind of minimalist that will only own things I both need and want.

As people are now getting into the KonMari process of cleaning and decluttering their households, I hope they learn an important lesson that goes beyond the things they already own. The question of “does this spark joy” should not be asked after you have already acquired a thing. This should be done at the start to all together prevent having to declutter in the first place. Ask that question before you buy the next clothing item or gadget, or book – and even go beyond just sparking joy – do you also really need it? Can you borrow it from a friend or a family member instead? When you decide that you both need and want (sparks joy) it, then you have been deliberate about your purchase and have been a minimalist about it.

Storage and clutter

KonMari also talks about things having their own home inside your house. And this means they should be stored in the right places and according to certain organizing techniques. I also agree to this – but I also believe that having more storage in your home invites more clutter. When you have a table or a shelf sitting in your room, it’s easy to just put things and leave them there until they pile up and you have to clean them again. This has also been my problem and I try to make sure that I only have enough storage for the things I really need. I’ve gotten rid of shelves in the past because everything I’ve put in there are basically things of no use but I just felt like storing because I have enough space for it.

On decluttering, I hope that people are discarding their old things the right way. Give them to the people who at least need them and can use them so they don’t end up as someone else’s clutter, or worse, adding up to the trash of the world. Clothes take up a long time to decompose, too! This can be the start to a more mindful and minimalist life for everyone, and I hope that as we do this more, there will be lesser things to declutter and discard in the future, ultimately lowering down our trash output.

From KonMari to Minimalism

Lastly, and I won’t delve into this that much anymore – I hope we all work together in taking a stand against consumerism. I encourage those who have seen the Marie Kondo series to also watch the documentary Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things, also on Netflix because I really feel that in this day and age of instant gratification, convenience, and so many material things bombarded to us by companies and advertisers, we have lost control of our lives. Maybe I’m exaggerating it a bit, but our decisions are influenced a lot by the things we are exposed to. Success is not defined by the material things you have. Life value is not how media defines it to be. These things are something you define for yourself, and you can only find that when you mute out the distractions and focus on what really gives your life meaning or what makes you feel content and fulfilled.

There is not one template for a life well lived. The KonMari method is a start to clearing out the clutter and I hope those that have started this will continue on the wonderful journey of minimalism!

2019 Resolutions

I’m at the airport right now, waiting for my flight back to Manila, for my reality to start again after the long break over Christmas. I purposely left the house early (4 hours before my flight) because I didn’t want to rush so that gave me time to reflect on the things I want to do or accomplish this 2019, as I head back today.

My main theme for 2018 was “self-love”, although I did not write that down. I pushed myself to finally lose the extra weight I’ve been carrying around for years as a form of loving myself. That carries on this year, of course, since I haven’t reached my goal weight yet – but here are the other 5 things (buckets) that I want to do this 2019.

Create

I’ve always considered myself a “creative” person since high school. By creative, I mean someone who wants to create something. I’ve always tried revisiting old passions such as art and music. Blogging, I have always done albeit on and off for the past few years – but it’s something I want to do regularly this year. And yes, create art and create music (I’ve always had this frustration of becoming a singer-songwriter). Don’t be mistaken, this is firstly for my personal consumption – and if I like it, I might share some of the output here on my blog or on social media. Don’t expect great things though!

Invest

Life isn’t about money, but money sure makes life comfortable. I’m late into this and I regret not starting early on in my twenties but I believe it’s not too late! I’ve started putting money into small investments with some friends last year, and this year I want to continue that even more. I am still dreaming of owning a Keto-friendly cafe, among others.

Learn

I have also enrolled in some online courses last year, but I didn’t get to finish any of them because I always do things halfheartedly. This year, I plan to change that by really committing to learning – my priorities being Japanese (Nihongo) and a musical instrument (perhaps revisit the violin or guitar, or learn to play the piano from scratch). I don’t want this year to pass by without acquiring a new skill. I also wanted to learn Keto-recipes in preparation for my future Keto-friendly cafe! (I’m scaring myself with these many commitments now).

