From August 14 to 17, 2025, Phuket, Thailand transformed into a living canvas as hundreds of urban sketchers from across the Asia-Pacific region gathered for the Asia-Link Sketchwalk Phuket 2025. Over four vibrant days, the islandโs streets, heritage buildings, and waterfronts became backdrops for artists who came together to share their passion for on-location sketching. Four… Continue reading Sinours Phuket Edition: A Watercolor Souvenir from Asia-Link Sketchwalk Thailand 2025
Category: Local Travel
From Grab to Jeepney: How I Save โฑ7,500 a Month and Gain More
For the past few weeks, Iโve shifted from booking Grab rides to commuting via public utility jeepneys (PUJs). At first, it was purely a financial decision. But over time, I realized that this simple shift gave me not just savings, but also lessons, habits, and experiences worth keeping. 1. A Huge Difference in Cost A… Continue reading From Grab to Jeepney: How I Save โฑ7,500 a Month and Gain More
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo (Brown Body) โ My July Projectโs New Star
What Is Polaroid Film? Polaroid film, or instant film, is a type of film that develops a picture within minutes after it's taken. It has layers with light-sensitive chemicals. When you take a photo, light exposes the film like in traditional photography. As the photo comes out, rollers apply a chemical that develops the image.… Continue reading Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo (Brown Body) โ My July Projectโs New Star
How Sponge Cities Can Mitigate Metro Manila’s Flood Issues
Earlier this month, a fellow MS in Geology graduate who now works with theย UP Resilience Instituteย and I discussed a bold, forward-looking idea: what if Metro Manila could reimagine itself not as a flood-prone metropolis struggling to cope with yearly inundations, but as aย โsponge city", an urban landscape designed to live with water rather than fight… Continue reading How Sponge Cities Can Mitigate Metro Manila’s Flood Issues
Walking Among the Sunflowers and A Quiet and Victorious End to My Graduate Study (for now)
Earlier this week, I found myself walking alone among the sunflowers lining University Avenue in UP Dilimanโmy alma mater, my academic home. On an ordinary summer day, the late afternoon sun might have cast a golden light over everything. But itโs already the rainy season, and the skies that day were anything but clear. The… Continue reading Walking Among the Sunflowers and A Quiet and Victorious End to My Graduate Study (for now)
Quality Family Time: How We Celebrated Motherโs Day
Happy Motherโs Day, dear fellow mommies! Today, I want to send a warm embrace to each of you who drop by this little spaceโespecially to fellow homeschooling families and all the incredible moms balancing home, work, and everything in between. A Tribute to Your Everyday Heroism To the moms who teach lessons in pajamas, patch… Continue reading Quality Family Time: How We Celebrated Motherโs Day
From Commutes to Code: My First Month as a Tech Data Admin (Happy Labor Day!)
Hi all,If you've noticed I havenโt been writing much lately, itโs because my schedule has been hectic! Today marks my first month at my new job, and commuting from my city to Alabang has been quite the challenge. The long distance means I have to leave home early to beat the trafficโand more often than… Continue reading From Commutes to Code: My First Month as a Tech Data Admin (Happy Labor Day!)
Balik Tanaw: Returning to Nature at UP Diliman
Hi everyone! I know I havenโt blogged here in a whileโlife has just been so busy these past two weeks! But Iโm still here. As Iโve shared before, my kids and I have recently developed a love for nature walks, where we observe birds and try to identify different trees wherever we go. Luckily, the… Continue reading Balik Tanaw: Returning to Nature at UP Diliman
A Geologistโs Journey into the Red Zone
Working as a geologist in the industry has given me access to places in the Philippines that most people will never set foot inโareas classified as "red zones," off-limits to tourists, and often overlooked on maps. For nearly five years, I was stationed in Mindanao, where some of the most remote and geologically hazardous sites… Continue reading A Geologistโs Journey into the Red Zone
Bringing Back Snail Mail: Why I Still Send Handwritten Postcards
Hi, everyone! On February 14, after months of neglect, I finally opened my mailbox. Inside it were three holiday cards from my friends abroad. Yay! These days, I rarely receive snail mail since bills and notifications arrive via email, unlike before when handwritten letters and postcards were common. However, I had sent a few postcards to my… Continue reading Bringing Back Snail Mail: Why I Still Send Handwritten Postcards