A Winter Hater Me

Most of the Filipinos dream to experience a White Christmas or even to feel the cotton like texture of a snow. Philippines never have a winter season that is why, Filipinos are really eager to witness snowfall.

White Christmas is when the land is covered with crystalline water ice and snowflakes falling everywhere during Christmas day. And it is also the moment when kids are throwing snowballs, making snowman and lying on the snow to make snow angels. Isn’t it wonderful to imagine? Definitely, it is perfect for some. 

White Christmas is usually common to Northern countries in the Northern hemisphere. Well, here in this part of Japan where I stayed, I haven’t encountered White Christmas yet but I experienced White New year instead. Though to some parts of Japan where Snow started to fall by December they would likely to encounter White Christmas.

C’mon enough about White Christmas!

When I was in the Philippines, actually I was looking forward to feel the winter season. I was widely imagining things like, I’m going to wear boots for the first time and winter jackets, and I’m going to use winter gloves and winter bonnet. Just by thinking about it, I feel so excited then.

The time that I came first time here in Japan, it is the start of the winter season. I was just wearing a sleeveless top, jeans and slippers. My son vomited while we were still on the plane so I was forced to remove my coat. I think the temperature that time was below 20 degrees and I’m so hopeless. I can’t pick up another sweater for it was all in my baggage. When I finally met my husband on his 3 layered winter gear (he was wearing an inner shirt, a sweater and then a jacket), I decided to ask for his jacket because I can’t bear the coldness. Ahhhh, stupid me.

I was battling my self then to like winter season but to tell you the truth, I never did. Until now, I still dislike it. I think I’m not alone in this world who hates winter. Most people living in a country where winter season is absolutely present, I know, they despise winter too.

All my imaginations about winter suddenly became a blur to me. Why would I dislike it? Here are some reasons.

1.     It takes more than 15 minutes for me to dress up and also to undress (which is unusual for me). Usually, it is 3-4 layered clothes plus of course socks and boots or close shoes. It is such a hassle especially when I’m in a hurry for work or picking up my son in school. Do you think it’s extravagant to wear coats and boots? I don’t think so. All winter clothes occupy a maximum space of the closet and since I have a kid, it’s a burden for me that every year I buy new winter clothes for him.

2.     If you’re conscious about your skin, you definitely wouldn’t like winter too for it is the time when you have a dry and itchy skin. This dry skin problem is very common during winter due to low in environmental humidity. It is advisable to apply body lotion every after bath. In relation to this, it is also common to have chapped lips. In my case, I always carry with me a hand cream and a lip balm to protect my exposed areas. 

So question, how will you protect your face? Somebody told me to use foundation instead of pressed powder for my face. Well, I did. I can’t further expound why Foundation, for I am a no cosmetic’s advocate. Sorry for that. But to tell you, it is really effective. I did not experience any dryness on my face and it even helps to be fairer and smoother. Gee, thanks to Integrate Gracy of Shiseido Foundation.

3.   Another reason, I have this no motivation to exercise and lose some calories. I won’t dare anyway. Some Japanese can bear the cold outside but me, never. And since I don’t have interest to seize my day outside, I diverted myself into eating (sad though). Winter for me can lead to obesity, if not careful.

4.     I know it is very much glamorous if someone wears a scarf, but on winter, it sucks. I even got allergic on the scarf’s frills. And when used to cover the mouth area, I can only smell my own breath. I don’t know if I’ll be happy or not. I don’t have a stinky mouth but I’m over used to it.

5.     The most that I don’t like during winter is when I just step outside; I’ll feel all the coldness and numbness of the whole body. And the sudden dripping of nasal fluid, it’s really disgusting that I can’t even feel that it’s already flowing down to my mouth. Children usually suffer this one too but the worst is it will form snotsicle (When the outside temperature is so low that all bodily fluids that leave the body freeze quickly. Therefore when mucus leaks from the nasal passage and freezes it forms a stalactite from the nostrils). My son always has this one too every after school.

