Nagoya Adventures (Mad in Japan): Memories with Pinoy Students and Friends (1988 - 1994)

Living in a foreign country where you do not speak fluently the language like Japan makes one lonely and homesick. In my five and six months stay at Nagoya, Japan from 1988 to 1994 as a graduate student (M. Eng and D. Eng), keeping myself connected with my family in the Philippines kept me going and surviving. But in time, you will develop friendship with fellow scholars from other countries. But bonding with fellow Pinoys is really different and the experience is that "you may be faraway but feels like close to home." Presented in this blog are compilation of photos with my fellow Filipinos  (students, OFWs and friends).  Enjoy our Nagoya Adventures!

Nagoya Adventures #1 - Highlights: Our first bike tour around Nagoya - our team - Mel, Jerry, William, Joe, Cynthia and myself travelled by bicyle around Nagoya visiting the Nagoya Expo 89 passing through Tsurumai park. Other highlights are our Sunday sports activity at the Nagoya University Gymnasium, Bowling, Midnight Gomi Bazaar, Get-together at my apartment at Misato-en and Obon-o-dori with foreign students.

Nagoya Adventures #2 - A trip to Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Our outing at Toyohashi and Gifu with Pinoy students and friends, AFSA trip to Inuyama. 

Nagoya Adventures #3  - Highlights:My Kyoto Trip, Pinoy students participating in the AFSA Foreign Students' Night and Pinoy Get-Together at Sakurayama Foreign Students House. 

CE4L Webtalks - Civil Engineering for Good Governance and Sustainable Infrastructure

CE4L Lugaw ng Kaalaman Logo designed by Joenel Galupino.

The Civil Engineers for Leni (CE4L) hosted the "Lugaw ng Kaalaman (LK)" CE Webtalks as their contribution to the campaign for VP Leni Robredo as president and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan for vice president in the Philippine national election in May 2022. The LK project actually targetted  civil engineering students and young civil engineers to influence them to become responsible civil engineers and lead them to understand that "politics" and "engineering" are dependent; that is, good governance and leaders with integrity and qualification are key components towards achieving a sustainable infrastructure and built environment where civil engineers are the main actors. There were some negative reactions from some people and trolls that "we should not use our profession in politics." Really? When in fact the major agency where you can find the biggest corruption are agencies engaged in infrastructures. And politics is the major reason why corruption in infrastructure projects is rampant both in local and national levels. 

The LK webtalks project is addressed to all civil engineers in government, private practice and academe - whether you support pink, blue, red, green, yellow or any color. Only the corrupt and the  irresponsible will not support our efforts to educate our students and young civil engineers to be responsible and ethical professionals. 

The CE4L Lugaw ng Kaalaman Webtalks consist of ten topics plus one web Talk Show on OFW engineers. The topics are varied - safe design of houses, buildings and bridges, sustainable design vs wind, flood, earthquake and geotehcnical hazards, environmental protection and waste maanagement, sustainable transportation and responsible engineers in government.  Visit the FB Page or YouTube Channel to view the complete Lugaw ng Kaalaman CE webtalks.

> FB  - https://www.facebook.com/LugawngkaalamanCEWebTalks 
> YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBXa_nRLIek7QWvNXFKyeUg

Here is the the menu of the CE Webtalks. 

Here are the YT links to the LK CE Web Talks:

• #01 Safe na Bahay, Ligtas na Buhay! - Rannie Ison
• #02 Konkreto: Bakit ang Tibay Mo? - Rodolfo Mendoza, Jr.
• #03 Matibay na Tulay, Matuwid na Buhay! - Adam Abinales
• #04 Matatag na Bahay sa Malakas na Hangin! - Joshua Agar and Timothy Acosta
• #05 Puso man ay Masaktan, Huwag lang ang Kalikasan! - Tonette Tanchuling & Jeffereson Vallente, Jr.
• #06 Tuwing Umuulan at Kapiling Ka! - Marla Redillas & Gil Cruz, Jr.
• #07 Matibay na Pundasyon, Gusaling pang Habang Panahon - Jonathan Dungca
• #08 Ramdam ko ang Pulso at Kalusugan Mo, Building! - Fer Germar & Jaime Hernandez, Jr.
• #09 Inhiyero sa Mahusay na Gobyerno - Federico Alconcel & Rogelio Singson
• #10 Trapik at Tranportasyon: May Patutunguhan ka pa! - Dayo Montalbo & Alexis Fillone
• #11 Kwentong Inhenyero't Kabayang Overseas  - Jason Quizon, Analene Montesines &Mike Gotera

CE4L deeply appreciates the time, expertise and support shared by the resource speakers, moderators, donors and technical team members. We hope that our students and young civil engineers were enriched with new and useful knowledge and ideas that may guide in their professional practice as responsible and ethical civil engineers.