My Stress Reliever (Nekobukuro Cat's House)

"I'm STRESSED"
We often hear from people around us and sometimes we're the one's uttering these words. Stress happens to anyone. It's always part of our existence irregardless of how good our life or environment is.  We just have to know on how to deal with it. We handle stress differently, some thru shopping, others by sleeping, listening music, doing exercise, traveling, eating,  or whatever that we think can clear our minds from all those stressful things.

No matter what stresses us out we should always find ways on how to cope with it or else it might lead to serious problem like depression..

his name is RHYME a ragdoll cat

What's your way of relieving stress guys? I'll share with you how I manage when stress strikes. I always visit this place whenever I need a STRESS RELIEVER .... It's one of the famous sightseeing spots here in Tokyo especially for those who are fond of cats.. YES, it's a CAT shop.

The place is called NEKOBUKURO.

From the words NEKO and IKEBUKURO.

NEKO means CAT

IKEBUKURO - name of the place where this shop is located.

It is located in the Tokyu Hands building, on the 8th floor.

It is a petting shop. I learned that some of the cats here are rescued from the streets. The entrance fee is 600yen and for a couple, it's 1000yen (a discount of 200yen). It became famous because in Tokyo aside from the busy lifestyle, not all mansions allowed their tenants to own pets and apart from that, buying  a cat will cost you much. Price of a kitten here ranges from 120,000yen to 300,000yen or even more. (That is around $1,300-$3,500)

The CAST for the day when I went there

There are around 30 cats or more in this shop, but not altogether OUT to entertain the "CATgoers". Half of them are usually sleeping in their rooms and the other half are out in the area where visitors can freely touch, play & feed (there's a specific time for feeding, staffs will give you cat foods if you want take part on feeding). They are on a "SHIFTING BASIS" so as not to stress them out also.

I'm really a pet lover. I used to have 2 dogs and a cat when I was still single. Just having them around will make my day. 

OLIVE, a Norwegian Forest Cat

KAKAO (Turkey & Angola HALF)

The laziest among the cats around :-).. SLEEPING during WORKING HOURS  

KASHISU (balck & white) and MOMOJI

These 2 have their own world :-)

KIWI chasing another cat (american short hair breed)

PLAY PLAY PLAY

OLIVE & SHIGURE (shigure means a very light rain)

The award goes to these 2.. the MOST HYPER 

Cats on DAY OFF stayed inside their rooms. Most of them were just sleeping the whole time I was there.

(The choice is ours guys, either we give in or react positively to every stressful situation)

Hoping each one of us will have a "stress free" or "less stressful" life. 

Living the Dream (Seeing the Pope & the Vatican)

I never lost my dreams. I keep my faith. I believe that DREAMS do come true.

I grew up seeing my father serving the Catholic Church as a "Kaabag" or lay minister. I even thought we owned the chapel in our barangay (village) because I always saw him doing almost everything from maintenance of the church to presiding the KSP or "Kasaulugan sa Pulong" (Liturgy of the Word) and somehow at such a young age, that made me more familiar with the hierarchy of the church, (familiar with just the terms) from Pope, Cardinals, Bishops and Priests and that the Pope being the highest. 

As a child, I have no idea of what the pope does for the church & its people but I knew him through pictures and I always heard their names being mentioned during the mass together with the bishop's & parish priest's. I've been wondering where the pope was since I haven't seen him attending any special celebrations in our town unlike the bishop who's always around during fiestas or catholic school graduations and so I kept on asking WHY he's never around even once. My parents told me that the pope can't come because he is in Vatican City and it's very very far. Since then, I said I want to go to Vatican to see the pope.

                         I think that's the beauty of childhood, we can dream without limits. :-)

When I was in high school, the World Youth Day was held in Manila. I was hoping to be one of the delegates but only few (I think 5) were sent. I envied my 2 classmates who were chosen then. I was so disappointed as I missed the chance of seeing the pope. But I said to myself, one day I'll still see the pope.

View from the top of St Peter's Church known as THE CUPOLA -- you can see the St Peters Square and the city of Rome

3/11 (Remembering the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami)

Powerful TOHOKU Earthquake and Tsunami

March 11, 2011

2:46pm (Japan Time)

(not my photo, took it from the internet) 

It's been 2 years since that devastating earthquake/tsunami rattled Japan and temporarily cut off the transportations & communications for how many hours but memories of that sad day is still so fresh and I think it will always be on my mind for the rest of my life.

HANAMI（花見）(Sakura/Cherry Blossoms)

HANAMI means: CHERRY BLOSSOMS VIEWING

.... from the root words 
hana (花) meaning flower and mimasu（見ます） - meaning to see

SPRING TIME's finally here.

My favorite season of the year.

As I can see CHERRY BLOSSOMS everywhere.

 

One of the best season to visit Japan is during spring time. Why? Because aside from the good weather, its during this season that you will be able to see and experience for yourself the famous cherry blossoms festival. You will be amazed with how a tree that "looks like dead" able to produce a very beautiful cherry flower. 

My First Extreme SNOW Experience

(As a tribute to Japan being my second home, my first entry will be about one of my trips in Japan)

Hailing from  a tropical country like the Philippines where the average temperature is above 20ºC, experiencing snow in Hokkaido for the first time is like heaven. Finally,  my childhood imagination from what I've seen on movies & television about the "White Christmas" thing CAME true. Really, Dreams do come true. 

Welcome to My Graceful Life and Travels

a brief stop in one of the "vista point" in Monterey, California

Hi Everyone. I'm GRACE and this is my GRACEFUL LIFE and TRAVELS.

Being married to a man whose great passion is traveling; I’m left with no choice but to accompany him succumbing to his wanderlust and sense of adventure. His love for precious travels is so infectious that in due course I learned to relish every inch of it. I’ve become like him, a lover of a graceful travel.

During our first trip together as couple, I remember him saying we must travel at least once a year. He believed what Mark Twain once quoted, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Inspired from my husband’s borrowed quotes, from then on I made a list of my dream destinations and amazing places I long wanted to see and discover, be it with him or alone by myself.

WELCOME to my GRACEFUL TRAVELS. These are places I once dreamed of going and when blessed to have seen it, I beheld it with fun and grace.

DREAM… EXPLORE… DISCOVER…!