Ruby Loves Adventure

Hello All,

Just a quick note to say that I haven't been blogging here for a while because Peter and I decided to get our own domain! You may now follow us at A Journey We Love (www.ajourneywelove.com)

We'll upload our travels on that new websites, as well as how much we spent, itineraries you may replicate if you happen to go to the same destinations as us, trip reviews, and everything in between.

That's also the place where we discuss more about our small business (AirBnB-ing our spare bedroom & freelance writing), wedding planning & details, as well as looking after our home.

I might still utilize Ruby Loves Adventure for one-off personal posts & maybe a bit of book reviews, but most of the activity will definitely be in the domain. This blog has been up for the past 8 years and I couldn't be more happy about it, but we all have to move on at one point to better things ahead. I don't know why it took us a while to finally get a domain but we finally did it - better late than never!

Join us on our new website, and thank you for your support on Ruby Loves Adventure!

Ruby

I'm thankful for a lot of things, mostly going to be posted starting next year on our brand new website, A Journey We Love. It's still under construction, but hopefully it'll be up within two weeks (or more, depending how long Peter will get to reconfigure the template)

For the meantime, we are busy booking our trips for 2016! It's going to be very exciting, and hopefully you'll still stay with us for the ride.

Until then, I'm off looking for shopping deals for things we need for the year (yes, we stock up). Have a nice holiday for those of you in the US

We had an interesting setup these past few days. You see, the boyfriend just got offered a job elsewhere, but there's a catch. These are the terms:
- a huge increase in his salary
- 10 less vacation days from his current job (which eventually got re-negotiated to 15 vacation days)
- most of our vacations planned for 2014 will be cancelled (the other company wanted him to start early)
- Longer hour days, probably

When faced with that situation, what would you choose? 



Most people want to get the additional money, the offer was indeed amazing, I have to say. But my point was:
1) Working in an American company can suck - they don't value as much vacation time as other companies (European companies are good, they offer a lot of time off). 10 working days for vacation every single year? Are you kidding me? My family lives on the other side of the world (the Philippines), and his extended family lives in Europe. 10 days off is not enough to visit both families! Granted, in the end they offered him 15 but see point 2)
2) Cancelling 4 vacations just sucks -- and is very disappointing. One month before the vacation and it's going to be cancelled!

In the end, he chose to stay in his current company. While the pay is lower, the flexibility is good. There is a work life balance, but the loss of the other opportunity looms like a cloud. I wanted to just let him go and do what he wants but he refused. I'm too much of an outlier and a non-conformist, but apparently that's a good thing? For most, what he chose was just unfathomable - WHY? But for me, well, if I were in his shoes, I'd go running for the hills. I would not compromise my travel time for work time. Never. Then again, it is his choice, not mine.

It hit me that the American companies just don't value vacation time. I never thought it would be real but it was.



If this happened at some other time, when the travel wasn't there, then maybe it would have been a different story. But for now, no. The excitement and all the planning has been intangible in value. The cancellation of everything? Sure, that can be offset with the money, but then again we don't really need a lot of money anyway, for me what matters most are experiences. I sure hope there will be other, better opportunities out there. I just don't want him to be disappointed in the long run.

As they say, as one door closes, a window opens. I just hope we see that window soon. 

Let's face it, most of the inspiring blogs out there tell you to go, quit your job and travel the world! Of course, reading all the inspiring tales and adventures that these people have been in would be enough for you to stand up and want to take the leap too. But in certain cases, you just can't, or it's not that you can't, it's just that you don't want to.

Bath, England

I am one of those people who don't want to quit my job to travel. Sure, there are other times where I entertained the thought - days when I'm having a really bad day at work, or I'm feeling really sick, or just want to stay at home and do nothing. But the truth is - I like having the stability. I like having a steady paycheck month on month and I don't really like the thought of toting everything that I own in two backpacks. Truth is, I love to travel, but I love going back home to a place that didn't change, one that gives me a certain normalcy, a place where I can just chill out and do nothing without thinking of paying for the cost of a hostel or a hotel room or trying to couchsurf with a random stranger. A place where I know the stores that I can buy normal stuff in and actually know a price to pay. A place where I can have you know, stuff. 

Sure, travel gives you a heightened sense of adventure - where you immerse yourself in a culture and hang out with all kinds of people that you haven't been before. But the thing is, everyone settles down every now and again. Maybe I am at a point in my life where I'm happy, but I don't know. At the back of my mind I know that I will stay in America or Europe, but it doesn't meant that I'll completely quit my full time job to traipse around the world, going from country to country. In fact, I love that being employed full time offered me a chance to become an expat on three separate occasions.  How's that for free travel for you?

