Category: Lakwatcha!
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Who Will Fill the Wine Glass After Brexit?
On a Wednesday evening, a middle-aged Englishman enters a wine shop on St. John Street in Clerkenwell, London with an empty bottle. Anne-France Leray takes the bottle with a smile, refills it from an oak barrel taller than them and wraps it gently with craft paper before putting it in a paper bag.
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Four Reasons to Go on a Safari in Your Lifetime
The world is enormous and there are so many things to see and do that sometimes itcan be a little overwhelming. There are some things I’ve always wanted to do, and have managed to tick off my bucket list, like parasailing in Boracay, and others that are still on my list that I hope to […]
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Casa de Cutab, Camiguin
If you are in search of a quiet paradise this Summer, check out the white sand beaches in the island of Camiguin, south of the Philippines, and stay at beachfront Casa de Cutab Guesthouse in Sagay. I was surprised when owner Grace Cutab shared about this Casa. In 2012, after we organized a series of anti-violence-against-women […]
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Just before sunset in Gion, Kyoto: yukata, samurai, and glimpse of a geisha
Gion is born out of the medieval ages of Kyoto, Japan. This district is home to ladies of arts called ‘geisha,’ whose old ways of serving tea and performing ceremonial acts inspire one to move in a delicate balance and sophistication. Gion’s streets can be wide and narrow, uphill and down, illuminated and fading. Every turn has […]
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Sleeping in a century old house in Kyoto
There’s a townhouse in Kyoto, just 5 minutes away by bus from the Kyoto station, that’s a hundred years old. Floors are creaking, rooms are small, and tatami mats are respected like the old values of Japan. This house is called Hostel Haruya.
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Osaka-Kyoto Notes
If I were to write a quick note to friends planning their first trip to Osaka or Kyoto, Japan, this would be it. This isn’t comprehensive. In fact, I’m writing point after random point, with no clear outline in mind – just typing away in the middle of the night, in a Kyoto townhouse that […]
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Fling off the heels, drink wine in your hotel (and some suggestions what to do in Macau)
Three languages populate the signages in Macau: Chinese, English, and Portuguese. English with a thick Chinese accent is used in many places – I was lucky to have a travel buddy who’s had four Chinese bosses in the Philippines and in Singapore, so he did most of the talking in stores, food stalls, restaurants, bus […]
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Underground River and the Tamilok Challenge
The one thing you’ll notice among travelers who come out of the Underground River is that they’re in their best behavior, as if they’d been in contact with forces greater than themselves. An entire day is allotted to the Underground River Tour, not because it’s far, but because of the long queue. Is it worth it? Yes. […]
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Puerto Princesa
Palawan remains, to me, the most beautiful place in the Philippines. Recently, CNN named its beaches one of the best in the world, attracting foreign tourists this year, including Bill Gates. One of our tour guides in Puerto Princesa said Gates and his family went to Amanpulo and El Nido – two of Palawan’s pride […]
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A day at Villa Escudero
My first time in Villa Escudero was almost two decades ago, when I was turning 13. The second time was in 2014, when I turned 30. Here’s where my father’s sister, the beautiful Tita Cora, married a gentleman from the Escobar family (I was maid of honor). Our stay seemed to have left quite an […]
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Taipa, Macau
There’s a spot in Macau that reminded me of Hayao Miyazaki’s films. Windy, quiet, sleepy. It’s a cobblestone walkway that goes up and down, trees left and right, small cars parked outside, people walking, wind blowing. And the lamp posts. I have a thing for lamp posts. I feel they stand witness to the everyday […]
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Go to Davao for food, Samal, and food
Where are the people? Mike and I asked when we were walking down the streets of Davao. One weekend we met my dearest friends, K., G., and A. in Davao City upon the invitation of the internationally acclaimed filmmaker and writer Arnel Mardoquio, who was born in Davao. The trip to the South has been […]
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French fine dining in Davao
The story of Claude’s Le Cafe de Ville begins in France where Claude started training in his hometown and globetrotting to a lifetime career in the food and beverage industry, experiencing the world of 5-star chains – Hilton, InterContinental, Sofitel, and Novotel, managing a 16th century hotel in Normandy, and after more than 50 years, […]
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Food trip: Singapore in a dark corner of Makati
There’s an airconditioned ‘hawker’ in Makati, creatively called “101 Hawker,” near Chino Roces and one of my officemates treated the entire team to a feast, bringing me and Mike (my +1) back to my home for about two years some time ago, Singapore. Hawkers are Singapore’s uppity versions of Pinoy carinderia. For SGD3 one can […]
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Car review of a first-time driver, first-time owner