So now, don’t bother about dreaming of snow or winter but I guess it is still up to you. Winter season, the snow in particular caused a lot of troubles. Well, my first encounter with the snow was a very bad impression. I fall down from a flight of stairs because it’s too slippery and it’s not rubberized. Second, when we had our trip for skiing, our car turns into 360 degrees even if it was using studless snow tires. It still was not a guarantee though but thank goodness we were safe and there was no other car behind us. There are lots of sad stories about winter season but I think there still good sides of it. It is just happens that the bad outweighs the good.

Embracing Life's Uncertainty

A question freely occupying my thoughts in every waking hours of my life. It is somewhat an appraisal of my totality as a being, brings a definite inquiry. 

Fulfilled living requires us to learn to live with uncertainty

What if I could see a play out about my life before I'm able to live it, would I want to live it that way?
How about you? Would you like to see a sneak preview about your life? No! Probably not!

The excitement of living is that we're not able to know what is coming. In other words, Uncertainty brings life an adventure that  save us from boredom. Uncertainty disarrays the plans and the dreams we organize accordingly. Take it easy though. Don't exaggerate too much the events of Uncertainty in life because it could trigger someone into insanity.

Life's Uncertainty are the undesired events in one's life that can lead to a great deal of anxiety and unhappiness. Uncertainties are unpredictable, unstoppable and uncontrollable. We fear so much of the things that we have known, but we forgot to fear the unknown- Uncertainty! But it doesn't have to. Isn't it ironic? We fear uncertainty but we should not. With all the unpredictable that possibly stretching before us and the of course the possiblity of not be able to prepare- there is only one thing of which we can be absoultely certain, and that is uncertainty itself.

A never ending travel of life

Everywhere we go and whatever we do, Uncertainty is part of our life. We can't hide and we can't avoid it. Uncertainty is reality to be lived through. It is a matter of thought giving that help us build up an ability to cope.

A lot of life's uncertainty filled in every man's story. For instance, a family man who's being laid out from work, a mother of six children handling all the the responsibilities after a partner's death, a murdered family member,  having a fatal sickness, financial instability, emotional crisis, and many more. Those are the things in life that we avoided to happen but nevertheless we can't prevent to happen. 

A snapshot of the so-called end of the world

It is not just me, you or we who can experience uncertainty. The world also encounters lots of uncertainties. I can say that the year of 2011, array a patterned of uncertainties- from earthquakes, floods, snow storms, dust storms, tsunamis, nuclear crisis and wars- what else? Of all the catastrophes that happen all around the globe, it is too much. Uncertainty! isn't it?

There's a Light in every darkness in Life.

But have you known that Uncertainty gives rise to human creativity. Uncertainty gives us cause  to connect and reconnect with he people we care about.

We face uncertainty in our loves, uncertainty in the world, and it can gives us a creepy feeling- but instead of magnifying its effects, let's Embrace Uncertainty in Life! And it is because nobody can do away with uncertainty.

Think of it in a positive light. Why should I embrace uncertainty in life? Aside from the fact that it is reality, Uncertainty works with Opportunity. An opportunity to re-assess and re-appraise one's life. 

Simplify Life

This isn't mean that we need to live from a sense of Uncertainty, we just need to anticipate that there are episodes in our own life that happen Uncertainly.

Galapagos of The Orient

The Ogasawara island from a top view.