Blenheim

In my case, my company paid for my relocation expenses - flying me business class to first world countries, taking care of the resident visas that I will need and any other things that I would need.
That experience opened me up to other countries that I would need visas for. I am a Filipino passport holder, and much as I hate to say it, I don't like the fact that I'll need a visa to travel for most of the countries that I would want to go.

Sure, I'd been to the South East Asia loop - Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Brunei, Indonesia, and even went as far to get a South Korean and Chinese visa without any issues at all. But the fact is, if I want to go to Europe without all the hassles, it was handed down to me by said employer, and I'm grateful for that. Sure, that visa has already expired but I can still use it to my advantage in the future.

Puerto Rico

I like the fact that I am now a US non-resident alien, which enables me to travel visa free to Mexico and some Caribbean countries and also provides me with a base to explore North, Central, South America, the Caribbean, and even Europe and Africa! I like the fact that being an alien resident gives me a chance to interact with colleagues from different walks of life, much like traveling or backpacking. I like the fact that I can travel hack freely in America - I've already gotten 4 free flights:  back home (US to Manila), to Europe, Mexico & Turks & Caicos (see this blog for more information). I love the fact that I can stay in high end hotels for a fraction of their costs, and not paying full price for anything except for food, rent & utilities.

Granted, I do hate the fact sometimes that I pay a lot for these luxuries, and the fact that I only have a few days of vacation each year, but it's something you can overcome with the following tips:

1) Make the most of weekends & holidays - I cannot reiterate this enough! The weekend is not for sleeping, people - it's about exploring. Two full days where no one bothers you with work emails or calls, isn't that heaven enough for you? Explore local places, book a flight for a fraction of the cost that's leaving Friday night and coming back Monday morning then go straight to work. You can sleep off your tiredness the rest of your weekday evenings. Rinse and repeat. It takes time to get used to this lifestyle but a habit can be formed after doing something long enough. I never thought I could do it, but I did, and got used to it. Some holidays actually fall on a Monday or a Friday so score! Three full days of exploring for you!

2) Plan your holidays accordingly - I could be both a last minute traveler and an anal one that has everything planned out years in advance. If you are travel hacking, yes, it is best that everything is booked months in advance because that's where the greatest deals are (ie award availability or insane fares from budget airline carriers). However, the same could not be said of hotels - where the closer to the date you are, the better you find a deal. It helps your boss that they know the dates you're going to be out for contingency planning. It has worked in my favour, hope it works for yours!

3) Planning is part of the fun -  I love checking various websites almost everyday and checking for availability and making sure there are a lot of checks on my checklist. I try to travel the cheapest way possible for the shortest amount of time without compromising my boyfriend's demands (ie to stay at a decent hotel or eat in expensive restaurants). Once you have scheduled your flights, it is easier for you to plot out where to stay, where to go, and what to do instead of just daydreaming at a map and wondering where to go and how to get there.

4) You won't have to worry much about the budget- This is one reason why I love being employed full time. I have a rough idea of how much is going in my bank account every month and I know what percentage of it I'll keep in savings, how much I'll invest, and how much additional money will be trickling in. This way, I won't be stopped if I want to go to higher ticket items, one that can't be easily travel hacked (ie Antarctica, Galapagos, Easter Island). I know I have some money to burn and that money is for spending! You can't take your money with you to the grave but experiences can.

5) I'll have time to recover after a big trip- I can sleep for hours on end during the weekday to help charge me up but my weekends can still be very busy, even when I'm not on the go. Thing is, people who are location independent work too, albeit on the road. The reason why they can afford it is they choose lower cost countries that allow them to pay less in rent. I for one want to stay in America - even though the costs are more expensive, the opportunity is there to get a LOT of free stuff if you know how. I don't really want to travel then stay for a long time in a lower cost place. I'll just do that in the Philippines where I have a home to come home to (but bah internet sucks in the Philippines)

Okay, enough of the long post, I hope you get my drift of why I chose a life of the cubicle prison, and just shows the other side of travel that's rarely portrayed by your favorite travelers.

