January 13, 2018November 17, 2021 by findingbackroads

Why we left Dubai

Expat Life, Personal
Dubai, expat, expat life, Family, Japan, Personal
25 Comments

I don’t know how many times I’ve apologized for the lack of updates on this blog so I’m not going to do it now because I can’t promise to be consistent in writing with all the things currently going on in my life. But if you are reading this, thank you for still being here.

If you have followed me on social media, you may have come across posts where I mentioned that we have left Dubai, our home for the past 10 years and 11 months. To many, it was a sudden move, a surprising decision even, especially when I said we’re moving back to Japan – it’s shocking to some people who has heard me say I will try hard not to live in Japan again, after we left in 2007. (But that is another blog post to write)

I struggled for the time to be able to sit down to write this post and even thought of just closing down this blog and quit writing. But who am I kidding? I don’t know if I’ll ever lose my love for writing. Sentences have already formed n my head even before our flight out of Dubai took off and I couldn’t wait to be able to open my laptop and write away these thoughts.

Also, when you have followers on social media and readers on your blog, you feel some kind of social responsibility to be transparent, to share the goings on in your life, especially they have followed you from the start. And I really wanted to write this post to collectively tell our story for those reading this and for myself, as a reminder years from now why we made this big move.

There is not one single reason why we left Dubai. It is a mix of so many reasons that snowballed into the major but necessary decision to pack up and leave.

Reason #1: my work

“Life’s too short to do the things you don’t love doing.”

Somehow, this quote had been crossing my mind so often I wake up in cold sweat in the middle of the night.

It wasn’t always like that. I am grateful to be given the chance to work in Dubai in my previous company with so many wonderful people who became not just my work colleagues, but my friends. My day job allowed me and my family to live in Dubai comfortably and indulge in life’s little pleasures like traveling outside of the UAE.

However, after many years, the stuff I do for a living has brought more stress than happiness no matter how I tell myself ,”get over it, this too shall pass”. Day in, day out, getting on the train, running to catch the time, sweating profusely during the grueling hot months (more than half of the year?!), sitting down from 8 am to 6 pm on mechanical mode going through papers and papers, putting in over time some of the time but feeling unappreciated, etc. And then repeat again till the last work day of the week. Lately, the theme of my life had been #WaitingForWeekends.

When you reach the point where you dread when the weekend ends and the work week begins, you know life has become stressful and unhealthy. When sometimes you find yourself half-assing your work, unconsciously, you know you need to put an end to it.

I know that sounds like a selfish thing. And there are bills to pay. Believe me, I have battled voices in my head saying, “you should be grateful you have a job!” or “the pay is good, the work is not difficult, why leave?” or “why don’t you just get up, show up, sit for 8 hours and wait for the paycheck?” and then on the other side, so many voices of reasons that would sum up:

“Are you sure you want to do the same thing everyday for the next ten years?”

And the answer to that was NO.

I guess when you work in a place that long, (10 years and 11 months for me in the same company), you would want some sort of change. I’ve asked for it but that change didn’t come and I didn’t see it coming at all. Doing something over and over again that long is not sustainable, at least for me. I feel my feelings weren’t normal because in my previous company, people have worked for 10, 20 or even 30 years. No one ever leaves (almost) that people didn’t believe I resigned and started to speculate and spread rumors that I was terminated. When I said I submitted my resignation paper last November 2017, there wasn’t a single soul who didn’t think I was joking. “Why would you?”

There’s also the lingering matter of my age. I’m 41 and it came to the critical point where IF I have to change jobs, I have to quit the current one NOW otherwise stay there till I retire. There was no change in the horizon with the current one and no, I don’t want to do the same thing I was doing day in and day out for the next 3,650 days of my life.

“So if you didn’t like your job, why didn’t you apply for other jobs, in Dubai?”

We move on to reason #2.

Reason #2: the kids

There are several reasons worthy enough of a separate blog post that could be controversial to other families raising their kids in Dubai. Dubai is still a great place for families for many, however, PERSONALLY, I feel it wasn’t the best place for us anymore. The lifestyle didn’t fit what we wanted for our family.

I have a child who is transitioning into adulthood. She is 14, and while very open minded and sensible, I feel that living in Dubai as she transitions into this very important phase in life will not ready her or arm her with important life skills she needs and resilience when life is not so convenient and comfortable anymore in the outside world.

The other child is six years old and always happier when taken outdoors, not just for a period of time (cooler months in Dubai) but everyday.

Reason #3: the husband’s job instability

Background: we moved to Dubai because of my work; he was the trailing spouse.

To his credit, he really tried. He has come a long way from someone who didn’t know how to speak or write proper English sentences to someone who can negotiate business affairs using a language foreign to him. He is Japanese and only speaks Japanese language with me from the start. And in Japan where we previously lived, there is no need to use English.

In the past years when his job doesn’t work out due to various unfortunate reasons like salary was too low to compensate for the long hours, company downsizing, etc, he managed to get another and then another. He even worked in Saudi Arabia for a year while the kids and I remained in Dubai in 2016.

We decided, ENOUGH.

Now that we are in Japan, he can find something that would suit him better here. It’s his home country after all and as for me – I can manage to fit in, as I did for 10 years I was here before moving to Dubai. I can find something here should I decide to work (I have worked here for 5 years after graduation before).

Reason #4: there’s no forever in Dubai

Dubai is a transient place. More than 80% of the population are expats from 200 different countries…who will ultimately leave one day, it’s just a question of WHEN. It’s actually scary when you really think about it.

Why? The UAE doesn’t offer permanent residency – visas are tied with your job that if you lose it, you only have 30 days to either find a new one or exit the country, no citizenship offered as well.

It’s a temporary place where people come to earn and/or save.

