Photo #246: September 1
“Ajin: Demi-human” appeared twice on my Netflix feed today, so I read its plot, which appealed to me. Within the first few seconds, I heard a familiar voice, and I was so happy to learn that Satoh Takeru’s the lead here! Excited to finish watching the movie, so I can talk about it with some students. Planning to watch the anime as well.
Photo #221: August 8
Started watching this Japanese drama entitled “Koi wa Tsuzuku yo Doko Made mo,” roughly translated as “love will last forever.” 😅 Three female teenage students recommended it, and yes, it’s good!!! A close equivalent of “kilig” in Japanese is “kyun kyun,” and that’s what I felt after one kid showed me a few TikTok videos featuring clips from the show. The lead actor is Satoh Takeru; yep, Kenshin! 😁 The lead actress (Kamishiraishi Mone), on the other hand, voiced Mitsuha Miyamizu in “Your Name.” 🙌
p.s. I’m watching this on Kiss Asian!
Photo #184: July 2
Huhu thank you for this super oishii aburi sushi pan, Kanzen Sushi Roll! Sooooo good!!! I miss buying your California maki for potluck reunions! It’s always a hit, especially among my young cousins! ✨🙌🤤
Photo #161: June 9
One of my loyal kids talked about a magazine she bought. She was so kilig and animated while discussing and typing the names of the various idols included in the issue. I had fun Googling them! #ikemen 😂😅
Photo #152: May 31
When I saw this sushi bake on Heart Baker by BiangFran ‘s IG stories, I just knew I had to order, and daaaaaaaaang, it’s super OISHII!!! Prepare not to share a can with anyone – it’s that yummy!!! Definitely getting this again! 👌🍣
Photo #24: January 24
Found a 3-week old diner by accident, and their takoyaki is soooo oishii! Check out Tokyo Style – Marikina! They also have ramen and rice meals. They are located at Purple Street, Concepcion Dos, Marikina.
p.s. mapanlinang slight, though: I was expecting a whole baby octopus haha pero more of tentacles lang, but still good!!! Or baka pala sa sobrang sarap, di ko napansin kung buo ba haha emshere! 😋🐙
Photo #17: January 17
TGFI! Have some tantanmen and gyoza! 🍜🥟
Photo #4: January 4
Some of my loyal students showed me their “nengajō” or New Year’s cards, and sending them to family, friends, co-workers, clients, etc. is a big thing in Japan. This one stood out because the student designed it himself, plus he included an actual message, not just the usual “Happy New Year!” He wrote about watching Japan vs. Scotland at the Rugby World Cup in Yokohama and being excited about the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics this year. Lastly, he thanked me for another year of teaching him, so I feel like I “received” this card, too! 
Photo #357: December 23
One of the things Japan is known for is their wide variety of capsule toys! Today, I learned that they are more popularly called “gacha” toys because of the sound the machines make when their knobs are turned. Anyway, what I thought was a character from My Hero Academia turned out to be Godzilla! I was a bit disappointed at first, but when I finally assembled it earlier, WOW IT’S SO COOL!!! 500 yen – worth it!!!
What The F! 