Jenice Murray
Cultural Guide & Food Expert
Born in Bulacan · Raised in Pampanga
The Local Voice Behind Every Recommendation
I was fortunate enough to be born in a country with over 7,000 islands. Growing up, I was so appreciative of the close-knit relationships that come with Filipino culture — extended families everywhere, uncles and aunties and cousins, where you develop friendships and appreciate what those relationships offer in your growth. My grandmother was very influential in my life. She shaped how I saw things at an early age.
Part of my upbringing was celebrating fiestas and holidays. Christmas is the biggest and longest-celebrated holiday in the country. As a child, I was always looking forward to the Belén — it would signal the beginning of the long holiday celebration. What it meant to me: new clothes, lots of food on the table, going around the neighborhood to visit each house, attending church masses. That sense of community isn't something you read about in a guidebook. It's something you grow up inside of.
If there are three things I would highlight about Southeast Asian culture, it's the people, the food, and the sense of community. Whether in Singapore's hawker centres, a Filipino fiesta, or a Thai street market — the warmth people show to visitors is something you never forget. That openness shaped how I travel and how I write about it.
And the food — at any given time of day, it doesn't matter where you are: the airport, a hawker centre, a kopitiam, or a side street — someone is eating, and that food has a story worth knowing.
Scott has the travel planning obsession and the technical skills. I have a lifetime of actually living it. My network across Southeast Asia is the real source behind our recommendations. When Scott finds a "hidden gem" online, I usually know someone who can point you to the better version nearby.
Why You Can Trust Jenice's Perspective
- Born in Bulacan, raised in Mabalacat, Pampanga — deep Philippine and SE Asian culinary heritage
- Native Tagalog speaker with knowledge of SE Asian languages and cultural nuance
- Grandmother's influence shaped a deep understanding of Filipino traditions and values
- Regional network spanning Singapore, Philippines, and Southeast Asia — the real source behind our recommendations
- Grew up in the culture of fiestas, family celebrations, and the deep hospitality traditions of SE Asia
- Deep knowledge of Southeast Asian food traditions — from Pampanga cuisine to Singapore hawker classics
- Extensive regional travel across Southeast Asia
What Jenice Covers
The unwritten rules of Singapore life — hawker centre etiquette, queue culture, the meaning behind Singlish, and what guidebooks can't teach you.
Hawker dishes, regional Chinese, Malay, and Indian cuisine, kopitiam culture — from laksa to chicken rice to kaya toast.
When to go, what to expect, and how locals actually celebrate — from Chinese New Year to Hari Raya to Deepavali.
Key Singlish phrases, Malay greetings, when to queue without being told, and local dining etiquette.