By Yoshke Dimen

Out of a Black Hole

FUKUOKA, 2018. Finally finished the screenplay for a horror film that I had been writing for days. And I feel relieved. I am a huge horror fan, but I realized this: It’s one thing to watch a horror movie; to write it is another. It didn’t feel good to be constantly imagining demons, spirits and…

Scared Shortless

BIRI ISLAND, NORTHERN SAMAR, 2012. Our last stop was the site where Magasang and Magsapad rock formations stand. My friend Ces and I climbed to the top of the cliff and watched the sea slam the rocky shore with one giant wave after another. Biri Island lies where the San Bernardino Strait meets the Pacific…

Liberation

It’s easy to underplay Christina Aguilera as a singer or an artist. To many, she’s just a pop star or a former The Voice coach, or that overly sexual, dirrty ice princess from the early 2000s.

Ichiran

Whenever a friend — often, someone who is in Japan for the first time — posts a picture of a bowl of ICHIRAN ramen, I always find a comment that reads, “MEH, OVERRATED! There are better ramen places!”

Bad Housemate

BATANGAS, 2018. Since I lost my nephew, I have been home more often than ever because I know my family needs me. But I hate it here. This house is a big ball of misery.

Night at the Taxi Stand

SANTORINI, 2017. We arrived in the Greek town of Oia past 10pm. It was a cold, windy December evening, and because it’s off season, the village was as dormant as the volcano it overlooks. As in most destinations, we tried to find our booked room as soon as we got off the cab.

Spirited Away

MISASA, JAPAN, 2018. Today has been one of the best days of my life. We are now in Misasa, a small town in Tottori Prefecture. Apparently, this place is Hayao Miyazaki’s go-to spot. Before coming here, we had no idea that it has any connection with Ghibli.

Irreplaceable

THEY SAY WE CHOOSE OUR FRIENDS. The guy who had occupied one room in our rented apartment left, and we needed someone to replace him. My housemate Dane placed a ROOM FOR RENT ad online, and in no time, our phones beeped non-stop.