Simplify

True to my goals of living a minimalist life, I will continue to declutter my home and my life in general. I am guilty of buying things in 2019 which I didn’t really need (they were more of wants), but I believe that I did those for a reason – to be able to get rid of the older things that no longer “sparked joy”. I plan to be more strict in implementing this lifestyle in 2019 and will also post more about this journey on the blog.

Focus

This is linked to minimalism, but it can also go beyond minimalism – in the sense that I want to exert more effort in really going for the goals I’ve set for myself. I want to give work a chance – really find the passion in doing an excellent job instead of just a satisfactory one. To be able to manage that, along with all of the other things I’ve talked about here, I need to be able to clear my mind through daily meditation. I also plan to go back to my bullet journal, which I’ve stopped using as of March 2018, as was expected from my old self. This is also necessary for me to achieve all of these goals I’ve set for myself this year!

What are your 2019 resolutions? Some people would say that setting resolutions is worthless, and would make fun of those who write down their goals and end up not accomplishing anything by the end of the year. I say, go ahead and write them down! There’s a better chance of you accomplishing them if you put them into writing – pin them on your wall to remind yourself, set targets for specific items on your list. I’ve wasted away so many years just floating around, letting myself be carried by the waves of time and other people’s decisions. It’s time I take control of my life – and you take control of yours! There’s no better time than TODAY to start living a better life. 🙂

Dear 2018

Dear 2018,

As with all of the other things in my life, I’ve been putting off this letter to you to the last minute (technically, the last 2 and a half hours left of you) because I wanted to think things through thoroughly. In the end, I have nothing grand or dramatic to write, not that it really matters. You have come so suddenly, and will be leaving soon, without any care for how we celebrate or not celebrate your passing.

When I was younger, I always liked looking back at the year that was and posting about it – perhaps to prove to myself that I did not waste it away, or to show others that all is or was good. Now’s about the time when social media is filled with lengthy posts of how great (or not) of a year you have been. And how everyone is looking forward to (even) better things in 2019. If I were you, I would not know how to feel about this – being praised, and then being let go so easily.

But that’s just how things are each year. We let go of the old and welcome the new. I also don’t see the value in comparing the years – because we can’t change the past. I don’t even believe we can change the future – we only have one future. That’s what we make it to be, or what the world wants it to be. I no longer believe in what-ifs, in I-should-have-done-this-or-thats. More than ever, I believe in the now. That has been the greatest lesson you’ve taught me.

As mentioned, I will no longer be running down the events that made me love and hate you. But I wanted to write a letter to say my goodbyes properly. At the end of it all, I would like to thank you for helping me become the (better) person I am today. I’m not exactly where I want to be yet, but small progress is better than no progress. I’ve defined you to be the year that I focus on improving myself and I did just that.

Ariana sang and I quote, “Thank you, next” – but by posting this, I hope you don’t feel that I am rushing you. A “thank you” would suffice.

Thank you,
Jek

Still Here

Hey guys, I just wanted to drop a quick note to let you know that I’m still alive. I haven’t posted for a couple of months now and I don’t have a valid excuse other than I’ve just been lazy – but I’ll try to make the most out of the holiday break to catch up on some important events that I need to post about. I’m back home in Cebu until the year ends, so hopefully I’ll be able to squeeze in some backlogs.

Please continue supporting my blog so that I get inspired to write more often! Talk to you soon!

Quitting Social Media: What I Learned

A couple of months ago, in August to be exact, I decided to take an indefinite leave from social media. I managed to do it for almost two months, coming back to Twitter on October 15, and a bit earlier on Instagram, towards the end of September. This is an entry to just close this mini-experiment up and share with you what I’ve learned throughout this social media “detox”.

