All posts tagged: Featured

Solo Sentiments: Conquering the challenge of traveling alone

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Whenever I tell someone that I want to travel on my own, I always get one of two reactions: an excited, “Me too!” or a scrunched-up expression followed by, “Why do you want to do that?” or some variation thereof. Maybe it’s the communal nature of Filipinos that makes this idea so alien to us. Whether we’re eating, exercising, or watching movies, we love being with our friends and family. I do enjoy traveling with other people, but I’ve wanted to try it solo for some time now. So that’s exactly what I did a week ago—despite my parents’ worries. Part of my reason for doing so was that I wanted to prove to other people that I could hack it on my own, no matter how sheltered and introverted and neurotic I am. But more than that, I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to escape my safe little box and test my mettle. And I didn’t want my fears to hold me back from living. I’m so glad I went ahead with it. My Yogyakarta trip was just …

Manila Mania: Architecture, religion, and history galore

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I confess, Manila has always intimidated me. It, with its jeepneys and pedestrians and ever-present buzz of activity. And the traffic. I’m used to EDSA and C5, but Manila is a whole different ballgame. Thing is, Manila’s the capital of the Philippines. It’s steeped in history. If I wanted to learn more about my heritage, this was the place to start. Plus I really, really wanted to go to San Sebastian Church. So I enlisted the help of my architect friend Macy. We spent last Sunday walking and commuting around Manila, and that was the day I learned to love this city. I finally realized what I’d been missing out on. There’s so much beauty amongst its chaos, so many stories in its worn-down buildings. One day was far from enough time to explore everything it has to offer, but it’s a start. Here are some of the places we visited—and I wholeheartedly recommend you visit them too! San Sebastian Church This right here made the commute worthwhile. San Sebastian Church’s towering spires and bright façade looks so out of place among the …

Vamos a Malolos: Celebrate Philippine heritage in Bulacan

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For the past few weeks, my country has been buzzing with excitement. Why, you ask? Oh, only because the Pope was coming to town. Yesterday marked his arrival and the start of a long—count ’em, five days—weekend. In fact, I’m not sure if it’s the Pope or the vacation that has people in higher spirits. (Okay, it’s probably the Pope). But there’s something else that the Philippines is celebrating this January. I’ll give you a high-five if you can guess what it is based on the photos above and below. It’s the anniversary of the First Philippine Republic, better known as the Malolos Republic. Every year, this Renaissance city of Bulacan comes alive in January to commemorate that time when our ancestors took control of our own country after the long Spanish rule. Did you know that the Philippines was the first country to have a democratic constitution in the whole of Asia and Africa? It was founded here in Malolos, Bulacan! The Fiesta Republica traditionally starts on the 17th and ends with a bang on the 23rd, the day the Republic was …

6 things to do in Baguio City

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Happy 2015, guys! I’ve many plans for the year that I can’t wait to share with you all. I’ll make a separate post for my 2015 resolutions, but among the things you can expect to see on Wander Write Now are more posts on my home country, the beautiful Philippines, plus some new—and equally beautiful—faces. To start the year right, here’s a peek into how my family and I spent our holiday getaway in Baguio City, found in the Benguet province of northern Luzon. This mountain city, which was developed by the Americans as a hill station back in 1900, is popularly known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines, thanks to its cool climes that make it the perfect escape during the peak of Manila’s heat. It may as well be considered our local Christmas village too. It seemed that majority of Manila made the climb to Baguio over the holidays. My parents’ taxi driver said they’d never had so many visitors as they did this past Christmas. Manila’s legendary traffic took this city by storm, so much so that …