Ring of Fire: Solar Eclipse As Seen from Japan

Last Monday morning, I woke up at 7am to view the Annular Solar Eclipse, which happened for the first time in 25 years here in Japan. While viewing it happen from our veranda, we were also watching it on TV.

It's the best solar eclipse I've ever seen! The moon didn't cover the entire disc of the sun which made a "ring of fire" visible. The surroundings turned partially dark. From our place, in Suwa City, Nagano, the moon was slowly covering the sun from 7am to 7:30am. But from 7:30am to 7:35pm, the ring of fire was seen, and the moon quickly left the perfect ring shape as it went down to uncover. I felt so lucky to have seen it!

Since I wasn't equipped with perfect gadgets to capture the actual view, I just took a photo of what's being shown on TV. It's a one of a kind experience!:)

You may read more about the annular solar eclipse and view more photos on:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/05/ring_of_fire_eclipse_2012.html

A Taste of Science

Golden Week is probably the longest holiday in Japan celebrating the time for kids. So last May 4, we went to Yatsugatake for a small picnic in the park and planetarium visit. We were also there to see some animals. However, we didn't find them inside the huge park. Our search for the animals turned into trekking; and I wasn't so prepared for it. Haha!

clean water

After letting my little cousin play at the playground, we've gone...uhm, trekking?:)) And when we lost our way, we went back to where we started then proceeded to the planetarium. We came right in time for the show. Unfortunately, it was in Nihonggo so I didn't completely understand. The presentation was about Hayabusa, an unmanned spacecraft developed by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched in May 9 , 2003 to Itokawa, wherein it studied about the asteroid; and brought samples back on earth's surface on June 13, 2010. I also got fascinated with the photographs of Tetsuya Nakagaki. Truly amazing shots! Please explore http://aurora-dance.com/ for more.

 inside a spacecraft

my cousin went inside to take a photo of me haha

Since it was a long presentation, and we were all lying on reclined seats, my uncle, aunt and grandmother all fell asleep! haha! My cousins and I have been "silently" laughing since the middle part of the presentation towards the end because the oldies were even snoring haha! Anyway, after the show, we bought some souvenirs and my cousin rode cute toy rides (i can't call them bicycles because some have more than 2 wheels haha) outside. And since we all got hungry, we had an early dinner at a ramen place.

nice view

Let's Pray for Japan's Fast Recovery

Japan so far is my most favorite place on work. And here are the reasons why:

• It's my family's second home. Almost everyone in our family has worked/lived there.
• The Japanese people are very hardworking and it's very obvious in the state of their economy.
• I feel safe there. There are no pickpockets in malls.
• It's a very clean and organized country.
• The Japanese Yen has a really high value. Normal factory workers can afford LV bags!:)
• There are lots of pretty and handsome Japanese people. You seem them very randomly in malls, parks, etc.
• I love sakura, snow, and hot springs!
• They got very efficient transportation: safe bus trips, smooth express ways, bullet train, luxury cars on a normal day, compact cars, etc. 
• I'm obsessed with Japanese food: sushi, sashimi, ramen, yakiniku, yakitori, etc.
• TOKYO FASHION is the BEST!:) 

However, the 8.9 Magnitude Earthquake, huge Tsunamis, and a series of Aftershocks happened on the 11th day of March 2011. This is how unpredictable God's plans for us are. Watching the tsunami footage felt like watching 2012 Movie. But this time, it was REAL!

I got so worried about my family and friends in Japan. Good thing we were able to contact them and we found out they were safe, though some of their properties were damaged due to the high intensity of the earthquake. Lots of aftershocks were also bothering them.

I'm praying for the safety of everyone in Japan, for the fast healing of those who were traumatized and those who have lost their properties and their loved ones, for the fast recovery of their economy and their people, and for the quick rebuilding of their nation.

I really feel for everyone there because it's a place that's really close to my heart. I was there for three months last year and I was supposed to go back there this coming April or May. I just chose to cancel my trip because I was actively looking for a new job here in the Philippines and I don't wanna add up to the family's expenses anymore. Anyway, I hope to be back there either later this year or early next year. But I hope by the time I'm going back there, they have already recovered.


and while working on this blog post, my friend sent me a link...


LOOK AT WHAT I FOUND! A video which can explain what happened in Japan. Thanks to my friend who sent me the link to this very nerdy and creepy video which kinda predicted what happened.

Oh my, seems like this series of events is leading us to the Mayan Prophecy of 2012! Let's keep praying that God will extend its patience for us. It's never too late to heal our nation. I hope that we all do our part. May God bless mankind.