Two years ago at this time, I was still in London enjoying autumn.
I had to say goodbye to someone who I really cared about because I was going home.
I booked last minute trips to Cardiff and Belfast just so I could complete the goal of visiting the capitals of all the countries that make up the UK.
I bought boots, a thick jacket, and a huge 65L backpack that I was saving to use when I decide to travel long term, inspired by my new friends.
And so, on the car to the airport, on a sunny autumn day, I shed loads of tears as I said goodbye to my favourite city in the world, vowing to come back, but i just don't know when.

A year ago, also in October, I jumped on a plane on a solo backpacking trip to Vietnam.
Little did I know how much my life would change since then.
As I was researching the trip, I stumbled upon a place called Nha Trang and something inside me told me to go there.
I met an amazing person in Vietnam. I fell in  love and fell out of love some months later. And though it hurt, it's not something I would want to forget.
That place was absolutely memorable. It was someplace I never expected to go to, and sometimes the unexpected can bring you things you never thought would happen.

This October, I am embarking on yet another journey, this time to the other side of the world.
And though I have had other assignments before, this one is longer term, and well, I am still scared.

But reading up on other blogs made me realize, hey, its scary, but fear can be conquered.

Three Octobers. And October 2013 is still starting.

Crazy but if you think about all the amazing things that can happen everyday in your life, you would know that you're blessed.

If you're a frequent reader of this blog, you'll know that most of the entries here are composed because of boredom - the constant feeling of being stuck and not knowing what to do because I feel I've done everything that Manila has to offer.

Then an opportunity arose a week ago (it's May 12th as I type this), where I could enroll in Korean lessons for only P800 (roughly around $20), within a walking distance from where I work, and the end of which is a diagnostic exam where if I pass, I could move on to Level Two.

The idea was first sprung to me by my colleague (Hullo Ash), who was addicted to Korean Television Shows. She wanted to learn Korean as a way to understand what the actors are saying without reading the subtitles. Me? Why do I want to learn Korean? Hmmm.. let me count the ways.

1. A chance to learn something new.
On my travels, I realized that the world is so big, full of different cultures, speaking a ton of different languages. Of course, since my time on earth is limited, I want to soak up whatever the world has, and hence, learning new languages is part of my goal.
Ultimately, I would have preferred to have learned something more useful, like Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, or French, but I wouldn't complain :) At least I'm learning a new language that I can use when I do go back to Korea.

2. The beauty of being able to communicate abroad

Sure I could only use Korean whenever I travel to Korea, but on my February 2012 trip there, I have learned to appreciate the place. This country will always be memorable to me as it where I got my first taste of solo international backpacking was like, and was also the first place where I had encountered winter. I live in a tropical country with only two seasons!

When I was trudging along Korea the first time around, I found that knowing how to say Hello and Thank You in Korean really did go a long way. Now, learning more basic terms, I'm ready to go back and converse more with the locals.

3. The ability to read something completely out of the ordinary. 

The Korean language, much like Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, among others uses a completely different writing system. While it may look like a bunch of circles and straight lines to foreigners, I am more than excited to learn how to read them! I've studied Japanese before for two years in high school, and a term in Uni and there's nothing like trying to memorize all those symbols, which would in effect, make up words, and sentences. It's amazing.

And so, since the excitement and anticipation begins. My classes start on May 28th, from 9:30-11:30AM. (Good thing work has allowed me to change my schedule so I could work and study at the same time) Unfortunately, given that the online enrollment was a bit of a nightmare (it was next to impossible to get slots, but luckily I managed to get one), I was not in the same class as Ash (she is taking the 6:00-8:00pm class, along with a few others in a different team in the office) but maybe it's a blessing in disguise as we can concentrate more on the classes, and I can get to meet more people.

I'll be pulling in later work hours for three days a week for two months but it's well worth it :) I hope I get to pass the exams!

Hmmm... I do have to take two days off from class as I already have booked trips out of town while the courses are being held. But no matter, hopefully it won't conflict with any exam dates - if that is the case, I could probably request for another exam date then~

It's May 5th as I type this and my plans for the weekend have subsequently been cancelled, leaving me alone at home, and two hours after waking up on a hot summer Saturday morning in the PH, I found myself bored. I really need to go out every weekend with a distinctive purpose of what I'll do, and no, not just head out to the mall just for the sake of it. I want a new experience entirely, which doesn't really happen often.

