As a long time fan of Japan and Korean pop, it’s really only now that I feel like Filipinos finally have a legit pop group we can be proud of. SB19, made up of Sejun, Ken, Josh, Stell and Justin, may have been trained by a Korean entertainment company BUT – their being Pinoy shines through, without a doubt!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjTlA-USDO4
This specific performance which they did recently for a Philippine-Korean event (PhilKor Fest 2020) had me beaming with Pinoy pride. Maybe it’s the Philippine-inspired outfit (which I really liked by the way). Or Jose Rizal at the back (if only that photobomber building could be edited out) who I hope is equally proud. Or just seeing how SB19 has grown in just a year – the dance practice for Go Up was perfect but you could tell they were working hard in making sure everything was perfect. This time, they perform more naturally, but still retaining the precision in executing both dance steps and singing!
So yeah, really – I just wanted to congratulate SB19, not that my opinion matters given the gazillion of fans they already have, not just in the Philippines but from all over the globe! SB19 paved the way for PPOP (including on this blog). I know they will have more successes in the future and I’m looking forward to more songs and performances!
Official HIGE DANdism – HELLO – Romaji Lyrics
I have to admit, I didn’t like this song much when it first came out. I was still attached to the album Traveler – but after several plays, I have come to appreciate this song, much like Shukumei. I like how it’s very energetic. This is a song I like to play right after waking up to get my day started!
Since Higedan is already quite famous, it’s easier to find the romaji lyrics on the internet. But I still enjoy transcribing it because I get to deep dive into the lyrics of the song, understand the meaning, and at the same time, brush up on my Japanese! So, without further ado – here’s the romaji lyrics!
Romaji Lyrics
HELLO!
UNBALANCE na BGM utaidashita bokura Soredake no koto ga ureshii no wa O-seji mo senobi mo iranai tada no bokura de Sono mama de ii tte shinjirareta kara
Ano biru no okujou miorosu Machijuu no keshiki de mo teki iyashinai kandou Tsukurou kimi to ubugoe no you na HARMONY wo
HELLO sanbyaku rokujuu do bokura wo tsutsumu kono yo no beautiful Omowazu wasuretayo mukizu de ikiru BARRIER wo hattetatte koto wo Sonna mono mou hitsuyounai to kizukasete kureta boku no HERO Warai aeta dake de dou ni mo naranai hodo afureru arigatou
Sorezore no meiro no mitorizu wo bokura tagai no tenohira ni yudane atte sa Jinsei ni mayou tabi ni fuan ya shiawase no ichi wo miushinawanai you kakunin shiyou yo
INSTANT no yuujou hokorobu Semarikuru honshou kurutteku kanjou Kizu wo iyasou kodoku ni nomarete shimau mae ni
Mado kara sashikomu taiyou sonna fuu ni kimi wo atatameru yo Ushiro yubi wo sasare shouki no sata de nai to yayu sareta to shite mo Gishin anki de itetsuku kokoro wo tokashikittara tsuzuki wo hanasu yo Arifureta kotoba ja mou arawasenai hodo ni takeru omoi wo
Ano biru no okujou miorosu Machijuu no keshiki wa hitotsu no moyou saa Sagurou kimi to etai no shirenai sekai wo aruitekou
Hello sanbyaku rokujuu do bokura wo tsutsumu kono yo no beautiful Omowazu wasuretayo mukizu de ikiru BARRIER wo hattetatte koto wo Kimarimonku mo zayuunomei mo nanimo mottenai soboku na HERO Warai aeta dake de donna basho e mo kata wo narabete yukeru yo
HELLO HELLO HELLO
Nando demo iu yo HELLO
Hello (PV)
Taiwan: Day 3 – Taipei Parks & Claw Machines
Our third day in Taiwan was mostly spent walking around parks. We started at the Taipei Expo Park where there was a weekend market going on. Before this, we stopped by Starbucks for a quick breakfast.
Ready for what was going to be a long day of walking under the sun
I wanted to chill here!
Just a flower under the heat of the sun
Parks
The long walk started and so I don’t really have anything else to say so I’ll be sharing some of the photos I took instead.
At first, it was cloudy…
And then the sun started coming out…
Until the clouds left
It was so hot, I wanted to ride this bike!
Chairs are a welcomed sight
Avatar trees!
This was around noon time so the sun was really up there!
Team Shey with Allen
Even this bird is hiding in the shade
I don’t quite remember if this is still the same park or it was just near to the Expo Park but we went here to see a rose garden and a “labyrinth”.
Loving this small shed with lanterns
I liked this park because it had more trees!
Arrived at the rose garden and…roses!
