happy steps

Among the stuff in my bag which I always bring with me during trips is my trusty pair of sunglasses. Yup, aside from shielding my eyes from the bright and harmful UV rays of the sun, they also protect my eyes from dust especially during windy days. It’s simply one of my travel necessities. For some travel bugs, wearing attractive shades and fashionable eyewear add more style to whatever is the outfit.

I’ve been browsing over some stylish eyewear at Zenni Optical. They offer discounted deals on prescription eyeglasses and their products are even recommended by The Clark Howard Show, a consumer advocate radio program. To order from the website, be sure to have your prescription information on hand such as your eye grade, spherical correction, astigmatism and other important details.

Here’s one of their featured fashion eyeglasses:

Tailored Fashion Acetate Full-Rim Frame with Spring Hinge

There are two color options for this model, and the burgundy outside clear pink inside is a good choice for that girly look. When ordering for a specific pair, you have the option of using anti reflection coating for the lens which for me is a must. Adding tint to your pair is also possible with lens tint colors from gray, green, amber to blue, purple, pink and yellow and tint choices ranging from 10%, 50% to 80%.

Learning from the history, culture and people of other places is what most of us enjoy about traveling. As St. Augustine said, “the world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.” Yup, going on a tour is an educational endeavor indeed. In college, we had a subject about architecture history, and we we used to study about all types of buildings and shelters, from the ancient stone age to the detailed moldings of the renaissance era and Gothic buildings of the medieval ages until the modern glass and concrete buildings and skyscrapers of today. It would have been more enriching for us if we had visited some of these places while studying about them.

Some schools include educational tours in their curriculum,  such as a study visit to industrial companies to learn about the production process, or visit museums and art galleries to know more about a place’s history and culture. Travel companies such as Hemisphere Educational Travel provide student travel service for educational tours worldwide which are really intended for the needs of students. These educational tours are a different learning experience for the students outside their classrooms. It’s even more fun since the students travel with their classmates, thus giving them not just an educational experience but a memorable trip as well.

Being on vacation can be fun, but don’t expect your phone to be on holiday too, unless you turn it off. Chances are, it will be ringing or buzzing with SMS alerts particularly if you have left some unfinished business. Sometimes you miss your family and friends especially if you’re abroad, or you need to follow up on an important deal with an associate, and there you are, making a global long distance call.
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We went to Tampere yesterday and had a great time. I will be writing a separate post about it later. Anyway, I’m thankful that I wore my favorite footwear for walking around… my high-heeled flip flops! :)  Even though we had a car to tour us around, we still had to be on foot since some of the places we visited had no parking nearby. Too bad my little niece Az had a blister on her right foot since she wore her new pair of shoes. We were able to remedy it though by letting her wear socks.
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Who’s in Uganda now? It’s none other than cutie sis’ hubby for work purposes. He will be staying there until first week of August yet, so that means a different work environment for him and… the chance to tour around. :) Anyway he was there last time and was able to visit and see some of the wildlife… so I think it really is an interesting country, yeah? I do hope cutie sis (with baby C) would also be able to join him when he will be assigned to Uganda again.
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This didn’t happen to me but to my parents, cutie sis and her 10-month old baby C. They missed the airport shuttle and consequently their flight from Amsterdam to Prague. Anyway, it all happened because baby C needed to change her diapers (it leaked, ewww!) and as a result they were late. Thankfully there was another airport shuttle just in time and they were accommodated for the next flight. It was such a thrilling and memorable travel experience for them!
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My baby niece just turned ten months old and it’s quite impressive that she has traveled to a lot of countries (two continents at that) at such a young age. Of course, she has to tag along with her mommy from Czech Republic to the Philippines and back, and now they’re in Finland. You can say she’s a young travel bug, yeah?

