June 10, 2019
UPDATED HANOI TRAVEL GUIDE 2019 | In a tail-end of a long-term trip and long relationship, I arrived in Hanoi in cool October 2017 with a heavy heart and wheeled backpack, ballooning body and credit card bill, and a very light savings barely enough to cover rent and essentials for […]
May 4, 2019
This was written five years ago. There was Agness. Now there is Erik Matti. There were angry Filipinos. Now there are angry Cebuanos. Last week, I was on a boat of mixed races: Filipino, Chinese, Korean, French, Belgian, and perhaps other races that I overlooked or forgot to ask. It […]
April 29, 2019
You know me, I can get up from bed with my bird’s nest of a hair, prepare coffee in my underwear, don’t even bother to brush my teeth, and slump myself in front of the computer and check on the day’s tasks. But I always look forward to seeing you. […]
April 16, 2019
Bet nila yong skin mo. Ganahan ang mga puti sa imong panit. They like your skin.I’ve been told countless times by many fellow Filipinas, both young and old. Nila, They refers to white men, both young and old, who salivate over exotic creatures like me. And each time annoys the hell […]
April 6, 2019
TRANG AN, NINH BINH—I missed someone. I don’t know who exactly. It can be T whom I shared my first visit here with. It can be D, whom I cut communications for the past weeks. Or it can be anyone, someone I’m connected to. I missed the feeling of having […]
April 1, 2019
Dear Fellow Travel Bloggers, In my list of daily chores to do, one task remained unfinished for the past four months: it says, “Japan, at least 1000 words, for god’s sake, Jona.” I am referring to my sponsored week-long trip to Onomichi City, Hiroshima, Japan last November. I have written […]
January 7, 2019
Dear D, It’s okay. You can open your eyes now. It’s all over. You can open your eyes again. Breathe. Come out from your covers now. It’s all over. You’re not alone. It’s not over for you yet. Come out of your covers now. It’s a new day, you’re back […]
September 22, 2018
I fell in love. I was five years old. I named him Bona, after Tatay Boni who raised his mom. Bona is a cat. We got a ginger cat and named him Kitty.I was seven years old when my paternal uncle told me you love cats so much you would […]
September 8, 2018
Looking for the best sunset photoshoot location in La Mesa, California? We curated some of the best spots for that perfect instagram look! A town in Southern California, La Mesa — some 9 miles from central San Diego — is known as the Jewel of the Hills. What used to […]
September 1, 2018
Taiwan is a rising destination for many of us who are curious of how is life in a developed country that doesn’t struggle against the chaotic and problematic public transport, uncollected heaps of trash along the streets, unlit alleyways, snatchers at gunpoint [I personally witnessed this], and all the daily […]
August 26, 2018
Once people stop celebrating the old — be it buildings, history, or culture — they cease to exist. Many places are guilty of this disappearing act. But Santa Cruz is different. The city’s vibrant culture is centered on its past. Santa Cruz is liberated, liberating, accommodating, and hip. And true […]
August 26, 2018
While Montebello directly translates to beautiful mountain, not everyone has the stamina and the time to spend a full day exploring trails. Sometimes, it’s all right to be mellow. Enjoy quiet moments. Lounge in your hotel terrace with your favorite drink in hand. Stroll the neighborhood park. Montebello, California, is a […]