Entertainment: The Logan Effect (aka the Post-Hero), and where it can be found in other similar works of fiction

There's been a certain trend in entertainment lately, wherein instead of starry-eyed, young, energetic heroes are found under the spotlight, rugged, bearded, tired old men have been the protagonists of stories. Wisecrack's video perfectly sums this up in what they have dubbed the Post-Hero, but they did this by only mentioning Logan, God of War, and The Last Jedi; I can name several more protagonists and shows that fit the archetype and aesthetics as they're more prevalent than it seems.

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I've personally dubbed this trend The Logan Effect even if Logan wasn't the first work of fiction to exhibit it. The reason behind this is because Logan might just arguably be the most well-known piece of media if I were to make a complete list. The Logan Effect is categorized most predominantly by an aged, bearded protagonist, well beyond his prime in terms of fighting. He is someone with nothing left to lose. He will often be accompanied by a sidekick that is youthful, and act as an idealistic foil to the  rugged protagonist's cynical outlook. The protagonist of the story and the sidekick will not get along at first, -- there may be some serious fighting between them during the story -- but in time they warm up to each other to make for some endearing character development moments. Also much like how Logan increases the amount of gore compared to its predecessors, those that exhibit the Effect will be bloody. Very very bloody.

Hopefully that description isn't too vague for the readers. Below are some items in fiction that portray the Logan Effect (i.e. they're basically a bunch of stuff with violent old men as protagonists).

1. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008)

Admittedly, this one is slightly stretching it, since the only thing this video game has that can be called Logan Effect-ish is the protagonist. However I do actually think that this is the very first instance of the Logan Effect, way back in 2008. I also believe that this was the very first instance of an action video game protagonist over the age of 50 (Snake isn't actually above the age of 50, but his rapidly deteriorating physiology definitely seems like it).

Metal Gear Solid's 4th entry into the series introduced us to Old Snake. A war veteran way past his prime due to being a war machine born from a test tube. Snake is thrust into the battlefield once more to finish a long war to prevent the proliferation of giant war machines capable of launching nukes. Old Snake was the same protagonist for two of the previous main installments into the series. He still exuded a tough professional sort of personality in the other games, but it was in Metal Gear Solid 4 that we got to see him tired of fighting, and of humanity's insatiable greed that relentlessly innovates and lubricates the gears of war. Old Snake's combat skills have gotten rusty due to aging; he isn't as spry as he used to be.

2. The Last of Us (2013)

This video game has a very strong resemblance to Logan, and I daresay Logan actually took some inspirations from this video game (Even the director of the video game tweeted how much Logan reminded him of TLoU's protagonist, Joel). The Last of Us would probably win against all the other items on this list if we were to pit them against each other based on which one exudes the most Logan Effect.

The Last of Us brings us to a dystopian world brought to ruin by a horrifying fungal infection that turns people into faceless flesh-eating zombies. We play as Joel, an old man who was there when society succumbed to the disease. For most of the duration of the game, he's accompanied by Ellie, a sincere spunky girl. Very much like Logan, Joel and Ellie travel together across the dangerous country because Joel has been tasked to deliver Ellie to the destination safe and sound.

3. Bioshock Infinite (2013)

Bioshock Infinite is another 2013 video game that exudes some Logan Effect, more or less. It's a bit more steampunk and sci-fi than the average story with the Logan Effect, but it checks out because of the reluctant hero and endearing character development between hero and sidekick. The one major crime that nearly disqualifies it from this list is the fact that the protagonist doesn't don a beard.

We play as Booker DeWitt, a former Pinkerton agent turned private investigator. He's tasked with taking a woman, Elizabeth, from where she's kept, to Booker's employers so that they can wipe away his debt. The whole task becomes a lot more complicated when Booker finds out that Elizabeth is held captive in a floating city, and she turns out to be far more special and extraordinary than Booker could imagine.

4. Samurai Jack (2017)

Samurai Jack's fifth and final season makes it on this list thanks to its brutal fight scenes that reflect how much the show has matured with its audience, much like how Logan did. Jack's mighty new beard also definitely helps to have it on the list. Although the show's promotional material only show Jack as the protagonist, he's also accompanied by a sidekick after the first half of the season that gives him a new perspective on things.

The show made a big splash on the internet when news of an M-rated fifth and final season of the classic cartoon was going to be aired on 2017. Much time has passed since the happenings of the previous seasons of Samurai Jack, wherein we saw the noble samurai, flung into the future by the evil entity Aku, travel wide and far to find some way to travel back in time. His search has proven fruitless, and Jack has begun wandering the world as a mere husk of his former self while being relentlessly hunted by Aku's fiercest warriors.

5. Red Dead Redemption (2010)

Red Dead Redemption perfectly encapsulates the Post-Western genre, which is where the Post-Hero borrows heavily from as mentioned by Wisecrack in their video. As such, even though the protagonist of our story here doesn't have a sidekick, its story, themes, and aesthetic all make it ooze with so much Logan Effect.