Baby C at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport

Anyway, touring around with a baby can be a challenge especially when we have to bring her stroller, assembling and disassembling it, carrying it up some steps or during times when she doesn’t want to sit on it and just want to be carried by us. There’s also the law of using baby car seats for safety reasons. it’s just nice though that the baby also enjoys the views as much as the grown-ups do and sometimes she just claps her hand at the birds or whatever sights that interest her.
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Packing up for travel, sorting out my clothes, accessories, personal effects, toiletries, gifts and stuff can either be a breeze or a tough task depending on my destination and how many days the vacation or affair will be. Of course, my ever reliable HP laptop Pavi is always with me as my handcarry. Coming here in Finland though was a bit of a challenge since I had to bring with me some computer parts as requested by big sis - motherboard, RAM, video card, hard drive, wires, connectors and cables and yes those tiny screws. What I did was to wrap the motherboard, video card and RAM chips in paper and the hard drive in bubble wrap. Then I put them inside my laptop carrying bag with some clothes in between for some shock resistance. ;)
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Touring around a new place always brings fun and excitement particularly when trying out something new such as trekking on an unfamiliar terrain or doing extreme sports or even just having a swim at the beach. However, there’s also the possibility of emergency situations and accidents during travel, thus the need for medical and travel insurance. A quick response and immediate assistance during a medical emergency is required to save lives such as an air ambulance service in flying the injured to safety.
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We’ve been thinking of touring Pori during weekends and even possibly going to Helsinki. Too bad my big sis got sick and I got the rashes. Another concern is going around the area with a bigger vehicle since all of us can’t fit in their car. Good thing my big sis’ flat is located in the city center and everything is just within walking distance – the shops, grocery stores, market square, schools and other tourist attractions, though the idea of car rental for weekend family holiday trips is also good.
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Czech Republic recently became one of the members of the Schengen states, thus visa applicants once approved will now be issued a Schengen visa which allows them to enter any of the 31 states comprising the Schengen territory such as Germany, Finland or Austria. Thus, the Czech Embassy now issues, not anymore a Czech visa but a Schengen visa.

In the Philippines, the Czech Embassy is located at the 30th Floor of the Rufino Pacific Tower in Makati City, Manila. Office hours for the visa section are only during Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00AM to 12:00 noon. Applicants are entertained on a first-come-first-serve basis so be sure to be there at 8:30AM or earlier if you want to be the first. By 9:00AM, the guard on duty hands you your number and lets you write your name on a list. Only visa applicants are allowed inside, so if you have a companion, they can wait elsewhere. The use of mobile phones is strictly prohibited inside.

Here are some of the basics in applying for the Schengen visa:

1. Download the pdf file of the visa application form (in English) from their website: http://www.mfa.cz/visaform

2. Print in color the 4 pages of the application form and fill it up properly according to this guide: Instructions on how to complete the Application for Schengen Visa

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Yesterday my cutie sis in Prague showed me some pics of my parents posing by the trees at the park nearby their flat. It’s spring time there and the photos look so refreshing especially this:

Spring flowers in Prague

It left me green with envy (kidding!) – they’re finally in Prague and I’m still here - but I just tried to cheer myself up with the fact that next month I will be going there too. I can just imagine those hotels in Prague filled up with tourists for the summer.

One of the must-visits in Prague for tourists especially Catholics is the Church of the Infant Jesus or the Church of Our Lady Victorious where you can visit the famous statue of the infant Jesus (Pražské Jezulátko). Another tourist attraction is the Charles Bridge which crosses the Vltava River and is a historical landmark of Prague.

Tourists at the Charles Bridge
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With the rainy and slightly stormy weather these days, most flights were delayed much to the disappointment of passengers wanting to go home immediately. Just this week, both my flights to and from Manila were delayed for an hour. This left me with no choice but to open my laptop and do something worthwhile during the wait. One of my concerns was the unavailability of WiFi access in both domestic airports (the new Bacolod-Silay airport and the old Manila domestic terminal). Good thing I brought my SmartBro prepaid WiFi kit with me so I was able to surf the Internet a bit.
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When unexpected events such as delays caused by technical faults or bad weather conditions come up during a trip, one could only accept these circumstances and make the most out of the journey. It pays to be prepared though. For those who usually travel by car during out-of-town trips or vacations, they can avail of an auto club membership which helps with automotive concerns and provides roadside assistance. Yup, joining exclusive travel clubs and availing of their many services is a good option.
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Meet Pavi, my laptop. :)

