All I Can Handle

When I was travelling outside of Zamboanga city for the first time in 2007, I was able to capture this video aboard the Super Ferry ship in Cebu . Back then, I loved playing Sim City (and I still do). I became fascinated with urban planning and loved skyscrapers. The first time in my life that I saw skyscrapers in person was in Cebu. When I went to Cebu from Bohol in 2026, I was excited to see this view again. I was travelling on an Oceanjet ferry from Bohol this time around. I was disappointed when I did not see the view of the skyscrapers with the green mountains at the back. Instead, what I saw was only the new bridge connecting Cebu to Mactan. Maybe the bigger ships use a different port or maybe they were taller so I had a better view.

When I was planning to visit Bohol, I didn't really know where to go. Since the pier was located in Tagbilaran, that was where I decided to stay. When I checked how far away the tourist attractions were from Tagbilaran, I said to myself that I probably would just stay within the city. So I surprised myself when I decided to go to Carmen, where the Chocolate Hills viewing deck was located. When I went to Cebu City last year, my Cebuana friend was disappointed because I did not visit the popular attractions that tourists visit. I told her that I was already happy with visiting Magellan's Cross. When I was in elementary school, Magellan's Cross was one of the tourist sites that I would often see in my books at school. I remember feeling like a loser whenever summer vacation would be over and my friends would tell stories about visiting the places we saw in books. I also find myself gravitating towards museums and old churches whenever I visit a place for tourism and not the us...

One of the highlights of my Bohol trip was discovering the Prawn Farm restaurant. It was not in my itinerary because I intended to eat at a different restaurant inside Island City Mall. But when I got there, I decided the menu was too cosmopolitan, and I was looking for something more local. I did not find the staff to be welcoming at that restaurant as well. So when I saw the Prawn Farm's menu located on the opposite side of the mall, I decided to eat there. I ordered the small Seafood Bouillabaisse Soup and the chicken executive meal, fully expecting the portion sizes I am used to at restaurants in Manila. When the soup arrived, I thought they made a mistake and gave me the regular-sized bowl. I mean, in Manila, this would definitely not be considered small. I think the small bowl was good for at least 3 persons. And considering how much shrimp was in it, it was definitely cheap. The size of the chicken, as well as the portion size of the noodles, was also surprising. The noodles...

In November of last year, I had the opportunity to attend a numismatic lecture at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Since it was happening on the same day, I also decided to attend a concert at the Manila Cathedral. I arrived at the BSP several hours early so I could visit their museum as well. The BSP entrance closest to the museum is along Roxas Boulevard and is within walking distance from the Quirino LRT Station. The building that houses the museum is just a few meters away from Gate 6, which is also where they hold public events such as the numismatic lecture I attended. While modern and sleek, the BSP Museum was somewhat underwhelming. It does give visitors a general overview of the evolution of money in the Philippines, but I’ve seen more expansive and interesting collections from private individuals. What did impress me, however, was the staff. Everyone I encountered was very polite, courteous, and helpful. As far as precolonial gold is concerned, the Ayala Museum has, in...