I’d like to share my experience of The Shared Table.
I first saw it on social media. It took several Shared Tables before I finally decided to join one. I had seen some friends attend and thought to myself, Oh, let me try.
This year, I also want to try a lot of things—something new. So this became one of them. Sometimes it takes courage to step into unfamiliar spaces, along with a bit of discernment, of course. I’m not forcing you to try The Shared Table; I’m simply sharing my experience here. We may all walk away with different insights or feelings about it, and that’s okay.
So in January 2026, I joined a Shared Table at Victoria’s Bakery Café along Loakan Road.
At first, I felt a bit intimidated. Some of the participants had already attended previous Tables and seemed to have formed small pockets of familiarity. But a few first-timers were kind enough to ask my name and start small conversations.
We were asked to pick a color from a Jenga piece, and I chose yellow. I always seem to pick yellow—lol. The color determined which table we would join, and that meant sitting with strangers.
Aris, the organizer of The Shared Table, shared a bit of background on why he started this community-based activity. I won’t go into detail here because I think it’s something you’ll appreciate discovering yourself when you join. 🙂
This blog is simply my side of the story.
During my first Shared Table, I was surprised at how easily conversations unfolded. I got to know some new people, and it turned out that one of them had been a past classmate of my older sister. Another was friends with someone I knew. And so on and so forth.
The world is really small—especially in Baguio. Hehe.
We were asked to pick strips of paper containing questions to answer. Some were quite deep. Others were more playful, like “fast talk,” where you answer quick questions on the spot.
Sharing my story with strangers—people I had never met before—felt quite liberating. There were no expectations and actually no pressure. It was also completely up to us whether we wanted to answer certain questions or not.
One rule at The Shared Table is that you don’t give advice unless someone asks for it. That worked well for me. I loved listening to other people’s stories too. Through them, I saw the world in a different light.
It’s such an interesting experience where we get to celebrate “kapwa” over food.
I know. Very Filipino.
My admiration for The Shared Table grew deeper when I attended another gathering last February 28 at Craft 1945, this time with my husband, Joel. Yes, he was curious about it, too.
I realized that I also wanted to be part of a different kind of community—one where I didn’t have to lead.
A space where I didn’t feel the pressure to organize or take charge.
I’ve been deeply involved in several communities where I help build or contribute to things. But with The Shared Table, it became something different for me.
It became a breathing space.
A refreshment from the pressure that sometimes builds up in the communities I’m involved in.
At The Shared Table, I felt no judgment at all when sharing who I am.
Another thing I love about it is that anything goes—you just talk and listen, of course. You get to share pieces of yourself with strangers who have no expectations of who you should be.
Sometimes when you’re with people who know you well, there are already expectations attached to your presence. But with strangers at the Shared Table, it feels different. You simply get to show up as you are, while getting to know others who are doing the same.
There’s just so much joy in it. Sometimes there are also small pinches of pain when people share their vulnerable sides. And sometimes you simply feel grateful and blessed—realizing how hearing different walks of life can change your own outlook on life. Not only do you get to know other people, you also get to know yourself in a different way.
I felt a deeper understanding and joy realizing that you can connect with new people in a completely new setting.
To share a bit of my background: when I worked in journalism as a reporter, I had already experienced talking to people from very different walks of life—the drunk, the police, the mayor, bystanders, victims, even criminals. I did all of that as part of the job. I needed to interview people day by day to submit a story.
But joining The Shared Table felt different.
This time, I was talking to people not because I needed something from them, but because we all simply needed someone to talk to.
Again—kapwa.
I love listening to other people’s points of view and perspectives. It’s fascinating how sitting at a table of five or seven people can open your eyes to how the world can feel both big and small at the same time, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, this blog isn’t sponsored or anything.
I just wanted to share—the old-school way blogs started, hehe. Before the brands and collaborations came in.
And that’s that.
Thanks for reading, if you reached this part. ✨
P.S.
Photo Credit of the blog feature photo: from The Shared Table Facebook page.