I liken living in Dubai as part of the story of the Japanese folk tale of Urashima Taro – a fisherman who gets to visit a beautiful kingdom under the sea as a reward for rescuing a tortoise. The kingdom under the sea is like paradise and Urashima Taro lingered on, enjoying every moment, forgetting about the outside world. When he came up and went back to land, he was shocked to find out so many years have passed since the last time he was there.

Most expats in Dubai, us included, arrived thinking they’ll stay “just for a couple of years” but then the lifestyle is too comfortable, convenient and appealing, the malls so big, bright and shiny LOL, and we all end up making Dubai our semi-permanent home and before we know it, we’ve been living in this glorious city for years and decades.

And leaving gets harder and harder the longer you live in Dubai.

It’s a transient place and we’re all waiting for that “snap” that could be in the form of: you or your spouse losing your jobs and can’t find one before the 30 days grace period ends, you or your spouse’s company closes down and can’t find another company to sponsor your visa before the 30 days grace period ends, Dubai’s economy all together snaps and you become redundant or worst case scenario, war erupts in the Middle East (the UAE is peaceful right now and I think it will be for the next years…but then again, there’s no guarantee?)

So what if the “snap” happens tomorrow and we have no savings or when we’re 50? Where will we go? Will there be any companies to accept us back home or somewhere else?

We felt it is time to settle and build a permanent home.

WHY THE MOVE TO…JAPAN?

We are all Japan passport holders, my husband is from here and we have family here (his side, our children’s grandparents who are so delighted with our move). Japan will always be that place we can base ourselves the easiest, move with least effort, financially, logistically. Here, we are eligible for social insurance and school for the kids is free.

Also, we feel it’s time for our children to get to know the culture and heritage that’s part of who they are.

Are we staying here for good? I don’t know about the “for good” part but “for now”, yes.

No matter how comfortable and almost perfect life is in Dubai, we are only there on borrowed time. With the visa, we are given the privilege to stay in Dubai/UAE. In Japan, we have the right to stay as long as we can.

One interesting thing about this move – much like when people in Dubai asked me why we left Japan, people here in Japan are asking me why we left Dubai – a seemingly modern day Utopia where everything is convenient; even the heat is a mild matter as we live in temperature controlled houses and sleep with our comforters even when it’s nearing 50C outside.

The grass is always greener on the other side, eh?

*****

January 13th 2018 (that’s today in my time zone) would have been our 11 years anniversary in Dubai but we’re no longer there. I wanted to start the new year fresh and new so I chose to leave before 2017 ended. Honestly, I thought I’d write a really sappy post how I missed life in Dubai but not right now. I actually didn’t have time to grieve over leaving the city we called home for nearly 11 years. I was so busy with so many things like patching things at work before my exit, selling/giving away/disposing things at home and preparing to leave for the Philippines last month for my sister’s wedding. (Had several incidents even before we landed in Manila with Benjamin suddenly getting sick on the plane and we had to call emergency when we landed and then the airline losing 2 of my checked in luggage and typhoon Vinta got our flights to my hometown cancelled …who has time to be sappy about Dubai?)

And then this move to Japan.

I might eventually get nostalgic and write the sappy post someday but not today. I’m busy looking forward to the challenges we’ll all face. The kids’ attending Japanese school, me looking for a job (or deciding to stay at home!), looking for a permanent house etc.

Oh, and the harsh winter. I am more bothered of the cold, cold temp inside the house this winter to be grieving about the past.

I do have a passing thought and probably an advice to you expats thinking about leaving Dubai: don’t leave when Dubai is at its most gorgeous in the “winter” months, especially if you’re destination is the real winter world. You’ll miss and long for Dubai’s glorious sunshines in December.

Leave during the summer when you’re cursing your way out of the airport and happily looking forward to your normal world destination where you can stand outside without your arm pits transforming into waterfalls of sweat and you can breathe without being choked by 95% humidity.

Oh and one last thing keeping me from grieving?

I need a new blog name.

November 3, 2017 by findingbackroads

Lapita Hotel’s daycation brunch: why it’s perfect for families

Restaurants
brunch, Family, lapita, Marriott, weekend
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Before I continue to write about my huge backlog i.e., blog posts about our travels last summer, let’s take a break and see what we’ve been up to lately. I can’t believe it’s November already. Wasn’t it just yesterday when the new year rung in? It’s scary how fast time flies. One more month and then boom, there goes another year gone.

There were so many changes in our family this year – the husband had quit working in Saudi Arabia since last April (he was in Saudi for one whole year, 3 months each time with a 2-3 weeks break in between) and started working in Abu Dhabi. He still isn’t home everyday but at least we’re in the same country and can be with us on weekends or some days, if his work schedule permits. This past year, the kids and I have gone to places without him and whenever we get a chance, we go back to the awesome places to show to him and to let him experience it too when he is here in Dubai.

One of those places is Lapita Hotel & Resort at Dubai Parks and Resorts. We’ve been to Lapita for the first time in February when they first introduced the Daycation brunch. We thoroughly enjoyed it however, it was too cold to swim in the pool at that time. We wanted to go again – the kids wanted to go again, with their dad this time. And we did!

The Daycation brunch at Lapita was back right after summer and we scheduled to go last week which was perfect because their Halloween celebrations were in full swing. The setup was awesome and scary enough for the little one.

And before we could start eating at brunch, we went around to appreciate what they have prepared. The hotel’s F&B crew did a really good job with all the spooky food! Look at these works of art.

[envira-gallery id=”78672″]

Honestly, up until we visited, I never realized Halloween was such a big craze here in Dubai. Now, Halloween has passed but know that Lapita could be one of your best bet for Halloween themed brunches next year. 🙂

Also, what’s wonderful with Lapita’s #DaycationBrunch is that it’s buffet brunch + pool access. Swimming is a really great exercise to burn some of those calories away, you know?

