The Backpack Adventures

Weekend 21: March 26 - 27, 2022 Day 145: March 26, 2022 Saturday - MBA Comprehensive Exam Good morning everyone, today is a big day for me as it is my comprehensive exam or  Compre for my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) . I spent the whole morning reviewing and anxiously awaiting my 1:30PM (Philippine Time) Compre schedule. The funny thing was, the Compre was not that brain-wracking. My adviser, Doc Quiocho , gave me encouragement. It was all I needed for my Compre . I will find out the results in a week.  Heading out for a dinner bonding at Kiaya's place A few more kilometers That afternoon, I walked several kilometers going to Kiaya's place as she was hosting our Rumoi dinner today. When I arrived, Guy and Joshua were already there. I wasn't able to take photos as they were already eating and I was super late.  Dinner with the other ALTs. Yum! After dinner, we watched the film The Big Lebowski before heading back home. As usual, bonding with friends was a perfe

10 More Things to Do in Wakkanai City As written before, Wakkanai City ( 稚内市 ) is the northernmost city in Japan . If you missed out on the first list, you may want to read it first by clicking this 👉 LINK 👈. If you have already accomplished the first list then, here are the 10 More Things to Do in Wakkanai City : US Army Hamburger at Dino's 1. Order and eat the US Army Hamburger or the Wakkanai U.S. Army Sloppy Joe at Dino’s . My former Tomamae Commercial High School JTE - Hasegawa-sensei highly recommends this.  Former Set House 2. Visit the  Former Seto House  and see a perfectly and beautifully preserved 1950s home. Wakkanai Karafuto Museum 3. Visit the  Wakkanai Karafuto Museum  and learn about Karafuto – Japan’s lost prefecture. Wakkanai Animal Land 4. Head over to  Wakkanai Animal Land . If you have kids or dogs, or if you love interacting with animals then this place is a must-visit. You can spend half a day or even a whole day here. Wakkanai Fukuko Market 5. Go shoppin

The Gate of Ice and Snow  ( 氷雪の門 ) is a monument that represents the anguish of the Japanese settlers of Karafuto who left everything behind when the Russian Army invaded Sakhalin. It is l ocated at Yamuwakkanai, Wakkanaimura, Wakkanai City in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan . Gate of Ice and Snow Gate of Ice and Snow details ( Winter Edition ) Officially called " Sakhalin Island People's Memorial " and Karafuto Memorial Monument , the Gate of Ice and Snow was built in August of 1963 by Hongo Shin , a sculptor from Sapporo. It stands 8 meters tall. Gate of Ice and Snow - Wakkanai City, Hokkaido Prefecture The most noticeable feature of the memorial is the statue of a woman who is in deep pain and anguish. With her back to Sakhalin, the woman has the appearance of a mother or a wife who received news that her son/husband had perished defending Sakhalin. The inscription on the memorial expresses "grief at the loss of everything she held dear."  The pathway up to Wak

Wakkanai Park  ( 稚内公園 ) is a hilltop park with an amazing panoramic view. It is l ocated at１丁目 Chūō, Wakkanai City in Hokkaido Prefecture,   Japan .  Wakkanai Park Wakkanai Park details ( WINTER ) Wakkanai Park , locally called Wakkanai Koen ( 稚内公園 ) is established in 1961. It has a total land area of 45.2 hectares. The park was also listed as one of Japan's Night View Heritage in 2018.  Wakkanai Park - Wakkanai City, Hokkaido Prefecture Aside from the amazing night view,  Wakkanai Park is also a popular place for locals to head to when they want to jog, rest, and have some picnics. Aside from this, the park is also known for the different memorials found in its vicinity. The most popular of these is the Gate of Ice and Snow which is a memorial to those who died in Karafuto (South Sakhalin).  Other memorials are the Nine Maidens of Maoka , the Cenotaph for Sakhalin Huskies , and the Memorial Monument of the visit by Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun .  Some of the memorials and m