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A blog by Monica Manuel

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[Philippines] Meeting the Awe-Inspiring Powerful Woman Apo Whang-od in Kalinga
Apo Whang-od, Kalinga, Philippines, 2012
Destinations / Kalinga / People / Travel Therapy / Visiting IP communities

[Philippines] Meeting the Awe-Inspiring Powerful Woman Apo Whang-od in Kalinga

Apo Whang-od was the reason why we started planning for this trip. Then dubbed as the Last Mambabatok (Traditional Kalinga Tattoo Artist), we knew that enduring the 15-hour bus plus rough…

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March 1, 2021
[Philippines] How to reach Buscalan to visit Apo Whang-od
Apo Whang-od doing her Kalinga traditional tattooing in Buscalan, Kalinga, December 2012
Destinations / Kalinga / Travel Therapy / Visiting IP communities

[Philippines] How to reach Buscalan to visit Apo Whang-od

Okay, so you want to get your tattoo from Apo Whang-od. How do you reach Buscalan to visit her? What can you expect? What do you need to prepare for? …

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March 1, 2021

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Just a couple more weeks with @rioelloso and it’ Just a couple more weeks with @rioelloso and it’s LDR once more 😭😭😭 Staying in PH for this long wasn’t part of the plan. She was supposed to fly back to the US just around the time our airlines cancelled all flights because of the pandemic. So, we were “forced” to spend the past year together.  Mahirap. Minsan, sobrang hirap. 😂 But, honestly, I won’t have it any other way. And, here are some of the reasons why: Dahil sa kanya, naging mas “cultured” ako. For example, dati, ang cheese lang na kinakain ko ay Eden cheese at Cheez Whiz. Ngayon, alam ko na ang gouda, brie, at camembert. Dati, mule at beer lang ang iniinom ko. Ngayon, nakilala ko na sila Shiraz, Rose, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, at Grenache. Nakapag-wine at food tasting din kami at rum and chocolate pairing sessions sa bahay. Yun na ang pinaka-date namin. 😂 Pero ang pinakamamimiss kong gawin with @rioelloso would be to try out different desserts every weekend! Pramis, sa sobrang hilig nya, target talaga sya ng mga IG ads ng dessert shops! Isa sa inulit-ulit namin this pandemic ay ang cookies and hot cocoa bombs ng @miramisu.ph. Tipong we’d drive to Sampaloc to pick up their cookies. I fell in love with their Special Dark Chocolate Cookies (yun din ang recommended namin sa @tatakpilipinay 👌🏼). Pero nung natikman ko ang pinakabago nilang flavor na Campfire cookies - OH MY GOD, ANG SARAP! 😋🥰 Sana masubukan nyo rin. 🙂 So, maibalik ko lang sa story ko about Rio. There’s a silver lining in all these. Kahit na aalis na sya at back to LDR kami for now, I’m still very grateful that I got to spend time with her, witness her living her life, and make memories together. 💕 What about you? How do you make memories with your loved ones? 💕 P.S. Kung may time kayo, pakicheck yung last video. Ganyan. Ganyan sya on the daily. Pano ko ba namang hindi mamimiss yan? ***** If you want to experience @miramisu.ph's concoctions, join @tatakpilipinay's ongoing giveaway! Be one of the three (3) winners of self-care packages worth P1,400++ from @pluma_ph and @miramisu.ph by sharing your self-care tip with fellow Filipinas. Head on to @TatakPiliPinay's giveaway post for mechanics. Stay amazing!
🔆 Now that we still can’t travel as freely, h 🔆 Now that we still can’t travel as freely, how do you practice self-care?🔆 Before the pandemic, travel was my go-to when things are getting sh*tty. I love planning. While I know that not everything will go as planned to a T, I’m totally fine with it. I love the excitement. I love discovering new things. I love being reminded that I’m just a speck in a much bigger world outside of my own. And, when I go back, it seems like things have changed. Or, perhaps it was me who has changed. Who knows? But, since traveling was impossible, I was left in a bind. I didn’t know how to deal with my emotions. I felt like I was spiraling down. Writing, journaling saved me. I did it furiously to detangle my thoughts, to make sense of what was going on inside my head. I constantly reminded myself that it’s okay to be not okay. That it was just a phase in my life. That I was going to make it. That one day, I will soak up the sun again. Emotions still come in waves. But, slowly, the calm and happiness are longer in intervals. The darker days are much much far in between. So, yes, the saying that “This too shall pass,” is true. And, if you need a li’l push, here’s one for you: One day, it will again be full of sunshine and rainbows. And, when you encounter a roadblock, just keep on going. And, borrowing the words on @pluma_ph’s notepads, “You have the power to change your life. You got this.” ***** 🌻 Share your #selfcare tips and be one of the three (3) winners of packages worth P1,400++ from @pluma_ph and @miramisu.ph! Head on to @TatakPiliPinay's giveaway post for mechanics. 🌻