The realizations

Social Media really takes up a lot of your time. You won’t notice it but the minutes you spend checking your accounts add up. When I was on hiatus, I really felt like I had so much time that I didn’t know what to do with it.
Social Media kills productivity. I took advantage of all of my extra time in religiously blogging daily. To be honest, my daily blog has been put on hold for a while now, ever since I went back. It’s just a lot easier to post a photo on IG or tweet your thoughts in real time. I was also able to catch up on some anime series, read a book, watch a few movies on Netflix – things I have started to consider as a “waste” of time. I was also more productive at work because I had no reason to keep checking my phone every now and then, so there was less distraction.
Social Media does not equal relationships. People have the misconception of social media as a bridge between people who want to stay in touch with each other. But I found out during my hiatus that I was a lot closer to my friends from college because I was chatting with them daily, sending them photos of things I wanted to share to them, and getting real responses (not just likes). When hanging out with friends, I was more present, and they were also spending less time on their phones because they knew I had nothing to check on my phone and were conscious about not making me feel “excluded” by just being on their phones.

The outcome

I’ve permanently quit Facebook because there’s really just no value in that platform for me anymore. I feel like there’s nothing there but stress, conflicting and toxic opinions people shove at you on their timeline – I’d rather have none of that. Not that I don’t respect their opinion, but I don’t need that in my life and I’m much better without it. I’ve kept Messenger for messaging purposes, obviously – and my family’s all there so that’s convenient.

I’ve returned to Instagram because to me, it’s a venue for creativity. I have always loved photography and that’s the easiest way to keep practicing every day. I still have two accounts and am torn about which one to keep – so I’ll just keep them both for now.

Twitter is not as toxic as Facebook, just because it’s not too mainstream in the Philippines. I don’t have a lot of personal friends there, and I get all of my Kpop and Japan updates from there so I’m keeping it for now.

Despite coming back to Instagram and Twitter, because of the experiment, I am now more conscious about the time I spend on them. In the evening, when I can’t sleep and I find myself endlessly scrolling through Instagram or Twitter, it’s now easier for me to put my phone away and not worry about missing out on an update.

The conclusion

Social media has its merits. What this experiment really taught me and what I will carry with me as I continue on this minimalist path I’ve chosen is that I should not be a slave to it. That it’s a thing I use, but I can do without. That I don’t rely on it for temporary highs or as fuel for my self-esteem. That life is much bigger than what social media portrays it to be. It’s taught me to live in the present and see the world for what it is – with my own eyes.

Osaka/Kyoto Autumn 2017 – Day 2: Dotonbori/Osaka Castle

On the 2nd day of our trip, Rhys finally arrived but without her precious baggage. It wasn’t a good start for her vacation although we tried our best to convince her that everything would be alright!

Because Rhys didn’t have her luggage – the only clothes she had were the ones she was wearing. So, we decided our first stop to be Dotonbori so that she could buy some clothes, and at the same time, take photos in the places we went to yesterday.

Food stop #1: Rikuro-ojisan no Mise

On the way to the shopping area of Dotonbori, we passed by the internet-famous Rikuro Fluffy cheesecake store. We could not just pass by without trying it out to see what the fuss is all about. So, we ordered one whole cake and had that for breakfast!

Only 680 JPY for the entire cake! This is affordable, considering its worldwide fame!

We ordered coffee together with the cake and had one of the best breakfasts – not just because of the cake, but because of the company. We had so much fun catching up and we were even laughing out loud, for what reason I don’t remember anymore! It’s always just a good time with these people! The cheesecake was so good – it’s light because it’s airy inside. The taste isn’t strong but it’s great by itself and pairs even better with coffee. I can still remember the feeling of biting into that piece of heaven!

Shopping + Photo shoot

After eating, we started the hunt for bargain clothes for Rhys. We weren’t in a rush though and took our time taking photos the way tourists do. This is Dotonbori after all! It was also drizzling. Together with our plastic umbrellas, it was a perfect rainy Japan photo opportunity.

