Harry Potter: The Exhibition in Tokyo

A few days before my 2013 trip to Tokyo, I learned that the Harry Potter: The Exhibition was there. It's an international traveling exhibition featuring props, costumes, and sets from the Harry Potter movies. I actually first heard about that exhibition when it was about to move out of Singapore in September 2012. To be honest, I was so tempted to book last-minute tickets to Singapore that time. However, I didn't push through that impulsive plan because even if I had money, it was around the end of the semester and I was really busy with academics and [teaching] work that time so I had to prioritize.

Needless to say, I was really happy that my trip to Tokyo coincided with the Harry Potter exhibition. I mean, what are the chances, right?

The day after I landed in Tokyo, I went to Lawson with my friend Kyle (who is also a fan of Harry Potter) to buy tickets. 

On the day itself, Kyle and I were so excited lol.

Pictures were not allowed inside the exhibit but I was able to snap some photos at the shop (nothing said it wasn't allowed). However, it was really crowded (again, because of the holiday) so I gave up trying to take photos lol. Plus, I was really distracted by all the merchandise.

I seriously wanted a LOT of stuff there like the Marauder's Map, a wand, some Ravenclaw merchandise, and Hermione's necklace during Bill and Fleur's wedding but I had to control myself because I had spent too much on the trip already. However, I still ended up with these:

A postcard set for JPY1100 (around PhP495.00 at that time)

JPY9000 (around PhP4050.00 at that time)

So much for control, I guess. That Time Turner was friggin expensive for something I'm just putting on display but... come on, it's a Time Turner! Kyle, on the other hand, got a wand for JPY5000.

The view from Mori Arts Center in Roppongi where the exhibit was located.

Afterwards, we went back to the Kichijoji area to eat omurice. I had omurice with curry katsu.

After lunch, went around Kichijoji as it's one of Kyle's favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo and I also did some shopping hehe. I guess I enjoyed a lot that I didn't bother taking any photos. Afterwards, Kyle had to go to his part-time job and I went around Inokashira Park but didn't stick around much because it was really hot and humid.

All those trees by the river are sakura trees so they turn pink during spring.
I only know this because I have a few Filipino friends living near Inokashira Park who post photos of this place during spring.

I walked back to Kyle's house and then went out again to visit a local supermarket. For dinner, instead of going out, I made this Japanese-style chicken adobo rice bowl. I paired it with a slightly alcoholic peach drink I found at the supermarket.

Amazing day, I say!

The Juliet Club

If you've seen the movie Letters to Juliet with Amanda Seyfried, then you must know about The Secretaries of Juliet.

I'm not really a fan of chick flicks though I do like romantic stories every once in a while. However, I have a weakness for movies that are set in beautiful places (characters traveling or staying in an interesting city). Letters to Juliet is no exception because it's mainly set in Italy.

from Letters to Juliet

This movie is where I learned that in Verona, Italy, there's a place called Juliet's House where people would stick their letters (usually about love) addressed to Juliet to the walls. In the movie, all the letters are replied to by a team of ladies who call themselves the "Secretaries of Juliet". I was like, "OMG I WANT TO BE A SECRETARY OF JULIET!!!!" I mean, it must be a lot of work writing letters by hand to strangers sharing their love situations but how on earth would a snail mail-lovin' hopeless romantic *coughnotmecough* not want that?

from Letters to Juliet

Though, of course, I figured that's practically impossible to happen so I just settled with a goal of going to Verona someday, sticking my own letter (hopefully, by then, I can write something happy and interesting) to the walls of Juliet's house and wait for a reply from one of Juliet's secretaries.

from Letters to Juliet

Yesterday, however, for some weird reason, I felt like googling about Juliet's house and the existence of the "secretaries of Juliet" and I discovered The Juliet Club. I read that they have an internship program where you can join the said club in their activities. Now I don't know if being an intern would allow you to reply to one of the letters but joining the said club just sounds so amazing!!!

Someday, maybe? I have to work REALLY hard to get to Verona.

Happy-logue 07-22-12

It's raining outside and I'm thinking about my life.

I've been pushing myself too hard the past few weeks. But no matter how hard I work, I still have a bunch of things in my to-do list... which is just plain depressing.

Then again, I know that most (but not all) of these were my choices. That's why after this semester, I promise to be more kind to myself. 

