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Dine In (For the Last Time): Kermit Manila
Not to mention the increasing number of deaths caused by COVID, this pandemic has delivered a significant damage to many enterprises, particularly small independent ones. While the food sector as a whole has survived, particularly those that can adapt to cloud kitchen concepts and online delivery, others have not been so successful. One example is…
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2021 Halftime Break: A Beach Escape in Noveleta, Cavite
Just when I thought things were going better and I’m starting to get my groove traveling farther and farther gradually, I got COVID and cases in the Philippines spiked. It broke my momentum and took me a while to get the courage to go out of town again, not to mention the national government placing…
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Dine In: Bellini’s
I’ve been to Cubao a lot of times before but not in the area behind the Gateway Mall. It takes a weird idea to just do that. Since movie theaters are not yet allowed to operate in Metro Manila (probably in the whole country as well), I and a friend decide to watch Luca on…
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My COVID-19 Story
COVID-19 has been spreading across the globe since last year, and here in the Philippines, the situation is especially dire. The active cases have been at an all-time high, and new cases average around 10,000 daily. The numbers are probably much higher due to instances of underreporting, under-testing, and a general inefficiency in the contact…
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Sorta Quarantined in Mendez
A few months ago, I came upon an ad in my social media newsfeed of a place near Tagaytay. It’s called Loft Tagaytay, an exclusive rental that can house up to 10 people, and it has been a popular destination for day-trippers and couples doing their prenuptial photoshoots. The place is actually in the neighboring…
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Dine In: Art Sector Gallery and Chimney Cafe 360
A Visit to Art Sector Gallery and Chimney Cafe 360 in Binangonan: Art, Views, and Good Food
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Angono: Matters of the Art
I’m supposed to go to a pre-Valentine date, but a last-minute call for a work meeting have her taking a rain check. I refuse to wallow on the situation, though, and instead make the proverbial lemonade out of lemons. Having nothing else to do for the day, I set out to Angono, Rizal, which is…
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Of Al Fresco Dining and a Sushi Cake
About nine months ago, I didn’t think that the quarantine would extend until my next birthday. I was feeling kind of lucky that I spent my birthday last year dining out with my former coworkers. The coronavirus was already a bubbling issue then, but it was still mostly at the back of our collective minds,…
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Mt. 387: New Year on a High
Needless to say, the past year has been a frustrating one as far as travel is concerned, so I’m determined to start 2021 on the road. I grab an opportunity to join a small group of trekkers to start this year on a high (quite literally) at Mt. 387 in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija. We leave…
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Batangas Beach Trip: 2020 in Hindsight
As you’re reading this, I’m hoping you’re healthy, safe, and doing well in general. On a personal note, I am fine as well, though it hasn’t been exactly easy. To say that 2020 is a strange year is such an understatement. To be living in these times feels like an endless series of anxieties, frustrations,…
The Tourist Gaze
A Traveling Outsider Looking In
The Tourist Gaze 