Lakwatsera Fridays: How Much of the World Have you Seen?

I was looking at my Google Maps timeline. It recorded all the places I've visited across the world. Looking back, I was really very realistic with my dreams. It never crossed my mind to work abroad. The only traveling I did growing up was with my family. That's why I cried the first time I traveled to the US by myself because of work. 

When I stepped out of SFO airport, tears started to fall because it was very overwhelming for me. It was my first time to be by myself and far from family. I lived a very sheltered life. Dad would drop me off in school even when I was in college. I only learned to commute when I graduated in high school. 

Our family would travel and I got to travel more locally and internationally mainly because of my jobs. I guess some would say it must have been in my stars (haha). Also might be because it runs in my family. My ancestors were travelers and saw from research some were involved in shipping and trading, military and teachers. That's probably why I naturally gravitated towards a job that gave me the opportunity to travel. 

Can you guess where this is?

I eventually got used to traveling alone. Took a class where we were taught do's and dont's when traveling alone. We were also taught some basic self defense moves. I still cannot imagine how I managed to remove a huge person off of me during that class. The guru told us it boils down to having presence of mind and don't be stupid (haha). I was lucky I never encountered any issue traveling (unless you count being followed across Pakistan [but they thought I was a Kpop star that's why]).

I cannot say I've been to a lot of places, but I'm happy I managed to travel before being grounded due to health and the pandemic. I wish though I'd be given a chance to visit South America, Canada, Africa and other areas of Europe. For now there are a lot of videos to watch and we can explore places via Google Earth (one can go to Disney everyday!). Realistically though we'll probably stick to exploring the Philippines when it's safer and if my doctor allows me to. 

Where would you go?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Lakwatsera Fridays: Traveling Alone in Japan

From being hopelessly lost during our family trip to Tokyo, I eventually learned the ropes of getting around in Japan. You really need to learn because taking a taxi is very expensive. Armed with Google Maps and the train card Uncle Fumio gave me, I eventually learned to commute everywhere.

I once visited a school. It was located in the outskirts of Tokyo. Told Yoshi-aan I'll just meet him at the station near the school. I checked the train line to take and the exact time of the train I should take. Uncle Fumio explained there are express trains and trains that stop at all stations. If you're going to a far away place it's best to take the express train. It's always on the dot. 

When I arrived at the school with Yoshi-san, the principal asked how I got there. I told her I took the train from Ropponggi. She was so shocked I made it all the way to their town by myself. I told her I just followed Google Maps. I beamed when she congratulated me for the effort, haha. 

Eventually I got bolder and took the Shinkasen by myself from Tokyo to Nagoya and then Osaka. Train stations in Tokyo are HUGE and you have to be mindful of the line you have to take. Yoshi-san graciously bought the ticket for me and I just asked him for some directions. Well, I made it and met up with him in Nagoya. The next day I travelled alone to Osaka. The funny thing is, Yoshi-san checked on me at the station to make sure I was at the right platform!

I never got scared traveling alone especially in Japan. I took basic Japanese and you can always ask for directions at the station. Knowing how to get around by myself made it easy for me to visit places I was interested in (like my fave place,Tomato). Well, we also had a special session on traveling. We were taught what to watch out for and some basic self defense techniques. Thank God I never had any issue. 

I miss those days when I had opportunities to venture out on my own. There's so much you can discover about your surroundings and yourself when you travel alone. Just always understand the situation locally and be mindful of local practices.

Shared how that trip from Tokyo to Nagoya went: 

http://aileenapolo.blogspot.com/2020/05/multi-level-tokyu-hands-in-nagoya.html 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Wellness Wednesdays: Travelling for People with Invisible Disabilities

I thought I wouldn't make it to our trip. I had severe asthma the night before we were set to leave for our family vacation. I barely slept, so I was worried I won't have the energy to go through the flight. The last time we travelled we requested for a wheelchair and it helped immensely. We were not able to request for one for this trip. 

