Whenever I travel, the usual text messages I send home to my parents are “about to board” and “just landed.” I’m not really one for sending SMSes — I would rather send photos and let them see what I see. Picture messages or MMS is rather pricey to send and to receive, so this is a problem if I want to send to many. Luckily, there’s Sandbox, the newest social networking site.
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Are you interested in seeing more of the Philippine’s many wonders? Then prepare your wallets for the Philippine Travel Mart happening on September 4-6, 2009 at the Megatrade Halls in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.
Philippine Travel Mart (PTM) is the biggest travel, tourism and trade show in the country. It is spearheaded by Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), the biggest association of tour operators and agencies that promote exclusively domestic and inbound tourism. Through the years, the PTM has carved a niche in the international market as a prime venue for foreign buyers as a must-see, must-be event held in collaboration with the Department of Tourism.
The highlight of the event is the Grand Vacation Sale ng Bayan, where exhibitors and participants will offer attractive discounts and special offers to consumers during the 3-day event. Reservations for travel and tour, hotel, transport (sea and air) can be purchased at lower rates and should be availed of or completed on or before November 15, 2009.
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The recent news of the spread of the H1N1 (the flu formerly known as swine) virus has travelers worried. Countries are now dissuading unnecessary travel to countries with confirmed cases, like Mexico, United States and Canada.
Along with the political unrest in Bangkok, and the news of the spread of the virus (Thailand has just recently reported its first case, though the patients have already recovered) puts a damper in my travel plans. However, I’m adamant in traveling this June, and I’m just going to try my best to stay healthy. So how am I going to do this?
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Amazing Race has always been one of my favorite reality shows. Though I envy the exotic places the contestants visit, I do not envy the fact that they would just race through the country, with hardly any chance to take in the sights and experience the culture. Though the prize at the end of the race is very enticing, it entails a lot of effort (and pain) to reach the finish line first. I’ve had a taste of this Amazing Race type of activity years ago, and that experience was enough to turn me off the game altogether.
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Though iBlog is at its 5th year, this is actually just my 2nd time to attend. Started in 2005, iBlog is a whole-day affair of talks about what else? Blogging. Through the years, iBlog has covered a wide spectrum of topics, from personal blogging to blogging professionally. This year’s blogging summit still covers varied topics, but with the addition of blogging about the upcoming 2010 presidential elections and blog advertising in the Philippines.
So what does the iBlog blogging summit have to do with travel? Nothing really, except that the idea of starting Justwandering.org was formulated while I was right smack in the middle of the Professional Blogging Panel during iBlog2. (Yes, I just had to say that.)
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Nina’s note: This next couple of weeks is going to be a busy time for me, both with work and in my personal life. In the meantime, while I’m getting my act together, here’s a guest post from Max, who went to Uganda as a volunteer back in 2008.
I have always been interested in the prospect of doing some voluntary work in a third world country. But only when I turned 18 did I realize that it was now the time to make this aspiration real. So I did some research on the matter and looked it. A family friend put me in touch with an charity that operates in Uganda. It’s called ‘Watoto’, which means Children in Swahili, and the aim of the organization is to basically look after Ugandan orphans. The volunteers that travel to Uganda, work on community projects, such as building homes for the Orphans. I was immediately attracted to Watoto, because I remembered the name from a Ugandan youth choir that had come to my old High school several years back.
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Mabuhay Guides is another one of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano’s project to “produce young men and women who will guide DOT visitors to the Philippines, presenting the country in the best possible light in an interesting, intelligent & engaging manner, even as they represent the best the Philippines has to offer.” (from the Mabuhay Guides website)
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Nina, going through quarterlife crisis, decided to stop talking about traveling and actually start traveling. Starting with a solo weekend trip to Cebu to a backpacking trip in Thailand and Singapore, she finally made it out of Asia and into Australia. After spending close to six months down under, she's happily settled in Manila (for now), intent to explore the best things the Philippines has to offer.
