Some of my Travels from the First Half of 2025

A lot of changes in my life this year and it kicked of at the first week of the year when I found out that the position I applied to in the organization, despite how far it is from my previous positions and also having zero background on the field, was offered to me. I was super excited and cannot believe it myself! I still am very happy and grateful 4 months after since I started last May though still on this crazy journey of being new to the position and to the workload.

But having said that, I would first like to thank my dearest blog friends for their support from my last couple of posts, and giving me the motivation and advises that I need and will treasure with me as I move forward. But this time, it's about looking back and sharing you some photos from my trips in the past months since the year started.

Kampong Glam, Singapore - January 2025

SINGAPORE - I was so happy when I found a promo fare going home to the Philippines with Singapore Airlines. Normally this airline is very expensive but after tracking cheap fares daily at the second half of the year last year, I stumbled upon this opportunity! Of course, just as I usually do on my layovers home, I looked for an itinerary that has a long layover so that I can visit the connecting city and that's how I end up on the Lion City for 12 hours!

Iloilo City, Philippines - February 2025

ILOILO, PHILIPPINES - I was home at the beginning of the year. Gratefully, I try to go home once every year to see my father. As much as I really feel that Spain is my home now, being able to have the opportunity to see my father and my family and also my childhood friends is deeply gratifying. For this trip, I took my father, my brother, and my cousin to an Island province 1 hour away from Manila by plane and we had a great time!

La Grotte de Choranche, France - March 2025

CHORANCHE, FRANCE - It was my very first Workshop for work just before I left my old team. So I was in Grenoble for a week and I stayed a few more days to spend time with my colleagues who live there who are also like family to me on this new life in Europe. My best friend and his wife and baby took me to this beautiful Cave in the Vercors mountains. It was so amazing and beautiful! I-m afraid of caves in the Philippines but this one it was lovely and dry when we visited.

Perpignan, France - April 2025

PERPIGNAN, FRANCE - This trip was a quickly planned weekend because it was Good Friday and I had nothing to do in Barcelona so I decided to buy a bus ticket just nights before the trip and it was great! Perpignan can be doable on a day trip from Barcelona but I stayed for a night just to make the most of the long weekend. Here you will see my VLOG Episode from my YouTube Channel that I filmed during my stay in Perpignan. You'll see more of me on this adventure and hope you enjoy the episode! WATCH IT ON 4K!

Bologna, Italy - June 2025

BOLOGNA, ITALY - To celebrate my birthday, I am so thankful to my best friend Ervis who is like a real brother to me. He was my teammate from my last position and even if we parted ways at work, he's always been there for me! He took me with him on his trip back home to Albania and we did the drive from France to Albania for 5 amazing days! This one was from our first stop in Bologna enjoying a giant cold beer (I asked him for just the smallest one!) in the plaza. Bologna was so beautiful!

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It has been so nice to share these memories and adventures to you and it was also shocking for me to look back and see how much places and journeys I have done in just this year and that still does not include the remainder of our trip through the Balkans and my adventure in Romania last month! 

I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I was when writing it and I wish you all an amazing week ahead! Work starts again soon but I still have a few hours to enjoy the rest of Sunday and I hope I won't be able to think of work thoughts all the time before tomorrow morning!

Never Stop Remembering!

Stevenson

Singapore's Sentosa - Timeless Thursdays 12

Last 2012, me and my high school friends went out of the country for our first ever overseas trip together! I told you about them right? My classmates since kindergarten until high school? It was crazy reunion for us during those 4 days in Singapore and Malaysia. Let me share some memories with you all on this trip to one of Singapores most iconic theme parks, Sentosa! (Please bear with my shots though, I'm still not very good with the Manual Function during those times HAHA)

Before the Malaysia Trip, our first stop was the Lion City of Asia, Singapore! Singapore is a City State in an island located at the bottom tip of the Malay Peninsula. It boasts of being a Fine City, Fine in the sense that each and every simple thing that is prohibited will force you to pay a fine which is nice so that locals even tourists would have to abide by it.

The Merlion at Sentosa

One of the best places to see in Singapore is Sentosa, an island resort located at the island of Sentosa which houses several places including Golf Courses, Hotels and the Resort's World Singapore which features the Universal Studios Singapore. Getting there, ride the MTR (Purple Line) until the last station which is Harbour Front until you reach Vivo City which is Singapore's Largest shopping mall. On the Third Level, the shuttle monorail train which is officially called Sentosa Express will take you to the island. 

