It’s December 25th, and as Manila sleeps, I sleepily slog through the last three hour stretch before my shift ends. But I can’t sleep without announcing the winners of my Best Travel Photo contest first!
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Hey guys and girls! I just want to remind you that the Justwandering.org Best Travel Photo Contest is ending this Friday, December 19, 2008!
Post your favorite travel photos (taken by you, of course!), and get a chance to win autographed copies of Robert Alejandro’s The Sketching Backpacker: Backpack Southeast Asia and some parts of China and Jetro Rafael’s Backpack Photos postcard book AND and one-year Flickr PRO account!
Looking forward to seeing your photos! 
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Two of the things I’m most passionate about is traveling and photography. I may not be the most hardcore backpacker, nor am I the best photographer, but that doesn’t stop me from wandering and taking photos.
The best thing about taking photos while traveling is that you get to preserve a moment that you’ll only get to experience maybe only once in your life. I love how a single photo can tell a story and how it can evoke the same emotions you felt when you were taking it.
To celebrate another great year, I am giving away signed copies of Robert Alejandro’s book, The Sketching Backpacker: Southeast Asia and parts of China, Jetro B. Rafael’s Backpack Photos postcard book and the gift of flickr: a one year Flickr Pro account, which gives you unlimited uploads and unlimited sets and collections. To win this awesome set, simply share your best travel photos and share the story behind the picture.
Simple, no? It can be a picture of the most amazing sunrise you have witnessed in Cambodia or a photo of sea lions sunning themselves in the shores of the Galapagos. It just have to be a photo you have taken yourself, and it has to impress not only me, but also two of the best travel photographers (and my favorites) in the Philippines, Ferdz Decena of Ironwulf.net and Estan Cabigas of Langyaw.com, who will help me pick the winner of the contest.
To enter, create a blog post with the photo, and share the story behind the photo, and why it was memorable to you. Leave a comment or a trackback in this entry on or before December 19, 2008. The winner will be announced on December 25, 2008. I’m looking foward to seeing your photos 
Contest mechanics:
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Red Box is going out of the box and has installed Wii Game Consoles in select rooms in their Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma branches. Now you can play Wii games in between your karaoke repertoire. What’s even better, you and four other friends can try it out yourselves for FREE just by answering one simple question:
Which Wii Character Are You?
Isn’t that so simple? Post your answers in the comment box, and be sure to leave a valid e-mail address. Contest open for Metro-Manila residents only. This contest is open until 11:59, November 14. Winner of the contest will be announced shortly.
Big thanks to Red Box and GeiserMaclang for sponsoring this contest!
Winners may call and schedule their Wii Party at GeiserMaclang Unit 7C, 114 Tuscan Bldg., V. A Rufino St. , Legaspi Village, Makati City. Tel. No. 02.812.8828 / 02.812.9199 / 0917.523.4624. Photo in this entry is provided by GeiserMaclang.
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Thank you for all four of you who joined my contest!
Who will be the winner? Will it be Shubert and his very detailed account of his tours around the temples of Nagoya, Japan? Or will the prize go to Karla, who spent one sunny day with the butterflies in Hainan, China? Or will it be Estan, who inadvertently interupted a sacred ritual in Batad? Maybe the winner will be Dyan, whose trip was made extra special by the friends who joined her in Bohol?
The lucky winner will be announced on December 25th, to make their Christmas extra special 
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to contemplate about these entries in Tasmania. Have a very merry one!
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This year has been good to me. The first minutes of 2007 found me here in Melbourne, atop a bridge with the whole neighborhood, looking out to the city where the fireworks are. Though I never got to travel anywhere else this year, I was able to travel around Australia. I joined in the revelry at the Sydney Mardi Gras, and felt the fine white sand of the Gold Coast under my feet. It was here in Australia that I got to experience my first hot air balloon ride, the most perfect birthday gift.
Life was great in Manila as well. Though the devaluation of the dollar left me with income smaller than what I received two years ago, in spite of a pay raise, I managed to enjoy the six months I spent in Manila in between trips. The most notable events would be the number of blogging events I was able to attend. From French cooking classes to Chinese acrobats, indulging in cookies and having fun with the Clique booth; it was great to meet the people behind the blogs I religiously read.
I feel so blessed this 2007, and it’s time I share some of my blessings. No, I’m not giving out free trips :P What I’m giving out is something you can use when you go on your trip: a Lonely Planet Travel Journal. Writing with pen and paper isn’t dead. For most, the writing become more personal and insightful. What better way to jot down your musing while sunbathing at the beach or when the only bus of the day left you stranded in the most decrepit bus terminal in the world?
The Lonely Planet travel journal is not just a glorified notebook. The first page is for your personal information. This is specially handy for remembering your passport number, travel insurance number or your camera’s serial number. If you lose the journal, whoever found out would know how to return it to you, or if you have an accident *knock on wood* your rescuers would know your blood type, allergies and who to contact in case of emergency.
The following pages are for listing your travel schedule. It has spaces for flight details, including flight number, departure and arrival times. The next page is for addresses where you can jot down the addresses of people you’re sending postcards to, of people who’s hosting you, or of that cute guy you met last night.
The journal proper looks like a regular notebook. Certain pages however, have snippets about countries and cities around the world. Near the back is a map of the world, with a close-up map of the continents. There’s also a listing of essential websites for travelers (according to Lonely Planet, anyway). The section that would be most useful for travelers though, are the conversion charts. There’s a ruler in inches and centimeters at the edge of one page, and a clothing conversion chart for men and women. There’s also a simple guide on how to convert from Celcius to Fahrenheit, and imperial to metric measurements. At the last page, a handy decoder thingie for converting time between countries.
So how do you win this very nice travel journal? Simple, just by writing about your favorite, unforgettable travel memory. It can be a trip you took this year or several years ago. Relive the moment and write what made it special and memorable. Post the entry on your blog, and post the URL in the comment box so I can check it out. Not a blogger? E-mail me your story or post it in the comment box. The best entry wins the travel journal, of course Entries will be judged by the evil martian (me) and two other evil creatures. We’re nice people, really. Deadline for submission is December 20, 2007. Winner will be announced on Christmas Day, December 25th.
The fine print: Contest is open only to Philippine residents. Only one entry per person is required, linking back to the contest page is greatly appreciated. The Lonely Planet travel journal will be shipped to the winner via courier (either LBC or Air21), either on the 28th or the 29th.
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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.