Have you visited the Galapagos island in Ecuador? I guess, some of you did. It's a well known island registered under UNESCO as one of the World's Natural Heritage site. Well, I've never been there and I'm not planning too either. After all the quakes and tsunamis I've encountered in staying here in Japan, I've no guts in jaunting to smaller islands especially in or around the Pacific Ocean. But why I'm blogging this? What is this all about? 
Well, it is not really about the Galapagos Island that I'm going to share, i knew nothing at all on that place.  It is just this past weeks I've been having Information overload about the Galapagos of the Orient. It is an archipelago situated just 1,000 km south of Tokyo City. It is also known as Bonin Island with a Japanese name of "Ogasawara shoto" ((小笠原諸島 ).
I've been task to help a student make  a speech for the English Oratorical Contest  and it happens that my student's theme is about The Ogasawara islands. He's interested with it because his mother comes from one of the islands in Ogasawara and he wanted to share the captivating beauty of the island through his speech. Currently, the island was recognized by UNESCO and included to the lists of World Natural Heritage site. This add more on the pleasure of making the speech. I did some research about the island and my student also did some digging of information from the natives in the Island, his mother and his Uncle. I was in awe with the information I gathered and was really excited. I have a great feeling about this island and I can't help it, I suddenly fall in love.
With an engrossing history, a halcyonic view of nature, a simple and sustainable way of living, and a unique evolutionary process of the island's Flora and Fauna are the highlights of this island. I'll further share information about the island.


History and Geography
Ogaswara islands are never been connected to a continent. It were formed from the subduction of oceanic plates and remained as the only in the world that showed a complete example of how continents are formed. In addition, the Island chain displayed the last 48 million years of geological history. It is an archipelago composed of about 30 islands and were divided into three sub groups. Their Japanese names are same names with the members of the Family.

• Mukojima Group (聟島列島 Mukojima Rettō) 
  • Mukojima (聟島, literally: Bridegroom Island)
  • Yomejima (嫁島, literally: Bride Island)
  • Nakōdo-jima or Nakadachijima (媒島, literally: Go-between Island)
  • Kitanojima (北ノ島 or 北島, literally: Northern Island)
• Chichijima Group (父島列島 Chichijima Rettō) 
  • Chichijima (父島, literally: Father Island),
  • Anijima (兄島, literally: Elder Brother Island)
  • Otōtojima (弟島, literally: Younger Brother Island)
• Hahajima Group (母島列島 Hahajima Rettō) 
  • Hahajima (母島, literally: Mother Island)
  • Anejima (姉島, literally: Elder Sister Island)
  • Imōtojima (妹島, literally: Younger Sister Island)

Among the said Islands, there are only 2 inhabited islands, that are the Chichijima and the Hahajima with around 2,500 residents.


The animals and plants in the island undergo a unique Evolutionary process even though before there were no settlers to nurture them. The Ogaswara island which is also known as the Bonin Island was supposed to be uninhabited island. But in 1830, an American came to the island of Chichijima by the name of Nathaniel Savory. According to my student, there are actually 5 whites and 20 Hawaiians who came to the island during the Edo Era and then 37 Japanese people transferred to the island in the Meiji Era. This resulted to a mixed culture of the settlers in the Ogasawara island. Today, it is said, that there are some instances that you can still hear the mixed language of English and Japanese, a Creole language. Though,  now a days, people in the island are speaking monolingual and are under the Citizenship of Japan.
Now, let's skip some other information. 

Nature

I'm fascinated with this island but it doesn't mean I betrayed my home island, Philippines. What makes me fall in love? Its the nature of the island itself. Though, I've never been there and as I've said above that I'm not intending to travel into smaller islands, I'm now making plans to visit the Ogasawara island. The way my student described the island and his experiences when he visited the place, widened my desires to spend a week of vacation there. 

The climate of the island is oceanic and subtropical, well, a great getaway place for a hate-to-winter person like me. Lots of beaches and mountains, forests and nature, quite and very different from the urban life I have, it is really a perfect place to contemplate and to savor the moment with nature.

Blue waters of the beaches around Ogasawara Island.

Since then, I've been anxious of visiting to this place. I'm hoping that one of these days, I'll be able to spend time in there and share you more pics and first hand experiences. I'm a little bothered about the traveling time because it takes 25 and half hours to travel by ship and that's only once a week. It scares me though. 


Well, hopefully you will enjoy reading this and somehow influences you to make a travel plan to the Ogasawara island.