Still drowning in awe with the past three days’ hectic adventure but like the usual story it must come to an end. So, I promised myself that I will be back and will visit other cities as well.👀

We had an early jumpstart for the day to pack our things and luggage. Looking at the souvenirs of this trip, sadness crept in. Nevertheless, I still have to be ready for our flight. It was quite a challenge to fix since more items were added but it was all worth it.🎒

The usual habit of ‘clean as you go’, by fixing the room the way it was on our first day was done. I love the minimalist style of our cozy hotel room! I slept soundly at the queen size bed for each night of our stay. In the morning, I marveled at the view of the city from our room’s window. A highly urbanized progressive city with tall buildings and establishments yet so clean and orderly.🌇

We lingered in having our breakfast on our last day at the hotel. Japanese cuisine/meals will always be my all time favorite. This trip made my tummy satisfied and happy. I gained weight and my cheeks became full.🥞

A bus picked us up in the hotel to airport. The weather was gloomy and the morning rain seemed to express my emotion. While in the bus, I saw an old woman in rain coat and holding an umbrella crossed the road. She seemed to be going to work. I admire the fact that Japan has high respect for the elderly and they still have them in their workforce. The foundation of this nation is deeply rooted.🇯🇵

After checking in, we roamed around the shops while waiting for boarding. I bought some items from our three day visit around Tokyo. I noticed that the price never varies in any shop we visited and even in their international airport. I purchased additional items for my family. I must say that I budgeted well because I still had much left of the pocket money. Then, finally, it was time for boarding. Till we meet again, Japan!✈️

I praise and thank the Lord for making this trip a reality. Arigatōgozaimashita, Lord God Almighty!❤️

Each Disneyland in any part of the world is touted as the happiest place on earth. This is so true for every child who gets to see and come to a kingdom of magnificent castles, Disney characters, awesome rides, amiable mascots, exciting attractions, souvenir shops, and a whole lot more. 🏰

So, we were bound to have a wonderful day at Tokyo Disneyland. We had our early sumptuous breakfast at the hotel and spent an hour at Shinjuku Garden to have more photos of the areas we had not yet explored. Then, we headed back to the hotel in time for our itinerary for the day to meet Mickey Mouse and Disney Friends.🎪

Though I wore two layers of clothing beneath my trench coat, I still felt chilly because the temperature was below 10*C. Anyhow, I conditioned myself that my outfit will keep me from shivering. I immensely enjoyed the children’s rides (very apt for me) and watched Mickey’s PhilharMagic in 3D. Afterwards, we saw people who had put mats on the ground of the Park, arranged themselves and seated properly while waiting for an upcoming parade. (Again, such discipline was consistently manifested.) This colorful parade route is entitled ‘Happiness is Here’ in which the Disney Friends shared many kinds of “happiness” that brought smile in everyone’s face.😀

After all the rides and watching of shows and parade, we took our early dinner at Grandma Sara’s Kitchen of Critter Country. The uniform and hairstyle of the servers matched the ambiance of the restaurant. They showed excellent customer service and the meals they served us were superb.🍛

We were already at the Park to watch the most anticipated parade. People lined up again in the same manner they did earlier. I was able to take some videos without any hindrances. Those who were before me were seated and would excuse themselves. While making a video of the show, deep inside I was wishing for my favorite niece (she’s the only one) to witness this spectacular nighttime parade. ‘Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights’ made the entire place alive with dazzling, colorful and brilliant lights to the tunes of Disney music. Tokyo Disneyland is the only Disney place that offers this unforgettable Disney entertainment.✨

One of the highlights to make our day complete is to meet Mickey Mouse. So we proceeded to Disney Character Greeting. It did not take long for us to be in line and I had a photo with this favorite Disney character.📷

The last nighttime entertainment was ‘Once Upon A Time’. A Disney tale to life was done through projection mapping on Cinderella castle followed by awesome fireworks in the sky. Our time at Disneyland had to end but the happiness will remain in our hearts.💥

Indeed, it was a marvelous day! The child in me loved every minute of our stay. So grateful that my heart burst with so much joy. Arigatōgozaimashita, Lord God Almighty!❤️

Punctuality is another outstanding trait of the Japanese. They come even before the scheduled time match with consistency and excellent customer service. No wonder why Japan is a first world country.⏰