It’s fun to see people enjoying their time at the park!
I liked this shot so…
Stopping to smell the roses, as long as there are no bees!
Okay…
This was the labyrinth! It was quite impressive!
Remember that song about being under the tree?
After we had our fill of flowers, plants and greenery, we started walking towards the nearest bus top to get back to Taipei station. Apparently, we were still a long way from the bus station because this park was really big!
Not a lot of people, probably because it was high noon.
More plants!
And more flowers!
A throwback to the good old days
Andd more flowers
Where is the end?
I think this was like an events place. Liked the plants growing at the walls.
Finally, we got to the bus stop! After a few minutes wait, the bus arrived and it was so good to finally have air conditioning hit your warm, sweaty face. By the way, if you get confused about when to swipe your card to pay for the bus ride, check out the sign when you get on! It took me at least 3 bus rides to realize this. (In Japan, you had to swipe when you ride and when you get down)
This bus was pay on alighting so swipe that card only when you get off!
Lunch at Sukiya!
At Taipei station, we went to a nearby mall to have lunch. While looking around for a restaurant, I saw that there was a nearby Sukiya, which is one my favorite chain restaurants in Japan! I wanted my brother to try real gyudon (apart from the Yoshinoya gyudon we have in the Philippines) so we left the group to eat at Sukiya!
Sukiya spotted a few meters away
We’re here!
YUMMM. I was transported back to Japan!
After eating, we decided to walk around the area while my friends went to shop for souvenirs. Some of them were already flying back to the Philippines that evening. We were taking it slow, walking around alleyways and just taking all of Taipei in.
Wanted to get milk tea but I was still full!
Love the burst of colors and Chinese characters/signs!
It seemed like it was going to rain.
Finally, we went back to the hotel for a well-deserved rest. Our feet we tired. My entire being was tired. We decided to chill until it was dinner time! We also said goodbye to our friends who were leaving ahead of us.
Ximending Fun!
For dinner, we went back to Ximending. The night before, we didn’t really get to explore the place properly so for tonight, this was our only itinerary. We were free to roam around and do whatever we want.
Dusk at Taipei!
We started out with some street food because we were already very hungry.
Saw the infamous Toilet Restaurant…
But decided that it wasn’t what we wanted haha!
We ended up choosing a Ramen restaurant!
Who doesn’t love ramen?
And then it started…after dinner, we were energized. While walking around, we noticed how there were so many claw machines in Ximending. After “trying them out”, we immediately got addicted. I cannot remember how much money we’ve spent that night, but it was worth it because it was so much fun!
Claw machine addicts
Saw a black cat, prayed it wasn’t unlucky!
Searching for more claw machines!
There was one claw machine shop near the Toilet Restaurant which had great items so we stayed for almost an hour maybe! The claw machines were not expensive to play (compared to Japan) so you can really enjoy all the feelings of frustration, anxiety, anger, excitement, surprise, and pure joy with a few coins!
We were quite lucky to have won so many things (except for Ralph who is frowning in the photo below). I was enjoying playing so much I didn’t really get to take any photos!
The store keeper enjoyed our stay and asked to have our photo taken afterwards!
Stopping by for Milk tea to celebrate our winnings!
I thought this was my night cap!
We got to the hotel tired but satisfied. I haven’t had so much fun and laughed that much in the longest time! So, presenting my haul for the night (together with my brother’s) –
My favorite items were the bluetooth speaker, the black pikachu toy, and the fake supreme bag!
My real night cap!
Day 3 in Taiwan, I started to have separation anxiety already because I really enjoyed this day a lot!
Taiwan: Day 2 – Shifen (Part 2)
Our agenda for the second half of the day was Shifen. Famous for its wishing lanterns (among other things), one has to visit Shifen after coming from Jiufen.
Shifen
The best seat on the train is the one at the end!
Entering Shifen!
The queue to exit the station!
The sight of the crowd already discouraged me because despite the long train ride, I did not feel well-rested from all the walking we did in Jiufen. So, I opted to stay and wait for my friends in a cafe right near the station. While they went to fly a lantern, I enjoyed my coffee and people-watched.
I enjoyed the view of Shifen via this wall painting inside a cafe.
Coffee with a view, away from the crowd
Hi friends and brother!
As common as the flying lanterns are the falling ones
I realized the lanterns don’t fly too far since a lot of them fell near the station. Does this mean these are the wishes that don’t get to come true? Haha. Kidding aside, it’s fun for the photos, but given the short flying duration, it may not be that worth it?
Dusk came and it was time to go back to Taipei
One last photo before leaving!
