Seven Days, Four Cities in a Backpack: Itinerary for a Trip to Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bangkok

Seven Days, Four Cities in a Backpack: Itinerary for a Trip to Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bangkok

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

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A tri-city trip to Vietnam, Bangkok and Cambodia is a part of many traveller's bucket list because other than the richness in cultures that these countries boast, they are also relatively near to each other that it's very fast and easy to move around. I have been holding off writing this specific itinerary for so long because it is far too elaborate that I didn't know how to approach this without being too lengthy. 

I will be going through per country for the guides and you will find a detailed itinerary available for download at the end of this pot.

If you have been planning to go on this sought-after trip but don't know exactly where and how to start, I hope this helps you out a little bit. Given that this packs quite a lot of spots in a very limited number of days, expect that you will be very exhausted and you will have to move fast. 

So, pack up your 7kg backpack and let's get to planning.

Singapore

The trip to Singapore is only a side-trip. The key here is to book a flight via Scoot because they have trips with layovers over 20 hours. Check for the earliest trip with the longest layover.

When you get to Singapore, don't go to transfers. Instead, follow the arrow that leads to the immigration  counters. Present all your necessary documents such as flight itinerary, hotel bookings, tour bookings, etc and let them know you will only be staying in Singapore for a number of hours since you have a next flight.

Jewel Changi Airport. After immigration, take a train to the Jewel Changi. You will find signages for "Jewel" or you can also ask the airport staff for directions to the train to the Jewel. 

There is no free to enter, but expect tons of tourist especially during the daytime. I suggest you go up high as you can where you can take better photos.

I know Singapore has so many other places but if you have limited time, the spots you should visit that really does not take too much effort and time would be the Esplanade, Raffles Hotel, Merlion Park and Marina Bay Sands. You can also sneak in some time to go to Chinatown the following morning before your next flight.

And don't forget to try famous local Singaporean dishes!

Vietnam

Vietnam is a truly charming country - with tons of motorcycles. The sound of beeping horns are just too frequent that is almost sounds like music. The Vietnamese culture is a unique and rich one. For this trip, let's check something very important and should be in you travel bucket list: a tour of the Mekong Delta.

On your first day, you should go on a walking tour around Ho Chi Minh or take a Grab car around. If you're staying in the city centre, you should be able to go to the War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Central Post Office and perhaps catch a show at The Opera House.

Vietnam's culture is still very much embedded in their architecture so a walking tour is a very great experience.

On the second day,  I booked a Mekong Delta Excursion Tour via Klook which is a join-in tour that takes you through some pagodas as well as the famous river tour. The tour also includes a lunch highlighting a few local Vietnamese cuisine. I will be posting a separate post about this full day excursion in detail. You can book the full day excursion tour for less than Php 1500 per person here.

Cambodia

If you follow the downloadable itinerary, you will arrive in Phnom Penh in Cambodia in the afternoon. As of today, I cannot find a bus that travels from Ho Chi Minh directly to Siem Reap which is where this itinerary focuses in. Siem Reap is where Angkor Wat is located and it is around 6 hours by bus from Phnom Penh.

Since the night bus to Siem Reap leaves at 11:00pm, you have a few hours on your hand in Phnom Penh. There are plenty of options: you can rent a room for a few hours to take a rest, hang out at a cafe, or look for local food spots and nightlife. Just be sure that you are sober enough to make it to the night bus.

You should not also try and see the Grand Palace as well as the Wat Phnom Temple. I lost my photos for those places but they're also very beautiful and picture perfect.

When you arrive in the morning, take the tuktuk from the bus station to your hotel and request for an early check in. You can book a Grab Tuktuk in Cambodia. They also trade in US dollars which means you can pay for anything using that currency. The only place I would suggest if you could only go to one place in Cambodia, it would be the Angkor Wat temples. My regrets were that I did not prepare my outfit and gadgets properly. I could have made the most out of my tri if I did. It is still in my bucket list to go back someday and visit every single temple.

Bangkok

This would be the last country on this seven-day trip and by this time, you'll most likely be very exhausted. Bangkok is just like a lot of busy Asian cities and it can get overwhelming even if you are used to it. Traffic can get really bad and there are crowd surges during rush hours as expected.

What I recommend is that you take things a little slow on this stop. I know the past few days almost seemed non-stop and very rushed so in Bangkok, you can spend all the remaining days visiting maybe a couple temples near the city and to go shopping. Bangkok is a hotspot for budget and even luxury shopping. Hit up the markets and shop and eat to your heart's content. 

