WATCH: Seoul-Incheon, South Korea


Here is my video on my short trip to South Korea.


For more blogposts on Seoul, click the links below.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular This Week

Padayon Lang: Just Continue ᜉᜇᜌᜓᜈ᜔ ᜎᜅ᜔

Image
There are words that stay with us long after the people who spoke them are gone. For me, one of those words is the Cebuano phrase: “Padayon lang.” These simple words describe my life motto. It is short, almost ordinary. It does not shine with poetry. Yet it has a quiet strength, the kind that you don’t just think about but actually feel deep inside. Literally, it means “just continue” or “keep going.” But in Cebuano life, padayon lang is less of a command and more of gentle encouragement, just a soft pat on the shoulder, a light that shows you the way in the dark. I first heard it as a child, when I struggled with school and say, “Padayon lang sa imong pagtuon.” Keep studying. It is not a word of triumph. It does not promise success. Unlike congratulations or I’m proud of you, padayon lang accepts that life is hard, that the road is tiring, and yet it reminds us that moving forward, even slowly, even step by step is still worth it. It is the Cebuano spirit of resilience, no...
Read more

Filipino Ethics: A Closer Look

Image
What seems to be correct in a Filipino perspective? Ethically speaking, where lies the boundary between what is right and wrong? As a Filipino myself, it is quite difficult for me to see that, because everything seems to be very subjective. Every Filipino could justify his or her action regardless of what it is. Nothing seems to be intolerable, and everything could explained as long as someone dares to do so. This makes the Filipino society chaotic and disorganized in a way. Nothing seems to be a standard way of evaluating actions and decisions. Ethical theories would not be sufficient even to explain the Filipino ethical standards. However in this blogpost, an attempt to put this relatively subjective threshold into an objective framework is to be made. Familiarity and consensus Change is something everyone of us would like to avoid. Filipinos takes risks when the available options are too few, but in general, most Filipinos would not want to change anything that is part of...
Read more

World Takes a Pause

Image
As of this writing, the Corona virus is affecting the lives of billions of people in the world. Perhaps, some countries are more affected than others. Europe is now the epicenter of the pandemy, but USA currently is having the most number of new cases. Because cities are closed, and restrictions have been made to reduce human interactions and hamper the spread of the disease. Suddenly, the world is making a pause. Do we get something good out of this? We have to reflect on this situation, so we become better individuals when the pandemy begins to subside. Here are the things we all could have realized in the last few days. We realize what we truly need. Food, water, shelter and protection. Those are what all individual needs. Higher needs include recognition, belongingness and confidence. These higher needs currently seem less relevant when survival is one's utmost concern. These needs are to be met, but no one could require someone to meet them in a way one wants it ...
Read more

Surprisingly Unpredictable 2022

Image
Here we are again. A time to reflect on the year that is approaching its end. There were events that will forever be remembered as part of this year. Personally, 2022 is year of unexpected events, realizations and decisions. Tumultuous as it sounds but 2022 will certainly pave the way for a future that could influence how we think, act and decide. This is the focus of this blogpost. The year started with the surge of the Omicron variant of the corona virus. People were suddenly optimistic again, knowing that the virus was not as deadly as it was once thought, or perhaps as some would say the developed vaccines were sufficiently effective to prevent serious illness and even death. However, suddenly, the war in Ukraine started out of the blue. That has somehow affected how things are. Personally, the war in Ukraine somehow made me reflect what are the most important things in our lives. The refugees have to leave their families to seek protection and start a new life in anoth...
Read more

14000 Days In: Finding Balance, Meaning, and Inner Peace

Image
The 21st of January 2026 marks the end of the 14th chapter of my life, which also means that another 1,000 days have passed 😂. This chapter was not only about time moving forward, but also about personal reflection, adjustment, and maturity. During this period, I searched for meaning in life, questioned my values, and learned more about the importance of human connections. It was a phase that helped me better understand who I am and how I relate to others and the world around me. Learning from Past Challenges The 13th chapter of my life left a lasting impact on me and strongly shaped the one that followed. The pandemic changed daily life, work routines, and social relationships in ways I had never experienced before. During this time, I also chose to let go of unhealthy habits and distanced myself from certain people. The sudden death of my father was the most difficult experience, forcing me to confront loss, grief, and uncertainty. These events made the 14th chapter a pe...
Read more