***

1. This week, I received a postcard from Slovenia. That makes six weeks in a row of coming home to a new postcard or two. :)

2. Yesterday, I was supposed to be in school the whole day (again) for a 9am meeting and to proctor two exams (1 to 3pm and 4 to 6pm). However, exams were postponed due to the heavy rains. 

In the afternoon, when the sky calmed, I went out to watch The Dark Knight Rises with my friends. I'm not a Batman fan and I didn't watch the movies. I just watched TDKR because I was with my friends. 

A part of me is not happy with the raging rains (who likes floods anyway?) but a part of me was relieved that exams were postponed. If I had to spend the entire Saturday in school, I'd probably be insane right now. :(  I seriously needed some relaxation time to keep me from crying out of stress. My budget for this month is already broken but... meh, I'd rather neglect my savings this month if it's for the sake of my sanity.

3. It's sweatshirt season!

Happy-logue 07-14-12

These days have been extremely busy (For three days this week, I've been staying in school until 9pm... either for Masters class or to work on research.) but that doesn't stop me from being a happy person!

1. I have new postcards! I think I'm starting to get used to this... For the past five weekends, I've been coming home to one or two new postcards from different countries. I totally love Postcrossing!

I received postcards from USA and Japan last week (but I did not see them until Monday this week).

This week, I have postcards from The Netherlands and Germany again.

2. Palawan ube hopia! I totally dig this. I've been craving for it since we went to Coron but unfortunately, Palawan ube hopia can only be found in Puerto Princesa. I'm glad Sir Anjo bought this for me during his recent trip. 

3. I watched The Amazing Spiderman with my family (sans younger brother) yesterday. I'm not a Spiderman fan but I enjoyed the movie. It gets boring sometimes (maybe I was just tired) but I still think Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield are awesome... I mean, amazing.

4. I haven't gone shopping for some time now and I've been wearing the same things over and over so I decided to go shopping a little. Happy closet, crying wallet! But oh well, I have two new dresses, a skirt, a satchel, a lace blazer and two pairs of tights.

total wallet damage: PhP3086. Sales are awesome.

5. I have mentioned before that I'm participating in a training this August. I'm currently working with my groupmates and we did a Skype conference last Thursday. There was only three of us: me plus two people from Texas (the other three groupmates didn't make it) but it was great! One of them is so excited to eat balut and the other is going to extend his stay for 1.5 weeks so he's asking me for "adventure advice". I'm glad that they're not the too-serious type and yet they're keen on getting the job done. I'm so excited to meet and work with them. They're coming in three weeks' time!

Happy-logue 06-10-12

1. I watched Snow White and the Hunstman last Monday with my colleagues on a whim. The movie was disappointing (I'll make a post about it next time) but it was worth seeing Chris Hemsworth and Sam Claflin anyway.

photo from here

Can't wait to see how his career fares. From Pirates to Snow White! (photo from here)

2. I finally got wire on my braces and the dentist finally removed the porcelain fang-like things on my teeth. My smiles are less awkward now!

haha can't even notice the braces there

3. I had fast food dinner with my college batchmates last Wednesday. It was just fast food but I really miss times like those. We were talking until 9:30pm.

4. I hanged out with Ali (my orgmate/friend who moved to Australia, is currently working in Japan but is now home for her parents' anniversary) and Ate Nice (Ali's close friend and also my orgmate) last Thursday. We were supposed to meet at Moonleaf but I met them at Spa 101 instead. They were getting their nails done and so I had mine too.

Pedicure at Spa 101 was pretty expensive. I don't get my nails done at salons (I can do it myself) but I did it this time because I managed to save on tuition that day... which brings us to the next item...

5. I am officially enrolled and I paid PhP 146.50 instead of PhP10,000+ for my tuition this semester! For the following semesters, I'll only be paying PhP46.50. My tuition is cheaper than my pedicure! Well, perks of working in the university. 

Although that is not totally a happy thing. I was helping out during enrollment and saw how expensive tuition in my university has become. Back in college, I used to pay PhP6,000 to PhP7,000 per semester. These days, students pay more than PhP20,000 on the average. Our university is supposed to be a public university. Tsk, whatever happened to the university of the people. :(

6. Yesterday, I went to UP with my parents to bring some stuff there. I treated them to Rodic's and to that Korean fish-shaped ice cream sandwich.

