Blissfully Sick

Yesterday, I woke up with painful body and chilling from the cold autumn morning. It's one of those days when you're not sure if you're having fever or just a lazy bout. But my body was so painful that I cannot get up and I was freezing. So I decided to call sick from work. Hubby was so worried and left late for work. Para saan pa daw yung pwede syang pumasok anytime if he cannot take care of me.. aww. That morning he juggled calling his team members, updating their status and cooking my breakfast and lunch.

Before my hubby left for work, he wrapped me with jackets and blankets and I slept comfortably the whole day (as in literally). I woke up at already 6 pm when he called to pick me up and eat at Yodobashii Genki Sushi. He brought his work at home so he could check on me, we slept together at 8:30 pm (tulog na pud) and he just woke up at 2 am to continue with his work. I couldn't sleep so chatted with Claire until I was sleepy again.

This morning he woke me up with a kiss and asked if I was already feeling okay, I saw him busy catching up on his work, taking a bath, dressing up for a client meeting today, doing the laundry, cooking breakfast and preparing my baon. He was like superman, and deep inside it was entertaining to watch him with the house chores.. bwehehe.. ;P

It was domestic bliss, maybe I became sick to make me appreciate him even more. Haay, if only I am fluent in Nihonggo, if only I love to learn this language, and if only this damn SIP Server works... I could say that my life here is Perfect!

Cute Things

These are the pictures of some cute things I found around here.

The water clock with 2 cute ninjas peeing on it.
This clock in Tenjin is real, it changes every minute to tell time.

during hot summer season, kids (and even moms) can play in this wading pool.
Sosyal na canal.

Trick or Treat!

Last night was my first trick or treat, not that I went to different houses to ask for candies, it was my first time to be "tricked or treated" because halloween back home is celebrated in a very different way. When Chi-Chi's father told us they are going to our house, I was just as excited to buy our baby some treats. I think I got a little carried away because I arrived home with bags of snacks and chocolates which I thought was too much for the little girl so I ended up eating the half.

Chi-Chi was so cute on her little witch costume, she's the only baby we know so she's our only visitor. She was a bit cranky because she was watching the Cartoon Network when her parents dragged her to go house-hopping, I think her mood matched her witch costume. =) But still she cannot hide her delight whenever she sees her bag getting fuller in every stop.

Hay how I wish we had this when I was a child at least for a day, I get to be on my Wonderwoman costume and get snacks for it. It could have been so much fun.

Another Kikay Entry...

When I was younger, I had this belief that one day my pimple scars will be perfectly gone, I just had to find the miracle drug to make this come true. I went to different dermas and they all suggested surgery, a famous derma in Cebu even told me "ampuan na lang nato na 'day" (remember that Claire? hehehe). I resisted that fact so I tried every cream in the market, name it and I'm sure I have tried it, not even wary if it will make my face worst because what have I got to lose? Minsan patong-patong na yung mga nilalagay ko sa mukha ko. And that's how my kakikayan started.

Then I got tired and lazy to layer all those creams on my face everynight and I already reached the point that I have accepted this "scar-y" imperfection. I rest my case, ampo na lang jud makatangtang ani (only prayers can make this gone). Plus, trying all those creams is so painful in the pocket.

So I was on a search for a good moisturizer to maintain a healthy skin and to prevent future wrinkles, etc.. basta something to put before going to bed. I just wanted a simple regimen. I borrowed my friend's Olay Total Effects for a testrun but it was too oily for me. So I just settled on GNC Vitamin C cream. But one day, Arlene told me about the cream she had been wearing every night and she is happy with the effect.

That is the cream I bought from Taipei Duty Free shop a month and a half ago for $18. I have using it since then and I am just as happy with the effect and now I can even recommend it for you to try Olay Regenerist Perfecting Cream. This is not a paid advertisement okay. =)

What I love most about is its lovely smell and non-greasy formula, perfect for my oily skin and I can even use is as an eye cream. It's also gentle for sensitive skin because it worked for Arlene, who has the most sensitive skin I know. Since I used it, I haven't touched my TCA peel which I used every 2 weeks to make my skin regenerate like a snake.