Not many people were in the pool though the time we were there from 4pm. Benjamin was overjoyed to have his dad swim with him.

There’s also a shallower pool for kids with a water play area and a lazy river.

The adult pool.

There’s a special buffet for kids, too and they can enjoy the Luna & Nova Kids and Teens Club between 1pm-5pm. There are hotel staff who can supervise and watch the kids leaving parents some time of peace and quiet while brunching.

Do I recommend the Daycation brunch at Lapita?

YES! Great food with lots of emphasis on fresh ingredients (the only problem you’ll have is how to get a taste of all the varieties in one visit), beautiful setting – where else can you get the laid back tropical Polynesian vibes without ever leaving town?

Additionally, the hotel is a unique gateway to endless fun at Dubai Parks and Resorts, which is the home of three world-class theme parks and one water park, as well as Riverland Dubai. All guests staying at Lapita Hotel & Resort will enjoy unlimited multi-park access for the duration of their stay, in addition to complimentary Q-fast to all parks.

General Information:

When: Fridays, 1pm-5pm
Price: AED195 with soft drinks; AED295 with house beverages; AED95 for children up to 12.
Contact: +9714 810 9999, website

October 24, 2017January 31, 2022 by findingbackroads

Visiting Japan’s small town charm

I’ve been thinking a lot about Japan lately. I blame my husband – we have been watching Japanese news on the TV almost every night at bed time. Everything sounds and feels familiar once again. I blame my mother in law who, right now got addicted to sending Japanese foodstuff lately. Or this is just plain nostalgia attack for me, which happens every now and then. I don’t know. Japan has always been that place that hold a very special place in my heart. I’ve lived there for more than ten years, starting when I was nineteen years old. It’s hard to forget.

Japan has appeared in my dreams lately, too – suddenly, I see myself living there again and I wake up, say to myself, yeah why not?

The horror, right? People who’d hear me right now would probably recall the reasons I told them why we left way back in 2007: the work-life balance sucks (at least for us middle class working parents in the city), the lack of available domestic help, etc., the cold winters.

But that place would always be our home. When and if all else fails, we know we would have Japan as a place to go, a retreat, a place to reset, if we want to.

We were in Japan last summer and I took the kids to their grandparents in the countryside. It’s a long way from Tokyo – 2 hours via Shinkansen or the bullet train and another hour by regular train. It’s Benjamin’s first time to see his grandfather and grandmother from his father’s side. This visit was long overdue.

We know it’s nearing Niigata prefecture when the buildings disappear and replaced by two to three storey houses and rice fields upon rice fields as far as the eyes can see.

MEETING BENJAMIN FOR THE FIRST TIME

My in-laws had been looking forward to meeting the kids for months. Now, my father in-law is a workaholic, has a day job but also maintains a rice farm. At 68 years old now, he should have retired already – which he did three years ago, however after only a month, he volunteered to work again at the same company 3-4 times a week and still maintained his rice farm. For more than thirty years, he is proud to say, he has not applied for any leave, whether medical or for vacation.

But when I told him I’d be visiting them with the kids in tow? He took a full week off!

He said he’d meet us at the station but I didn’t expect he would be waiting for us at the train platform, right where we get down the train! I didn’t even see him when he scooped Benjamin up as soon as he got out of the train!

Here’s the thing, he has not seen photos of Benjamin before.

WHY? By some kind of sorcery, my in-laws do not own a smart phone and there is NO internet at their house. So there’s no way I can send pictures of the kids. The last time we met them, Benjamin wasn’t born yet.

I asked him, how did he know it was his grand child? What if he took the wrong child? It would have been a disaster. He simply told me, Benjamin’s face looks familiar that without a doubt he knew he got the right child to hold. Benjamin looked like my husband when he was younger. Benjamin on the other hand, did not protest as well, even if he has not seen this man in his whole life!

It was raining when we arrived but grandpa took us to the groceries and told the kids – go crazy and buy anything you want!

My crazy kids went straight to the food aisle. They’re definitely my kids.

My FIL even picked up a cake from the bakery and we celebrated both Benjamin and Pristine’s birthday at home, complete with candles. “This is for all the birthdays we’ve missed!”, the grandparents said.

TOURING AROUND THE SMALL TOWN

The next morning, the weather cleared up and FIL didn’t waste time and drove us around the town. The kids just finished breakfast and were still in their pajamas.

He then took us to see all the rice paddies. It was summer and this part of Japan was bathed in sea of green patches of rice plantations. Another first for my father in-law: driving an automatic car! He only drives manual transmission but then had rented a van for us. The available vehicles to rent were all automatic so he drove one.

(He’s that type of being picky about things he is not familiar with but he endured this!)

Ah, the serene countryside in Niigata prefecture. My husband was born and brought up here. There’s nothing fancy, no bright lights, billboards and crowds you would see in the streets of metropolitan Tokyo. It’s dark after 8pm and in the summer time, you’d hear the chorus of the frogs which is annoying at first but kind of becomes white noise that lulls you to sleep. The kids hyperventilated at the sight of fireflies in the pitch black garden at night.

I love summers in Niigata though it can be hot and humid because this prefecture is coastal. But it’s when the Earth comes alive.

The kids had a lovely time walking around but the most exciting part for Benjamin must be getting on one of his grandfather’s tractors (for farming)! It must be every boy’s dream to get into these real life monster trucks!

My mother in-law has clinical depression and had been in and out of the hospital and on medication for so many years. During summer though, she is well. She has tried her best to be in her ‘best form’ (her term) to meet the kids. She told me she’s thankful I took the kids to visit them, it dispelled the loneliness of their home, if only for a short while. It was enough that they know they aren’t truly alone and that they have something to look forward from now on.

