I woke up at 5 a.m. The neighborhood must have woken up too; there was some noise. There was no air conditioner, so the room was very hot. I can't sleep without a fan, but when the fan is on it's too strong and I actually feel cold.
Which is it!? It felt like that. But it really felt like an adventure, and that kind of environment was fun. So I fell back asleep and ended up waking at 12.
The heavy thunderstorm that hit Port Barton
After that I brushed my teeth slowly and did the laundry. It had been raining all day. Around 1 p.m. I thought about going out, but suddenly there was a downpour and terrible thunder. Flashes of light would appear from nowhere, followed by a roaring boom. Even I started to get scared.
There was a workspace in the hostel lobby, so I worked there, but the rain and thunder were just too strong. I wondered whether this is normal in Port Barton — it was that surprising.
Because it kept raining, there was nothing to do, so I just worked the whole time. After about three hours the thunder finally weakened, so I was finally able to go out. I hadn't eaten anything today, so I wanted to have something local.
Encounter with a chocolate beer
So I kept walking and found a place that looked like a tasty local spot, so I went there. It was less purely local and more like a Western-oriented menu plus local touches. I don't know how to explain it, but anyway I ate.
The lady seemed to be preparing to go out, but when I asked, 'Can I order?', she said, 'Sure!' so I decided to order. A kind of chicken soup and water. But when I saw the price, the local beer wasn't expensive either, so I had them switch to that!
When I asked the man, he told me the local beer was a chocolate beer, and I thought, 'Oh, that sounds interesting!' so I ordered it. It cost 70 PHP (about 175 yen). Not expensive at all! I kept sipping it until the food arrived, and it was really delicious.
So even though it was only 4%, I got drunk quickly. While eating I sent voice messages to friends and shot some videos. Drinking beer while filming, I became quite intoxicated. It had been a long time since I drank alcohol, so I really got drunk, and drinking makes everything feel kind of 'whatever' — like nothing really bothers you. I thought that was actually a good thing.
Well, whatever. Anyway, the chicken rice was very tasty. After finishing, I paid the bill. It was 300 pesos. It wasn't an expensive expense at all today.
Heartwarming communication with locals
The staff asked, 'Where are you from?' and when I said I'm Japanese, they reacted, 'What!? Hearing your English I thought you were from Canada or the USA (laughs).' I was really happy. I thought, 'Oh, I must sound like I'm from Canada or the US,' and I felt genuinely pleased.
Then on the way back I bought a Pocari Sweat, and the clerk asked, 'What is your nationality?' I said, 'Japanese!' and he replied 'Arigatou' in Japanese. That's what I think communication is. That Filipino man speaking in the local language opens your heart. I thought that's an amazing thing.
Anyway, I arrived at the hostel, flopped down, did a little work and wrote in my diary. I feel like I'm gradually getting used to communicating with people.
I finally reached the point where I can look people in the eye and place an order, and I can respond smoothly when spoken to, so I don't get as nervous. But I still feel a bit anxious about talking to new people or communicating with Western people. That's okay. I feel like I'm gradually improving, which is really good. Making steady eye contact and communicating clearly — that's really important, and I thought that was great.
At night I write in my diary while listening to a song called 'Riptide.' Music really saves me. I thought it's nice. And so the day ends. Thank you for today! It was a day I could feel I had lived!
My first-ever challenge: the moment I spoke to someone first
But why am I so nervous? Why is there someone nearby now? Why am I this nervous? I really don't know. I can't help but wonder. Calm down. It's okay to be disliked. What's the big deal. To avoid regrets, try. Not trying is really pathetic and uncool. Let's try.
I'll be fine. Definitely fine. Don't be so scared. It's okay to be scared. Live boldly and creatively. That's everything — it's really what matters. Never forget that. It's very important.
I mustered up courage and was able to speak. I did it! I initiated conversation and was able to keep it going. I was really nervous and my heart was pounding. But I managed to speak!! This is a big step forward!! I was so happy. No regrets at all.
She graduated high school and immediately went to New Zealand on a working holiday, but because winter came she quit and came to the Philippines. She wanted to do volunteer work and connect with locals. She's apparently from Germany. Still, I thought it's amazing to travel alone. When I was 19 I went to Korea, but I was so nervous I couldn't do anything, so I told her how impressed I was.
But I thought she seemed too hurried and lacking composure. Maybe I'm shy. It was a bit sad to realize I didn't have composure. But it's okay. The important thing is that I spoke to her. That's the most important. So since I achieved that, that's enough. This is another first step.
Up until now I had never approached someone first. That's for sure. I had never said 'Hi' first. But now I was able to say it for the first time. There's nothing that makes me happier.
I've overcome a major challenge!! I was so happy. It was that kind of day.
Three hours with Popoy and Julian — a special time with the kids
Then she awkwardly moved to another seat, and a child came instead. He was Popoy, maybe about four years old. He brought some blocks, so I wondered what it was and responded with a smile. Then Julian came too. She was eight. We stacked blocks together and played a lot.
She was very good at English; we talked about where I'm from, how amazing Japanese gadgets are, and favorite singers. She said she likes Billie Eilish. She also said she wanted to go to Paris. She mentioned wanting to ride the Blue Train (the bullet train) too.
We ended up spending around two to three hours with them. It was very fun but exhausting (laughs). I thought raising children must be hard. If you always have to play with them, no wonder you're tired. So I thought moms are amazing. At the same time I understood both the wonder and difficulty of having children.
I was filming with an Osmo Pocket while playing with the blocks. I brought a notebook and a film camera; we took pictures together and they wrote messages in the notebook.
Since it was a special occasion, I used the portable printer I had brought to print a three-shot of Julian and Popoy. They were so happy. I also gave them my business card. Julian was No.2. They had so much fun that I was really happy too. Today was the first time in my life I played with local kids abroad. It was a first experience. And on top of that, starting the conversation myself was also a first. I was really happy. It was a good day.
