COUCH SURFING FRIEND - 3

From my previous entries, I featured about Couch Surfing friends whom I just met during my backpacking trip and CS gathering. Being a part of this backpacking community is a good chance to meet people from other countries with the same interest in budget traveling so as gaining ideas of the do's and dont's on traveling.
For my 2 months stay in Poland, I met some of the CS members whom I just asked several questions about their trips and one of them was Aniko from Hungary. I enjoyed talking to this brave lady, who just love to travel alone.

1. How did you discover your love for travelling?

I was really obsessed with Finland and its culture, so I really wanted to move there and see. When I was there I wanted to compare with other Scandinavian countries, so then I could see where can I position Finland in it. Then I wanted to compare Scandinavia with other countries to see why it is soo succesful and calm place, then... :-)

2. Best travel experience that you’ve ever had?
I love them all and I cannot choose. Why? Because all of them was my idea, my plan, I organized it and I saved the money for the expenditures. For me it means a lot as before it was impossible for me to afford to go anywhere, even in my home country sometimes.

3. What's the farthest place you have ever traveled?
Probably Norway and Portugal.

4. Name the top 5 places both local & abroad that you like?
I like Scandinavia as it is, St Petersburg also must be in the top five. France also a must. Portugal and Switzerland, probably.

5. If there's one tourist place in your country that you could recommend to a lone traveler where'd it be and why?
In Hungary: Széchenyi Spa and Budapest itself.
In Finland: Helsinki, and the forests are amazing (traditional sauna is a must!!!)
Switzerland: I think here anytwhere you go it is amazing, like a postcard. Really! As a dream!
France: Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris

6. Bad experience that you’ve had on your trip?
None yet and I am very hapy about it! Although I have to add that I try to prepare very well for every travel to avoid any problems. But of course luck is a big factor always!

7. Things you learned on travelling?
Life is amazing. I think this fact should already make people happy and satisfied. When I go and see and experience I am happy and balanced with my life and my surroundings, because I can see how coloful and perfect our planet is. I have to add that I don't believe in perfect-perfect as perfect-perfect is unnatural! I think something is perfect with the beauty of the defaults involved, like our little planet. :-)

8. Where’s your favourite place in this planet and why?
I think Europe is really cool. I have to add that I haven't been out of Europe yet, so I am not objective, but my explanation is:
Europe is one of the smallest continent, but the most colorful with languages cultures and historical buildings.

Imagine this in any other continent:
I lived in Lausanne , Switzerland. There the religion is protestant, language is french and people are swiss citizens. If I went 70km west: I was already in France, where the language is french, but the religion is christian!!!.
If I went like 300km north I was already in Germany, where people speak german and they are catholic!
If I went like 100km east I was in still switzerland, but all the people were speaking German (german canton) and the religion is catholic.
If I went south like 200km I was already in Italy and there people are very strickly catholic and they speak italian, etc...
And the top of it: all these people:italian, german, french, swiss german you could see in their faces as they were also different in appearance and not to mention the buildings and the landscape!!!
I think now you undesrtand why I think that Europe is the best!
You travel a little and you see soo different culture that you cannot imagine and all these cultures, nations, countries live peacefully together (most of the time... :-))

9. How long will you backpack?
I don't know yet. I hope for a long time!!! :-)

RECENT CALAMITY THAT AWAKENS THE WORLD

The world is grieving and praying for Japan.

Japan is one of the fastest and rich countries in Asia, mentioning technology and everything but you see Japan is not exempted of any calamity when the anger of nature strikes.
The world is shocked when the news started to show videos and pictures of scary disaster happening around Japan. Hope this will be an awakening call that we need to look up and pray, clinging God's promises that we shouldn't take for granted and ignore of the signs that we see on air and everywhere.
We have no power to protect ourselves but asking the good Lord a shelter in the time of storm for He will save us for He is the mighty rock.
















(pictures was taken online)

PICTURES AND MEMORIES - MALAYSIA TRIP

In the End, all that really matters isn't the things you did, but what its effects are today, not the knowledge you have learned, but how you applied it, not the words that were said, but how they made you feel, and most of all, not the moment of occurrence, but how its now just a part of our memory. Everyday, we make memories let's paint lives with happy ones.
Staying in Malaysia for three weeks was a great opportunity to be acquainted with the capital city Kuala Lumpur. Like I said from my previous entry about the city there's nothing much to see around Kuala Lumpur except the Hindus temple, Petronas tower, China town, Batu caves and Merdeka square. You won't impressed much of the city's tourist attraction,however, you'll still appreciate the cleanliness and the progress of the economy so as the love of Malaysia's protecting the environment.
Malaysia is a strict country mixed with different races coming from Sri Lanka, India and etc. I was really hoping that I could make my way to Malacca as I dreamt of going there but instead I was confined around the canopy of Kuala Lumpur. Was also thinking of my budget then so I decided to stay in the capital city instead.
Now, you'll see my pictures that I took inside a Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur that remain a good memories in my heart one of my trips that I treasure.

