Best Places to Travel 2015

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Living Your Life to the Fullest

The untimely death of a friend who was just 23 years old led me to write this blog. He lived a very promising life. He had all the qualities to possibly make it big in this world. He was smart, good-looking, charismatic, cultured and truly a really nice guy. And as far I as I know, he didn’t have any vices, he maybe drinks occasionally but that’s it! And then one morning, he just didn’t wake up. Many were shocked and saddened by the loss of this good soul but certainly he made an impact to me and to many others.

I have long reconciled that death is inevitable. Whether we like it or not we are going to die. But the unfortunate thing is, we just don’t know when. Very often we take things and relationships for granted, we only realize its true value when its already gone or too late.

Here are some bits of wisdom on how we can live our life to the fullest.

 Live simply. Life is supposed to be simple but we insist on making it complicated. We overthink, over analyze, and overkill a lot of things in life.

Stand by your values and principles, don't compromise. Mark 8:36 "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?"

Pray. Prayer is powerful! It can even move mountains. Acknowledging that there is a greater being who is God and he is bigger and mightier than all the planets' problems combined. Giving thanks and praise to him for all that he has done for us is the best thing we can do to honor and glorify Him.

Take a leap of faith. Don't settle within your comfort zone. There is always something better out there. Growth requires taking chances and stepping out of your comfort zone.

Choose to be happy. Many would associate happiness with having a lot of money. It is not always true, money cannot buy us lasting happiness.  I have read and heard a lot of stories of wealthy people committing suicide because they are not happy with their lives. Happiness is a choice and you have to consciously make that choice.

Don't be afraid to fall in love. Alfred Lord Tennyson once said that it's better to have loved and lost than never love at all. It's okay if some people won’t love you back, keep loving anyway.

Show your family that you love them. Words are good but action is much better.  It's not only diamond that lasts forever, family is forever too. In your ups and downs, family will always be there for you. Ready to accept and embrace you no matter what is going on in your life. Sometimes, there can be misunderstandings but don't let those nuisances break your bonds. Always forgive and move on.

Travel. Traveling is to take a journey into yourself. There is a big world out there waiting for you to explore. When you are out there somewhere you will discover more about yourself, your strengths, weakness and your limitations. Your experiences in your travels will enrich your outlook and can change your perspective in life.

Volunteer for good causes. When you volunteer for a good cause in a way you are giving a part of yourself. It always feels good when you are able to help. Giving and helping is a privilege which many would refuse to understand. The world we live today is ruled by greed and materialism, dare to be different! 

Exercise regularly and eat healthy. Health is wealth. You can do nothing if you're sick. A sound body will result to a sound mind.

Smile, laugh, be silly. Research has shown that there a number of health benefits contributed to smiling and laughing. Laughter is the best medicine they say. So laugh often!

Make friends not enemies. Having friends help multiply the joys and divide the sorrows. We tend to cope better when we have someone giving us emotional and social support and advice.

My Winter Trip to DC

My trip to the USA in December 2010 would not be complete without a quick tour at the nation's capital. I was determined to see the historic structures DC is famous for. The 5-hour bus trip from New York to DC in a freezing winter night was all worth it. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. The centers of all three branches of the federal government of the United States are in the District, including the Congress, President, and Supreme Court. Washington is home to many national monuments and museums, which are primarily situated on or around the National Mall.

Washington Monument

Trivia:

By law, Washington's skyline is low and sprawling. The federal Heights of Buildings Act of 1910 allows buildings that are no taller than the width of the adjacent street, plus 20 feet (6.1 m). Despite popular belief, no law has ever limited buildings to the height of the United States Capitol or the 555-foot (169 m) Washington Monument.

Great view of the Washington Monument

 Washington, D.C., is a planned city. In 1791, President Washington commissioned Pierre (Peter) Charles L’Enfant, a French-born architect and city planner, to design the new capital. The L'Enfant Plan featured broad streets and avenues radiating out from rectangles, providing room for open space and landscaping.  He based his design on plans of cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Karlsruhe, and Milan brought from Europe by Thomas Jefferson in 1788. L'Enfant's design also envisioned a garden-lined "grand avenue" approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) in length and 400 feet (120 m) wide in the area that is now the National Mall.

The National Archives

US Capitol Building

The White House

Lincoln Memorial Building

DC Train Station

Ulysses S. Grant Memorial

Smithsonian Museum

America's Most Iconic Bridges

I have this love affair with bridges. I always get fascinated with the parallelism between bridges and the purpose of human existence. I'm interested to know how bridges were built and why they were built. Bridges connect places, without them, it would be very hard for people to travel from one place to another unless of course if they own a boat or helicopter ^_^.  And as humans, we can serve as bridges too..of opportunities and relationships of people around us. Isn't that a great and noble thing?

These are some of the most iconic bridges in America that I've had the chance to see and even walk across. 

