MEETING FELLOW FILIPINO BLOGGERS IN MALAYSIA, HONG KONG & SINGAPORE

Like a surgeon with his list of procedures done on the operating table. Like an architect with his volume of blueprints drawn for the structures he built. Like a lawyer with his number of  legal cases won for his clients. I’m very proud that blogging has been my passion for the past 6 years and counting. Apparently, it has been occupying the biggest fraction on the pie graph of my limited social life.

Documenting our family’s fun adventures from our dining table to wherever our feet lead us, so that I (and hopefully Gabby) will have something online to look back, particularly when we’re all old and gray, has been surprisingly beneficial! But over and beyond freebies and loot bags, sponsorships, invites, and yes, some recognition, the most engaging part of being a blogger, in my opinion is having the opportunity to meet people who share the same passion. Certainly a big plus when bloggers go to events, travel here and there, eat and do things they love to do together, then eventually share the experiences to their readers. Engaging. Informative. Entertaining. Interesting. Fascinating. Never boring.

Within the past 3 years of living in Penang as an Overseas Filipino Worker, it’s been a pleasure to meet fellow Filipino Bloggers beyond Philippine shores.  This post randomly enumerates our casual meetings with them in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore.

MALACCA, MALAYSIA

Before we checked out from our 3D2N sponsored accomodation at Quayside Hotel and Halia Inc. Restaurant & Coffee Bar on our second visit to Melaka last June 2013, Jun Baris of GalangPusa.Wordpress.Com with his charming wife, Cynthia came over to meet us for few minutes before we head back to Penang.  They were even thoughtful in bringing Gabby two packs of ChocNut as pasalubong! Thank you Jun & Cynthia!

Read Jun’s blog posts on his Malaysian adventures and more HERE!

PENANG, MALAYSIA

The youngest and the very first bloggers from the Philippines that we met in George Town, Penang were Lloyd of  TheLostBoyLloyd.Com and Dan of HappyWanderer.Com. I toured them for more than 6 hours within George Town to Gurney Drive during the 2012 George Town Festival. We went to Pinang Peranakan Mansion where we even witnessed a prenuptial photoshoot, strolled to Muslim’s Mosques, Taoist, Buddhist and Hindu Temples which are all harmoniously existing within a few meters away. Diversity in this side of Asia isn’t only observed in religions but gastronomic delights as well. With all the rich cultures intertwined in Malaysia, it’s always a feast in almost all corners of Penang being the country’s food capital! We savored local restaurant and hawker foods to our delight! My only regret was not photographing the two for this blog. Nonetheless, I’m happy to be their half-day-tour guide in the island!

Glad to introduce my ultimate favorite Malaysian dish to them : Char Koay Teow!

Lloyd, Dan and I also sampled Penang’s famous desserts…


Ais Kachang, Cendol and Bubur Chacha! Sarap! Sedap!

They also spotted Lithuanian Artist, Ernest Zacharevic while working on his commissioned murals for George Town!

Dan and Lloyd, Maraming salamat sa pasalubong! Our favorite!!!

The visit of Lloyd and Dan to George Town blog post HERE! Read also Lloyd’s own take on their Penang experience HERE! I also suggest you visit Dan’s Happy Wanderer Blog HERE! 

Few months after, the blogger from Angono, Rizal, Anton Carranza Jr. revisited Malaysia and conquered Penang on foot in few days with his lovely wife, Teresa. They literally roamed around George Town on their own the day after I met them for dinner. I brought them to hawkers in Gurney Drive too but I thought, since they already tasted offerings from hawker stalls in Jalan Alor in Kuala Lumpur, it would be better if they try steamboat buffet in Seoul Garden inside Plaza Gurney Mall.

*Photo courtesy of Anton from his blog, PusangKalye.Net. Read his blog series on their Penang trip via his blog HERE!

Ivan Man Dy, the well-traveled Filipino Heritage Expert cum Tour Guide Extraordinaire and many other hats to his name has been to Penang several times even before I came to this Malaysian state to work in 2010.  We met Ivan several times in Manila but our first meeting with him in Penang was over Chicken Tandoori and Garlic Cheese Naan savored with barehands at Restoran Kapitan in Little India, George Town; blogged  HERE!

We met Ivan initially in Penang when I was a few pounds lighter and Tina hasn’t started her diet and physical regimen yet. She’ll kill me for this, hehehe!

Ivan decided to pay George Town, Penang another visit but this year, his trip was so timely on the city’s anniversary of incription as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. From our favorite local Indian-Malaysian restaurant last year, we brought Ivan to a sponsored and sumptuous Wine and Dine Dinner Buffet at no less than Sarkies at E&O Hotel; blog post HERE! 

After that Sarkies dinner, Ivan, Tina, Gabby and I went to Khoo Kongsi to watch the few moments of GTF2013. We were amazed and amused at the Taiwanese Puppet Show at the courtyard of one of the grandest clan houses in the island. We also got a chance to meet some local performers, who were all in their traditional attires.

Here are Ivan Man Dy’s pasalubong to us. Maraming salamat!

