Go on a Theme Trip

I always like to give myself a reason to travel, like picking a theme for the journey. Why does it matter? Traveling with a theme makes me want to explore the city more thoroughly. I would pay more attention on things related to my theme. It might be sounding like the procedure of doing a research paper, but I promise you it's not boring as it sounds. Take my experience for example, I wanted to learn more about ancient Chinese history, so last summer I made a trip to Xi'an (capital of many dynasties in Chinese history) and Beijing (capital of China and political center for the past seven centuries). I visited the Banpo archeology site and saw the life style of people in the beginning of civilization.

King of the Qin State

 

After that, I went to the palace of the King of the Qin State and his cemetery. The city and its architectures made me feel like I was back to his time. When I arrived in Beijing, I visited the Forbidden City, palace of kings for the last Dynasty in the Chinese history.

The Forbidden City

 

 

So plan your trip with a theme that you are interested in can really help you understand the city/country more. You will easily remember what you have seen and experienced. So I have came up with another theme that I want to explore, which is cities with best street arts.

 



       Museums and art galleries are often on travelers' top visiting list. Art reflects culture of the city. besides art galleries, street art is also an interesting form of expressing feelings and showing creativities. Looking at still life oil-on-canvases isn't for everyone. But the good news is that some of the coolest art in the world isn't locked away in stuffy art galleries or museums; there are plenty of creative paintings and murals on the sides of buildings, along fences and across public walls. Here are 5 cities with the best street art in the world.

Valparaiso, Chile

  

This city located close to the Chilean capital is famous for the colorful houses and murals, which line its steeply hilled streets. Graffiti took off in this city back in the '70s as a way to protest the Pinochet regime and was initially frowned upon but as the years progressed, the city decided to let the street art flourish. As a visitor to Valparaiso, you cannot only wander the colorful laneways, you can get your hands dirty too. The city runs tours where you can actually hit the streets and create some graffiti with the aid of local artists who help you design your own unique stencils.

 

London, England

 

 

 

London might be home to some of the most celebrated art galleries in the world, but the city is quickly making a name for itself as a street art hub as well. Parts of the city that were once rundown and off the tourist radar have now been regenerated and have become prime places to view colorful murals. East End is one of the off-the-beaten-track neighborhoods where many street artists have flocked.

 

Berlin, Germany

 

 

 Berlin is a street art lover's paradise with both historical graffiti and a thriving present-day art scene to take in. Graffiti really took off here in the '80s with those on the west side of the Berlin Wall expressing their beliefs and frustrations with the aid of spray cans. After the fall of the wall, graffiti spread throughout Berlin, and although large chunks of the wall are now gone, you can still see many murals left over from times past.

 

Melbourne, Australia

 

  

Melbourne has long been Australia's artistic capital and there's as much to see out on the streets as there is in the galleries. Graffiti got its start here in the '70s and '80s and there has always been a heavy focus on what's known as "stencil art."

In more recent years, the street art has evolved to include other techniques, including street installations, wood blocking and reverse graffiti – a method, which involves carving an image out of dirt (like you might do on a car window). Over the past decade, Melbourne has also held a number of stencil festivals where the public can watch live demonstrations, listen to debate about graffiti, take part in workshops and more.

 

Philadelphia, USA

 

Lastly, don't forget the city so close to us, Philly. The Association for Public Art estimates the city has thousands of public artworks; the Smithsonian lists more than 700. Since 1959 nearly 400 works of public art have been created as part of the city's Percent for Art program, the first such program in the U.S. Depending on my financial situation, but if I can't make it to those cities above, I can still drive down to Philly to get the feeling of good street arts!

There are many themes you can chose from, and the best way to do this is to find out what you are interested in. Like I mentioned in another blog post, How to Plan for a Interesting Vacation, it is important to go with what you enjoy doing. I love art and I want to experience different forms of art works and that's why I chose the theme of "Cities with Good Street Arts." But if you have zero interest in art, then go for something else! You can be a fan of opera and visit Italy for the experience of the best opera festival, or you may love Lord of the Rings and go to New Zealand to see the where it was filmed. Any theme can be fun! You just need to do your research before going.

Summer is only few months away, so start planning your trip for the summer now and you will have an amazing experience!

 

 

 





 

My Future Autobiography

Someone gave me this idea of writing an autobiography, but not about the life I've lived but yet to come. I thought that's a great idea! Although life aften goes out of your plans, it is important to know what you want and what your goals are. So I wrote this autobiography on my life 50 years from now. 