The star of our story is John Marston, an ex-outlaw who quit his life of crime to live his remaining days as a family-man as far away from violence as possible. John's past bites him in the back when government agents force him to work for them to track down the remaining members of his gang, otherwise he won't see his family again. John Marston reluctantly goes back to the path of violence one last time to safe his family and the life he's worked so hard to build.


And there you have it. That's a short list of items I've seen that reminded me of the Post-Hero, and subsequently, Logan. I'm sure if I thought about it more I'd add some other stuff to the list, but I'm afraid I'd be stretching it already. All of the titles I mentioned above work well with a Logan Style Trailer which is a trend in video editing lately. A beautiful perfect example is the video below.



Do you have any other titles that you believe captures the same essence of Logan, or the Post-Hero? Leave a comment below and let's talk about it :)

Travel: My stay at a Psyche Ward aka Mental Hospital

Alright so maybe what I'm about to post can't really be considered "Travel" per se, but if you ever find yourself confined in a Psyche Ward then this blog post might be able to shed some light on what exactly it is you're getting into. I just want to make it clear I didn't travel into a Psyche Ward for fun or for study; I don't have that luxury nor privilege. I went in there to get some help as a patient.

Beforehand when I just learned about my need to stay at the ward, I already knew that I was going to write this blog post eventually, but now that I've experienced one week and two days in the Psyche Ward, I'm more than compelled to write about it. I have a couple of drafts about experiences of mine that are currently WIP. They predate my stay at the ward, but I have very strong feelings to share what I went through in the Psyche Ward. So my posts may not be in chronological order after this.

It's a true tragedy I don't have any pictures of the Psyche Ward. They confiscate your phone and other gadgets when you enter the place of healing.

Long story short I was in a bad place about a month and a half ago. My psychiatrist that I've been seeing for three years saw that I've finally reached a new low. She strongly suggested I take some time off at the Medical City Psychiatric Ward to adjust to new meds and avoid hurting myself. It took some serious persuasion from her side but she was able to convince me to take time off as she instructed.

It was during her persuasion when she gave me a picture of what I was getting into:

• As I stated above, phones and gadgets will be confiscated when you enter the ward. 
• The place is in the lower ground floor, so nobody can jump out a building and commit suicide.
• There are no sharp objects in the ward so self-harm can be avoided.
• The rooms are padded, so people that want to bang their heads against the walls (like me) can't have that luxury.
• I get to spend my time at the ward meeting other people who are just like me -- That sounds fun.
• There are Zumba classes to get the blood pumping.
• It isn't as bad as it sounds apparently. Think of it like a Dorm or PBB, she said.

Finally, my psychiatrist told me that I needed to stay there for at least a month. Two weeks if I behave properly. After all has been said, I thought the only thing missing from the mental image she painted into my head was a straitjacket. Was my mental state so badly deteriorated that I really do belong in such a place? I trusted my doctor so in the end I agreed to being confined in the Psyche Ward.

Now that I've been in and out, can I say for sure that it wasn't as bad as it sounded? Yes and no. Below are some of the things that happened in the Psyche Ward that I'd love to share with you.

"Naalala mo ba? Yung mga bading na intsik, 't*ng ina sila. Gugulpihin ko sila. (Do you remember? Those gay Chinese, f*ck them. I'll beat them to a pulp.)" –Delirious man with his arm tied to his bedpost, talking to a wall.

That's literally the first thing I saw and heard the night I was wheeled into the male bedroom of the Psyche Ward. It was at this very moment I knew that I'm really in a place for crazy people. The crazy man kept making noises throughout the whole night so I had to make some huge adjustments to be able to sleep.

There's a fight almost every day.

There was never a dull day when I stayed at the Psych Ward. The crazy people often fight with each other, sometimes they just fight with themselves and cause some self harm. One of the most epic fights I've seen was when the crazy man (the same man tied to a bed post at night -- let's call him "Nicko") lifted a chair up to provoke his watcher. Three nurses tackled him to the ground and grappled him away back to his room to be confined in an actual straitjacket. One time one of the patients caused a scene by banging on a door with his arm so hard that he dislocated his shoulder! He's cool though because I was able to befriend him and he was just scared when he did that.

You'll be served hospital food that... isn't great.

They serve five meals a day in the Psyche Ward: Breakfast, AM Snack, Lunch, PM Snack, and Dinner. The food isn't something to crave for unless you're really hungry. They serve enough food to reach the 2000 calorie average. The meal served for you will consist of rice, some meat, always some sayote on the side, some mildly sweet jelly as "dessert", and some of what we liked to call "water soup" which is basically water served at room temperature seasoned with salt and garlic.

You are expected to eat with two spoons.

This follows the rule mentioned by my psychiatrist that there are no sharp objects allowed in the ward. Heaven knows that a psychotic person can use a fork or a knife to cut themselves or use it as a weapon. I sure as hell didn't think I was criminally insane enough to do that though. While the reason is understandable, two spoons made eating a chore, especially when the hospital food served is pasta.

