After the culture and history of Shanghai , we were treated to a few days of shopping, eating and galavanting in Hong Kong .  Truthfully, I did not know what to expect from HK as the last time I was here, I was about 12 and I was with my folks. We were given two days to wander around this city of lights, sounds and cars driving in the wrong side of the road (or so my Brit buddies disagree) and while some went to Disneyland and that huge Buddha place, and others went shopping in the stores not found in the Philippines (HMV, H&M etc.), I decided to indulge in two of my favorite past times: exploring a city alone AND toy window shopping . Hong Kong opened my eyes to a whole different level of toy window shopping.  The toy scene is absolutely CRAZY.   (Think a whole building dedicated to small stores specializing in specific toy sets: LEGO, Transformers, GI JOE, Marvel, DC, Anime etc.)  This was ten times the awesomeness of Shoppesville and Virra Mall combined! Thanks to the

Thanks to my company, Pernod Ricard , I was able to spend a couple of days in Shanghai last August for some R&R.  As was the case in Jerusalem , I got giddy over the fact that I could explore another great city, full of rich history and booming with  (Yes, that’s 23 MILLION) people. Though I had been to Shanghai a couple of years ago with my folks, I knew I wasn’t seeing the total picture as guided tours rarely give you the satisfaction of just “hanging out”, getting lost in the place and getting a true taste of the people and culture. The adventure starts when the taxi driver drops me and my three buddies from work at some “shopping area” (think Greenhills) for foreigners.  Originally, we had asked to be dropped off at Nanjing Road (the central commercial center, think Times Square) but he dropped us off around 6km from our intended destination. ** I think it’s safe to say that among Asian countries, it’s only truly the Philippines where you can talk to ANYONE in English

So there I was, sitting on my desk at work on a random Tuesday afternoon. It was 2011. After replying to some emails, I came acrosss this link that a friend had sent me on Facebook. 3 Reasons to Travel While You’re Young My mind was blown!  And this set off a whole chain of events that led to me re-prioritizing my life. It was that day, that I decided to make it my goal to see as much of the world as I could.  And I realized that NOW would be the perfect time to start. Because.. There are more resources now than ever to travel within a budget.  In the age of..  HUGE Airline Sales Couch-Surfing Affordable Lodging Deals on Tours Extremely Useful Travel Apps and Data Roaming Plans .. Travelling doesn't have to break the bank. At this point in time I'm young and healthy Which means that I'll be able to do such crazy things