Not so many people in this country own a car. While researching something for work, I came across the World Bank statistics that show the number of cars per 1000 people in different countries, and the Philippines has “30 vehicles per 1000 people” as of 2010, compared with 782 in the US, 518 in the UK, […]
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Nowhere dresses
You know how some dresses or shirt of yours would just disappear and you’re not sure if it got lost in the laundry shop or the last house you stayed in and you remember them just because you’re in the mood for browsing photos of yesteryears and you feel nostalgic about those times you wore […]
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Road trip to Bicol, me driving, shooting stars
Recently friends and I rode to Bicol, about a ten-hour drive from Manila. I drove for about five hours on our way back till midnight, with speeding trucks and buses passing the rough two-lane, creepy road that slices Bicolandia, all my three passengers in the car were big guys, and I cherished that one moment […]
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Food trip: Don’t Eat all you can’t
How much should you eat at an eat-all-you-can? The metro isn’t short of Filipino pleasure houses we call “buffet”: Vikings, Cabalen, Kamayan, Yakimix, Red Box, Center Stage, and Tong Yang, among many others. How much should you eat to get the best value for your money? The answer is simple: it depends on how much […]
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Company outing on a Friday
My five-year old nephew would’ve been jumping in ecstasy watching the dolphins and sea lions had I taken him with me in our outing at Subic. I remembered some animal-rights-activist friends, too, while looking at dolphins dance, ‘sing’, jump, and walk on the water . Wonder how they’d enjoy the shows. The outing itself wasn’t […]
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Heatxtreme
Somebody must be having a heat stroke somewhere in the Philippines. Thankfully, looking at weekend photos in the water could somehow cool down our eyes, till our next getaway. My travel buddy and I went to Northern Philippines last Holy Week and a resort in Laguna several weeks ago. Later, we can only thank the […]
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Ateneo, after the Games
Should we start talking like them? Mike asked. No, I said. That’s their English, dude. And besides, Filipino is their conyo.
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Mediterranean Pinas
Somewhere in Makati, we found a piece of the Mediterranean. He’d teach me how to eat the chewy pita bread, tearing it with fingers, dipping into yoghurt mix. I’d take a bite, too, of his chicken bursting with flavors from Turkey or Saudi Arabia, where he worked for a year and ate with the passion […]
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Another patch of green in Quezon City
Polluted air, I read somewhere, has negative effects on the workings of the brain. People who regularly breathe pollutants are moody and pessimistic, not to mention prone to all kinds of pulmonary diseases. This is why it’s important for government units and urban planners to come together to plant green patches around the concrete jungles. […]
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Planning a trip to El Nido
Hello! If you wish to visit El Nido for the first time, probably the first step to planning is buying yourself a ticket; everything else follows. Many airlines offer low base fares. Mike and I got ours for only P1300 each (seat sale), all in, round trip. You can check Air Asia, ZestAir and Cebu […]
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The road to El Nido is poetry*
droplets lost on window white bird descending, proud couple bus grey beach zoom bus empty road only red umbrella early chatter post-storm wire smoke branch screech off-road brake almost fell side breath stop
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Ice cracker solo trip to Baguio
The passing of Filipino activist-comedian Tado and other adventurers in the northern Philippine mountains of Bontoc brings a wave of hush and stillness among travelers and other seekers of happiness and life purpose. Those bitten by the travel bug know that any journey comes with the risk of losing a limb, or life. Travels are […]
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A cozy inn one night a superstorm washed Puerto Princesa
Inns are usually country houses where travelers dine and rent a room to sleep in. Aside from lodging, it’s also defined as “a residence formerly provided for British students in London and especially for students of law” (Merriam). The word ‘inn,’ first used in the 12th century, is sometimes interchanged with ‘hostel’ (first use: 14th […]
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An invitation to El Nido
You are cordially invited to see land before time, to feel all hues of blue and green and colors in between, to swim with the gifts of the sea and be the guest of a world beneath you never imagined, to say Hi to the spirit of the mountains and rock formation that slid from […]
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Sky high
Fascinating how the new ferris wheel in Tagaytay, the Philippines’ tallest, has landed ‘the most googled destination’ in 2013. It even bested Tubbataha Reef in Palawan (2nd in the Google’s year-in-review), which is a dream destination for many even if the reef is almost impossible to reach. But looking at the Top 10, the list also […]
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Working with Ayala
My last project with Ayala Land involves a video shoot with triathletes Dan and Ani Brown.
