Morning Green Tea

Coffee is not my "cup of tea", that's why I drink green tea instead of coffee to start off my day.

I wasn't a tea drinker before I moved to Japan. In fact, I didn't like the taste of tea. Living in Japan has taught me a lot of things. It is here in Japan where I learned the habit of drinking tea (ocha), and green tea has become my favorite. 

In Japan, green tea is served everywhere, any time of the day.  It is served in cups without a handle. The most polite way of drinking green tea is to hold the cup with one hand and support it from below with the other hand.

photo source: prllog.com

11 Benefits of Green Tea That You Should Know (source: www.lifehack.org).

1. Weight Loss. Green tea increases the metabolism. The polyphenol found in green tea works to intensify levels of fat oxidation and the rate at which your body turns food into calories.


2. Diabetes. Green tea apparently helps regulate glucose levels slowing the rise of blood sugar after eating. This can prevent high insulin spikes and resulting fat storage.


3. Heart Disease. Scientists think, green tea works on the lining of blood vessels, helping keep them stay relaxed and better able to withstand changes in blood pressure. It may also protect against the formation of clots, which are the primary cause of heart attacks.


4. Esophageal Cancer. It can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer, but it is also widely thought to kill cancer cells in general without damaging the healthy tissue around them.


5. Cholesterol. Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.


6. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It is said to delay the deterioration caused by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Studies carried out on mice showed that green tea protected brain cells from dying and restored damaged brain cells.


7. Tooth Decay. Studies suggests that the chemical antioxidant “catechin” in tea can destroy bacteria and viruses that cause throat infections, dental caries and other dental conditions


8. Blood Pressure. Regular consumption of green tea is thought to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.


9. Depression. Theanine is an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves. It is this substance that is thought to provide a relaxing and tranquilizing effect and be a great benefit to tea drinkers.


10. Anti-viral and Anti-bacterial. Tea catechins are strong antibacterial and antiviral agents which make them effective for treating everything from influenza to cancer. In some studies green tea has been shown to inhibit the spread of many diseases.


11. Skincare. Green tea can apparently also help with wrinkles and the signs of aging, This is because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Both animal and human studies have demonstrated that green tea applied topically can reduce sun damage.


Are you drinking green tea? If not, then you should.

I think I’ll sit with God a while …

…and have a cup of tea.

Top 15 Reasons to Run

I stole this photo from Pinterest :) and thought about posting it here so that I will always be reminded of the top 15 reasons why I should continue running, to keep my motivation high.

I Love Running

I've been planning to buy a new pair of running shoes since last month. I realized that I've been using my current shoes for a long time now, so it's about time for me to buy a new pair.  I love running and I run almost everyday.   If shoes could talk, I'm sure my shoes would be shouting at me now :).               

 

I first went to 2 stores in Sannomiya Center Gai - Sportsworld and ABC Mart. I found a lot of running shoes to my liking, but the prices are so "takai" (expensive), ranging from 8000 - 15000 JPY. I really wanted the Asics brand (very famous Japanese brand), but it's so expensive (12,000 JPY).  I promised myself that I will be more frugal this time, after making an impulse purchase on something that I want but I don't need.  I struggled not to give in, and decided to wait and give myself more time to look for a good buy.

Good thing, my friend Ron decided to pass by the Sports Depo in Sunshine Wharf on our way home because he wanted to buy something. This is where I found the pair of running shoes that I like very much at a much lower price (30% price off).  Sometimes, it really pays to wait, isn't it?

This is my good buy. I bought it for 3990 JPY.

Now, I am excited to try my new running shoes. So, gotta go now, it's time for me to run :).

 

   

Impulse Buying

Impulse buying is a spur of the moment, unplanned decision to buy, made just before a purchase. Research findings suggest that emotions and feelings play a decisive role in purchasing, triggered by seeing the product or upon exposure to a well crafted promotional message. (BusinessDictionary.com)

I admit, I am guilty of making impulse purchases, from small items like magazines, chocolates, 100 yen items (100 yen stores can be found anywhere in Japan), books to more expensive items like branded bags, clothes, shoes, perfumes, make-up, jewelries, etc. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who has this habit of making impulse purchases. After all, we are only human.