My in-laws don’t speak any English. Pristine can converse with them in Nihongo but Benjamin cannot – we have to work on that (thankfully, the big sister is always there to translate). That didn’t hinder him from getting close to them and for the short time we were there, he has constructed short Nihongo sentences and blurted them out proudly.

I am grateful my kids have sweet and kind grandparents on my side and I am equally thankful they have another set from my husband’s side. What lucky kids.

You may ask, why do the grandparents NOT visit us here in Dubai and we have to go to Japan? Good question, actually since we’re almost eleven years here and they have not visited even once. For my in-laws, who has lived in this small town from the day they were born, travelling is this big, insurmountable thing that takes too much energy and COURAGE to tackle. It’s simply not their thing and we have accepted that.

And besides, I don’t think the kids mind hopping on the plane and riding the bullet train to get to them! I definitely don’t! (Although it’s a bit stressful to sync the time and meetup with them because as I have mentioned, they do not have mobile phones! I had to plan the time we get on the train, let them know what time we arrive and on which train and STICK to it. Hello the 1980’s!)

Are you an expat family living away from the grandparents? How often do you visit them?

October 2, 2016 by findingbackroads

Beach time at Ajman

The United Arab Emirates is composed of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah – all of which have coastlines. We’ve been to the beaches of all the Emirates except one, in Ajman. Ajman is the emirate just 30 minutes drive away from where we live so going to a beach in Ajman is actually nearer for us than say to go to the beach in Jumeirah (in Dubai). I’m not really sure why we’ve not been to a beach in Ajman till now.

The husband’s going away for work again and we thought it was a good time to spend a weekend with the kids at the beach. He himself wanted to go so a spontaneous decision lead me to looking for a place to stay in Ajman. It was already Thursday night on a long UAE weekend for Eid Al Adha so all the major hotels in Ajman are either fully booked or with inflated rates. We stayed at the Ajman Beach Hotel, a 3-star property seemingly dwarfed by the huge hotels along Ajman corniche. You could tell that this hotel must be one of the first ones to be built along the corniche before the big wigs like Ajman Palace or Ajman Saray or Fairmont came to be. The hotel is very basic but clean and decent enough.

TIP: If you’re a family of four and keeping budget by choosing only one room, better choose the twin beds rather than the double bed. Otherwise, get another room for the kids. Ajman Beach hotel was great value for money if you only go there for the beach (it’s the same stretch of beach anyway from the nearby big hotels) and not mind the lack of hotel facilities.

The hotel elevator was very small and the reception was really slow. Ah, I could list so many other inconvenience but it’s just because we’re used to staying in bigger hotels with better services and amenities. But come to think of it, with the price we paid, the hotel wasn’t really bad.

The saving grace of this hotel, though? The lovely private beach, which is the same stretch of beach with powdery, soft white sand and clear waters. When we went to the beach, we completely forgot about the small room or the not-for-the-claustrophobic elevator or the noisy split aircon in the room!

When we arrived just after lunch, it was still so hot (yes even in mid-September when we were there) so we had to wait for a while to go maybe right before sunset. The kids of course, couldn’t wait and though we’re speaking in all the languages we know, they can’t seem to understand when we say, “it’s still too hot!” or “wait till 5 pm”.

Finally, when we went out, the heat was milder. The tide was low so you have to really walk so far out to get in the water.

I must admit, I am not a really big fan of going to the beach. Maybe because with a small kid, it takes a bit of work to prepare the things, the clean up but then when I am there, I realize how stupid that thought is because when I am there, I can get lost in time just lying on the soft sand and listening to the waves. (It helps if someone is there to watch the kids and I can only do this when their father is here so I took this rare opportunity!)

The beach in Ajman was wonderful. We loved that it wasn’t so crowded – actually the morning after, we were the only (crazy) ones to be swimming at 10 am. Look how clean and clear the water is!

The beach was idyllic. The powder-like sand, the warm sea breeze and sea water, the rhythmic ebb and flow of the waves were setting the right ambiance for a relaxing family vacation.

However, when we finished swimming, I got the kids to the shower and I was wonder why my husband did not follow. I saw him on the shore picking up snack wrappers, candy wrappers, plastic bags and other objects and other marine debris. I guess they might have floated into the water from the nearby public beach or had been left behind by previous vacationers.

Did you know that marine debris, especially plastics, is harmful to wildlife and the environment as a whole? Seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles often ingest floating plastic bags and debris with lethal consequences.

So, next time you go to the beach or park, please pick up after yourself. Don’t leave trash behind. The trash on the beach/shore was an insult to the lovely, pristine beach – something we all would like to preserve for our kids and the generations and generations after that, right?

September 12, 2016 by findingbackroads

Staying home for Eid Al Adha 2016

Hello. Do you have friends in the UAE on Facebook posting their out of town trips lately? I’m seeing a lot of people on my timeline either in Barcelona, somewhere in Europe, New York or Maldives. Or even to the mountains of Hatta and the beaches of Jumeirah. There’s no traffic on the roads which means most have left town? It’s a very long weekend here in the UAE – 5 days for most and most are making the most out of it.

Most.

You never thought you’d read the word ‘most’ in one sentence, did you?

As of me and my family, we’re just staying home, to be with each other’s company, to sort out things in our luggages, take out clothes from the kids’ closet that the kids have outgrown and for me, personally, to recover from travel fatigue.

Travel can be fun, you all know how I love it but we can’t deny that it can be exhausting too. This time, I overdosed on plane rides, eleven flights in 60 days. The most I did in that span of time, so far in my life. Then I had to go back to work a few weeks in between, reporting only a few hours after landing.

Heard of that cliche, “you need a vacation after a vacation”? That my friends, is true.

