Category: Personal
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How I got stuck in Tulum, Mexico and turned it into a working holiday
After working abroad professionally for 11 years, the last thing I imagined doing at 33 was a working holiday on the Mexican Caribbean for four months Asia When I left Hong Kong for New York on December 15, 2021, I had no clear plan in mind. All I knew was, I hadn’t seen my family…
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Tel Aviv Diaries: Alone in Israel
Originally published as ‘Seeking the Promised Land’ on Cosmopolitan Philippines August 2017 Israel: Birthplace of Jesus, Wonder Woman, and Natalie Portman. The author goes on an adventure that stands out as the most intensely unique of her life — transcending South America and Europe. As the epicenter of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions, we suppose Israel has had…
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The Realities of Travelling Solo as an Asian Woman
What happened when I actually tried travelling solo The whole blogosphere is full of solo female travellers gushing about how liberating / empowering / amazing it is to go on adventures alone. But what about the downside of solo female travel? After travelling by myself or with girlfriends for a while now, I found that…
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Canggu Diaries – The Day I Woke Up at 1.30am for a Sunrise Hike to Mt Batur
A continuation of Canggu Diaries – Yeni arrives in Bali Writer’s Note: I had just received some very frustrating news during the writing of this post, hence the slightly angsty tone. Apologies in advance for the crankiness! Day 2 – Kadek, the villa’s housekeeper who comes and does her duties at random times of her choosing,…
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Canggu Diaries – Yeni arrives in Bali
Disclaimer: This post is a purely personal writing exercise Day 1: June 3, 2017 I want to write this before I forget. Last night I arrived in Bali from Hong Kong in a seemingly endless string of flights. Yesterday’s was particularly unpleasant because my seatmate on the plane, a young mainland Chinese man (at least…
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Destination Wedding: Aguirre-Cahen French-Filipino Beach Nuptials
February 25, 2017 – Scroll down to download MC script and / or Bride and Groom Questionnaire It took me a total of four flights and three changes to make it to Mayen’s wedding a couple of weeks ago in South Palms Beach Resort, Bohol. I was supposed to fly in with my ex, but the airline…
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What It Really Feels Like To Be A Stereotyped Filipina
As seen on Thought Catalog and (more notoriously) on Coconuts Hong Kong “Where are you from?” asks a man across the aisle from me on a flight to Hong Kong from Tokyo. He is a middle-aged Asian, stout and short, and has been working on a Japanese language exercise book since the plane took off. “Philippines,”…
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Do not go gentle into that good night
Do not go gentle into that good night Dylan Thomas, 1914 – 1953 Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no…
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How I Fell In Love With Hiking x The North Face
First seen on We Are Sole Sisters Unathletic and skinny-weak Sole Sister Julienne broke out of her sedentary lifestyle three years ago and threw herself into the wild outdoors By any means, I don’t consider myself a bonafide hiker or hardcore trekker. I don’t trail run. I can’t read coordinates. I don’t have a compass or…
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How My Trip to Toledo, Spain Was Ruined by a Spanish Shopkeeper who Attacked Me
Everyone who knows me knows how much I love Spain. But there was one particularly nasty incident that marred my experience in the country, and it happened in Toledo. Everybody raves about how beautiful this city is, and there’s no denying that. But instead of walking along the river and enjoying the atmosphere of the…
Morena Travels 