Visit Ivan Man Dy’s OldManilaWalks.Com and reserved a walking tour with him HERE!

Joey and Krissy of BoundForTwo.Com are Filipino bloggers currently based in Kuala Lumpur. We first met late last year when I visited Malaysia’s capital to renew my passport at the Philippine Embassy. We had some sushi and sashimi at a Japanese restaurant in Pavilion Mall.  Their blog post HERE!

This year, they also decided to explore Penang during George Town Festival. They stayed in the island over the weekend and Gabby and I (because Tina chose to do a ton of household chores) accompanied them to Kafe Heng Huat in Lorong Selamat where the most delicious Char Koay Teow that I’ve tasted with the most plump prawns and bowls of Ais Kachang among others are served. We also went to Thai and Burmese Buddhist Temples in Pulau Tikus, G Hotel and the famous hawkers and Plaza Gurney Mall in Gurney Drive. Like Anton and Teresa, they also toured the island by themselves before and after we met them. Thanks for the visit, Joey and Krissy!

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

During the 2013 Blog Awards held by Ministry of Tourism where this site was awarded for two consecutive years as Best Expat Blog Award Winner, three topnotch Filipino Bloggers were flown in from the Philippines to participate as speakers in the conference held for the event. We met Tonyo Cruz, Vince Golangco and Blogie Robillo during the awarding ceremony that same night. Blog post HERE! 

On this photo with the Honorable Tourism Malaysia Minister Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen (center wearing yellow gown) are Filipino bloggers Vince Golangco (standing second from right) of www.wheninmanila.com  , Blogie Robillo (standing second from left) of www.robilloblog.com and Tonyo Cruz (standing third from right) of tonyocruz.com.

HONG KONG

Tina, Gabby and I were invited by Hong Kong Disneyland for 3D2N sponsored trip and accomodation with full meals, together with Filipino celebrity bloggers.

Lesley (third from left on the photo above) of ShootFirstEatLater.Com, Gael Hilotin (eighth from left) of ThePinaySoloBackpacker.Com, Pastor Dennis Sy (next to Gael) of ActLikeAMan.Org, (next to Pastor Dennis on the photo above is his lovely wife, Thammie Sy of ThammieSy.Com and celebrity-fashion bloggers, Kryz Uy (third from right) of ThirstyThoughtByKryzUy , Robbie Becroft (behind Kryz) of RobbieOffDuty.Com and Laureen Uy (second from right) of BreakMyStyle.Com.

SINGAPORE

While in Singapore and over Sufi Restaurant’s Babaganoush, Kebab on a Sword and other Mediterranean goodies, I’ve met the Nuffnang’s Asia-Pacific Award Winning Travel Blogger, Nina Fuentes of JustWandering.Org  on July 19, 2012 in Arab Street. I first met Nina on an invitational blogger’s event for Singapore Tourism Board few months prior my work in Penang started. Our Singapore casual yet tasteful dinner, blogged HERE!

And just a day after the dinner with Nina, I met a few more Filipino Bloggers in the Lion City as we were all invited to grace the 2012 Singapore Blog Awards; blog post HERE!

We were hosted by omy.sg and designated to various hotels of Far East Hospitality. I was luckily assigned to Oasia. It was fun when we attended the welcome dinner, the awarding ceremonies the following day where Noks wore that Joker costume and won over other contestatnts in superhero attires; we rode the Singapore Flyer together, and eat, laugh, eat, laugh in that happy cycle! Of  course, it was fun to meet fellow bloggers from other Southeast Asian countries; we gained friends after the event! 🙂

If this was the Blogging Olympics, here’s the contingent from the Philippines! (From left to right on the photo above) Brenna Bustamante of PhilippineTravelogue.Com, KC Canlas of SpreadSomeAwesome.Com, the Joker who won the Best Costume Award in SBA2012 -Noks Sosa of SiningFactory.Com (and his other blogs), and certainly not the least, Aleah of SolitaryWanderer.Com

June 2013, we met Paul Ang of the blog, MadDawgWorld.Wordpress.Com  and his cheerful and loving wife, Fran of the blog, FrannyWanny.Com who both are currently Singapore-based.

Paul Ang (in acid blue shirt) and his better half, Fran (in pink shirt). We were invited by an inspiring Filipino achiever in Singapore and across Northeast and Southeast Asia, Dennis to a delightful Japanese Dinner in Hakumai Sushi and Omakase and French Desserts at Antoinette; blog post HERE! Dennis will kill me for posting this! Sorry, Dennis but again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for that wonderful dinner!

Why did I painstakingly blog this?  

To tell the entire Universe that we, Filipino Bloggers are conquering the world and we chose to begin with our own continent. Kidding!

If you’re visiting us while we’re still here in Penang, we charge for MEET & GREET SESSION and we highly welcome pasalubong from the Philippines, JOKE!!! 😛

Seriously, to all those mentioned in this long but humble post, thank you so much for taking the efforts and spending your precious time with us! Hope to see you again soon!

PS : If in any case I missed someone, kindly identify yourself, state where and when we met outside the Philippines and I’ll gladly edit this post.  Maraming salamat po!  🙂

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