From People

People along the way.

Okayama Chocolate Grandpa

A Bright Soul in Okayama

Okayama City, Japan, November 2023. Vins was taking pics of me against the fiery autumn colors of the Korakuen Garden when a local grandpa showed up. Since we were blocking a narrow foot path, we immediately stopped to let him through. He motioned that we continue. Seemed like he wanted us to finish the shots…

Limassol Cyprus

Two Cypriot Chauffeurs

Limassol, Cyprus, 2023. DRIVER A When we arrived in Limassol, we booked a cab via BOLT, a ride-hailing app, to our hotel. When the cab arrived, the driver wasn’t very friendly at all. He didn’t assist us with our luggage. He told us to wear a mask before getting in. We’re always ready with masks…

Family Restaurant in Greece

Family Restaurant

ATHENS, Greece, May 2023. At one point in our 2019 Euro Trip, we had dinner at a small family restaurant in Athens, where we were served by a lovely old couple who were so good to us. We enjoyed that experience so much that this time, 4 years later, we returned and hoped to meet…

Boatman Nasugbu House

The Blog and The Boatman

A few months ago, when I checked my message requests, I found a message from someone I didn’t recognize. It was from MARVIN, a boatman we hired for an island hopping tour a few years ago. He was using his wife’s FB account coz he didn’t have one.

Samaritan

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…

“Hmmm. Interesting.”

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…

New Blood

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…

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.