The thing is – I got back from picking up the kids in the Philippines where they spent a very memorable and life changing summer vacation. Life changing because, being without any of your parents for five weeks is a big deal when you’re 12 and 4 right? Fortunately, they were with their wonderful grandparents who allows them to play in the rain whenever they get the chance so it was a fun vacation after all. We all know it almost rains everyday in that side of the world on July and August so that’s a lot of play time.

So these past 4 days or so, I had plans to blog a lot but instead, I spent so many hours in bed, catching up on sleep. Now’s probably the least exciting short vacation we had ever but when you live in a place you call your second home for almost ten years (and has seen almost everything outside), staying inside is actually a delicious luxury, too.

I actually just woken up from a nap. Ah, a good rest is one of life’s best, best things.

Do you live in the UAE? How did you spend the long weekend?

August 17, 2016February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

Bohol Countryside Tour in one day

Philippines, Travels
Bohol, countryside, Family, history, nature, Philippines, summer, Tagbilaran, trip, vacation
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After our tour of Panglao island and our wonderful time at one of Bohol’s finest resorts, The Bellevue Bohol, next up on our itinerary is the not to be missed “countryside tour” of the island. We moved to Bohol island’s capital city of Tagbilaran after checking out from our Panglao island accommodation, staying at a simple, boutique hotel near the city center, had lunch and rested the whole afternoon.

It was pouring that afternoon, which is totally normal since July is the start of the monsoon season in the Philippines. Thankfully, we did not have anything planned out that day, maybe just to go out to a mall to buy souvenirs and Bohol’s famous delicacy, the Kalamay.

To be honest, I was a bit anxious – will it rain like this the next day when we do the countryside tour? I surely hope not!

When morning came, luckily, the sun was out and prayers do help – it did not rain the whole day!

The van from the travel and tours company recommended by the Bohol Tourism office and guide, (she’s licensed by Philippine Department of Tourism) arrived on time just before 9 am. We’re ready for our countryside tour!

Related post: Bohol Travel Guide

Here are the places we visited. The Bohol countryside tour can be covered in one full day, however, if you would like to see and experience much more like the zip lines at Loboc or the hanging bridges at various parts of the island, you might need an extra day.

1. Tarsier Sanctuary at Corella

When you say “Bohol”, the tarsier automatically comes to mind. The Philippine tarsier, the world’s smallest primate is endemic to Bohol island (though there are some sighting in the islands of Samar and Mindanao). Tarsiers are small with very large eyes, elongated hind legs and feet, a thin tail and long fingers.

Tarsiers are arboreal (tree living) and jump through the trees to catch their food, which is mainly insect based, although can include lizards, snakes and birds. They are nocturnal (active at night) although some species may move around in the daytime.

Photo:outcast85/Shutterstock

Oh my God, how cute is this? Or am I weird for thinking Tarsiers are cute?

Before, tours at the Tarsier Sanctuary included touching these animals but not any more. Tarsiers are very shy creatures and do not like human contact. Our guide says, you can’t keep them in a cage as they’ll commit suicide. They’d rather die than be captured and kept. So intense.

The most noticeable thing about tarsiers are their eyes. They have the largest eyes relative to body size of any mammal. And their heads can turn to almost 360 degrees just like owls.

The Tarsier Sanctuary is a “sanctuary” for a reason. The majority of Tarsier species are now endangered or threatened, and some are designated critically endangered. They only breed once a year and gestation period lasts up to six months and a female can only bear one young every birth.

When we entered the sanctuary, which is a mini forest, there are guides who, in whispers, show us the way where a tarsier is resting (it’s daytime, they’re either sleeping or just chilling out). Guests are not supposed to make any noise and camera flash is a total no no.

In the above photo, Benjamin (almost 5 years old) looks extremely excited. He is, but we’ve been instructed to be quiet as not to scare the animals in their natural habitat. Tarsiers are very shy animals that prefer to stay away from human contact. Heck they are so solitary, they don’t even get close to other tarsiers. It is said that territory wise, it’s one Tarsier per hectare* of land.

*1 hectare = 2.5 acres = 10,000 square meters

The specific needs for tarsiers in both habitat and prey make captive breeding programs essentially impossible, and only around 50 percent of tarsiers put in captivity are able to survive. Habitat conservation is their only hope.

2. Chocolate Hills, Carmen

The Chocolate Hills of Bohol is nothing like any other geographical wonder you’ll see. Conical mounds, almost identical, rising from the Earth, sprawled across a lush green landscape 50 square kilometers wide. It is located in the middle of Bohol island.

HOW TO GET THERE

From the Tagbilaran port, you ride a tricycle to the bus terminal in Dao. At the terminal, you ride a bus/van headed to Carmen. The travel time is 45 minutes to one hour. The bus will stop at the Chocolate Hills. (Or you can also hire a van from travel and tours companies for a private tour)

The hills are not huge; the highest one barely reaches 120 meters in height. Even so, most hills are between 30 and 50 meters. There is one main hill with an observation deck at the top. Be prepared to climb 200+ steps. We were there around 11 am and it was hot and humid. The climb was exhausting but the view from the top made it all worth it.

I’m so lucky to be travelling with my brother who helped me with Benjamin so I can take photos without worrying he’d fall or something. And Uncle Jay also carried him at some point, especially when we climbed up.

This extraordinary landscape is unique to this small island. It is said that there are 1,776 of these hills sprawled in 50 square kilometers.

MORE THAN A THOUSAND OF THESE HILLS. Let that sink in in your system for a while.

What a wonderful, mysterious planet we live in. The hills looked almost artificial with the uncanny symmetry that it’s hard to believe they are a product of erosion and time.

The observation deck at the top is still undergoing lots of construction/restoration after the devastating earthquake that struck the island a couple of years ago.