The rain didn’t stop us from taking photos. I seriously took almost a hundred shots just from this specific square! We finally proceeded with our shopping after this. We stopped by major outlets such as H&M, Bershka, Zara, and even second hand stores in the area. Since we were not able to convince Hannah to buy a beret, we urged Rhys to try one and buy it instead. She did!

We traced back our steps from yesterday’s stroll so that Rhys could take the same photos.

Hi Han! Why are you not using your camera? Haha.

So hard to get an angle where I don’t look big.

Food stop #2: Mizuno – Michelin-rated Okonomiyaki

After all the walking and picture-taking, we were already starving since we only had cheesecake for breakfast. We were already nearby Mizuno, which Mhealler recommended that we try. This is probably also my first Michelin-rated restaurant so I was excited. When we got there, the queue was quite long, but we patiently waited for around 30 minutes to get in.

I no longer remember the exact details of what we ordered, but suffice to say – they were all good! These are also best paired with their ice-cold beer! They will cook what you order on the hot plate on your table and then you can serve yourselves once it’s ready. I’m seriously salivating right now while I’m typing this.

After lunch, Rhys and Hannah got some ice cream and here’s their signature ice cream pose:

Osaka Castle

It was finally time to leave Dotonbori, and what’s a trip to Japan without visiting a historic castle? Osaka Castle was built in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a well known general, samurai, and politican of the Sengoku (Japan’s Warring) period. Wikipedia link here if you want to read more about it. Today, the Osaka Castle is situated in a big compound with a large fountain, a big park where people can run, bike or do some physical activities. Just walking from the train station exit to the castle itself took us over an hour, including the usual photo stops. Here are some of my already edited photos because that day was gloomy!

The fun part is our photo shoots that never seem to end. I am a very willing photographer and at least two of them (namely Rhys and Mhealler) are also very willing models. Haha! Hannah, we had to force to pose for the camera because she’s also more of a photographer like me. To be honest, I would also like to be a model but I didn’t like how I looked in photos during these days so there was less of that.

One out of perhaps over 20 attempts of taking a decent photo of myself

Look how hard this photographer is working to get the right angle! LOL.

One of many photos on the Osaka castle grounds

Since we got there quite late (blame it on all of the photo stops), the Castle was already closed for viewing. I have been inside before, but Rhys and Hannah haven’t been so it was unfortunate. We stayed in the area until it was getting dark and started heading back to Dotonbori for dinner.

Dotonbori at night

At night, Dotonbori shines up like the neon city you imagine Japan’s big cities to be. So many flashing lights, billboards, and a ton of people walking in a sort of organized chaotic fashion. You can’t deny the charm of Dotonbori with all of its lights.

Glico Man at night – look at that crowd!

This river that runs through the area is perfect for a stroll.

Food stop #3: Ichiran Ramen

After much discussion, we decided to go with Japan’s #1 ramen – Ichiran! There are two branches of Ichiran in Dotonbori – one along the river you saw above. The other one, right beside Mizuno – the Okonomiyaki place earlier. We headed to the latter because it had a lesser queue.

Ichiran Ramen originated from Fukuoka, which is known for its tonkotsu-style ramen (broth-based soup made from pork bones and other ingredients), also known as Hakata ramen.

I will gladly cheat on my Keto diet with this.

We were so tired from walking around all day but we didn’t want to end the night just yet. We passed by our Airbnb to freshen up and rest a bit, before heading out to our final stop of the day!

Night out at Spain Bar Amigos!

We left our Airbnb and looked for a place where we could get some drinks, a little food, and do more catching up! A lot of the places were already closing at this time – luckily we saw one that had an hour more before closing. It was a Spanish bar called Spain Bar Amigos, just within Namba area. We ordered some high balls and some tapas, and had a great cap to our evening!

