I met this nice and beautiful girl Monette at Captain Morgan Party in Manila in November in 2011. It was sooo much fun! She is really sweet so I am sure next time when I am in SE Asia we will meet again 🙂
me with Monette and Marky at Captain Morgan Party in Manila 2011
Find out more about Monette via her answers:
1. Who are you? Tell us something about you.
My name is Monette Fernandez. I work as a senior training manager for a third-party healthcare provider in the Philippines. I have been travelling for over five years and have been blogging with my travel partner, Ron Cruz, for over four years at Flip Travels. On regular days, I am a homebody. I enjoy ordinary bus rides to and from the office to save money for my trips. I am fuelled with caffeine, I devour books, and I breathe music. I do not know how to swim but love to go to beaches. As much as I enjoy traveling with Ron, my friends, and my significant other (together or separately), I am most blissful when traveling alone. Oh, and I hate frogs…
2. What is your favorite place, city and country and why? (All three of them)
My favourite place is by the beach. I’m not sure why as I don’t know how to swim… I just know that it gives me so much peace to sit, stare, and imagine what is over the great beyond. Or it just might be the beer… lol!
I love to stay in so many cities, but my ultimate choice has got to be Luang Prabang. I love its people’s almost whisper-like footsteps in the morning. I crave for its baguettes and brewed coffee sold on streets. I miss how this city warps time to make the hours passing really slowly, or stretches time to make the hours last longer. This place could lift me in its arms and cradle me to sleep.
My favorite country is Indonesia. I’ve never felt so close to one culture as this place. I feel comfortable moving along its streets and mingling with its people. I love how its food imitates my craving for home. I can feel its art as I trace my hands along its amazing islands. I can’t wait to go back there!
3. If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be and why?
Switzerland for the Alps, chocolates, and cheese. Oh! And there is a guy who lives there who stole my heart and hid it somewhere in his basement… 
4. What do you love the most about your home country?
I especially like the fact that my family and friends, at least most of them, live in the Philippines. I don’t feel powerless. Also, I like how people get to squeeze in mall-ing, three-hour coffee breaks, and drinking during a work week!
5. How travel changes you?
Travel changed me profoundly in such a way that I always come out of every trip being better version of myself. There are always new things to discover, especially culture. I know now that people from different countries are no different from me. The more I meet people, the smaller my world becomes that I can practically wrap around my arms around the world.
Monette, you got me with Switzerland and their chocolate and cheese, I cannot get enough of them either 😀 Thanks for the interview!
Love,
Alex
