It was a hot Sunday on September 1, 2013. My family was busy packing our things in our house that we were renting in Quezon City. My parents and siblings were moving to another place while I would soon leave the Philippines for another country. To Taiwan! The plan was simple. Transport all our belongings to our new home in Montalban, Rizal and my mother and father would come back to accompany me to Clark Airport Lounge which is located in Trinoma Mall. My father would just drive his taxi so the doing these tasks were a bit easy. I was the one paying the house rent. Since I would be going abroad and no one would pay the bill anymore, my parents just decided to live in Rizal province.
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at Clark Airport Lounge |
My main luggage weighed 31 kilos and my father helped me carried my stuff and put it in the compartment at the back of the car. One of our neighbors saw us and even giggled at a joke. “Uy! Pupuntang Dubai!”. They taught I was going to work abroad. Haha! In a matter of hours, my life would change forever. The Clark Airport Lounge serves as a bus station for people going to the international airport outside Manila. My parents looked cool when they left me in Trinoma Mall but I know deep inside their hearts that they were sad, because they won't see their eldest son for five years. My mama and papa were holding back their tears as they leave the place.
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The toll gates at the expressway leading to Clark, Pampanga |
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Mt. Arayat as seen from the bus window |
At 3:00 pm the bus going to Clark International Airport started its journey. I have enjoyed the view of Mt. Arayat as the bus passed through the Pampanga province. At 5:00pm I have reached the airport. It was not my first time in this airport and I even enjoyed watching the television in the departure hall. At the immigration, the female officer asked me “Ano pong gagawin nyo sa Hong Kong?”. I replied that I would not be going to Hong Kong rather I would be going to Taiwan. A short interview with the immigration officer and I'm ok. Air Asia Philippines flight PQ 7357 lifted off at 8:35 pm and flew over Luzon island and the Bashi Channel.
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walking towards the airplane |
Clark International Airport became smaller and smaller as the tiny lights from houses look scattered at the darkness of the night.... Until there was nothing to see outside the window. At around 10:00 pm, I saw yellow colored lights. It was like I was looking at a sea of stars and it was so fascinating. I knew that I was already in Taiwan while still high above the clouds. "What would happen to me in the future?", I asked myself until an announcement woke up all of the passengers. It was a Chinese message and I didn't understand what was it all about. But I have a hunch that the message was about telling the people that the airplane already entered the territory of Taiwan. After a few seconds, the captain spoke to us in English and we are told about how many minutes till we reached Taoyuan International Airport.
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The very first photo that I took in Taiwan |
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at the Arrival Hall in Taoyuan International Airport |
The plane landed at Terminal 2. Just like what I did at Hong Kong International Airport I just followed the signs to get to the Immigration. The queue was very long. When I was my turn, the officer asked me, “How long are you going to study here?”. I replied, “3 to 5 years”. Then I heard the sound of the stamp marking my single resident visa as “Used”.
It was a funny experience when I reached the Arrival Hall. There were a lot of locals waiting for their loved ones and it was a very large crowd. Some have placards with Chinese characters written on it. Others were even carrying flags. They looked so excited to see their relatives. Oh! They were looking at me! It was an awkward moment that I tried not to look at their faces to just stop myself from laughing.
