There are two kinds of people in the Philippines: those who take “Local” transportation, and those who go “First Class,” as they’ll call them. I’ve found that Local transport usually entails a jeepney (the converted U.S. army jeeps with dozens of passengers crammed in the back that litter the streets […]
Tag: Philippines
The Asahi portable fan
I’m a mess. A glistening, moppish, soggy, disheveled mess. Just about every moment of the day and even night here in the Philippines, I’ve been sweating. I can’t stop. There are several reasons for that. First, I just came back here after almost two months in the U.S., where it […]
Pro boxing in the Philippines
Living abroad, I end up having some incredible experiences, ranging from inspiring to good to just plain old challenging. But we either win or we learn, right? In fact, experiencing things outside of my comfort zone is part of what I love about living overseas – and especially the Philippines, […]
Paying bills in the Philippines
This one will have you scratching our head. Just having moved into a new apartment here in Manila and it’s come that time to start paying bills. While it was complicated enough to get everything set up at my new palatial estate at Morgan Suites (ok, a 34 square-meter studio […]
New Bombay Royale
Have you tried Indian food? I really do, although I must admit I don’t eat it enough here in Southeast Asia. While you may find Indian food or Indian-inspired dishes in places like Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, it’s not popular at all here in the Philippines, where I’m living. Quite […]
Grand Canal Mall, Bonifacio, Manila
Near the top of every traveler’s Bucket List is a trip to Venice, Italy’s majestic and unique city where water canals make up every one of the streets. In fact, Venice is a series of about 100 small islands on a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea, with boats on waterways […]
Christmas Travel in the Philippines
One of the warmest, most charming, and endearing things about the Philippines is that, although they are surrounded by mostly Buddhist or Islamic nations in Southeast Asia, they are a predominently Roman Catholic country, and so Christmas is a BIG DEAL! In fact, since they have no Thanksgiving, the official […]
Top Batanes Travel Tips
There is no denying that Batanes, the northernmost island in the entire 7,500-island Philippines archipelago, is one of the most beautiful places on earth. As rugged and harsh as it is exotic and breathtaking, Batanes is my new favorite place to experience the wonder of nature, enjoy a rare glimpse […]
The Refined
I’m pretty excited about exploring the city of Manila, my new full-time home starting in December of this year. Moving there from the quiet (read: boring) and sleepy (read: nothing much to do) coastal community of Dumaguete, it feels like I went from a little town in Kansas to the […]