The night before this day tour, our bosses gave us our brochures, tickets & maps. I got so excited because it would be a whole day to explore the City of Tokyo. I had a full breakfast meal not only because of the long day ahead but everything in the hotel’s breakfast buffet was really good. Then, we run and headed (as if we were left behind) to a bus waiting outside the hotel to pick us up and brought us to Hamamatsucho Terminal. We rode in the Hato Bus (the official tour bus) that was booked for the tour. Our Japanese tour guide immediately hopped in and conversed in English. After a few minutes of briefing about itinerary and rules to the tourists(us) on board (so tickled to be called tourist), we proceeded to our first stop.🚌

It started to drizzle when we got down at Meiji Jingu Shrine. I only used my light yellow shawl to cover my head as we headed to what seemed like a forest. Age-old and sky rocketing trees and mostly green surrounding welcomed us. I felt chilly while we were walking around and following the tour guide whose distinctive voice was clearly heard even if we lagged farther from him. My eyes were feasting on the scenery but concious that I shall not be apart from our group. So many rows of barrels of rice wine in various colors, sizes and labels per area can be seen around the temple. The arch of the roof and ceiling of the temple/building carries distinction of a Japanese culture and tradition. ⛩

Photos were taken and ready smiles kept showing despite the drizzle. Though, I was a bit distracted and began to worry that I will catch cold due to drizzling that turned into rain. The temperature dropped and it was very cold. Though I was wearing long sleeve heat tech shirt and long sleeve turtle neck beneath my synthetic leather jacket, these were not enough. As the rain poured down, we sought shelter in covered areas. In my mind, I kept saying, ‘rain, rain go away come again another day.’🌧

On our way out of the shrine, the rain had stopped yet we decided to buy an umbrella (I made sure that it’s made in Japan) in a shop near exit. Then, we hurried to go back to beat the 10 minutes allowance to be inside the bus for our next destination. It was a wise decision to buy an umbrella because the whole time we were on our second stop it was raining.☂️

There were many cherry blossom trees (I took more photos of it) at Sensonji Temple. The rain did not dampen our spirits to take photos while holding umbrellas over our heads. We maximized our time and stay. There were delicacies being sold that seemed so good but we cannot comprehend the label. Whew! Oh, also there were so much lovely variety of flowers in different sizes, shapes and colors. Then, an urgent call to leave was heard for our third stop.🌻

Forty minutes to view The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace was not enough. I was greatly impressed with the way they maintain and keep the gardens of an enormous lot area. The scenery from one garden to another brings hope and fresh beginning to a tired soul.📷

Still lingering in one of the gardens when we were reminded of time to get in our bus to Ginza for an hour lunch break. We were greeted by a grandiose lunch buffet and music upon entering a function room. This was one of the rare moments that I had eaten more than a full meal and kept coming back to buffet table just for the mouth watering deserts. Every dish was so delicious and healthy too!🍱

Aftewards, we were off to Tokyo Bay Cruise. We got inside the ship, Symphony and had a cruise ride for 20 minutes. We bought lovely souvenirs, enjoyed our time and braved the cold wind pressing on us at the upper deck. Gazing upon the water, I remembered using it and the ship as an illustration while teaching. No matter how huge the ship is in a vast water it is minute to look at. The ship in the midst of the sea/ocean is us/humans and the water surrounding it is the infinite love of God.⛴

For the next tourist attraction, we stopped by at Odaiba where a replica of Statue of Liberty can be seen. Heroic sacrifices of those before us paved to the freedom we have today. I was overwhelmed anew with this trip. Such a perfect time to be in a place like this. A flood of photo shots kept going for this one. It was indeed a strategic location and people loved the view.🗽

Before we knew it, the day was almost over. We stopped by at Tokyo Tourist Information Center Yurakucho. A Japanese Dance Activity was shown to promote tourism.The discipline and dignity of its people and rich culture of Japan are undeniably remarkable!🇯🇵

The Japanese tour guide was masterful and very responsible. He seemed tough but he cracked jokes while narrating history of the places he identified. He was also very proud of his nation’s heritage. Not only he efficiently managed the time interval of the day tour but he kept checking if all of us onboard

was complete and intact. Moreso, he even made sure that the bus was clean before the last leg of the tour. The work ethics of this man was truly amazing.👨🏻‍💼

Hato Bus dropped us off at Marunouchi Station at exactly 5:00pm and we waved goodbye to our tour guide. Our bosses met us there for our train ride and treated us for dinner at a diner in Tokyo Dome City. Again, it was a hearty meal. To cap our night, we had time to shop as we roamed the area.🏙

Our Panoramic Tokyo Day Tour was smooth, precise, educative, enjoyable and a great success. Truly, an amazing day of adventure. My heart just cannot contain the joy within me. Arigatōgozaimashita, Lord God Almighty!❤️