If I don't plan to shop or buy anything, I avoid going to any stores. Window shopping is a no-no for me. This is because I tend to buy items that I like, even if I know that I don't need the items. I tend to make an impulse purchase because it improves my mood and it makes me feel good, not because the item is necessary or useful. I also justify my purchase (especially if I make a large purchase) by telling that it's a gift for myself, a reward for myself for working so hard, just to make me feel good, without the guilt feeling.

Why am I writing this blog now? This is because, I made another impulse purchase today. And I think the item that I bought qualifies as a large purchase (it costs 9450 JPY). I made a mistake of going inside the Swatch store in Sannomiya Center-Gai.

This cute bracelet watch has caught my eye. It was a love at first sight :). I wasn't planning to buy a watch (as I already have several watches), but I ended up buying one today.

Do I want it? Yes.
Do I need it? No

Is it necessary? No.

Since this is not necessary and it's just a nice to have item, this is definitely a result of impulse buying.

Impulse buying temptation

How to Stop Impulse Buying?

I came across this site (www.homelifeweekly.com) and found these useful tips on how to stop impulse buying. I am reposting the tips here as a good reminder for me (and for the others out there who also have this habit of impulse buying).

1. Buy It Later. If you see something you want, don’t immediately buy it. Instead, write it down and set it aside for three or four days. After this cooling-off-period, read the note and see if you still can’t resist the offer. Chances are you won’t feel the buying urge anymore.

2. Make a Shopping List
Make a shopping list, and stick to it. Bring it with you to the store and cross off items as you add them to the cart. Mega sales can cause someone to spend out of budget. Remember to stick what you need to buy only (listed at your shopping list).

3. Set A Spending Budget Before Go Out For Shopping
When shopping for groceries, set a firm spending limit before entering the supermarket. Take along a pocket calculator, and keep a running. If you find it hard to control your spending, leave your credit card and extra cash at home. Remember, if you don’t have it, you can’t spend it.

4. Be Aware Of the Shopping Environment
Many stores are count on impulsive spenders, and actually arrange their products accordingly to common consumer buying behavior and the best layout that can easily trigger the impulse to buy of the consumers. For example, enticing displays for new products, pairing two products such as chips and soda on the same aisle, and various other tactics lure spenders to buy more than they came for. Be aware of how stores arrange the store, it can help you to say no to excessive items.

Why I love Purikura

In Japan, purikura (プリクラ) refers to a photo sticker booth or the product of such a photo booth. The name is a shortened form of the registered trademark Purinto Kurabu (print club in English), jointly developed by Atlus and Sega (Wikipedia).

Purikura booth (Photo source: google image)

Purikura machines can be found all over Japan, usually in entertainment or game areas. Purikura is a very popular activity, not only among Japanese girls and young adults, but also among foreigners (mainly girls) who are living in Japan.

How does Purikura work?

You and your friends enter the booth and decide what theme to use for your pictures. The instructions are in Japanese. So, if you are not familiar with purikura, you need the help of a Japanese friend to understand how it works. After that, you then need to insert four 100 yen coins into the machine to start the process. Within a few seconds, you can start the picture taking. After picture taking, you will then decorate the pictures on computer screen outside the photo booth. The decoration time is the most exciting part of this activity. You can add frames, stamps, text, and lovely designs to cutify your pictures. There are a lot of designs to choose from, and the possibilities are endless. You can get printed copies of the pictures within a few minutes. You also have the option to send the photos to your phone email address, so you can download the pictures from your phone.

Purikura is a machine that has some kind of a magic. It makes your skin smooth and your eyes big. It makes everyone looks "kawaii" (cute), though sometimes it makes a guy looks like a gay :).