COUCH SURFING FRIENDS - 2

Was spending on my bed for two weeks and now I'm recuperating and trying to regain strenght from such an unexplainable Winter depression, that took me a while to update my blog. The previous entry of my blog was, I made a brief interview of James Betia the author of travel blog "Journeying James" about his passion on backpacking.
As a regular member of Couch Surfing and made some friends whom I just met during the CS meeting here in Warsaw and in Malaysia, I also thought of why not asking my CS friends about their love on backpacking and how they got started.
I selected a few who have gone longer on backpacking, so here's the first couple that I'd love to feature first.

Dianne and her husband, on their travel.


1. How did your love for travelling start?

Went to Kenya as missionary and did not know we liked to travel until then

2. What’s the best travel experience that you’ve ever had?

there have been no bad trips all too good to chose one

3. What's the farthest place you have ever traveled?

China

4. Name the top 5 places both local & abroad that you like?

1. home
2. Sanibel Island
3. Germany
4. Kenya
5. the next place we go

5. If there's one tourist place in your country that you could recommend to a lone traveler where'd it be and why?

any quiet beach anywhere - because i love the beach

6. Something that you learned on your travelling?

it is a really big world out there and I will never see it all and everyone is so nice to meet and they have such wonderful stories to tell

7. Where’s your favourite place in this planet and why?

even though travel is the greatest thing home is best of all.

(I'd certainly agree with you, there's no place in this world called home,that's why its called Home Sweet Home.)

8. How long will you backpack?

till I run out of money!! already using the thing with wheels since can't carry a pack anymore

9. If you could treat yourself in style by traveling, which country you wish to see & why?

around the world!!!

10. What Not to bring (on)backpacking?

to much stuff - too much stuff - too much stuff
every time we travel we carry less and less.


Well, I am looking forward of traveling this godly couple one day soon. Traveling with the same interest so as you go in the church would be fun I guess.

BLAME IT ON THE WEATHER

Sorry, I haven't updated my blog for a while, I am not feeling well and I'd say that physically 'am tired and weak.
Just wondering why it's different from the sicknesses I used to have. Couldn't breath normally 'coz my chest and my back were aching and I was gasping. My boss brought me to the nearby clinic & the Doctor couldn't see anything wrong on my body but prescribed me a certain medicines that would help to ease the pain and it did. However, my body is still weak and I can feel inside that I can't managed to teach and be stressed by the pupils.
Friends back in the Philippines diagnosed me of having a Psychosomatic, being stressed of thinking too much that cause of my ill - it can be true.
However, my housemate here in Poland said I have SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder or in layman's term "Winter Depression". It's honestly my first time to hear such term winter depression.

Because I was doubting of the term used, I searched it right away. According to my research, "Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter.-Wikipedia)

Another website gave me a clear explanations about SAD :

This is the season when most people leave for work and return home in the dark, temperatures plummet, heating bills soar and even the most optimistic individuals are prone to prolonged bouts of grumpiness.

As the amount of sunlight decreases and the days grow shorter, almost everyone suffers a certain amount of depression. But for millions of Americans, these darker winter days trigger the onset of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a clinical condition that affects their ability to work and results in depression.

Over the past 20 years, there have been numerous studies on the causes and treatment of seasonal affective disorder. Clinicians and researchers now believe that SAD is a cyclical illness prevalent in the fall and winter months that is directly related to the amount of light that is absorbed through the eyes.

This winter depression is caused by a connection between the optic nerve and melatonin, a chemical in the brain. SAD is triggered when the brain releases too much of this chemical at the wrong time, specifically during short dark winter days when bright sunlight is at a premium.

For most people SAD is a mild condition that is generally referred to as the “winter blues.” But for others SAD is a seriously disabling illness that prevents them from functioning normally without continuous treatment.

Seasonal affective disorder occurs throughout the Northern and Southern hemispheres and is extremely rare in those living near the Equator, where daylight hours are long and extremely bright.(Source:http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/lifestyles/3952854-423/ideas-to-treat-seasonal-affective-disorder.html)

Well, as a Filipino sayings; Bawal Magkasakit (Not to get sick)....rightly true, who would take care of me 24 hours a day? nobody, I couldn't force my housemates to look after me and leave their work. Now, I know that winter could be so depressing, too much cold and enduring it for three months till Spring is no longer funny. I thought seeing snow and playing on it could be fun,well, it is at least but it makes people so lazy to move.
As a first timer on winter experience is a lot of fun and could be an answered prayer. Now, I fully understand why western people hates winter (not all, but at least 90%) they get sick, they don't like to go around and most of all you really have to suffer the bath and shower of your life and I mean it 'coz I refused to do it for at least 3 to 4 days 'coz it catches u cold easily and when you get out of the house though you shower of boiling water still it freezes you & frost you.
With that, I miss the sungligth the hot weather in the Philippines, because I am no longer happy of my situation now.

