Places that I have visited / will visit and all the fun along the way.
When I was starting out, I was always excited about constantly moving. That’s why I worked so hard to become a full-time travel blogger in the first place — I ached for that freedom. It remains true most of the time. But these days, I also get excited by the prospect of just staying put.…
Today I got into a heated exchange with a stranger at the mall. I was standing in front of the counter, when a man pushed me and mumbled “paharang-harang.” (“You’re blocking the way.”) The younger me would have shrugged it off and let it go to avoid confrontation. Instead, I called him out and said…
There are two 7-Eleven stores near our place. Halos magkatapat lang sila. We call them 7-Eleven del Norte and 7-Eleven del Sur. Nung una, sa 7-Eleven del Sur kami bumibili kasi mas malapit. Bihira kami bumili ng rice meal doon but when we do, regardless kung sinong member ng crew ang on duty na usually ay very young, parating pa-sideways yung paglagay nila sa bag. Sobrang careless and messy. Syempre, laging nagli-leak yun or naghahalu-halo yung mga laman. So nag-decide kami na dun na lang kami sa 7-Eleven del Norte. Ganun pa rin talaga. Minsan kahit iremind mo sila na…
“Why do you love Japan so much?” she asked right after the food arrived. My conversation with Saori, my new friend, started with the places I have visited over 15 trips to her country. I have made several Japanese friends, but she was the first to throw me that question. It took me a moment…
TOKYO, 2017. When my sister moved to Tokyo for work 5 years ago, it was as though I won the lottery. Suddenly, I had another reason to travel to Japan and a place to stay for free. True enough, I found myself on a plane to Tokyo twice a year, exhausting all the days that…
FUKUOKA, 2018. In Japan, there is a saying that goes, “ikkai ichi dousa,” which translates to “one thing at a time.” I learned about this when I mentioned to a Japanese friend that I could count in one hand the locals I had seen eating while walking. “We take food seriously,” he said. When asked…
I’ve been organizing my travel photos over the past couple of days, and I realized: I HAVE VERY FEW PHOTOS OF MYSELF. 😱 Okay, fine, granted, I don’t have the most photogenic fez 😆 but still. On average, I have 1 photo of myself per destination. In many cities that I visited, I didn’t have…
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…