Showers don't have knobs. They have buttons and you'll never know when the water stops pouring.

I honestly have no idea why the showers are designed this way. There are two buttons you can press: Hot and Cold. It's pretty self-explanatory.

The bathrooms have no locks.

Both the toilet and the shower don't have locks. This is so the really crazy people can't lock themselves in the restrooms. Still, it's because of this that I've had more than my fair share of awkward apologies while I'm still using the bathroom.

There are board games and activities to keep people sane (as they can possibly be).

There are plenty of board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, Chess, and there's also UNO to keep people well occupied for the first week of their stay. Your proficiency in card skills and board games will be one of your takeaways once you get out of the ward. Aside from the Zumba classes, there are also arts & crafts, newspaper readings, cooking & baking, that are fun to participate in. It's also important to participate in the activities to show that you can be a well-behaved person they can thrust back into society.

You'll explain your life story over and over again.

This is part of the hospital protocol. This is to ensure that the residing doc knows you well enough, and this is to ensure that your story doesn't contradict itself when you tell it again. It's also because Medical City is a training ground for young upcoming doctors. They'll interview you as if they were your residing doctor so just tell your story. It's good storytelling practice.

You'll meet and make new wonderful friends.

I think this is the most important takeaway of them all. You'll meet people who are more or less your age. You'll all come from different walks of life. You'll all have different mental illnesses and you'll see how the mental illnesses affect these people. You all might have come from different circumstances but the Psyche Ward will connect you. Your connection with each other will make your stay at the ward less boring. You will learn so much about each other, like your love lives and family background. You all may not get along all the time, but because the Psyche Ward is a small place you guys will be friends again soon. You'll form a kind of friendship that you wish would stay intact long after you all have left the Psyche Ward. You will be amazed at how much of an unforgettable impact they will have in your life.

With all of that said, I think it's pretty clear that I don't think the Psyche Ward is a perfect place. But I have absolutely no regrets staying there at all. Thanks for reading :)

Travel: Stereotyping the 4 Classes of Filipinos and what Malls they frequent

I was inspired to create this blog post after hearing about this reddit thread from my sister. If you haven't seen it yet, you should go check it out. I was both aghast and entertained by the audacity of the posts. It's a... peculiar way to look at the society in the Philippines. The first one is still my favorite and it's what motivated me to do some research.

During my research on the different classes of people in the Philippines, I found this very interesting e-zine post that does the job expressing what I wanted to do by writing my own blog post. It's entertaining and on point but the more I read it the more I notice how outdated it is. The author wrote about CD players, cheesy slang, and cable TVs, all of which have been rendered obsolete by the year 2010. Where's the mention of Netflix, first world problems in a third world country, and social media?

The articles listed a bunch of Jologs words. Who talks like this in this day and age?

This will not stand. We are long overdue for a post that mocks the widening gap between the classes in an era powered by smartphones and memes. I would happily create this blog post solely for the sake of fun.

Warning:
Sincere apologies for those who are easily offended. I'm sure what I write down is going to sound judgmental to some people, but keep in mind this is just a joke based on my observances and I don't actually mean any of it seriously. Take the list below with a grain of salt, but at the same time, take heed of it because Stereotypes are based on some level of truth.

I've included the malls the different classes frequent so you can see what they look for yourself.

1. Class A (Upper Class)

The 1%. These are the kind of people that most definitely studied in Ateneo or De La Salle University. They're most likely born rich. These include the most powerful family names like Villar, Sy, Ayala, Tan, and then some other clans in the Philippines that own family businesses. Although Class A enjoys the benefits of having so much money, some of them live tumultuous lives prone to scandals that the public eye loves to see.

We're talking about billionaires who have money to last a dozen lifetimes. They live in gigantic mansions, and they probably own a pet albino tiger. I've met a Filipino billionaire at his own home before and I'm not exaggerating when I say their wealth seems immeasurable.

Class A people are too rich to casually talk about investing in stocks; they're more interested in Real Estate. Most of their focus goes into running the empire that they own.

Gamers in this class play with state-of-the-art toys, e.g. VR Headsets like the Oculus Rift, and the hottest new video game consoles like the Xbox One, PS4, and high-end PCs. They play pricey AAA games (For non-gamers, "Triple A Games" are the kind of games made by big corporations with millions of dollars in budget) like God of War, Grand Theft Auto V, and Overwatch.

They normally have Chinese or Western features, i.e. their skin complexion is on the light side, and either their eyes are squinted or their nose is pointed. Rich people in the Philippines tend to talk in hushed tones, instead of being really loud in public places. They wear clean and simple clothing that tells little about their actual net worth.

The youth of Class A loves to party. They prefer nightclubs and hotel bars. They aren't afraid to do a bit of dirty dancing.

A couple of pictures of Okada. This was the last mall I visited that I took some pics of so here you go.

Malls they frequent: Casinos like Okada, City of Dreams, and Solaire. Greenbelt. Shangri-La.