It’s an HP Pavilion dv2518 notebook PC I bought at the Zeer IT Mall in Rangsit, Thailand. Buying it was a result of recommendations from techie bro and Cmoud (thanks guys!). According to Cmoud, HP is better than Acer. hehehe… I dunno if you agree with this. He actually based it on his work experience with Acers. Anyway, don’t worry if you have an Acer since techie bro uses an Acer Travelmate and it’s been doing well so far. I was with him when we toured Zeer looking for THE laptop for me with regards to processor speed, memory size, hard disk space and other features including its overall look and design.
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With a major change in my Prague travel plans (my original flight date was changed to almost one month after), I am a bit sad but nevertheless I’m positive there will be better things coming up. Anyway, travel preparations are still on the way such as changing the insurance validity dates, verifying visa fee and other related matters.
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A friend once told me how travel has been a big motivation for her to increase her savings. “I love to travel. I save (part of my earnings) to travel.” She also told me that one of her reasons for having studied on a scholarship grant in the UK is because of her love for travel. As a well-traveled person, I bet my friend would want to visit other countries if given the chance (plus of course the financial resources). Who wouldn’t?

With my trip to Prague scheduled next month, the more I realized that I needed to increase my savings and cut back on unnecessary spending these days. As my big sis told me, “It’s no fun going on a trip when you lack extra funds and have limited pocket money.” I couldn’t agree more. Travel entails a lot of expenses, and especially if there are unexpected hitches as what happened to me recently having to change my schedule and thus affecting all other requirements and their corresponding costs.
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While most of us enjoy being out of our abodes, enjoying unfamiliar sights away from our usual homey surroundings, we also can’t help but be concerned about the safety of our houses. I know some people who are hesitant to go on vacations and even just for an overnight stay because they’re worried about leaving their homes. Good if you have a trusted house help or a friend who would look after things while you’re out.

Have you ever encountered home security issues whenever you’re going on a holiday? These are some important things to consider for those who will be leaving their houses:

Security: Doors and entry points should be heavily locked, windows have to be secure from external forced entries

Pet care: If you can’t bring them along for the trip, there are pet homes where you can leave them or let a friend babysit for them while you’re away
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We all love to travel, but sometimes it’s just not fun packing up our stuff, isn’t it? The tedious task of arranging clothes and all those important things to bring can be a bit easier though if you have the right bag or luggage on hand.

Whether you will be going an overnight stay at Boracay or heading on a three-day business convention in Las Vegas or a month’s romantic vacation in Paris, it’s best to choose a travel bag that fits your style and need as long as you inspect carefully the luggage construction when buying one. Check out the inner seams, zippers (big is better), fabric, frame (should be lightweight), straps and those eensy weensy details that make up the whole bag. You might prefer luggages or bags with many interior and exterior compartments, they’re great for organizing different items.
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These days, I’m caught up in a dilemma regarding my travel plans. Due to some misinformation, I applied for a passport renewal at the Iloilo DFA when it shouldn’t be renewed yet since it is still valid within the dates of our upcoming travel. The result was that my visa application will be delayed, and I will be flying alone to Prague on a much later date. huhuhu…
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These ladies are travel bugs too and are fond of going on weekend trips. So, who are the Grapevine girls? They’re Gabby, Shannon, Olivia and Raqui – four independent, smart, fashionable women whose life stories are featured in an interactive website Grapevine.com. The lives of these interesting fictitious characters make visiting the site fun with their daily updated serial featuring the girls’ tips and insights on travel, shopping, food, career and more.
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Our modern lifestyle is getting to be more convenient and high-tech than ever - from heating food in the microwave, to watching our favorite DVDs at home or driving our cars. Consequently, our everyday activities affect climate change. Whether on a road trip or flying on business class, travel entails fuel consumption. This results to carbon emissions which are the biggest contributors of global warming gases.

Since travel is an essential part of our lives, we can do our own way of helping the environment by trying to offset our carbon emissions. In other words, we replace our travel emissions by incorporating simple environment-friendly steps in our lifestyle. Some carbon offset companies and airline carriers provide an online calculator for determining the equivalent CO2 emissions (in tons) for any given air travel detail.

Using a carbon flight calculator, here’s how to find out the carbon emission produced for a two-way international flight.