Mystery still surrounds how the Chocolate Hills were formed. One of the more popular local legends is that long ago, two giants fought for days, hurling earth and stones at one another, until they fell exhausted, friends once more, into each other’s arms.

What it really is: The Chocolate Hills are thought to have been formed as uplifted marine limestone was cracked by tectonic movements and then weathered away by water and wind.

At the climb down, Benjamin wanted to see the other side. The hills are not too visible from here but I guess if you live and grew up in the desert, the massive greenery right in front of your eyes could get you a little excited, yes?

It was hot and humid at the top, alright but I spent the next few minutes in silent awe, watching the rolling white clouds against the mounds of earth. Here’s an aerial view of the area. (Photo not mine.)

Photo credit

By the way, the name “Chocolate Hills” comes from the brown color the sun-burnt cogon grass transforms during the summer months.

3. Bilar man-made forest

The plan was to have lunch at Loboc river aboard one of those floating restaurants. To get there, we passed by Bilar man-made forest.

This spot is a favourite stop for tourists going to and/or from the Chocolate Hills in Carmen town. You’ll see a lot of cars parked on the road side and people taking photos or just stop and breathe in fresh mountain air. You can also see tourists taking risky shots, like in the middle of the highway. It’s extremely dangerous as so many buses, trucks and private vehicles appear out of nowhere with ample speed. Don’t do it if you’re there!

This man-made forest is a forest with mahogany trees planted by the government in order to restore green spaces damaged by excessive logging. This 2 kilometer stretch of densely planted Mahogany trees is located in the border of Loboc and Bilar towns.

That’s my father, by the way, in the picture.

4. River cruise + lunch, Loboc

We arrived at Loboc just in time for lunch at midday and our guide led us through the docking area whre the Village Floating Resto & Cruises boat awaits. There are a lot of floating restaurants available but this was the one we used.

The river cruise with buffet lunch was priced at PHP450 per person, as of this writing.

When the cruise started, the views were nothing short of enchanting. I fell for it. Hard. Because, who wouldn’t? I thanked God the weather was clear and good, making the cruise so much more wonderful and everywhere you look is just lush green trees and the blue sky.

Buffet lunch is served on these floating restaurants but I tell you, when you go on Loboc river cruise, you do not go for the food (me, at least, that what I feel). Imagine having lunch while cruising slowly down a this calm, scenic river.

That said, food aboard the floating restaurant we were in was great. We loved it. I wasn’t expecting very much from the buffet at all but actually was good – plenty of choice and delicious. There were several boats cruising along the river but ours was full, which meant it is better than the others.

The cruise will last for an hour and will make a few stops along the way. First stop is at the river choir station where the locals serenade the guest with traditional Visayan songs. They will also perform a “Tinikling” dance, a traditional dance in the Philippines. There is no fee to watch the show but, it’s very much appreciated to give a tip.

What a gorgeous, verdant river! The unspoiled greenery meant one thing; there is a very healthy ecosystem that is preserved in this part of Loboc River. Also, our guide said there are absolutely NO factories of any kind in Bohol island. The fresh air will vouch for that.

The Loboc River Cruise was my favorite part of the countryside tour that I am going to write a separate post why.

5. Blood compact site, Tagbilaran

On our way back to Tagbilaran City, we stopped at the Sandugo or Blood Compact Shrine monument, a landmark at the site of the first international treaty of friendship between Spaniards and Filipinos.

This site will be meaningful to those who recognize the significance of this historical event. I remember my history class – the ruler of the native people of Bohol, Datu Sikatuna, and the Spanish explorer, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, sealed their peace treaty in the tradition of the native people – sandugo, or blood compact in March 16, 1565.

I explained to my kids that these people, when they were alive hundreds of years ago, poured some of their blood into a cup filled with liquor and drank it to seal a friendship or treaty. “Sandugo” is a Visayan word which means “one blood”

There wasn’t much to see. It’s just a really a monument, my daughter said but I told her: imagine standing on the same ground where the blood compact happened.

Then she thought they were suddenly cool for standing on such a historical site!

The monument, with the bronze statues of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, Rajah Sikatuna and several other witnesses, was a masterpiece of the Boholano sculptor and National Artist for Sculpture, Napoleon Abueva.

Behind the monument is a magnificent view of Bohol Sea.

That concludes our Bohol countryside tour. We still had plenty of time to catch the ship leaving at 7 pm from Tagbilaran port to take us home to Mindanao island.

There are several travel and tours offering this countryside tour and it’s not really easy to say which one is good. It requires research and scouring the internet and weighing so many factors: price, inclusions, positive reviews, etc. We did the safest way – by contacting the Bohol Tourism office. They recommended Travel Village and Tours who picked us up at our hotel in Tagbilaran. This travel and tours company was fab and made our tour of Bohol memorable and worry-free with a very professional local guide, very cautious driver, clean van. Ms. Cecille, our guide was jolly, warm and all knowing about everything in the tour and had interesting stories to tell. She can even speak a little Japanese!

If you’re going to visit Bohol island in the Philippines for the beaches (mainly that’s what most tourists do), please spare at least a day to do the countryside tour before you go back to your concrete jungle in the big city. You won’t regret it. And there’s one thing I can guarantee you: you would be dreaming about this unspoiled piece of land for days.

August 9, 2016February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

What to see in Panglao island, Philippines

Philippines, Travels
Asia, Bohol, Family, Panglao, Philippines, summer, tour, Travels, vacation
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Despite the months of July and August being the rainy months in the Philippines, the kids and I traveled to see my family again. This year, my parents celebrate forty years of being married to each other so I thought it was a great reason to convince them to get out of the house. These two people do not travel much, especially on the rainy season but I assured them, the first two weeks of July is still ok, weather wise.

We got on a boat and crossed to Bohol island and stayed at the wonderful resort called The Bellevue Bohol Resort in Panglao island. Once we were there, with the help of Bohol Tourism, we spent half day to see some guide-recommended places in the small island.

