August 10, 2011

Long term travel and my Inspirations.

After reading enormous travel blogs for my trip, I feel like I've been transported to places they've visited. I noticed that most travelers, backpackers or even travel bloggers have one constant dream...to travel long term around the world - may it be for months or 1 year. Obviously, after allowing myself to be transported, I am inspired to do a long term travel too :) But how? The first difficult question to answer :D (I will figure out the answer soon :)

Tomorrow will be the start of my European dream. It will be my first longest trip outside Philippines and Singapore. Three weeks is actually not enough to cover and visit the places I wanted to visit but needless to say, enough to see the famous areas...for now. I would have wanted to extend and backpack to other cities but like most employed travelers' excuse..work got in the way :D Anyhoo, I will have my time soon and I will surely cover as many places I want and immerse myself to the culture and talk to as many locals as possible :)

So you wonder where I got all these crazy ideas??? Of course, from the equally-crazy-but-passionate-travelers... They're all Filipinos, by the way :) Yes, we are capable of long term travels too :D

Here are some excerpts from a PhilStar blogger interview about long term traveling.

What made you decide to travel long term?
Flipnomad: I have always wanted to travel the world (or some parts of it). I tried having vacations every year when I was still employed and realized that it’s an expensive way to do it. Flying back and forth to your home country cost a lot compared to having a continuous journey. Another reason is I want to travel continuously just like the travelers that I’ve met on the road. I was inspired by them to live this unconventional life of being a “nomad."

2. Lillian Cobiao  - I learned a lot from her. And got really helpful tips for my trip especially on how to pack light :) Before reading her, I have a 3 week worth of clothes and amazingly, I managed to pack good for 10days only. Imagine my husband's surprise and worries :)))

What advice can you give those who are considering traveling long term?
Lilliane: Do it! It's going to be life-changing I'm so sure. Also travel slowly, live the local life, don't plan too much. Let the moment decide your destiny. Of course, always be careful and paranoid.



What's great about traveling long term?
Lois and Chichi: You have so much time to immerse yourself in the culture, get to know the locals, experience more than what the guidebook suggests.

These people made it sound so easy to prepare and travel long term. Reading and following them made me realize how much I wanted to see the world but at the same time reminded me of my priorities. If long term travel is not at hand in the near future, I am happy to settle for short trips and adventures for the meantime.

How about you? What are your latest adventures and crazy ideas?

August 05, 2011

MOVE! A Beautiful Short Film


MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.


This video has been circulating widely and fast. Even myself cannot resist sharing it to the world. I've shared it in Facebook and Tumblr, now I'm posting it here :D It's pure creativity and brains.

This one is about movement through traveling. I don't know if that is the filmmaker's goal but in my opinion, it is :D

Brilliant!

Also check out two other videos related to this. Click here and here.

August 02, 2011

Plane passengers' "BILL of RIGHTS" - It's time we Know!

Have you come across any bad behavior of your fellow plane passengers? Have you felt the discomfort of a noisy and irritating seatmate? How about passengers rushing to leave when its not yet time?

I hear you, guys!

This morning, I received a delightful email in my inbox. Something to ponder on...something really helpful! I am glad people from Lonely Planet decided to create a survey and write this article. It's about time that we know our rights as passengers in any airplane and know the proper behavior we should exhibit to enjoy our flight, whether in 1 hour or 13 hours.

So, here's the list known as The Passengers' Airplane Behavior Bill of Rights.

Article I: The right to remove shoes
Passengers shall be allowed to remove shoes from their feet, but only if the aforementioned feet don’t stink or present health risks to other passengers. The right of the passenger to go to the lavatory without shoes shall not be infringed, as it is really your own business should you want to stand in the urine of others.
Article II: Freedom from unreasonable aromatic assault
No passenger shall, in the time of flight, be subjected to unreasonable aromas, be it from powerful perfume, foods redolent of onion, or other fragrance wholly unnecessary whilst on an airplane.
Article III: The right to reasonable light
All passengers shall be allowed the right to use their own overhead light to read when the cabin lights are turned off, as that is its intended use. No passenger shall be unwillingly bothered by the thoughtless opening of window shades during this period; window seat passengers are not delegated the power to blind their fellow passengers.
Article IV: The article of reclension
A well-justified act of reclining one’s seat shall not be prohibited at all times, apart from meal time and other times specified by the flight crew. All instances of reclension shall be preceded by a rearward glance so as not to unwittingly crush the patellas or portable electronic devices of the affected passenger.
Article V: Freedom of no speech
There shall be no requirement for other passengers to listen to you drone on about your child, cat or other subject not directly germane to an immediate inflight emergency situation. The right of other passengers to give you the ‘book-off’ shall not be infringed, nor shall you assist with the answer to 14-across if unprompted.
Article VI: The right to bear armrestsIn all cases where an armrest is shared by two adjacent passengers, both parties must respect the right of the other to keep the armrest down. Passengers relegated to a middle seat shall be afforded special status, and aisle and window passengers shall endeavour to accommodate.
Article VII: Conditions of passenger quartersPassengers shall not be subject to the rubbish of others crammed thoughtlessly into seat-back pockets, or tossed onto the floor in a cavalier fashion. Chewing gum shall not be pressed to any surface affixed to an aircraft.
Article VIII: The right to heed the call of natureA well-organised attempt to use the lavatory, being necessary for inflight calm and gastrointestinal health, shall not be impeded by aisle passengers sleeping or otherwise. The rights of others waiting to use a lavatory shall supersede the frankly ill-advised wishes of current lavatory users to waste time poking around said lavatory.
Article IX: Provisions concerning use of electronic devices
The assurance of safety shall not be infringed by the desires of others to make one last phone call, update their social network status to brag about their impending holiday, or to plant cauliflower in their virtual farm. WhilstMythBusters and others have debunked most potential dangers of using common electronic devices on planes, safety and calm shall take precedence.
Article X: Cruel and unnecessary aisle cloggingNo passenger shall, in the time of disembarking, hastily grab their bag and congest the exit route before actual movement is possible. Likewise, when it comes time to exit, no passenger shall unaccountably act surprised that it is their turn to leave.
Article XI: Freedom from feral children
The right of passengers not to be kicked in the back, have their hair pulled, be presented with unasked-for mucous-moistened objects, or be otherwise assaulted by feral children shall not be infringed. Crying babies cannot be held accountable for their actions, and are therefore exempt.
Article XII: The right of reasonable alcohol consumptionNo person, apart from those who are drunk and obnoxious or minors, shall be prohibited from imbibing an alcoholic beverage should they feel that it is a good idea, despite all indications to the contrary.
Article XIII: The right to private mediaReading over others’ shoulders shall not be inflicted, unless achieved in a particularly stealthy fashion causing no annoyance to the book holder. The same shall be true for films and other non-private media.

I hope we learn a thing or two from this article and try our best to apply it during our future travels. To know more about the result of the survey they conducted, please click here.

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