I hope I was able to cover the necessary details, but I am also thinking of making detailed itineraries for those countries if I can still remember as much - it has been a looong time ago.

This is not for the faint of hearts and this definitely is not for the staycation loving types of travellers. However, I think this is still a great cultural adventure, the greatest that you may experience in a lifetime.

Happy travels!

Downloadable Content

Click the button below to download the pdf file of that contains all the details of this seven-day itinerary to Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bangkok. 

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The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes

The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes

Friday, November 25, 2022

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Books have the power to let your mind transcend across times, cultures and almost every aspect of life. I don't always come across books of women disguising as men so I was quite intrigued by this one. 

This is the story of Maria Purificacion a.k.a. Puri who embarked on a journey to Vinces, Ecuador with her husband who was an aspiring writer to claim a generous inheritance. While they were still on their way, a strange man threatened Puri's life, ending her husband's in her defence. Distraught, Puri felt that she couldn't reveal her identity in fear that one of those who knew about her inheritance wanted her dead. So, donning her husband's clothes and identity, she marched into the cacao plantation that her father left her and investigated the family that she didn't know about.

Rocky start

I didn't feel so connected with the book in the beginning. There were a couple of things that I wasn't sure I followed and some that just annoyed me.

For example, the night her husband was killed, they got into an argument that he wasn’t paying attention to what she wanted to do because he was too busy writing his book. However, on a much more present day when she was already missing her husband, she described him as someone who’s always eager to please her. That he didn't want to come to Vinces but went against his will for her.

There were far too many repetitions of “did he/she recognise my disguise” or expressions of relief that she is not being recognised. It does remind me of when someone is hiding from another person and keeps asking “did he see me?” Like, we get it, you’re doing a great job in disguise now please stop talking about it because we’ll definitely know when your mask has fallen.

Unveiling the masks

Puri did not knew about her father's family since he never talked about them. It just made sense that she would doubt all of their characters and intentions. She bought herself two weeks by lying that Puri died in the boat due to influenza and her death certificate would take that long to process. She took this time to get to know her siblings and her father's trusted worker, Martin. 

Instead of hate, she began to grow sympathy for them. Angelica did all that she can to gain her father's approval though her father always made sure to make her feel that was always second to Puri, the only legitimate child. Catalina, her other sister, was held up to saintly expectations but was secretly living a double life as a regular human being with sins. Her brother Alberto was a priest and even if he made a big mistake, he's also didn't seem like he could take the life of another. Lastly, Martin has been loyal to her father even after his death. Even if he expressed interests in buying her share, he also had some good in him.

Puri found herself at crossroads of vigilance and sympathy for the people she could call as family.

Family Secrets

We are treated to not only Puri's point of view in this book but also some of Catalina and Angelica's childhood as well. To be honest, I didn't really find their point of views very significant and I scanned my way through most of it. I thought their POVs could have just been conversations not very lengthy and detailed versions.

Like the good Spanish fictional family drama that we're familiar with in television, this also has a great deal of that. We find one secret after another and we could only hope as the story progressed that this too, would give us clues on who threatens Puri's life. 

At some point, I felt what I thought Puri might have felt - the confusion on who to point fingers to. 

In conclusion...

This was a good, easy read. There was a lot of family drama, secrets, just a tiny bit of romance and some quaint mystery. At times I did feel disconnected to the book but I still persisted because I knew something good was going to come out of it.

This is not the best book on my list. Nonetheless, it's very fascinating and very interesting.

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My Whys and Hows: Cooking and Freezing Meals in Batches

My Whys and Hows: Cooking and Freezing Meals in Batches

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

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One of the problems that I kept running in to when living alone was not being able to use fresh ingredients before they go bad and getting tired of the cook-eat-wash cycle in an almost daily basis. It was only until recently when I saw someone on Tiktok freeze cooked meals to eat for a week that I asked myself...

"Why didn't I think of that any sooner?"

I know I should have thought of this sooner but for some reasons I just didn't. I stay at home all the time so I have always thought that I don't have an excuse not to cook. However,  food supplies were getting more expensive and daily cooking was just consuming too much time and resources so I just knew this would help me a lot not only to stretch out my food resource but also to save time and utilities.

Checking how long food can last when frozen

Before I plan to cook something for days, I always search and check how long they can last (cooked) in the freezer. Freezing food can actually stretch its life span to weeks and even months. What I do is I let the food cool down to room temperature, pack them and store them in the freezer. I cook lunch and dinner for up to five days at a time. This usually consists of two different dishes just for variety.

