August 31, 2016
CEBU, PHILIPPINES—I cannot write without facing a window, vain it may sound. If not a window, then by open spaces—facing the sea’s vastness for example. The air thick with salinity. The wind teasing the ears. Perhaps it is my way to conquer the wall that scares any writer’s wit: the […]
August 29, 2016
So here are 20 words from the Philippines to show off how varied our languages are. It is country gifted with many languages. Check here if you are looking for a travel guide to the Philippines. *** I drew a map of the Philippines on the board (it was a […]
August 15, 2016
This post first appeared on my travel column Down South on interaksyon.com on June 12, 2016. Included more photos here. 😉 I grew up climbing trees, hunting wild guavas, assigning names to animals to pass them off as friends, and wishing there was a living river nearby. Life would have […]
June 22, 2016
When I’m traveling abroad, finding the cheapest flight deals can be an ordeal. Flights take the biggest cut in overall travel expenses. And for a budget traveler like me, I sometimes cringe for the money I spend on flights. Here are some personally tested flight deal hacks! Best Flight Deals […]
June 12, 2016
Dear Kai, Some weeks ago, you asked me about your Southeast Asian trip. Is a three-day trip too short for three countries: Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh) – Cambodia (Pomp Penh) – Thailand (Bangkok)? I said that you’re such an addict—an expression I used when I did not know exactly what […]
June 11, 2016
For most of my travels, I’ve been moving out and about on my own, which I love very much and makes me vulnerable to all sorts of weird quips and questions from people that I met on the road. A few days ago, a friend posted on Facebook about her […]
June 10, 2016
Otherwise Known as Personally Tested Tips on Doing Your Own Laundry while Traveling One lesson you would learn from backpacking, according to an article I have read online (written by a western female backpacker, if that matters), is that undies could go for two days straight. The reason? Because of the […]
June 9, 2016
Rugged cliffs overlooking the Pacific as it relentlessly hits the shore, empty beaches beckoning you to walk, sunny days warming not only your skin but also your soul and sole are three of the many things waiting for you in La Jolla, a coastal city in California. Its beach culture […]
May 29, 2016
This West 35 Eco Mountain Resort blog review first appeared on my column Down South on Interaksyon.com. Added some more photos here. CEBU, PHILIPPINES—This morning, it bloomed. Nothing could be happier for a gardener than to see a mere cutting from somewhere else flourish in her own garden. This fuchsia […]
May 27, 2016
Dear Passport, After my two-hour session with the fifteen-year-old, I transferred to the café’s al fresco area for my other personas to work—the content writer and social media manager, the other selves that must stay connected with the virtual and often fake world. Please remind me that these personas are […]
May 21, 2016
What comprises a great vacation? It’s the simple things, such as sipping your coffee in a café downtown. Or gazing upward and seeing how the spires of Chateau Ste. Michelle graces the horizon. Or walking around Gig Harbor in the early morning or late afternoon and indulging in the bay […]
May 20, 2016
I remember it well: I was busy writing a travel assignment on my phone. Nassefh—a handsome poet from Mindanao and my guardian during my drunk nights in the 54th Silliman University National Writers Workshop, the most sought-after writer workshop in the Philippines—approached me and said that I was not enjoying […]