My cheeks felt the cold breeze brought by the drizzle that met us upon our arrival at Haneda International Airport. We’re officially in Japan! Our mobile cameras all set for the galore of photos to capture precious moments from hereon. Then, we proceeded to Hilton Tokyo to check in. Not only our room accomodation was upgraded by our generous bosses, my head and I received pocket money from them for our four day stay. Wow, God! You are amazing! So much blessing and we just arrived!✈️

Afterwards, we had a late lunch at Denny’s, just a walking distance from the hotel. I had my first taste of an authentic Japanese ramen. It was cold at first due to language barrier. The waiter was so apologetic and my ramen was served hot. Oh, and I obligingly finished it! 🍜

Our first stop to enjoy the scenery happened at Shinjuku garden, it is just nearby the hotel, we took advantage of it and took a lot of photos. So very glad that I finally see the lovely cherry blossoms! This trip will not be complete without these beautiful blossoms. So tiny, pink, lavender, white, and brighten up the entire garden.🌸

Then, it was announced that we’ll have dinner at Shibuya. I was enthused that I would get to see the much talked about Hachiku’s statue (I love dogs!) and cross at the famous Shibuya crossing. We had a long walk on our way to the train station but it did not matter. I just marveled at how the place is clean and orderly. As I keep walking, I felt that my new sneakers would never get dirty. Dignity and discipline characterize this first world country.👍

At the train station, people come and go but they are very disciplined in lining up even at the escalator, waiting for their turn, and assisted us when we asked for directions. Still, there was language barrier but they were very accomodating. Also, I noticed that Japanese were mostly engaged on their mobile phones and very quiet during the train ride.🚞

Our dinner at Royal Host was awesome. My bosses knew the food I cannot eat and made sure that I would have the right order. The picky eater in me just fell in love with Japanese meals that were served.🍵

On our way back to hotel while walking, we passed by a garden where a standee of the word, LOVE was built. We took turns in taking our photos. It was past midnight when we get to rest but my heart is so full on our first day. Arigatōgozaimashita, Lord God Almighty!❤️

A JOY TO MY HEART

When I was a teacher, I handled Grade Six (elementary grade level in the Philippines) as my supervisory class for many years. In 2002, I was still coping and grieving the loss of my beloved father when I had a batch of the brightest and most thoughtful students. Each one did shine at his/her best whether in academics or extra curricular. GOD put back the smile on my lips. Little did I know that one of them will be closest to my heart to this day.❤️

This young lass is fondly called ‘Dani’. She was not only an A1 student but an awesome singer and eloquent speaker. As she joined the interschool competition, she performed at her best and brought honor to her alma mater. In pursuing excellence, she had shown determination and perseverance. Most of all, she is so loving, respectful, sincere and loyal. 💖

Even after her graduation from elementary, we are keeping in touch. No time or distance could break the ties we have. One summer, when most students were on vacation, she planned a birthday surprise for me with her classmates. Then, when she was in high school she collaborated for another birthday surprise for me. I had photos captured to relive those precious moments.📷

I am grateful to GOD that I had seen her teenage years and witnessed her life’s milestones. She was already a freshman student in college when she sent a back to back long handwritten letter for me updating about her journey through college life.💌

On her 18th birthday, I was so amused that most of her guests called me her favorite teacher. A meaningful event unfolded as we all looked upon the entrance of Dani in the ballroom. The debutant was so lovely and glowing in her Bollywood attire. Sending her off officially as an adult in such a warm and joyous celebration made me teary eyed. My baby blossomed into beautiful person inside and out. She soared high but remained grounded.👩🏻‍⚖️

Afterwards, she graduated from college and pursued a career in the corporate world. Time and distance did not cut our ties. Our ramdom meet-ups have always been so fruitful and blessed moments. She even drove and brought me home though my place is too far on our last meeting. She has not changed but has become a better person.👍

Time flies so fast, she got engaged to a very respectful young man who introduced himself to me the first time I met him in a restaurant. He recognized my face because he had seen me through the photos of Dani. Then, two months ago, I received a wedding invitation from her. I would be able to see her walk down the aisle to her forever. 👰🏻A new season in her life is about to begin five days from now. My little girl is about to embark into a lifetime commitment.😭

I pray that the LORD will guide her in every step of the way as a wife to her husband and as a mother to their children. 🙏 Dani is one of my greatest blessings in life and will always be like my own daughter – a bundle of joy to my heart.❤️