The DJ who's not a DeeJay

The theme for this year's World Tourism Day is "Tourism and Green Investments," emphasizing the need for greater and better-targeted investments for people, planet, and prosperity.

In celebration of World Tourism Day, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to catch up with my travel blogger friends and revisit their blogs.

Wendy from whywendywrites.com

I reconnected with my former colleague, Wendy Ng, who is passionate about travel and tourism. We worked as part of a Public Affairs team, but I was pleasantly surprised when I learned then that she is also a travel writer who has been writing about travel since 2013.

Wendy believes that knowing more allows us to travel better, so she writes to provide useful information to travelers and to promote appreciation and understanding of the places they visit, as well as the local communities and their stories.

Wendy's publications and guides have also appeared in a variety of media, including Tripadvisor, Klook, Skyscanner, Tripzilla, and others I personally use for reviews and suggestions. She has also worked with the Taiwan Tourism Administration Singapore, the Japan National Tourism Organization, and the Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau, and she has published various travel guides for Japan and Taiwan.

Knowing Wendy's vast travel experience, I asked her what advice she could give to other travelers like me, and what her message is for World Tourism Day.

One of the types of videos I like watching on YouTube is those of travel bloggers. Even before the pandemic, I would watch to see places I haven't visited or discover their experience in a place I may have visited in the past. Traveling also requires time, money, and effort. So these travel vloggers sharing their experiences are a great way to enjoy these destinations from the comfort of your own home.

There are a ton of travel vloggers and the types I like are the ones that don't treat their adventure like they're part of an "Amazing Race." The relaxed type of sharing is what I prefer. After all, I watch to relax and enjoy, not get stressed. Here are five travel vloggers I regularly watch and follow. 

The dynamics of serving quarantine in a hotel are completely different experiences from staying in a hotel for a vacation. From spending our first few days in quarantine, my wife and I prepared a few things we thought would make our quarantine stay more comfortable. One thing I learned that may be useful when the country you are transiting to requires a mandatory stay at a hotel for a few days is bearing this in mind:

With most of the world staying safe by staying at home, businesses have been severely affected.  Technology has come to the rescue in terms of making services readily available online. However, not all apps have something to offer at this time.

I miss the old format of Smile Magazine, the inflight magazine of Cebu Pacific. In their November 2016 issue, they featured Alex Caeg, Telecoms executive for PLDT.  I found the questions he answered interesting and as a frequent traveller myself, I figured it would be nice to answer the same questions here in my blog.  So here it is.

Sometimes travelling light is not an option.

How often do you travel for work?
In my previous work as Social Media Specialist, I only travel when I'm personally needed to manage an event or serve as a resource speaker/trainer.  Otherwise, I can do my work in front of the computer at the office. Since I handle social media, my travelling is done more online than offline.  I would say I travel more for leisure than for work.

What do you do on your trips?
If it's for business, it's more of setting up for an event, networking with bloggers, or serving as a resource speaker or trainer.  I would rather stay at the hotel after business is done, that is after having a good meal sampling the city's delicacies and food favorites.

What is your preferred time for flying and why?
Oddly, I am comfortable taking red eye flights.  I used to take the last flight out on a Friday night to take advantage of the weekend to visit family.  I would also take the earliest flight back on a Monday morning, arrive around 5am, go home to leave bags, freshen up and be at the office by 7:30am.  I've graduated from that scenario since then, so I'm ok with any travel time now.

What's the first thing you do when you board the plane?
I unpack everything I want handy during the flight and place it on the item holder in front of the seat.  It's basically my passport, a pen, a powerbank to charge my phone, a book and a bottle of water.  Sometimes I buy a sandwich at the airport and bring that with me to snack during the flight.

My favorite rows: 6, 7 or 8.

I don't mind having lots of legroom which is why I prefer to place my bag underneath the seat, only if it fits.

Window or aisle?
Always aisle.  Aside from it being convenient when you need to go to the bathroom mid flight, it also causes less dizziness if the plane is experiencing turbulence.  I dread the emergency rows though and will not oblige if asked to move there.

Preferred accommodation - chain hotel, boutique or Airbnb?
I prefer a hotel where everything's pretty much standard.  No surprises.  Since the popularity of Airbnb exploded though, I haven't had the chance to try it out.  May be willing to try it out depending on location.

Favorite mode of transportation when overseas - taxi, Uber or rental car?
Taxi only if it's inaccessible by other means.  Otherwise, I'm fine taking the MRT and bus as long as it's easy to understand where to get on and off.  I've tried Uber before in Sydney and was surprised to have a luxury car fetch me. As much as it was nice to brag about it, I felt unfit for such luxury. I just need to get from point A to point B.

When and where was your last holiday?
A few months ago, my family and I visited Batam Island in Indonesia.  The atmosphere was very laid back and was the perfect way to take a break from the busy metropolis.  It was also a break from being connected online as WiFi and 3G signals were sporadic.  A cottage at Turi Beach allowed us to enjoy nature up close and personal.

Essentials. Jay's must-haves:

• Digicam, especially if it's a new place I'm heading to.  I could take hundreds of photos a day so I'll also need to make sure that my memory card can handle the bulk.
• Powerbanks. I bring at least 4 every trip, 2 small and portable powerbanks for quick charges and 2 heavy duty bulky ones for providing my gadgets with a full charge. 
• Notebook and pen.  If all fails, I have the basics to jot down notes for a blog post, newly acquired tips for good food, names of places and contact details.
• Handkerchief/napkin/towel.  Anything to wipe off perspiration cause I easily sweat.
• Bonamine.  I can get dizzy from a taxi ride if a driver is foot-crazy on breaks and a lane switcher. So I may pop a chewable tablet to prevent a swirling universe.
• Extra shirt.  It's easy to roll one up and very convenient especially if you just came from a long flight.  Sometimes, I even change shirts before boarding cause a couple of hours may have elapsed since arriving at the airport till boarding.

Final words:
Always prepare before travelling.  Not just bags, but also researching on itinerary and keep contact details handy on paper.  You'll never know when your phone may just conk out.  Happy travels!

I'm currently traveling around Australia and Sydney is our first stop.  Will be compiling photos and stories for sharing soon.

In the meantime, here's some lovely views from Sydney. Hello from down under!

If you've been to SM Mall of Asia, chances are you'll be welcomed by a huge globe. Right at the center of the rotunda is the SM Mall of Asia Globe. I read that this landmark symbolizes the size and advancement Mall of Asia represents. Also starting late afternoon till evening, this globe transforms into a 360 degrees Electronic Billboard.

If you've been around Mall of Asia, one thing is for certain, it's always expanding in all directions. There's business centers, hotels, an arena, a convention center, a church, an amusement park, an esplanade, a science center and a huge parking lot that doubles as concert grounds.

Lately there's been a new addition to that lineup. If you've been to the North Wing of the SM Mall of Asia, you may have noticed a huge dome-like structure being built just beside the IMax theater. The upper half looks like a perfect dome and at night you can see sparks running down from welding construction in progress.

If the SM Mall of Asia Globe represents the Earth, fireworks represent the stars in the galaxy and the entire Mall of Asia were the solar system, then could this be the moon?  Perhaps the Science Center could explain this new SM celestial phenomenon.

Well apparently, I learned that this dome will soon be the home of a ship! Not a spaceship, but a galleon; the one popularized by the Acapulco Manila Galleon Trade.  To be known as the Acapulco Manila Galleon Trade Museum, it plans to showcase 450 years of trading history between the Philippines and Mexico.  I have no idea how a huge galleon ship will fit inside, so this alone would be interesting to see when it opens.