Some days, I don't want to see people. Even the smallest of small talk just takes so much energy. I'd rather curl up and watch my TV shows, which was what I did during most of my September. In my defense, I have been doing so many things months prior and I felt the need to slow down and let things fleet for a while.

My monthly flight to elsewhere got cancelled due to the really bad weather (It was Signal no. 3 in Cagayan Valley!) so I had to say goodbye to the dream of setting foot to my second Survivor (US) location this year. Second and third, if we are getting technical since there were two seasons shot there. Heh. Safety issues aside, I was okay with it. It felt like I already maxed out on my solo travel adventure for the year anyway.

(Haha yes, it was a solo trip and I planned on going camping by myself... in Palaui Island of all places. Pre-typhoon, when no one I asked had a tent I could borrow, I took it as another sign that going there wasn't for me that month.)


Aside from the TV binge, I went on a lot of tiring photowalks and "hole in the wall" eats to make up for the missed opportunity to explore and to get out more. Although I still very much enjoy my solo Sunday photowalks in BGC, I feel much safer shooting on the streets with friends. Luckily, a friend also cancelled his local flight due to the bad weather. Instantly, I had a photowalk buddy who was also very frustrated to get his wanderlust on.



I always say and write Maynila with a "y" for emphasis that I'm talking about the city of Manila, and not Metro Manila as a whole. It makes me have to explain less where I shot the photos. Or idk if I'm actually saving time because there are still a lot who ask me why I say and write it that way. Ho-hum.

During this Maynila photowalk, we mainly concentrated on graffiti art located all around the walls in Maynila. We first went to the walls near TUP, and walked all the way to Manila Zoo. After taking a lot of photos, it started to rain so I had to tuck my camera back to the bag. From there on out, I just used my phone's camera.


We were supposed to go to another school mural but we just decided to wander aimlessly. Eventually, we ended up inside CCP Complex, where we watched men with their fishing lines, catching as much tilapia as they can before the rain falls too hard.

We, then, walked along Roxas Boulevard for some street photography and circled back to Ermita while we were at it. Being that we must have walked for more than 10km (or maybe longer, I have poor sense of distance but that was faaar), we quickly looked for the first "hole in the wall" joint we could find.

As of writing, I still have draft posts of the first Maynila photowalk we did a few months back. I never got to publish them but since they're almost finished, even with the untimeliness, I might still post them for the photos.
Quezon City, on the other hand was like a walk in the park. Okay, maybe because we only went to UP Diliman (UPD) and Maginhawa Street. There are other parts of Quezon City that's on the list but we'll get to that after we've done a lap on other Metro Manila cities.

A trip to UPD is not complete without a visit to the Shopping Center. We found this optical shop that also sells vintage camera. And of course, we had to eat at Rodic's. Mang Larry's Isawan was a sure stop, as well as the dirty ice cream fix.



To get a dose of art, we visited the Vargas Museum inside the campus. It's not a big museum, with only two levels. The first level showcased the collection of Jane Ryan and William Saunders in postcard display. You get to keep two postcards for free, if you want. The second level housed Juan Luna paintings, creepy art installations and carts of novelty items from the 90's, which was really cool. Too bad I couldn't take a photo since they don't allow photography inside the Level 2 gallery.

Museum Hours:  Tuesday - Saturday | 9AM - 5PM
Entrance Fee: Php20

For dinner, we took a jeepney and then a tricycle to Maginhawa Street near Philcoa. We made a lap to see the restaurants and finally went back to the first restaurant we eyed on.

The rest of this long day I have already talked about here.

These are the things I usually do whenever I go out for photowalks. Feel free to share yours! :)

• Dress comfortably
• I like to not eat breakfast before going on a photowalk. Bad tip, I know! Haha. I like trying out food from every place we wander off to
• There will be times when you'll get conscious to take a photo of something when there are other people. Just take the photo! They don't know you anyway. You might miss out on getting that shot.
• Be wary of your surroundings. There will be some shady places where you'd have to rethink pulling out that camera. 
• Be one with the locals. If there are people who you can interact with, it's much better to get their perspective. If you're lucky, you might even get an anecdote or two from them. 
• Experience the place before trying to shoot it. This prevents you from having what they call the "tunnel vision." 
• Have fun (lol of course)

For a few days, I wasn't speaking to people. I wasn't answering calls and the unread messages in my inbox reached 75. I won't write about it here since I have already vented this out to my close friends and to my private blog/journal where I now write unfiltered. Try as I may to be outgoing, the introvert part of me still manages to surface every now and then.

And that's how I practically coasted through September. It has been both a lazy and a tiring month. (Okay, lazy relatively to the other months of 2014)


P.S. I must have missed writing! I wrote all this in one sitting... under 30 minutes... using my phone (then edited on my computer for formatting and photos, but still)

[Slideshow] Lush greens, white sand and the blue sea. I can live here forever. (OK, maybe a month because I'll miss the internet!)



*Screensaver moment - What I call the moments that leave me speechless in awe. I have a short list, and I should probably write about it too.

The International Coastal Cleanup I volunteered for got cancelled but as evidenced in my Instagram feed, my Saturday was still pretty happening. I spent the day taking snapshots of graffiti in UP Diliman, and the night hopping around bars in Makati.


The latter was impromptu. I wanted to buy a ready to wear outfit in Trinoma but my friend, Kriz, wouldn't let me spend. He had enough foresight to bring a polo shirt with him in case we end up clubbing. And since we weren't, he let me wear that instead.

For makeup, I bought my HG eyeliner from Trinoma (finally!) because I lost the one I had during the Palawan trip, and I borrowed my friend, Alessi's, red lipstick. That's it. (I'm really just a simple girl!)


I love having friends who can go with spur of the moment whims. Thank you for making my 20s what I never imagined it would be--this fun.

Singapore’s leading nightlife and entertainment group, Strumms Holding, creators of some of the hottest watering holes in the Lion City such as Blowfish Entertainment, Molley Roffey’s Irish Bar, Ba.Li.Ba Pub & Cafe, and Ipanema World Music Bar, has finally arrived in the Philippines as it launches its first ever luxury club in Manila. We have done it in Singapore and now we aim to bring the best bars in Manila, starting with Mbargo Club & Lounge.

The Concept
Mbargo comes at a time when Manila’s party people and urbanites have become more discerning on what quality luxury clubbing in Manila should be. We created an atmosphere of Cozy Clubbing in Manila to cater to high society and urban professionals who seek to unwind and party at the same time. Mbargo aims to create an ambiance of indulgence, sensuality and comfort that stimulates all the senses and sets the right mood for a night of pure leisure, fun and entertainment in Manila.

Its bar menu focuses on bar chow with a twist to perfectly pair with Mbargo’s mouth watering signature cocktails and spirits. Among its selections are the cheese & olives and Filipino-Spanish staples like Sisig, Salpicao and Adobo. From salads down to desserts, each item is well balanced with flavors and textures using only the freshest and finest ingredients available.

Located at:
3rd Floor Wumaco Building,
Bonifacio High Street,
7th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City

Taguig City, Philippines 1634
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MBargo Table Rates:
Fully consumable

Tower (standing) 4k (5pax)
Booth Couch 10k (8pax)
Strip Couch 20k (12pax)
Block Couch 30k (20pax)


To book a table and for guestlist, contact +63915 632 6015. See you there!

It's the month-end yet again. For most working professionals, it means having just gotten their paycheck; for me, it means 10 more days until I get mine. It's what we like to call Petsa de Peligro.