#thebrethrenpost

This is actually my very first time traveling to a different country. And as it turns out, like everything you experience for the first time, it is overwhelming as hell! From the preparation to going to the airport, to figuring out which characters say "Men" in the restroom. (Thank heavens for the invention of icons!)🧍‍♂️

Despite that, it was one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. My wife and I had the most fulfilling adventure that improved our perspective on the world, our personal capabilities, and our spiritual growth. In this blog, I want to share how we planned our first trip to Thailand.

Preparation

Most of the successes¹ that we experienced on our trip were because of my wife’s organisational skills in seriously taking the time to research, plan and endlessly evaluate. We have designed our trip 8 months before the actual flight. My wife always wanted to go to another country to explore and for other reasons. (*cough* bragging rights *cough*) 

Anyway, yes. For 8 months of preparation, we kept our finances in check, set goals on our bank accounts², and planned the routes of the places were going. no agencies, no internal connections. Just plain YouTube videos and Facebook Groups in DIY Travel Communities. 

Because of this preparation phase, we have enjoyed our travel to the fullest, without looking like the wandering idiots that we already are. It was just pack, airport, immigration, plane, train and then boom! 🇹🇭You’re in the hotel as if you already know the country. No asking obvious questions that’ll embarrass you, no checking on the phone what to say nor what to do, and no first-time experience anxiety. Which was kind of weird, to be honest, it was that smooth.

The Trip

The trip went flawlessly as long as you took the time and effort to plan things out in your itinerary. Although you don’t need to follow it chronologically (if you’re on a DIY travel plan), just think of it as a checklist for you to use to find the most efficient way to get things done. Most of the time, we managed to tick off almost everything on the Day 1 itinerary, allowing us to jump into Day 2 activities.

The only struggle for us was knowing the difference between fair pricing for a tuk-tuk ride. We were aware that there are many scammers in Thailand, as in all other tourist places in the world. So, we used the Grab app and then bargained our way there. For example, if a Grab Car ride costs 100฿ Baht from point A to point B, we would negotiate with the tuk-tuk driver for 70฿ or 80฿ Baht. It didn’t work every time, but at least we knew what the fair price was.

Conclusions

I really enjoyed this trip, and it actually inspired me to save more money for future travels. I’m grateful for the long preparation my wife did just to make this adventure of a lifetime happen. It wasn’t easy, and boy, was it tedious. But it allowed me to enjoy my time on the journey, not waste myself wandering and being frustrated, and ending up lost.

In fact, we were so organized in our plan that we took the time to learn the language, understand the culture, genuinely taste the food and not just "eat it," and spend time becoming one of the people, not just tourists. The best part was having extra money in our budget because we realized we didn’t have to spend as much as we thought.

Things will try to get in your way of making it happen³—unexpected health issues, financial crises, not getting approved by immigration, or even just being unlucky. But if you’re immensely determined and plan things out, it will come together as if it was meant to be.

Kap Khun Krap

You can check the itinerary here if you want to plan your own travel. It has all the details you need.

¹not getting offloaded, lost, scammed, buying the right food and not overspending from the budget are considered successes for us.

²(and by setting goals on our bank accounts I mean consistently putting money and not just putting a one-time big cash in the bank statement. -  when the immigration office gets a chance to see that, they might be sceptical of the sudden change and may lead you offloaded.)

If I were to describe Hong Kong as a place here in the Philippines, it would definitely be Binondo on steroids (literally). The architecture, the street food, the tight, claustrophobic spaces and especially, the capitalism. It’s a Western Chinatown on a whole different level.

Despite my shallow observation, there are some things that I learned about the place. In terms of culture, rules and how things work. Below are the things that gave me an eye-opener about the place.

