The Roving, Ronin Hare

Shinsaibashi Shopping District in the heart of Osaka Our first stop was Osaka. We arrived at Kansai International Airport at about 30 minutes after sunset. It was comfortably warm inside but, after stepping out, we immediately felt the cold winds embracing us like crazy. It was my first time to experience 12 degrees. Ironically, I was able to withstand the cold by just wearing my IBP jacket. Took a selfie to prove that IBP jacket was enough for 12 degrees 😅 What can I say about Osaka? It's a huge metropolitan city. I thought it was just some city. It's actually so huge, it could be bigger than Metro Manila. I didn't check and compare the two cities anymore because I'm that lazy. What I'm saying is, Osaka is huge. Train to Osaka from Kansai Airport Because of this, I felt that I will not be a hundred percent here and I would not be in my element. I was simply reminded by my experiences in Metro Manila where the crowd and traffic drove me home.  Osaka wasn't real...

What a beautiful country. Where everything was organized. Where everything was curated for comfort and convenience. Where everyone was courteous without sacrificing warmth and authenticity. That is Japan. While Europe's beauty was magnified by grandiosity and drama, Japan's charm was defined by simplicity, convenience and comfort. Everything was designed for easy living and traveling... I am usually drawn to fantastic architecture so Japan was definitely outside my bucket list. It was edged out by Thailand and Indonesia because of this. Regardless, I enjoyed our tour to Japan. Thanks to my sister, brother, and sister-in-law, our trip was filled with so many wonderful and happy memories.  But a heartfelt gratitude, most of all, to our father who sponsored the plane tickets and hotel accommodations. It was, after all, supposed to be his birthday celebration if not for his sudden ailment a few days before the trip began. We visited several destinations in Japan. You can read about...

  It's always nice to look back and reminisce one's fondest memories. Seeing old pictures evokes many emotions, mostly good, sometimes bad but somehow still gives you peace (reminding you of how you managed to get out of the rut). Good pictures are always good, no matter what was actually going on. After all, a sad movie can still be a masterpiece. In 2024, I learned so many valuable lessons that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Though I didn't really venture out of Bicol Region this year, I was still able to enjoy and have fun. In 2023, we went to Europe and, even here in the Philippines, I saw many masterpieces with strong foreign elements.  This year, on the other hand, the things I saw were mostly native and local (with little to no foreign element). Nonetheless, they're not any less superior. Coming home and enjoying home gave 2024 its own vibe and zeitgeist. All in all, 2024 has been a decent year so far... January 1: Happy Fam 2024 started on a high note. ...