The White Starbucks Sticker Card

The Starbucks Holiday drinks are out. In the Philippines, it’s been a tradition for Starbucks to come out with Planners that one can get for free in exchange for buying a couple of dozen drinks from now till January.  To keep track of how  many drinks you have consumed, the baristas give customers a STICKER card.  Every drink earns the customer a sticker.  Fill up the card with the required number of stickers and you get the planner.

Every year, a limited version of the card is produced.  This year – the limited version is white. These cards come with a free “sticker”.  I was one of the lucky ones who got the limited edition card.

 

The White and Red Version of the Card

The White Card comes with a Free Sticker

Hair!

I go to a salon for my haircut. I used to go to barber shops but that was when I used to have a shaved head and I can just tell the barber to use clipper number three or four.  However – when I go to a salon – the haircut that I get gives me a little bit more option on how I would like to  style it. Do I want a mohawk?  Or do I want to have the out of bed look?  Or maybe I can be styling product free for the day.  The difference is very subtle but they’re still options.  I don’t stick with any stylist. I just go to the salon which is most convenient to go to. Sometimes I get a good haircut – sometimes – I get a horrible one.  But after four weeks – that can always get corrected.

Meiji Shrine

it was raining hard the whole day of Saturday.  A typhoon was approaching Tokyo.  I have already missed the opportunity to go around Tokyo during my business trip during the week because of the busy days.  I was in Tokyo for work – so that took priority over sight seeing.  However – on this Saturday – I told myself that I will brave the rains and the strong winds to visit the Meiji Shrine.

  Visitors of the Shrine wash their Hands and Mouth prior to Entry

The Meiji Shrine was built in commemoration of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.  It is located in the middle of a forest that covers 175 acres.

The Shrine is in the Middle of the woods

If I counted right, I saw four Tori gates from the entrance to the actual shrine.  The trees looked amazing – and made me wish that I was there a little bit later in November when the leaves turn into their autumn colors.  The shrine proved to be a good place to spot Japanese women in their traditional Kimono.  There were a number of them who seemed to be preparing for an event.

The innermost Tori

Ladies in Kimono

A Girl in Kimono

The park also houses a display of wine and Nihonshu (sake) barrels.   From what I read, these were donations.  Seeing them reminds me of the delicious sake I was served on my first night in Tokyo.

The nihonshu (sake) barrels

With the visit to Meiji – I pretty much covered  all of the tourist destinations of the city.  Now that I’m back home in Manila -  I dream of the city.  I vow that I will go back to Tokyo soon.  I never really understood the apparent addiction of Tokyo tourists to the city – but with Two visits to Tokyo this year, I can now understand why.  Tokyo is just different from other cities I’ve been to.  It’s got an interesting combination of Modern and Traditional.  I think that next to home – Tokyo is my favorite city in the world.

Your Blogger at the Shrine Square