It’s natural to envision white-sandy beaches, guided boat tours on glassy water, exotic fresh seafood and cheap massages when visiting Southern Asia. Forget about your nine to five, kick your feet up, soak up all the sights and relax amongst the other tourists, right? As a proud Filipino, my dream of going to the Philippines for the first time would be along the lines of soaking in the sun without moving a muscle. That’s of course how vacations are supposed to be south of the equator. I soon found out that that would be reserved for another trip, which believe it or not, wasn’t a bad thing.