Morning — a slightly late start
I woke up at 9:30.
It was a quiet morning.
But I had a work meeting today. I couldn't take it easy.
I quickly took a shower and brushed my teeth.
With my head not fully awake, I headed to the rooftop bar.
This was my office this morning.
The rooftop meeting, with the sea breeze on my skin, was about handing over code and media.
About 45 minutes.
But it felt like more time had passed, carried away by the wind.
Preparing for the sky, and on the hostel bed
After finishing the meeting, next was packing.
Today I'm heading to Iloilo via Manila.
My backpack went into checked-luggage mode.
Packing for a trip is a little fun no matter how many times you do it.
Even though I think, "What a hassle," it's like a ritual that makes the trip what it is.
Bunk beds in the hostel. I'm on the top bunk.
Climbing up and down the ladder each time is a bit of a hassle.
But that's part of the travel vibe.
Meanwhile, my roommate, a girl, was lying down on the opposite side.
I felt she was somehow similar to me.
She's not great at social situations and is more at ease being alone.
She'd been on the phone with someone yesterday, but this morning she was quietly alone again.
She usually keeps the curtain closed, but
today it was left open.
Even while I was packing, she didn't try to close it.
She was on her back on purpose, not face down.
And she was facing toward me.
As if to say, "Notice me,"
Her big butt suddenly filled my view (lol).
Dried banana and one small regret
The dried bananas I bought yesterday.
They were half-eaten and still left.
Maybe I should give this to her?
I suddenly imagined myself handing it to her.
But a voice in my head immediately spoke up.
'Nobody wants something someone else already ate... you don't need it, right?'
In the end, I couldn't muster the courage.
I gently placed it on top of the trash can and checked out.
But I still think about it.
Hey, do you like banana? I'm about to checkout, but if you'd like, you can have the rest
If I had been able to say that, something might have changed.
There was surely something similar about her and me.
Precisely because of that, maybe we could have become friends.
Just one small step. I lacked just a little more courage.
That was today's small 'failure.'
But I definitely felt a 'change.'
Lately, though, I've been changing little by little.
I've become able to open my heart a little more than before.
Is it the trip that's making me softer,
or the encounters with people that are doing it?
There's a little more composure in my heart.
So surely, next time I can do it.
'If I don't say this, I might regret it'
I feel like I can find courage in those moments.
The lasagna was sour. And I feel a lack of minerals.
After checking out, I went to a cafe.
When I went into a nearby shop, the staff member was very pleasant.
I ordered lasagna and a mango, banana, and matcha smoothie.
The smoothie was heavenly and refreshed my spirit.
But the lasagna... was so bad I thought I never wanted it again (lol).
After that, my stomach suddenly started hurting and I ran to the bathroom.
Maybe it was something from yesterday or the day before.
'I've lost magnesium and potassium...' I thought,
I found it a little funny that I was thinking about that.
It reminded me of when I had diarrhea every day in Vietnam.
On the day I returned home, I suffered heatstroke at the airport and my hands went numb.
Since then, I haven't forgotten the importance of minerals.
The tricycle, and a small regret about not taking a photo
The tricycle driver taking me to the airport was very pleasant.
The 60-peso negotiation ended up at 80, but I nodded and said fine.
When we stopped at a light, he talked with a nearby biker and spoke to me too.
He even asked me about scuba diving.
But I could barely hear because of the bike engine noise (lol).
'I should have taken a photo,' I thought.
His personality was so good that I couldn't help thinking that.
Next time, I'll be brave and say it.
'Let's take a photo together,' I'll say.
Photos aren't just records.
I think they're a way to say to someone, 'I see you,' 'I want to cherish you.'
A smile exchanged on a bench at the airport
I arrive at PPC airport.
This airport is really cute. Small, a bit worn, with a countryside vibe.
A quiet stopover that's neither the start nor the end of the journey.
But for me it's a place that will become one of my memories.
After checking in and passing security, I went to a bench in front of the gate.
Even without wind, the air somehow felt soft.
It was one of those moments.
A woman approached me.
'Sorry, can you fill out this form? We're a travel survey organization.'
She had handouts and a pen.