Sakura Series - Taiwan
2024 Forecast
Taipei 101 first flowers
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Taipei Flower Test Center
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Broadwood Park
Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura
Wuling Farm (武陵農場)
SYS kawazu sakura
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
CKS Memorial Hall
Shibafen Yoshino Sakura
Hope River
Dongfang Temple
Tianyuan Palace
Neicou Stream Trail
Orange Garden Cafe
Yangming Park Visitor Information Center
Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop
Huashan Road
Qianshan Park
Zhongshan Hall Entrance
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura
Neihu Creek Trail
Shulin Land Office
Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest
Lung Yen Sakura Forest
Yangming Park cherry stream
Yangming Park fountain
CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura
Wugu District Tianyi Road
CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura
Loving Farm
Yong Long Farm
Zhongbaling Sakura Road
Sun Link Sea
Tai'an Police Station
Cherry Hill Slope
Hsinchu Park
Taipei 101
Kāng Gào Kēng Creek
New Garden City
Broadwood Park
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Alishan Ranger Station
Alishan House
Alishan Police Station
Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Station
Alishan Entrance
Alishan Gou Hotel
Alishan Magnolia Garden
Wulai tour
Wun Chang Elementary School
Bishanyan
Sanzhi Sansei Trail
Sakura Series - Taiwan
Nei Cuo Stream
Orange Garden Cafe
Sansei Trail
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Yangming Park Cherry Stream
Yangming Park Fountain
Flower Test Center
Broadwood Park
New Garden City
Yinghua Park
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Yangmingshan Visitor Center
Taipei 101
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Sakura Series - Japan
Kamonyama Park
Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park
Shinko Park
Minato-mirai 21 area
Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus
Onda River
Tenryuji
Byodoin
Kiyomizudera
Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple
Hōryū-ji Temple
Nara Park attractions
Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus
Sumida River
Tsuruma Park
Gion
Maple Series
Taipei Aowanda
Shimen Dam
Alishan
Aowanda
Shanlinxi
Taoyuan Valley Garden
Fushoushan Farm
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Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis |
The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)
Always in my heart
MRT birdman
Valentine's Day
Tulips Festival
2018 Taipei Lantern Festival
City of Azaleas
Linji Huguo Temple
Nanjichang Night Market
Gudetama Chef restaurant
Dalongdong Bao'an Temple
Shilin hollyhocks
Ningxia Night Market
Ximending graffiti
Discovery Center of Taipei
Chunghwa Postal Museum
Double-Decker Bus
Shilin Cold Balls
Jingimoo
GomanMango
mud volcanic ice
Fire and Ice Dumpling
Opium Fen-Yuan
Ichiran Ramen
Liu Shandong Beef Noodles
hydrangea flowers
National Palace Museum
Other attractions in Taipei
Taipei on a budget
Japanese buildings
Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles
Presidential Office Building
Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain
CKS and SYS Hall
City tour
Beitou ramen
MRT Monopoly Game
Winter city tour
Zhicheng Park
Shilin Plum Blossom
Art museums
Shopping in Taipei
Summer desserts
Qingtiangang
Qixingshan hiking
2015 Calla lily
2016 Calla lily
Beitou tour
Beitou-Zhuzihu tour
NTU
Confucius Temple
2015 Dadaocheng Festival
Puppet Museum
Fantasy Ice World
2016 Bread Show
Strawberry picking
2015 Rose Garden
Modern Toilet
Shilin Night Market
NASA Exhibit
Raohe Night Market
Longshan Temple
2013 Taipei Zoo
Maokong Gondola
Lupin flowers
Taipei 101 day visit
Taipei 101 night visit
Tiger Mountain
Din Tai Fung
Taipei Story House
2014 Flower Show
Chrysanthemum Show
Miramar Ferris wheel
Miniatures Museum
Archery
1600 Pandas
Wulaoguo hot pot
Upside Down House
2016 101 Fireworks
New Taipei
Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival
Elephant Rock SUP/kayaking
Meteor Garden school
Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel
Shifen Waterfall
2017 Sand Sculpture
Dragon Caves
New Taipei tour
2016 Kite Festival
Pingxi Crags
Bitou Cape
2016 Sand Sculpture
2015 Christmasland
Juming - Jinshan
Houtong - Pingxi
Sandiaoling Waterfall
Jiufen foodtrip
Guanyinshan hike
Yehliu Ocean World
2014 Kite Festival
Pingxi Rail tour
Jinguashi tour
Vigor Kobo Pineapple
British Consulate
Yehliu Geopark
2014 Sand Sculpture
Paragliding
2014 Christmasland
2014 Pingxi Lantern
firefly watching
Yingge Ceramics Street
Jiufen tour
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