it was quite an experience indeed...
Japanese invasion: Memoirs of a Kaisa (member)
By Sheryl Ann Chua
-----------------------------------------------------
* “I wl leave for Japan soon, My baggage
is so heavy becz I have many thing 2
bring back 2 Japan. Most important
thing I back to Japan is memory of
staying here in Philippine!! Malaming
salamat po☺”
-Yumiko Yamasaki, UN Volunteer
-----------------------------------------------------
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. It’s ironic that I had to start this article with that statement when so many new
things are presenting itself to Kaisa.
I was sort of unexpectedly “tasked” to work with the volunteers. Yes, I have heard of them as soon as they arrived, or even before
that. For the reason that my sister, Anabel Chua-Lim, took some of our furniture without much explaining, all I know is that she
has Japanese guests, but I had no idea that they were University students signed for an IT volunteer program, and for Kaisa! My
sister, not so vocal as always.
My job was to simply help with the design of the new site, the colors, the layout and suggested images, etc. Our exchange of ideas
was fully appreciated by both sides, learning a lot of new things from each other. So, three (3) months of Tuesdays and Friday
meetings passed. The two new websites by two volunteers, Chikako Miyamoto and Yumiko Yamasaki, are now up and running. This
is also the case for the other two volunteers: Nozomi Sugahara and Masaya Inokuchi, who were assigned to Pinoy-Rin and Prado
Farm, respectively. During the period of their stay, the country has undergone a lot. From the calamities to the EDSA Revolution
uprising, they have experienced Filipino Christmas and New Year, and almost all of Kaisa’s activities. Just call it perfect timing.
Now, I believe that time really flies by fast when you’re having fun.
The Japanese volunteers held a party at Chiki and Yumi’s place at the Royal Plaza, last Sunday, March 5. The four of them cooked
and prepared food themselves for the guests from UNDP and Kaisa. It’s funny when they told the story of how they had little time to
prepare. It turns out that the Royal Plaza doesn’t have electricity from 2am to 5am, so they started preparing just that same
morning. The food was not bad at all. Mostly, Japanese food highlighting the self-service demo of how to make/prepare a Temaki by
Nozomi and Yumiko; the tasty burger hand pressed and fried by Chikako herself, Yakitori and curry for the rice cooked by Masaya
himself. After everyone had dinner, they all shouted “Let’s play BINGO!” The game went on a bit differently, with the numbers
shouted without the letters and with numbers ranging up to 100?! Japan Bingo, maybe?☺
Kaisa board/members, in turn, bid farewell through dinner at the Circles Event Café at the Makati Shang-ri La last Wednesday, March 8.
Present were Deanie Ocampo-Go accompanied by her daughter, Eleonor Tsumura and Anabel Chua Lim with their husbands, Stella Gonzales,
Mia Trajano, Willy (surname), and me. The buffet was too much to pass up and the desserts were heavenly. If this is the way we say
goodbye, when is the next batch of volunteers coming?
Despite the number of ‘almost goodbyes’ and farewell parties, it is only when I read this text* from Yumi that it sank in to
me that they’re leaving already. My Tuesdays and Fridays will once again be just regular office days like any other. I will miss the
conversations, especially the casual talks, in English, but with grammar not at all of importance. I will, and I’m sure that everyone
else, who had an encounter with them, will truly miss their ever jolly faces and truly Japanese presence.
March 13, 2006
By Sheryl Ann Chua
-----------------------------------------------------
* “I wl leave for Japan soon, My baggage
is so heavy becz I have many thing 2
bring back 2 Japan. Most important
thing I back to Japan is memory of
staying here in Philippine!! Malaming
salamat po☺”
-Yumiko Yamasaki, UN Volunteer
-----------------------------------------------------
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. It’s ironic that I had to start this article with that statement when so many new
things are presenting itself to Kaisa.
I was sort of unexpectedly “tasked” to work with the volunteers. Yes, I have heard of them as soon as they arrived, or even before
that. For the reason that my sister, Anabel Chua-Lim, took some of our furniture without much explaining, all I know is that she
has Japanese guests, but I had no idea that they were University students signed for an IT volunteer program, and for Kaisa! My
sister, not so vocal as always.
My job was to simply help with the design of the new site, the colors, the layout and suggested images, etc. Our exchange of ideas
was fully appreciated by both sides, learning a lot of new things from each other. So, three (3) months of Tuesdays and Friday
meetings passed. The two new websites by two volunteers, Chikako Miyamoto and Yumiko Yamasaki, are now up and running. This
is also the case for the other two volunteers: Nozomi Sugahara and Masaya Inokuchi, who were assigned to Pinoy-Rin and Prado
Farm, respectively. During the period of their stay, the country has undergone a lot. From the calamities to the EDSA Revolution
uprising, they have experienced Filipino Christmas and New Year, and almost all of Kaisa’s activities. Just call it perfect timing.
Now, I believe that time really flies by fast when you’re having fun.
The Japanese volunteers held a party at Chiki and Yumi’s place at the Royal Plaza, last Sunday, March 5. The four of them cooked
and prepared food themselves for the guests from UNDP and Kaisa. It’s funny when they told the story of how they had little time to
prepare. It turns out that the Royal Plaza doesn’t have electricity from 2am to 5am, so they started preparing just that same
morning. The food was not bad at all. Mostly, Japanese food highlighting the self-service demo of how to make/prepare a Temaki by
Nozomi and Yumiko; the tasty burger hand pressed and fried by Chikako herself, Yakitori and curry for the rice cooked by Masaya
himself. After everyone had dinner, they all shouted “Let’s play BINGO!” The game went on a bit differently, with the numbers
shouted without the letters and with numbers ranging up to 100?! Japan Bingo, maybe?☺
Kaisa board/members, in turn, bid farewell through dinner at the Circles Event Café at the Makati Shang-ri La last Wednesday, March 8.
Present were Deanie Ocampo-Go accompanied by her daughter, Eleonor Tsumura and Anabel Chua Lim with their husbands, Stella Gonzales,
Mia Trajano, Willy (surname), and me. The buffet was too much to pass up and the desserts were heavenly. If this is the way we say
goodbye, when is the next batch of volunteers coming?
Despite the number of ‘almost goodbyes’ and farewell parties, it is only when I read this text* from Yumi that it sank in to
me that they’re leaving already. My Tuesdays and Fridays will once again be just regular office days like any other. I will miss the
conversations, especially the casual talks, in English, but with grammar not at all of importance. I will, and I’m sure that everyone
else, who had an encounter with them, will truly miss their ever jolly faces and truly Japanese presence.
March 13, 2006