My scars are still here and I still get pimples every period, but it's not as bad as before. It has kept my skin healthier with less effort, I have now a simplified regimen of wash(Clearasil Pink)-tone(Extract Tea Tree oil)-moisturize(Olay). Pefect for a busy wife like me.. =)

I took my picture with my Nokia N93 last night after I washed my face, it's a bare face without anything on it, I guess the lady in the Duty Free shop cash counter is right when she said it can make your skin pink.

The bad thing about it is, it's not available here in Fukuoka.. I'm not sure in major cities though. It's not even in the Philippines, so maybe Claire and Georgia(my more beautiful friends from US and UK ) will now know what to give me for christmas.. bwehehehe

Maki for Dinner

When I say I want less fattening food, Sushi Maki comes into my mind because it is healthy and few bites can already make you feel full plus it's delicious and easy to make! My Maki has fresh lettuce, cucumber, crabsticks, roast ham and cheese, rolled with Japanese rice poured with a small amount of vinegar.

a war zone of Sushi Maki... that is the bamboo maki roller


yatta! an almost perfect roll!

Rolling a maki is harder than it seem, this is just my second time to make one by myself and I still haven't made a perfect roll where the fillings are tightly settled in the center. So I'm not in the position yet to teach how to roll a maki. But to make the maki intact, just spread japanese vinegar on the nori at the end of the roll and stick them together. Before slicing, put japanese vinegar on the knife so the nori and the rice won't stick to it.

Ittadakimasu!

Purely Vanity

I vowed to slow down on cooking for a while and go on a diet because I am getting fat. If I still want to fit in to my pants, I have to slim down.

But alas! last night after office, my hubby took me on a date because every Wednesday is a "No OT day" in their company. I just wanted to eat Ramen and Ice Cream(yeah diet daw) but he wanted to try the Eat-All-You-Can restaurant Maila was raving about, so there goes my diet...off to thin air. I have to learn some South Beach Diet recipe!

On the way home, we dropped by the drugstore to buy a mouthwash, while I was looking for one, I found my favorite Calbee Pizza junkfood on sale for only Y100! I thought it's seldom that it gets on sale so I made the best decision of my life by grabbing 2 packs! from then on I kissed my diet goodbye.

Since I will take a rest on looking for new recipes, I turned to another interest which is Kakikayan. While my hubby was waiting for me outside the drugstore, I detoured to the medicine aisle to look for a beauty medicine. I already got my first pay so I wanted to try the vitamins Idel recommended. There were a lot of them and I thought I neededed help so I called hubby and asked, "bby tulungan mo ako maghanap ng Vitamin C please" (it was a decoy of course, I wasn't really looking for a vitamin C but I have to make it seem really important, hehehe).

I showed him the Cystina-C and he asked the Pharmacist some questions. When he relayed to me that it was more on skin whitening, I acted surprised "ano? meron palang ganun?" (yeah right dramatic actress kaayo. Actually I had to do it coz if he learns that it was all for vanity, he wouldn't help me.) But I didn't like the idea of taking 6 tablets per day as required by Cystina-C when I really don't need whitening so the pharmacist lead me to another medicine named Cutina whose purpose is to stop pimples, cure scars and smoothen the skin from within (kasabot jud ang pharmacist unsa akong kinahanglan da). Good thing hubby understands the pains of having rice fields all over your face so he supported me in buying the medicine and said if it will work for me, he will buy one to.. hehehe.


And so I bought Cutina that contains Vitamin B2 phosphoric acid ester,Vitamin B6,Vitamin B1 nitric, Nicotinic acid amide, Biotin, Pantothenic acid calcium,Vitamin C and L - Cysteine which promises to clear my skin from within. Only Y1680 for 60 tablets and good for 1 month. I still don't know if it's effective but I'll surely write another entry for this kung mugwapa na ko samot after a month.

