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Can't really give you good hotel advice in Manila since the only hotel I've stayed at there is the Manila Hotel, since when I usually visit I stay at my family's condo or at a cousin's house in QC. However, with regards to getting around, you might want to look into Grab (the PH version of Uber) or just hiring a driver through Klook while you're there. I never had an issue with Grab drivers, and we usually get a driver when there's a bunch of us since it's much easier for them to figure out how to get to places in Manila!

If you're a "modern city" kind of person, I'd definitely recommend BGC or Makati in Metro Manila; very modern and lots of nice shopping/nightlife. If you're more of a "historical city" kind of person I'd recommend doing an Intramuros/Binondo excursion in Manila. I believe Intramuros also has night/ghost tours and you'll get to hear all about the FIlipino superstitions. There's also Vigan in Ilocos Sur, which is more Spanish colonial style.

When I went to El Nido, I felt like Grindr was mostly tourists looking for quick fun. You could also look on X using the hashtags #alterpalawan #alterpuertoprincesa #alterelnido to see who might be in the area while you're there. I haven't tried messaging someone on X before, since this was a new discovery for me. Have fun in El Nido! I had a blast there especially with all the excursions and snorkeling.

Enjoy Boracay! I had such a great time there when I last visited. They did a huge cleanup campaign a while back and its so much cleaner than it was before!

I can state that sisig is definitely not a healthy dish.... usually its the go-to late night bar food, as it's good alongside some beer and rice. Usually it's made of pig ear/skin so it's very fatty. Your sisig looks like the egg just cooked before you had time to mix it; next time you get it, highly recommend mixing the egg the sisig is served in. Trust me. A slightly "healthier" version is a tofu sisig, but usually add mayonnaise to substitute the fattiness that the pig fat brings...

How was your stay at Axel Two? Thinking about my next trip to Spain and if it's worth staying near there.

Guess I should switch to tea and energy drinks then!

I have three main emails: one for personal things (doctors, impt accounts, family correspondences), one for subscriptions to various things (Netflix, X, news) and one for miscellaneous items (emails for when you're required to sign up for things but don't want to give them your personal email, etc.) I also have my work email but I don't count that.

I have a couple relatives who live in BGC and that's the same impression I got. One grew up in NYC and stated that BGC "reminded him of NYC" a lot.

I was in Barcelona last summer and I stayed at two locations: Hotel Via Augusta and Hotel Catalonia Eixample 1864. Via Augusta was close to a metro stop and easy to get to Thermas, and was centrally located. Also had free breakfast which was nice. Catalonia Eixample was closer to the touristy parts and an easy walk to Paseig de Gracia and short taxi ride everywhere else.