2. Class B (Upper-Middle Class)

Class B people aren't very different from Class A people in terms of clothing or mannerisms. Both classes are comprised of people who have a sense of subtle, elegant fashion, and they talk in Conyo. Their sentences tend to lean more on English than Filipino, and their English grammar is always impeccable. Even though they're Filipinos, they will struggle with Filipino words e.g. if you ask them what day it is, they'll tell you it's Friday, instead of Biyernes.

Although Class A people are born rich, Class B people are the kind of people who rose up from the lower class. These are the people who worked rigorously up from Class C through financial discipline and responsible work ethic. Thanks to their hard work, they live comfortable lives with just enough money to not worry too much about financial stress, and they aren't interesting enough to the public to be swarmed by the media.

Kids under this class are capable of entering expensive schools like Ateneo and La Salle, but out of interest of saving money, not every parent in Class B will find it necessary.

Class B people will invest in stocks and real estate, because they have the funds and they normally think in the long-term.

This class is up to date and savvy enough to download Netflix and Spotify on their phones. They are willing to actually pay for their entertainment as opposed to the more cost-efficient lower class.

Millennials in both Class A and Class B experience First World Problems in a Third World Country. They are troubled when the cafe they chose to spend the afternoon in doesn't have Wi-Fi. They also have problems with taking a bath when the water hasn't been heated.

When it comes to gaming, both Class A and Class B people have the privilege of owning the latest video game consoles. They also play pricey AAA games. In the end, Class B people tend to play more games than Class A people because the 1% has other things to do than play video games.

Malls they frequent: Robinsons Galleria, Megamall's Mega-Fashion Hall, Podium

3. Class C (Lower-Middle Class)

Most Filipinos fall into this class. A large portion of these people are living paycheck-to-paycheck thanks to the rent and bills they have to pay. They're also probably under an ever-growing mountain of debt, or they have kids, which are either way insanely expensive in the long-run. The numerous, giant billboards advertising products with cheeky puns and local celebrities are targeted at these kind of people.

Their skin complexion tends to cover every shade of brown. They generally aren't as tall as the classes above them, but it's no surprise if someone from this class manages to be of the same height as class A or class B people.

The Class C speak in Taglish, which differs from Conyo because it leans more on Tagalog than English. People in this class and below also count in Spanish. Moreover, when these people talk, they have a distinct palangkera or palangkero voice, which is fairly loud and diverse with intonations.

Class C people wish they could put some money in stocks, but they never actually get around to doing it. Some Class C people manage to get an account with an online broker started, but they end up trading -- not investing -- in our volatile markets so they're essentially gambling, and it incurs more losses than gains.

The people in this class love to post their selfies on Instagram and Facebook. Instead of using Spotify and Netflix, they'll pirate their movies and songs.

Gamers in this class typically play mobile games like Mobile Legends, or they play timeless classics like Dota II or PUBG in poorly furnished PC shops. If they do happen to play AAA games, they'll go out of their way to pirate the game and get it for free, instead of paying for an expensive disc.

When it comes to drinking, this class likes to spend their hard-earned money at resto-bars, ordering buckets of beer filled with San Mig and Red Horse. Afterwards they hit the karaoke place and sing to their heart's content.

Malls they frequent: SM Fairview, Fairview Terraces, Lower levels of Megamall

4. Class D (Lower Class/Below Poverty Line)

This is where we can categorize the squatters that live under bridges. Beggars, Jeepney drivers, and shabby fishball stand owners make up the bulk of the occupations of the people under this class.

They speak absolutely no English whatsoever. They have the darkest complexion of all the classes. They probably don't mean any harm (emphasis on probably; petty crimes are rampant in the Philippines), but their mere presence on the streets make the place feel unsafe.

They partner rice with condiments like ketchup and mayo because meat is too expensive.

Unfortunately, people that can be found below the Poverty Line are beyond hope. Although there are fairy tale stories like that of Manny Pacquiao where he rose from rags to riches, those kind of stories are literally one in a million.

Basically you get the point of this class.

Malls they frequent: StarMall or Ever Gotesco. They can't afford to go malling elsewhere, but Pedro Gil in Manila is a good example of a street infested with them.


So there you have it, a lengthy overview of the different classes of the Philippines in the year of our lord 2019. For the lower classes, you should strive to be a part of the class above us :) Are you already Class A at the top? Then congratulations because you literally have it better than most of the people in this country. If you're one of the people from the upper class, then you ought to show some humility for those that aren't as fortunate as you.

What do you think of my list? Let me know if you have any comments or violent reactions :)

Travel: 5 Things to Bring to Make the Long Line for Passport Renewal as Painless as possible

On December 27, 2018, my passport was due for a renewal. A month prior to this day, I went online to schedule an appointment for passport renewal for me and my family at the Department of Foreign Affairs near Mall of Asia. I managed to schedule an appointment for 3:00pm. We arrived at the DFA complex at 2:45pm, but I wasn't able to actually begin the renewal of my passport until halfway past 4:00pm, and then I was finally able to go home at 6:00pm.