I was already awake when Sweetie woke up. I kept waking up throughout the night and was mulling whether I should use the oxygen concentrator. My oxygen saturation though was good so I did not push through and tried to sleep. 

The good news is I survived the trip! The adrenaline from being excited to go through our first family trip since 2019. I think what really helped me was managing stress and taking things slowly. Here are a few tips for those traveling with people who have invisible disabilities:

1. Be clear with your goals for the trip

People with invisible disabilities function very differently. Our energies cannot match that of healthy people. My 86 year old Mom actually lasts longer than I do and deals with stress better. Plan activities that are manageable for the physically challenged person. For our travel day we just ate and rested in between when we arrived.

2. Make sure to plan and bring more than enough medication

Days before our trip I already made a list of all the meds I needed. I brought 50% more meds in case we got stuck. Also brought a copy of my prescription in case of emergency and to show in case it was needed at the airport. Of course because I'm a girl scout, I also have scanned copies of it in my Google Drive.

3. The matter of clothing

I was drenched in sweat by the time we had lunch. Good thing I had a face towel in my bag.

Understand how your body reacts to different temperatures. I easily get cold and easily heat up. I basically have to stay within a certain temperature (bubble girl yan). So I brought a myriad of clothes so I could adjust as needed. I forgot to bring sleep socks (usually the one from the plane), so I just requested for an extra blanket.

4. Be mindful of what you eat

I have some annoying allergies and I stay within limits of my medication. I know I went beyond what I should eat when I have a sneezefest. I know my body quite well so I'm able to manage symptoms before it gets worse. Companions should also understand your limits so they can watch out for you also. My boys know my triggers, so they're able to flag things I  shouldn't eat.

5. Control movement and activities

My main issue is my lungs. They're scarred, so moving around a lot is hard for me. We planned activities that are probably more common for "seniors" haha. We still want to enjoy though, so we made a list of things we want to see and do. We shied away from the usual tourist activities and just did what was manageable. I just sat out things that would strain me. We were also very mindful about social distancing and avoided crowds.

6. Manage stress and triggers

I have PTSD and it doesn't feel good when it's triggered. For the trip I made sure to bring a Peace and Calming roller blend. It helps me be in a calmer space. My boys also know when I'm starting to get stressed. They already know "the look" and they take over as needed. Managing triggers is really helpful to keep your day running smoothly.

My days of heavy traveling and crazy travel activities is definitely over. My doctors keep reminding me I'm still young (though trapped in an 80 year old body) and so I still want to enjoy and make new happy memories with my family. We just need to adjust and tweak things here and there so we could still enjoy our family trips.

*And maybe you can use these tips when traveling with elderly.

#StaySafe #BeKind

I Miss Flying

It's been over a year since I walked down the aisle to my assigned seat on the plane back to Singapore. I was a frequent flyer, mostly for work. I like flying. I use the time to read, sew, watch movies I missed, sometimes I write and sometimes I conk out when I'm really tired. 

I like seeing the fluffy clouds, the different terrain in every place. The different kind of planes at airports. The myriad of people representing different cultures. It's really sad we're in this situation now where we can't travel. The memories have to be enough for now. In time we can all travel and be merry again. 

CB///Yr2/30  #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/57 #StayHome #BeKind   

My First Visit to Korea

Last February I shared the time Sweetie and I visited Korea. I also visited the beautiful city of Yeosu. I have so much blog backlog and I remembered I never got to share that first time I visited Korea. 

My first visit to Korea is truly memorable. I went with friends from work. We always joked that it was a test of friendship since we spent our first night in a traditional Korean home. It was Myra who wanted to try it and we gave in. We all decided even before we went to bed that we were going to move to a hotel the next day. It was an experience like no other, but the need for conveniences won. 

