Life goes on

Me and my Hong Kong Squad last February 2016

It's been more than half a year since I last updated my blog. I started working again last October 2015 and still working until now. I haven't traveled outside Asia ever since I went back from the US. There's so much realization over the past few months. I feel like I've been a great person and I've changed for the better. So what happened to me since my last post?

1. I got a job that keeps me busy. So far, I'm still happy with it.
2. I've traveled to different places in the Philippines. I'll start posting my travels locally soon.
3. I went to Hong Kong for a little less than a week.
4. I was able to have the best flight experience ever! Thanks to Cathay Pacific
5. I'm currently planing to go back the US. I already booked a ticket but I'm still working on my itinerary. I'll be in the states for a month.

I guess this will be all for now. I just felt the need to update my blog. I'll be going back to my life as a traveler again.

Air China Review

From Planespotter

Air China (CA) is China's National Carrier. It may not be one of the best airlines in the world but I still recommend using Air China primarily because their fares can be very affordable especially for Mainland US destinations. I got my round trip ticket from Manila to Houston for less than 900$. With the price as one of my main consideration for choosing an airline, I'll choose Air China anytime.

So far I've tried Air China once. I was supposed to go back to Manila through Air China but I decided to extend my stay and use a different airline on my way back to the Philippines.  The price of the ticket was way below the usual flight ticket to Houston so I immediately bought a ticket when I saw the price.

Why I love Air China.

1.) Price - Air China can either be very cheap or very expensive. Most of the time it's very expensive but cheap tickets are not elusive. Just check their website from time to time and you'll be able to get a good price. Try using Air China for flights to the west,east or central United States. Flights to New York can be as low as 700$.

2.) Comfort - As compared to other airlines, Air China's interior is simple. Older planes can have small leg room while new bigger planes have bigger leg room. It really depends on the plane you'll b be using. I couldn't complain since the price says it all but if I paid the full amount I believe I have the right to demand haha.

3.) Service - Flight attendants from my flight from Manila to Beijing barely speaks English and they even served me the wrong choice of food. I decided to just eat it since it will be hard to talk to them. On the other hand, my flight from Beijing to Los Angeles was ok. I was seated at the back and the Flight Attendant was pretty attentive to all my demands. She even remembered my eating/drinking pattern.

4.) Food - Air China's food is ok. It's not as good as Singapore Airlines. I felt like the recipe for their savory meat meal are the same.

5.) Entertainment - Older and smaller planes don't have any inflight entertainment so imagine yourself in a 5hrs flight from Manila to Beijing without any entertainment. Newer and bigger planes on the other hand have superb inflight entertainment. 

6.) Destinations - Domestic network is pretty wide. International network is ok.

My rating 8/10.00

Singapore Airlines Review

Taken from PlaneSpotter

Singapore Airlines (SQ) is one of the best airlines in the world and i consider it as the best airline I've ever tried. It's Singapore's flag carrier and it has a good network of destinations. If i won't be considering the price, I'll choose SQ in a heartbeat.

So far I've tried SQ twice. One was sponsored by Google from Manila to Singapore. The other one was from Houston to Moscow to Singapore to Manila primarily because of the price.  Airline prices can be really unpredictable. I got it for a cheap price considering it's only one way and I booked it the same day I left.

Why I love Singapore Airlines.

1.) Price - As i've said, price can be unpredictable. What I can share with you is that Singapore Airlines' prices can be so low that i can be cheaper than low cost carrier. The one way ticket I purchased before was the same price as the promotion of another airline but i booked it a month ahead.

2.) Comfort - SQ's economy class is above average in my opinion. I love the legroom as well as the recline of all the seats.

3.) Service - SQ flight attendants are nice and attentive. I'm one demanding passenger and they were able to handle all of my requests. They also come to me as quick as possible whenever I press the help button.

4.) Food - SQ's catering in my opinion is way above average. I love the food selection. The number of food service is sufficient to the duration of the flight. A big plus for me is the availability of cocktails for economy passenger.  It really helped me sleep and relax throughout the flight.

5.) Entertainment - Although some old aircraft can have an outdated entertainment system, newer planes has superb entertainment system and a good variety of movies, tv series and so on.

6.) Destinations - Do I need to explain this further? You can literally go anywhere in the world through Singapore Airlines.