Is there anything that we as citizens can do to speed up the process? Probably not, but here are some tips to survive this peculiar bureaucratic process:

The people behind me are in the same line as I am; It just stretches so far, making twists and turns, like a snake.

1. Bring an umbrella, even if you scheduled an online appointment


Scheduling your appointment online doesn't mean you get served at the specified time. Not at all. It just means you'll be able to get into the building. No appointment, No entry. When you get to the DFA, you'll see a long line that stretches from inside the building to outside; it's like lining up for an amusement park ride. Since this is the Philippines, we already expected there'd be a long line.

Rain or shine, bring an umbrella (and maybe some other items like a hanky or a mini-fan) to protect yourself from the outside weather. The sun was shining bright on the day of my passport renewal, and it's a good thing I was prepared to deal with the scorching heat.

2. Bring something to pass the time; you'll be in line for hours

More specifically, you'll be in line for 3 hours. I always carry an ebook with me wherever I go. Fortunately I brought Lord of the Rings, which is a fairly lengthy book. I probably read through about 100 pages of it during our time at the DFA. My sisters brought their Nintendo DSs and video games to kill time.

At the DFA, you'll be sitting, standing, then sitting again. Outside, inside, then outside again.

3. Bring some money; there's a shop you can buy snacks from inside

Someone had the idea to set up a shop within the DFA to capitalize on the long line. So if you're feeling thirsty or hungry you can take advantage of that. It's a typical sari-sari store so they don't serve much apart from bottles of water, soda, and some small bites to eat. There's a restroom right next to it too so you don't have to worry about any accidents happening in the line.

4. Bring a friend, or a family member; someone has to save your spot when you leave the line

When you actually do go to the shop to buy something, or if you have to go to the restroom, you will also have to inform someone to save your spot in the line. The last thing you'd want to do is to have to go all the way back just because you used the toilet.

They'll punch a hole in your passport to invalidate it.

5. Bring a pen and a piece of paper; if you get bored of waiting you can write a complaint

When you finally get to the counter to get served for your passport renewal, they'll punch a hole in your old passport to invalidate it. What this means for you in your long and arduous journey around the DFA complex is that you're 50% done with the process. Then they'll send you up to the 2nd floor so you can wait in line some more to get your picture taken. During your time up there, you'll see a complaint box. You'll be waiting in line for a while so you have plenty of time to think of all the ways the DFA could be serving its customers better.

Writing a complaint was exactly what we did. We made it as constructive as possible.

And I suppose that's all there is to bring to make the process much less infuriating. After you get your picture taken, you'll get a receipt with the date on when you can claim your new passport, then you're free to go home. We came prepared with all of the items I listed above out of sheer luck, and we left the DFA not completely bothered by how long it took.

As a bonus, here are some additional tips that will save you some hassle:

• Bring a photocopy of your passport. Instructions aren't very clear. They say you can bring a photocopy of any government ID but once you get to the counter they'll ask you for a photocopy of your passport and they don't accept any alternatives. There's a photocopy machine in the building.
• When you get to the 2nd floor, you need to get a queuing number. Instructions aren't very clear on this one. You can get it all the way from across the room. We wouldn't have known about this, but thankfully someone who's also in line for passport renewal informed us.

(This blog post didn't cover the documents you have to bring for the passport renewal. Is that what you were looking for? You can find that info and more here.)

Travel: MERALCO Christmas Lights

If you're looking for a nice place to visit in the holidays that's absolutely free then you've come to the right place. The holidays are over but it's still nice to keep in mind this one place for future plans.

The headquarters of MERALCO in Ortigas opens its doors to all visitors during the holiday weeks. The electric giant has been doing this for several years now. There are numerous attractions in the area to bedazzle the whole family, the largest one being the light show that plays over the facade of the main building. This plays every 30 mins starting at 6:00 PM and ends at 11:00 PM, I believe.

Apart from this, there's also this giant sculpture of Joseph, the Virgin Mary, and baby Jesus made out of copper wires. This attraction is always on display every time MERALCO lets visitors in.

There's also a small train that annually chugs along a small railway, but when we visited it this year it was broken so I didn't take any photos of that.

Another attraction that's great to have a selfie with is the Tunnel of Light. I believe this attraction is new.

And there are a plethora of other attractions and light spectacles.

I wasn't able to take any pictures of the food stalls but they also have a small Bancheto-like area in the vicinity so if you want some snacks during your leisurely stroll with your loved ones you can go right ahead and get some.

I wouldn't say MERALCO's headquarters is the best place ever to spend your holidays in, but it's free and nothing beats the low low price of $0. Touring the entire place takes more or less an hour. I recommend making the MERALCO headquarters one of many Christmas light displays to check out in Metro Manila during the holidays when other buildings and offices are also showing off beautiful light shows like the Ayala Triangle.

