Places that I have visited / will visit and all the fun along the way.
Back when I was a college freshman, I decided to move out of the boarding house and instead commute from Batangas all the way to QC for the second term. To make it to my first class, I had to catch the 3am bus. Our house was far from the terminal so I had to…
2019 is one of my most travel-packed years ever. This year, I set foot in 15 countries and 11 Japanese prefectures. I also got to return to some of my favorite Philippine destinations. But here are 13 of my most memorable moments on the road.
A few years ago, we were invited to speak at the World Tourism Forum in Istanbul. On the first night, there was a dinner with government officials. I was seated next to a Slovenian diplomat. When I introduced myself, her reply was, “Your name is Yoshke? Really?” I said yes and then she asked if…
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…
