“Don’t panic!” screamed the February 13 page of my planner. “Valentine’s Day na po bukas.” And just like that, I panicked like all the men and women who promised themselves last year that they would finally be with someone come the Day of Hearts. I’m panicking for a different reason. After all, I’m in a…
My Top 20 Most Unforgettable Travel Moments of 2012 – Part 2
If you had met me ten or even five years ago, you’d probably see me as someone who was not the traveling type. And you would be right. Now that I think about it, if my past self were to see me now, he would be totally shocked, repeatedly hurling judging questions at me such…
My Top 20 Most Played Songs of 2012
Woohoo! It’s the first day of the year and I’m doing two of my favorite things in the world — blogging and sound tripping. While I appreciate all genres of music (yep, even Gospel despite my being atheist), there is a big hole in my heart that only good pop music can fill. And I’m…
A Look at the Islands of Sulu, Basilan, and Tawi-tawi
Many of the travelers I have met on the road consider the Philippines as the most underrated country in Southeast Asia. It’s not difficult to see why. Geographically, we lie isolated on the “other” side of the West Philippine Sea. We are pretty much “out of the way,” given that Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia,…
My Top 20 Most Unforgettable Travel Moments of 2012 – Part 1
Year 2012 has been action-packed! I quit my full-time job and visited eight countries and territories. Eight is still a small number and many of them are within the same time zone but I see it as a good foreshadowing of a ’round the world trip that I plan to do in 2015. This year,…
Beautiful Strangers: Southeast Asia Backpacking Edition
MANILA, Philippines — It’s been seven months since I published this post, where I showcased the different types of pretty boys that I encountered while traveling in some parts of the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Well, due to insistent public demand, I am bringing it back with a wider scope. Actually, there is no…
People Along the Way: The Solo Backpackers
HA LONG BAY, Vietnam — “No stars tonight?” She put down her glass of pina colada and sat next to me on the bench on the top deck of the boat, floating softly in the middle of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. “Not even one,” I painted a faux pout on my face while picking up…
What I Think About When I Think About Blogging*
My scriptwriting professor failed to show up in class that Wednesday afternoon because of a schedule conflict and I was left in between two choices on how I would spend the rest of the day. The left side of my brain was trying to persuade me to go to the mall and watch a movie.…