It is raining cats and dogs as I write this. We are nearing April, and I still don’t know how time has passed by this quickly. I appreciate this grim weather because I wouldn’t be able to put pen to paper without it, or in my case, to put my fingertips on the keyboard. I…
We are a very democratic couple. I initiate all the plans, and Takashi executes them. It is rarely the other way around. So, I was astonished when he approached me last Friday and asked if I would like to go to Awaji Island (淡路島) and a few other places in Kansai this week instead of…
The weather has been quite wild on this side of the world. February’s weather was full of contradictions. We experienced both freezing cold weeks and then warm spring-like days. It even snowed in Kobe, a rarity here! Meanwhile, I have been studying for DipTESOL and only have a little time for my adventures. But, of…
After having a blast in Cebu throughout the last week of December, I want to spend New Year’s Eve on Bohol and Panglao islands. It takes about two hours to reach Bohol by ferry, and when we do, a beautiful sunny day greets us at the port. Bohol Island is famous for several things, but…
January has proven to be a busy month at work. I also made a significant career decision and enrolled in the Trinity DipTESOL course that I plan to write about in the future. However, taking some time off from writing blogs encouraged me to blog more about my Philippines journey. If you are new to…
Writing about the Philippines and recovering from my emotional hangover has taken longer than I thought. It may be helpful to re-read Part 1 to jog your memory on what happened last time! I’d also like to give special thanks to The Monching’s Guide, a brilliant food blogger in the Philippines, for his invaluable advice…
Some places simply find their way into your life and transform it irrevocably. I first landed in Manila in 2019 and still remember what a journey it was. To tell you the truth, many people I knew found it intimidating when I mentioned that I was planning to travel alone in the Philippines as a…
I went leaf-peeping in Arashiyama and Shodoshima last month, and honestly, how fall passed by so fast is beyond me. Yet it is safe to say fall continues well into December here because I still don’t feel the harsh winter that turns people into icicles in the north of Japan. But don’t take my word…
I woke up around 3 a.m. last Saturday and couldn’t go back to sleep. I suddenly got itchy feet and wondered where I could go. I opened Google Maps and ran my finger over it to see which direction felt good. I have my own quirks when it comes to traveling, and being spontaneous is…
I am not wont to visit overly populated and popular cities. I can’t shake off the feeling that I am doing something wrong when visiting such places. One might think that since we live in a global world, there can’t be anything wrong with traveling to famous places. But my trips there often result in…