We recently had a chat with British vloggers George Warrington and Lucy D'Agostino of "The Juicy Vlog" on Kabayani Talks, hosted by Jasmin Romero, Maxxy Santiago, and Rose Eclarinal.
Screengrab: The Juicy Vlog/YouTube
Currently en route to reaching 500K subscribers on their YouTube channel, the two revealed that they had also just recently bought a condo in the Philippines, despite being effectively stranded in the islands due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Since we came here, we thought 'Wouldn't it be great to own a place here?' Our main idea is that we want to bring our family here. We want our family to experience the Philippines," George shared.
The two Worthing-born vloggers shared that they were supposedly scheduled to go home to the UK to visit their family and friends last July and December 2020 but both trips were delayed because of the pandemic. They are hoping to travel back to the UK this 2021.
Stranded and on lockdown in the PH
The duo also shared how it was like for them to be both stranded and on lockdown in the Philippines at the height of the country's first surge of COVID cases. Lucy shared how they vlogged nearly every day, mostly just from their apartment due to strict stay-at-home orders around March of 2020. "I don't know how we survived it!" George exclaimed to the period they referred to as their "crazy vlogging thing" of producing videos nearly 80 days in a row.
Screengrab: The Juicy Vlog/YouTube
When asked about how they were holding up, the two were quick to explain that they were doing well and how they hoped their vlogs would continue to provide entertainment, especially for those who might be going through a rough time. Despite their immense love for Pinoy culture, The Juicy Vlog duo remains aware of a lot of Filipinos' struggles, especially amid COVID, such as job loss, sickness, and losing loved ones to the virus. "We're just happy to be able to bring a bit of entertainment to people's days," they shared.
Pinoys at heart
We Filipinos have a knack for spotting "Pinoys at heart," people who may not necessarily have been born as Filipinos but have grown to love the country and its culture as their second home. Talking to George and Lucy and watching their vlogs, one gets a sense of joy at their appreciation for all things Filipino. (Except for balut, which George still is not convinced that he should eat.)
"That's like the neck, and that's the head..." In this vlog, Lucy tries balut for the first time. The controversial Filipino street food "balut" is a boiled fertilized duck egg eaten from the shell with salt or vinegar. Screengrab: The Juicy Vlog / YouTube
Balut conversations aside, the two seem to be genuinely enjoying their stay, despite the current situation. "We love spending time in the Philippines, it's our favorite country. (...) It really is a second home for us," shared George.
On the topic of food, which of course is a staple in any conversation about Filipino culture--George and Lucy shared their favorite Pinoy dishes, which are their go-tos when ordering at restaurants. "We do love to try new things but we love sinigang, adobo, adobong kangkong, and bulalo." They also professed their love for turon and halo-halo, which truly makes them officially "pusong Pinoy" (Filipino at heart) in our books!
For George and Lucy, it's the sense of community online and the general feeling of warmth and openness that really drew them to the Philippines and their Filipino friends and fans.
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