I had my first purikura experience last year with the girls in one of our bonding moments, one Saturday afternoon in Shinsaibashi Osaka. I didn't know where to look, so I looked at the machine and not the camera. It was a lot of fun, lovely experience!

The next time we had our purikura, I already knew where to look.

Family Purikura

Family purikura

Mom and Daughter bonding

Group Purikura

If the group is big, just like our group below, it's a little bit difficult to take pictures because the booth is narrow. Everyone must stick together and must find a creative way to fit inside the frame.

MPD group purikura. Mori is missing in this pic :). Now, you know what I mean.

This is a scanned copy, so the picture quality is not that good.

My iPhone Photography

 "The best camera is the one that is with you all the time". -- Chase Jarvis.  Thanks to iPhone, now I always have a camera with me :)).

I love taking pictures, but i don't always carry my bulky camera with me all the time. That's why my iPhone has become my favorite camera lately.  It's fun and easy to use and it comes in very handy whenever I find something interesting to capture. 

These are just some of my favorite photos that I took using my iPhone.

I took this shot while I was jogging one early morning at the Greenbelt jogging trail.  While I was passing by the Marine Park, I saw this beautiful sunrise scene with beautiful clouds in the blue sky. Too beautiful to pass up, isn't it? Good thing I was carrying my iPhone at that time, so I stopped and took a shot of this captivating scene.

 "With each sunrise, we start anew" - Author unknown

Marine Park

 
This shot was taken before Autumn 2011, when the leaves were starting to change color.

        "A September to remember, an October full of splendor, a November to treasure". - La Prevenchere

Greenbelt

Autumn (or Fall) is another favorite season of mine, next to Spring. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter.

      "Autumn is a second Spring when every leaf is a flower" - Albert Camus.

Autumn foliage

The plum is associated with the start of Spring. Plum blossoms are the first blossoms to open during the year. Japanese plum trees typically flower in mid-February to March, a sign that winter season is about to say goodbye.

Plum blossom at the Greenbelt

More iPhone photos

Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall

Blue Sky Time

Yummy desserts

My favorites: Kobe beef, Pad Thai, Ramen, and Clubhouse sandwich

And this is me, posing under the cherry blossom tree at the Nakayamate church in Sannomiya :).

Spring 2012

Happy Father's Day

Father's day is just around the corner, and so, I am dedicating this blog to the father of my 2 lovely girls.

  

Thank you for helping me raise these 2 wonderful kids whom God had entrusted to us. Thank you for being a good father to them and for always being there for them  as their runner whenever they need help about anything.

More power to you and may God bless you always.

Happy Father's day! We love you.!

 

Through the Years

Through the years

When everything went wrong

Together we were strong

I know that I belong right here with you
Through the years
I never had a doubt
We'd always work things out
I've learned what love's about
by loving you, through the years.

And I'm so glad I stayed right here with you

Through the years....

Our relationship may not be perfect, and we are not perfect either (nobody is perfect anyway). We have had some ups and downs in our life and relationship. But the most important thing is, we managed to rise above all the seemingly insurmountable challenges that have come along our way.


And so here we are, we are still here for each other, supporting each other, and loving each other, through the years...

One Month into Blogging and I'm Loving It :)

"Blogging is an art, same as any other method of self-expression. Some are better at it than others". -- George Siemens

It's been a month since I started blogging and I'm loving it :). It started randomly one evening while I was on a business trip and had nothing to do at the hotel after work. I was tired of working and was bored, so I decided to do something that I've never done before.  The next thing I knew, I was already writing my first blog post on blogger, and that started it all.

I realized that blogging is fun and it's a good stress reliever. I also find fulfillment every time I finish and publish a post, especially if I get nice feedback from my friends who have visited my blog site, telling me that I write well, that my blog is enjoyable and fantastic, they like my pictures, and asking me to write some more. This is very encouraging because I know I'm not a good writer and English is not my first language. I hope I can sustain my momentum so I can keep this going.  One thing I've learned: write from the heart and the rest will follow.