Happy-logue 05-22-12

Things that make me happy recently:

1. Eating at Bellini's and then watching The Cabin in the Woods with my high school classmates

Last time I went to Bellini's was around 3 years ago, during an orgmate's birthday party. I was totally amused with their interiors: murals, violins, wine. The place is very Italian (well, afterall, it's owned by an Italian man) and the food is great too! However, after eating there last weekend, I think I'll give my wallet some rest. The prices are a little too steep so I spent more than what I thought I would considering the small amount of food I consumed. But then, I'd give it a slack because I rarely see my high school classmates. Also, I forgot my camera so I don't have photos.

And then from Cubao X, my classmate drove to Megamall so we could watch The Cabin in the Woods. It took us two hours to get to Megamall!! Can you imagine that traffic? I thought we weren't going to make it. We were a little late for the screening (because we still bought popcorn) but at least we made it. 

The name "Josh Whedon" should ring a bell. The Avengers!

I honestly do not like horror movies. I've only watched two horror movies my entire life. However, my motivation to watch The Cabin in the Woods was (1) Chris Hemsworth a.k.a. Thor (lame, I know, but at least I'm telling the truth) and (2) one of my orgmates said it's the best horror movie ever.

And it did not disappoint! It was definitely worth the money. I think that the movie targets horror fans but I enjoyed it, nevertheless. About halfway through, I wanted to chicken out (as I said, I don't really like horror stuff) but it I'm glad I didn't! I think it's a different kind of horror movie and although it made me scream a number of times, I don't think it's the scariest movie of all. This one is fast-paced and I felt like it has more depth to its story. And I guess those are the reasons why I like the movie

However, don't be fooled by the marketing. Chris Hemsworth may be one of the protagonists but I wouldn't say that he's the main protagonist. But in any case, it's still a great movie!

2. Spontaneous dinner at Friuli with my college friends

Friuli is a small restaurant in Maginhawa Street. They serve pizza, pasta and desserts. I've been there a few times but never got around to blogging about it. (Yes, they have good food.) Yesterday, I was drenched in the rain because I walked around a kilometer in raging rains just to get to Friuli. But I'm still glad that I was able to meet my friends. We used to dine a lot in Maginhawa Street before everyone got busy with their jobs (and one with law school). We were far from complete yesterday but that spontaneous dinner was definitely nostalgic. I still wish we could do that more often. :(

3. Not getting pimples these days.

Most probably because (1) I don't get as much stress and (2) I don't wear makeup this summer because of the heat. Meh, but I guess when school starts, my face's happy days will be over. :( Oh well.

Six Movies to Move Your Heart This Summer

When it comes to movies, I really like watching action. Think SWAT, Ocean's trilogy, Mercury Rising, Taken. However, I also have a soft spot for romance movies, especially Japanese movies.

Because of the workload relief (semester has ended!!), I was able to get precious and elusive free time and I've been trying to look for Japanese romance movies to pass time. It's been a little difficult because I've already seen a number of the popular ones and it's not easy to search for torrents of these Japanese movies. Anyway, if ever you're interested with Japanese romance movies and if you'd like to drown yourself in love stories and tears, here are a few recommended Jdrama movies! Be sure to have a pack of tissue ready when watching these. NO SPOILERS, PROMISE! 

Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu 2004 (translates to "Now I'm Going to Meet You" English title: Be With You)

I watched this movie last summer 2009. I took a non-credited subject Hapon 10 (Elementary Japanese) because I wanted to learn the language, even just a little. Our sensei (teacher) made us watch this movie in class. My classmates and I were crying so hard while watching. No, not the type of crying where tears just fall silently. We were really crying aloud!

Here's the story. Before Mio died, she promised her son and her husband that she will come back to them on the next rainy season. Guess what? She did. Is she a ghost? Hmm...

It's one of those rare love stories that include the whole family. Usually it's just about boyfriend-girlfriend. Anyway, this one is totally worth the tears and the heartache. Must-watch!

Tada, Kimi o Aishiteru 2006 (translates to "Just Loving You", English title: Heavenly Forest)

Two university freshmen meet during the first day of class. The guy is into photography while the girl is cute and childlike (not necessarily childish). Both of them are the solitary type but start hanging out together.

