" Hero "

I wonder what these kids were looking at...

" Yellow house "

This sunny apartment located along Osmena highway
is one of the many public housing provided by the government.

But the problem is that there's not enough allocation for the common people
and in a government with too much hush-hush and anomalies, building something takes time and money.
As a result, most of them were forced to live in unstable conditions,
i.e the shanties area I've shown the other day.

" Bath time! "

why not take a dip beside Manila bay?



Amidst the beauty of these yachts,
this guy doesn't seem to mind at all.

" The house that Juan built "

Yesterday, Kaori asked where is this all coming from?




Can you see those old shanty houses on the right?
a big part of that trash, is them, polluting this river.

Photo cache asked if this is a portion of the Pasig river?

yes, I think it is,
It's actually a small bridge around Chinatown that's sadly, left abandoned.

and the smell?!
believe me, they stink really bad! ^-^

As much as we want to rehabilitate the whole river,
This takes time, a lot of effort and discipline.

Like what Eki commented:

" Plastic and people's ignorance of the fact that it cannot be digested by nature are a disaster everywhere. We need to reduce the use of plastic and educate people of how to use and treat them properly."

Let this be a rude awakening to us all.

" isn't it obvious? "

clearly, it's in dire need of a makeover.
can you guess where all these trash came from?

" Meralco "

and now, back to Manila...



Meralco is the name of an electric company that has been supplying us electricity since forever.
so, do we have a choice if they charge us more or less? ^0^

it's famous for its new slogan: May liwanag and buhay- lit. there's life with light.

" Osaka- the final round "

Here's my finale for my Japan tour.
A collection of night shots along Dotonbori, Senichimae, Shinbashi etc.

I think they're two things you wouldn't want to miss when you're in Osaka.
The luminous lights that surrounds the area particularly, this must see Glico man which changes its scene from time to time.


and another thing is this moving Crab sign, that's so huge,
i'm afraid one can't missed it. ^0^


it's best to visit during night time, that's when the lights are up
and the place gets livelier.
In Senichimae, there are shops and restos and yes, there's even
a 100 yen shop.


some of the street scenes you'd find, a big puffer fish sign.


an eye catching hand that's holding a sashimi ( i think... )


Kinryu is one of the must try ramen shops here apart from...


this Ramen shop also, the place was packed with customers waiting outside.


and this is another cute signage, btw, this friendly looking creature
is like their welcome lucky cat here in Japan.


and it wouldn't be complete if we haven't tried the deli
Okonomiyaki, - Japanese pancake.
Here's the resto's interior.


can you read the menu? ^0^ haha, it took as awhile to read all of it.
But don't fret, they also have an english menu. ^-^


at last, here's our Okonomiyaki, i think it's Hiroshima style. hmmm...


and a delectable Fried Yakisoba. ^0^
You can cook it on your own actually, and I thought we'd be doing it,
luckily, the server was aware that we're not familiar with it, so...



here's the erm, chef preparing our meal. ^0^



It was uber fun while it lasted.
Pepperoni and I ended up buying the same boots at the end of our trip.


I hope you guys enjoyed the tour as much as I did with your comments. ^0^
Japan is indeed an interesting city that's left us with good impression.
Mostly, I admired them for their discipline and cleanliness.
Something we Filipinos need to adapt.

There are still more photos to share,
I'll be posting it in my other website, Mon Journal de Voyage
Feel free to drop by and leave a comment or two. ^0^

" Around Americamura "

when you see this peculiar lamp post that's shaped like a human stick, then one thing's for sure..
You're in America-Mura or Amer-Mura for short.



what it is?!
click this to know more...
thanks to wikipedia...

things you'd see around this area... cool fashion trends, unique architecture and more!



this one looks like it came from a music album. cool art!



around this area is the usual get up of the guys.



is this a cool ensemble or what?!




This pretty in pink store seems mediocre to someone who's not familiar about Cosplay
but it is most certainly famous for its "Lolita" outfits.



Stepping inside the store is like being in the set of Alice in Wonderland.


except for the word Americamura, everything's just American inspired.

and if ever you get lost...



Be sure to look for a "Koban" - a friendly and helpful police station that will take you to
where you wish to head.




and look at this cute girl... ^0^ oops! I think she caught me.

Grrr said the Gorilla.. I think it's a pet store.



Octopussy galore!




It was around 2pm already and our stomach's making these weird sounds,
we opted to have lunch at Sukiya, it's fast, cheap and tasty.



While ordering, I got lost in translation, my japanese was so bad that the waitress and
I have to do the hand gesture thing, but finally, we did have the yummiest lunch ever! ^0^



now this store, it sells anything and everything and i mean literally.



foodie...


toy camera...


cute musical rabbit toy...


except for the prices which is a bit steep, i'm sure you'd find something that's right for you.

" Osaka walks "

Walking around Osaka was nothing but fun, fun, Fun.
For those (like me) who likes to wander around in no particular place,
while shopping, then take fotos,
see a bit of culture, eat yummy foods and
perhaps have a good time, then head to Osaka. ^0^
First Impression,
This city clearly reminds me everything about Hongkong. (except the people.)
I can't describe it but even with all the lights, Osaka isn't Tokyo and vice versa.

I wish I could summarize this post into one entry, but there's so much to explore,
plus we got more free time here than in Tokyo.
So I wish you're still awake and not yawning despite my non-Manila post.

* Trivia:
There's always a rift between the Tokyo people and Osaka and it all
goes back to its history (a long story to begin with). ^0^
Our tour guide told us that Tokyo people hated Osaka because they're rude, blunt and they always complain.
On the other hand, Osaka people hated Tokyo for their backstabbing and pretending to be nice kind of attitude.
Oh well, regardless though, I think both cities has lots to offer and they're both interesting.

I thought I'd begin with the streets of Mido-suji and Namba, but first, here's another view from our hotel.


I've always wondered why we couldn't design colorful manholes like this here.
all it takes is just a little imagination.



and so many 自転車- Bicycles = they're parked everywhere!


a typical side street,
the foto doesn't show but it's very windy at that time.


looking at the sky and the edifices.


a street scene crossing Dotonbori.
It's cloudy with slight rainshowers when we were there.


the thing I love about Japan is looking at its sky,
it's just around 5in the afternoon, but it looks like evening already,


a posh mall called Namba Hips and its astounding architecture that's impossible to missed.


and Namba Hips in a hint of gray.



Inside Nankai Namba Station...


a small kiosk inside the station...


There's a passageway that links our hotel to Takashimaya, but don't be fooled,
It's a long cut that lead you all the way to its shopping area.



Takashimaya on your right, further ahead is Tower records, on your left is a well known sort of Night market area.


and here's " Us " playing with our shadows.