Food Adventure at Binondo China Town

27 Septemeber, Binondo Manila - Food. Food. and Food everywhere. Aside from food, Chinese, Chinese, and Chinese everywhere. When put together, Chinese Food everywhere. Almost every country that I have been to has their own China town from Petaling Street of Malaysia to Chinatown, Singapore. I have not been to Mainland China so I do not really know how authentic Chinese food taste like, but Chinatowns' foods are the most authentic that I could get every time I am travelling be it in South Korea, Singapore or any where in the world. 

Philippines Chinatown also known as Binondo is just a few minutes walk from Manila Central Post Office, and from the famous shopping lane of Divisoria. I have been to Binondo many times but still have not explored much of the food there. So this time, we give it a try to explore Binondo's hidden food gem.  With our deep love with Chinese food, we will take all the risk and cost of this journey just to satisfy our cravings for it. So after our countless readings for food blog reviews, and thorough research about the area, these are some of the places that we have been to. We haven't reached our target of ten food stops, but five food stops is really not that bad.

Dong Bei Dumplings (642 ET Yuchengco St. cor V Tytana St., Binondo Manila) - Famous place for their own Kuchay dumplings and also their Xia Long Bao. Their Xia Long Bao is even included in the Looloo's Xia Long Bao's list to try in the Metro. Their dumplings is made to order and you can even see their staffs doing it once you order it. Better be in the restaurant early as the seats could get crowded on meal time and only limited to a few customers. Also one thing to try is their Wong Lo Kat herbal tea to quench the heat and to pair for your dumplings. 

Wai Ying Tea House (Benavidez St., Binondo, Manila) - We ordered Curry Pork Siomai, Hakaw and Chiuchao dumpling. We also ordered their Milk Tea. Hakaw must be my favorite among on what we ordered. Curry Pork Siomai tastes also great but just too oily for me. Chiuchao dumplings is made of chicken, peanuts, and some herb, which make it taste weird for me. But over all, I like it all except their Milk tea. Comparing their Milk tea in what is sold in the streets of Thailand and mamak of Malaysia, theirs is way way behind. I also somehow find it overpriced. 

Eng Bee Tin - A trip to Binondo would not be complete without bringing home flavored Hopia. This place is famous for their flavored hopia aside from the normal flavor of monggo and ube. You can try their famous Kondol (Wintermelon), Buko Pandan, Mochacinno, and Custard. Each pack of four hopia will not cost you more than $1.00. Not bad, eh?

I know these are just few of the restaurants out there but due to time constraints, we haven't visited much of it. Our target was to try almost ten restaurants but we got very full even only on our third food stop. Maybe next time, we could give it a try for the other ones out there. That's how passionate we are with Chinese food. We will never get tired of it even over and over again. So if you ask us how much is the total damage, I must say more or less P500 ($12.0). Really not bad, eh? Delicious Food, Cheap Prices - What's not to love about Binondo, right?

Yours Singapore, My Second Time Around

August 20, Singapore - When I first went to Singapore last January 2014, I intentionally skipped Universal Studios so I have a reason to go back Singapore again. I promised myself that I if ever I will go back Singapore, I will make sure to visit Universal Studios and Sentosa, but not this year. It just so happened that I have a really long holiday to spend in Malaysia and decided just to dropped by Singapore. Also, since when I was in Singapore, I visited Lego Land instead of USS, then I think it is time for me to visit USS since I have been to Lego Land.

I left Kuala Lumpur early in the morning by train going to Singapore. It took me around eight hours of travel, including the immigration process to reach Woodlands, Singapore. The moment I stepped out of Woodlands Train Station, I really knew that I was in Singapore with the clean road, organized traffic, fresh air, and vibrant greens. Singapore comparing to other cities that I have been through is really different so you will really know that you are in Singapore.

It was around 4:00 PM in the afternoon when I arrived, and it was drizzling.  I directly went to the hostel where my friend, Risdy, was waiting for me. When I arrived at the hostel, I was like complaining like hell because of the long train travel from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. I somehow regret that I book a return train ticket which costed me a lot and has greatly affected my mood on that day. I should have bought a train ticket going to Singapore, and should have taken the bus going back Kuala Lumpur. I was somehow satisfied with the train even though it is too cold inside considering it is an old looking train.

