KeepCalmAndWander, Author at KEEP CALM and WANDER

St. Patrick’s Parade in Toronto

March 16, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 2 Comments

It’s my first time to watch St. Patrick’s Parade in Toronto, after living here for almost four years. Last year, I saw a tiny bit of it while I was on a streetcar on my way to volunteer. My knowledge of Ireland is solely limited to the two Irish couchsurfers

Jordan

Prophet Lot and His Wife Who Turned Into A Pillar Of Salt

March 13, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 1 Comments

If you’re a Catholic slash Christian, you must be familiar with the story of Prophet Lot and his wife who turned into a pillar of salt—by God. I heard this story many times in my Catholic high school and even appeared in our Christian Living class quiz. Yes, Christian Living.

, People

Portraits of a Geisha

March 10, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 5 Comments

Geishas are cultural icons in Japan. It’s an old-age tradition that’s diminishing nowadays as the country moves on to modern times. You can see them in Tokyo but there are only a handful of them. In Kyoto, Japan’s cultural capital, they can be seen in Gion, a district where most

Jordan

Wadi Mujib – The Grand Canyon of Jordan

March 6, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 2 Comments

Should you be traveling in Jordan by rental car or on a road trip with a local chauffeur, insist that you take the King’s Highway where you pass a lot of interesting, historical places back in Biblical Times. This is the same route that takes you all the way to

, Hongkong

Six Things To Do And See in Hongkong

February 21, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 2 Comments

I’ve been to Hongkong four times in the past—and those visits weren’t really for pleasure and leisure. They were short visits that lasted only 3-4 days, just to exit mainland China and to get a new temporary visa which will be changed to working visa by my employer in Beijing.

Canada

Frozen Niagara Falls is Breathtakingly Stunning

February 18, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 4 Comments

It’s been a month since polar vortex hit North America. It’s still freezing and the temperature is far from leaving sub zero. Snow is still everywhere and no sign of melting yet, though we’ve seen blue skies in the past few days. Yesterday, someone picked me up at home impromptu,

China

Take a Peek Inside The China Sex Museum

February 16, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 1 Comments

Inside this sex museum, I’ve learned that there are two basic instincts of human life: food and sex. I didn’t expect the latter but I don’t doubt it.Most people think of Shanghai as a cosmopolitan city wrapped in pollution, just like its rival city, Beijing. Many locals and visitors marvel

Anywhere in the World

Life in 2013 Review

February 1, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 0 Comments

The first month has just been ticked off from the calendar–and this post is way too late. Blame it to my endless procrastination, something that’s not in my new year’s resolution, obviously. 2013 was a great year. I’ve seen a couple of new places (4 major trips) that I’ve never

, LGBTQ

Sunset in the Desert

January 30, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 1 Comments

This freezing sub zero Celcius is killing me softly inside—and I’m looking forward to see gorgeous sunset again in Spring or Summer. While this wish isn’t coming anytime soon, here’s our Photo of the Day Spanish contributor, Dodi Fog, who just started his own blog. Welcome to the blogging world Senor

, Jordan

The Monastery or Little Petra in Jordan

January 28, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 3 Comments

It seems that the best monuments in the world are tombs. The Pyramids of Egypt, The Taj Mahal in India, The Terracota Warriors in Xian, China, St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and Westminster Abbey in England are all famous sites that honor the dead: Kings, Queens, Emperors, Royals, Pharaohs and

Russia

Baikal Lake – Where Christians and Buddhists Meet Shamans

January 26, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 5 Comments

If you had one week to spend somewhere away from the cold winter in Paris, where would you go? Probably, most of you, would buy a ticket jetting off to a tropical island, drowning in margaritas, burying your feet in the sand and basking in the sun. But NOT my

, UNESCO Sites

The Amazing Petra in Jordan

January 23, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 7 Comments

YOU HAVE TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT! Petra in Jordan is amazing. Dazzling. Breathtaking. Magnificent. Phenomenal. Insert your own adjectives—they’re all true for many reasons. Petra, no doubt, would never fail to amaze you. It’s jaw-dropping! Literally. Another item in my bucket lis: to gawk at the amazing Petra. Checked.

Jordan

The Siq – In the Footsteps of Indiana Jones

January 21, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 6 Comments

Nobody goes to Petra and see the magnificent Treasury without following the footsteps of [easyazon_link asin=”B000NQRE9Q” locale=”US” new_window=”yes” nofollow=”default” tag=”pridecostume-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”yes” popups=”yes”]Indiana Jones[/easyazon_link] on The Siq where he trudged on his horse in search of the Holy Grail. Nearing the end of the gorge, Indiana Jones and his entourage

Jordan

Wadi Rum – The Red Planet

January 17, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 4 Comments

I finally understood what the “sands of time” means. Wadi Rum, in Jordan, taught me that. Its vastness, its beauty, its magnificence stupefied me. It’s not your ordinary desert of plain golden sand. It’s a desert that defies stereotypes of an arid, solitary piece of nature—hues of red, pink, gold, black

, People

Portraits from Jordan

January 14, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 6 Comments

One unknown writer said this: While I was in Jordan I made sure to ask the names of people I talked to or met in a fleeting moment—and asked if I could photograph them. Nobody said no. I reckon, all I have is my irresistible charm! As Lady Gaga said,