LOCATION

Panglao island is a very small island and though there aren’t much to see really, there were still a few we squeezed in our itinerary.

1. Bohol Bee Farm

The Bohol Bee Farm is an eco-friendly village that promote healthy lifestyle with its organic food which they grow in their premises and products they manufacture within the property. Given the name, we were with the impression that honey is actually produced here, however, we were wrong. The guide told us they buy honey from Mindanao and manufacture it to by-products here. Here, the guide is holding cultured bees (I cannot recall the reason why they kept these there when it’s not producing honey). He explained the bees’ behavior and everyone loved the piece of education.

There were lots of different native crafts done at the bee farm and these products are sold at their souvenir shops.

We had our breakfast here and while the service was ultra slow and breakfast menu was not that impressive, the view from our breakfast table was!

Only after visiting this place that I learned their ice creams were to die for! How does salted honey ice cream sound like?

Entrance fee: PHP30/person

Tips when visiting Bohol Bee Farm:

Try the ice cream.
Maybe try the food for lunch (we were only there for breakfast)

2. Stroll along Alona Beach

Alona Beach is a small stretch of tropical paradise on Panglao Island, Bohol in the Philippines. There were so many tourists but mainly Koreans and Chinese. It is quickly becoming one of the top travel destinations in the Philippines because of it’s wonderful white sand beach, (reportedly) world class diving and beautiful blue waters.

We loved our stroll at Alona Beach though I feel that the restaurants and hotels were placed really close to the shore. If they pushed them back a few meters away, that would have been better. Place is overly crowded with restaurants and people and peddlers.

There are so many inns and resorts, hotels big and small along Alona Beach. They say the night life is vibrant. To me, the place was too crowded and I am so grateful the resort where we stayed in Panglao island was located at the other side of the island, away from this. The water looked absolutely wonderful to swim in: very clean and clear but it’s quite crowded with boats from the diving centers.

Tips when visiting Alona Beach:

Find some place to eat farther away from the shore since the restaurants near/along the beach tend to charge more for the same type of food you can get from other restaurants.
If you want to swim, swim at a later time when the boats for island hopping have departed. (They depart early mornings)

3. Hinagdanan Cave

Hinagdanan cave is probably the most interesting place in Panglao Island for us. Stalactites and stalagmites surround a purest underground lake inside the cave. It was our first time going inside a cave and I did not know what to expect (I prayed there would be no bats!!). The kids didn’t say anything, just went with the flow…brave kids. They truly go wherever I go, no questions asked!

The first entrance to the main area is a man-made stone gate where visitors need to pay a PHP50 (US$1.2) entrance fee (as of this writing) to get inside. The Hinagdanan Cave’s entrance is merely one meter wide in diameter, and the descent to the cave is steep.

I expected it to be cool down there but it wasn’t! It was hot and humid, the water looked so inviting! The holes above the cave provided natural light to the cave below. The scene look out of this world, yes?

History says that during the 16th century, early settlers of Panglao had begun removing thick vegetation around the island to make way for their homes. In Bingag, one of the locals was clearing his land of old trunks of trees and decaying branches when he discovered two holes on the ground situated right next to each other. He was curious about the holes in his land so he dropped a few rocks on it and heard a water splash. The locals eventually explored the unknown area below the ground using a ladder, discovering a cavern with a deep catch basin at the center.

Here’s a high resolution photo of the underground lake inside the cave.

Photo credit

This is a beautiful cave, and the guides are hilarious. He also offered to take our photos and I am thankful he was so adept enough and did not drop my SLR camera!

Tips when visiting Hinagdanan Cave:

Wear durable and non-slip footwear. The path is slippery and there are many people who got out with worn out flip flops.
Bring extra clothes in case you get wet! You can also use the extra shirt when you’re soaked in sweat. It was hot and humid when we were there and we got out wishing we had an extra dry shirt!
Bring a bottle of water to hydrate yourself, especially if you plan to stay there for a bit longer.
Protecting your equipment, cameras and cellphones with a trusty all weather, waterproof casing would be a wise move, just in case!
Bring cash for entrance fee.

Souvenir shops line outside the cave which sells everything from colorful hats, shirts and dresses. The price is fair and not overly inflated.

There’s something big happening in little, humble Panglao island: construction of an international airport! The above photo is the clearing of the huge space to construct Bohol’s first international airport. It is intended to support its tourism industry, especially on Panglao Island which is being promoted as an alternative destination for Boracay Island.

We concluded our short tour of Panglao island by having lunch at a restaurant just outside Alona beach and went back to our resort to enjoy the rest of our stay. There are other places to see in Panglao island. You can even rent a motorbike and drive around yourself.

There are old churches and traditional houses, farms and small markets. It’s a rural area and if you live in a big city like me, I am sure you will appreciate this small town’s charm and of course, the fresh, clean air.

May 16, 2016February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

Prague in May

Europe, Travels
Czech Republic, Europe, Family, Prague, Travels, vacation
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Prague is…a very charming and beautiful city. It’s so easy to fall in love with it, I know because I am in love with it. One of the best things to do while in the city is to simply wander around. The city is very easy to navigate and most of the interesting spots are just walking distance from each other (or a short subway/tram ride away). This is what I love most about this city.

I already planned the walking trips and routes and I planned it well. After all, I am with the younger kid this time. The one problem with my plan? The weather, even in early spring month of May.

A friend who lives there already warned me: it could still rain in May but well, I was stubborn. And I really wanted to be so positive I could manipulate the weather with my thoughts and ask it to favor us.

The day we arrived? It was raining.