Strong Order

One thing I noticed while visiting Hong Kong was that there were no beggars or homeless people. It was the first time I saw a place where nobody was sleeping on the streets or begging. Another notable aspect is the safety. I guess the main factor is the extensive CCTV surveillance. Cameras are everywhere—on the streets, in the trains, and even in housing areas. Surveillance is highly utilized, making it very easy to track someone who has committed a crime.

Of course, the place isn't perfect. You can still see trash here and there and mischievous people doing things they shouldn't (both locals and foreigners). But the sense of order is strong. You don’t see many policemen patrolling, but if they do need to respond, they are quick—usually within 5-10 minutes.

The Cold

One thing is for sure when I came to Hong Kong: just because it's not snowing doesn't mean the cold is bearable. To give you context, I've dealt with cold temperatures before in the Philippines (around 20°C). When I heard and saw that Hong Kong doesn't have any snow and the temperature was only between 14°C-16°C, I thought, "I'll just bring a thick jacket then."

Boy, was I wrong. The first time I went outside the airport, it was freezing cold. Even with my jacket on, I was still cold. It was so cold that I had to turn off the air conditioner in our room because it was too much. It was so cold that I had to turn on the hot shower and wait for the room to steam up while drying myself, just to get warm. I thank the heavens for my wife buying heat tech garments.

Kabayan

If you go to Central Square, you'll find a place where a lot of Filipinos are chilling on the street with their cardboard boxes as floor padding. They sing videoke on their smartphones, play bingo or card games, and even trade goods. These are our "kabayans"—Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) spending their time on the weekend. They're very warm and welcoming whenever they meet a fellow Filipino. The first time you see them, you'll definitely feel like you're at home.

To be honest, I wish I had more time to spend with them on those streets, listening to their stories, hearing about their families, and learning about their experiences as OFWs. There was even a time when we met an OFW while walking in the subway station. She shared her story about her experiences and how life has been going for her in the Philippines. The only words I spoke to her were, "Kabayan! Kumusta?" and the conversation just flowed from there until she directed us to the correct station. You can tell they want someone to talk to and listen. I believe that being heard in your own language has a profound impact on making someone feel better and comforted.

Disney Land

The happiest place on earth. This was the second time I went to a theme park, but this one was different for me. It wasn’t just a place for excitement and laughter. This theme park somehow brought us to tears. The inner child in me came alive when I experienced it. It’s just different. The happiness, joy, and imagination of becoming a part of a magical place are so surreal. I wish I could express more of that in words, but it’s just magical.

EA vs SEA

Traveling in Southeast Asia is really different from traveling in East Asia. Although Singapore also has a strong sense of order, extensive surveillance, and beautiful theme parks, Hong Kong and Macau have very distinct environments that differ greatly from Southeast Asia. East Asians tend to be more reserved, with people minding their own business and maintaining a quiet dignity. In contrast, Southeast Asians are warm, welcoming, and interactive.

I could even tell this because most of the noisy ones in the place were either Filipinos or other Southeast Asians. Of course, you also have some East Asians being loud and extroverted, but when I saw that street performance in Central Harbour, the ones who gave the craziest cheers were from SEA.

Macau

If Hong Kong was Binondo, Macau is Intramuros. The place has a strong Spanish/Portuguese vibe, which is evident in its architecture. They have a street that looks like a little Lisbon. The buildings and pavements resemble those in Latin Europe. Of course, the place is dominated by casinos. But they offer free rides, luggage drop-offs, and tours of tourist sites. If given the chance to go back again, I am confident I could tour Macau for less than Php 1000.

Thoughts

What does it mean to be strong? Does it always have to be fierce, tough or revolutionary? Every time we see a person who resists, fights back or takes revenge often give us this slight satisfaction of justice is prevailing and strength exists in that person. I, too sometimes admire people who have a very low tolerance for mistreatment and unfairness. There were times when I just ask what if I fought back, what if I resisted or what if I just say “No”. These were just some thoughts on how I wished I could have been a strong person. But that led me to ask another question. What is the measure of strength?