Seijaku: Calm in the Middle of Chaos

Image
There is a Japanese word I recently came across: Seijaku. It is connected with silence, stillness, and finding peace even when life around us is busy. I like this idea because my life is rarely completely quiet. There is work, studying, languages, travelling, exercise, family, friends, and always something to do. For years, I became quite good at being busy. Finish one thing, move to the next, and keep going. But being good at being busy does not always mean being good at living. I used to think peace would come later. After this busy week. After this course. After this problem is solved. But there is always another "after." Life never suddenly says, "Congratulations, everything is finished. You can relax now." 😅 Perhaps the challenge is finding small moments of stillness while life is happening. Drinking coffee without checking my phone. Walking home without rushing. Sitting quietly without feeling that I should be doing something productive. Working as a nurse ha...
Read more

The Colors of My Niece Juyen

Image
Today, we are celebrating the eleventh birthday of my niece. Time flies so much. It seemed that it was just recently that I got to know that my sister, her mom got pregnant. I was worried by then, but I was excited how my niece became a tough and quite learned individual. I had a hard time describing my niece, so I thought of using the different colors to sum up every learning we got from my niece, our advices to her as she approaches her teen years, and everything that concerns her and makes her busy. BLUE I am guessing this is her favorite color, because she is fond of selecting or preferring objects of this color. Although my sister want red or pink for my niece, I agree personally that blue is indeed a good color. It symbolizes peace and tranquility. In connection to this, I hope my niece will eventually understand in depth and its real breadth the things within the family that for certain bothers her. It will take time for her comprehens why things are such, and why what she wan...
Read more

Cebuano: The Language and The People

Image
Living in Norway for over 2 years, I have often encountered questions about the languages I speak. I usually answered I speak Norwegian, English and two Filipino languages. Then, people start asking if the second Filipino language is a dialect of the other. Given my mother tongue is Cebuano, the second language referred, I abruptly debunk the misconcept that it is a mere dialect. My most common explanation is that all Filipinos speak the Filipino language, but those who only learn to speak Filipino have difficult time understanding or communicating with one speaking Cebuano. Throughout the span of my childhood, I got to grasp the political and cultural differences of Filipinos speaking Filipino language or Tagalog as referred by most, and those coming from the Southern Philippines speaking Cebuano. The language in itself has become the boundary between the two groups of people. Due to their innate differences, misunderstandings result, not because of mere language confusion, but of cu...
Read more

Who chooses me or who I chose?

Image
This is somewhat a common question pertaining to relationship among Filipinos. There is even a song written to indicate a similar meaning of the title. Who will you prefer the person who chooses you or the person you choose? The song however pertains to love not simply choosing someone. However, to make the dilemma more relatable I would opt to use the word choose than love because the former is more definitive and concrete in meaning. This will the focus of this blogpost. A question of what seems selfish. It is selfish both to choose one and choose another who chose you. To choose one is like behaving superior over the other. Superiority as perceived maybe due to wealth, status or any desired characteristic. To be superior is itself selfish by failing to recognize another person as a co-equal being. On the other hand, to simply wait for someone to choose you is also selfish. Think how much self-confidence to think this way. One is quite certain that at least one in the wo...
Read more

No One Like Us (Poem)

Image
  Who really are we? Is a good but tough question. Do we have a life based who we are, or in discretion? Is there an approach for us to understand us better? Releasing ourselves from self-restraints like fetters   We have contrasting dimensions even in oneself There is definitely something beyond   the public self Charactetistics both for us and others are well-known Everything about us clearly to public we have shown   Besides there are things and traits we are blinded Try hearing what others say; never be close-minded Perception by others, we ourselves are unaware Society see something but we don’t, sounds unfair?   Be attentive, not everything about us we are in control Even how much we try, thus there’s always a loophole Intriguigingly there is segment of us we keep hidden Traits we withhold for life like truth that is forbidden   This a confirmation that every single manages a facade Presenting ourselves reasonably to be applaud In this way some people...
Read more