This beautiful piece of work may have been already taken down and there may already be about a billion pictures of this amazing robot in the net but I’m still uploading mine

To all those who have seen it, this moving, life-sized Gundam replica was truly an amazing sight!

(And from the looks of it, it seems like the world-wide recession means nothing to the Japanese. The RX-78 Gundam spits on recession’s face!)

Going from unemployment to re-employment and everything else in between, I can’t believe I have left this blog festering in cyberspace for more than 3 freakin’ months. What a total waste.

Went to catch the Terminator Exhibit being held at the  National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation/ Miraikan in Odaiba, Tokyo last Saturday. In conjunction with the Terminator Salvation release and I suppose as a celebration to the fragile bond between Man and Machine, an exhibition of the robots, artworks and actual costumes used in the Terminator movies and series are being displayed until June 28.

I was expecting more props and robots to be showcased but nonetheless, the exhibit was still interesting and the robots and production tidbits were enlightening. It was a cool experience to see the actual robots and artworks used in some of the most unforgettable movies of all time. I’ll be back.

Terminator Exhibition – Battle or Coexistence?

Appearance: The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Terminator Salvation

“Death rendered in steel” as James Cameron would put it. The T-800 is designed to look and act like human. Made of a yet undiscovered, ultrastrong alloy, the T-800 likes to wear dark glasses and has a knack for spilling unforgettable, comical one-liners.

Appearance: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

The T-X appeared in the what I think is the worst Terminator movie in the pack. A combination of the skeletal T-800 and the mighty morphing T-1000, this Terminator is the first to bring future weapons back to the present. T-X portrayed by Kristanna Loken is also the hottest Terminator to date.

Appearance: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Named after  Terminator’s creator, James Cameron, Cameron Phillips/TOK715 is the Terminator sent to protect John and Sarah around 1999. The TO715 is disguised as a beautiful, petite, teenage infiltrator.

Appearance: Terminator3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation

The T-1 is an autonomous military robot with a rather anthropomorphic head, sensor eyes, gatling guns for arms, a torso that swivels like a human and caterpillar tracks for legs.

Appearance: Terminator Salvation

Hydrobots are serpentine aquatic units that move in swarms and patrol the waters.

Appearance: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Terminator Salvation

The sinister-looking T-600 units are covered in a sheet of rubber skin meant for espionage and infiltration purposes. The T-600’s are superseded by the newer and more advanced T-800s.

Appearance: Terminator Salvation

Moto-Terminators  are high-speed pursuit units using motorcycle chassis. In the Terminator Salvation scene where John Conner reprograms a Moto-Terminator for use, I just can’t help but think of Batman’s Batpod and wait for Christian Bale to spill his line: “I’m Batman.”

By the way, In the movie John Conner also uses a Vaio UX Micro PC.

Other highlights of the exhibit were the Actroid DER3 and a creepy, almost real-looking moving arm. The Actroid DER3 is a humanoid robot with strong visual human-likeness developed by Osaka University and manufactured by Kokoro Company, Ltd. The Actroid DER3 can move and talk – like, whoa!

Isn’t this robotic arm just amazingly creepy!

More pictures can be seen here.

UP Naming Mahal

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The clip above was sung by The UP Concert Chorus and I think is one of the best renditions of the UP anthem. The last time I sang this song was during my sister’s graduation from law school and I remember feeling smug rising from my chair as this song was sung while the othersians, unworthy, stayed seated on their chair. I am also filled with pride every time I raise my right fist in sync to the song as the anthem ends. I just love UP!

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Anyway, I suppose I just miss UP and all the wonderful things there is in the campus like isaw and fishball, the sunken garden and my college friends that I was prompted to make this post.

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And maybe because I also want to share my pictures of UP too

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My sister introduced me to Lenore back in college and I just loved her ever since! I mean, isn’t she just adorable in a sick kind of way?

Roman Dirge, Lenore’s creator is one a sick, twisted, tormented, talented guy.

Got your nose!

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Got this picture from the SOTM website. I can’t help but think how true this quote is. I curse the early years of my Catholic education. Why the hell have I been behaving too well?

