My Fourth Christmas in Japan - 2009

Since 2006, I celebrated my Christmas days in Kasai along with my beloved fellow Dash classmates and my SFC family! Where we showcase most of our talents and Pinoy delicious entrées… My friends can be the shyest people in the world but sure do, they know how to have fun! (Image is our 2009 Hollywood inspired theme for my fellow Dash co-workers and friends invitation)

Christmas (entire December) is a very important season for us, it’s like the happiest part of the year for reconciliation and gathering of family and friends…It’s like the best part of Pi..more like thanksgiving day in most Western countries. We celebrate the birth of Jesus with our usual rituals…nope, not blood compact or sacrificing animals at the altar -that’s way too old school. We celebrate Christmas with our Manito-Manita where we exchange gifts to specific people with names drawn by lots. I received a nice metallic color purse and a converse sneakers this year – first ever sneaker! I loved the way we exchange gifts singing to "I love my Manito yes I do! I love my Manito yes I do! I love my manito but I wont tell you!" coz it’s not the price of the gift but the thought of embracing the child in us…like believing once again that Santa Claus still exist!…

(Image: Dash/MPS Christmas Party 09 with Hollywood actors and actresses inspired! Indeed the best stage we made and the best Christmas that all of the people worked for this party! Thanks guys! L-R: Fe a.ka. Megan Fox, BB Jorg a.k.a Ben Stiller, Dione a.ka. Kate Beckinsale, Wenven a.k.a. Rowan Atkinson, Neri a.k.a Dorothy of the wizard of O, Bros aka Marlon Brando, Madz Jan a.k.a Kirsten Dunst Reza as Kathrine Heigl, Lloren as Shakira, Allan the funny guy as Lucille Liu - He actually nailed it!, May as Pocahontas and Manny as Timothy Olyphant!)

We also have a party where we start with a nice worshipping prayers to our King-God and thanking him for the bliss of the entire 2009…the year is ending by the way…though we had economic crisis but surely the year is not as bad compared to 2008. I hope though 2010 would be a great year of changes and improvements – I'm sure of that. (Image: Kuya Amboy and his group in Couples for Christ singing his original composition song - a Tagalog Christmas song! Very nice!)

More about the traditional Filipino party, it’s clean fun of music, dances, delicious food & parlor games with EXCITING prices at stake! Filipinos are the most resourceful people I know of in my entire life! I have seen American, Japanese, Chinese, Singaporean parties but my own is still the best – of course same goes with other races when they compare their own traditions with other traditions…you can dig?

(Image: Ate Gloria's performance of Choral singing mixed with freestyle ballroom dancing to the tune of Gloria...the grannies nailed it and won the contest!

This Christmas month is like the happiest ever and I’m sad to say might be my last. I hope not…I hope I still have great chances of extending in Japan coz I like it here very much!

(Image: I have a new career! Interpreter hehe...the judges of the carolling contest at Roppongi church with my boyfriend Lawrence (In yellow)..first time I brought him to Filipino gatherings and our friend Dan)..they sure had a wonderful time at the party and hard time to judge the winner...

Importing Car from Japan to Philippines

That is the car that I wanna buy from one second hand store near Tokyo (Fussa city to be exact). You would be surprise it only cost less that a thousand dollars and with the perfect running condition, great interiors. It's a 1995 Ford Mustang, left hand steering which is perfect for Philippine driving. Other features include driver airbag, power windows, perfect A/C, power seats and alloy wheels. It is of good quality and best of all it's a MUSTANG!!!

The Japanese are freaks with new things as they are always in tune with the new fashions, new gadgets, new cars, new houses, new trends...after all they wont be worth calling first world trendy country right? So most Japanese don't mind changing cars every now and then and it's even more practical coz maintennance fees are more expensive than the cost of a new car. They even pay some trading companies to get their old cars from their garages. Old furnitures, appliances and cars have to be thrown in a proper junk places and they have to pay up to $200 to get these trashes out of their homes or garages. The older the things the higher the cost of throwing it.

Anyways, cars from US and Europe are also imported to Japan. European cars are more on hit here coz they have the same right hand steering while US uses left hand drive...but both countries import cool cars that's why Japanese love them! However those cars from the 90's are not a good idea for Japan use so there are plenty of stockist that make it a business importing used cars to neighboring Asian, African and Carribean countries who would like to use and buy the used cars.

***To inform you these cars are way way cooler than those second hand cars that are sold in my country but the real headache is sending the car to the Philippines!...

Ok, I have an aunt who is working in Port of Mactan in Cebu as a costums assesor...she's got a lot of connections but despite of this I still have to pay for $2000 for the car I bought for 50% less...can you imagine??? So I am still evaluating if it will worth it - after all it's a Mustang!!! duhhhhh!! here I am again. I am actually mixed emotions...I cannot buy a Mustang in Pi for less than a thousand dollars and it's not a common car in Pi anyways...but the importing tariff and customs laws makes the work hard to accomplish - impossible to my senses that is....

The headache doesn't end there...the tariff approximately $2000 for a $1000 car is only upto Subic Bay in Manila and it might cost another $500 to ship it to Cebu...and will all the papers I have to file in BIR for it to be legal...shit! my heart is pounding in distress!!! The car would end up $3,000 - $4,000 worth or Php 200,000 in duties and taxes for it to be released - that's the worst case scenario!

Will I just keep on staring to this pix? or will I make a move? God what would Jesus do???