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I installed the Shiki App yesterday after getting a notification, and...

It's pretty good.

However, the icon with 'S' might be confusing for some people, so I think 'SQ' would be better.

I visited this place twice, once in 2017 and again in 2018. …

I visited this place twice, once in 2017 and again in 2018.

I was satisfied both times. The exterior was impressively large, and the interior had a classic, elegant feel. The friendly service and delicious food all met my expectations.

As I recall, the prices weren't too steep either. They were similar to other places, or perhaps 10% to 20% more at most.

However, considering the quality of the side dishes, the level of service from the staff, and the opulent interior, the price was perfectly reasonable.

The part-time staff grilled everything for us, so we could just relax and eat.

Unfortunately, it seems to have closed down. I once suggested going to "Ganggangsullae" to a friend, but they told me it's no longer operating...

If it's still open, I'd recommend this place to everyone, young and old.

Former President Jair Bolsonaro is very entertaining.

He is the former president of Brazil.

The reason this person is entertaining is because of the things he said during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The destructive power of this virus has been exaggerated."

"It may be being inflated for economic reasons." (March 2020)

IBTimes +1

"90% of the population will have a mild flu or no symptoms at all."

He repeatedly referred to COVID-19 as a "little flu."

IBTimes +1

"This virus problem seems to be disappearing." (April 2020)

IBTimes +1

Remarks made during a surge in deaths

When a reporter asked about the increase in deaths, when Brazil's death toll reached thousands:

"So what?"

His most famous remarks were:

"If you turn into a crocodile after getting the vaccine, it's your problem."

Or

"Women might grow beards, or men might develop feminine voices."

The Daily Star +2

However, there is an interpretation that this remark was not a claim that "vaccines actually turn people into crocodiles," but rather an exaggerated example to mock pharmaceutical companies' disclaimers.

UOL Notícias +1

Also:

"I will not get vaccinated."

He actually didn't get vaccinated and actually contracted COVID-19, but fortunately or unfortunately, he recovered without significant symptoms and said, "See? It's nothing. No need to be afraid." To those who died, he said, "It's sad, but on the other hand, that's life."

It's amazing that he said such things so confidently and was not impeached.

Actually, I think the same way he does, and I have never been vaccinated. I also didn't take any precautions during the pandemic. I didn't believe in it in the first place. I thought it would just be like a cold if I got it. The outcome is that I am alive, just like him.

A great spot to casually browse and grab a beer. It connects to other shops on the second floor and there was a pool table.

Since it's run by Westerners, it feels like a place you can easily drop by.

The requirement is to write posts of 20 characters or more this week, but why hasn't my count increased at all yet?

The requirement is to write posts of 20 characters or more this week, but why hasn't my count increased at all yet?

The Korean food I've had in Anghelos is delicious and doesn't fall short at all when compared to Korean food back home. If we're just talking about taste, some places are even tastier than in Korea.

Anyone who says the taste is completely different from Korea because it's abroad is mostly just showing off.

This video was so shocking, it blew my mind. It's from Jason Park's YouTube channel...

I don't know if they committed a crime and fled to Angeles, or if they gambled away their fortune, but they're living in a homeless person's place in Angeles, in a 1500 peso a night motel. It was truly shocking...

It seems worse than the villages along the Abacan River...

Request to change bottom menu icons

I'd like to request a change to the icons for Community, Business Info, and Meetup Groups. They seem a bit mismatched, and I'd appreciate it if they were updated so you can tell what they represent just by looking at them.

To Angeles residents.

Is this for real??

Trump's gone crazy and stirred up a hornet's nest in the Middle East, causing flight prices to quadruple. I can't go either, but....

The acacia trees we know in Korea boast white flowers that hang in clusters like grapes,

and I remember picking and eating a lot of them when I was young.

But there are acacia trees in the Philippines too.

In fact, if you've seen the flowers below, which are very common, Filipinos will tell you it's an acacia tree.

So, I looked it up and found out the following:

"The tree referred to as 'acacia' in the Philippines primarily refers to the Rain Tree, scientifically known as Samanea saman. While it's native to Africa, it grows extensively in the Philippines due to the favorable climate and is a common sight as a roadside tree or park tree, forming a large canopy."

There's a huge one of those trees sprawling in front of my house.

The problem is, when it rains a lot like it has been lately, all sorts of small branches and leaves litter the streets and get into the house,

and cleaning them up is quite a chore.

Also, these trees sometimes fall across roads where cars travel, causing traffic chaos due to forced road closures.

They get pruned regularly, but their vitality is just top-notch...

Even after cutting everything but the main trunk, they grow this much in just a month.

In short, they're magnificent!