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I took this picture early April when the wind was still chilly and spring was just about on its way to start. I was taking the daily route from my apartment to my office when I found these beauties growing between the cracks of a concrete wall. It was a cold, cold morning. I had woken up on the wrong side of the bed… or should I say futon and I was practically grumbling about everything there is to life. I was taken aback when I saw these flowers. It must have been hard for these flowers to survive given their harsh environment but they are alive and they are beautiful nonetheless. Their grey, solid and rough background makes them stand out more. How is that for beauty amidst adversity!  I went to my office with a lighter heart and a spring to my step. Didn’t know flowers could have that effect on me but I’m glad I was inspired

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Swimming through the tank
He dreams of being caught and
Poisoning the chef

Source

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This is listed as one of those things I just had to do before I die. Well, hoping not exactly right before I die but a little way before allowing me to live and share my experience in the least – eat some deadly blowfish.

I first read about the fish and the art of risking one’s life in eating it in some National Geographic magazine we had when I was kid. Fugu it was called and was a delicacy found in Japan. Fugu was of such high praise that the Japanese pay millions of yen a year and actually endanger their very lives to eat it.  They knew of the impending peril and even inspired haikus such as (translated):

“I cannot see her tonight
I have to give her up
So I will eat fugu”

- Yosa Buson (1716-1783)

and

“Last night he and I ate fugu,
Today I help carry his coffin”

- Anonymous

and such maxims as

“To throw away life, eat blowfish.”

but still ate fugu anyway.  I became very intrigued with what was with fugu that was just  to die for. I swore to taste some before I die. Again, hopefully not exactly right before I die.

Being an expat to Japan, I had a lot of opportunity asking friends around how fugu was like. Unfortunately, the  fugu reviews of my friends were mostly underwhelming – the fish was bland and well, they didn’t die However, the thought of playing Russian roulette with fugu still has its pull on me, so when my friend, Justin invited me for some fugu dinner, I gave a definite yes

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Clockwise: Koike-san, Justin, Tha, Jem

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We went to this fugu specialty restaurant in Chofu-shi called とらふぐ (to-ra-fu-gu: tiger blowfish). Apparently とらふぐ has a lot of branches and was quite popular which made our choice rather safe and lessened the odds of our premature deaths

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Fugu was a bit pricey compared to an ordinary Japanese dinner-out meal but it wasn’t as pricey as I had expected. I was expecting to spend more than 10,000 yen (~$100) for my fugu dinner as most western websites I’ve read said it would cost an arm and a leg but it only cost me around 5,000 yen. However, I think 5000 yen is  still freaking  expensive given that it might already cost you your life

Justin spent the most  among us since he was also the bravest to try some 白子 (shirako) or Fugu sperm sac. Well, he didn’t know what he ate  until he got home and searched it in the internet though

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Most of us ordered the fugu 6-course meal which included 皮刺し (torafugu skin sashimi)、とらふぐ刺し身 (torafugu sashimi) 、とらふぐなべ (torafugu nabe)、なべ皮 (torafugu skin nabe) and 雑炊 (rice gruel).

Before actually going to the restaurant I did a couple of research and found that one fugu has enough Tetrodotoxin (pufferfish poison) to kill 30 people. Tetrodotoxin is 100 times deadlier than cyanide and is 160,000 times more potent than cocaine. Tetrodotoxin is also used in the voodoo art of zombification and causes nerve paralysis which can lead to a very painful death via aphyxiation. Some 14 people died from fugu between 2002 and 2006 and in 1975, fugu liver cost Japan’s then living national treasure, Kabuki actor Bando Mitsugoro VIII his life. Nevertheless, what the heck. I still want to eat fugu.

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I am rather adventurous when it comes to anything but this is the first time I’ve actually put my life in the line for food.   I was anxious.