We were very tired and exhausted after arriving from our day trip to the countryside. So, we decided on getting a quick dinner at nearby Ximending.
More crowd! XD
Spotted Detective Pikachu!
For dinner, we picked Taiwan’s famous fried chicken – Hot Star! The queue was long but we were willing to wait! It was worth it, though. I got the XL and I was stuffed just by eating this alone.
Hot Star!
Enjoying our al fresco dinner XD
Ximending is kind of like the night life center for Taipei, at least for tourists! There are shops and food stalls everywhere.
Sensory overload Part 2
Everything is brightly colored!
It was a tiring day, so we decided to call it an early night. I bought beer from a convenience store along the way to the hotel and drank it in the room until I fell asleep! Tomorrow will be another long day!
Taiwan: Day 2 – Jiufen (Part 1)
This post is long overdue. I have been super lazy with updating this blog so here goes another attempt to just put out a post! The pandemic has also had me itching to travel, so for now, I’ll make do with going down memory lane. I’m sorry if I’m no longer able to recall the details of this day, but let me tell the story via the photos I have of this fun day!
In case you want to start from Day 1 – click here!
On our second day, we decided to go out of Taipei and visit two of the most famous places people go to when in Taiwan. Jiufen and Shifen!
Cloudy with a chance of rain (not meatballs)
Inside Taipei Station!
From Taipei to Ruifang!
Ruifang
To get to Jiufen, which is our first stop, you need to take the train from Taipei to Ruifang. From Ruifang, you need to take a bus to Jiufen. Take note – the bus station is not the one directly outside the station. From the station you need to cross the street and turn left, until you see the first bus stop (most likely, there are a lot of tourists lined up there since almost everyone who stops here is on the way to Jiufen).
Ruifang Station
Ruifang seems like a nice quiet town to explore, when you have the time!
Missing the streets of Taiwan!
Once you get on the bus, it’s a few minutes to Juifen (I can’t remember exactly how many). The bus is usually packed so we were actually standing the entire time!
One of the amazing things you see from the bus ride!
Jiufen
And then we arrived in Jiufen! As this place is on top of a mountain, it’s quite cool and refreshing. From the bus stop, it’s a short walk to the main Jiufen market area. If I were to describe the place in one word – it’s CROWDED. There were a lot of things to see, buy, eat, drink – but because there was too much people, it was difficult to fully enjoy things. Our group got separated as well because of the crowd.
Sensory overload!
Crowd photo #2
Another shot of the crowd
Uhmm coal chocolate anyone?
Iced coffee for more energy!
There were some cute doggies that I had to take photos of because – too cute!
Hi Doggies!
Isn’t she lovely? 😀
We finally reached the end of that narrow alley, and enjoyed this overlooking view of the mountains and the sea.
At the top!
Of course, I had to include my face.
Now, this wasn’t the image of Jiufen I had in mind. I know that this place was rumored to be the inspiration for A Spirited Away (although that has been disputed already). Still, I wanted to see its more quiet and charming side. Good thing my friends were willing to walk around after going back to the bus stop. We then stumbled upon my favorite part of Jiufen.
Not much people! Yes!!!
Look at all the cute Studio Ghibli stuff! On the right track!
And there it is! Spirited Away!
Lunch time!
At this point we were already hungry so we headed to the first restaurant we saw. I forgot the name of the place but the interiors were quite mysterious and mystical, if I may say.
Finally, we could sit down!
Some dumplings, tasted better than they looked!
Thrice cooked chicken was the best!
Sweet & sour (pork, I think)
We had a hearty lunch, a lot of laughs. However, this was followed by an unfortunate incident, which was on hind sight, quite scary – but good thing our friend was able to recover with just minor bruises (so, basically, she fell down the stairs because the place was so dark inside – mysterious and mystical as I said). Who fell? Read until the end to find out! HAHA.
Some cute owl pots…
Some plants you can’t bring back home anyway (if you’re from another country…)
Some more cute stuff
At this point it started raining so we had to hurry back to catch the bus back to Ruifang, and head to our next stop!
Abby, are you OK? Peace! XD
This is getting long so the second half will be in the next post!
Japan Sinks: 2020
Japan Sinks: 2020 is an animated series available on Netflix about – well, Japan sinking. Having watched the below video about the great earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan in 2011, the story becomes a bit more real and scary.
MegaQuake: Hour That Shook Japan | Disaster Documentary
The Netflix series is based off a disaster novel written by Sakyo Komatsu, published in 1973. While the story itself might be an exaggeration (as it talks about the entire country sinking), it’s still scary how similar it is to the 2011 Megaquake, and considering the fact that it was written 38 years prior to the event!
