GoldenIslandSenorita.Net officially turned three years old this past May, and we just hit a massive milestone: 2 million views! It feels like the perfect time to step out from behind the curtain and say a proper hello. I want to make sure you know there is a real person behind these posts, not some mysterious ghostwriter. So, here are 20 random facts to help you get to know the ‘Polly’ behind the blog. (Yes, I know I’m referring to myself in the third person—let’s call it branding, okay? Definitely not a personality crisis.)

Basic Facts About Polly

Nickname: Polly Amora
Occupation: General Manger of a small firm
Profession: Registered Nurse with a Master’s Degree (MSN).

Random Facts About Polly: On Travel

Foodventure is LIFE!

I like trying new cuisines—part curiosity, part adventure, and part “let’s see what chaos my taste buds can survive today.” I call them my “foodventures”… because regular eating just isn’t ambitious enough.

I got scammed in China.

In Guangzhou, China, I stayed in a budget hotel where things went wrong two days before check-out—power cut, dead phone, and a front desk insisting I only booked five days instead of seven. I had my receipt, so that got sorted, along with a 100 CNY “refundable” deposit. Check-out seemed fine… until the refunded money turned out to be counterfeit. The cab driver refused it, and the airport money changer confirmed it. Nice ending to a trip—almost.

PADI Certified

Sporting my inner-Ariel since 2016.

I got denied entry at an onsen in Japan.

As someone with a visible tattoo, I had a disappointing experience in Japan where I was denied entry to an onsen (hot spring) due to my ink, which discouraged me from attempting it again.

My First trip to Tokyo was a semi-disaster

My first trip to Tokyo in 2015 was the most memorable, owing to a plethora of epic fail experiences. Just to mention a few…

• For over two hours, I was stuck at Shinjuku Station, Japan’s busiest railway station. The station has too many exits, and it was packed at the time.
• For two days, I forgot my luggage combination. I’m glad I brought additional clothing in my carry-on.
• I missed my flight home.

Random Facts About Polly: Hobbies and Interests

Raised on Guitars and Chaos

I grew up listening to 70s and 80s rock music, heavy metal, and 90s alternative—basically raised on guitars, chaos, and emotionally unstable lyrics.

I was in a band in high school and later spent my adult years teaching drums (for fun).

In high school, I was in a band—on drums, obviously. Singing wasn’t my ministry; I’m one of those Filipinos not blessed with the golden voice, so I chose rhythm over embarrassment. I started teaching drum lessons in 2015 and kept the beat going until 2020… when the pandemic dropped the ultimate mic.

I’m a metalhead—but I look like someone who survived the boyband era on pure pop ballads and choreographed heartbreak.

I love going to concerts and rock/metal festivals—whether I’m with friends or flying solo. I was at the first Pulp Summer Slam in 2001, the first Rakrakan Festival in 2013, and my first Dutdutan was back in 2005.

I was a talkative kid.

Back in the day, I didn’t just talk—I unleashed full hurricane energy. People would literally offer cash or bribes just to buy a few minutes of silence.

I despise texting.

Let’s keep it 100: I’m terrible at texting. It’s just not my love language. That’s why I’m a total fan of calling or hopping on FaceTime. I’d much rather hear your voice and share a laugh in real-time than spend hours decoding texts. I’m a big talker—my record for a single call is 19 hours! I know, that’s a lot, but I’m curious—can anyone out there beat my record?

Self-proclaimed “Polyglot”

I speak five languages:
Filipino (fluent), English (fluent), French (conversational), Russian (conversational)… and Sarcasm—arguably my most fluent.

A Bookworm With a Dangerous Streak of Fandom

I love reading—I’ll devour just about anything I can get my hands on. My Kindle is basically an extension of me at this point.

Random Facts About Polly: Personality

Ambivert Extrovert

That type of person who’s so blunt and shameless, even your phone hesitates like, “I don’t think this should be broadcast to humanity.”

BUT… When I’m tired (or not in the mood), I go very, very quiet. Not ignoring you—just in full system recovery mode. Please allow 3–5 business days for emotional reboot.

And don’t be surprised if I’m already Facebook friends with your grandma.

One of the Boys

Boyish by nature—low drama, high tolerance for chaos, and fluent in banter.

Overthinking Mode: Always On

I tend to overthink. Give me a simple situation and I’ll turn it into a full analysis.

Opinionated (and Self-Aware)

I can be opinionated, self-righteous, and sometimes a hypocrite —but I’m aware and working on it.

Intuition I Trust

My intuition is scary accurate. When I trust it, I’m almost always right.

Do I look familiar?

When people say I look familiar, I tell them I do adult films. Conversation usually ends right there. Just kidding…

Polly Amora is just a name—I promise.

Yes, it sounds a little… spicy, but no, I’m not out here ticking NSFW boxes like it’s a checklist. Plot twist: it came from my actual legal name, and the second part is my real surname.

So relax—it’s just a name. The vibe is doing the most, not me.

GoldenIslandSenorita.Net reached its 2 Million views after being published in 2018. I’m beyond ecstatic upon seeing the stats. Thank you very much for the support!

Statistics

---

Now it’s your turn! What’s your most memorable travel experience and what place is top of your bucket list? I’d like to know by commenting below.