First Day of Snow

First day of snow in 2006

It wasn't my first time to ever experience snow but it was my first to experience it in Japan and as an adult. It was a Saturday and we were supposed to leave for Manila the following day. Knowing that it could be our last business trip to Japan, we scheduled a trip to Tokyo Disneyland. Unfortunately, we had to change our plan because of the snow. According to some news that day, it was one of the heaviest snowfall Tokyo had experienced in years. This was taken on January 21, 2006.

Ichiran Ramen

Ichiran's Customizable Ramen

My first taste of Japan's popular ramen. This was officially introduced to me by, if my memory serves me right, Henrison. He was also in Japan at the time on a 2-year intra-transfer contract. This was taken on January 14, 2006. Four years later, I brought some of my AOTS classmates to the same shop. Jenny, Metz, and Metz's classmate were also there to join us.

Ameyoko Chocolates

Chocolates

In NSP, it's tradition to give chocolates or sweets from Japan to the whole office (or at least the teammates) whenever an engineer is sent to Japan either for training or business trip. Back then, I would give the boxes (Pocky) to my family and a few close friends. I would then distribute the packs of chocolates to the rest of the office (2 to 4 pieces each). This photo was taken on January 10, 2006.

Sunday Work

Sunday at the Office

Here are some photos of our workplace in Mita Kokusai Building. You won't see any other employees in the photos since these were taken on a Sunday (January 8, 2006). We were "requested" to come to work since we were already delayed on our testing and bug-fixing schedule.

Strike Freedom Gundam

Strike Freedom Lightning Edition

One of the two model kits I bought from Japan during my first business trip. This is my largest Gundam model kit (1/60) to date (not that I'm planning to buy another one). These photos were taken on January 1, 2006.

UST in 2005

UST in 2005

Before the Quadricentennial Square, there was Colayco Park, where students during our time would hang out with their friends, practice dance numbers and other similar performances. These photos were taken on Christmas Eve of 2005. At that time, the two-level car park was still under construction and Plaza Mayor is non-existent.

Recycled Lanterns

Christmas lanterns made from recycled materials

These parols were hung along the covered walk near UST High School during a visit on Christmas Eve of 2005. The lanterns were made out of recycled materials by, presumably, students.

Local Train

Local train to Narita Airport

Here's a photo of a local train (stops at every station) taken while I was waiting for a limited express train (stops at major stations only) at Aoto station going to Narita Airport. This was taken on December 10, 2005.

Sound Activated

Here's a short clip of a bunch of sound-activated plastic animal toys. Put them together in a group and you'll have hours of fun and entertainment. These were being sold in one of the gift shops at the 45th floor of the TMG Building.

Tokyo at Dusk

Collection of Tokyo dusk photos

Here are some photos of Tokyo taken from the 45th floor of the TMG Building at dusk. The silhouette of Mt. Fuji is also visible from the observation deck. These were taken on December 3, 2005.

Tokyo in a Nutshell

Each of these artworks features one or more places of interest in Tokyo. The easily recognizable ones include Minato, Akihabara, Shinjuku, and Shibuya. These were displayed in an exhibit in the TMG Building. These photos were taken on December 3, 2005.

On Top of Tokyo

The TMG Building is one of the best places to get a panoramic view of Tokyo. Each of the two towers has an observation deck on the 45th floor. Entrance is free of charge, so you don't have to wait for your birthday, as in the case of Tokyo Tower. These photos were taken on December 3, 2005.

Shinjuku Saturday

These photos were taken while on our way to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building on December 3, 2005. The set includes pictures of Takashimaya Times Square and NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building, one of the tallest clock towers in the World.

Pigeons on Street

While walking around the vicinity of Tokyo station, I stumbled upon this generous Japanese who was feeding a bunch of pigeons. This was taken November 27, 2005.

Tokyo Tower at Night

Tokyo Tower during Christmas Season

I was surprised to see a slightly different Tokyo Tower on the 1st of December, 2005. My Canon PowerShot S2 IS camera did a good job "stabilizing" the image. A lovely sight after a long night in the office.

Tokyo Imperial Palace

I decided to do a solo exploration of Tokyo after Rinnel and Mark opted to stay in the hotel on November 27, 2005. With practically no research and planning, I just followed my instinct and got off at Tokyo Station, then walked aimlessly until I stumbled upon the Tokyo Imperial Palace.

Around Tokyo Station

It was my first time to go out on a weekend by myself. After going for a walk around Magome, I decided to go to the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Before reaching my destination, I spent an hour or so around JR Tokyo Station and took a bunch of photos. These were taken on November 27, 2005.

Tokyo Subway

This is a short video of the subway train that would take us to our hotel near Magome station. This was taken after our visit to Tokyo Tower on November 17, 2005.

Magome to Nishi-Magome

One Sunday (November 27, 2005) morning, when Rinnel and Mark chose not leave the hotel, I decided to take a walk around the vicinity of Tokyo Inn. Since we always took the subway train to Mita, we never really got the chance to see what's around our hotel. So that day, I took my time and walked from Magome station to Nishi-Magome station. I also snapped a few photos along the way.

Bandai Musuem

These photos were taken during our visit to Bandai Museum on November 26, 2005. At that time, it was still located in Mastudo, Chiba. I'm a huge fan of numerous Gundam series and I have a small collection of various model kits (a.k.a toys) with scales ranging from 1:144 to 1:60. My chance to visit the Gundam Museum surely satisfied my inner child.