Traveling is more than sight-seeing, it's learning

New York's Times Square is one of my most fave places because it's so busy; lots of happenings. I love it that way! :)

Many times, it takes stepping out of your home and into a foreign land that broadens one's perspective—not just about what's out there to see but, more importantly, what it is you have back home that makes it worth going back to.

Having had the chance to travel to several countries, I always make sure I come home not only with pretty pictures but with life lessons that make every trip all the more memorable. I observe, analyze, try, and question things whenever I'm in a new place which, in turn, allows me to learn a thing or two that I never would have had I missed the opportunity to travel.

Isn't this a lovely sunset? I took this photo when I was stayed at Shangrila in Kota Kibabalu, Malaysia

Every trip is an adventure, especially if you're going to a place where your mother tongue is of no use; where the food you like isn't always readily available; when loved ones and family are miles away. Yet it's a combination of all these and more that makes the journey—the learning experience—more pronounced and exciting.

There are a million and one stories I would share to friends and loved ones every time I go home from a trip. Here are some of the more memorable realizations I've arrived at after spending time in hotel rooms plane rides away from home:

China Town in Singapore is always so colorful! :)

1. Filipinos really are everywhere

Among the countries I've been to (America, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia), fellow countrymen abound—some as fellow tourists, others as overseas workers. When I was in New York, I chanced upon a staffer at a McDonald's in Manhattan; there was a Filipino sales clerk at a restaurant in the San Francisco airport; a Filipino once assisted me in a shopping mall in Singapore. What's funny is how easy it is to strike up a conversation with fellow Pinoys on foreign ground; how extra kind we are to each other.

2. Jollibee tastes so much better abroad

I never eat much at Jollibee here in the country. But once I got to Las Vegas and saw a Jollibee there, I felt the urge to get a piece of Chicken Joy. Perhaps I was curious at how the taste would be like. Regardless of the taste, there's some sense of belonging when patronizing a Filipino-owned or -run store in a different country. I got this same feeling when I saw a Red Ribbon in New York (with Filipinos manning the store, of course) that I just had to grab a cake.

A dragonboat race at the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong :)

3. Some things still come for free

Here in the Philippines, it's common for restaurants to serve free service or tap water to customers. The same goes for tissue papers, which are usually available in the table. But when I was in Merlion's turf, my Singaporean friends would bring their own tissue papers whenever we eat at hawker centers because the food stalls there don't give out tissue napkins for free. On the other hand, while I was in Hong Kong, I had to practically ask profusely for restaurant staffers to serve me cold water (they serve it hot or not at all). Nothing wrong with warm water, in fact others prefer it. I'm not one of those people.

4. Majority of tourists are nice to each other

Unless you have a tripod with you, getting a group shot with everyone in the picture can be a challenge (because one has to take the photo). But during my trips, especially in the US, it's common to have fellow tourists offer their help at snapping photos (so the whole group can be in the shot). Its these little exchange of pleasantries that can lead to acquaintances among tourists, like going on an unplanned destination or doing an activity that is much more fun to do with fellow tourists such as getting into an extreme ride. First time I was in Singapore, I befriended locals who eventually became friends of mine to the point that I stay at their place whenever I'm in the city and vice versa.

Coffee at Central Park in New York is total bliss! :)

5. It has become easier to spend more

This probably does not apply to everyone. But I've found it easier to part ways with my money when I get back home fresh from a trip abroad. I've had to blame the conversion rate for this. What happens is, when I see an item here in the Philippines which cost P300 (which normally would be expensive for a particular item, for example), I'd tell myself it only costs about $6 in the US (which would be cheap in their standard) so it's supposed to be a good buy. But my spending spree comes back to normal after a while, when I stop converting currencies consciously in my head.