Several packages are available for purchase before boarding the Sentosa Express but a 3.50 SGD Entrance fee should be paid as well excluding the package. We arrived in the afternoon so we chose to avail of the Evening Play Pass for just 26.90 SGD you can now choose three of their attractions which you can enjoy from 6 pm until 10 pm. 

When we arrived at the park, we had a few photos taken at the Merlion, okay not a few, a lot of shots taken at the Merlion (I was with my camwhore Friends during this trip remember?) And then after a lot of shots, we went to our first ride, it is the Luge and Skyride. We first rode the Luge and it was so much fun! We were riding downhill on a three wheeled cart with only go and breaks which is so much fun! I bumped on one of the railing which gave me a hard time going downhill! but when I got through it, the ride came swift and fast. Until I reached the end! Amazing, really! 

Ate Judy and Myrcel on the Skyride

On our way back, we rode the Skyride. A maximum of four people seated on an open air gondola (I don't know if it's called a gondola but I'll call it one anyway) and you will go up high about a hundred feet above the ground and it feels so good while you are up high! I chose to ride alone so I can feel the thrill! I was wearing flops and my feet started to sweat but I got hold of myself and it was really fun! Some of my friends still have this strong fear of heights. I overcame mine when I went Skywalking at Cebu a few years ago. 

After the ride, it was time to get to the Songs of the Sea, a famous production inside the park and was our Second of the three attractions for our Night Pass. But the way to it was the most memorable part of the Sentosa Trip for all of us. Guided by the map, we were confident to walk downhill hoping that we will reach the Songs of the Sea in no time. We went walking and walking downhill and then it started to get dark and dark. The sun is slowly lurking down and massive hedges were blocking what's left of its rays. It's like we are on a scary horror movie trapped on a massive hedge maze. 

Me at the road starting to feel lost (This shot was staged obviously but we really were lost)

Then when the road seemed endless, we can't help it but just laugh and laugh because when we saw the entrance to the Golf Course, there we were, truly lost. That's what we are, laughing at ourselves knowing that we are indeed lost. But we continued walking downhill until we saw the bus that took us up again to the Park proper. 

Random lost girls we passed by (Kidding, they're my classmates)

We were so relieved! Then when we went got down the bus, we were just a few yards away from the Songs of The Sea where we should have been a lot earlier right? We went inside the outdoor theater and the view was spectacular! The story was set along the beautiful stilt houses built on the shoreline of the beach. The staging was beautiful and the laser, lights and fire effects were truly amazing! Here are a few shots of the Show: 

Water sprouts and blue lights

Fiery Lights and fantastic effects

Firework Finale

After the show, we grabbed a speedy but heavy dinner at McDonald's then we went straight to the Cable Car Ride which will close at 9:30 in the evening, we chose this one as our last of the three Attractions since it will take us back to Harbour Front so that we can ride the MTR back in time because we still want to see the Marina Bay at Night. we rushed our way and the people are nice enough to accommodate us. While boarding, the view was absolutely fantastic! So Beautiful that my eyes were fixed on the view and my camera was left on the bag haha! 

Sentosa was amazing! It is a mini world of the Asia we know. It has musical sights and colorful sounds that will truly leave a mark on anybody's hearts forever. See it for yourself! It was amazing! 

Me at the Merlion in Sentosa

Never Stop Dreaming!

Steve :)

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I would love to welcome and invite everyone to join this new Linky that I thought of starting - Timeless Thursdays.

Timeless Thursdays is open for anyone who wishes to share old photos or old thoughts that you would like to share as beautiful memories with everyone. This can be from yesterday, a year ago, or something from your grandma's treasure chest.

This runs every Thursday at 12 am (Manila/Perth Time) until Sunday at 11:59 pm (Manila/Perth Time)

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Food Trippin' Asia

For most of us, our travel lists are made up of sightseeing, souvenir shopping, and even trying out extreme sports. But one thing we all have in common on our lists is Food. Whether it's tasting the most exotic delicacies on the city streets, to sit down dinners at Michelin star fine dine restaurants, food really mirrors not just the county's taste but also it gives our taste buds a glimpse of the story of a nation's culture.

Across Asia, here are a few of my favorite and truly remarkable dishes that I have tried on my Asian expeditions. Let me share you some of them here.

