Knowing Goethe

I just knew a little about the German writer and politician Johann Wolfgang von Goethe from my literature class in high school. I have just read a part of his most relevant work, Faust. It is a retelling of a classic German legend about a dissatisfied intellectual man who made a pact with the Devil exchanging his soul with unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures.

Birdwatching in Eastern Tokachi

It was March 29th of 2015. My Japanese friend asked me to go with him for my very first birdwatching. Winter was ending and it was good to do birdwatching in Eastern Tokachi. Luckily, we saw some species of birds.

The Drawbacks Of Being A “Rush Packer”

As a “rush packer”, there are already two instances that I forgot something and I just noticed it when I’m already at the airport. Although I have somehow solved these problems, it is really advisable not to forget these things. I ended up wasting my money and disturbing other people.

The Schengen Experience

Having a Filipino passport comes with certain disadvantages. Being discriminated in those countries with Filipino domestic helpers (which I have experienced in Singapore) is one. And another is the necessity to apply for visa to enter another country. The latter is really a major drawback for Filipino wanderers like me. So far, the Philippine passport ranked 68th in the world based on the Visa Restriction Index. Philippine passport holders can enter 62 countries and territories visa-free or with visa upon arrival.

TripIt Good!

For me, I highly recommend the TripIt app. This was developed by Concur Technologies, an American travel management software company, and was released in January 2011. I started using TripIt in August 2013 with my trip to UK. And since then, it has become my steady travel companion.

The Hot Air Balloons Of Kamishihoro

Kamishihoro town is around 38 km north of Obihiro. By car, we can travel to the event’s place for less than an hour. The festival is held in Kouku Park, which is like in the middle of nowhere. The park is approximately 2 km west of the town, and is ideal for this festival which needed a big space. Around 39 colorful hot-air balloons will be released in the air during the three days of the festival. They usually do it as early as 5 or 6 am when the wind is quiet.

The Small City That Is Obihiro

Obihiro is the only designated city in the Tokachi Subprefecture. Tokachi is a subprefecture of Hokkaido and considered as the “Food Basin of Hokkaido” because of it’s vast agricultural produce. Hokkaido is the northernmost part of Japan famous for it’s natural beauty.

The Man From Manila

Last month, I was tasked by my professor to have a short tour of Manila for a Japanese associate professor and our laboratory secretary. And all I can say to myself is “What?!”. I have lived in Manila for most part of my life, but I am not so sure if there will be interesting places to visit there aside from those big malls popping out everywhere. And knowing Manila, I am also worried of the very bad traffic, the safety and security in this urban jungle.

The Wanderer In Me

During my nearly 6 years stay here in Japan, I gained a doctoral degree, scientific papers, international friends and a lot of stamps in my passport. I am a researcher by choice, wanderer by chance.