My rating 9.83/10.00

My Travel Profile

Me @ the Shanghai Rolex Masters

For some reason today, I felt inspired once again to write a blog of things that interests me.  For the past few years, I've been busy with school, work, and last but definitely not the least travel. I love traveling and if I can find a job that will enable me to travel, I'll take it in a heartbeat.

Chichen Itza in Mexico

I really wanted to blog about all my travel adventures but I guess it's currently piled up but don't worry. I'll be writing for every single one of it. I'm pretty sure that once I look at the album of that travel, I'll be able to compose a blog about it.  As of the moment, I'm thinking of making a blog about Airlines and the countries I've been to. I'm pretty sure it will be interesting since airline can be a factor in traveling. I'll be sharing my favorite low cost and full service airline as well as its destination and so on.

You know where this is

So far I've traveled to several countries in the world. I'm confident that the number of travel I had are above average. I just want to be an inspiration to everyone that traveling need not to be expensive. You can travel cheap and still do everything you need to do. So far I've utilized AirBnB, Couchsurfing, and other travel website to help me for my travel.

Willis Tower Chicago,IL

Anyway, here are the list of countries I've been to:

• China
• Hong Kong
• Macau
• Beijing
• Shanghai
• United States of America
• California
• San Francisco
• Los Angeles
• Texas
• Houston
• Austin
• San Antonio
• Dallas
• College Station
• Louisiana
• Kinder
• Vinton
• New Orleans
• Baton Rouge
• Arkansas
• Little Rock
• Tennessee
• Memphis
• Missouri
• St. Louis
• Illinois
• Chicago
• Northfield
• East St. Louis
• Ohio
• Cleveland
• Toledo
• Pennsylvania
• State College
• Philadelphia
• New Jersey
• Newark
• New York
• New York City
• Baltimore
• Maryland
• District of Columbia
• Washington
• Delaware
• Newark (University of Delaware)
• Other US States
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Seoul
• Vietnam
• Ho Chi Minh
• Malaysia
• Johor Bahru
• Kuala Lumpur
• Thailand
• Bangkok
• Indonesia
• Batam
• Taiwan
• Taipei
• Australia
• New South Wales
• Sydney
• Byron Bay
• Australian Capital Territory
• Canberra
• Victoria
• Melbourne
• Queensland
• Brisbane
• Gold Coast
• Cambodia
• Phnom Penh
• Mexico
• Quintana Roo
• Cancun
• Playa Del Carmen
• Tulum
• Yucatan
• Valladolid
• Chichen Itza
• Mexico City DF
• Mexico City
• Russia
• Domodedovo (Moscow)
• Colombia
• Bogota DC

As for the airlines used please see below:

• Full Service
• Cathay Pacific
• Philippine Airlines
• United Airlines
• Air China
• Qantas 
• Singapore Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Low-Cost Airlines
• Cebu Pacific Air
• Scoot
• AirAsia Thailand
• TigerAir Australia
• StarFlyer
• Viva Aerobus
• Interjet
• Airlines where I keep a mileage bank
• KrisFlyer (SQ) for StarAlliance
• JAL Mileage Bank for OneWorld
• Cebu Pacific
• BIG Loyalty (AirAsia)

My life in the United States

Life in the United States is way different from the Philippines and Singapore. It's a new perspective of life for me.  The world is indeed full of wonders. Diversity and uniqueness is very evident in every country and state I've visited.  Every single day I become more and more open minded.

What's the difference between life in Asia and America? I still think it's better at the same time harder to be here. Home is so far away unlike Singapore wherein you can just ride a 3hrs flight to go back. In the US, you need at least 11hrs if you're lucky enough to have a direct flight and almost 24hrs for connecting flight.

Just like Singapore, I gained a lot of weight in the US. I really think the the amount of servings normal americans consume is too much for a Filipino like me. A fastfood meal in the US is double or triple the calories of a fast food meals in the Philippines.  Cost of living may be expensive but I'm telling you, If you're earning here, it will be ok.

For the past few months, I've been to almost 20 states and numerous cities around the central and east United States. So far, I've made several valuable connections and friendship that I think will last forever.  Take note that all of these are unplanned. I have no plans of staying here. It just happened.  Now, as I prepare to come back to the Philippines, I'm getting ready for my next adventure. Hopefully, more learnings for me.

