Back in Japan

I am actually in Japan now, savoring the pleasantly cool Spring weather. The sakura trees have already bloomed and the flowers have fallen down from the trees in some parts of Japan, but if the weather holds up, we’ll be seeing them as we traipse around Central Japan. This is my third trip to the country, and I’m hoping to find even more reasons to come back.

Looking through the entries, I was able to identify with the poster’s reasons, and I even found new stuff to try or visit.

Darwin got me looking at the JAXA website, which led to me discovering that some of their facilies are open for the public. The Tsukuba Space Center was promptly added to my itinerary.

Of course, there were also plenty of entries, like Sy’s, that got me craving for Japanese food, like the Sapporo miso butter ramen.

Seeing Jean‘s cherry blossom photo got me excited about the prospect of possibly seeing these wonderful trees in full bloom in Matsumoto.

Mariane‘s photo with a Hard Gay cosplayer is GOLD! I admire you and your friend’s willingness to stand so near a guy wearing leather hot pants.

I also love getting some pretty unique entries. Ironically, Didi‘s isn’t quite unique, as someone also posted a similar photo! It’s true though, pen lovers would go absolutely bonkers in Japan.

Of course, there were also some who exerted a lot of effort into their entries. Really, you guys are awesome!

Ron‘s watercolor geisha

@NinaWanders #WanderInJapan They say if you love something, you can have fun with it. I still have the composite file pic.twitter.com/onE9QWXlpK

— Nero (@meetjoeblackPH) March 27, 2014

Nero‘s Lupita Nihongo

Milet‘s kawaii scrapbook entry

Lecky‘s Yoda origami

Given how vague my contest mechanics are, the decision to pick the winner is entirely in my hands — no random.org or Rafflecopter to make the decision for me. In the end the winner was chosen when I asked myself the question, who loves Japan most?

Rochelle, with her 100 reasons.

In the interest of full disclosure, yes, she is my friend, but that’s not the reason why I picked her. She made 100 entries, and that was entirely her effort (finished in just two days, even!). Ikaw na teh.

Thanks again to all who joined the contest! I hope I can run another one of these again

I’m sure you’re wondering about the answers, so here they are:

1) What is traditionally served for lunch among the Portuguese?
Answer: Cozido a Portuguesa
Source: Day 4: Delving into Macau’s heritage and jumping off the Macau Tower
We headed to the Macau Military Club for lunch. What was waiting for us was the traditional Portuguese Sunday fare: Cozido a Portuguesa. It’s basically a meal that combines different kinds of sausages and meats, chicken, pork and beef. It was a buffet so you can pick your choice of meat. It was our first encounter with Portuguese-style sausages. I couldn’t remember the names of the two other sausages served, but I took quite a liking to the Portuguese blood sausage. The cozido is quite a heavy meal. Traditionally, it is followed by a siesta. Thankfully, our itinerary allowed us to have a siesta — we had free time after lunch.

2) In which book can you find this paragraph:
“Tourists, of course, are always other people; never us. We are different. We are travellers – intelligent, well-mannered and cultured, a blessing on our chosen destinations, a delight to have around. It’s a common attitude, and one that I have always found condescending and offensive, as well as inaccurate. If you travel away from home for pleasure, you’re a tourist, no matter how you like to dress it up.”
Answer: Encore Provence by Peter Mayle
Source: Memorable lines from my favorite travel books

3) Who was my guide at Angkor Wat?
Answer: Kim Soryar
Source: Day 3: Angkor Heritage Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Kim Soryar came highly recommended online. He was mentioned in the notes my sister-in-law’s officemate’s Cambodia trip research document. I googled his name, and found several forums that has members raving about his services. So I took a chance and e-mailed him, inquiring about his rates and itinerary. It turns out he’s available for the dates I needed a guide,and that his rates (and the tuktuk and driver’s) is within my budget, so I went ahead and booked for today.

4) What song is this busker singing?

Answer: Proud Mary
Source: The video of the busker singing can be found within the post “Hong Kong, the second time around.” He’s hard to understand due to the accent (when I first heard him singing, I didn’t even think he was singing in English). If you’re a Glee fan, you’d probably have guessed it upon hearing the chorus. But if you’re not, one way to find out is to Google “lyrics “rolling on the river”” Unfortunately, there’s a bit of a mix-up as some websites list that the song’s title is Rolling on the River

5) True or False: I’ve been to all countries in Southeast Asia
Answer: False
Source: 9 things I did when I was 29
My goal for this year was simple: complete visiting the 10 ASEAN member countries before my 30th birthday. Yes, I cheated; it was supposed to be Southeast Asia, but I knew I won’t be able to do East Timor this year. Brunei and Myanmar were the last two in my list and I ticked them off just in time.