Manhattan Bridge, New York

The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue Extension. The main span is 1,470 ft (448 m) long, with the suspension cables being 3,224 ft (983 m) long. The bridge's total length is 6,855 ft (2,089 m). It opened to traffic on December 31, 1909. It was designed by Leon Moisseiff, and is noted for its innovative design. As the first suspension bridge to employ Josef Melan's deflection theory for the stiffening of its deck, it is considered to be the forerunner of modern suspension bridges and this design served as the model for many of the long-span suspension bridges built in the first half of the 20th century. 

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, New York

The Verrazano–Narrows Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge in the U.S. state of New York that connects the New York City boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn. It spans the Narrows, the reach connecting the relatively protected upper bay with the larger lower bay. The bridge is named after Florentine explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano who, while in the service of Francis I of France, became in 1524 the first European to enter New York Harbor and the Hudson River, and for the body of water it spans: the Narrows. It has a central span of 4,260 feet (1,298 m) and was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time of its completion in 1964, surpassing the Golden Gate Bridge by 60 feet, until it was in turn surpassed by 366 feet by the Humber Bridge in the United Kingdom in 1981. 

The bridge establishes a critical link in the local and regional highway system. It marks the gateway to New York Harbor; all cruise ships and most container ships arriving at the Port of New York and New Jersey must pass underneath the bridge and therefore must be built to accommodate the clearance under the bridge. Since 1976, the bridge has been the starting point of the New York City Marathon.

The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait, the mile-wide, three-mile-long channel between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to Marin County, bridging both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 across the strait. The bridge is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco, California, and the United States. It has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Philadelphia, PA

The Benjamin Franklin Bridge is known informally as the Ben Franklin Bridge and originally named the Delaware River Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey. Owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority, it is one of four primary vehicular bridges between Philadelphia and southern New Jersey.

George Washington Bridge, New York

The George Washington Bridge – known informally as the GW Bridge – is a double-decked suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey, in the United States. Interstate 95 (I-95) and U.S. Route 1/9 (US 1/9) cross the river via the bridge. The New Jersey Turnpike (part of I-95) and US 46, which lie entirely within New Jersey, end halfway across the bridge at the state border with New York. At its eastern terminus in New York City, the bridge connects with the Trans-Manhattan Expressway.

Brooklyn Bridge, New York

The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge in New York City and is one of the oldest bridges of either type in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River. It has a main span of 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m), and was the first steel-wire suspension bridge constructed. It was originally referred to as the New York and Brooklyn Bridge and as the East River Bridge, but it was later dubbed the Brooklyn Bridge, a name coming from an earlier January 25, 1867, letter to the editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and formally so named by the city government in 1915. Since its opening, it has become an icon of New York City, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1972.

I wish I could travel more and see other beautiful bridges around the world.

Stunning Beaches in the Philippines

The Philippines is an amazing country in the southeast coast of Asia blessed with so many natural resources. It is famous for its beautiful and stunning beaches. Below are just some of them.

20 Essential Skills for Smart Travelers

Traveling is so much fun but at times it can also be a nightmare if you are not prepared for it. I have compiled 20 essentials skills for smart travelers. And if you have something in mind not in here, please feel free to add it on the list by simply putting on your comments. 

1. Know How to Pack Light. I prefer traveling without a check-in luggage but if it can't be avoided, just keep in mind the luggage weight limit that is included in your air ticket. Airlines are charging ridiculous amount of money per kilo or per pound if it exceeds the weight limit.

2. Know Basic Cooking. A big chunk of most travel expenses is on dining out. You will be able save a lot of money if you can cook simple recipes like boiled egg..LOL! or sandwiches.

3. Driving.  May it be stick or automatic, one should be able to drive. Depending on your itinerary, at times, it would be cost effective and convenient to rent a car and drive than taking cab or doing a commute.

4. Changing a Flat Tire. If you have driven for years, you should at least spend time learning how to change a tire. You never know when and where your tire will give up on you.

5. Jump Start a Car. This I didn't know how until one night, my car won't start while I was about to leave from a mall parking. I have to call a cab to help me jump start my car. 

6. Riding a Bike. Knowing how to ride a bike will not only save you money, time and energy, it can be a good exercise too!

7. Crossing an Intersection. It takes some skills and talent to cross an intersection especially in many busy intersections in countries where traffic lights are absent. It may just save your life.

8. Parallel Park. Parallel parking can be tricky but once you know how, you will be fine.

9. Basic First Aid. You should at least know how to dress a wound before putting a band aid.

10. Sew A Button. Always carry a needle and thread when you travel in case a wardrobe malfunction will happen.

11. Paddle a Boat or a Canoe. A trip to the beach or an island can be more exciting if you can paddle your way to explore the place.

12. Shine a Shoe. I just like my shoes clean and shiny.

13. Start a Fire. What if you are stranded in an island in the middle of nowhere? Fire can absolutely help you survive.

14.  Pitch a Tent. This is helpful for travelers who love to camp out in a beach, mountain, or in a park.

15. Read and Write. I mean this is common sense right?

16. How to Read a Map and use a Compass. What if your GPS or phone hangs up on you or does not work all of a sudden? Map and compass should come in handy for you to proceed with your planned itinerary.

17. Take a photo and video. This is a big part of traveling to preserve memories. One should know how to take good photos or videos or the latest craze nowadays SELFIE.