The show is about how a family tries to survive the greatest disaster that’s ever struck Japan. They meet different people along the way, some more helpful than others. But what this show depicts is really how human beings can be selfish and selfless in the face of disaster. It also shows how our lives can be changed drastically in an instant, and a great reminder of how this Earth is not really ours, and at anytime the Earth can take things away from us without warning.
I’m not going to spoil the series for you, but one of the things that surprised me was that the mother not just from the Philippines, but from my hometown of Cebu. So yes, her kids are half-Filipino, too! Gō, the younger child, in fact speaks English a lot in the series.
Watch Japan Sinks: 2020 on Netflix and let me know how you find it! It may not be an easy watch (it can be anxiety-inducing), but I’d still recommend it as a nice reminder of how life is fleeting, and that our situation now can still be a lot worse so we need to be grateful still, despite of it all!
Official HIGE DANdism – Travelers – Romaji Lyrics
Inori no tsuyosa ga owari no imi wo kaeta shunkan Sore wa subarashii mono datta
Saikai no shinnen ga jibun wo ookiku kaeta Kore wa kore wa sono kurikaeshi no jinsei no kiroku da
Daiji ni mottete daiji ni mottete
Travelers mata bokura no koto wo sou yoberu Kyou ga mou soko made kiteru TRAVELERS zutto negattetanda yo
Saa sorosoro ikou ka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHtX6AQWHjc
Travelers (Lyric Video)
Official HIGE DANdism – Last Song – Romaji Lyrics
Maku ga orireba bokura otagai ni hanarebanare Hiniku na mon da na konna toki dake Atto iu ma ni sugisaru nante sa
“Mata ne” ga areba donna owakare mo mashi ni naru ne Itsu ienakunaru darou? Kangaecha dame da yo naa Itsu da toshite mo munashiku naru kara
Hito natsu no kirameki ga ICE wo tokashite iku Sore ni yoku nita yarusenasa ni wa hon no sukoshi dake Setsuna no aji ga amaku mazari au
Kyou ga owaru no ga kanashii kara Asahi yo nidoto dete konaide to Tokei wo gyutto tsunettara nagusame no oto ga shita yo Mada asobitari nai yo motto utaitai no ni na
Kagiri ga aru kara koso subete wa utsukushiinda to Sonna do seiron okubyou na boku ni wa Shindo sugite kiketa mon ja nai na
Tsukihi wo kasaneru tabi sukoshizutsu dekite iku CROSSWORD mitai na kokoro no sukima umerareru no wa Kawashita kotoba yakusoku no jikan
Itsumo owatte kara tadayou no wa Temochi hanabi no kayaku no kaori Matowari tsuite hanarezu ni yubi ni nokoru mabayui koe to Aokute atsui miminari motto kikitai no ni na
Kimi to tsukuri ageta omoide to Kono HAPPY wo tayasanai you ni Boku wa warai koe wo tateru “Mata Ne” wo todokeru nageki no ame ni Sukoshi nurenagara Chikyuu saigo no hi da toshite mo
Kyou ga owaru no ga kanashii kara Asahi yo nidoto dete konaide to Tokei wo gyutto tsunettara nagusame no oto ga shita yo Mada asobitari nai yo motto utaitai no ni na Motto utaitai no ni na
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTcwc5xzqkI
Last Song (Lyric Video)
Official HIGE DANdism – Pretender – Romaji Lyrics
This is the song that catapulted Higedan into the charts – cementing their position in Japan’s music industry in 2019. I fell in love right after the first listen with the piano, the lyrics, and the emotions conveyed by the song overall. The aesthetic music video also added to the impact. Everything about this song is perfect. If you were to start with ONE Higedan song, this would be it!