As Peiran continues in pursuing her Bachelor degree, she concentrated more in Advertising because she realized how influential they are in people’s lives and she aims to be an influential person. She got an internship in her senior year in BBDO, a worldwide advertising agency. There she learnt a lot of practical skills in Advertising industry and also gained more interests for this career. What was even better was that it was a paid internship. She paid off her last year’s tuition with the money she earned. It took her one more year to get a Masters degree because she was in the five-year Communication program. As much as she loved being in college, it was exciting for her to step into the second quarter of her life.

She found an Advertising Assistant job in Los Angeles. She had visited LA two years ago during Christmas break and she enjoyed living there so much, so she didn’t give a second thought for relocating. Working as an Advertising Assistant was fun, everything was pretty much the way she imagined before except for that it was a 9 to 5 office work. She hated office works ever since she had her first job in the International Admissions on campus. She once told her mom that the admissions job does no good besides letting her know that she doesn’t like office work. She left the Advertising Assistant job after one year and started her own company as an entrepreneur.

She had always had this idea about an agency that connects designers, writers, photographers and media people with different projects of companies. The agency provides a platform for them to choose the project that they are interested in doing and signs them a contract with the company. In this way, these creative people can always work on the project that they are interested in. This Media Agency was like a baby to her; she worked hard and took good care of the baby, and the baby grew very fast. After 2 years, she had 150 people signed under her agency and there were international companies that offered projects to her. By the age of 27, she was married to her significant other.

One year after, her business went worldwide and she decided to open a chain company in her home country, China. She moved to Shanghai with her family and spent another 8 years there before they all moved to France. During that time, she son was born and two years after was her daughter. They both went to a primary school in Shanghai. She started supporting missionaries in Southeast Asia because she wanted to be part of this great mission even though she couldn’t be there physically. Their relocation was because of her new company in Paris. This agency was targeting the European market. She picked up French at the age of 35. Her company developed a few more chain agencies but she did not relocate with the company.

A friend of her mom’s introduced her to this movie base in Hawaii and she thought that she would go for a visit and it was a vacation anyways. However after visiting the base, she decided to help this company in publicity. She moved to Kona, Hawaii with her husband when both of her children went to college. She advertised this movie company and its movies using the network she built in the past few decades and made this company well known. She traveled around the world with her husband and the crew for this movie; that was just an incredible way to fulfill her childhood dream!

At the age of 60, her son was mainly in charge of her companies. She and her husband became full time missionaries in India. She told her son that the companies will continue supporting missionaries. She left a notebook with her autobiography to her son and daughter to tell them how short but wonderful life is and that they need to cherish the moment they have in order to be prepared for the time to come. 

Aurora Borealis: Top 10 Viewing Places

On April 13th, it was predicted that New Jersey would had prime seat for Aurora Borealis. Me and my photographer friends got excited and decided to catch this incredible opportunity. I've always wanted to see Aurora Borealis. I've imagined seeing green and purple lights appear in the sky. I translated my imagination onto paper and created this color pencil drawing "Man at the South Pole".

 

 

We drove to Seven Lakes where it's far from the city. It was a pretty chilly night and to my surprise, any photographers were gathered there awaiting for Aurora Borealis. It was reported to be visible at 8 pm but there weren't anything in the sky until 9:30 pm. We had to head back since it was getting late. But I researched on places to see Aurora Borealis because I want to make a trip to there one day.

 

So here are the top 10 places to see it (Information found Fodor's Travel Intelligence):