After our short rest, we started our journey in Masjid Sultan in Arab Street which is just a few walks from our hostel. Then, we decided just to go around Downtown and breathe in some fresh air there to spend our first night in Singapore. We had our dinner first in Bugis Mall before we headed Downtown. After we had our dinner, we went directly to Gardens by the Bay. Just right on time, we have witnessed the light show of the Super Trees. Then from there, we walked to Marina Bay Sands Hotel. We just look around the hotel since we cannot go Casino since he forgot his passport. We walked a little bit more going to the Helix Bridge. But before we crossed the bridge, we were on time for the water and light show at the back of the Marina Bay Sands hotel facing the beautiful skyline of down town Singapore. After the show, we continued our walk from Helix Bridge going to Merlion Park while enjoying the city lights and fresh air. It was my first time to watch all those in Singapore and to experience Singapore city at night. Since we got tired from our long walk from Gardens by the Bay to the Merlion Park, we called it a day and went back to our hostel to rest for our long day at Universal Studios the next day.

Early morning the next day, we just had our breakfast and, then, checked out of the hostel. We went directly to Universal Studios Singapore to enjoy our day. We did not expect that the people would be that much since it was not a school holiday in Singapore nor in Malaysia, but we have not took in consideration that it is a holiday in South Korea, Japan and China. Anyway since we could not do anything about the people going in the park, we did our master plan to enjoy the park and take full advantage of our ticket. We first ride the Transformers The Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle. With that just alone, it took us an hour queue time, but all worth the wait. It was one of the best ride ever in the park. After that we went to the Revenge of the Mummy. It is almost the same heart attack as Transformers but still Transformers is better. We still continue to walk around the park going to the Lost World, and Far Far Away Palace.

Since almost all the rides in the park has a queue time of an hour or more, we took the opportunity jut to take pictures with the characters and celebrities there from the Fairy Godmother to Charlie Chaplin. We have taken some more rides before the rain started to pour and which caused the Water World show to be cancelled. While waiting for the rain to stop inside the theater hall, we have bumped into a Korean girl and another Filipino guy travelling together in Singapore. It is just so funny that the other Filipino guy have not thought of me as Filipino. We just let the rain to stop inside the theater before we all started to roam around the park again. The heavy rain has also caused some of the outdoor rides to close down early so we really have not ridden almost all the rides in the park. Good thing that we went back to the Transformer Ride and was surprised that the queue time was just less than15 minutes. We took it again for second time and still enjoyed the ride. I do really suggest this ride if ever one will visit USS. 

After our Universal Studios escapade, we parted ways in Vivo City Mall. He went back home to Batam while I met my other friend, Mimee, whom I have met during AYLE in Singapore. We had our dinner together inside the mall and went to China Town to have some drink and to catch up a little bit. It was just a short meeting with her since I still need to take the train going back Kuala Lumpur that night, but even with our short meeting I still enjoy it and longing for more.  

With this trip, I am really grateful that I have friends like Risdy and Mimee whom I can meet anytime if I go Singapore. They surely made my trip in Singapore fruitful and memorable. It is really not the country  that I have visited but really my friends whom I have met even before going SIngapore: I met Risdy in Philippines, and Mimee in Singapore and Philippines. I will surely visit Singapore again, and again because of them and because of the memories that we all have made. 

ASEAN Future Leaders Summit 2014

Once again, I have been chosen to be one of the lucky delegates of one of the best ASEAN summit I have ever attended. I did not expect that this would be as memorable and as exciting until I was there. I was expecting a little less, but then the people behind it proved me wrong. 

ASEAN Future Leaders Summit (AFLES 2014) is a nine-day exciting program that invites student leaders from universities in ASEAN region as well as other international universities. This is the second endeavour in bringing partner universities under one program and to enrich them with the leadership capabilities. This program intends to create a networking platform for participants to share idea and knowledge in critical issues of higher education, leadership and student participation and to aid in policy making to create a sustainable tomorrow for younger generation. 