Packing in individual servings

For both the rice and the viand, I make sure to pack each container with individual servings for each meal. That way, I will only reheat what I know I can finish for one meal. I don't do those meal prep meals that we can find on Pinterest. I just cook the ones I regularly eat. Nothing really special.

Reheating

Most microwave ovens nowadays have a defrost setting. In my case, I use the defrost setting for my food for a minimum of two minutes. This setting is very low and definitely is not a miracle defrost worker but it does help lower down the temperature. At times I also just take it out of the freezer 30 minutes to an hour before heating it up. 

After that, I heat my food up in the microwave high for at least  two minutes and that will get it nice and warm. If it's still a little bit cold in the center, I mix it up in the container before heating it again on high for another one minute. 

I know this seems to simple and maybe even a no-brainer for some or maybe others will think this is just me being lazy but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. I'm just happy that I discovered this because I have been having a delight using the time that I should have used for daily cooking to other activities instead. It is also great to know that even if I get lazy or tired from work, I wouldn't have to get up and do the entire cooking ordeal because all I have to do is to heat up what I already have. Personally, I think they still taste the same even if they have been frozen for days.

If you also live alone and you're thinking of doing this as well, I highly suggest you give this one a try and see how much you can save as well.

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General VA Tasks Basics: Social Media Management

General VA Tasks Basics: Social Media Management

Monday, November 21, 2022

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Are you tasked of "babysitting" your boss' or the company's social media page? Is this something totally new to you? Then, this post is for you. 

Other businesses would hire marketing professionals who specialise in high returns of social media activities. This entails so much complexity that requires experience in copy writing, marketing, social media use, advertising, etc. 

However, if your boss is just asking you to babysit a social media account which means you just have to make sure you have posts up enough to have an online presence then this post might help you get started.

This is the third in my mini series of becoming or being a virtual assistant where I talk about what the basics that I know of the common tasks for a virtual assistant. I will leave the links to the other posts at the end.

Branding and Audience

Some might think that this task may seem easy because who does not have social media nowadays, right? Wrong. You should distinguish the line between personal and a brand's social media impact. Even if you are managing another person's social media if the point at the end of the day is for profit, then you should look at this as a brand. There are two things that you should wrap your head around at this stage: branding and audience. Branding basically is how you want to be seen to a larger group of unknown people and audience is that group of unknown people. Study and learn the answers to what the branding strategy is and who are your audience by asking your boss what image does the business want to achieve or maintain and who is/are your target audience. Once you have the basic grasp of these two things, you can begin researching.

Very basic research

Just because you're just babysitting a social media account does not mean you just go to town with what you do. You have to do some research on the extent of the company's products and services and all the topics that relate to those products and services. For example, if the business is selling slimming teas, you can also research related articles and facts on healthy eating, exercise, wellness, etc.

You also have to research on who your audience is. If your audience is a group of young professionals then the basic thing you should know could be things like what are the jobs of the majority of these people and what time do they usually work - with this information, you can determine a schedule of your posts based on what time they commute to and from work and NOT during their work hours. Another example is knowing the artists and influencers they typically listen to and studying how those influential people communicate with them. This would be an easy way to know what language your audience easily hears and you can adjust accordingly. Study your audience like how you would study a person you're interested in.

Creating graphics and media content

For a lot of social media platforms like Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook and the likes, graphics and other media content like videos, webinars are the main tools of communication. Your work will involve creating these graphics to share to your page. This will be a challenge especially if you have zero experience in graphic design or you think you are just not creative for these sorts of things. Be not afraid, Canva will be your best starting tool. A lot of businesses and social media managers now rely on this very easy to use graphic design platform that is free to use (with options for premium membership). I think even someone who has absolutely no idea how to create graphics would be able to learn how to use Canva within an hour. There are tons of template that are perfect for a wide variety of businesses and when you're confident enough, you can also start creating your own. You can access the site here.

If you're still scared of using Canva for the first time, here is a two-hour online course for free on how to use the platform to create visuals for businesses.

Writing the captions/copy

These are the texts that come with every post that you share even if you are just posting an image or just simply sharing another article. It is important that you have a caption and your writing style would be strongly tied to the business branding. Those without experience in writing will find this challenging but don't pressure yourself too much if you're just starting. You can also directly quote the article but for heaven's sake do not forget the quotation marks if you do. If you are sharing a graphic with text on it, do not retype the same text in your caption (it's just weird) - instead, write something in the caption that expands the thought that is expressed in the image's text.

The neat trick that you can apply is to keep it short and sweet. The less you say, the less chances of being misinterpreted.