And so, stuck at home, I decided to try and research my Shanghai trip, and was disappointed that the NBI Clearance - a requirement for the Chinese visa - is a bloody nightmare to get nowadays. As a brief background to non-Filipinos reading this blog, an NBI Clearance is simply a police clearance to state that you did not commit any crime. Way back when (let's say 6 years ago, when I first started working), you just have to go to the main office and if you don't have a namesake, you could get your clearance within the day, but now ugh. Apparently, and I read from some blogs, that the old database or hardware provider or whatever of the NBI had pulled out their equipment and data because the contract has already expired, leading all the previous residents to apply as first timers (AGAIN). UGH. I hate queueing up in hot, humid situations! But then, of course, I don't have a choice, do I? I want to go to China!

Anyway, it just struck me how inneficient things can be in the PH. ANd yes, this is another disgruntled post written by me about this country I live in, and how disappointed I am in everything. And how I just wish I could leave and go live somewhere else.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Unlike the first world countries out there, I simply cannot just apply for a visa when I decide to settle in one country and expect them to grant it. Which brings me to one of the blog posts I've read recently about how not everyone can travel.

Most of the people who go aorund the world are typically from the first world countries where they're lucky enough to have visas on arrival on almost every country in the world. Except for maybe China, when I was having a discussion with one of my British friends and I stated, "Finally! A country where you're required to have a visa, that way you'll know how we feel whenever we try to apply for visas in the first world countries we like to go to."

Ahhh the plights of living in a third world country. I find it really funny too the way the business analysts call the Philippines as an Emerging economy. Really?? Really?? What's so emerging about this economy?

It's the end of the Holy Week as I type this. Four straight days of not going to work, and I was stuck at home, a staycation, if you would like to call it like that. What did I do? I read, I went online, and I watched a whole load of telly. Ugh. Not my ideal way to spend four days of free time. I should have just booked a ticket abroad and used the time to discover new places.

I thought I would love the time off, I could have used it to catch up on tv shows that I would have wanted to watch but neveer had time for, or to catch up on my reading. God knows how many books I've bought and haven't even started to read yet which are currently awaiting to be read. Well, I did manage to catch up on a few episodes of programmes I did want to watch though, and I did manage to finish two books and progress a bit on other books I've started to read but this holiday wasn't satisfying enough for me. I've lost the reading mojo.

For me, I am most happy reading when I am just passing the time: either in transit (sitting on a bus, a plane, or a jeepney) or just waiting for the morning after an insomniac night or just trying to pass the time while waiting for the next activity or waiting for something (be that a person or while in a queue).

I lost the ability to just sit down in a quiet corner (except maybe if I was hanging out in a beach, but then again that's also in a new place, right? Not sitting in my bedroom at home, whiling away the weekend hours with a book), and I've also lost the drive to go to a bookstore and pick out something new to read.

Ok, maybe the last part was a bit of a lie. I found myself in National Bookstore quite a few times this month as there is an ongoing 20% off summer sale and I couldn't resist getting some titles that I have already devoured: most of them wishlist books that I would have tried to wait for to come out in BookSale. But still, these are the books that are just tiding me over after work. Just something to do, not a real hobby or anything of that sort.

How can I get the reading mojo back? Or is it just a complete change that came over me? Maybe you only need to have one hobby at a time: books have finally been put on a back seat as travel now takes precedence, perhaps?

Facebook is being a pain and since I promised my friends to post photos and some brief narrative on what I did on my 3 1/2 month stint in the UK, here you go. A month and a half late. Or rather, a few months late.

One thing I ask though - I may not have any watermarks (because mainly I'm too lazy to do it) so please do not get any of my photos without my permission puh-lease!

Anyhoo, it all started with me moving on to a different team at work - and well, the chance to go to the UK for a few months was in the cards. I couldn't say no, I love the UK! :) So, last June, I embarked on a solo backpacking trip around Cebu and Bohol (more of that when I get more time to post) and on June 30th I find myself going to the airport to embark on this happy happy and exciting trip :)

I had a nightmare going through immigration - the immigration officer didn't know the visa I was holding and thought that I needed a POEA permit to continue! (Hello!!! I am not earning GBP and hence am not an OFW so why would I bloody need that stupid POEA permit??) - my head was literally steaming - good thing my friend and my boss helped out with the situation. Stupid, stupid, stupid - I'd rather not deal more about this subject because it would end up with a rant about the Philippines again.

The photo above is a plane model in the business class lounge that's on the windowsill where you could see the planes parked in NAIA1, waiting for the passengers to board!

Back to the trip -I called up HSBC from the lounge. One thing when you're travelling out of the country - you need to call up your credit card company and let them know that you are going out of the country so they won't block any of your purchases when you charge something from abroad.