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The world’s lightest DSLR on my hands
Part of my Christmas bonus plus earnings from a writing project (Ayala Land Inc) went to a new toy: the world’s lightest DSLR to date, Canon EOS 100D aka “Rebel,” from BGC’s The Great Canon Sale two weeks ago. Good old iPhone 4s is still handy and takes great pictures, but this new gadget can […]
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Around the metro: united to help
Just a quick post today. I’ve been gathering foot dust rolling around the metro since weekend and everywhere I go, there’s serious work on relief operations and gigs for the Yolanda survivors. Before going to UPLB Pahinungod last Saturday we picked up something at Eastwood City and saw men prepping an area for a concert […]
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Back from El Nido
A trip to El Nido, Palawan is supposed to be a respite from the world’s madness, until super typhoon Yolanda came from Visayas barreling to Northern Palawan. Since we were cut off from social media for a while, Mike and I received our daily news of the Visayas tragedy from TV broadcasts, while we got […]
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Parasailing in Boracay
What does it feel like, being suspended in the air, dangling from an umbrella? I’d think about this madly when I was small and bored being pinned on the ground. I’d consider jumping from the bungalow roof, umbrella on hand, friendly wind beneath my feet, and faith in my heart that I land in one […]
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Chocolate memories crumbling down
Seven years ago friend Kei and I flew to Cebu and Bohol from weeks of teaching in Coron, Palawan together with the volunteer group called Pahinungod. The plan was to unwind and see how other people live their lives in other parts of the Philippines, and of course, start combing the famous tourist spots of […]
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How to hide from the pursuing clock in Penang, Malaysia
To make sense out of the chaos of our minds and step out of the Things That Insidiously Kill Us Through Stress, dear friend Kei and I went to Malaysia summer of last year. Part 1: a guide, sort of Kei clearly loved the windows in this heritage town of Penang. Quite a striking literary […]
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How to scam a scammer in Vietnam
Not all escapades are bathed in sunshine. Early this year, I planned to divulge some misadventures I encountered in my trips (see: Bangkok post). Here’s an account of how I was scammed in Vietnam and how I turned the tables on the scammer. After being swathed in comfort at the five-star hotel where I stayed […]
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How to keep calm
Young people are more given to short temper and fury, than their elders. While in a waiting lobby, I read an article suggesting that a calm mind is more productive and professional in a working environment. It says many top executives have turned to meditation and quiet exercises to keep them on top of their […]
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Heroes’ Day
The quick facts, simply told: well-connected Janet Lim Napoles has been at the center of a pork barrel scam involving our billion-peso taxes that we pay either thru salary deduction or VAT in things we buy; she’s said to be in cahoots with congressmen and senators who actually get more in every transaction; Napoles’ daughter […]
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Boracay, 3rd time
Boracay the third time around can still bring surprises – the life-nourishing kind.