During the nine day program, we are exposed to various plenary forum sessions, educational trips, networking lunches, and of course cultural presentations and gala nights. We also got to experience exceptional hospitality of the organizing committee from Higher Education Leadership Academy of Malaysia (AKEPT), Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), and Prince of Songkla University, Thailand (PSU). Aside from the amazing organizers, delegates and speakers, here are some of the amazing experiences and realizations that I had during AFLES 2014:

With upcoming ASEAN Economic Community 2015, it has been the hottest and trendiest topic throughout the program. Almost all the forums, seminars, and presentations revolved with the topic on ASEAN integration. Not only we learned more about AEC2105, but also we got to learn different topics on leadership, cross-cultural mindsets, and ASEAN tourism.

Aside from the discussions we had in the plenary hall, we also got to learn more outside with all our educational trips around Malaysia and Thailand. While in Malaysia, we had the chance to visit Putrajaya, the emerging city of Malaysia; Malacca, the historical state of Malaysia; Penang, the pearl of the orient; and of course, Kuala Lumpur, the gem of Malaysia. On the other hand while in Thailand, we visited Hat Yai, the business center of South of Thailand, Songkla. Not only we traveled around, but also we experienced and tasted different cuisines of each countries, and have witnessed various differences from our culture in our home country.

In just less than ten days, we were thoroughly exposed to the culture and traditions of the host countries, Malaysia and Thailand.  Not only we learn about Malaysia and Thailand throughout the program, but also we got to have an overview of the culture of other countries in ASEAN from Brunei to Vietnam. Even in just a short period of time, we experienced cross-cultural exchange from the delegates from our home country to the rest of the ASEAN region. 

The main goal of AFLES is to enrich each delegates with leadership qualities needed in the ASEAN region, including building network and friendship. With almost two weeks of getting together from our first night in Nilai, Malaysia to our last day in Hat Yai, Thailand, we have created a strong bond of friendship that we will surely remember and will surely last forever. So at the end of the program, we only not brought home learning from the plenaries we had and memories of our good travel, but also friends that we will cherish and will be looking forward to meet again in the future. 

Me with Prof. Anees of USM

With all the delegations that I have been through, AFLES 2014 is the best that I have attended be it locally or internationally. It was not just about the travel and tours that made it exciting, but the people that I have met who have made the delegation more exciting and more memorable for me. I will surely keep this experience of mine as a real treasure and will always keep the message of AFLES 2014 forward for other people to experience it and have the same opportunity. All thanks to Professor Anees Janee Ali and Mr. Ehsan Kh of USM for organizing such awesome event. Without them, and also the organizing committee from AKEPT, USIM, USM, PSU; AFLES 2014 would not be realized. I hope that you will continue the legacy for the next years of ASEAN future leaders to come. Oh hail, AFLES 2015! AFLES 2016! AFLES 2017!

Once an AFLESer, always an AFLESer!

Disclaimer: All photos are from the Facebook webpage of ASEAN Future Leaders Summit 2014. Taken by the official photographer, Jonathan Tan of USM. 

Not Your Typical White Sandy Beach

July 05, Malabrigo Beach - Part of my month long birthday celebration, I have decided to spend one of my boring weekend in a secluded beach far from the noisy and polluted city to relax and to feel refresh after. When I was searching for places to go, almost all website are pointing me to beaches in Laiya, Quezon and some other fine sand beaches, but Malabrigo Beach. Malabrigo Beach is not your typical white sandy beach because all you will see is small to medium size pebble scattered around. So I decide to give it a try visiting the beach even if it is almost four to five hours away from Manila by commute depending on the traffic. I love adventure, anyway. 

Going there is quite easy. I just followed the routes the same as what I have read in other blog except the prices has changed. We left Manila at 8:00 a.m., and arrived Lobo, Batangas at around noon. It took us around four hours to reach Lobo which includes almost an hour zigzag road going there from Lubijo. We took a short lunch break in a local restaurant there and have their famous Batangas noodle delicacy, Lomi Noodles. While having lunch, we got to chat with the owner of the restaurant and got to know some of the directions and time schedules of the last trip going back Batangas. 

After we had our lunch, we walked a little bit to take a tricycle ride going to Malabrigo. We asked our tricycle driver to drop us at the Malabrigo Lighthouse. After half hour tricycle ride along the road beside the rice fields and mountain ranges, we then arrived at the hill top where we have seen the majestic Malabrigo Lighthouse. The lighthouse is one of the two lighthouses in Batangas province, the other is in Calatagan as per the caretaker. 