1. Pad Thai (Thailand)

Street hawker at Bangkok

Probably the most famous dish of Siam, Pad Thai is something you can enjoy anytime of the day. We tried this delicious noodle dish on the streets of Nighttime Bangkok. Stir Fried on flat iron griddle, Pad Thai is best enjoyed hot off the grill. It has a variety of ingredients including eggs, shrimp, pork, chicken, lime juice, sugar, and a special rice noodle or as they call it lo mein noodles.

Bangkok Style Pad Thai

Just on the street, we chose this hawker stall that sells Pad Thai during our second night in the city. I observed how it's being prepared and cooked and the chef's hands are just so fast I literally can't catch up with the small ingredients at that very moment.But what I love about Pad Thai is how you season it with condiments. I put a lot of chili and crushed peanuts on top of mine. It was good! I can still remember myself telling my cousin that Pad Thai is a good reason to go back to Thailand.

2. Lemon Breaded Pork (China)

Lemon Breaded Pork

This perfect fusion of sweet, sour, and tangy tastes left a remarkable mark to our Beijing experience. The pork was completely covered with crispy batter and then deep fried to its perfect consistensy while maintaining its tenderness inside its coat. 

It was winter when we traveled around the majestic city and instead of water for drinks, hot soya milk were given for free to dine-in customers. We never missed their take on tomato soup where fresh tomatoes are mashed and pureed to make a hot soup. Served in flamed warmers, the soup is warm throughout your meal under the freezing cold of the outside chill.

My dad and our Hot Tomato Soup - Beijing Style

Dining in the heart of Beijing was sort of a challenge for us to be honest. There were no Menus written in English. Good thing the owner of the restaurant near Red Lantern House, where we stayed were very nice and accommodating to us. We cannot speak in Mandarin and he cannot speak in English so we relied on sign language and animal sounds to distinguish the kind of meat these dishes are made of.

3. Hainanese Chicken Rice (Singapore)

Singapore's Famous Chicken Rice

Originally from the Chinese island of Hainan, the Chicken Rice is a dish made up of two main parts, the chicken and the rice. HAHAHA But as funny as how literal its name is, this dish is so tasty! The secret to this is exfoliating the chicken with coarse salt which then creates this silky and smooth skin once it has been cooked, while keeping the meat tender and tasty.

Bugis Hainanese Chicken Rice

Although the sign reads "Bugis Hainanese Chicken Rice" this very store I enjoyed this dish is located at the bottom of the Singapore Flyer, South East Asia's largest Ferris wheel attraction. Just for 5 Singapore Dollars (Php 180.00) you can enjoy this delectable dish. As simple as it sounds and looks like, pairing it with its special peanut sauce (My Favorite) is just an adventure at your table.

4. Yakitori (Japan)

One of Japan's most famous street food is the Yakitori (Japanese for grilled chicken). Grilled over hot charcoal on little skewers called kushi, these are usually seasoned with salt or sometimes their special sauces.

Plain Salted Chicken Yakitori

Before, I thought Yakitori is just made up of thigh fillet pieces but there did I knew that Yakitori can be prepared using boned chicken, chicken intestines, and even ground chicken to name a few.

Me in front of Toritake, Tokyo

My cousin Carmina took me to this famous Yakitori place just a block away from the iconic Shibuya Junction. The place is small and cute but patrons line up just to be seated inside the cozy area. We were lucky enough to go straight right away since we were just a party of two and it was a weekday when we visited. Aside from Yakitori, Ate Carmina also ordered a tofu dish, an onigiri dish with salmon roe, and two bottles of sake. It was amazing!

5. Beef Lok Lak

Cambodia's Beef Lok Lak

Prepared with a sauce usually made up of lime juice, salt, and pepper, Beef Lok Lak is a stir fried beef dish famous in Cambodia. It is usually served with rice and this one (from Golden Coconut at Siem Reap) with fried egg on top. 

It is a mixture of salty, savory, sweet, sour, and spicy! What else can you look for in a dish. As crazy as it sounds, the fusion of all these tastes gives it a perfect combination that will leave you wanting a second serving at your table. 

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Never Stop Eating Dreaming!

Steve

Osu Shopping District, Nagoya, Japan

Celebrating My First 10 Countries

When I was a kid, I would always dream about being somewhere other than the place I was in at that very moment. Whether it be the glaciers of Alaska or the deserts of the Sahara, I knew that I was made to travel, meant to see the world. So after college, I promised myself that I would do my best to live a life that would take me to places I can never imagine I will be in.