18. Haggle. If you are collecting some stuffs as souvenirs, you should master the art of haggling. 

19. Use a computer. Yes, we are in this era of high technological advancements, modern gadgets and all but there are still people who detest computers. Many of the things now can be done in a computer like checking and booking flights and hotels, researching and reserving for a place, etc.

20. How to Laundry and Iron Clothes. You don't need to go a laundry shop and spend money or you don't want to smell terrible when you are visiting a museum or in a busy tourist spot. Just wash your clothes on the sink in the morning before leaving your hotel and let it dry then iron them when you return if needed.

What's My Life's Purpose?

Why Am I Here on Earth? This sounds like a million-dollar question for many of us. When I was little, whenever I was asked what I want to become when I grow up, my answer was always to become a teacher...because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of people. I really thought that teaching was my calling. And then reality hit me when after college graduation, I landed in a teaching job in a private school in my home province. Teaching was never easy, at least for an idealistic fresh graduate like me back then. Teaching requires tons of patience, buckets of humility and unlimited supply of understanding but at that time, I was only armed with too much idealism and pride which was a total misfit. I have no one to blame but myself! 

EQ vs. IQ.

I would say my students were pretty normal - typically carefree, they were always full of energy, some were incredibly smart and talented while others weren't..some were naturally kind-hearted and many weren't...(hahaha...I know some of my students will be able to read this blog, I apologize:-). Each one was uniquely different and I was not emotionally wired and prepared to handle them. It was just overwhelming. I later realized that there is no amount of knowledge that can compensate my failure to provide the most basic human need of my students which is respect and a genuine love and affection from a teacher. I would think I did fairly well in terms of transferring knowledge but I failed miserably in connecting and relating with them. And to me personally, in the field of teaching, EQ is far more important than IQ.

God has a plan for me.

After 3 years of teaching, I finally muster enough courage to quit and pursue my dream of travelling and exploring the world beyond my home province. And I believe I was able to accomplish that at least in my own terms. I was able to travel in almost all corners of my country and almost a quarter of the world. But I guess there was more for me than just going and wandering aimlessly to many different places. I know God has greater and better plans for me. It came to a point that I began asking God what's next for me? Is this it Lord? I must be missing something God!

Let God be God.

In 2004, I became a Christian. My new-found faith has taught me to first know my creator to know my purpose. Knowing ones purpose can be a very elusive undertaking if you do not have a right foundation. According to Rick Warren, finding ones purpose has puzzled many of us because we typically begin at the wrong starting point—ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose.” And I totally agree with him when he said that "Trusting God completely means having faith that He knows what is best for your life. You cannot fulfill God's purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans." Let God be God. “Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope.” 

A New Season of Hope.

I am now entering a new and exciting season in my life and I'm feeling very hopeful because I know my life's purpose which is to serve Him through others. There is no greater joy and fulfillment than knowing that you are doing what you ought to be doing.

My prayer for those who are still trying to figure out their purposes in life,  please know that as a child of God, nothing is impossible with Him, so NEVER ever give up!

I am an Amazing Race Fanatic!

Yes, you heard it, I am a SUPER FAN of the TV reality show “The Amazing Race”. I’ve watched all the episodes of all the 24 Seasons and it never failed to make me excited and entertained. Season 25 started filming in May 31, 2014 in Times Square in New York City and ended in June 22 and it will hit TV screens in September 26, 2014 on CBS for the 2014–15 television season, moving to Friday nights at 8 pm.

I can clearly see myself with a travel buddy to be part of the show racing with 10 other pairs. I am not even joking:-). Seriously! I’m passionate about traveling and exploring the world and experiencing different cultures. Many times, I just thought of going on a 1 or 2 -  year break and travel the world but the lack of finances hinders me from pursuing this dream. And hopefully “The Amazing Race” could make this dream a reality!

The Amazing Race is an American reality game show in which typically eleven teams of two race around the world. The race is split into roughly twelve legs interspersed with physical and mental challenges, and require teams to deduce clues, navigate themselves in foreign areas, interact with locals, perform physical and mental challenges, and vie for airplane, boat, taxi, and other public transportation options on a limited budget provided by the show. Teams are progressively eliminated at the end of most legs; with the final leg's grand prize of US$1 million. As the original version of the Amazing Race franchise, the CBS program has been running since 2001. Numerous international versions have been developed following the same core structure, while the U.S. version is also broadcast to several other markets.

The show was created by Elise Doganieri and Bertram van Munster, who, along with Jonathan Littman, serve as executive producers. The show is produced by Earthview Inc. (headed by Doganieri and van Munster), Bruckheimer Television for CBS Television Studios and ABC Studios (a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company). The series has been hosted by veteran New Zealand television personality Phil Keoghan since its inception.

Since the inception of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition 

Program in 2003, The Amazing Race has won it nine out of eleven times; the show has also won other awards and commendations. Although it has moved around several prime time slots since its inception, the program has averaged about 10 million viewers per season.

I hope this blog will pave a way for me to be part of the show in the near future. I do believe in miracles. We never know what the future holds.