Month: February 2011

Quarter Life Crisis & 4 Ways To Deal With It.

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A quarter life crisis is not a myth. Every 20-something reaches a point in life that is the peak of the adult version of adolescence. At that point begin a series of assessments, of one’s accomplishments, relationships, and the past, present & future. More often than not, these assessments give way to disappointment, anger and confusion, or a 20-something’s version of a mid-life crisis. The severity and implications of a Quarter Life Crisis aka QLC vary with each individual. A study solemnly reports that every 3 in 4 people aged 26 to 30 go through a Quarter Life Crisis, while the Urban Dictionary and Wikipedia have some broad opinions on what such a crisis entails. The pace at which our generation moves has redefined most demographics, and having just turned 23, I’m attempting to discuss how to cope with a QLC, and hoping I wouldn’t relapse. 1. Let go. We carry a heavy burden from our past, of broken friendships, unfulfilled promises and seemingly wrong choices. In retrospect however, these defining moments have made us …

nikoi island, bintan, indonesia, southeast asia, offbeat, ecotourism, jetty

Nikoi Island: Ecotourism, Beauty, Magic.

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I’ve often wondered how explorers must have felt chancing upon seemingly magical islands in their travels. Nikoi Island, off Bintan in Indonesia, is perhaps the closest I’ve come to experiencing that kind of travel ecstasy in Southeast Asia. The journey to the island is a perfect prelude to the island experience. After the regular ferry ride to Bintan from Singapore, you are fast-forwarded through a special immigration to a one hour drive through the winding road and greens of Tanjung Pinang, to Nikoi’s personal jetty, to a one-hour speed boat ride on rough and breezy seas. If I understate it, arriving at Nikoi Island feels like you’ve entered a whole other world. Think beauty. Think isolation. Think perfection. Nature is the recurrent theme on the island. The chalets are purely made of wood, with not an inch of concrete, and some original tree-barks used as pillars & foundation. The openness of the rooms to nature is immediately striking, and in some way, leads to an openness of thoughts too.  You can let your doors remain open at night, …

25 Things I’d Tell The 25-Year-Old Me.

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1. The first quarter of your life is behind you. Let’s keep assuming you’ll live to be a 100. Live your best life. 2. Apply the 80-20 rule to life. Spend 80% of your time with 20% of the people who matter most. 3. May some things never change. Like you obsessing over your blog stats. 4. Sometimes, you’ve just got to take the shit people throw at you & move on. 5. By now, you should have said at least once in your life, “There’s no where else I’d rather be, and nothing else I’d rather be doing.” And meant it. 6. It’s not all downhill from here. ‘Life begins at 30’ might just be true. 7. It’s okay to lie for a good cause. 8. We’re past the Gandhian era. If life bitch-slaps you, don’t offer your other cheek. 9. If you don’t wake up every morning just for a glance outside your window, you better be panicking. Life is too short to live in an ugly place. 10. What good is your money if it …

Crater lake, taal lake, taal volcano

5 Offbeat Travel Destinations in Southeast Asia

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Southeast Asia is so much more than an oasis of Chinese culture. Its unique  landscapes and hidden islands are waiting to be discovered by mainstream tourism, and until that happens, it will be sure to please any travel-lusting wanderer. The isolation of  its beauty is perhaps what sets it apart from every place else in the world. I originally wrote about these 5 undiscovered places in Southeast Asia as a guest post for GotSaga. 5. Perhentian Islands, Malaysia There is nothing like a rejuvenating getaway amid turquoise waters and white sands. Add to that snorkeling in an underwater world of sharks, smoking shisha on the beach under the stars, riding a speedboat on low tide under the moonlight, and an upbeat atmosphere created by half a dozen small cafes serving up the most delicious milkshakes. 4. Taal Volcano, Philippines Welcome to a volcano within a lake within a volcano within another lake! Hidden somewhere among the clouds, Taal Volcano is the world’s smallest active volcano, located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Tagytay City affords …