What other places nearby do you know are also letting in tourists for free during the holidays? Feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments below :) Thanks for reading!

Travel: Osaka Japan, and the areas around it

Back in June 2018, Me and my family took a week off to take a vacation at Osaka, Japan. July isn't the most ideal season to visit Japan, because it's neither snowing, nor are the Cherry Blossoms in full bloom -- It's best to be there from December-February and March-April to see the snow and Cherry Blossoms, respectively. It's summer in Osaka during July, which makes it quite hot and humid. It's still a bit colder than the Philippines though. We've visited several of the must-sees like Osaka Castle, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Dotonburi, and Nara Park. Below are some of the places in Osaka less traveled that I took pictures of.

For the most part, it was sunny and cloudless in Japan

While we were there, we went on an errand to find a car horn for my mom's superior at work. The particular car horn that we were looking for wasn't available anywhere in the Philippines, so we had to scour the local car shops for it. The detour in search for the car horn gave us the opportunity to walk around the suburban streets of Osaka Japan. The sun shone bright, but it wasn't that hot.

The rustic car repair shops along the roads somehow appear surprisingly tidy and organized.

When we were done with this, we found Den Den town, a hub for animation and video game enthusiasts. I think it's worth noting that there are areas in this place that are not suitable for kids. I have heard stories that it is like a miniature Akihabara in Tokyo, but it will do when it comes to satisfying cravings for figures and merchandise for those interested in those sort of things.

Me holding a life-size keyblade.

Near the hotel where we're staying at was a busy intersection for the citizens of Osaka to walk around in. It's immensely busy during rush hour periods because everyone is rushing to get to work or to get home. Some of the locals have taken this large flow of people as an opportunity to promote their own things. We've seen some aspiring idols singing and dancing during the rush hour to get more attention for themselves, and below is a video of a somewhat unusual street performer that captivated our attention.

He was both a magician and a dancer that was not part of our itinerary. His act was amusing, but just like with all street performers regardless of where you are in the world, you have to be careful of watching; you might be surprised because by the end they may ask to charge you, and it's hard to say no once they do.

That was just icing on the cake on some of the things I've seen in Japan. I haven't delved into their food, the attractions, and the hotel room we stayed in, which has a few surprises of its own. The whole trip along with the accommodations is considerably pricey, especially if you're from the Philippines, but as it is with all travels, I don't regret spending so much at all. It's all definitely worth it.

They say that Japan is so good you have to visit it twice, and I absolutely agree. Where will I go on my next visit, I wonder? That's food for thought in the meantime.

Welcome to Escapist Adventures!

Hi there, how are you doing?

I'm Timothy John, I live in the Philippines, I'm 23 years old, and I'm working. This is my blog Escapist Adventures, where I write about the experiences I've encountered that I feel like are worth writing about. This covers a wide array of items but all of them can be boiled down into six categories: Travel, Food, Fitness, Entertainment, Reflection, and Technology. Maybe you enjoy the same things that I do, or maybe my writings can help you out in what it is you're dealing with right now. Why don't we go through it together?

Prior to this blog, I used to write on another blog as Onion Syrup. I think that it's also worth mentioning -- as it was a big part of my online history -- I was an active user of the famous KnowYourMeme website as a site writer/moderator and forum member with the same username: Onion Syrup. I've written several articles of well-known memes such as Draw the Squad, I Haven't Heard That Name in Years, and Graphic Design is My Passion, which has gained about 87,000 views, 98,000 views, and 150,000 views, respectively.

Cheers,

Tim

Travel: Airbnb rooms, and what it's like owning one

Not too long ago I wrote a blog post about investing in the stock market. That's all well and good and it's definitely a way to put money to work, but I'm always looking for more streams of income. I've done some research and now I want to talk about another thing I got into: Real Estate. Or more specifically, an Airbnb.

Renting out rooms on Airbnb is something that a lot of people like me and you are looking forward to doing. Unlike Uber in the sharing economy, hosting an Airbnb is a lot more passive. So yes, as you may have guessed, it's sweet passive income. It especially doesn't sound like a bad idea here in the Philippines. We always have tourists coming into the country who need a place to sleep in. Since they're travelers, they're normally affluent enough to freely spend their money on things like accommodations.

With this in mind, I'm helping my dad out with our Airbnb venture. We're renting out our spare condominium in the East of Galleria Building at Ortigas, Pasig. It takes some considerable work to get the place into shape. Below are some things I learned during the process:

1. Invest in your Airbnb room; Make it Presentable

You can't just clean up your room and then sign up for Airbnb. A good first step is to declutter and exterminate any and all pests (which is what we did despite how difficult it is), but afterwards you have to go the extra mile once you're done with that.

You need to put some money into your Airbnb. Investing in an Airbnb is much more short-term compared to truly investing in Real Estate like the 1% like Warren Buffet or Robert Kiyosaki does. Investing in an Airbnb also implies that you aren't buying new property completely from scratch; most Airbnb hosts are renting out apartments and condominiums that their sons and daughters used to live in before moving out.