Bonus Questions:
Bonus Question #1 (appeared on Twitter): Where did I encounter this toilet?

Answer: Tasmania, Australia
Source: Flickr photo page (answer appears in the tags)

Bonus Question #2 (appeared on RSS feed): Who’s my favorite travel author?
Answer: Peter Moore
Source: I met Peter Moore!
That’s why this time, I made sure I know what’s happening in Melbourne, and I take careful notes to the events I want to join. I purposely gave the Melbourne Cup a miss because even though it’s the biggest event here, I find that I’m not really interested in it (the Flemington Racecourse is just 10 minutes away, whereas I flew 800 kilometers for the Mardi Gras). One thing I didn’t pass on was the chance to attend the WordCamp Melbourne, and a chance to meet my favorite travel writer, Peter Moore.

Bonus Question #3 (appeared on Facebook): Where in San Juan can you try candied bacon?
Answer: Crystal Jade Xiao Long Bao Restaurant
Source: Just Wandering Facebook photos
Anyway, this is thinly sliced pork, fried with sesame seeds. Tasted like candied bacon. This is at Crystal Jade Xiao Long Bao restaurant in V-Mall, Greenhills

Bonus Question #4 (appeared on RSS): Which sporting event gives us reason to visit Bangkok every September or October?
Answer: Thailand Open
Source: Thailand Open 2010
“Those who follow Just Wandering on Facebook and Twitter would already know that I spent the weekend in Bangkok. If you recall, I was in Bangkok around the same time last year as well. The reason for heading to BKK last weekend was the same as last year’s: to stalk watch Rafael Nadal at the Thailand Open.“

Bonus Question #5 (appeared on Twitter): How did I find out about Manila Hotel’s Holiday Room Promo?
Answer: Carlos Celdran’s Tweet
Source: Just Wandering’s Facebook
I seldom open my Twitter, and the one time I did, I chanced upon Carlos Celdran’s tweet about Manila Hotel’s promo (http://on.fb.me/gmiXrw).

The final tally:
Karen Marty Dela Cruz – 2 raffle entries
Katrina Centeno – 2 raffle entries
Christopher Cunanan
Jordan Lazaro – 2 raffle entries
Chyng# – 2 raffle entries
Brian Madrid
dyanie – 2 raffle entries
joanna lau## – 2 raffle entries
BPS – 2 raffle entries
Rey Martin Canate – 2 raffle entries
Joy Mesina-Bahia*
ida* – 2 raffle entries
Sheila Espanol*
Kara Frances Mauricio* – 2 raffle entries
Dash Estefani – 2 raffle entries
Ruby Escalona*
Doris Domasian – 3 raffle entries
Chechel Estacio – 2 raffle entries
Ivy Manalansan* – 2 raffle entries
Raquel Lao# – 2 raffle entries
Melody Co#
Rotch* – 2 raffle entries
John Carlo Senas – 2 raffle entries
Edrick Sierra**
Kenneth Gonzalez**
Jon Sierra**
Jon Edrick Sierra**
Josephine Sierra**
Deza – 2 raffle entries
LOURDES ESPANOL*
Ezra Montemayor*
Julius#
Angel Juarez* – 2 raffle entries
tin zablan – 2 raffle entries
Rose Anne Cutie – 3 raffle entries
Emilhene Tan*
Dex# – 2 raffle entries
Deza# – 2 raffle entries
Connie Torres* – 2 raffle entries
Selina Gabriel# – 2 raffle entries
Anna Joson – 2 raffle entries
Sheila S. Acut* – 2 raffle entries

Names with an asterisk (*) means that you got one answer wrong, but you answered the bonus questions correctly, thus offsetting the wrong answer. You need to get ALL answers correctly if you want to get 3 raffle entries.

Names with two asterisks (**) means that though you scored at least 6 and above, I’m giving you only 1 raffle entry each since I have strong reasons to suspect you are just one (or 2) persons using different combinations of your name and e-mail address in an attempt to get more entries in.

Names with a hash (#) means that you got 9 out of 10 questions correctly!

Names with two hash (##) means that while you got all 5 bonus questions correctly, you made some mistakes with the main questions.

And the winner is…

BPS

Congratulations, you got your basket of goodies! I’m sure your friend will appreciate the items you’ll be sharing with her

1. What is traditionally served for lunch among the Portuguese?
2. In which book can you find this paragraph:
   “Tourists, of course, are always other people; never us. We are different. We are travellers – intelligent, well-mannered and cultured, a blessing on our chosen destinations, a delight to have around. It’s a common attitude, and one that I have always found condescending and offensive, as well as inaccurate. If you travel away from home for pleasure, you’re a tourist, no matter how you like to dress it up.”
3. Who was my guide at Angkor Wat?
4. What song is this busker singing?