The lighthouse was built during the Spanish period, but still is functional until now. We took a short walk around the lighthouse and have some short chat with the caretaker. The caretaker then pointed us the direction going to beach side which is just few big steps down the steep stair near the lighthouse,I tell you it’s the most tiring thing you will do there. When we got to the last few steps and got to see the beach side, almost all our hard work going down the steep stair has washed off and we felt just to run naked toward crystal clear water. The water was so clear that you can see fishes swimming around, and the waves were not that strong as those in beaches in Quezon. The place was so calming since it is far from the residential area and we are the only one swimming in the beach aside from the other guys. The sun was not that hot and air was so refreshing, all perfect just for a short beach nap. The place is really ideal for those who planning to relax, to do yoga, or just to skinny dip.

Around 3:00 p.m., our driver picked us up in the beach side and told us that we should leave to catch the last trip of the jeepney going back to Batangas. We then dressed up just behind the big rocks and went up to the lighthouse. Before we left, we still got to have short conversation with the caretaker about lighthouse. We left Malabrigo satisfied and with a perfect suntan, just right for a weekend getaway. 

Malabrigo Beach is truly one of the hidden gems of the Philippines. The beach was very secluded and uninhabited so you will rarely see trash around the area. I just hope that people will keep the area as it is. I also hope that the government will help to maintain the lighthouse and also, the beach side. This trip really made me beach sick and wanted to see more of the beautiful hidden beaches of the Philippines. Now, it is time for me to plan for my next beach adventure again! 

How to get there: From Buendia Taft, take the bus going to Grand Terminal, Batangas, From there take a jeep going to Lubijo. Then take another jeepney from Lubijo going to Lobo, Batangas. Finally, hire a tricycle going to Malabrigo. Tell the driver to drop you off at the Malabrigo Parola. 

What It Feels Like to be an Exchange Student in South Korea?

Last 2010, I have received an opportunity that I have never expected that would change me for a lifetime, which until now I still can't believe that it had happened. An experienced that really changed the way I live and the way how I see things. It was really a life changing experienced that when I got home, a new and better me was born.  

I have went to South Korea without even any knowledge of their language, culture and customs. It was my first time to go out of the country and I was literally culture shocked. As days has passed, I eventually learned how to cope with their culture and language. Just after two weeks, I  can haggled and asked for directions  every time I go downtown, or somewhere. After a month, I can ask for something, and order my food in the restaurant all ALONE.

Also being an exchange student in South Korea has also given me a chance to visit from the northest to the southest of the South Korean peninsula. I have been to the almost north of the South Korea, the Demilitarized Zone in Paju, where I had a glimpse of the North Korean city of Kijongdo, and visited the underground tunnels and military base camps along the border. Also, I have walked along the streets of Seoul where I have seen the famous Gyeongbuk Palace, Insadong, Dongdaemun Market and of course the Namsan Tower. Also I got a chance to visit the the archaeological and historical city of Gyeongju where I have visited various temples and shrines such as Bulguksa, Seokguram, Anapji pond and more. I also got to see different beaches around the coast line of South Korea from Pohang to Tongyeong but Busan. And also I experienced climbing up the different mountains around Gyeongsan province like Apsan, Guamsan and Palgongsan, and have explored the daily life of locals in my second home city, Daegu.

It has not just let me visit different places, but also to experience the authentic Korean culture from the Chuseok celebration of my host family where I felt so welcomed and accommodated to the jjimjilbang in Seoul where I first got naked in public. Not only that, I have also experienced singing with a group of Koreans in a norebang, took a long train rides with KTX, tried the bizarre street food, Beondegi, in Gyeongju, and countless night of drinking with friends and classmates all around the university campus.

Being in South Korea is not complete without trying their food. I have been thankful that I grew up not a picky eater. I eat vegetables, meat or anything edible that has been served to me, so eating out is not a problem for me. I have the opportunity to try almost all of their cuisines from their famous Bibimbap and Bulgogi to their not so famous Jjimdak and Samgyetang. I also have tried their famous street foods such as Tteokbokki, Odeng, and more. I also have tasted some of their alcoholic beverages such as Soju, Makkgeolli, and Maekju. 