After transferring to a hotel we immediately visited two palaces: the Changdeokgung and Gyeongbukgung Palace. All I remember now is we walked a lot. I guess at that I was already starting to have issues with clotting and I got so tired easily. At Changdeokgung Palace I parked myself at the museum steps while waiting for the girls to come back and get me. 

That same day we met a Kpop star who taught cooking at our office! That was a memorable experience! I should have probably asked him if I'd pass to be a Kpop star since I was mistaken to be one in Pakistan! Hahaha. 

By evening we dined out and ate yummy Korean barbeque. What was memorable for me was trying soju for the first time! They mixed it with beer and I absolutely loved it. I found it really tasty since it matched the grilled pork perfectly. We conked out immediately when we got back to the hotel. 

The next day we went to Seoul Skytower and Namsan. We took the cable car going up to the Namsan Tower. We decided to dress up for the day just for fun. We spent most our time there just taking photos and I remember laughing and laughing. There was a Latino guy who even asked to take a photo with me! That was so funny. 

After Namsan we went to a market since I wanted to buy fabric. That was where we had our second funny incident for the day. We were so hungry we went inside one of the shops. We immediately found a seat and tried to observe what other diners were ordering. We belated realized that everything they offered were raw food! OMG! We weren't ready to have that so we apologized to the server and moved to another resto. 

For our final full day we went to Nami Island. We just commuted and took the train. It was so cold! It was the perfect timing to visit Nami Island because the leaves were all orange and yellow. We rented a bike-trike (I'm not sure what it's called). It was an exhilirating experience to see the whole island through biking. I had so much fun doing that. After visiting Nami Island we also went to Petite France. 

We spent evenings roaming around Myeongdong. I learned a lot about beauty products visiting the shops. It was useful for me since Sweetie and I spent time in the same area when we visited last year. I wish I could visit Korea many more times in the coming years. I'm also interested to see the different provinces. Hopefully when things start going back to normal, maybe next year or the year after. I'd really want to visit all the wonderful people I've been meeting from Korea. I shall be back!

#CB45  #WFH39 #StuckAtHomeDay76 #StayHome #BeKind #ThrowbackThursday #TravelThursday

Frequent Flyer Habits

My first plane ride was to the US when I was four years old. It was our grand family trip which my parents organized because my brother and sister were on a long break. I remember going to Disneyland, Great America, watching Mr. Rogers and learning to cross the street to get the newspaper. We went home on my birthday and I celebrated it three times - at my Mom's best friend's home in San Francisco, on the plane and in Manila.

It was my first time to fly alone to the US when I joined my current job. I shed some tears when I arrived in San Francisco because I felt it was such a grown up thing to do. It was a huge learning experience for me and I've had to figure flights, hotels, getting from one point to another eversince.

I've done some crazy traveling in the last 10+ years. More than 90% of my travel has been work related, all memorable nonetheless. Here are some things I do whenever I have a flight.

1. Come to the airport early. I don't like rushing and I can't run.
2. Visit airport lounges selectively. I only go to the lounge when I'm at an airport I frequently visit or when I have some work to do.
3. Check out the airport bookshop and buy a magnet. I usually also check if there's any interesting tea to bring home for Sweetie.
4. Drink celebratory milk tea (where available). I have my favorite spots in Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan.
5. Make sure I have water. I always bring two bottles with me, one for water and one for coffee to avoid buying plastic bottles.
6. Wear a mask. I'm immuno-compromised so my doctor advised me to always wear a mask when traveling. I read though that germs abound more at the airport, but I wear a mask usually for take-off and landing. I could feel the air is very dirty during take off and landing. This is usually very obvious during haze season. So protect your lungs from dirty air!

One thing I need to work on though is reducing my handcarry. It's hard though because I have essentials I can't put in the check-in luggage (meds/essential oils). It really helps though that I use a Chromebook and it's much, much lighter than previous devices I used to bring with me.

What about you? What are your frequent flyer habits?