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Taiwan Blog Episode 3: From Manila to Taipei Airport

Wednesday, August 13, 2025


The day of my flight to Taiwan was rainy. There was a typhoon or an incoming storm, so the weather wasn't good. It wasn't the best weather for any kind of trip. 

Going to NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport), I am thankful to have a point-to-point bus transport from my town to Terminal 3. The bus fare cost was 300 Philippine pesos. It took me more or less two (2) hours to reach the airport from my hometown. It was a long ride, always, and the bus air conditioning was too much for me in the rainy season. It was a good thing I had jacket jeans, and I felt so cool wearing them.
What is UBE Express?

UBE Express, Inc. is a human logistics service provider committed in providing a safe, convenient, reliable and modern bus service in adherence to applicable legal and regulatory requirements set by the Philippine government. We offer point-to-point service with the goal of giving our patrons an ultimate bus experience. In addition, we also provide tarmac shuttle service for various airlines in transporting passengers within the airport facility.

It was still raining hard when I finally arrived at the airport. There seemed to be a lot of people, especially inside the airport. I printed my boarding pass from the AirAsia kiosk, which was really convenient for me, and I got to keep it for pasting it on my journal notebook. After that, I went straight to the security check-up and I passed. But unfortunately, some of my journaling materials, like glue and small scissors, got confiscated, which made me a little sad. I was still glad I passed the inspection. Thank you, ma'am and sirs at NAIA, for keeping us safe!

Before getting something to eat, I went straight to my boarding gate to make sure it really did exist. It was not a long walk, but not short either. It was walkable, and I got to do some sightseeing inside the airport. There were a lot of stranded passengers due to bad weather, and I could tell they were not happy about the situation. But it is better to be safe than sorry, right? Right.

I walked back to the Fruitas stand I saw when I was sightseeing. I had a mango and watermelon smoothie, and it was good, but it had a lot of ice. The ladies at Fruitas were so kind to give me some of their fries from Potato Corner. I was embarrassed, but they were persistent, so I accepted the free fries.
Special shout to the ladies at the Fruitas stand at Terminal 3! God bless you more!
I had my dinner snacks on a chair near my boarding gate, and I arrived so early at the airport that I had a lot of waiting time, probably around two (2) hours. I patiently waited and tried to get busy. I tried to get some sleep and massaged my face with a guasha. I was thinking of reading, but my book was inside my suitcase, so next time I'm gonna put it inside my carry-on bag.



When it was boarding time, I discovered that I had to pay the Philippine travel tax. I had no idea about it. One of the flight attendants helped me; she instructed me to do it online. I think I paid 1600 plus Philippine pesos. 

My flight from Manila to Taiwan was scheduled at 11PM, and it got delayed too for twenty (20) minutes due to bad weather, which was not an ideal time for me, but the cheapest. I regret booking that flight schedule. Next time, I have to make sure the flight won't inconvenience or take a toll on my health.
My Expenses for Day 0:

Plane Ticket Price (RT)             P6,077.50 ($110.50)
Bus Fare                                    P   300.00
Fruitas Smoothie                       P   200.00
Travel tax                                  P1,600.00
Total is P8,177.50
It was also boarding time when I started crying for no reason. I want to say for no reason, but I was aware of the real reason. Boarding the plane reminded me of the time I was leaving Austin, Texas, at Austin–Bergstrom International Airport. It was so heartbreaking watching my boyfriend see me leave. It was a sad day. 


Taiwan Blog Episode 4: A Wild First Day in Taipei

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Life Lessons from The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

This is the second book I read from Mitch Albom and I try to write a blog post about it makes me wander about the first book I read from him which is Tuesday's with Morrie. I went to the search tab and search for the title, but it didn't give me any. I tried the author name and it didn't also. I am surprised and I didn't have a blog entry for Tuesday's with Morrie. I was so confident that I had a blog entry for it. Oh well, I guess I have to read it again or I just have to remember what the book is about.

What's the book about?

Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind, an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him as he tries to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a destination. It's a place where your life is explained to you by five people, some of whom you knew, others who may have been strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie's five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless" life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: "Why was I here?"

"It is a fiction, slightly non-fiction, and a little bit of self-help." And that's how would I describe the book,  the five people you meet in heaven. It was easy and short to read. The length of the book is just enough for the story, no fillers, just the essential. My heart swelled in all the heartwarming parts of the book. I must confess I cried to most of the part of the book. I loveSo how picturesque the used words are, they tickled my imagination. 