The guy, Makoto, is played by one of my favorite Japanese actors: Tamaki Hiroshi (he played Shinichi Chiaki in Nodame Cantabile, one of my favorite Jdrama series). It has quite a number of surprises that kept me interested. This movie made me cry really hard towards the end.

Koizora 2007 (Sky of Love)

A story of two high school students: an ex-delinquent named Hiro and a girl named Mika. Watch out for a few sexual and violent themes. I have nothing much to say about this movie or else I might be blabbing spoilers. All I can say is that this movie will totally make your heart ache and your eyes swollen. Just look at the strip on the top part of the poster.

Cyborg Girl 2008

College student Jirou always celebrates his birthday eating spaghetti alone. However, during his 20th birthday, he suddenly finds himself celebrating with a mysterious girl who just popped out of nowhere.

To be honest, the story was a little difficult to understand especially towards the end. Not among my favorites in this list but still worth watching if you're bored. It's pretty interesting because of the mysteries but it can get boring as some point. I think this one moved me to tears towards the end.

Tenshi no Koi 2009 (translates to "Angel's Love", English title: My Rainy Days)

17-year old high school girl meets a very serious 35-year old college professor and she falls in love with him at first sight. No, it's not as bad as you imagine. The movie seems very serious and full of drama but there are also a few funny parts in the middle and the characters tend to have cute personalities too. I actually loved this movie SO MUCH! I swear you're going to fall in love and cry a lot. Totally one of my favorites.

Kimi ni Todoke 2010 (From Me to You)

The reason I watched this movie is because I read the manga and love it! Yes, it's based from comics. Sawako is a very shy and kind girl who resembles Sadako (from the horror film). Because of this, people in school are very afraid of her and do not know that she's actually very kind. Meanwhile, Kazehaya is a kind boy (good boy type) who is very popular with girls because of his looks and refreshing attitude. The two meet on the first day of high school under the cherry trees and Kazehaya, unlike their other classmates, starts to see Sawako's kindness.

I love the casting of this movie SO MUCH. Haruma Mirua (also guy who played Hiro in Koizora), with his pretty smile, really captured Kazehaya's refreshing personality. Mikako Tabe also made a really lovely Sawako. I also love how the actors of Ryu, Ayane and Chizuru totally resemble the characters in the manga! It's like they were pulled straight from the comic books.

Story-wise, it's totally innocent, totally lovable and can be funny too. It could make you cry but it's also entertaining to watch! Plus, there's more to it than just a love story. It's also about friendship and a shy girl who comes out of her shell. One word to describe Kimi ni Todoke: LOVELY.

WARNING: Dont' turn these into a movie marathon unless you're okay with getting swollen eyes. Just one of these will definitely make your heart ache... but then maybe it's just me. I'm such a sap when it comes to romance movies. (What I do is I read or watch something comedy or something action after I watch any one these movies just to calm down my heart... yeah, maybe I'm just a sap.)

Also, read carefully when downloading. Some of these movies have TV series or anime counterparts. Enjoy!

Because I'm incoherent and I like lists

1. I think I'm getting old. I'm starting to love vegetables and fish a lot-- food I used to hate as a kid.

2. I haven't been eating out for the longest time. I'd usually bring a ciabatta with butter or pesto for lunch when I'm out. I've gotten too used to home-cooked food, which I prefer. I haven't eaten fast food for a long time too, which is great. 

3. One week until AME Monogatari! I miss going to anime conventions! Unfortunately, I don't have a camera so I won't be able to take photos of cool cosplayers. I just hope I can buy good merchandise at AMEmono. :)

4. I finally got to watch A Crazy Little Thing Called Love. It's been so long, I know I know. But I was too busy to download and I kept forgetting too. Well, I cried lots while watching the movie. Although when I think too much about the plot, there were a lot of unreasonable (i.e. stupid) and counter-intuitive things that happened. Then again, with these kinds of movies, you don't really have to think. You just have to be in love or something. :)) Oh, but yes, I did enjoy even though there were things I couldn't understand because I don't know anything about Thai culture. Unlike with Jdrama or Kdrama with which I've gotten a little familiar with because I used to watch a lot of those.

This scene made me cry so hard.

I love Pin a lot!