The room is still a work-in-progress, but we've come so far at this point.

When I say you need to invest in your Airbnb, what I mean is you need to spend money to have your room renovated, and refurnished with brand new appealing furniture.

2. Cover the basics and necessities.

We bought numerous items to make our Airbnb look good, but while it's fashionable, we needed to make sure that it's also functional. A lot of shopping for electrical appliances went into the creation of our Airbnb room. We wanted the tenants to be able to make coffee, so we bought a coffee maker. We wanted them to also have tap water they can drink, so we installed a water purifier underneath the kitchen sink.

We also bought electric stoves for cooking, and a comfortable bed for sleeping in. Below is a short list of the items we bought that I can name from the top of my head.

My sister helping me and my dad build the new bed

• A new carpet
• A new coffee maker
• Kitchenware (e.g. knives, forks, etc.)
• Ornamental vases
• Statuettes
• A new bed
• Water purifier

2. Ask yourself "Do I want to live here?"

Even though your tenants will only be staying at your place for at least a couple of nights and a week at most, you should endeavor to create an environment that you yourself would live in.

I like to pretend that we're setting up a new place that we'll be staying in. If ever we have no tenants sleeping in the place for a night, we can actually stay there just fine since it's our own property.

If worse comes to worst, like say, your original residence catches fire, at least you won't lose everything; you still have another place that you can use, and it'll be nice and cozy.

3. You're starting a business, no matter what anybody else says and you ought to be proud.

Some purists don't think you're truly starting a business when you sign up to rent your property via Airbnb, similar to criticisms that people buying franchises aren't true businessmen because they aren't starting from scratch. I humbly disagree with that. At the very basis of it, a businessman/entrepreneur is someone who is willing to put time and money into something, with the belief that it will generate money for them in the future. Airbnb renters -- and franchisees -- fit well into that description. We are merely leveraging on the services available to us.

Our walls have been renovated. You can see the new carpet on the couch.

That's all I can say about setting up an Airbnb room for now. Within the year we'll be having our first tenant, hopefully. We're targeting to have the room rented out during the first half of the year, at best.

What are your experiences about owning property? Comment below and share your knowledge to us millennials and Gen-Z kids that don't know what it's like :)

Food & Travel: How to have the Perfect Valentine's Date without Breaking your Wallet

Valentine's Day is here again. As usual, everywhere you go on February 14th will remind you that it's a special day. You'll find posters all around malls and establishments promoting all kinds of heart-shaped pastries and dinner-for-two promos. You'll find double the usual number of flower shops in malls and then there are lines full of couples as far as the eye can see. Single people are suddenly self-conscious about their marital status, while couples (especially the men in the relationships) are suddenly conscious about the state of their wallets.

There's nothing wrong with treating your significant other on the special day, but it's also important to have a bit of self-control. You also don't want your partner to think you're cheap, so you're very likely to splurge on something. Those dinner-for-two promos are nice but you aren't exactly treating your girlfriend on a height of sophistication by eating at Chow King. Movies are great but they're also pricey (I recommend watching Alita: Battle Angel if you're planning to go that route.) The really good cinemas with the La-Z-Boys are especially expensive.

What if I told you it's possible to eat at a great place, and watch a good show, without spending over 500Php? You'd be in disbelief but I can assure you that it is very real and possible to do that.

1. Find a place with performers for free

Chances are since it's Valentine's Day, you'd find places setting up attractions to take advantage of the situation to draw even bigger crowds. The Venice Grand Canal Mall is one of these places. Aside from the mimes and statue-people, Venice hosted a grand performance spanning the whole mall on Feb 14, 2017. Before Valentine's Day, the mall had posters all around the area informing everyone passing by -- like me and my girlfriend -- that there was going to be a show. So we were able to set the time for this because we knew about it beforehand.

Valentine's Day 2017 was the first Valentine's me and my girlfriend spent together so it was quite a magical moment for us when we saw this. Unfortunately, there isn't any extravagant performance in Venice this Valentine's Day, but opportunities are abound in this big wide world of ours. Most likely there are free shows somewhere out there, maybe in a mall near you.

2. Use a Promo like Zomato Gold

I'm a huge advocate of Zomato Gold because they give out such incredible deals. There are other deals that give you 30% discounts for select restaurants, like the Bistro Card, but they pale in comparison to Zomato Gold's 1+1 on food and 2+2 on drinks, which essentially means you're getting 100% off on the other item you order.

I got this hearty meal from Banapple for free. How? By using Zomato Gold :)

In the McKinley Hill area, you have three fine establishments that honor your Zomato Gold membership: Banapple, New Bombay, and 121.

Zomato Gold costs a mere 400Php per year. (Update: due to high demand, Zomato Gold is now 900Php a year.) Does that sound a bit steep for you? I didn't write this post to primarily advertise for my own personal gain, but I can sweeten the deal for you when you use my referral code to obtain your Zomato Gold membership.

