Kevin’s Davao Diary

It’s been one of those weeks. The kind where you’re neck-deep in code and hardware one minute, and staring into a glass of whiskey the next. Here in Davao, the pace of life can be deceptive. The city hums along, but in my world, the gears were turning at full speed. The Automation Engine is […]

Life in Davao. Thirteen years strong now. Sometimes it feels like yesterday I landed, sometimes it feels like a lifetime. Most days, it’s a good balance of running my tech stuff and just living. But then, some days just hit different. Yesterday was one of those. My friend, Jun-Jun, he just opened his small takeout

Life in Davao City, as a Korean tech entrepreneur who’s been here since 2010, is rarely dull. You learn to expect the unexpected, especially when it comes to social gatherings. Just yesterday, I got a prime example of this beautiful, chaotic reality. I was invited to Anika’s birthday party. The message I got suggested it

Life as a digital nomad, especially when you’re deep in the trenches of a tech project, can be a paradox. You chase freedom and flexibility, but often find yourself glued to a screen, pushing pixels and code late into the night. That’s been my reality lately. I’m scaling up some significant automation work, and it’s

A few weeks ago, I got a call. An invitation. Not for a new tech venture or a a business meeting. This was for a different kind of commitment: godfather to baby Miguel. My first thought: Me? A godfather? What even is that here? The Cultural Curveball: What is a Godfather? Back in Korea, the

Most Saturdays, I’m either deep into a new product spec or unwinding with a cold San Miguel at home. But last Saturday, I wanted a change. Something raw. Something undeniably Davao. So, I jumped in the car and headed out to Mintal. Not the usual expat haunts, just a regular local spot: the parking lot

Davao City. It’s been my home base since 2010. Over a decade. You’d think I’d have seen every corner, every hidden spot. But even after all this time, the Philippines always throws up something new, something raw, something that reminds you why you chose this path. Last weekend was one of those times. Needed a

4 AM. That’s when the alarm went off this morning. My girlfriend groaned a little, but we both knew the drill. This wasn’t some urgent tech emergency. This was about beating the Davao heat and claiming a slice of the cool mountain air. We were heading for one of the peaks just outside the city.

The rich aroma of truffle oil mingled with the subtle tang of aged balsamic vinegar as I twirled a forkful of perfectly al dente spaghetti. Today’s Italian buffet lunch, shared with my wonderful Filipino girlfriend and her sister, was a sensory delight. Sunlight streamed through the restaurant windows, painting the vibrant greens of Davao’s tropical