1. Norway: The northern town of Tromsø teems with Aurora Borealis activity when those extended summer days are long gone. Its location above the Arctic Circle, and within the Northern Lights zone, makes it one of the top places to view shimmering green lights.
2. Sweden: The area around Abisko in Swedish Lapland is scientifically proven to be an ideal viewing spot due to a unique micro-climate. Close to Abisko National Park, the dark winter night is perfect for sky watching.
3. Finland: Head to Luosto in Northern Finland to the Aurora Chalet where, upon arrival, you’ll be handed an "Aurora Alarm" which beeps once Northern Lights appear. In the nearby town of Sodanklya, the Northern Lights Research Center relays your message via the hotel.
4. Iceland: Leave the bustling nightlife of the capital city and head out into the wide open plains of Þingvellir National Park—a UNESCO Heritage Site where the North American and Eurasian continental plates meet to cause a rift valley.
5. Alaska: Alaska’s location within "the zone" means you’re almost guaranteed to see spectacular light displays. Be sure to move further away from city lights of Fairbanks into the region’s vast wilderness areas of Denali and the Yukon Territory.
6. Canada: Areas around pristine Lake Superior in Ontario and Northern Canada’s tundra backcountry are prime viewing spots. Head to the town of Whitehorse within the Yukon Territory to best see the swirling lights.
7. Greenland: Greenland still remains a final frontier for the average traveler and from its interior ice remains optimal location, however more accessible areas south and east of Greenland provide just as good viewing opportunities.
8. Scotland: The British isles are known for stormy, foggy, and cloudy weather—far from ideal conditions for observing the sky, but on those rare occasions when thick cloud covers break momentarily during dark winter months, you’ve got a good chance of witnessing the display in parts of Scotland's north.
9. Russia: In Northern Russia, you’ve got a good chance of seeing Aurora Borealis. The Kola Peninsula’s proximity to the Northern Lights zone also makes it a key area and the town of Murmansk is a popular base . . . if you can handle the below freezing temperatures of a typical Siberian winter.
10. Denmark: North of Scotland between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic, the Faroe Island archipelago is mostly known for puffins and Viking folklore. While its stormy weather mimics that of the British Isles, visitors to this Denmark-owned province could also see the iridescent lights.

 

These places are listed in my travel list for the next 10 years. 

 

Message from Julie

I was on the highway to New Jersey. My spring break in Virginia Beach was officially ended the moment I stepped into the car. It's never been easy for me to accept the fact that vacation's over. I don't think that's easy for anyone, as no one has said a word since the beginning of the journey. Half of them are asleep on the backseat.

I didn't want to sleep because my friend who was driving would be bored. To entertain myself, since no one had the intention of starting an interesting conversation, I pulled out my cell phone and went on Facebook. A message from Julie. I just accepted her friend request the night before. I was wondering why she would add me on Facebook a year after she graduated from FDU but I accepted her request anyways. Then why would she message me? I don't even know her personally in school. I checked her message and it said,

Have you been to Virginia Beach lately?

How does she know! Isn't she in Germany now? I remember she was very good friends with Pia and she must have heard from her that we were going to Virginia Beach for spring break. Did she come to Virginia Beach to meet her? Then why not ask Pia! Pia was driving another car in front of me. With all the doubts in my mind, I replied,

No, I just left Virginia Beach two hours ago.

It was almost in two seconds she replied,

What a shame. I found your debit card while walking on the beach yesterday. Would you like me to mail it to you? 

Wait... what? I checked my pocket, I had my student ID and State ID. I opened my purse and my wallet was there but not my debit card. I checked her profile again and realized that she's not the Julie from school. She really looked like her on her profile picture. By this time, my friends in the back seat who were sleeping had woken up by my "What? Wait... Really!" Before I know what to reply, another message from Julie arrived,

I was trying to save you some trouble by giving it back to you. I have no intention of using it.

I was moved by her honesty. I thanked her and told her that it would be easier to just cancel this card. She offered to cut the card and dispose of it properly for me. What's more beautiful than an honest soul I asked myself. After a few minutes, she posted a picture of my card having been cut into tiny pieces on my timeline.

I showed Pia this picture when we stopped for lunch and I gave her credit for everything because she knew Julie from school and that's why I accepted her friend request. After telling her the whole story, she said,

What a great way to know someone! 

I wasn't upset for losing my card, instead I was excited for knowing someone who would go out of their way and do such good deed for a stranger.

 

Good deeds that you can do

This morning I read an interesting news story about an international biker who cooks for local families all over the world. His name is Jay and he is from India. In the beginning he cooked for the family that hosted him for free to show "gratitude for a free stay". Later on he realized that he enjoyed sharing his home food with people from other cultures; food brought people closer to each other. Food is a big part of Indian culture and cooking Indian food is sharing his culture with them. Click here to view this news.

 

Jay's famous dish "Curry Chicken"

 

 

I agree with Jay's attitude towards the place that you travel to and the people there. Many people do not like tourists because tourists cause chaos in the local community. I am from a city that has a huge tourism industry; the city is by the ocean so it's famous for the beautiful beach, sea food and the Beer Festival. Every summer millions of people visit the city. The large amount of tourists is often the reason for prices being raised, traffic and noise violations in the district near the beach. Tourists have brought inconvenience to local people's everyday life.

