Rant #5

 So I stopped by this unexpectedly amazing spot in Phú Nhuận, and wow I was genuinely impressed. The way they decorated the area? Absolutely beautiful. Like, who gave them the right to make it look like a Pinterest board in real life? You rarely see anything like this back in my hometown in the Philippines lol, no offense, PH.

It was around 9 p.m., I was just casually strolling through different districts, minding my own business, and baaammmm I walked into what felt like a mini food and aesthetic paradise. The place was alive! Surrounded by cute little restaurants where you could eat, drink, chill, or just pretend to be a food vlogger for the night.

The area was buzzing people heading home from work, friends catching up, couples being all cute. Then, suddenly, a group of students stopped right where I was sitting and asked to take a photo. I mean, what was I supposed to do say no? Of course not. So there I was, taking for a pic like some local photographer. Apparently, they thought I was Vietnamese again. Honestly, it’s not even surprising at this point. I’ve been mistaken so many times I’m starting to question my own nationality hahaha

And while I was sitting there, playing guest star in  Instagram or facebook story, a wave of nostalgia hit me. I remembered the days when I used to have a big group of friends, loud, chaotic, always around. But you know how it goes people grow up, grow apart. Not everyone stays. Only a rare few sticks with you through the mess and the milestones. I miss one of them in particular.

Living in a different country alone? It’s no joke. It takes guts like big, bold, superhero-level courage. You deal with the loneliness, the culture shock, the language gaps and you do it with no one around who completely gets what you're going through. Sometimes you just want to share a random thought, and no one’s there to go, “Same.”

But hey, almost two years in, and I’ve made some amazing friends here. Real ones. Kind, trustworthy, and honestly, they’ve helped keep me sane.

After all that reflection and emotional monologue in my head, I figured it was time to head home before I accidentally became the town’s go to photographer for free! I mean, fame is one thing, but unpaid labor. No thanks hahaha .