Then our flight was called - we are gonna board!! :)

You know the saying, "some drink to remember, some drink to forget." Memories. Some you want to keep forever, some you just want out of your head. As I pick up my next book to read, I find myself drawn to "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. I know I've blogged before how much my emotions affect my reading habits? Well, my reading genre and habit has changed drastically again. I'm at a low point in my life. I just want to forget, but I don't want to - if you get my drift. I am a very complicated person to know. It is a bit embarassing as I announce to the whole world to read how I am feeling. But I am lonely, I am depressed, I am lost. I feel a bit like Bridget Jones when Mark Darcy had left her, and she still can't get over him. I'm not sure if many of you read the books that are about Bridget - if you haven't, do. So what is the point of this post? The point is, well, there is no point. I am just here to vent out what I am thinking. This is my blog anyway, I can say whatever I want to say. So forgive me if I can't review any books that deal with love (maybe except Eat, Pray, Love since that is about travel anyway) - I don't want anything to do with a story about girl meets boy, boy meets girl, they get close, they fall in love. Ugh. I'm cynical, Im annoyed, I'm upset. Can you guys suggest any books that do not have characters that fall in love??? YA or Chick Lit only puhlease. And no weird un-human characters: no vamps, no fallen angels, etc. I wanna deal with books that deal with real people only. Maybe I'll read Leviathan - or some of the nerdy books out there that make you think. Or one of the Paulo Coelho novels. Sometimes I feel like travel would be the only escape from what I am feeling. The feeling of just being free, seeing the world, meeting new people, being lost, then being found. I don't know. Maybe this is why I'm going to read Eat, Pray, Love - to find something I'm desperately looking for but yet I still don't know what I'm looking for. I think I read because I also want to get lost from reality. Then again, that's just me. Maybe the only cure is to just let go and leave everything behind. Take the leap. I'm not getting any younger. I can't wait any longer. Maybe I look too highly of myself and think that what I'm asking for is reasonable. Maybe no one would really miss when I flew like the wind and disappeared to another country. Maybe that's the right step for me. Maybe, maybe, maybe. I think I need to find the new place I would proudly and happily call home eventually. Song for the moment - When We Were Young: Take That. The lyrics are calling out to me. I just hope this phase won't last long.

Hello hello! I'm finally blogging again! Well, i found a decent wifi in my hostel at the moment and since I have time to kill, might as well spend it blogging.

As my title suggests, i'm currently in cagayan de oro city, a province in the philippines around 1 1/2 hrs away from Manila. It's a great place for white water rafting and also home tothe longest zipline in Asia - 840m. I went overbudget a bit but its ok - the experience wasworth it. What i didnt like though is the loooong travel time from obe place to another. Thankfully with books i managed to pass some of the time (well that and sleeping on the road too - our wake up call to get from one place to another is just really early and craaazy).

I'm currently halfway through Lauren Oliver's "Before I Fall" and since i'm facing quite a wait at the airport later, i bought 2 books at booksale in sm cdo for good measure. Suzanne collins "Gregor and the Overlander" series book 1 and Melissa de la Cruz's "The Au Pairs" - all for 95 pesos or $2 (£1.40). Amazing, isn't it?

Currently on the lookout for Jay Asher'S book "Thirtern Reasons Why" - here's hoping there's stock in Manila bookstores!

Pardon the lack of updates recently. I find that I am going through a book slump where I always seem to try and pick up a new novel but can't finish it. I don't know, maybe I am just not in the mood lately. Well, even though I have been reading so much more than i ever had during the past 3 1/2 months that I was away I just feel lost, and I don't know what I like.

I do know that I want to leave and travel.. not be at home reading all these piles of books. *Sigh*.

Maybe I am just adjusting back to the life that I used to live. Oh well.

Expect more travel posts in the next few days. I can't seem to concentrate on finishing any books lately. Oh well.

Another non-book related post here, im afraid. I still need to finish 100+ pages of Delirium by Lauren Oliver before I could fully comment but all I could say is: WOW.

Anyway, im writinf this post from a dark hostel room in Belfast that I share with two other mates. I'm awake and ready but call time isn't for another 30 minutes. For some awful reason, I woke up twice! But no need to jump into the details. I'm currently in Belfast, Northern Ireland, enjoying my final weekend out before I get back to Asia.... I really wish I could stay in the UK forever but this run has ended. Boooooooo

Belfast is not as charming a citu as Edinburgh but its history is very much ibteresting. having come out of the Troubles only fairly recently, people are slowly discovering what this city has to offer. From the Europa hotel - which was the most bombed hotrl in Europe - bombed approximately 30+ times by the IRA to the murals that are painted on the sides of the houses that convey peace, political meaning, or just memorials in general. Some of the older structures still remain, such as the city hall and the cathedrals.