 

It is important to be aware of the local community and show your respect to people. Jay inspired me to give something back to the community that I travel to; little actions like cooking a meal for them can show our appreciation for their hospitality. Respecting them and their culture can also bring you closer to them. Little good deeds that you do can make people happy, and you will also be more satisfied with your journey!

 

Giving something back to the place I visit is my goal for the next trip.

 

 

World Traveler: Lao Mo

If you are wondering how people choose their career as a world traveler, this is the post you need to read. Haoquan Mo is a professional photographer in China. He publishes his photos under the alias of “Lao Mo”. Lao Mo graduated with an Interior Design major; however, he had always been interested in Photography. He was an active member of a photography club in college, and once in a while he would get paid to do portrait photo shoots for other people. He travels around the world when he has some money saved up. I honored to be introduced to him through a photographer friend. I interviewed Lao Mo through RenRen (Chinese version of Facebook). Our interview conversation is translated from Chinese.

Q: I know that you've always loved photography, but what was the turning point that made you choose to be a full time photographer?
A: I got a chance to work in my aunt’s photography studio when I was a junior. It was amazing to use those professional equipment and work with professional photographers. My job was to take street shots of people in fashionable clothes. I did what I loved to do and it was interactive; I met many interesting people while working. So I thought taking photos is what I do in most of my spare time anyways, so why not make it full time!
 
Q: How did you start doing travel photography?
A: My aunt’s studio was doing a project for a travel magazine so we traveled to Taiwan for that. That trip really got me into travel photography. It’s such an awesome combination of what I love to do!

 Q: Do you usually travel with a travel agency or do you plan your own trip and travel alone?
A: I prefer traveling alone or with few close friends, but not with travel agencies and a big group though.

Q: Why is that?
A: Well… travel agency makes everything a lot easier, but I would like to have the freedom to manage my time and do what I enjoy doing. With a big group, I need to go visit places where I’m not interested in. And one time when I was in Italy, I saw a beautiful architecture and wanted to take a few shots of it so I told the tour guide to wait for me for 5 minutes. I don’t remember how long I took because I always get lost in time when taking photos, and when I got back to where the bus was, there was no one. I had to take a taxi back to our hotel and it cost me a lot of money. That was when I realized photographers like me should not go with a group. So I told my tour guide that I won’t be with the group in the remaining of the trip and that worked out.

Q: That was interesting! What’s your favorite country among all the countries you’ve been to?
A: I have to say that every country is unique in its own way. I enjoy most of my trips because I get to learn new cultures and try new food… I love dining in local restaurants! My favorite one is the trip to Thailand. It was an awesome experience. Thailand is a country full of the influence of traditional culture, so everywhere I go I hear stories about that place. And also I love Thai food. I spend a whole day in a street market eating local snacks and buying souvenirs. Of course I also took many amazing pictures. Thailand is a beautiful country.

Q: That sounds fun! Last question… what do you think is the most important thing to keep in mind while planning a trip?
A: I would say knowing the season of your destination is very important. Some countries like Thailand can get pretty hot in April, so if you aren't use to the heat you will not have a enjoyable trip. Some places might still be cold in June and you want to make sure you are ready for it. Try to visit the country during its best season I would suggest.
It was great to chat with a world traveler and hear his experience in traveling. Hope his suggestions are useful to you all. 

3 Affordable Places To Backpack In Summer 2013

Life is stressful and everyone needs to let go once in a while, let go of the technological devices that enslave us and bosses and professors who give us deadlines and assignments.

To get away from these commitments, people take vacations and go to hotels and exotic destinations, but the problem is that they take a heavy toll on the bank account!

But don't worry, I have a solution for it that costs less and is potentially more refreshing!

A good way to get away from the hubbub of everyday life, you should consider going backpacking to a foreign country, particularly the ones in the east. Travelling to a different country opens your eyes to a world which is very different from your own and it makes you realize that this planet is so different on the other side.

People talk different languages, eat different food and dress differently; it opens your eyes to a world of possibilities. It's an experience that often changes your outlook towards life and you once you start, you only feel like doing more!

Top 3 Affordable Places To Backpack In Summer 2013:

Counting down...