This will take practice but you'll be able to learn this fast with consistency. Make sure your grammar is correct (you can always use Grammarly) and your message is clear, non-offensive and non-degrading.

Social media calendar

A very efficient way would be to plan your posts in advance into a social media calendar. You can also have your boss check this for you so you'll know what to adjust before actually posting it. You can create one with the many online tools available but you can also create it in the good ol' Microsoft Word if you have too much on your learning plate already. This is not necessary, but a great way to always have a post up for consistency.

Insights and Statistics

The good news is that if you're only tasked with the very basic social media management, then you don't have to create your own study of how effective your social media activities are. However, insights are available across all platforms for business accounts if you're wondering how people respond to your posts, who are the people responding and what times they usually respond. These types of information will help you create better and more effective content.

I hope this short guide will help ease your anxiety if you're ever tasked with basic social media management. Until the next one!

View all VA tasks guides and related content here.

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After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Friday, November 18, 2022

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Before anything else, I would like to declare that Taylor Jenkins Reid (TJR) is probably one of my absolute favourite modern writers. This is my first book and I still have to discover her other works but I was just so highly impressed by her storytelling and writing skills on this one that I just knew she's just going to be one of the best in my list.

Anyway, I picked this up because this was on sale and I wanted to explore TJR's style before I dive in to the more expensive (and never goes on sale) The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I found myself in awe even at the first few pages and it just kept getting better.

The Story

This book is the story of Lauren and Ryan's marriage as it crumbles years after they fell in love and tied the knot. When the spark seemed to have ceased, they found themselves irritated by each other more than they ever thought they would. They saw every crack in their relationship and each other. 

The story starts out with Lauren and Ryan arguing where they parked which is something so menial but may also be something that a lot of married couples would argue over some time in their lives. This argument led into a strange arrangement. They agreed to a "trial separation" for one year and decide what to do with their marriage after that.

"I’ve come to realize that resentment is malignant. That it starts small and festers. That it grows wild and unfettered inside of you until it’s so expansive that it has worked its way into the furthest, deepest parts of you and holds on for dear life."

 

We're also taken through the first time they met, when they started dating, starting their life together and getting married. All that, I believe, were really written so well that it did broke my heart when I had to go back to the present time when they are "trial separating". 

Ryan and Lauren tried to live their lives separately with the hopes that the time apart will fix what is broken.

What I think...

This book may not be TJR's most famous works but it sure is beautiful in its own way. It does not have much of the usual cheesy moments - this is a lot more raw and depicts a troubled marriage more realistically. Like Lauren's grandma, I don't quite agree of a trial separation because if you're going to fix something, you put your heads together and fix it together. However, TJR told the story so well that even if you don't like the idea so much, you'd still bear this happily until the end because you want Lauren and Ryan to have their happy ending whether it's together or permanently apart.

I am really looking forward to reading more of TJR especially her highly raved about works because this just blew my socks off. 

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Solo Living 101: Budgeting when you only have just enough

Solo Living 101: Budgeting when you only have just enough

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

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Living alone gives room for a lot of freedom to make personal choices, but it also does not come cheap. There are no divisions to the expenses so planning your expenses and sometimes getting short is not an option.

I am not by any means a financial expert. I still have a long way to go before I even come close to that. This post will not get you rich nor does it have any hacks to magically give you large monthly savings. These are practical tips and thoughts to keep in mind when planning your finances in a month in order to survive well and enough alone without needing to call for back up.

via GIPHY

It is okay if you're only making enough to get by.

I know there are tons of financial advice of a said ratio on how you spend your money. As ideal as it sounds, it is just not everyone's reality. Sometimes, a person only makes enough to have at least 5 or 10% of their total income to save. There is nothing wrong with that as long as you have paid your financial obligations and you are providing your basic needs. Maybe someday you'll be able to follow and have a substantial amount in savings, but if it's not possible for now there is no reason to feel bad about it.

Do not go into debt.

via GIPHY

Having your finances on the negatives, even no matter how little it is, can topple your financial planning and can have drastic effects. Debt is a hole you don't want to dig because it will only get deeper. It is true, there are good and bad debts, but be sure that you are earning enough to still be stable. Seek for advise from your bank or a trusted expert on finances to see if a specific debt is something you are able to pay for.

Have clear outline of your leisure spend.