CHI-TOWN! The Bulls!

Millennium Park Bean 

Chicago is another city in the United States wherein I spent a significant amount of time. It's located in Central Time Zone of the US (Northern Part). Being in the North, it is expected that Chicago is a very cold city. When I say very cold, it's really very cold. We should thank the Chicago Wind for contributing so much to the freezing feel of Chicago. Just to give you an idea of how cold Chicago is during Winter, try going inside a freezer and feel it. It's cold right? but Chicago is colder than that. I went there towards the end of Winter but morning temperature can drop to -20 degrees Celsius. Those were the times I wouldn't bother going out since my multiple layer clothing still can't cope up with the cold. There were times wherein I'm already wearing 2 gloves and yet my hands are still freezing nearing frostbite.  Anyway enough of the freezing introduction of Chicago. Let's start with my blog.

Welcome to CHITOWN!

Chicago was actually my 1st stop during my 2 weeks travel adventure over the United States. However, I decided to do New York first then Chicago. During my 1st night in Chicago, I just went to my friends house to drop one of my luggage and eat dinner then I immediately went back to the Union Station for my trip to New York.

Downtown ChiTown

Fast forward to my legit 1st day in Chicago. It was 8am and I'm fresh from a long trip from New York. The moment I stepped out of the Union Station, the freezing wind of Chicago welcomed me. It was so cold that all I wanted was to get inside the bus going to my friend's house. I arrived my friend's house around 9am and I decided to rest first until about 12nn before going out again.

OMW to Lake Michigan

Our first agenda was Lake Michigan and Lincoln Park because it's just a short walking distance from my friend's house.  Streets and pathways are still filled with snow because it's winter and it just snowed days before I arrived in Chicago. Anyway, we just strolled around and took pictures before going downtown to eat.

So what's for lunch? Of course, it's non other than the famous Chicago Deep Dish Pizza.  It's actually my favorite kind of pizza so I'm extremely excited to try the Deep Dish Pizza in Chicago. It's always best to try it where it originated right? or at least where it's named after haha. It was the best pizza I had for years. I'm willing to go back to Chicago and brave the freezing wind just to get a taste of this Pizza. We're very lucky because it's not very crowded and they offer lunch special (Solo Pizza, 1 Sides and Drink).

The Bean

Our next stop is of course the famous landmark of Chicago, "The Bean". It was a weekday so it's not that crowded. I suggest visiting during weekdays because weekends tend to be crowded.  Anyway, there are many good stuff/exhibits around the area. It makes Chicago a unique city.

After strolling around the Millennium Park, we decided to stroll around the Magnificent Mile. It's a looooonnngggg street filled with malls and stores. You can see Michael Jordan's steak resto, Underarmour, F21, Uniqlo, and other good stores. It's similar to Orchard Road in Singapore but the architecture is IMO better.  Trump tower is also along the road.

After strolling in Magnificent Mile, we decided to go back home and do some shopping in Walmart. We had a good chat over the night before we call it a day.

The famous transparent floor.

My 2nd full day in Chicago was spent all by myself. My 1st agenda was of course the Chicago SkyDeck. It's actually the usual skyscraper wherein you need to pay just to go up the top floor. However, what makes this Skydeck unique is the transparent edge seen above. It's really scary because when you look down you will really see what's below you. I myself had a hard time sitting down. It is not recommended for people with heights phobia.

After my trip to Skydeck, I decided to eat lunch at Panda Express because I'm very hungry and I'm very lazy to look for a good restaurant.  I immediately went to Buckingham Fountain afterwards and stroll at the lakeside.  The view was phenomenal however, I didn't like the fact that it's full of dog poop all over the place.  Beware of dog poop underneath the beautiful white snow LOL. The Buckingham Fountain was not operational because it's obviously freezing.


I tried going back to the bean but it's obviously crowded compared to the last time I've been there. People are everywhere. So I decided to just go back to Magnificent Mile to check out some stores and rest in Marriott hehe. After that, I decided to go home to rest and prepare for my next destination.