5. True or False: I’ve been to all countries in Southeast Asia

If you answer all five questions correctly, you automatically qualify the raffle. You can up your chances (or make up for wrong answers) by answering the bonus questions, which were given out through Twitter, Facebook and the RSS feed. Answers must be submitted through this form. Contest mechanics, terms and condition can be found in this post.

What do you get for all that effort? A chance to win this basket of goodies (basket not included):.

• 1 Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring guidebook
• 1 Sea to Summit 8L Dry Sack
• 1 Aquazorb Ultra Thin microskintec towel
• 1 Travel Essentials Small Packing Cube
• 1 Travel Essentials Pack It packing list
• 1 box Ziploc Storage Bag (Quart size, 25 pieces)
• 2 packs travel and cushion compression bag
• 1 Team Manila passport cover
• 3 pcs Team Manila bag tags
• 1 Universal power adaptor
• 4 pcs Muji liquid container (may differ from what is pictured)
• 1 foldable ecobag

Here’s a partial list of readers who already qualified for the raffle:
Karen Marty Dela Cruz – 2 raffle entries
Katrina Centeno – 2 raffle entries
Christopher Cunanan
Jordan Lazaro
Chyng – 2 raffle entries
Brian Madrid
dyanie – 2 raffle entries
joanna lau*
BPS – 2 raffle entries
Rey Martin Canate – 2 raffle entries
Joy Mesina-Bahia*
ida* – 2 raffle entries
Sheila Espanol*
Kara Frances Mauricio* – 2 raffle entries
Dash Estefani – 2 raffle entries
Ruby Escalona*
Doris Domasian – 3 raffle entries
Chechel Estacio – 2 raffle entries
Ivy Manalansan* – 2 raffle entries
Raquel Lao# – 2 raffle entries
Melody Co#
Rotch* – 2 raffle entries
John Carlo Senas – 2 raffle entries
Kenneth Gonzalez**
Deza – 2 raffle entries
LOURDES ESPANOL*
Ezra Montemayor*
Julius#
Angel Juarez* – 2 raffle entries

Names with an asterisk (*) means that you got one answer wrong, but you answered the bonus questions correctly, thus offsetting the wrong answer. You need to get ALL answers correctly if you want to get 3 raffle entries.

Names with a hash (#) means that you got 9 out of 10 questions correctly!

Names with two asterisks (**) means that though you scored at least 6 and above, I’m giving you only 1 raffle entry each since I have strong reasons to suspect you are just one (or 2) persons using different combinations of your name and e-mail address in an attempt to get more entries in.

Just to remind you, the answers to the questions can and MUST be found in Justwandering.org and in the Just Wandering Facebook Page. Don’t just pick the answers off Google! (Though Google does play a big part in looking for the correct answers.)

You need to get 5 points to qualify for the raffle. This means you either answer all 5 questions correctly, or answer a bonus question to offset the wrong answer. Entries with 6-9 points get 2 raffle entries, and those getting a perfect score of 10 gets 3 raffle entries.

Only 3 bonus questions have been released, but you can send in your answers now if you want to see how you fared. You can also wait until all the questions are out before submitting, so you can just answer the questions in one go. Don’t worry, you can submit your answers several times, but note that only the latest entry will count. Be sure that all the answers are there if you’re aiming for the perfect score! So far, the bonus questions has appeared on Twitter, Facebook and RSS/E-mail subscription. A note for e-mail subscriptions: be sure to activate/verify your e-mail to get the updates delivered to your inbox!

Again, up for grabs are the following travel items:

• 1 Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring guidebook
• 1 Sea to Summit 8L Dry Sack
• 1 Aquazorb Ultra Thin microskintec towel
• 1 Travel Essentials Small Packing Cube
• 1 Travel Essentials Pack It packing list
• 1 box Ziploc Storage Bag (Quart size, 25 pieces)
• 2 packs travel and cushion compression bag
• 1 Team Manila passport cover
• 3 pcs Team Manila bag tags
• 1 Universal power adaptor
• 4 pcs Muji liquid container
• 1 foldable ecobag

One lucky winner will get everything in the basket. You can enter the contest by submitting your answers through this form. Deadline for submitting answers is January 30, 2011. Be sure to read the mechanics and terms as listed in this post.