I read their site this morning, and I'm thinking of buying their clear gel which clears the skin from the outside with Salicylic acid as its active ingredient. It costs Y2650, it's pretty expensive so I have to ponder hard on this. Hmmm...

Because I also ran out of face powder, I bought myself a SelfIt Shiseido powder foundation. SelfIt is a cheaper variety of Shiseido, I am not sure if they sell it outside Japan though. It only costs Y1200 but it has a good coverage and doesn't melt in my skin. I planned to buy my favorite FaceShop Phytogenic powder but I thought since I'm here in Japan, might as well use a Japanese brand that I can't normally afford back home. As the saying goes, "When in Rome do as the Romans do." or in my case, "When in Japan, do as the Japanese do... except speak Nihongo" (bwehehehe).

Japan is a wonderland for a certified kikay girl like me, they have all the answers for every vanity call. If you just stop converting to peso and be a 'little' lose on your yen, you'll surely have some fun. =)

Well, I hope their kikay stuff are really as amazing as their electronics. Let's see... =)

Loving Miso

I don't like Miso soup or anything with Miso in it. But it changed when my friend introduced to me the Shiroi Miso or white miso and the ways on how to use it on cooking. I learned that Miso and Japanese Ryori Sake (Cooking Wine) could be a delicious combination.

For today's lunch I prepared Friend Chicken marinated in Miso, it's the easiest one I could remember among the recipes my friend taught me. It is easy, just mix the miso paste with the sake, making sure that the sake will not overpower the white miso, you can put a little water to dillute the miso paste. Add pepper and salt to taste. Then marinate the chicken in it overnight. It is best when grilled but fried also tastes good.

Because I woke up early, I was able to make a bear-shaped nori rice, because the chicken really go well with nori, it feels like you're in a Japanese Barbeque party. To make nori rice, I poured a little Japanese vinegar on the rice before I shaped it. I don't actually know why, but that's what Maila taught me.. hehe. For dessert was the can of mixed fruit on sale for Y100. Busog!

For dinner, we have Chili Sea Bass... o di ba.. parang sosyal! Back in Firipin, I always hear Sea Bass on the menu of the classiest restaurants, or in showbiz parties I see on The Buzz so I've always been curious what it is. I thought it was a kind of sea weeds hehe. Until my friend told me that Sea Bass is one of the cheapest fish you can buy here in Japan and it is called Saba here.

So I bought a pack of sliced Saba for Y278 and looked for a recipe which calls for sake and white miso. And so I found the Chili Sea Bass recipe and altered it so I won't have to buy what I don't have in the kitchen. This is fish is really flavorful, no wonder it has become a staple in gourmet dishes. O diba... parang sosyal na sardinas ang ulam namin... ;P

Ingredients:
6 slices of Sea Bass (preferably skinless)
3 cherry tomatoes (small tomatoes) or sliced tomatoes will do

for the spicy rub
3 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chili pepper

for the sauce:
1 tablespoons White Miso
1 1/2 tablespoons Tomato paste or 1 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Mirin
1/4 cup Japanese Cooking Wine
Chili Pepper (depending on how spicy you want it, i put about a half a teaspoon since hubby doesn't like spicy.)

Steps:
1. Mix the ingredients for spicy rub then set aside.
2. Mix the ingredients for the sauce on a separate bowl then set aside.
3. Heat a small amount of oil in the pan. It should be hot but careful not to burn the oil.
4. Lightly dip the fish on the spicy rub then put in the pan. Fry in low heat so the fish will not lose its juiciness. Don't wait for it to become super brown, just cooked enough, fry around a minute.
5. When all the fish are fried, arrange it in the serving platter. Wash the pan or in a separate pan, heat the sauce until it boils then add the tomatoes.
6. Pour in the platter with the fish, then garnish with parsley.

It's delicious especially if you prefer food with different tastes, spicy, sweet and salty. =) I still hate Miso soup but I now have a newfound love affair with white miso and my cooking.