We probably ordered 2 to 3 rounds (at least Mhealler and myself) before we really called it a night. We walked back home a bit tipsy, feeling good, and from my end, already starting to miss Japan as there were only 2 days left on this vacation! Before sleeping, we shared the photos we took for the day and I managed to take over 300+ photos, already filtered, just for one day!

The next day will be a day-trip to Kyoto! Look out for the next post! 🙂

Osaka/Kyoto Autumn 2017 – Day 1: Namba/Dotonbori

This took 1 year in the making. I have been slacking off a lot, but since I just renewed my domain (and it isn’t cheap), I have to make the most out of it. So, here goes a series of throwback posts on our Osaka/Kyoto Autumn last October 2017 with Azure Laagans – starting with Day 1!

Touchdown Kansai Airport

On Day 1, it was just myself, Mhealler and Hannah since Rhys was flying in from Singapore and would be arriving the next day. For the three of us, this was our second time in Japan together. The first one was in Tokyo last February.

3/4 of Azure Laagans just landed in Osaka!

We immediately accomplished our post-landing tasks such as 1) Withdraw JPY from the ATM, 2) Rent a mobile WiFi, and 3) Buy tickets for the train to Osaka. While going through all that, we were also busy taking photos already.

We hopped on the train without eating breakfast, even though we were hungry – because we wanted to eat real Japanese food outside the airport. Our AirBnb was located around the Denden Town/Namba area so we went straight there, left our bags in the coin locker at the train station, and hunted for food!

Food stop 1: Breakfast at Nakau

For breakfast, we ate at a Nakau branch near Namba station. This is a well known chain in Japan, much like Yoshinoya and Sukiya. While the food here is affordable, the taste is still superb! That’s no surprise because everything in Japan tastes good!

We walked around Denden Town a bit. Denden town is kind of like Osaka’s version of Akihabara – where you’ll find a lot of anime and gadget stores. Since this was early in the morning, most of the shops were still closed. So we just walked around to familiarize ourselves with the neighborhood.

Here’s a photo of Hannah and her new-found boys. Help her pick who to swipe right! Haha.

On our way to Dotonbori, which was nearby, we passed by one of those shopping alleys Japan is known for. This specific one was specializing in kitchen and food items. One shop that caught our eye was this store that sold keychains. These are not your regular keychains as they were replicas of FOOD! I regret not getting these as souvenirs for my friends at home – it would be hilarious to have a fish dangling on your backpack or with your keys!

My kind of Dotonbori

Dotonbori is Osaka’s busiest area with all of the shops and tourists gathered in one place. We got there before the stores opened and the crowds arrived so it was surreal seeing that place so empty! I highly suggest you go visit early in the morning, if you’re not there to shop but just to feel the place without the usual chaos, and take photos, which is exactly what we did.

What?? No crowd in front of the Glico Man!

We went through the small alleys that branch out from the main Dotonbori area and found this really Japanese looking one, complete with lanterns and that oriental vibe. We had to take photos!

This was the first time for me to try out my phone’s Portrait mode which was a thing back then. So apologies in advance for the tacky blurry background shots – they don’t look as good because phones can do this so much better now.

Abeno Haruka’s Observatory

Our next stop was a free view of Osaka’s skyline! If my memory serves me right, the actual observatory had a fee which we weren’t really willing to pay – so we settled at an open area on the floor where the queue to the observatory is. You already get a nice view of Osaka from here – so we got what we wanted without paying for it!

Food stop #2: Lunch at a Family Restaurant

Family restaurants like these are common in Japan. They serve both local cuisine and Western-influenced dishes and the price is not so bad either. We decided to have our late lunch here because we wanted different things and this was one place where we could order them all.

We went window shopping after this. We noticed that “berets” are a fashionable item in Japan (from watching Terrace House) and we tried to convince Hannah to buy one! Here’s a photo of her trying it out – and it does make her look a bit more Japanese!