After entering the flight details for a two-way Manila-Prague trip via Amsterdam (Schiphol Airport), the distance traveled is 22526.5 km with an equivalent CO2 emission of 1.32 tons.

Knowing how many tons of CO2 generated for a given travel activity helps to increase environmental awareness. We should be responsible in doing our share to compensate for the carbon emissions brought about by our travel. The simplest could be a DIY effort at home (turn of unnecessary lights or lessen your TV watching). You can also purchase carbon offset products equivalent to the amount of tons of carbon emissions. Another option is to contribute funds to an environmental charity or getting involved in community green projects such as tree planting or forest preservation.

More businesses and industries are now getting involved with environmental conservation measures, and the airline industry is no exception. For instance, Continental Airlines provides a paperless boarding pass for their passengers through their mobile phones. An encrypted bar code plus flight details are sent via email to the passenger’s phone or PDA device. This feature not only minimizes the use of paper, but also helps in reducing fake boarding passes and enhances customer service. This was just one of the travel news I browsed over at Lowfares.com, and I find it interesting since air travel always involves fuel consumption which unfortunately increases carbon emissions.
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Guess what made a trip all the way from Finland to the Philippines? It’s a Valentine’s Day card from my little niece Anzel. My Dad was surprised to receive something like this in the mail – with no name or signature and no addressee inside the card but just some cut-out hearts pasted on it. Anyway, Anzel’s mommy (my big sis) didn’t even know how it was sent but she said it might have been part of their school project. Nevertheless it was heartwarming to receive a handmade greeting card such as this which made such a long travel from faraway Europe. At least the material used was just an ordinary paper so it was not that much of a concern with being damaged during transit.
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I know how most of us love meeting new people for friendships via web-based social networking sites. The World Wide Web has surely been a big help for us not only in communicating with our family and friends but more so in connecting with new acquaintances.
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Isn’t it that we all aim to arrive at our destination safely and the sooner as we can particularly with road trips? For instance when we went to a beach resort somewhere south, the 152 kilometers of travel really got us edgy (imagine a bunch of hungry travelers at noontime!). Add to that was the fact that it was our first time to venture to such place and we thought we were lost as our van drove through a narrow deserted rough road from the highway going to the resort. I just wished there was some sort of roadside assistance for us that time. We were just thankful to have arrived at our destination safe. Whew! The beach resort owner later apologized and told us that the road we passed through from the highway was actually just a temporary path as there are still ongoing negotiations with the municipality regarding the right-of-way for the original route.
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Travel not only requires us to be appreciative of the new sights we see when we go on trips to different places. We also need to be physically fit and ready enough for some long walks or hikes, enjoying those thrilling rides at a theme park, climbing heights or doing extreme sports. Even just a simple shopping can be tiresome, you won’t even notice your exhaustion after you’ve scoured almost all the shops looking for some souvenirs to take home with you.
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While having our lunch at a fast-food joint, we saw a child bawling while walking on the aisles. He looked about 5 years old and was looking for his mom. Uh oh. The waiters were trying to pacify him and we suggested that they better go to the mall’s information center to page the mother. This scene is not unusual especially in crowded places. I remember when we were at the Royal Flora festival in Thailand, the children were given bracelets with their names and additional information so they can be easily identified should they get lost.
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With our trip to Prague scheduled next month, we’re getting ready for a lot of travel requirements – visa, insurance, passport and all. Not that I am getting excited but I also told my cutie sis yesterday that we have to plan out our trip itinerary by now to make the most of our stay. It won’t be that difficult since we have a very able guide! *winks*
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Whenever I’m on a trip, I tend to observe things I find interesting – from building designs, roadside vegetation to the current fashion worn in the streets (especially the accessories) or food displayed in stalls - particularly if the place is new to me. While they merit being captured by a camera, I am usually not keen on taking some shots. Maybe I am more content with just committing what I see to my memory bank, huh? Anyway, with more trips set out for me this year, I promise to myself that I would be more attentive in taking pictures. And why not? I enjoy watching photos taken from my travels. The nice thing about digital cameras is that you can take as much pictures as you can without worrying about wasting film. Ahhh… the wonders of technology, yeah?
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