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After the French film festival, Fête de la Musique
After the free French Film Festival last week (Jay and I watched Rust and Bone starring Marion Cotillard), Aliance Francais is bringing us another most-awaited free event in Manila, Fête de la Musique 2013, featuring over 100 bands to play over 10 hours. Fête de la Musique is not all French. In fact, it also celebrates the […]
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Disappearing in Thailand
The first thing you need to know about Bangkok is how the heat can make you do crazy things in April. One morning, after the usual breakfast of croissant, eggs(?), fresh orange juice, coffee, and banana at a backpackers’ hostel in Siam, I searched for beaches near Thailand’s capital and found some islands a few […]
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Musings and brief moments of indulgence
I’ve been locked out of my blog for some time to avoid any hacking incidence that’s been crippling my host’s websites, so to make up for it, I’ll try to write every other day starting today. First, some realizations. In less than two months, I have written about 80 articles: news re-writes, breaking news stories, […]
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Sweet home, Tubbataha
The news of a US military ship stuck in an important paradise of a coral reef in the Philippine waters strikes a blow to any nature lover and travel enthusiast whose appreciation of marine life and ecological balance runs deep. Tubbataha reef may actually be considered the planet’s act of kindness–of showing a slice of […]
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Happy, happy new year, world!
Apparently we all survived the end of the world, rather nervously. This start of the year should be a renewal of life, but I think all of us renew life every time we replace cells here and there, and improve on our self. Right before calendars turned 2012, I made a list of outlook, which […]
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BenCab Museum: that other world in the fog
In between reading books and editing articles, I bring here some memories from weeks ago at BenCab museum in Baguio City, Philippines. Entrance fee is 100 pesos (prices are discounted for students). The museum has four floors of wonder and the fog outside reminds me of the blinding whiteness of Saramago’s Blindness. Ben Cabrera is mostly […]
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Tam-awan Village and other realities
In some other time, or planes of existence, time seems to move forward ever so slowly, slower than the city pace or that of a town indulged in a rush for Pleasures that will masticate society- and self-induced Pain. Tam-awan Village in Baguio preserves a way of living in its small parcel of […]
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An island of seven volcanoes, white island, and a riot of lanzones
Camiguin is a province island, north of Mindanao. It’s known for the sweet, succulent lanzones that looks like a full moon outside, quarter moons inside because of the fruit’s whiteness and translucence. The day we arrived in the island, our host Grace invited us to help her parents harvest corn and lanzones. Mike and I […]
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Coming to Camiguin
One weekend, under the trees of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Grace Cutab and I were talking about the Run for Given, when she mentioned that she’s having a trip to their home in Camiguin. At the mention of Camiguin, my face registered the surprise of a kid–every traveler and backpacker I know […]
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Raising funds (photos)
September and October have been busy months because aside from work, there’s the fund raising activities for Given Grace, the 19-year old Computer Science student slain and raped in UPLB exactly last year. Since justice delayed is justice denied, the Task Force Given Grace organized a benefit gig in business district Makati, a bike ride […]
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Walking among the millionaires in Singapore (SG post 2)
Singapore’s leading publisher, SPH, reported that the country has the “highest density of millionaires” around the world because of the state’s small size and the number of millionaires living here: 99,000! A typical millionaire, the report says, has an average of 3 signature watches (SGD15,000 each or half a million pesos), and travels out of […]
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Get a boyfriend who can cook
The boyfriend arrived in the Philippines last month while I was still on a two-week vacation in Malaysia, so during my last week there, I wanted to re-schedule my flight to an earlier date, but since it would be more expensive, I chose to wait instead and enjoy Kuala Lumpur’s gastronomic treats and sights. Starting […]
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Up in the caves of Kuala Lumpur, talking to a backpacker, on a rainy night
It was raining in Kuala Lumpur. After staying in my room the whole day, I called Ranie to ask if he could accompany me to the Batu Caves. I changed my mind when I saw the downpour still going on outside. I told him, I’ll just walk around the block. Since I couldn’t go any […]
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Will never fly AirAsia again ever (a rant)
Yesterday has to be the worst flight I had during my first AirAsia experience, when our flight was delayed twice, first from 4pm to 8pm, then to 10:30 pm, thus, moving our arrival time at Kuala Lumpur from 8pm to 2am of the following day, and we were given a complementary snack coupon only (100 […]
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too humid to move
While roaming the temples with my friends the other week, we saw this meaty dog. On the streets of Bangkok all the dogs I saw were hanging out like they’re on vacation in a tropical country.