After a few hours of walking around, it was time to head back to Namba station.

Food stop #3: Dinner at Trattoria D’Italia

We couldn’t decide on what to eat for dinner but we stumbled upon this interesting Italian restaurant in Namba. I know how good pasta and Italian dishes are in Japan, just from watching anime and Jdrama – so we decided to give this a try. True enough, this was one of the most memorable meals of the trip! The escargot was to die for – literally! It was so good that up to this day, I find myself craving for it.

Best Italian food in Japan – well, it’s the only one I’ve tried!

The pasta and the pizza were both delicious, too! If I stumble upon another branch of this restaurant somewhere else in Japan, I wouldn’t hesitate eating there again. So far, I’ve only seen this in Osaka.

There’s always room for desserts: Gelateria Marghera

After getting our bags from the coin lockers, we stopped by a gelato place on the roof deck of the mall near the station – they were almost closing when we got there but they accommodated us as their last customers for the evening. It was the perfect way to end a fun first day in Osaka!

It was raining when left so we bought plastic umbrellas, in true Japanese style, as we walked to our Airbnb to settle for the night.

Mhealler had to pick up Rhys at the airport, so Hannah and myself called it an early night!

Coffee Culture: Thirdswell at BGC

For a coffee addict, my knowledge about coffee is limited to that of an amateur. My love for coffee started out early in my childhood with a packet of Nescafe instant coffee. My parents weren’t strict about us kids drinking coffee, and I usually had mine with powdered milk (Bear Brand) and a lot of sugar. Until now, that is a taste of coffee that I will always find nostalgic and homey.

Fast forward more than a decade later, my love for coffee has stayed the same, but my taste for it has somehow elevated. I cannot survive a day without coffee. But, I no longer drink powdered coffee (unless I’m at home in Cebu, or there’s really no other option). I buy and use ground coffee beans from the grocery store, switching it up to different styles/flavors each time I run out. When my coffee-maker broke down, I tried experimenting with Vietnamese coffee drip, until I switched to Japanese-style pour-over. However, real coffee experts would be appalled by the way I do my pour-over coffee because I don’t have any science or measurements behind it.

According to their Facebook page:

Thirdswell is an Australian-inspired coffee brewery infused with our passion for travel and adventure. It’s dedicated to educating new and existing coffee drinkers that a world of flavor, style and innovation exists beyond just black and white.

This is exactly what I experienced when I visited their pop-up coffee booth at SM Aura in BGC. If you are a newbie, they take time to explain to you the differences between different styles and flavors of coffee so that you can select your preference in an informed manner. With that one visit, I learned the difference between espresso-style and pour-over, as well as the beans used for both of them (yes, there is a proper type of bean for each style). They also teach you about the ratio of bean to water, as well as the exact temperature of the water especially for pour-over coffee. And when that coffee hits your taste buds – wow, coffee couldn’t taste any better! I guess the knowledge about how the coffee you’re drinking came into existence also adds to the flavor and the experience as a whole.

You can ask questions while the barista is making your coffee!

My friend who hates coffee liked the flavor of this latte!

I ordered the pour-over Ethiopian Guji Gigesa and I wondered why my pour-over coffee at home does not taste like this at all! The flavor, the temperature, the acidity – everything just fell into place. My coffee at home is bitter, too hot, and never consistent. Haha!

Photo with the barista, who happens to be my friend – JP! HAHA

Normally, you’d have to go all the way to Baler for their coffee, but they’re here for a limited time in the metro! You can find them at the 2nd floor of SM Aura in BGC, Taguig – inside a store called Frankie and Friends (beside Cotton On). I believe they will be there until February – so when you’re in the area, I recommend you drop by for a visit and have a unique coffee experience! I’m sure you won’t regret it!