An arcade located on the second floor of SM Mall. I go there…

An arcade located on the second floor of SM Mall. I go there every other day when I'm in Angeles.

In 1998, when StarCraft was released and a revolution occurred, shifting teenagers' leisure time from arcades to PC bangs, I still stubbornly played Tekken and King of Fighters after school instead of going to PC bangs. Unable to overcome the overwhelming tide of StarCraft, and despite the bitter reality of local arcades disappearing one by one, and even as youth arcades transformed into games like Sea Story for survival, I continued to frequent arcades.

It's fascinating that this World of Fun arcade keeps pace with trends in Korea. Korean arcades are now increasingly filled with crane games and prize redemption machines instead of the traditional joystick and button setups. They are being reorganized to focus on coin karaoke and racing games, and this place is following suit.

At World of Fun, you don't use real money; you play games with special arcade coins. One coin costs 5 pesos. If you buy a large quantity, you get bonus coins.

I mostly play claw machines, ticket redemption games, and racing games (Mario Kart).

It's large and crowded, making it fun to just watch.

When I'm playing games with a pile of coins, children who look like they're from impoverished backgrounds sometimes come up with pitiful expressions and ask for just one coin. I proudly give them one by one.

This past February, a group of Korean children came and were playing games. I asked them:

Why did you come here?

We came to learn English for two months.

Oh really? How much does it cost?

It's around 800!

800? You're lying! You're too young to be telling such lies to adults!

It's true. You can find it by searching "Dak Gong Camp" on Google.

Dak Gong Camp.......

I was quite surprised by the wealth disparity and culture in the Philippines, but I realized that Korea is the same in ways I'm unaware of. Two months of English immersion for children costing 800 is something only the upper class can dream of. Looking at them again, they seemed to exude an aura of wealth.

I remember leaving because I didn't have the courage to ask any more questions...

Inquiry.

Got another badge.

But I'd like to know what it means. What does it signify?

I've been to this place twice, in 2017 and 2025. There are t…

I've been to this place twice, in 2017 and 2025. There are two locations, Walking Street and Friendship, but I've only ever been to the Friendship one.

This place holds memories for me. It was my first Korean meal when I first came to Angeles City. I was so excited and thrilled when I ate there, so perhaps that's why I remember it being incredibly delicious the first time. The staff even grilled the meat for me... the side dishes and the meat were all tasty.

After a long time, I revisited Donenoo with a cooler head. They seemed to have made a lot of money in the meantime, as they had built a magnificent building right above the original one and were also operating there. I ate at the new location. It was still decent, but I couldn't feel the same level of excitement as before. Still, the food was good.

It's not bad, but for me, unless I'm reminiscing about the past, I don't think I'll be visiting often again for the taste or price.

Why is it that today

Even when I comment on other people's posts, my quests and points aren't accumulating. I've tried multiple times, thinking it might be an error, but my quests still aren't progressing and my points aren't increasing. What could be the reason for this?

This is an event that happens every year during the Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays, whether I like it or not.

Seeing myself frantically running around, regardless of the beautiful scenery, makes me think it's a terrible sport...

If you enjoy golf, Clark offers a good environment with five golf courses nearby, but there's a lot of talk about price inflation.

I took a video of the kids on their way to school.

A new road has been completed along the Abakan River, and it's so refreshing to be able to drive without traffic congestion.

Things in the Philippines that are hard to understand.

At every convenience store and somewhat larger shop, there are always beggars by the door, and they open the door for you when you enter. They also open the door for you when you leave. I call them my personal doormen.

I understand why they stand there and open doors. But there are just too many of them. There's at least one or two at every convenience store. Even the Alphamart next to Healing Condo has them. At Alphamart, the doormen are a whole family with a baby, guarding the door.

How much do they earn in a day from this? Where do they live... In this situation, how did they even think of having children... let alone getting married... There are so many questions. Next time I go, I plan to buy the child an ice cream and ask the doorman.

Another thing is how incredibly slow they are. If you moved at that speed in Korea, you'd immediately get cursed at and kicked.

You can experience this at restaurants. It takes about three times longer to get your food than in Korea. You need a lot of patience. If you think by Korean standards, there will be trouble.

There was an incident at the old Cabalen buffet. We paid 1000 pesos for an entrance fee of around 600 pesos. But they didn't seem to be in a hurry to give us our change. When I asked, "Where's my change?", they said they'd bring it. Even after eating two plates, they still didn't bring it. I called them over and showed them a message on my translator: "Why aren't you giving me my change? If I don't ask, are you going to keep it? Stop acting like a beggar!" Only then did they sheepishly bring it within 30 seconds. It's baffling why they wouldn't do it quickly when they can.