3. Sri Lanka



Sri Lanka is a island with rich cultural experience. Good food, beautiful beaches wildlife forests, abundant wildlife, mountains tea plantations and much more.
Colombo, is the major city of this country and its commercial hub.

Sri Lankans are known to be very friendly and courteous and welcoming to toursits.
 

Go to Back Pack To Sri Lanka for more info.

Approximate daily costs for Basic needs: US $10 (click here for more info)

2.Indonesia

 

 

Full of Rainforests, beaches and green seas, Indonesia offers an affordable visit to untouched paradise. The major locations one should visit are Sumatra, Lake Maninjau, Harau Valley and Tangkahan. Elephant trekking, waterfalls, snorkeling and surfing are some activities you can enjoy there.

 

For more information on Indonesia click here!

Approximate daily costs for Basic needs: $10/day (click here for more info)

1. China

 

 

 One of the emerging super powers of the world is actually a very famous backpacking destination off late. Contrasting cultures make this place very attractive to tourists from all over the world. With a history of over 5000 years, China has a lot to offer to backpackers with low costs, old buildings and bustling active cities. Major cities include Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, Gaungzhou, Qingdao (where I'm from) and Hong Kong.

A blog post listing 40 reasons why you should backpack in China:
For more information on China click here
Approximate daily costs for Basic needs: $15/day (Click here for more info)

Those are my top 3, but you guys should look at India, Thailand and Vietnam for more  affordable places.

Happy Backpacking!

 

 

 

How to fold a T-Shirt in 5 seconds

Hey guys I'm writing this blog post in Philadelphia. I just thought that it would be meaningful to post an entry while traveling; it makes me feel like those world travel writers, although Philadelphia is not that far from New Jersey. I left around noon today but I didn't start packing until 11 am. So I want to write a How-to blog to people who leave packing to the last minute!

Folding a T-Shirt only takes 5 seconds or even less after some practice.

1. Place the T-Shirt on a flat surface. Lay the T-Shirt facing up and with the neck to your right and bottom to your left.
2. Imagine a line going across in the middle of the T-Shirt. This line should be parallel to the bottom of the T-Shirt.  
3. Imagine another line going from the middle of shoulder to the bottom. This line is usually longer than the line mentioned in No.2. This line is parallel to the side of the T-Shirt.
4. Pinch the starting point of line mentioned in No.3. It should be located in the middle of one shoulder.
5. Pinch the fabric of which the two lines cross each other. Pinch with your thumb and index finger and make sure that you have both front and back of the T-shirt.
6. Bring the pinched shoulder seam to the bottom. While keeping the first pinch in the same place, bring your shoulder pinch hand to the bottom from behind the first pinch, and pinch the bottom seam of the line mentioned in No.3 with the same hand.
7. Uncross your hands and lift the T-Shirt up. Right now your arms are crossed. Uncross them and lift the T-Shirt from the surface. The T-Shirt should be hanging down from your hands with a loose sleeve dangling at the bottom.
8. Fold the loose sleeve under. 
9. And you are done!

Just in case you want to see how it is done visually, here is a video tutorial from YouTube. Last but not least, practice practice and more practice because practice makes perfect! Hope this How-to post can speed up your last-minute packing!

Follow Me

Nowadays, social media are becoming part of people's lives by changing ways people communicate. People no longer communicate with only who they know but also to whom they have never met. They share ideas and experiences with others through words and images and others can exchange thoughts through same ways.

Due to the characteristics of social media, a platform for free expression without the constrain of time and location, they are widely used by world travelers. A collaboration of social media and photography is Instagram. Instagram is listed as one of the most useful application for travelers because it can instantly add effects to your photos and make them look like taken by pros, and share them with your followers to update where you have been. Recently a series of pictures of a girl leading the photographer into different historical sites became popular on Intagram.

Check out more photos here. 

 

The photographer is Murad Osmann. He graduated as a civil engineer from Imperial College London, but later he started his own production company Hype Production. His girlfriend Natalia is a Russian journalist. He explained what inspired him,

The first photo happened accidentally in Barcelona when Natalia and Murad were on vacation. "Nataly was a bit annoyed that I was always taking pictures of everything, so she grabbed my hand and tried to pull me forward," he explained to The Daily Mail UK.

This group of photos brought him 50,000 followers on Instagram and many people start taking traveling pictures in the "follow me" style.