Even though it seems that being an exchange student in South Korea is full of fun, I must say it comes with a bigger responsibility behind all of that. I have been granted a scholarship grant from the South Korean government so I have to maintain a good academic standing in spite of all the parties and the outside trips that I have. I took five regular business courses from International Manners and Protocol to Economic Development and Global Marketing. I have also taken a special Korean language course to ease my learning of the Korean language. All has been a good courses for me, and as a normal student I also do skipped classes and sometimes slept on class. Luckily, when everything ends, I do received a GPA of 4.30 out 4.50. I almost got a straight 4.50 except one. Having said that, even though I have to maintain a good grade or not, I have never lockup myself abroad just to study and maintain the scholarship. Hence I go out and explore! And that's what exchange is all about.

Even though, I have only stayed in South Korea for only one semester, yet i have learned a lot of things and met a lot of people. Being an exchange student in South Korea, I must say, is fun and exciting since you will really experience life away from your parents and away from your home. It is a challenging and an interesting experience.  You will literally get lost in translation and you would experience how it is to be alone and be an alien in a foreign land. And eventually, you will realize how great you are as before. 

My Student's Guide to Travel

I have my first travel abroad alone when I was about 18 years old. It was my first trip away from Philippines and away from my family. It was an eye opener for me that the world is a good place to live in, so explore! Since then, I don't make studying as an excuse for my travels. I really hate the usual excuse of "I will travel after I graduate." Yes they sure are right, but who would enjoy just ten days of vacation leave when you can have full two months vacation every year, right? You do not need millions to travel, all you got to have is courage and determination. And I am sure that people are wondering how can you travel with just your student allowance. Like what I have said, you don't need million but just information.

1. Apply for a Scholarship - My first travel abroad is in South Korea when I received an exchange student scholarship grant from South Korean Government. It was a great opportunity for me since everything is for free. All I have to do is study and maintain a good academic standing. I ended up with almost 4.30/4.50 GPA at the end of the semester. Aside from my tuition fee, airfare and accommodation, I also received a monthly stipend which is really more than what I really need, so I save almost half of my stipend every month for my side travels and shopping. Just for four months, I have been to almost one third of the South Korea peninsula. From the deadly border of DMZ to the sunny beach of Tongyoung, I have been there. But mostly, I have been to the beautiful countryside and historical province of Gyeongju and Daegu. 

There are lots of scholarship and fellowship grants available out there. From the Erasmus programme of European Union to Monbukagakusho Scholarship of Japan government, all is available and free to apply for students like us. But remember, all of this comes with a great responsibility. They are free but you got to work for it. Its a tedious application but the reward is so fulfilling and all effort is so worth it.

2. Join International Conference or Exchange - Joining international conferences or exchanges is just one lame excuse to travel abroad, but with it, you got to travel with purpose and also meet new people. If really travelling alone is not your type, then maybe this is for you. Depending on your interest, there are lots of international exchanges going on right now specially with oncoming 2015 ASEAN Integration.

As for me, I joined ASEANpreneur Youth Leaders Exchange 2014 so I got to travel to Singapore. When the conference has concluded, I went to a side trip to Malaysia to visit Lego Land. Also, my JENESYS 2.0 experience has lead me not just to travel across Tokyo but also to experience their culture first hand. Not bad eh? All of this for a little or no cost.    

3.Save up - This takes a lot of practice and exercise. When you first experience living abroad away from the comfort of your home, you will realize that some things in life are just plain useless. I have given up drinking soft drinks, eating junk foods, and buying useless stuffs. With these little sacrifices, you can then save enough money for your travel every year. I have been saving up for almost two years for me to materialize my Travel 2014. Also with proper preparation combined with determination, you will be living your dream in no time. Just learn to practice delay gratification. Everything will pay off eventually all you have to do is believe. 

Also one thing I do to save up is to establish a travel fund. I make sure that all monetary gifts, excess cash, and cut off from my allowance will go directly to my travel fund. People might wonder how can a student like me living with about $5.00 everyday can afford to travel. My answer is proper saving and DETERMINATION.