Five years after, I am still me, but 10 countries and a million memories more inside me. Let us all count down the first 10 countries I have visited outside the Philippines. Links on the stories will direct you to my special features about those places.

1. Thailand (2011)

Bangkok, Thailand

This was my very first time to travel without my parents and my first to another foreign country after 14 years. I went to Thailand with my cousin Judy and my College Classmate Ralph. We visited the capital City of Bangkok including Wat Benchamabopitr, Grand Palace, and so much more. Also the ancient City of Ayutthaya and it's temples. It was a great experience especially the shopping and the food. 

2. Hong Kong (2012)

Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

After visiting many islands on the Philippines during the later parts of 2011, Hong Kong was my next adventure. Together with my Cousins Judy and Jonjon and his family, we traveled around the city including main parts such as Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Ocean Park.

3. Macau (2012)

San Ma Lo, Macau

Just a ferry ride away from the Fragrant Harbour of Hong Kong, is Macau S.A.R. It is very nice mixing colonial with modernity, Macau has preserved it's fusion of Chinese and Portuguese culture and its development throughout the years. Ruinhas de Sao Paulo is a very iconic landmark in the country together with a lot of Casinos and Resorts that caters millions of tourists every single year.

4. Singapore (2012, 2013)

Sentosa, Singapore

My first trip to Singapore was with my highschool classmates. It was so much fun and we have visited so many places including Sentosa Park and Marina Sands. It was just a quick two day trip since we have to go to Malaysia on the third Morning.

Last 2013, a school trip to Singapore happened in the Month of May. The whole Computer Studies Department of DLSU-D, which I was a part of, joined several University visits and trips. National University of Singapore, Christie Technologies and Nanyang Technological University was a big part of the convention.

5. Malaysia (2012)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

We spent another two night in the Malaysian Capital of Kuala Lumpur with my friends from Highschool. It was a happy trip as we visited several sights on the city including the Batu Caves and of course, the iconic Petronas Twin Towers.

6. China (2013, 2014)

Beijing, China

It was my very first Winter, Northern China was spectacular especially with some snow on it. Together with my cousin Judy and my Dad, we traveled all around the cities of Beijing and Tianjin. In Beijing, we visited the Forbidden City, Ming Tombs and the famous Great Wall of China. after an hour train ride, we reached the City of Tianjin and explored the city for a day before leaving in the afternoon for Beijing.

Last November 2014, it was my second trip to the country but this time I visited the South Eastern part including the cities of Xiamen, Fuzhou, and Quanzhou where my grandfather lived. For two weeks, it was an amazing trip and unforgettable because aside from the beauty of the region, seeing my Chinese family is just a magical moment for me.

7. Japan (2013)

 Nagoya, Japan

With the greatness of my dearest Ate Minneth who is our family friend, I visited her in the Land of the Rising Sun. She was so gracious and we were so happy even if she is not feeling well. We went around the City of Nagoya where she lives with her family. Visited the Nagoya Castle, Nagoya Aquarium and so many more beautiful places! Also, I visited my amazing cousin Ate Carmina who was in Tokyo during that time. We visited Tokyo Tower, Imperial Palace, Shibuya and Meiji Shrine.

8. Vietnam (2014)

Ben Tre, Vietnam

It was another twin country trip for me and my cousin Ate Judy but this time it was with my brother Wilson. We started our trip at the Vietnamese City of Ho Chi Minh where we did a lot of shopping and food tripping. We also visited the Mekong River Delta at the city of Ben Tre and cruised through the waters.

9. Cambodia (2014)

Siem Reap, Cambodia

The second leg of our Indochina twin country trip was in Cambodia. The Khmer Kingdom was filled with dusty roads, friendly people, and beautiful temples. Phnom Penh was our first stop during our long haul bus ride until we reached the Ancient Capital of Siem Reap. There was the famous Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples including The Bayon and Tah Prom.

10. United States of America (2015)

Hollywood, California

I kicked-off the start of my 25th year in the United States and it was awesome! Visited my brother in Hayward and traveled through the coastal cities of California including my favorite City of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. In San Francisco, I Celebrated my 25th Birthday being lost in a very good way. Also, I visited my classmate Paula on her sleepless but surprisingly peaceful City of Seattle in the state of Washington.

I visited 10 countries in just 4 years time and I am hoping and praying to the Lord that I get to see more countries in the next coming years and hopefully I can circle the globe setting foot on as many lands, smiling and laughing with as many people, and live more experiences and make them priceless memories.