Veganism is going viral across the globe as more and more people are choosing to change to a lifestyle of plant and fruit-based eating. The Philippines, however, is proving a difficult bastion to conquer. One young and gutsy restaurateur and entrepreneur based in Davao City, Sahara Lara Casteel, is on a mission to educate lechon…
Category: Expat in Davao
Dutch in Davao
Not too long ago I belonged to the majority of people in this world who had never heard of Davao City, the third largest city in the Philippines. End of 2017 I emigrated there to join my partner Sophie who found employment there with an international NGO. Blogging as an expat in Davao, I wrote about the people I met and my extraordinary experiences going around the Philippines until I returned to the Netherlands in August of 2019. I captured these stories from the inside out, but with an outsider’s perspective.
Poems Of Appreciation: Sun
Living as a Dutch expat in the Philippines, I’ve found renewed appreciation for all things larger than life. In this Poem of Appreciation I pay tribute to: the sun. Sun Piercing through the slightest curtain cracks, the sunlight forces its way into the room still crisply cool. Daytime stops all creatures of the night in…
The Game Changer: “I Want Girls To Know You Can Do This”
An edited version of this interview appeared in the print edition of the “Edge Davao” newspaper on Tuesday March 20th, 2018 Two years ago, twenty-four-year-old Celina Simone Enciso Jaldon had no desire to coach or teach sports. Now, she’s the first woman – and one of the youngest ever coaches – to be in charge…
Frisky Filipino Fridays
There’s a voice in the distance and light knocking on metal. Our katabang, or helper, has arrived and she’s at the gate, trying to draw attention to her arrival. I respond through the bedroom window, put on shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops, and welcome her in. The Friday morning routine has officially begun. As…
Poems Of Appreciation: Water
Living as a Dutch expat in the Philippines, I’ve found renewed appreciation for all things larger than life. In this Poem of Appreciation I pay tribute to: water. Water It’s above and below, behind and in front. It’s to the left and the right, it makes sharp what was blunt. It’s life and it’s death,…
The Normal New
The feeling of being on an extended holiday has officially passed. There’s a rhythm now, partly dictating my day to day actions. Routine, after a year of traveling, soul searching and waiting tables, might be just what the doctor ordered. The funny thing about “starting over” in a foreign land, is that one day you…
Night Belongs To Runners
A week ago on Sunday, 7-Eleven organized a running event held simultaneously in Manila, Cebu and Davao. My friend Jamie and I took on the 10k Buddy Run in Davao. It was a nightly affair with all sorts of sweets, hotdog samples and sugary drinks waiting for us at the finish line. At four a.m.…
Fellowship Of The Falls
Three Swiss, two Dutch expats and one Filipina meet in front of 7-Eleven on Davao City’s Ma-a road. It’s seven a.m. on what promises to be a sunny Sunday. This peculiar looking squad of six embarks on a trip that will take them to the hills of Marilog District. And from there into the jungle…