It is important that you know how much you have to pay for the basic expenses such as rent/mortgage, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, insurance etc with a little bit of allowance for each. Whatever is left could either be for your savings or for leisure spend. It is important that you do spend some for yourself for pampering or other hobbies, but make sure this is not a rock that will drown down your boat. Have some clear boundaries of how much your leisure spend is limited to.

via GIPHY

Have more of your meals at home

There is nothing wrong with eating out once in a while, but you will be surprised how fast and how much it adds up if you do it very often. The advantage of having more meals at home is you can control your grocery expense and it is just cheaper if done right. There are tons of quick but delicious recipes and you can also meal prep if you don't have time or just not very willing to cook everyday. 

Learn to compromise.

Unless you are some millionaire's child (in which case you really don't need to be reading topics like this) or you're just ultra rich, you will have to learn to compromise when you are living alone. There are a lot of things that are not paid off by someone else anymore. 

Your bills are your own to pay. Naturally, you will have to give up a lot of fancy lifestyle choices or simply just your splurges. Your essentials will  have to take over and the extras to the backseat. If don't really think it's possible to be able to live a lifestyle beyond your income and at the same time, pay your bills - well maybe it is, but you'll be in debt.

Oprah Winfrey said, 

"You can have it all, you just can't have it all at once."

In an ideal world, we'd all be rich and we'd all have everything we want or money won't even be a social commodity. But for now, we'll have to live with what we got and we have to make it work.

Hope this helps!

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There’s No Reason to Feel Bad if You’re Not Getting the Chance to Travel

There’s No Reason to Feel Bad if You’re Not Getting the Chance to Travel

Monday, November 14, 2022

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When I was in college, I was told that, "Cebu ra na siya kutob" (She's not going beyond Cebu). At that time, I didn't know exactly what it meant. It was until later on I realised that the person was saying that I will never get the chance to travel anywhere else because the person didn't see me succeeding. She didn't think I could actually make it in life - not that I would I equate success with travel, but that is how the person does believe it.

Years later, I had a handful of people asking me how I was able to travel and it all really boils down to the sheer will to save up and chances. I was lucky enough to be sent to the United States as an exchange student and the trips to Australia were all paid business trips. For the cheaper destinations, it really was pure will and a concrete plan to save up.

I didn't expect that I would actually prove that person wrong. The universe just gave me the many, many chances to build up a fulfilling life for myself.

Why am I telling you this story?

It's because I was made to think that success is measured by the stamps in your passport. I was made to think that they are successful and I was not because I have not been outside of the country or have been inside an airplane that time. I didn't expect then that I would have travels and lessons that I would be able to write about.

The world is now telling us that travel is a commodity. Travel gets rub into our faces that we sometimes feel bad of not being able to do it. Others drown in debt just to be able to say they have travelled. We're not treating travel the reality that it is after all a luxury.

In reality, if you're only getting by as much as you can and trying to ends meet, it will take months or even years to be able to save for a trip. If you are trying to reach more important goals or just simply trying to provide for yourself or your family, you should feel the same satisfaction as stepping in to a foreign place. Don't worry about travel, you will have the chance when you are financially able to do so. If for now staying is what life allows you, then staying is as precious as anything else.

There is no reason to feel bad about not being able to go anywhere. There is no reason to feel bad about not being able to afford it.  It's not reasonable to be jealous of those who have other people or their credit cards paying for their trips. For a lot of us, we have to save up the little of the disposable income we have. If you're saving for a trip that you're fully paying yourself, then every single cent that you add to your travel funds is enough to be  proud because it gets you closer to your goal.

Our lives are all paced differently. We have different priorities, different chances. 

Your chance may not be now but don't give up hoping that someday it will.

For now, enjoy home and look forward to being someplace else one day.

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Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict

Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict

Friday, November 11, 2022

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I have read about a lot of fictional couples in books a lot more than I can remember this has to have the most odd love (if you can even call it that) of them all.

Set in the 1860s America, Clara is a young Irish immigrant who just came to America and assumed the identity of a lady who has the same name as her but passed on the ship she was on. With experience way less experience than the lady whose identity she assumed, she became a maid to Mrs. Carnegie. She captured the attention of one of Mrs. Carnegie's sons, Andrew whom she calls "the elder Mr. Carnegie" at the most part.

An odd love story

When I read that this book was about a young maid who charmed her master, I thought that this would just like a lot of stories that have a similar plotline but I was wrong.

Clara, even though she didn't have the educational and work background than the original Clara Kelly, she was still very much smart in her own ways. She was the daughter of a farmer who did not fail to encourage them to read and learn things. Her wit and her curiousity was what really drew Andrew Carniege to her. They started spending a lot of time together discussing about business, poetry, literature and whatever they found amusing.