Kimi to no LOVE STORY Sore wa yosoudoori Iza hajimareba hitori shibai da Zutto soba ni itatte Kekkyoku tada no kankyaku da
Kanjou no nai I’M SORRY Sore wa itsumo doori Nareteshimaeba waruku wa nai kedo Kimi to no ROMANCE wa jinseigara Tsuzuki wa shinai koto wo shitta
Motto chigau settei de motto chigau kankei de Deaeru sekaisen erabetara yokatta Motto chigau seikaku de motto chigau kachikan de Ai wo tsutaeraretara ii na sou negatte mo muda dakara
GOODBYE Kimi no unmei no hito wa boku ja nai Tsurai kedo inamenai demo hanaregatai no sa Sono kami ni fureta dake de itai ya iya de mo Amai na iya iya GOODBYE Sore ja boku ni totte kimi wa nani? Kotae wa wakaranai wakaritaku mo nai no sa Tatta hitotsu tashika na koto ga aru to suru no naraba “Kimi wa KIREI da”
Dareka ga erasou ni Kataru renai no ronri Nani hitotsu to shite PIN to konakute Hikouki no mado kara mioroshita Shiranai machi no yakei mitai da
Motto chigau settei de motto chigau kankei de Deaeru sekaisen erabetara yokatta Itatte jun na kokoro de kanatta koi wo dakishimete “Suki da” toka musekinin ni ietara ii na Sou negatte mo munashii no sa
GOODBYE Tsunaida te no mukou ni END LINE Hikinobasu tabi ni uzukidasu mirai ni wa Kimi wa inai sono jijitsu ni CRY… Sorya kurushii yo na
GOODBYE Kimi no unmei no hito wa boku ja nai Tsurai kedo inamenai demo hanaregatai no sa Sono kami ni fureta dake de itai ya iya de mo Amai na iya iya GOODBYE Sore ja boku ni totte kimi wa nani? Kotae wa wakaranai wakaritaku mo nai no sa Tatta hitotsu tashika na koto ga aru to suru no naraba “Kimi wa KIREI da”
Sore mo kore mo ROMANCE no sadamenara Warukunai yo na Eien mo yakusoku mo nai keredo “Totemo KIREI da”
Pretender (MV)
It’s my birthday.
But, as we are in the middle of a pandemic, I can’t spend it with friends or family. I took the day off and I’ll figure out what I’ll do later – but for now (it’s currently 3:19 AM), I thought of going down memory lane since I’m also archiving my photos to Google at the same time.
2007
This was right after graduation, in the middle of reviewing for the CPA Board Exams in October. I remember we had review classes on that day. Then, I invited my friends to dinner at home! I also bought a lotto ticket because this day was 07/07/07 but luck wasn’t on my side.
My friends were blowing plastic balloons in class because our teacher was late!
The standard birthday feast – Filipino spaghetti, humba and fruit salad!
I miss my friends!
2008
I don’t have photos of the actual day. This was my first birthday away from home. It was my first year working in Manila. But, I flew back to Cebu on the 17th for my mom’s birthday – and during that visit, I had a late celebration with my friends over karaoke!
Taken using a Nokia phone!
Karaoke!
2009
It was a workday. I received a nice surprise greeting at work. Then, went to Rufo’s after work for (a lot of) beer.
Describe Jek in a few photos
Beer “was” life!
2010
Spent another birthday at work, this time with my new team (I just recently moved roles back then). In the evening, I had dinner with my college friends at Max’s. I remember it was unlimited chicken night and I was so full! Then we went to karaoke before going home!
My TCO fam!
Unlimited chicken dinner at Max’s!
Can’t take the mic away from me.
2011
Spent another birthday at work! I can’t find any other photo after this so I don’t remember if there was a celebration in the evening!
TCO’s big big pizza!
Also got a cake from my AP MEA fam!
2012
So my photo archive is missing some months. 🙁
2013
Spent my birthday with my new FR team! We wore stripes that day for Fashion Friday.
Birthday salubong with my FR friends!
At our favorite Karaoke place – Megapro!
2014
This was probably my biggest birthday celebration because I had 3 sets of friends (AP, TCO and BP&A) in one big karaoke room! I remember being so drunk that night.
That ONE BIG Karaoke party
2015
Another karaoke party (and I guess it’s all Karaoke birthdays from this point forward). This was followed by an after-party (or winding down drinks) at Whistlestop.
Karaoke again!
Sobering up
2016
Celebrated at home with LMN-ers. Then, went to La Union on the weekend to celebrate! Don’t worry, we also did karaoke by the beach after we got drunk.
Birthday salubong (with Chabinggg!)
La Union birthday!
2017
Another karaoke birthday with the Crazy Karaoke gang. I’m not sure if this was where this group was formed. Basically, we go all out when doing Karaoke – both in singing and drinking!
Crazy karaoke fam
My favorite cake from Slice!
2018
You know where it is.
Another karaoke party at Megapro
With college friends at home!
2019
My latest teammates (HRA) surprised me at work! It has been a while since I got a surprise so I was really touched by this gesture. Then, we went karaoke after.
I love my HRA fam!
Karaoke!
Drinks at home on the actual day
Late celeb with DH
The older you get, the lesser birthdays become exciting. So, I’ve always looked forward to the usual karaoke and drinks celebrations – but as that is impossible to do this year, I will have to settle for these memories!
I still have a full day ahead so I’m thinking about how to make the most out of today.