I took notes of the lessons I learned from the story of Eddie and how he came to know why everything happened in his life and learned their purpose. The realization he had about the things that happened in his life was comforting to a reader like me whose trying to find reasons and purpose why bad things happened even though a person isn't bad at all. 

Lesson 1: We are all connected and affect one another by our actions and decisions in life. 

Lesson 2: We all make sacrifices in life and it is for a reason, definitely not a vain reason, but a purposeful purpose and reason.

Lesson 3: We forgive. Hate is a double edge sword. We hurt as much as we hate. So, we must forgive instead. Forgiveness is much powerful, than hate.

Lesson 4: We move on. We don't get stuck in one place. We fail, we move on. We got hurt, we move on. We win, we move on. We move on with life, and we're always making progress little by little, step by step. 

Lesson 5: We have purpose and we will serve it well by the end of our life. One way or another, our purpose will be served whether we are aware of it or unaware. We got purpose in life no matter how painful life has been.




I must say that this book is on my top good read books. I reall enjoyed and learned a lot at the same. A must read you have to try too, if you haven't.

Let's read more books! Tara!

Love,

Ang Pinay Manlalakbay
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Taiwan Blog Episode 2: Pack with Me on a Hot and Humid Day

Saturday, July 12, 2025


I started packing for my Taiwan Trip with all my toiletries, first aid kit, shoes, and clothes. My suitcase was pretty much packed and ready, except for some of the last-minute additions. It was really, really hot when I was packing the suitcase. Sweaty and hot, I survived the heat and was able to write this blog entry. 

Here is the list of things I put in my luggage.

Toiletries:
shampoo
conditioner
feminine wash
sunscreen
lotion
perfume/cologne
body wash
toner
cotton balls
cotton buds
facial routine kit

First aid kit:
band aids
burn cream
antibiotic ointment
Tylenol 
Eye moisturizer 

Shoes:
Tennis shoes
leather shoes

Clothes:
dresses
underwears
leggings
shorts
socks
sleepwear

That's quite a list, but I always try to be prepared and ready for any trip. It is better to be ready than sorry. I know this is not a comprehensive list, but you can modify, add, or remove some things that you might need or not need. It all depends on your comfort, tolerance, and what you need. 


Join me as I travel the world. Tara!


Taiwan Blog Episode 3: From Manila to Taipei Airport


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Taiwan Blog Episode 1: Flights, Hotel, and Tour

Sunday, July 6, 2025


Taiwan is one of my dream destinations. My desire to go to this country is rooted in the Taiwanese drama I used to watch with my cousin when I was a teenager, and somewhere around my high school era. This trip will gratify my lifelong dream of going to the country of Dao Ming Si and San Chai, the two leads in the Taiwanese drama. 

When I had an 11-hour layover during my trip from the US to the Philippines, I was able to step on the ground of Taiwan, but I did not attempt to get out of the airport despite the long hours of staying there. I just thought to myself that I would return there as a tourist, not as a passerby. And I did. 

Travelling the world is also one of my many dreams in life. I guess dreams keep us going, too, in life, like hope. This is my first time doing solo travelling. I am a bit nervous, which is normal, I think. I tried to prepare properly for this trip. 

The Trip.com app has been my go-to online software for my travel ever since I booked that ticket with my friends for a Cebu trip, which was seven years ago.

Use my code: 5DG4H9

Every time I travel, my goal is to find the cheapest but safest flight, hotel, and tour. I am always travelling on a budget. 

This time for the booking I used US dollar currency, since it felt more affordable and not painful on my pocket when I look at it. Well, yes, it is more of a psychological thing, and hopefully, it is helping rather than damaging me.

Flights. For the plane tickets, I spent $110.50. It is a round-trip ticket already for 4 4-day and 3-night trips, or more like three (3) days and three (3) nights because of the flight schedule.

Hotel. For the accommodation, I tried booking in a hostel. I booked for 2 nights, since I would be spending the 1st night at the airport. I spent $24.10 for the hostel. I made sure that the hostel is a walking distance of the training station.

Tour. I decided to avail a package tour since I would be travelling in an unfamiliar land. I thought it would be safer and cheaper because the tour includes the transportation. As it was advertised, the tour is composed of 7 tourist attractions to visit. It is a one-day tour. I paid $49.75 for the packaged tour.

In total, for the plane tickets, accommodation, and guided tour, I spent $184.35, which roughly converted to 10,139.25 Philippine pesos.

I am excited and nervous at the same time for this trip, but I am definitely looking forward to it. 

Join me as I travel the world. Tara!


Taiwan Blog Episode 2: Pack with Me on a Hot and Humid Day

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Once Summer Days Once Summer Days (Fangirling Series, Book 3)
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