What's surprising is the faxt that the city is divided into two: the Catholics and the protestants, and is visibly marked by a wall which has a few gates that allow access. Each night, these gates are closed down by the police and reopened again in the morning.

Head to the Crown Bar to drink a pint (or maybe half) of Guinness and enjoy a night out at the pub with mates.The Irish and British living in this area are very, very nice
people! They are happy enough to point you in the right direction and are very accomodating.

Oh - if you have plans to go here and you're flying in from London, its more xonvenient to fly via Easyjet than Ryanair - just my humble opinion!

Jolly old London town - the place I now call my home :)

I know I havent updated in the past few months- mainly because I didnt get to finish any books yet!! Yes, I know, I'm really slowin reading here but really, I'm having the time of my life!

After work, there's always a billion things to do - watch a play or a musical, go out for drinks or dinner with friends and colleagues, learn how to cook, or just hang around with friends. Then when I do get home, there's household chores to do: ironing, washing clothes, sleeping.. Or just chilling out in front of the telly.

My reading time has now been confined to journeys in the tube, a coach, or the train.

Weekends are spent sightseeing within London or within the UK. Now can yoi guys understand why I have no updates much? Ha ha

back to boring old Manila in 2 weeks. Perhaps i'll have more reviews then - i dont have much to do there anyway :(

I guess it's time to explain why I haven't been updating much: Iwas busy trying to collate and pass all my papers to the UK embassy because I'm going to London :)

I'm flying off this Friday - a very early morning flight [1AM] so please don't expect any regular updates to the blog. I'm only bringing two books with me in my luggage - although I don't know if I'll be able to read a word or a sentence in any of them while I'm out.

This is a business trip,so on weekdays I'll most probably be busy with work, and on weekends busy with sightseeing and trying to explore everything that I can within the area and out of town as well. Might as well make the most of the opportunity.

Hopefully I get a chance to go to soe bookish evens whilst in London, but I'm not really sure where to find them so here! :)

If I get a chance to blog about my adventures/places I've visited, I'll probably share some of them here, but mostly will share them in my travel blog, so please follow if you're interested:
http://projectglobetrotter.blogspot.com

Ps-> The books I brought are "Ribblestrop" by Andy Mulligan and "Madame Tussaud" by Michelle Moran. Sure they're not connected at all to London or England, for that matter, but I've got excellent travel guides that I'll bring along with me!

I was looking at my blog today and saw that i didnt update for bearly two weeks. Gasp! Well, ill tell the reason why: ive recently went on trips to baler, aurora and took a weeklong backpacking trup to cebu and bohol. As im typing this blog on my ever handy upod at thw hostel in cebu, i realuzed that i havenr blogged any reviews about recent books ive finished! I honestly dont know when ill have the time to do si, seeing as im getting ready for a 4 month business trip coming up in 2 weeks time.

Anyway, im going home from cebu and bohol wirh two new books in tow- i found two booksale branches in cebu: one in smabd thw other in robinsons and walked away woth baby prof by emily griffin and speak!! Of course u included going to the bookstores as part of my sightseeokg itinerary, it is compulsory even if u dont buy anytjing! (and i normally dont buy anything full priced)

Of course during my other trips, i eill still go to tje bookstores, and share what i get. Maybe through an in my mailbox post or through more infotmal blog posts such as this.

I cant help thibking that one f the main problems i also encoubter whenever j travel is what book am i going to bring wih me. Unlike what other travel blogs sau, to bring a book that you would swap or lwave behind, i normally brin books that are very special and important to me so it coukd share in the experience that i had and i woukd remember those exeriences just By looking st the book.

If you coykd count the number of typos i had in this podt then apologies- its really hard typing on a teeny tiny tiucj screen much like this

Hapee makes you smile, hapee makes you confident, hapee gives you fresh breath. Oh and yeah, with all those write ups, why wouldn't it be first class? At its affordable price and availability, it's positively brilliant.

Nuffnang - one of the world's best blog sites. They don't just pay you for ads that they run on your blog, oh no, they also have these amazing contests for you to join! A-MA-ZING.

So, with those reasons I stated above, aren't Hapee & NuffNang both first class? They're having a movie screening this friday too, June 3rd, 7:30PM at Greenbelt. Wahooo.