My Tokyo Ticket

Cracks. Gags. Puns. These are the bombing stuffs always present in the classroom. Mostly after a vacation break. Trips out of town, or some out of the country even. Beaches, resorts and springs. Or mountains, views and vintage places. Each of my classmates has his story to tell. Good for them. I always think. As I keep myself busy listening to their stories-- different versions, different variations. But not anymore. Since I had my trip to Tokyo, at least now, I have my own to share.

It was not a typical vacation, it was a beneficial activity of an organization our school is belonging to. OISCA seminars and training have never been more exciting since I'd been joining here for four consecutive years now. But going to Japan? I am not comfortable at first, I am afraid and my parents are too. But this one would probably be the greatest above all-- and that's I'm sure of.

With my OISCA buddy in school, Mr. Hilbert Marco Panginen and my sister Ariane, we went to Manila seven days before my flight to study such things as Japanese language, our presentations and reports unfolding the hidden glamour of the nation and many more. We stayed at White plains village, the official partner of OISCA in Manila. There, we met some of the executives of OISCA International and told us to enjoy the entirety of the activity.

Together with two other Filipino representatives from Nueva Viscaya and three guiding OISCA teacher coordinators, our flight commenced one sunny Saturday morning. Bursting with advices and reminders, I became a mixture of emotions. Gloom for my temporary leaving, and extreme excitement for a surely ecstatic moments waiting to happen.

NAIA. I hold onto my chest as my coordinator gave me the ticket. I was stoned for a second. Series of thoughts began to flash in my mind. I started wondering on the world beyond the plane ride.

It was plain incredible. The airplane, the window, the view and the cloud as if I was in a telenovela portraying a character of a guy who is leaving for the girl he loves. Imaginations are all on. But as onerous stiffness hardly hit my neck and back, I began resting. Breathe. And relax.

After four hours of flying across the airfield, we were there safe and sound. As I walk down the stairs, some OISCA personnel welcomed our team. I was still in stagger. I turned around and took a glance of my surrounding. Is it real? No, it was just a wonderful dream. That's what my mind keep on telling me until my eyes landed on a gigantic shiny letters put on the sidewall: HANEDA AIRPORT, TOKYO, JAPAN.

Tall buildings, huge infrastructures, clean and wide long roads where you can only see fallen leaves of cherry blossoms. A portrait of place I'd never seen in the Philippines. I felt the breezy sensation with the absence of whirlpool winds and gusts but the existence of autumn period. Our arrival day was supposedly allotted for resting but as electrifying excitement rose above tiredness, we decided to go out and have some brief look to the whole picture of my stay.

Our interim shelter was a village owned by OISCA International. Houses after houses aligned. A welcome party was held then initiating a good friendship between us Filipinos and other nationalities. With festive themed party, delicious dishes, juices and wines, and Japan's best noodles and sushi. It was perfect, I can say.

The following days were all spent for fieldtrips, programs and interviews. We had a culture exchanging program with AEON cheers club. Talks about culture, beliefs and traditions had never been as interesting as this. I have learned about the Indian and Japanese ways of living. Each nation also presented a traditional nor cultural dance known in their country. And for us, we rendered a graceful Lapay and Itik- Itik dance. However, the day ended with an environmental study expedition of AEON Funabashi.

UN University was the destination as the day preceded. We have a short activity with Japanese youth. Huge spaces, broad centers, spacious rooms with narrow sideways for bicycle riders and an over-all international school outlook had welcomed me. Along the corner of the campus, a forest connecting to the sea fascinated me. It was Manazuna. Flurry whirls of gusts and whizz of buzz surrounded the place and it was a stupendous viewpoint to see a paradise unfolding in the middle of modernity.

After few days, I tried assessing myself. And I came up with a marvelous endpoint. Prime of the prime observations and surveillances was an absolute bliss. I never thought I could be happy as this. And besides, never in my wildest dreams that I could survive a life alone in wilderness. And to my most staggering surprise, I never craved to something I am unaware of-- until these days of my wonders existed.

A chain of activities succeeded afterwards. A wander to the famous Saitama City by OISCA Metropolitan Branch, Ochinawa Elementary School and FPCO-Recycle Factory with a succession of interview sessions at Bellmark Academic Foundation and Cosmo Energy holdings.

But what touched my heart the most is the traditional setting as we moved to Ibaraki and Ibaraki Nature Museum. With protracted and lengthy logs placed adjacent to the edge of the area, puffs of leaves which at first look were like brushes of light to dark greeny shades and a pastel blue and sprinkles of white tint covered the clouds and sky.

Moreover, our trip was not about the luxury-- never at all. It was not about beaches, white sand, blue water, resorts or springs, not even a mountain climbing, extreme outdoor acts or tours to some extra expensive destinations. It was just living in a simple village, sheltering ourselves with typical gears, being sociable and contented. That's it. And it is inimitable to any kind of magnificence.

With all the fascinating views and aspects, priceless friendships and memories and matchless photograph of everything, still the Philippines is unique and unrivalled to any other fabulous spots I had just seen.

My short stay there had occupied a steady space in my memory. With the smallest stuffs and matters up to the tallest roofs and rides, I realized, my Japan journey does not end with ten days as it will surely be a travel of my verve and realm.

Clothes. Shoes. Costumes. These are the things I bring as I went to Japan. But when I came home, I brought something more than these two baggages-- a luggage of learnings, a bulk of friends, a mount of experiences and a panorama of a dream came true.