These are only  that I have tried yet, but I am sure there are a lot more ways to travel as a student. You can try to volunteer, be an Au pair, or even have internship abroad. I'm still on the process of knowing each and every of it for me to share to everyone. Like what I have said, You don't need to be a millionaire to travel and to make your dreams come true.  All you need is determination and hard work. We now live in a world of social media where almost all information are available online. Exchanges, scholarships, conferences, and promos are all happening at this moment. I tell you, a lot of opportunities out there are waiting to be taken, so don't waste your time Facebooking and complaining how hard life is. Try and take risk. Take a gap year if you can. After all, there is no harm in trying. Life is shorter than what you think so make best out of it.

What Travelling Has Really Taught Me

Travelling is fun but sometime things don't go according to plan. Travelling teaches us a lot of things as we go beyond our comfort zone. And below are some of the things what travelling has taught me so far. 

When travelling . . .

It teaches me to be sensitive. Every time I travel, I always remember that when in Rome do what the Romans do. I do research on the customs and culture for me not to be rude to other people. Travelling teaches me to become culturally sensitive, as you will be more conscious on your words and on your actions. Also remember that not everyone knows English, and stop being rude you know English very well, so try to learn their language every time you go different places.  I knew conversational Korean so when I was in Korea, I always get to bargain things very low and sometime get more than I expected. When you talk with their second language, you talk with their mind; but when you talk with their mother language, you talk with their heart.

It teaches me to go off limits. Travelling makes me more adventurous as I go beyond my comfort zone and sometimes go beyond the law. Underage drinking, beating the curfew and jaywalking are some of the common things I do. And when I get caught, I just play dumb. I, myself, am fond of drinking so I make sure to try local beers or to try night pubs in each places. Take risk and just have fun, if it goes well, then good; if goes the other way, then charged to experience. 

It teaches me to make new friends. I took your picture, you took mine. Everyone, for sure, wants to have their own picture taken at a certain place, but it's problematic sometime when you're travelling alone. Travelling teaches me how to speak up. (Read more about this here.)

It teaches me to be good at math. Oh yeah, shopping is one thing everyone do when travelling. Travelling teaches us to be an instant mathematician. We tend to convert everything in our own currency mentally (unless you are super rich and does not care about money). When I was in Korea, I tend to multiply per 10,000원 by P300, in Singapore I just multiply by P35, and in Japan, the easiest, I just divide the price by two. I also tend to travel on budget so I make sure all my stuffs are well accounted and well recorded. (Yeah, my accounting courses work for me). 

It teaches me to be a better person. Travelling has taught me to conquer my fears and to break the box, from my DMZ escapade to Onsen and Jjimjilbang(public bath) experience. All has helped me to be more open to try new things and to learn different culture. And every time I got home, I am one experience richer.Hence, I have more stories and more lesson to share to my family and friends which makes me one step closer to be a global citizen.

The Joy of Meeting New People

Meeting new people has always been my passion. Ever since I made a new friend abroad, I have never stopped making new friends from different parts of the world. From the highest peak of Mongolia to the strangest sounding land of Lithuania, I have all made a friend there. They have taught me a lots of things which I can never read on any history or cultural books.

Even before the rise of Facebook and Twitter, I have been connected to the internet through the Jurassic site like Gaia Online and Interpals. Gaia Online has been my first virtual world where I meet people from different country. With my curious mind that time, I tend to commit cultural mistakes such as asking for sensitive stuffs that I think are just normal things to ask in my country. You will then realize that the world is so colorful and so diverse that what's right in your country might not be right for them which makes you more culturally sensitive and be more of a citizen of the world. 

Join and meet people on exchange. Even though you go the program alone, but don't be a loner. You go there to exchange ideas and build networks, and not to just sit on a corner all alone. You have been get together because you all have the same interest and that is to travel and meet people. Those people that you will meet might be your next best friends, and maybe your travel buddies. Also, you don't know you might need their help when you go to their country. So, go on join an exchange NOW!  

Don't be afraid to meet people online, they might be your buddy abroad. Before I went to South Korea, I have make sure to do research about the country. Since it is my first time to travel abroad and to live there for four months, I befriend with all the Koreans I saw in Interpals. I tried to ask them how is life in Korea, how much are the stuffs there, and what should I expect there. Then I stumbled to one Korean guy who is also going to the same university as mine. He has been my buddy my whole stay in the university. He show me around the campus, and have lunch and dinner with me. We have also traveled together around the province. Take risk, not all people on the internet are bad guys. Remember you are also one of those guys in the internet. There are lots of online platforms where you can meet people online, just choose the legit and safe one. I, myself, use Interpals and Couchsurfing. 