Resistance

Resistance is hard, it takes effective confrontation, bravery, and even emotional discipline of being thick-skinned and bold. We often celebrate resistance especially if it’s for a good cause, such as fighting injustices and unfair systems of society. We have that sense of happiness when we see the person who causes these hardships “gets what they deserve” as if “karma”, has finally caught up to them. People who tend to resist are commonly those who have a short temper for mistreatment or are easily persuaded to settle things through violence or non-violent confrontations. We also see them as people with anger issues not easy to be dealt with and sometimes, people we avoid unless we needed their behaviour to fix things.

Endurance

However, I also pondered the people who submitted and endure. People who took the patience to wait, hold and bear. People who just cried things out and hope for better days. Shouldn’t these be acknowledged as strengths as well? Apparently not, as for my observation these traits are known from people who are timid, soft-hearted and expected the world to be kind. Which is why they prefer to flee rather than fight. I somehow feel awe of how they endure adversaries and still, keep the kindness in their hearts to have faith that things will pass. And I admire that. For me, these are people who are just equally strong as people who want a revolution. The ability to endure, submit and even forgive is one of the few and strongest men can do.

Who is stronger?

Special Thanks to My Wife.

It’s been a quarter of a century and look how far we have been. To be honest, these past few days has been given me a lot of thought. On what to do on the second phase of my life. Yes, I call it second phase because I plan to live up-to a 100th. Hahaha. There has been a lot of stress that has been bugging me within the plans, goals and even the current events happening in my life. My worries, regrets or whatever unpleasant feelings that have been bugging my head preventing me to sleep. But then, when my birthday started everything was starting to cool down. I really appreciate my wife being there for me. For comforting me despite of the manhood shell. There are time where I couldn’t explain myself clearly and yet she still gives the empathy to understand. And even when I woke up. After going to the temple, everything that was bugging my head started to calm down. I also started to notice small influences of positivity in my mind. For all the gifts that I received in my birthday having a compassionate helpmeet is more that I could ever ask for. Shout out to the woman who has been giving me the best birthday surprises since Day 1. ❤️

Things that used to be and are.

I was scrolling in the facebook memories and came across with this post way back 2017 (about 6 years ago).

Most of the time when my wife and I experience certain stress in our lives whether it’s work, school or life, we usually go to BGC or Jollibee to buy food and eat the stress away. It is famously known as “Stress Eating”. There was a time when we experienced a financial problem that cause us to tighten our belts to keep our obligations. 

One day I was sharing mine with my friend, who was also financially struggling, about my situation and ranting about how on earth can I keep this up. In the middle of our conversation, he asked me a simple question that made me really think about my situation. He asked, “What’s your problem with finances?”. 

That question made me reflect and took a step back to look at my standing. Realizing that there are ways to manage stress without harming our wallets and well-being.

Prayer

Commonly prayers are about asking for something that you want. But prayers are more than that, it also allows you to lose the things you don’t want like anger, sadness and even stress. It creates an environment for you to express things that only you can understand, even without having the struggle of explaining what it is.

Talk About It

Talking about things that trouble you (or anything at all) helps you maintain sanity. My wife and I always talk about things most of which are gibberish and repetitive. This was one of the topics I opened up to my wife when we were trying to cut costs. I asked when was the last time we manage the stress that cost us nothing. And this ended up with our conclusion.

Fast

Fasting is a bit different. Fasting is about controlling appetite. Limit yourself to maintain the balance of your spiritual and physical needs. This helps you create discipline and allows you to reflect on what needs are necessary (things that need worrying about) and what are distractions (things that don’t really matter in the long run). 

Appliances. Perhaps one of the most exciting parts of our marriage life. As if a number of side quest needs to be completed to unlock achievements. Before our marriage, we already kind of discuss what we wanted to begin with. We didn’t have much but we did have a mindset to “just enough to start” which was actually a big factor in motivating us in getting what we wanted - that includes appliances. So here are some of the first appliances as a couple.