And then there are the people who just gather around. If you observe the ubiquitous sari-sari or canteen stores, you'll see people gathered in front of them. They don't seem to be there to buy anything or eat, nor do they look like family, yet one or two people are always there.

If you keep watching, they don't really do anything special. They just sit there, sometimes talking amongst themselves. What is their purpose? Why do they hang out in places that seem to have no reason for them to be there...

Finally, the speed of checkout. If you buy something for 50 pesos and pay with 100 pesos, the change is 50 pesos without needing to calculate. Yet, they use a calculator or write it down on paper to figure it out and give you the change.

Is that something that requires calculation? Do you need to write it down to get the answer? Can't you just automatically get the answer in your head?

Regarding the last point, I tried an experiment at a bar. I offered money to the "babies" if they could solve simple addition and subtraction problems within a set time using a Nintendo brain training game. No one could solve problems like 5+8 instantly in their head within a second; they all had to think, ponder, and write down the answer, leading to failure. That's when I realized it wasn't intentional, but that they genuinely struggle with calculations....

Highly recommended. It costs around 600 pesos. This place wa…

Highly recommended.

It costs around 600 pesos. This place was very satisfying, along with Joseon Chicken near Mr. Wang Chinese Restaurant at the entrance of Fields Avenue. The sides like gimbap, chicken, and burgers are also excellent, and the burgers are especially delicious. Better than Jollibee. The interior and hygiene are also good.

I liked the shabu-shabu, except for the meat being so thinly sliced it was almost transparent. But since it's a buffet, you can just eat more.

It's not easily accessible. A car is essential. Walking there would take ages.

However, the taste is guaranteed. They seem to have sales at night. It would be quite atmospheric to go alone at night, have a drink of calamansi soju, play Nintendo games, and people-watch while eating.

Analysis of Peso Exchange Rate Outlook on the Occasion of the Exchange Rate's Emergence

No source. This is just a compilation from various places.

Currently, the exchange rate of the peso to the dollar is 61.8.

When I went to the Philippines in February of this year, I exchanged money at 58.2, so the value of the peso has depreciated since then.

Damn, I should have gone now instead of February...

Regretting it is useless as it's already in the past. More importantly, predicting the future of the peso is crucial.

My outlook for the peso's value is bleak, with a long-term decline.

The reason is the continuous decrease in ODA (Official Development Assistance). While it's a grand term, it's essentially like charity from the rich to the poor. It's a looser form of aid than loans, used by developed countries to prove their obligations in the international community and secure their voice.

By 2025, it will decrease by a whopping 20% to $170 billion. It also decreased in 2024. The causes are likely economic uncertainty, Trump, and the war in Ukraine.

The quality of ODA is also deteriorating, with increased allocations for essential support to Ukraine and the Middle East.

The Philippines is, without a doubt, a recipient country of ODA. This means the "free money" is dwindling.

In fact, the number of countries that have successfully transitioned from receiving ODA to giving it can be counted on one hand, like South Korea and Taiwan. This shows how difficult it is.

And then there's the situation within the Philippines.

The Philippines has always lacked industrial facilities and infrastructure. Despite a persistent and growing trade deficit, the country has continuously borrowed money from overseas to fund various construction projects. Fortunately, the trade deficit slightly decreased last year, but it is expected to increase again this year.

President Bongbong Marcos is focusing on building social infrastructure, such as roads, ports, and bridges, and most of the materials are imported. The largest construction boom in Philippine history is underway across the country.
There are dozens of large-scale projects, and they cannot be completed overnight, so a depreciation of the peso seems almost certain.

Furthermore, in Manila, numerous condominiums the size of Tower Palace are being built. Almost all materials are imported.

If you are considering purchasing a condo or something similar, it might be wise to wait a little longer.

Finally, let's look at exports. Lacking the funds and technology to produce high-value-added products, the main exports are remittances from overseas workers and agricultural products. Unfortunately, fertilizer prices are continuously rising, and climate change will increase the volatility of plantation crop exports. Fortunately, plantation crop exports are currently increasing. However, it is clearly a long-term risk factor. The remittance sector is the backbone of the Philippines' foreign exchange earnings, but it is currently a double-edged sword. Northern European countries, after experiencing severe consequences from accepting people from developing countries, and Western European countries observing this, are rapidly strengthening their immigration policies. Trump even made it a campaign promise... However, in reality, due to aging populations and low birth rates, it's impossible not to accept people from developing countries, as their national functions are on the verge of collapse. We need to watch this situation more closely.

What's interesting is that the peso generally strengthens from late October to December. This is likely because overseas workers, who work extremely hard, send home significantly more money during the year-end holidays. Then, it gradually weakens again, peaking around August-September.