Talk to strangers. Ask for direction. If you are taught to don't talk to stranger on your country, then I must say forget about it. People are just as afraid of you as you are of them. You are a new to a foreign land and you don't know much of the direction so try to ask if you feel so lost. Don't be so arrogant and act as if you know everything. Sometimes, it feels great just to be lost so you can have conversation with the locals. You don't know how much information you will get to them, and also you can practice your language learning skills with them.

"I take your pictures, you take mine." This phrase is just so classic that almost all alone travelers use it. Who wouldn't want to have pictures of them while travelling, right? This phrase is a good ice breaker if you travel alone. I tell you, they will surely eager to help you and take that candid traveler shot you like. When I was in Japan, I was asked by a Malaysian stranger while in Asakusa temple to take a photo of her and she told me she will also take mine. Good deal, eh? It just so good that you gonna have interaction with alone travelers. 

You don't need to travel to meet people and exchange ideas with them. Join Postcrossing! With just the comfort of your computer chair, you gonna have the opportunity to travel and meet people. I, myself, have exchange more than a hundred postcards to hundred of people all over the world. You gonna exchange cards from various age, sex, and nationality. And each card will have a unique story to tell. It just depends on you if you gonna be open for more or not. 

There are a lots of way to make new friends online and offline. All you have to have is an open mind. Take the initiative and don't be afraid. Talk to the locals. Talk to fellow travelers. You don't know your seatmate on the subway, or the person in front of you might be your next travel buddy. I tell you, there are more better sites than Facebook. Why surround yourself with your shitty high school schoolmate whom you have never known of, when you can have the bests of world surround you. VON voyage!

Dreams Do Come True: JENESYS 2.0

When I was in high school, I have dreamed to be an Exchange student in Japan. As every weekend back then, I tried to study the Japanese language myself. I even have bought Japanese language learning books and dictionary just to help myself. I also subscribed to Japanese YouTube channels to help me learned more about the Japanese culture and language. You can say that I'm a really a "Weebo" back then because you will see me watching NHK and other Japanese channels, as if I can understand everything. I even eat food with my own chopsticks that I bought at the Japanese store. So I have lived this kind of lifestyle hoping one day I can go Japan and study there, until I have graduated high school

When I entered college, everything has changed. I have no more time to study Japanese so as times goes by, I have forgotten how to read and write Japanese characters and even some grammar points. I have focused too much on my major and have forgotten about this kind of things. Still every day, I am hoping that I can visit Japan even for just short period. Until one day, the day that I have been waiting for. 

Dreams do really come true. I have stumbled upon a cultural exchange program on the web, JENESYS 2.0, and eagerly join the program. Luckily, I was one of the chosen Filipino delegates for the Japan-ASEAN-Oceania festival. Everything is for free from plane ticket, accommodation and even food. Who would not want to travel free? Like what they have said, the best things in life are free, but you got to work for it. And JENESYS 2.0 made this opportunity possible for me. 

13 countries, 360 highschool and university students, 1 programme: JENESYS 2.0

JENESYS 2.0 is a program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for the youth and students who are interested in Japanese culture. They bring students from all over the ASEAN and Oceania region to experience and to learn Japanese culture first hand. The program itinerary includes visit to temples, schools or universities, companies, and farm. The program also exposes the delegates to daily Japanese culture and customs such as origami making, ikebana, planting, and many more. Even with a short stay in Japan, you will really get to experience the authentic Japanese culture.

The program is also not about visiting and seeing ALL the touristy place such as Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Sky tree, Imperial Palace, and others, but it is about the experience and friends you would have while in Japan. You can always make money, but you cannot always make memories. With all those first time experiences I have such beach combing, rice planting, firefly watching, and all those authentic and fresh Japanese shashimis I have tried, I have really been thankful for it. I can say that I went home fully refreshed and full of stories to share to my family, friends, and even to the whole world. But there are only two words that can summarize my experiences in Japan, “COOL JAPAN!”

どうもありがとうございます!