SWEDISH STYLE RENEGADE

Charlie is a fashion guru of his own, an Asian-Swedish born lad has so much ideas in terms of expressing himself in fashion.
He was featured once in my blog because I like his creativity & invention, I mean the styles he created just as these pictures that I posted here. His style is not boring and he's adventurous with his clothing.
This guy knows how to play it up without overlapping.

JOURNEYING with JAMES

James Betia is the author of the blog Journeying James. It was him who influenced me to join Couch Surfing online community site for backpackers, and among of the backpackers who inspired me to travel more in a budgeted and less expenses and why traveling light is right ( I used to bring my whole closet in the trip, as if I could use them all, after all my back aches).

One of the blog sites that I've added to my lists of my must read. I check his blog and follow his twitter everynow and then just to get the recent & a birds eye view about backpacking in the Philippines.
He's not just an ordinary blogger but mind you one of his entries was posted in Mabuhay magazine(the official magazine of Philippine Airlines),isn't that amazing?

Well, here is my brief interview with James about his passion in backpacking.


1. what's the farthest place you have ever traveled?
-I've been abroad twice only, I've been to Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore and Malaysia. So I guess Cambodia.

2. Name the top 5 places both local & abroad that you like?
-Local:
Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
Coron, Palawan
Guimaras Island
Batanes
Bohol

-Abroad:
Angkor Wat Complex
Downtown Ho Chi Minh City
Esplanade, Singapore
KLCC and Twin Towers, Malaysia
Train ride from Saigon to Hanoi

3. If there's one tourist place in the country that you could recommend to a lone traveler where'd it be and why?

Hands down Palawan. The crystal clear beaches, the underground river, the stunning karst, lagoons, diverse flora and fauna and the chillax life- its like paradise on earth.

4. How long will you backpack?

Until I die or until I visited all countries of the world.

5. If you could treat yourself in style by traveling what country do you wish to visit and why?

I want to travel in style to Europe and NYC! I wanna be like the models in London Milan, Paris, Rome and New York City.
Better yet, I wanna visit all the New 7 Wonders of the World.


6. Backpacking isn't much a lucrative to every Pinoy, how would you encourage everyone and promote backpacking?

I'm planning of doing the cheapest 100-day backpacking in the Phils (maybe P500/day or lower budget), then blog about this and hopefully write a book about it.

7. What Not to bring (on) backpacking?

-Judgemental heart. Also, if you think you will need it, you actually won't.


As James said, he won't stop traveling till he reaches the four corners of the world...hmmm sounds like we have the same passion for that. I guess every backpackers wishes that.
You can also read his other blog at: http://running.journeyingjames.com (running stories of journeyingjames


This is an excerpts from the interview of Flipnomad to James:

How did you discover your passion for travelling?
“I have been travelling a lot since 2003 but it was year 2008, when I was in Kabayan, Benguet when I met a Vietnamese backpacker. We had a simple talk about what we do in life etc. After the chat, I was so ashamed of myself that he has been almost everywhere in the Philippines for only 2 months and I’m stuck in Manila and Luzon. I said to myself, I don’t want to be a foreigner in my own country. After that, I did my first backpacking trip to Vietnam and Cambodia.”
What’s the most horrible experience that you’ve had on the road?
“I just crossed the border from Singapore to Malaysia and was about to go to Thailand. When a man pretending to be police told me that I have drugs in my backpack in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Turns out he is a holdaper. He got my travel money, borrowed camera and worst, my passport. I was stuck in Malaysia for a week without money and any friend. Detailed story can be accessed here.
What’s the best travel experience that you’ve ever had?
“My recent 14-day Solo Backpacking trip to West Visayas where I challenged myself to spend only Php250/day (all-in food, transpo and accommodation).”
What’s the biggest realization that you’ve got out of travelling?
“The wonders of God’s creation both the nature and the people are amazing. Take care of nature and she will take care of you. Respect the people and they will really love you.”
What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated?
“Challenges and an unending lust to explore new territories. Curiosity and the love for learning.”
This is a silly and hypothetical one. If you would be given a chance to travel with a popular person or a celebrity, who would it be and why?
“A lot: Les Stroud of SurvivorMan, Janet Hsieh and Bobby Chin of TLC and Bear Grylls of Man Vs. Wild. Lastly, Keira Knightley of Pirates of the Carribean would be a great companion for Round-the-World Cruise.haha”
Where’s your favourite place in this planet and why?
“Easy! Palawan. I live there for almost a year just because I love the island.”
What do you think about yourself?
“Self-proclaimed backpacker. I appreciate God’s love through the beauty of his creation- human kind and nature.”