When I say this is an odd love story, I meant it in a good way. Their kind of "love" is not full of raging passion, but theirs is something that's built on shared interests and learning from each other. Andrew did helped Clara put her ideas into action and eventually giving her back financially from that. 

Clara thought of Andrew as more than just a master and a friend and Andrew expressed his interests of actually having a future with Clara. It was actually heartbreaking how when Clara got caught by Mrs. Carnegie, she just immediately left without saying her goodbyes and even if she did stay in Philadelphia, she never came back to Andrew even he did as much as he can to find her. 

Their "love" story is the kind that's in between friendship and strong romantic love - you definitely know it was there, but it was never strong enough to make them fight for it.

Clara

The reason why Clara was sent to America was to help her family. They were farmers in Ireland but their land was already under compromise because of her father's political beliefs. She constantly worries about them and her position in the Carnegie household.

I believe this is why whatever love or affection she felt for Andrew Carnegie never really strengthen or took off because she wanted to keep her job and provide for her family for as long as she can. She wanted to be with him, but she also knew why she was even there in the first place.

Clara is a 1860s representation of a lot of immigrants who journeyed to other countries for their families. It may not be always love, but it can also be hobbies, desires, experiences or even material things that the immigrant worker has to sacrifice just to make sure the family he or she leaves behind survives. 

In conclusion...

Even though this book did not have much intensity, but I still very much loved how it went. It's a little slow paced  which others might find boring. There really isn't much going on in this book and I found myself just flowing with Clara's relatively long journey. 

This is a very easy read that does not compromise sensibility or quality and I never found myself tangled in Marie Benedict's writing style. 

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Experiences While You're Still Studying That Build Up Your Résumé

Experiences While You're Still Studying That Build Up Your Résumé

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

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One of the most common problems for a first time job applicant is the part that asks for job experience. While this can be fairly easy in countries that actually give work opportunities to students, it is almost impossible to have that here in the Philippines.

It might leave a lot of first time job applicants a difficult time trying to be confident when answering "no" to the question if they have a job experience or worse they undervalue themselves just to get a job.

Even though applicants do not have any work experience, there are more things about themselves that they can use to build up their resume. These are some that I used to build up my resume and what made interviews a lot more interesting and not a dead end:

Extra-curricular activities 

In my early years as a student, I detested extra curricular activities and never found any value of doing something other than going to school (which I thought the only thing I was supposed to do as a student). It was only until I went to job interviews that I get asked a lot about my outreach and leadership experience. My involvement with things other than the norms were more than interesting enough to spark engaging interviews and actually added so much more to my credibility and holistic ability even though I don't have any job experience.

These activities, especially those that are geared to certain advocacies, will show that you are ahead of other first-time applicants and you had the chance to develop soft skills and work ethics even before getting into employment.

 

Internship

I would not have been able to get into the marketing realm if I did not challenge myself to apply for a PR company before. I was studying Bachelor of Arts in English but we did have journalism, marketing and advertising subjects that made me eligible to look into marketing for internship.

In the Philippines, internships could be an applicant's best chance to have somewhat of a job experience while studying but you'll have to be able to do more than just making coffee or printing copies in the internship. When looking for internship opportunities, you may want to ask about the type of work the company typically gives their interns and if you are not satisfied, you can ask if there's more that you can do because you really do want to learn or you can keep looking elsewhere.

A high value internship experience will be a very strong gear in your resume.

Part-Time Jobs

I have mentioned that this is not easy to look for in the Philippines especially if you are a student but it does not mean that the opportunities are non-existent. I started getting writing gigs even way back when I was a freshman in high school and though I did not earn much because it was mostly ghostwriting for websites, I still did have something of high value for my resume.

I believe fast food chains like Jollibee offer part time jobs to students with scholarship programs. If you have gigs for the summer, you can also ask for even just letters stating that you did some work for them. There's also tons of online jobs like what I found that accept students - just know that these jobs don't pay much but I think that's acceptable if you're still building up experience.

Portfolio

I think this is very helpful especially those who are in the creative spaces. The internet now has a variety of platforms that anyone can use to showcase their work. If you try to keep a portfolio that the public can see consistently for a certain amount of time, you can use this to strengthen your application so that your probable employer can see your progress and will be able to tell how passionate you are of what you are doing.

I would stress the part of consistency over time because it does not make much sense to create a portfolio now and apply tomorrow.

Your porfolio would also be a good angle for conversations during your interviews.

Hope this helps!

