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My Japan Trip Panic: A Visa-Obsessed Adventure

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My Japan Trip Panic: A Visa-Obsessed Adventure   Last December 2024, I booked a family trip to Japan for March 2025. Japan requires a visa, and while I'd heard whispers that things were more relaxed for tourists, my December was a whirlwind of Christmas parties and family gatherings. Checking the Japan Immigration website? Not on my priority list!   January rolled around, and suddenly, securing visas became a top priority. On a Saturday morning, I headed to Relic, a popular agency handling Japanese visa applications. The counter had a stark reminder: due to the high volume of Filipino applications, submissions needed to be two months prior to departure. My heart sank – we were exactly two months out!   Panic mode engaged. I immediately texted my family. Over the next four days, we frantically gathered all the required documents. It was a stressful blur, but we somehow managed to complete everything. However, Relic couldn't accept our application beca...
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My Samgyup Adventure: A Run for Love (and a Lost Phone!)

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My Samgyup Adventure: A Run for Love (and a Lost Phone!)   So, there I was, in Mandaluyong, craving the new Korean Samgyup place in Imus, Cavite. My sister Badet was meeting me later, around 5 PM, so I decided to take the bus from PITX, enjoying the usual commute routine: Spotify playlist on, and of course, those inevitable chicken naps. I must have slept like a log because the next thing I knew, I woke up in Cavitex, then blinked and I was in SM Bacoor. Another blink, and BAM! – I was in Anabu, the bus conductor already yelling about the stop. I got off the bus in Anabu, Imus, and that's when I realized my spare phone was missing.   Panic mode engaged. I frantically checked my phone – only my main phone was there, still blasting my Spotify playlist. My spare phone? Gone. My backpack? Empty. Crossbody bag? Nada. Pants pockets? Zilch. In a split second, a primal instinct kicked in: CHASE THE BUS!   Picture this: me, sprinting after a moving bus lik...
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My ID's Unexpected Siquijor Adventure (and How It Found Its Way Home!)

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My ID's Unexpected Siquijor Adventure (and How It Found Its Way Home!)   Story time! So, today was a ridiculously awesome day. Why? Because I got my ID back, picking it up at LBC. My precious, irreplaceable, government-issued piece of identification, which I’d somehow managed to leave behind in Bucafe, Siquijor, during my recent vacation. Let's just say my ID clearly enjoys a good vacation more than I do! 😉   Now, Siquijor is known for its magic, right? I’m starting to think my ID decided to extend its stay, embracing the island vibes and soaking up the sun a little longer than planned. Maybe it was enjoying the crystal-clear waters, the laid-back atmosphere, or perhaps it was simply captivated by the legendary Siquijor magic. Whatever the reason, it definitely made me sweat!   The backstory is a bit embarrassing, to be honest. I left my ID at Bucafe, completely spaced out. I didn't realize it until I was already on the ferry, heading back to reality. Panic s...
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A Movie Review: Captain America: New Brave World 2025

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Captain America: New Brave World - A Simple Review   Last Wednesday night, I found myself slumped in a Glorietta 4 cinema seat, half-awake and facing the daunting prospect of Captain America: New Brave World. Now, to be completely upfront, I'm not exactly a die-hard MCU devotee. My knowledge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is, shall we say, patchy. And let's just say my level of alertness wasn't exactly optimal – I was battling a serious case of the mid-week slump. So, take this review with a grain of salt (or maybe a whole shaker, given my sleep-deprived state).   Honestly, the movie was a bit of a mixed bag. Some parts were really exciting, with cool action scenes and interesting characters.   One thing that piqued my interest was the introduction of Adamantium. I'm not entirely sure how it fit into the broader MCU narrative, but as someone with a passing interest in the material science of fictional metals, I found this aspect quite engaging. The mo...
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STORY TIME: OMG, The Memory Gap Almost Killed Me! 😂 - 02/20/2025

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OMG, The Memory Gap Almost Killed Me! 😂   So, you know that super frustrating feeling when your brain just decides to forget something REALLY important? Yeah, the memory gap. It's the WORST. Like, seriously petrifying. You're stuck, paralyzed, unable to do ANYTHING until that missing piece of info magically reappears. It's happened to all of us, right?   Anyway, I was scrolling through TikTok (as one does) and I saw this singer who totally reminded me of Amy Winehouse. Immediately, I thought of another singer who sounded similar, but BAM! Memory gap. Poof! Gone. Two HOURS I spent searching the internet. I tried everything: "Amy Winehouse-ish singers," "soulful divas," even "singers who could be Amy's long-lost twin." Nothing. I was starting to think I was losing it. Was this the beginning of the end? Would I become a brain-dead zombie forever haunted by the ghost of a forgotten singer?   Then, finally, I saw her pi...
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Story Time - ANGKAS DRIVER story - 02/19/2025

STORY TIME: My Angkas Adventures - 02/19/2025   Pag-out ko today sa work, nag-book ako ng Angkas para umuwi ng bahay. Excited na ako kasi pagod na pagod na ako! Pag-exit ko ng building, may nakita akong Angkas na nakapark sa tapat. I mouthed the rider's name "Jerry?" to confirm, and kuya nodded. Feeling ko, ako na ang pinaka-efficient na pasahero ever! Nagsuot na ako ng hairnet (alam niyo na, safety first!), umupo sa motor niya, and then… he asked me, "Saan ka po malapit sa McKinley?"   Shock. Confusion. Awkward laughter.   Na-shock ako kasi… hindi ako yung pasaherong tinutukoy niya! Natawa ako kasi ang epic ng sitwasyon. Super hiyang-hiya ako, pero hiningi ko na lang yung hairnet since suot ko na. Ang awkward! Pagbaba ko, nakita ko yung isang Angkas sa unahan namin, and he looked at me. I mouthed, "Jerry?" He nodded. Tawa ako nang tawa habang kinukwento ko sa kanya yung nangyari. Mali pala yung sinakyan kong Angkas! Grabe, ang clumsy ko!...
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