Electric Fan

It was that electric fan that kept us in the depth of hell (our apartment). The summer heat was just too much to bear and thank heavens for providing us this majestic machine. We were saved by grace through its breeze that kept us moving and not regretting on the apartment of our choice.

Bed Mattress

It’s not a home if you can sleep in it. So it’s obvious why we have a mattress as our essential in the house. We actually had two as these mattresses were from the previous apartments that we once bought for ourselves.

Rice Cooker

Of course, we need our rice cooker. But it’s not only for making rice, it’s also made for frying, boiling and cooking other dishes. ah yes, I remember how versatile our Eureka Rice Cooker was. It was the one that kept us alive and live within the budget (though it was still expensive.)

Refrigerator

One thing I learned in the mission is how important food preservation is. Leaving leftover food to waste is incredibly costly. So we immediately saved to buy a refrigerator to preserve our meals. The best part is it was only about PHP 5,000. 5ft tall, 2nd Hand and still in good condition. Best purchase in Facebook Market Place!

Bucket and Dipper

For hygiene purposes...

Storage Rack

Now you might be asking; “why do you need a storage rack for?”. Well, if you are just a couple starting, living in a tight space, and have a lot of things that need to be organized or stored for future use. Then my friends do I have an idea for you? A storage rack is a place where you can put anything. And I mean anything (with a maximum weight of 100kg*). You can put the pots, pans, spices, make-up kit, 72-hour kit, exercising equipment, water jug and almost anything that just may be lying around on the floor, countertop or table. Yes. The Storage Keep is for keeping your “stuffs” organized. And boy did it improved our space and convenience in the house.

And that’s it!

Life Experience

One of the highlights in my mission is that; Missionary work will teach you more about life than just missionary work. For example being obedient, not only be it taught me to follow the rules. It taught me to be responsible to my actions. I learn how consequences from our decisions can greatly affect the quality of our life and identity. I learned in the perspective of a missionary, that life is simple, but never easy. Therefore it allowed me to handle situations in the most Christlike way. It taught me to handle my finances, manage my time, develop good habits and avoid bad behaviour. You may say, the mission help me to become a better human being and not just a mere missionary.

Professional Experience

I’m very grateful of the blessing I received before, during and after my mission. Another highlights I learned is that, “The mission does not change you, it reveals you.” the smallest ounce of potential that is projected from 5, 10 and even 50 years beyond of what you are capable of. The professional experience I’ve recieved became my asset in the competitive corporate world, These experiences taught me competence, work-ethic, skillset and character development. In fact, the successes I had in my career are due to the fruit of my mission. Skills like confidence, public speaking, righteous image (branding), English, teach and leadership are all focused, practiced and mastered in my 2 years in the field. and till today, I use these skills in my work, church and family. 

Spiritual Experience

To my Past Myself,

We had such a wonderful experience, you, and I, your clumsy failures and the satisfying successes are the evidence that we have lived a fruitful life. The moments both bitter and sweet have made me understand a deeper meaning in existence here on earth. I write this letter to you as a token of gratitude to my heart for the things you have made me of what I am and what I have today.

My happiness resonates like the sunrise every time we celebrate our achievements whether it is great or small. The satisfaction it brings as we look back on the process is a crown we do not want to be taken away at the moment. Of course, not everything falls into place. Crying and calming, craving, and clearing have consistently converted my character.  And that might not have happened because of you.

Thus, creating this letter has more to its appreciation This is a great time for me to look back for reconciliation For you that has been an example of the past That I know for certain will not last 

As I am a being who is continually changing, Continually existing, continually living, Like the waters in the river, it will ever be flowing to the earth that will need my elements for growing

But to you, I give credit for keeping me nice for keeping me pure not yielding to vice The water is still flowing and giving life without price I thank you for not making me salty, not making me ice