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A quick chat on airport customs declarations

A quick chat on airport customs declarations

Monday, November 7, 2022

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The often ignored customs compliance when travelling is something that gets a lot of travellers in trouble. Some people think the declaration form is a piece of paper that never really matter but it actually a piece of legal declaration that can weigh heavily on the traveller when it's not done right.

Let's have a quick chat about airport customs and why you should pack and declare correctly.

What happens to your bags when you check in

You will be surprise how there are still people who think that since checked bags get less security checks than carry-ons, they'll pack their more suspicious items there. Are they right? Absolutely not.

When you check in, you will see your bags go to a conveyor belt. What we don't see is that there are actually sorting machines to help them go to the right flight and there are also security scans behind those walls. This is necessary for the airports to check whether the bags contain prohibited items and the bag owner will be liable for it. You can check out the TSA page that details their security screening.

Security can open and check your bags if they find anything suspicious in the scans.

To declare or not to declare, that is the question

As a Pinoy traveller, you will often get requests for pasalubong that brings you doubt on whether or not you should bring it to the country. There were times in the past I was told not to declare the doubtful items just so it wouldn't give any suspicions from the immigration or customs officer.

Going back to the fact that bags are indeed scanned even after check in, I would say this time and time again:

Be truthful to the customs declaration form.

 

They're highly concerned about food and raw products being brought in to the country so that is what is commonly asked from the traveller. The destination country's airport or immigration website often have information on what is not allowed in the country so it is best to check before you travel. 

As for any food or other products the form and the officer will ask you about, be truthful and declare what you are bringing to the country. If it's not illegal but is still not acceptable, they will just confiscate it and let you through with very less hassle. If it's illegal/dangerous, obviously you might face charges and will not be allowed to enter. 

If you make any untruthful declaration or you failed to declare items that the form and the officer ask of you, you will face hefty fines or worse may not be allowed to enter the country.

In conclusion...

Again, do some research about your destination country and rely on the official government and airport pages. Pack wisely and don't just think that you'll get away with undeclared items. Some people do, but it's really not worth it when you're in hot waters just because you choose to overlook some things.

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She Just Wants to Forget by r.h. Sin

She Just Wants to Forget by r.h. Sin

Friday, November 4, 2022

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I really liked r.h. Sin's poetry from the last book I wrote so it was to no surprise that it didn't take me long before jumping into one of his solo books.

r.h. Sin is one of the rare modern poetry that actually make sense. He's not one of those writers who just made good Instagram captions and decided to be writers and come out with half-baked poems. r.h. Sin actually has substance and talent.

While this may be primarily dedicated for women, I don't see any problem if other genders would feel for this too - vulnerability and emotions are not exclusive to one gender anyway. This book can speak to a heartbroken reader in a number of ways - it can put to words all the pain and confusion that you are trying to survive or it can bring you comfort like a letter from a good friend who you know just always gets it. 

"Every letter here was meant to form words that will speak to the strong women who are tired of wasting their energy, choosing someone who never chooses them."

-r.h. Sin

There are a couple proses that are written like letters to those who find themselves in darkness of failed relationships, outcasted or discriminated by their own families or even those who simply question their self worth. These may not speak to everybody but if you are sympathetic enough, you might see a person you know from these passages and you will feel for them.

 

On letting go

Much like the first r.h. Sin book I read, this is heavy on heartbreak and letting go. However, the poems in this book that talk about letting go are not meant for self-pity nor are they written to belittle its readers. Instead, they are written as comfort words, explanations and inspiration that whatever pain you may be in will get better someday. 

There are also bits and pieces for children who grew up with parents who failed to teach them their self worth and that too takes really huge gut to let go. A lot of people know the courage it requires to let go of the emptiness and pain and to redefine their adult selves to break that cycle.

On loving yourself

If you ask me, this would be the most important message of the book. Letting go of toxicity, pain and heartbreak is one (brave) thing, but what you do after that is crucial to how you move on. There are people who did let go but jumped into the next relationship boat without fixing the self love they have lost in the process. What happens with this is they find themselves with a new person but the same situation.

When you learn to love yourself after a heartbreak, you will find that your standards get higher and you no longer allow people in unless they care for your heart as much as you do. There are pretty strong messages here on self love so whether you're heartbroken or not, I suggest you let them speak to you.

On never giving up

Another theme that runs through the entire book is never, ever to give up on yourself and never give up on giving yourself another chance at love or just simply happiness. It may be dark right now and these will be difficult to believe but hold on to that little flicker of light.

No one has it all together and it's completely understandable when you have too much pain or confusion in your life. I hope these proses and poems fulfill the author's purpose and will be one of the words that you hold on to.

In conclusion...