Finally found the time (and courage) to post on IG Finally found the time (and courage) to post on IG! Happy New Year from me and Rio! - I know it's a bit late but I just wanted to share with you the first blog post I wrote for 2021 (link in my bio) 🙂 It's a mini-#throwback to crazy 2020 and what you can expect from the blog and my IG account this 2021. - I've long wanted to focus on content creation but I allow life to get in the way. I'm also honestly scared of putting myself out there. I fear judgment, disappointments, and pain. But, one thing I realized in 2020 is that it is okay to be scared and vulnerable. Everyone gets scared, and it takes courage to be vulnerable. So, yes, here I am sharing myself with you. 🙂 - I also struggled  with who I am and who I would like to be. Because of the pandemic, I experienced being in lockdown for three months unexpectedly by myself. With the anxiety and depression that went with this, I realized the importance of travel, mental health, and self-love in my life. - In 2021, these will be my focus – travel, mental health, and self-love. I will write articles and IG posts relevant to these three (first article on self-love will be up this Sunday!). So, I hope you will continue to support me and my causes this year! - May 2021 be a year of love, life, abundance, contribution, well-being, and serenity. Cheers to an empowered 2021! - P.S. Thank you to my partner, @rioelloso, who went through hell and stuck with me through our many highs and lows in 2020. She is the reason why I am still here. :)
🎄 Christmas 2020 🎄 . Drove around Makati and 🎄 Christmas 2020 🎄 . Drove around Makati and Mandaluyong before we headed home on the 25th. The city was uncharacteristically quiet as compared to the usual festive holidays in the Philippines. Even Makati, where my Dad would bring us when we were kids to see the Christmas lights, was less bright this Christmas 2020. . But the Christmas spirit is not lost in the Filipinos. On the eve of Christmas, while we were at a stoplight, a street kid was singing carols to one of the motorcycle drivers. Because of the pandemic, I see less and less motorists opening their windows and giving alms to the poor, possibly as a practice of social distancing. But, that evening was different. . One by one, motorcycle drivers handed money to the street kid, sharing with him their blessings in this challenging year. . What left us more in awe was how the kid was giving sampaguitas back to these motorists, as his own gesture of kindness, generosity, grafefulness. We just watched it quietly, aware of the blessed moment that is happening before our eyes. . It is true, isn’t it? Sometimes, it is those who do not have a lot who share more of what they have, who are not scared of being generous, who want to bless others - a great reminder of how great humanity is, today and always. . I pray that you all had a blessed Christmas celebration with your loved ones and may we be a blessing to others this Christmas season and always. ✨
Last weekend was like a short trip back memory lan Last weekend was like a short trip back memory lane. Finally, I got to show a bit of UP to @rioelloso. Super a bit lang. I think we only stayed for 30 minutes, just chatting, walking, people watching, and just being in the moment. . It felt like I was back in college, walking around the campus, feeling the cool breeze on my skin - yung parang feeling na, tapos na midterms. O last day of classes na. Pwede nang maglakwatsa o tumambay. 🙂 . Ang ganda pa rin talaga ng UP. Makulay - ang campus at mga tao. Kung walang pandemic, malamang mas maganda pa ang mga kulay, lalo na ngayon na Christmas season. . Pero okay lang. This was our first time going out (aside from doing essential errands) since the pandemic started (oo, ganon kami kapraning). . Pero sobrang sulit. Dahil, after all these years, nakapagdate na din ako sa UP lol at natikman ko ulit ang paborito kong tapsilog from Rodic’s.🙂
They say that good things come to those who wait. They say that good things come to those who wait. And you are definitely worth it. 🙂 - Happy 1st anniversary, my love! (Sabi nga ni G-anne, “Akalain mo yon?” LOL). - We’ve been through many highs and lows this year, parang nafast track ang supposed 7-year itch. LOL. Thank you for choosing to stay. Sa dami ng sakit ng ulo na binigay ko sayo ngayong taong ito (at araw-araw haha), I am grateful that you choose me and us always. - I love you, babe. Lagi. And, every day, I look forward to spending tomorrow with you. 💋
SOLO TRAVELING. For some people, it is an adventur SOLO TRAVELING. For some people, it is an adventure, a way of life. For me, it was an opportunity to face my fears, step out of my comfort zone, and explore the world beyond my own. So, while it scared the hell out of me to go travel by myself, I was also excited and interested to see what’s out there - to find out if it is as liberating and empowering as solo traveling is described to be. - In 2015, I finally did it! For an introvert, it was nerve-wracking. But, I allowed myself to be uncomfortable and intentionally put myself in situations wherein I would need to talk to people. And, I tell you, I loved every second of it. - I checked myself in a hostel; bar-hopped (ha!) on my first night; visited temples while balancing myself on a Segway Gibbon; and, went out of Chiang Mai to immerse in the art offered by Wat Rong Khun, be in The Golden Triangle (where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet), and connect with the Karieng Tribe at Mae Hong Son. I shared these experiences with the beautiful people I met along the way, some of them I still talk to to this day! - Shauna Niequist said that “When you’re traveling with someone else, you share each discovery, but when you are alone, you have to carry each experience with you like a secret, something you have to write on your heart, because there’s no other way to preserve it.” And, I agree. - For me, one joy of traveling is sharing experiences with the people you love. But, the high of wandering in the streets of Chiang Mai, having that independence to choose my rhythm, being responsible for my person, and just knowing and proving to myself that I am capable, that I can do it - these I will carry in my heart. Always. - - 🔆 GOT YOUR OWN TRAVEL STORY TO TELL? @budgetbiyahera & I have teamed up with 4 amazing female-led businesses (@hull.stern @lasislaslifestyle @marutalavera & @shopsartcast) who also believe in the power of sharing travel stories as a way to take care of our mental health & we launched #MulaSaBaulTravelStories. JOIN THE CHALLENGE! Share your own throwback travel story! - ➡️ SWIPE for mechanics & prizes