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This serious business of being alone
Today starts my second week in Bangkok, Thailand. Here, I feel like I’m just in Manila (cleaner version) so homesickness has no place in my mind, not even in my dreams. The Thais look like Filipinos, and I was always mistaken as a Thai. I’ve met solo backpackers from Korea and the Netherlands–young ladies who weren’t […]
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what to wear in Bangkok when you come in April
To dress up is to communicate. One doesn’t need an expensive wardrobe collection to flaunt one’s style. Imagination should be good enough. Coming to Bangkok in April, however, is a bit of a challenge to one’s creativity in mixing up dresses and accessories because this month is the hottest ever. (Try to focus a blow […]
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a cabinet of wonders
There is a cabinet of wonders I rarely open, but this afternoon I remembered it when I saw my former colleague, Christian Tablazon, on Facebook liking this photo (thanks, Christian!): Christian showed me this website, and I opened it twice since then. Both times I wondered about the process of their creation (and not really […]
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every day's most quiet need
soup for the soul on rainy days later again, after worship of screens (stopover in Singapore)
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every day’s most quiet need
soup for the soul on rainy days later again, after worship of screens (stopover in Singapore)
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kei runs
Sunday morning found Kei Tan running. The run started at 2am (assembly at 1am). The distance: a crazy 40+ kilometers. That’s about the distance from Sta. Rosa, Laguna to Buendia, Manila (a 1-hour drive). News is, she finished it. Everyone has her own quirks, but this Kei person is just… random. But her friends are […]
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Bahala na si Batman (Batman will take care of it)
Los Baños, Laguna has been in the news of late as it witnessed a series of crimes in the past weeks and months. Helpless students have been the target of theft, murder, and rape. Because of this, the image of elbi (LB)–serene, peaceful, quiet, and beautiful–has been tainted somewhat. But we will not let this […]
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Buying a car
Yesterday my sister and I bought my father a car–an AUV to be exact. It’s not like we dropped by the shop and felt like buying him one. We’ve been in constant communication and research for a month on which to buy– economizing what we need, what we want, and what we have. Because we witnessed […]
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Divine Secrets
Forty-year old theater director old Siddalee Walker is not in good terms with her (literally) crazy darling of a mother, Vivi. This is because of a controversial New York Times article about Vivi’s child abuse on her kids, including Sidda.
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Sunday trip to the Hot Air Balloon Festival and why “it’s more fun in the Philippines”
One time, my Singaporean boss asked me if it would be all right if my work takes me to the Philippines couple of times instead of staying all year round in Singapore. That wasn’t the first time he asked me (and I would always answer, I’m fine with it, and I’m not sure if he […]
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Sunday trip to the Hot Air Balloon Festival and why it’s more fun in the Philippines, really
One time, my Singaporean boss asked me if it would be all right if my work takes me to the Philippines couple of times instead of staying all year round in Singapore. That wasn’t the first time he asked me (and I would always answer, I’m fine with it, and I’m not sure if he […]
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road trip, the Comm Arts way
Million thanks to the people who took some of their precious time reading, sharing, blogging, re-blogging, tweeting, google plus-ing (whut?), and commenting on my article published in Philippine Daily Inquirer‘s Young Blood last week. Many personal messages surprised and touched me. Friends told me that it was trending in FB, it’s the top most read […]
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I want more Vietnamese food!
Oh my. Vietnamese food is all goodness. Heaven’s delight. pho Honestly I had zero idea what specialty Vietnam has, until my co-editor at IRRI, Lanie, advised me to try pho, noodles made of rice! (they’re abundant with rice, Vietnam being the world’s second largest rice exporter (after Thailand). That advice came to me weeks before […]
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All the best things (in SG) are free
Staying in Singapore is expensive. There’s a lot of cultural attractions and world-class entertainment in this tiny country but the only free things here are those cute postcards found in malls and restaurants. And some ten other things like the ones I shall list here. So how can a lakwatchero enjoy Singapore without the luxury […]
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alcoholic stories and the macho town of hilly binangonan
I know Rizal, the province, is a neighboring province, but I didn’t know how far it was until
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