At first I was suspicious. 'Isn't this one of those things? They'll steal something while you're writing your name,' I thought.
But seeing her face put me at ease.
There was a human warmth in her eyes.
Deciding to take a photo together
'Can we take a photo together?' she asked.
My chest fluttered a little.
Another man took the picture for us.
A smile came naturally. It had been a while.
Ah, I can make this kind of face too.
After finishing the questionnaire, I mustered a bit of courage and said something.
'Could I have the photo from earlier?'
She, with a slight twitch of her face,
'Sure~ but it's a bit dark, is that okay?' she laughed.
I told her, 'I want it as a memento.'
And she sent it via AirDrop.
Exchanging Instagrams, and the start of a connection
She looked at my Osmo Pocket and asked, 'Are you a blogger?'
I was happy.
'Yeah, I just started. I only have about 500 followers, but I want to grow,' I said.
'If you'd like, shall we exchange Instagram?'
I said it naturally — a small moment of courage, unlike with the dried banana yesterday.
Her profile picture showed a view from inside an airplane.
Ah, I thought, she's someone who loves the sky.
The passport case she gave me as a thank-you for completing the survey
This is what connecting feels like.
A walk toward the sky with an umbrella
When the time came, I boarded the plane.
AirAsia staff were handing umbrellas to each person.
From the gate to the stairs, we walked under the sun holding umbrellas.
A short 80-meter distance.
I filmed the scene with my Osmo Pocket.
Sunlight, umbrellas, smiles, the flight attendant's smile.
Each one was a little grain of the journey.
The flight attendant smiled and said, 'Hello!'
I replied 'Hi!' a bit embarrassed.
Moments like that stick in my heart.
Tonight's dinner I had while waiting at the airport
Finally meeting in person! The friend I met on HelloTalk a year ago
I arrived in Iloilo at 9 PM.
I couldn't find the luggage carousel, and after asking others I finally retrieved my bag.
Thanks to the flashy neon cover, it was easy to spot.
There was a long-awaited message: 'I arrived at the airport! Kota!'
I finally meet AJ.
We met on HelloTalk and had almost a year of text-only exchanges.
We had never met or spoken before, but
somehow we ended up planning to travel together.
…but the surprising truth.
The AJ I thought was 'he' was actually 'she.'
With short hair and cool messages, I had assumed she was male.
I couldn't help asking, 'AJ is a he, right?' but
'She's a she~ (lol),' she replied.
Midnight drive, meeting companions
I joined up with AJ's friends: the driver Ping, her partner Rachelle, and the mood-maker Bem.
I was the only man in the group, but strangely I didn't feel uncomfortable.
The destination was Gigantes Norte.
A three-hour drive. It was already past 10 PM.
We stopped for a restroom break at a 7-Eleven.
In front of a street stall, Ping said with a laugh.
'Do you know balut? It's a Philippine specialty. Want to try it?'
Trying balut for the first time in my life.
I wondered what it was, and it turned out to be an egg.
For a moment I thought, 'Oh, it's just a boiled egg,' but
When I cracked the shell, I saw a dark shape.
Huh?
…Is this a partially hatched duck egg?
I hesitated for a moment.
But Ping's smile and my own belief in 'tasting the culture' pushed me on.
I put on vinegar and salt and took a bite.
The egg tasted with a raw, vivid scent of life mixed in.
Honestly, it wasn't tasty, but it was an unforgettable flavor.
The next day I had diarrhea though (lol).
A motel night and a small toast with San Miguel
Arrival was after midnight.
We stopped at a motel-like place and took a nap for a few hours.
Ping told me.
She's from Antique and works in a job like the FBI.
Criminal investigation work. Very cool.
Pork snack. It tasted really strange.
At 3 AM, someone shared some beer with me.
San Miguel apple flavor. Just a sip.
Bem teased me.
'Kota, that's a girl's drink~ (lol)'
Everyone laughed.
I was part of that circle.
At the start of the story to come
That night I returned to the car and took a nap.
Bem's heavy vapor scent. Dogs howling.
A little anxiety. But also a little reassurance.
Still at the entrance of the adventure.
But already, the door of my heart has begun to open slightly.
The journey is slowly changing me.