Brussels, Belgium. May 2017. - Brussels was not pa Brussels, Belgium. May 2017. - Brussels was not part of the plan. I was supposed to visit museums in Amsterdam that weekend. But, when I received an invite from a friend who was already there for a short trip, I thought, hey, it would be nice to explore a different city, even just for a day. Who knows when I would be back in this side of the world? - I marveled at Grand Place’s awe-inspiring design. Admired Palais de Bruxelles, Galeries Royale, and Cinquantenaire. And, enjoyed the view from the Garden of the Mont des Arts while drinking a bottle of beer. The intricacies of their architecture could make me stop in the middle of the road, so I could just stare a while longer. - But, what caught my attention the most were the artworks by Benoît, found on the walls of the Maalbeek platform. - They say that the faces represent the people you randomly meet at the metro. They seem familiar even if you do not know them at all. With how they look, you can make up a whole story about their lives, but this will be far from what is the truth. - In 2016, many lost their lives as a result of the terror attack at Maalbeek. Benoît said that “these ‘anonymous portraits’ has come to be the face of the anonymous, innocent victims.” One of the 8 portraits by Benoit was damaged because of the vibration from the bombing. In its place, they put up a temporary memorial wall to pay tribute to the victims of the attack. - The artworks were so simple yet powerful. An important reminder that our vulnerabilities are also our source of strength. That we have it in ourselves to face and bounce back from any adversity. That despite differences, we can thrive in diversity. We all have our own stories. We all have our own identities. LOVE, RESPECT, and COMPASSION - these are all we need. - - 🔆 GOT YOUR OWN TRAVEL STORY TO TELL? @budgetbiyahera & I have teamed up with 4 amazing female-led businesses (@hull.stern @lasislaslifestyle @marutalavera & @shopsartcast) who also believe in the power of sharing travel stories as a way to take care of our mental health & we launched #MulaSaBaulTravelStories. JOIN THE CHALLENGE! Share your own throwback travel story! - ➡️ SWIPE for mechanics & prizes
WARNING: Lotsa cheese. - Exhausted from the Metro WARNING: Lotsa cheese. - Exhausted from the Metro Manila city trips we had busied ourselves with the past few weeks, we braved - for about 24 hrs - the cold weather of Taipei to experience the colorful and vibrant Shilin Night Market. - Rio's childlike curiosity was a breath of fresh air. Her outgoing personality complemented my shy, introverted self. Her energy was intoxicating. I could watch her all night get excited at the unique food experiences and the entrancing sights that Taipei offered. - But, what charmed me the most was her subtle show of love. I learned that she got excited about tasting that different-looking food because she wanted to share experiences with me. Her face lit up when we came across beautiful spots because she found something interesting that I could take pictures of; she knows that I like things pretty and unique. - She took care of me. Listened to what I needed, even without me saying it. She made sure that I did not overdo it, provided me space to rest when I got tired. And, pushed me gently when I needed support. When I felt spent and unattractive, she would sometimes whisper and say, "You are beautiful". To some, it may be petty. But, to me, it was like she was saying, "I see you." - They say that travel is the ultimate relationship test and that traveling can make or break a relationship. We’ve only started but I think we’re off to a good one. - - 🔆 SHARE your own THROWBACK TRAVEL STORY 🔆 - For many of us, one of the reasons why we travel is to take care of our mental health. But, now that we are not able to travel as much (for some, at all), what can we do? - @budgetbiyahera and I have teamed up with 4 amazing female-led small businesses (@shopsartcast @marutalavera @lasislaslifestyle @hull.stern) who also believe in the power of sharing travel stories as a way to take care of our mental health, and we launched #MulaSaBaulTravelStories. - Through this, we hope to help inspire other people in celebrating the many beautiful things in life despite the challenges that we face. We are hoping to help people take care of their #mentalhealth. - Join the challenge! Share your own throwback travel story! - ➡️ SWIPE for the mechanics an
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About Me

About Me

Pinay. Storyteller. Traveler. Iska.

Hello there! My name is Monica and travel is my therapy. I am on a perpetual journey of self-discovery and loving what I see. After backpacking for two weeks and visiting indigenous tribes in the Philippines, I decided to travel to give faces to different cultures and communities. I have been to 14 countries outside my own. And, I intend to explore more places, forge relationships with local communities, and tell their stories. My mission? To inspire you to love yourself and just give it a go – through my story telling. I write through the lens of an introvert, with anxiety, and a member of the LGBT community.
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