Here’s a partial list of readers who already qualified for the raffle:
Karen Marty Dela Cruz – 2 raffle entries
Katrina Centeno – 2 raffle entries
Christopher Cunanan
Jordan Lazaro
Chyng – 2 raffle entries
Brian Madrid
dyanie – 2 raffle entries
joanna lau*
BPS – 2 raffle entries
Rey Martin Canate – 2 raffle entries
Joy Mesina-Bahia*
ida* – 2 raffle entries
Sheila Espanol*
Kara Frances Mauricio* – 2 raffle entries
Dash Estefani – 2 raffle entries

Names with an asterisk (*) means that you got one answer wrong, but you answered the bonus questions correctly, thus offsetting the wrong answer. You need to get ALL answers correctly if you want to get 3 raffle entries.

Along with researching about my destinations, I have read up on travel gears and gadgets I am supposed to have in my backpack at all times. Over the years, I’ve learned which works for me and my travel style, owing to years of trying out recommended products by other travelers.

To celebrate the start of another year of travel, Just Wandering is giving away this basket of travel goodies:

Included are:

• 1 Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring guidebook
• 1 Sea to Summit 8L Dry Sack
• 1 Aquazorb Ultra Thin microskintec towel
• 1 Travel Essentials Small Packing Cube
• 1 Travel Essentials Pack It packing list
• 1 box Ziploc Storage Bag (Quart size, 25 pieces)
• 2 packs travel and cushion compression bag
• 1 Team Manila passport cover
• 3 pcs Team Manila bag tags
• 1 Universal power adaptor
• 4 pcs Muji liquid container
• 1 foldable ecobag

I’m raffling off the entire package to one lucky Just Wandering reader. To enter the raffle, you just need to answer the following questions:

1. What is traditionally served for lunch among the Portuguese?
2. In which book can you find this paragraph:
   “Tourists, of course, are always other people; never us. We are different. We are travellers – intelligent, well-mannered and cultured, a blessing on our chosen destinations, a delight to have around. It’s a common attitude, and one that I have always found condescending and offensive, as well as inaccurate. If you travel away from home for pleasure, you’re a tourist, no matter how you like to dress it up.”
3. Who was my guide at Angkor Wat?
4. What song is this busker singing?

5. True or False: I’ve been to all countries in Southeast Asia

To qualify for the raffle, you must get all answers correctly. Don’t fret if you don’t have the answers for all 5 questions! I will be giving bonus questions to offset your incorrect answers. These bonus questions can also raise your score and give you additional raffle entries. Those who get 6 to 9 correct answers will be getting 2 raffle entries, while those who score a perfect 10 will be given 3 raffle entries. The catch: the bonus questions will be given through the RSS feed, Just Wandering Twitter account and Just Wandering Facebook Page. That means you’d have to subscribe to the blog, follow @NinaWanders and Like the Facebook Page. The bonus questions will be given one at a time, so you’d really have to keep your eyes peeled, if you want more chances of winning. Sneaky, eh?

This contest runs from January 5, 2011 to January 30, 2011. Winner will be announced on February 1, 2011. Read the contest mechanics for the fine print.

Are you ready to win? Submit your answers now!

Contest Mechanics:

1. This contest is open to all Just Wandering readers residing in the Philippines. As much as I would love to send overseas, it’s just too expensive. If you are residing overseas, you can join as long as you have a Philippine address that I can send the prizes to.
2. To qualify for the raffle, contestants must answer all 5 questions correctly.
3. The answers must be based from posts that appeared on Justwandering.org, @NinaWanders, Just Wandering’s Facebook Page and my flickr.
4. If a contestant feels that they answered incorrectly, they can submit another form with their answers. However, only the most recent entry will be considered.
5. Contestants can get additional points by answering the bonus questions, which will be given through RSS, Twitter or the Just Wandering Facebook page. One correct answer is equivalent to one point.
6. Getting five points is equivalent to one raffle entry. Getting six to nine points earns the contestant 2 raffle entries, while a perfect score of 10 grants the contestant 3 raffle entries.
7. Contestants must submit their answers through the form.
8. Contest ends on January 30, 2011.
9. The winner will be picked by a drawing using the Random.org List Randomizer.
10. Winner will be notified via e-mail. If there was no reply from the winner until 7 days after the announcement of winner or if the winner cannot provide a Philippine mailing address, contestant in the number 2 spot will be given the prize.

Dolls don’t qualify. Booo.

The contest runs from November 9 – December 6, 2009. You can join anytime during the contest duration, but you must retain your profile photo until December 9, when the winner will be drawn. Goodie bags will be given to 8 weekly winners. Only these 8 weekly winners are qualified for the grand draw. What’s in store for the grand prize winner? A Malaysia Airlines ASEAN Pass!

The ASEAN Pass makes the contest all the more appealing, since you can visit other countries in Southeast Asia with the pass, not just Malaysia. Too bad I love my current Facebook profile photo too much

For more details and complete contest mechanics, visit (and join!) the Tara na sa Malaysia Facebook Group.