8

Great Eight. Symbol for infinity. Favorite anniversary date for lovers. Lucky number, for some. Today marks my eighth year in the blogosphere. My longest intimate relationship lasted for seven years so I guess my personal space on this overcrowded online world is going stronger. Video bloggers and online influencers with huge followings are the trend now, but I’m still tucked in my old school narrative way of blogging but I know that I’ve been too lazy on writing regularly (especially on my school-related posts), and hopefully I could do better this year. 

Autumn in Tokyo: A Travel Guide ~ Updated

*Updated January 8, 2019*

This post has been updated with additional narrative on my second autumn trip to Tokyo.

It was our fourth day in Japan and the endless drizzle since day one didn’t seem to get tired. A super typhoon from the Philippines was heading directly to Tokyo and almost half of the establishments in the capital city are shut for the day. Fortunately, the subway was fully operational. Me and my buddies were aiming for an awesome autumn trip but were devastated by the weather report. We may have been doomed to be soaked but our spirits are brighter than the sun. Resiliency is my favorite characteristic of the Filipino people.

5 Favorite Gifts of 2018

SEA to Africa 2018. 10 years in teaching service. Timor Leste. Morocco (yey!). More surprises. Oceania and Africa. Mrs. Lakad Pilipinas.

A thought-provoking question was raised by a professor in graduate school some years ago, "What do you wake up for every day?" Hands were up in no time as my classmates stated their loved ones and passion for teaching as their main reasons. When it was my turn, almost all of them laughed after I uttered, "I wake up for Morocco!"—the first thing that came to my mind. Fast forward to 2018, I spent one month backpacking in this charming country together with my favorite person in the world as newlyweds. Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it, as they say.

Mount Fuji: A Second Attempt to Japan’s Mighty Mountain

Same time last year, my favorite travel buddies and I went to the Land of Sushi for a quick five-day jaunt—my first ever trip to Japan. We had great plans on exploring Tokyo and its neighboring towns but a super typhoon coincided with our trip which basically interfered with our itinerary. We didn’t get to see Mount Fuji during our Hakone trip and ­we were literally roaming around Tokyo with fierce winds and endless rain on our backs. Nonetheless, we had so much fun, ‘coz we’re all together. On my second attempt to get a glimpse of this mighty volcano, I was positive and hopeful.

Sunway City­: Malaysia's Premier Multi-Park Destination

I could barely recall the last time I screamed so loud in my adult life that there’s this newfound joy in giving it all out. The screams from our stints at Sunway City’s Night of Fright and Water Park were the perfect stress-busters I needed at that time. It felt like I momentarily left everything behind and just focused on the challenges at that time—the fright from the horror houses and the thrill from the exhilarating water rides. We had an overnight stay at Sunway Lagoon and it definitely isn’t enough! 

Ipoh: An Underrated Old Town in Malaysia

As I got lost on the charming narrow alleys of the city's old town, I kept on telling myself on why we haven't been to Ipoh yet considering our countless Malaysia getaways. I could imagine myself spending a lazy afternoon on a café, or beer shack, tuck in the middle of this laid-back district to people-watch. And we will definitely do that one of these days, because Ipoh deserves more than just a daytrip.

Malaysia: Dorsett Kuala Lumpur

The plan was to go out for a drink after a full day of touring around Kuala Lumpur. The group marched its way to the nearby Bukit Bintang area and settled on one of the bars at Changkat. Our supposed one round of beer session ended on an all-nighter bar-hopping spree. We went back at Dorsett Kuala Lumpur at three in the morning and collapsed on our beds, three hours shy before the buffet breakfast starts.