Whether you are in a dark state in your life right now or you are a happy bee, I think you will still like this book all the same especially if you are a fan of modern poetry.

This is not one of those books that just gives you one or two obvious lines per page. This actually has strong messages and feelings that a lot of people can relate to.

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Must-Watch Movies Based on Novels Pt.2: From The Classics

Must-Watch Movies Based on Novels Pt.2: From The Classics

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

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Just a little while back I wrote about some must-watch movie adaptations of novels and I realised I did leave out a few more ones that I absolutely love and would absolutely recommend to anyone. 

This is a list of four movies adapted from classic books so, if you're looking for some quality movie to watch next time, here are a few suggestions if you haven't seen these already (or something to rewatch if you have!):

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

The Phantom of the Opera is my absolute favourite musical of all time. I have read the book, watched the musical (on Youtube just yet) and have rewatched the movie countless times but it still blows my mind each time. The storyline, although strange, is very beautiful and oddly romantic. Christine is not a literary character that I actually like but I think this just proves how well Gaston Leroux created her to be. The movie stars Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum whom in my opinion, definitely did not fall short.

This movie starts with an auction of the items at the opera house. It then transitions and goes back in time to the glory days of the opera where they believe the "Phantom" as a ghost but is truly a disfigured musical genius who has remarkable contributions to the opera house. He then helps Christine's rise to stardom.  Christine is his protégé who was also someone he is obsessed with. She struggled with separating reality and her fantasy as she falls deeper into the Phantom's traps.

Click here to buy/rent this movie on Amazon Prime Video.

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

I have seen the movie before but it wasn't until I read the book recently that I remembered to include it in this list. I wrote a review on the book which I will link here in case you're interested. Among all the movies in this list, this is probably the one based on the "more recent" novel (published in 1997) but I believe would cement its classic status if it hasn't already. Although the movie is like a trimmed down version of the novel, this still holds so much value and highlights the most important parts of Nitta Sayuri's life. The cinematography is just phenomenal, it's truly a work of art.

This movie is about Nitta Sayuri,  one of the mot celebrated geishas of her time. Beyond the makeup, the beauty and the arts, she was once Chiyo from a small fishing village who was sold to a geisha house. She didn't know any better, she didn't have a purpose and she has lost all hope until she met the Chairman at a young age who, in a random act of kindness, shone a light into a dream she never even knew she had. Sayuri then strives to be a geisha defying all odds and unfavourable circumstances.

Click here to buy/rent this movie on Amazon Prime Video.

The Great Gatsby

If you haven't heard of the man who threw hundreds of parties to be noticed by the woman he loves, then you haven't met Jay Gatsby. If you think that's quite foolish, then I highly recommend you watch the movie. Just like the Phantom's love for Christine, I think this also counts as one of the oddly romantic love stories in the world of classic literature. I should admit that Gatsby's love interest, Daisy Buchanan is one literary character that I find extremely annoying but again that's really part of the beauty of Fitzgerald's writing. As for the movie, it is undeniably beautiful - the storyline, the costumes, the acting, among many others. They did not fail to bring one of the most famous classic novels to life.

This is a story of a grandeous love of Jay Gatsby to a married woman named Daisy Buchanan as told by his next-door neighbour, Nick who is also an aspiring writer. He befriends Jay Gatsby and takes us through how the tale of all of those parties led to the rollercoaster of emotions, deceit and an eventual tragedy.

Click here to buy/rent this movie in Youtube or click here for Amazon Prime Video.

The Man in The Iron Mask

The Man In the Iron Mask the days of France ruled by an evil ruler named King Louis XIV. The three musketeers seek vengeance for the death of a loved one and liberated a prisoner who was actually King Louis' identical twin brother who wore an iron mask. When they were born, their father decided to hide the other twin in order to avoid conflict between the two of them in the future. Not knowing his identity and even his royalty, the twin brother lived all his life in a dark cell wearing his mask. When he was liberated, the musketeers replaced him with the king and made the king wear the iron mask. In the extreme switch of roles, the twin brother tried to live his new life while King Louis experiences what his brother has been living all those years.

This historical fiction movie is quite an oldie, but still undoubtedly a goodie. Leonardo de Caprio was still very young when he played the role of both King Louis XIV and his twin brother - still, he did a great job for both roles. This movie is beautiful and if you are into historical fiction works, this is something you should watch at least once. There's not a dull moment in the film and every moment that unfolds, you'll find yourself looking forward to the next.

Click here to buy/rent this movie in Youtube or click here for Amazon Prime Video.

Enjoy!

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