Group of people examining and discussing fountain pens around a table
fountain-pen, Life, Local Travel, reviews, Shopping, travel blog

If I could bring just five pens on a pen meet, which ones would make the cut?

Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist If you asked me a year ago whether I could attend a pen meet with only five fountain pens, I would have laughed nervously while quietly stuffing fifteen pens into my bag "just in case." Yet here I am. I'm attending a local pen meet later this month and,… Continue reading If I could bring just five pens on a pen meet, which ones would make the cut?

fountain-pen, Geology, Geology Data Science, Homeschooling, Local Travel, My Creations, research, travel blog

Podcast Episode: Writing Like a Geologist: Field Notes, Maps, and the Fountain Pen Tradition

Pip: The Fabulous Scientist is where geology and fountain pens share a field notebook, and somehow that makes complete sense.Mara: Today we're covering a piece from fabulousgrass that sits right at the intersection of scientific practice and craft โ€” how geologists have always written, sketched, and mapped by hand, and why that tradition still matters.Pip:… Continue reading Podcast Episode: Writing Like a Geologist: Field Notes, Maps, and the Fountain Pen Tradition

fossil hunting in La Union
Foodie, Geology, Health, Homeschooling, Life, Local Travel, photography, Shopping, travel blog, Wellness Journey

Fossil Hunting in La Union

Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist The best part of being a geologist is being out in the great outdoors โ€” whether along the shore, out at sea, high in the mountains, or even simply by the roadside when a freshly exposed rock face appears after a road cut. Sadly, my current work happens mostly… Continue reading Fossil Hunting in La Union

Foodie, Geology, Health, Homeschooling, Life, Local Travel, photography, research, reviews, Shopping, travel blog, Wellness Journey

The Painting I Couldn’t Leave Behind: An Unexpected Art Purchase in La Union

Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist One of the most dangerous assumptions you can make while traveling is thinking you'll only come home with photographs. Sometimes you come home with a painting. That happened to me during a recent trip to La Union. After spending the morning hunting for leaf fossils in Sto. Tomas, La… Continue reading The Painting I Couldn’t Leave Behind: An Unexpected Art Purchase in La Union

Alodapic Limestone
Geology, Life, Local Travel, travel blog

Exploring The Alodapic Limestone in Agoo, La Union: A Field Geology Experience

Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist As geologists, we love the interesting stories rocks tell. Some remind us of the deep and peaceful oceans, while others history of exciting tectonic events. For instance, alodapic limestone may look like it comes from a coral reef, but it actually formed elsewhere through a journey we call sediment… Continue reading Exploring The Alodapic Limestone in Agoo, La Union: A Field Geology Experience

Our normal trekking shoes
Coping with Depression, Health, Homeschooling, Life, Local Travel, travel blog

Easy Family Nature Trekking in Baguio: Exploring the Forest Bathing Trail at Camp John Hay

Trekking has been a constant in my life for over two decadesโ€”partly because Iโ€™m a geologist, and partly because my idea of โ€œrelaxingโ€ involves sweating uphill while questioning my life choices. Over the years, Iโ€™ve wandered through trails that tourists rarely bother with, and in doing so, Iโ€™ve seen nature at her most unfilteredโ€”and met… Continue reading Easy Family Nature Trekking in Baguio: Exploring the Forest Bathing Trail at Camp John Hay

Health, Life, Local Travel, research, travel blog

Discover the Rare JCโ€™s Vine: A Hidden Gem in Philippine Flora

Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist Hey, everyone! If youโ€™ve been hanging around this blog for a while, you probably already know Iโ€™m a full-on dendrophileโ€”a person who gets unreasonably excited about trees and plants. One of my favorite things to do during my fitness walks (whether in UP Diliman or wherever I happen to… Continue reading Discover the Rare JCโ€™s Vine: A Hidden Gem in Philippine Flora

MPS 2026 loot
fountain-pen, Life, Local Travel, Shopping

First Impressions: My First Time at the Manila Pen Show 2026

Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist If youโ€™ve ever fallen down the rabbit hole of fountain pens, inks, and all things analog, then theย Manila Pen Show 2026 is probably already on your radar, or at least it should be. For the uninitiated, the Manila Pen Show is a yearly gathering of pen enthusiasts, collectors, artists,… Continue reading First Impressions: My First Time at the Manila Pen Show 2026

Foodie, Health, Homeschooling, Jewelry Design, Life, Local Travel, reviews, Shopping, travel blog, Wellness Journey

A Quick Family Escape to Baguio City

Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist Some places quietly become part of a familyโ€™s story. For us, one of those places is Baguio City. We first visited Baguio as a family back in 2015, and returned again during Christmas time in 2024. Each trip left the same impression on us: cool air, beautiful parks, good food,… Continue reading A Quick Family Escape to Baguio City

Coping with Depression, Health, Homeschooling, Life, Local Travel, travel blog

Sun, Steps, and Serendipity: Why We Love Walking at UP Diliman Campus

Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist If you told me more than a year ago that my favorite weekend ritual would involve sensible shoes and early morning sunlight, I would have laughed politely and gone back to my coffee and book. And yet here we are. Since last year, Iโ€™ve been regularly walking around University of… Continue reading Sun, Steps, and Serendipity: Why We Love Walking at UP Diliman Campus