Referral Code: TIMS7761

By using my referral code, you can get a discount when you sign up for Zomato Gold. What's in it for me? I just get an additional month to my membership. When I got my Zomato Gold membership, I used a friend's referral code too. Just head on over to their website to sign up for Gold!

Would you believe we got both of these for a mere 280Php? It's possible with Zomato Gold!
Great dishes from Bluesmith Cafe at the 30th

Have you seen any great free shows with the love of your life? Have you taken her to a beautiful place to dine at? Feel free to comment below about great places. Me and my girlfriend would love to check it out :)

Other: Trying out Dip (aka Chewing Tobacco) in the Philippines

This is what a tin of Grizzly dip looks like.

I love trying new things. Whether it be food or some exciting activity or just something to spice up the day like taking a different route in my commute,I'm up for it. I believe life ought to be full of many awesome experiences.

It's inevitable I'd end up trying dip one day. Why would I pass up the chance to try something that's not easily accessible here? I managed to get a hold of the stuff thanks to my cousin, who works as a bartender. A cowboy soldier stopped by his bar and asked if we have any dip in this part of the world while he was drinking. We said that kind of stuff isn't popular around here, so he was happy to give us some (for $5.00...) so we can savor a new experience.

Thanks Cousin!

Before I get to it, here's a bit of an introduction on my nicotine intake habits. I'm not a smoker. I've tried smoking numerous times whenever my friends hand me a stick from their packs, but I've never really been addicted to it.

I drink lite beer more than I smoke, at least once every two weeks, but that's a different story.

So with all that said, I was feeling ballsy enough to try dip, and I don't think I'll get addicted to it. As one of my friends said back then, I have a will of steel when it comes to these addictive things.

One more thing I'd like to add before I get to my experiences is that Filipinos like to smoke and drink, but we can't handle too much. Hard drinks like whiskey and vodka are taken sparingly. Filipinos prefer the minty and light Marlboro cigarettes (the ones you "pop" first) over the ones with the red butts and stronger tobacco levels.

As of the writing of this post I've already tried dip twice. The first time I tried it, I diapered it in tissue for extra precaution, the second time I did it I was in the office at work, and I dipped it the way it was meant to be done; with no tissue at all.

Warning
Dipping is dangerous to your health. Much more dangerous than smoking. I talk about it in detail here but I implore you to understand the risks before you think about trying it.

Below are some things I found interesting about dipping.

This is what dip looks like when you open the tin.

1. It's called chewing tobacco in some parts of the US but you don't chew it at all.

Doesn't matter what part of the US midwest you're in. Nobody chews dip. The stuff is moist and juicy so if you do chew it you're squeezing out all of the juice it already has. Not even the toughest cowboys can take all the juice of a pinch of dip all at once with a straight face. You take a pinch from the tin and put the stuff in between your lower lip and gum.

2. You'll feel a slightly acidic burn between your lip and your gum

This slight pain that dippers feel might turn off Filipinos from trying the stuff. Your lip and gums feel this way because the nicotine from the dip is entering your blood stream through the tissue in your mouth. It only hurts at the start, but after a few minutes, the pain will start to subside.

The video below was taken while I was at a province in the Philippines called Pampanga. So basically I was taking dip in the countryside and I never felt more like a cowboy than I did at that moment.


3. Suck, spit, and... soothe yourself.

I let the wad of tobacco sit in between my lower lip and gum. I occasionally suck at it to get some juices out for some flavor. The juice isn't meant to be swallowed so once it builds up I spit it out in a cup. Do this enough times and you'll -- as the cowboy put it -- enter a state of euphoria.

I got high and the tension in my muscles disappeared. It's a lot stronger than any sort of chemical effect I got from smoking regular cigarettes. I got so high it made me nauseous I had to take a time out from work.

4. Once you're done, spit out the tobacco.

On average, dippers keep the wad of tobacco in their mouths for about 45mins. Smokers can keep a stick alive for a mere 5mins. 10mins at most. Once the wad of tobacco has already been exhausted, I had to spit it out otherwise I'd vomit (the same with the spit that built up in my mouth; if I swallowed it then I'd be puking). I did spit out my wad, but it broke apart in my mouth so I accidentally swallowed some bits and I puked anyway.

So there you have it. My experience with dipping. It was one helluva experience. I got loose, high, and nauseous. I also puked. Will I do it again? Absolutely. I have a feeling I'll be dipping again some time soon. Does it mean I'm already addicted to it? I hope not. Even if I was, I only have one tin with me. Once it's fully consumed I either have to track down the American cowboy who gave us a tin in the first place, or travel halfway across the world to get my fix. Neither of which are going to happen soon.

I don't see this getting popular in the Philippines anytime soon. I tried introducing my officemates who smoke to it, and they just found it weird. Not everyone is ready yet to try out new experiences like me.

How about you? If you had the chance to dip, are you willing to try it despite the possibility of puking and feeling sick? Let me know in the comments below :)