2018.10.09 – Gout and Keto

Gout History

Before I started my Keto journey, I already had a history of gout. My first attack was in October 2016 – what started out as a discomfort on the joint in my right toe turned out to be a living nightmare that does not have any ending. Well, it disappears for a while, and then attacks again when I get off track with lowering my uric acid through food, or through my maintenance medicine. Everyone tells me I’m too young to be having gout, and maybe that’s true – but considering the amount of alcohol (beer) I used to drink as well as my love for meat and internal organs (liver, pig brain, intestines), gout is almost inevitable.

Gout Attack #2

Enter Keto – I’ve cut down carbs and sugar to bare minimum and perhaps increased my intake of fat through fatty and fried meat. It’s bad for my uric acid. The second time I had an attack was on the first week of August 2018, almost two years after the first, and on the 6th month of my Keto diet. This was around the time I started intermittent fasting, and even OMAD (one meal a day) on some days. I knew I wasn’t drinking enough water, which I believed caused the trigger. My body was super dehydrated to the point that my lips were cracking and bleeding while I was sleeping (imagine waking up to blood stains on your pillow LOL). I knew I had to drink water, but I got lazy bringing a bottle around.

While in pain, I tried to research what could have caused this attack and I learned that 1) uric acid can get elevated during fasting and 2) when you already have a history of gout, that can be easily triggered. That was just fasting – when you combine that with Keto – the risk could have significantly increased. At this point, I was already used to fasting, so I felt bad having to stop. I started eating normally – bulletproof coffee for breakfast, some meat and veggies for lunch and dinner.

Gout Attack #3

I was already recovering for a month or so, until two-three weeks ago when I went home to Cebu when I started drinking a lot of alcohol again. Not only did that mess up my ketosis for sure, but it probably increased my uric acid to risky levels again. I was also not taking my daily medication at this time because I left in Manila and when I got back, I just totally forgot about it.

Last Friday (the day of the Sam Smith concert), I only ate one meal (lunch), and got the rest of my energy from 4 big servings of coffee. As you know, coffee dehydrates you – I was trying to hold my pee during the concert as well because I wouldn’t want to miss a minute of Sam’s performance. When I got home, I forgot about dinner, went to sleep – and then woke up last Saturday with a tingle in my toe. Sunday, it got worst, despite taking medicines and drinking water. And then Monday, I had the worst attack ever, probably worst than my first one – which I already rated a 12/10 in terms of pain level.

I had to skip work – there was no way I could even wear socks on this swollen foot. I tried to pass time watching shows on Netflix but I couldn’t even distract myself from the pain. Cooling the swollen area works so I stayed at the bathroom letting cold water run on it for a while until the pain disappeared. Since I was drinking a lot of water to flush out the uric acid, I was also peeing a lot. It hurt to get up and walk all the way to the bathroom. So, the bathroom was my sanctuary for the day. When I was about to sleep, I also used a cold water bottle so soothe my foot whenever it started throbbing.

Gout vs. Keto

I am struggling to find the right balance between my diet and avoiding gout. Can one really do both Keto when one has a history of gout? I believe it’s still possible – but there’s a need to be extra careful with the food I eat, avoiding alcohol as much as possible, and really getting myself hydrated. I need to minimize my intake of high-purine food such as meats and internal organs (bye igado for now), and increase my vegetables. There are also some home remedies that you can take to lower down uric acid such as drinking lemon water (which is keto-friendly) and apple cider vinegar daily. These are things I can do – I just have to overcome the laziness. I should also be disciplined in terms of taking my medicine daily.

It’s just a little disappointing getting this attack now, just when I’ve started running again. I cannot put a lot of pressure on my foot even after the pain goes a way, at least for a while, to help it recover.

Worth it?

Yes. Sure, it would be a lot easier without the gout – but when I look back at old photos of myself, even with all of this pain, I will say that it’s worth it. Again, I just need to find that balance – it’s not one or the other. Ultimately, I want to be healthy and gout-free and I really believe I can achieve that with Keto!