Next stop was the Snow Storm Music Festival in Navy Pier. It's a music festival wherein there will be several DJs playing while everyone is dancing their asses off. It was a fun party to cap off the night. ;)

My 1st agenda for my 3rd Day was to meet my best friend's sister. She took me out for lunch in Evanston, IL.  My best friend was unfortunately now based in San Diego, CA so I wasn't able to meet her. Hopefully, when I go to SoCal I'll be able to spend a day with her.  Anyway after my Lunch, I met up with my college friend Kathlene who took me around Chicago and some of the suburbs.

We went around Navy Pier, Glenview, and of course United Center. She brought me to her workplace and I was able to see Kraft Food's Headquarters.  She explained to me how's life in Chicago and what makes it better than other city or the Philippines. I had a great time. More talking than taking pictures haha.

I'm leaving Chicago at 10am so I don't have much time anymore to go around. I decided to just buy Garretts Popcorn before heading to the Union Station for my departure in Chicago en route to St. Louis, MO.

My Top 5 US Cities so far.

As you all know, I've been to more than 20 states here in the United States during my visit. Most of it are in Central and East Coast. I'm gonna rank my Top 5 Cities. I'm still going to California and Nevada so the Ranking will definitely change.

Cities out of the Top 5 are
-Houston, TX
-Kinder, LA
-Lake Charles, LA
-St. Louis, MO
-Memphis, TN
-Howe, IN
-Cleveland, OH
-Philadelphia, PA
-State College, PA
-Newark, DE
-Newark, NJ
-Baltimore, MD
-Little Rock, AR
-Dallas, TX
-Texarkana, TX/AR


5. New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans

New Orleans is a very interesting place. It has good food, tourist spots, and culture.  I loved every single thing about the place. I loved bourbon street. I love the historical value of New Orleans. It's a food heaven. I bet New Orleans cuisine is  present everywhere. Talk about the Gumbo, Cajun, Jambalaya, and so on.

4.) Chicago, Illinois

Chicago Skyline

Even though Chicago is one of the best place I've been to, I decided to make it ranked #4. Primarily because of the killer weather of Chicago. I'm not kidding when I say it's cold it's really cold. The wind in Chicago is definitely not helping. Talk about wearing two gloves and it's not yet enough.  The times when I had to wait for the bus to arrive were the times I wish I could teleport to the Philippines just to experience the heat.  Anyway, Chicago has a lot of great tourist spots. It also has Six Flags but it won't be open till May.

3.) San Antonio, Texas/ Austin, Texas

I'm sure not a lot of people will agree but I really love San Antonio maybe because it's near my home base in the US. How I wish I can visit San Antonio every now and then. I strongly believe that San Antonio is the best Texan city followed by Austin then Houston. San Antonio is really good that if I'll be given a chance to choose what city in Texas I want to live in, it will be San Antonio. It's the most tourist friendly city in the Texas triangle (Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston). Public transportation was cheap and convenient too. Special buses have superfast wifi in it.

I also placed Austin as my 3rd favorite because of the uniqueness of Austin. I think young people will really enjoy Austin. There are a lot of things going on. You can go to the Capitol for some history. The artistic side of Austin is everywhere.  Food trucks are everywhere.

2.) Washington, District of Columbia

I always have low expectation when it comes to Capital Cities. Canberra, Australia made me feel that way. However, Washington DC was surprisingly good.  I only stayed there for a day but I felt like I stayed there for a week. Everything was good to see. Everyone looks professional too. There are also a lot of foreigners here because almost all embassies are here. The national mall was majestic. Lincoln Memorial was awesome and scary at the same time. The white house was small. I pictured it as a huge mansion. The Union Station was fantastic. I loved everything about Washington DC.

1. New York City, New York

NYPL

Despite being a very popular city, I was never a fan of New York. It's actually not included in my bucket list.  I hate expensive and crowded city. However, when I found an opportunity to visit New York I didn't think twice and I'm glad I went to New York. It officially become my favorite US City. I don't know why but it felt different from Tokyo. I expected it to be like Tokyo which I hate. I think I'm a bit biased to cities that host Grandslam tournament. I've always wanted to live in a city that hosts Grandslam tournaments.  Anyway, New York has everything I need in my life. Good atmosphere, sports, food, theme parks, park, and so on. Everything I want in life is in New York. I guess I need to start planing my way back to New York.!