I was drinking the other night and in between gulps of beer and shots of tequila, I realized that I still had not blogged about my birthday. I turned 26 last Tuesday. I have been busy. Yes, I quit my full-time job two months ago. Yes, I stay at home, in front of my laptop…
I quit my full-time job last month to see the world. Well, not really to see the world. I just wanted to have more time to travel. I still provide social media consultancy services to a couple other companies but getting rid of my “day job” would mean more freedom — Freedom from limited leave…
It’s already February and here I am still counting down the best moments I had while traveling last year. Late, I know. But haaaaaay. When you got too much on your plate, you will learn to munch on them bit by bit so you wouldn’t die of overeating. So let’s continue. Here’s the second half…
You might be thinking: Why the hell am I posting a year-ender countdown in mid-January? All I can tell you is that I had been too busy with work lately. But better late than never, aye? Too busy or too lazy. Take your pick. 2011 was my most travel-heavy year ever. Considering that I am…
“You’re the weirdest Batangueno I have ever met!” declared my friend Andre after learning that I didn’t know how to swim. We were on the way home. “Wow, jumping to conclusions,” I objected. “Well, for starters, you don’t have the accent,” he explained. “Batangas is known for beaches and dive sites; you don’t even know how to swim. Batangas produces the best beef in the country; you dislike beef. Batangas is home to kapeng barako; you’re not a coffee fan. You haven’t even been to the Taal Volcano.” Hmmm. As hard as it was to admit, he was right. (Except…
I don’t own a car. To get from one point to another, I use public transportation, usually MRT and tricycle. Sometimes, I take a cab and when I do, I take the passenger seat. It has been a habit to engage the driver in a conversation for two reasons — so I won’t get sleepy…
A month ago, if a foreign traveler asked me where the nearest mangrove forest lies, I’d probably tell him to take the bus to Quezon or fly to Palawan. If one asked me to take him to a place where he could go bird-watching aside from UP Diliman, I’d probably drive him out of the city to Pampanga. If he asked me to take him to a place where he could see dolphins, I’d tell him to head over to Batangas. I just didn’t know any place within Metro Manila where anyone could bond with nature. Recently, however, I learned…
One of the best parts of traveling is being able to try many cuisines. You walk into a restaurant, pick a table, sit, and ask for the menu. The menu will give you what that restaurant has to offer. But if you have crazy attention to details, sometimes you’ll find unexpected laughter somewhere in that list of gastronomic delights. Here are some examples: Will you ever eat a cruel potato? Well, if you’re brave enough to face one of these insensitive potatoes, you better drive to the Mountain Province and find a restaurant that serves chicken with… If you want…