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The waiter first served 皮刺し (torafugu skin sashimi) which looked rather like colorless rinds of orange peel.  It was time to dig in. Alas, to taste death! I have been waiting for this moment for about 18 years. I took my first bite and savored it. What followed came as a shock. Death tasted like… well it didn’t taste like anything. It has no taste at all.  It was also firm and crunchy It reminded me so much of the gulaman in the Filipino refreshment sago’t gulaman

What was the big fuss? Did I just blow 5000 yen on something  I could get the same satisfaction with sago’t gulaman? I savored eating more of the fugu skin. Torafugu Skin Sashimi is eaten with spring onions and ponzu sauce. It was growing on me. Hey, what do you know, it was delicious!

Up next was the semi-translucent とらふぐ刺し身 (torafugu sashimi) which was served elaborately arranged to form a chrysanthemum. Ironically, the chrysanthemum is also the Japanese flower of choice for funerals I’ve read somewhere that the chrysanthemum is also Japan’s national flower and fugu is also the only dish forbidden to be eaten by the emperor. Fugu is indeed ironic.

I’ve read that fugu sashimi is supposed to be as “subtle as the fragrance of spring rain dripping upon a stone”. I had absolutely no idea what that zen crap actually meant but it was again time to dig in.

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Torafugu Sashimi is eaten with chives and spring onions and dipped into the same ponzu sauce (dark soy sauce + mirin + lemon juice)  served with the Torafugu Skin Sashimi. I’d say I like the Torafugu Skin Sashimi better.  After finishing the plate, I couldn’t still quite get the “subtle as the fragrance of spring rain dripping upon a stone” thing but it’s mild taste together with the sauce’s flavor was delicious nonetheless.

And what do you know, I am still alive

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とらふぐなべ (torafugu nabe/torafugu hot pot) and なべ皮 (torafugu skin nabe/torafugu skin hot pot) was served next. The soup was to be cooked in a paper basket which I thought was really cool.

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The fugu meat was still moving when it was served which was a bit freaky but was also awesome thinking of how skilled the chef was at his art

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Fugu meat looks a lot like chicken and the fugu skin imprints are snake like. It doesn’t look anything like  fish at all. It looked more like some alien creature from another galaxy. Since the meat was still moving when it was served, I kind of felt sorry for the fugu when we put them inside the boiling water

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The fugu nabe was tasty. Fugu meat however was a bit tough. My lips were also starting to itch Was this supposed to be the addictive, tingling, novocaine-like effect that comes with eating fugu? I don’t think the itchy feeling was addictive, though and it sure didn’t feel like novocaine I sure was feeling pretty happy though

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After we’ve finished the last piece of our fugu nabe , rice, eggs, onion leeks and some more herbs were put into the our fugu nabe’s remaining broth. The outcome looked so much like doggers But don’t let the appearance fool you. The Rice Gruel was tasty and as hobbits would say would “fill in the corners” of your tummy.

It was a fun night spent with friends. No one broke into seizures which made the night rather normal but fugu is by no means underwhelming It was aslo Justin’s birthday the next day and he is still around to celebrate yet another year

I’ve survived fugu! I’m still around to tell about it. Maybe I’ll try some fugu liver someday for more action. Now that would be exciting

Just when I thought I’ve heard it all, I read this:

OMG, this is way too far out!  This beats any Filipino telenovela I know

Fact is indeed stranger than fiction.

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One of the things I’ve been looking forward to most ever since I came to Japan is the sakura or the cherry blossom season.

Up until now, I have only seen sakura from movies or pictures and has always thought that the falling petals would evoke a strong feeling of sentimentality and would make you ponder on the transience of life.  I blame it all on Makoto Shinkai’s anime, 5 Centimeters per Second (秒速５センチメートル) and Yamazaki Masayoshi’s song, One More Time One More Chance.

I don’t know if I’ve just become dense but I did not find the season as sentimental as I thought I would. Maybe it’s because the actual sakura flower viewing or Hanami (花見） is actually a festive event and is marked by drinking booze and merry making starting at noon

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Nonetheless, the blooming sakura trees are indeed a breath taking sight. My poor photography skills did not do them justice

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Come to think of it, when you do really ponder on it, life is indeed like the sakura, beautiful and fleeting.