We didn’t have any umbrella, I left my waterproof jacket I bought from my previous visit here last December, I packed Pristine’s waterproof jacket too inside our luggage (actually, it is not Pristine’s Columbia waterproof jacket – we borrowed it from my friend during our first visit and brought to return it). Thankfully, Benjamin’s waterproof windbreaker was in my back pack. I put it over his thick fleece jacket. My sister had a light leather jacket which was useless with the one digit temperature, no bonnet or gloves or socks because like me, she was expecting the weather to be ‘warmer’.

Look at her. She could totally write a blog post, “how to smile beautifully even when you’re freezing cold ~~and cursing under your breath~~”

It was already cold and wet and we were dragging our luggages in the cobblestone streets and looking for our accommodation. I bought a local SIM at the airport but somehow the data has not been activated yet till get got to the city center. What does that mean?

No Google maps.

In the cold.

With shivering children (+ 1 adult) in tow.

I asked around but it was either everyone was in a hurry to seek shelter from the rain, didn’t speak English or didn’t care. I tried to recall and squeezed my brain out with the location map of the hotel. I have familiarized myself with it. I know it’s on Karlova street – I just wasn’t ready to face the realization that Karlova street had some little corners and that the cold and rain dripping your face could make things more confusing that it really is.

We finally found the building after asking a receptionist from another hotel who was so kind to help us even if we were guests of another hotel.

After checking in at our hotel, we took a hot shower and decided, no, we won’t waste our time. We ventured out, never mind the rain!

It was already almost 4pm when we got out of the hotel but the wonderful thing about this season towards summer is that the days are longer. The sun is still bright even at 8:30 pm! We went to the Dancing House which was a short tram ride from the nearest train station where we bought tickets (Staromestska), wandered at the Old Town, heard the Astronomical Clock bell, ate at a local restaurant, visited the Chocolate Museum and walked around the Old Jewish quarter before calling it a night. We were cold but it’s not every day we’re in Prague.

What I’m really trying to say in this post is, when it rains in Prague when you are there, do what you were going to do anyway, but wearing a waterproof!

I won’t make this post long. To finish, a little tip:

What to Pack for Prague in May

Though temperatures are warming up (and it did for the rest of our stay there! More in another post), showers can put a damper on your sightseeing. Keep this in mind when packing for May travel to Prague.

Don’t forget:

A water-resistant jacket
Waterproof shoes
Umbrella

More about our trip next, this time, sunny pics!

January 23, 2016February 4, 2022 by findingbackroads

Potty Training could send me to therapy

At the home front, we’re into this un-glorious phase of POTTY TRAINING. And it is not going so well. I’m telling myself over and over again, “It may take time but it won’t last forever.”

I pride myself for having the bigger bucket of patience in between my husband and I. I can bear difficult things. I’ve gone through a lot of trials in life and in parenting and have come out a survivor. I rarely yell at my kids and I don’t have to really, they are basically, incredibly and unbelievably great kids…most of the time. But REAL TALK: I am at the edge of my wits with Benjamin with regards to potty training. It was a whole lot easier with Pristine when she was younger but maybe I just feel that it was easy because it was more than 10 years ago and I have forgotten the unpleasant memories?

We’ve been potty training for quite a while now but with very little success. Do I need to read a lot of books and online articles to make this perfect? To succeed?

Some would say that if things are not working out for a week, the child might not be ready. And this is the fact that I am not ready to accept because Benjamin is already FOUR years old. As a background, he seems to be late in so many things: talking, weaning off breastfeeding only when he was over 2 and being social with people (he is still very shy).

I am frustrated. I am upset and I have lost my mood to do anything else than write this stupid post.

Right now, we are kind of succeeding with the pee part. Still “kind of” because we still have to take him to the toilet at fixed times to pee. He has not initiated he will go yet, although he would act strangely by holding his crotch so we need to pay attention to prevent leaks.

So there’s a small success in the pee part. The poo part, however, we have zero progress. He only tells us if he has soiled his underwear already and he gets disgusted by it and removes it himself, hurriedly, sending the poo rolling/splattered on the floor. {sorry if any of you are eating while reading this}

I’ve spent a few hours reading articles and experiences from moms but I honestly think this is one of those subjects where its hard to take advice from people because every child is different. This morning, Benjamin poo-ed in his underwear (again). I wanted to cry as I was cleaning him. I work full time but Fridays and Saturdays are my days off. He has a carer for the days I am not home but I could feel her frustration. I was crying while cleaning him up – because I raised my voice even I know I shouldn’t. And I was firm in telling his carer not to scold the kid when he messes up because it could lead to regression of the whole potty training process yet here I am, breaking my own rule.

After a few minutes, Benjamin was very quiet, he fully knows I am upset. I am upset with him but more like, I am upset with myself. Where was the mantra I always take into heart: “This too shall pass”? it flew out of the window the minute poo dropped on the floor.

I always gently tell him, where do we do this business? And he answers, “toilet”. Promise? “Promise” yet he never keeps his promise. WHY, why, why? And he looks at me with those apologetic puppy dog eyes.

Every child eventually learns. Potty training is frustrating, but I know AND hope it will have an end to look forward to. SOON.

January 14, 2016 by findingbackroads

We’re nine years in Dubai

Expat Life
anniversary, Dubai, expat, expat life, Family
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The above photo was taken exactly NINE years ago, today. It was the morning after we landed in Dubai from a long flight from Japan (my camera even still showed Japan time). Our daughter Pristine had just turned 3 years old and I just started working at my current company. We moved to Dubai without any concrete life plans other than “testing the waters” and that whatever happens, we could always go back to Japan.

Nine years later, we are still here. NINE. Sounds like a long time, right?

I still don’t know until when we’ll be here but for now (we are asked that expat year end question again and again), Dubai is (still) home. I lived in Japan for 10 years and 3 months. Do you think I’ll surpass that record in Dubai?