My Student's Guide to Travel

I have my first travel abroad alone when I was about 18 years old. It was my first trip away from Philippines and away from my family. It was an eye opener for me that the world is a good place to live in, so explore! Since then, I don't make studying as an excuse for my travels. I really hate the usual excuse of "I will travel after I graduate." Yes they sure are right, but who would enjoy just ten days of vacation leave when you can have full two months vacation every year, right? You do not need millions to travel, all you got to have is courage and determination. And I am sure that people are wondering how can you travel with just your student allowance. Like what I have said, you don't need million but just information.

1. Apply for a Scholarship - My first travel abroad is in South Korea when I received an exchange student scholarship grant from South Korean Government. It was a great opportunity for me since everything is for free. All I have to do is study and maintain a good academic standing. I ended up with almost 4.30/4.50 GPA at the end of the semester. Aside from my tuition fee, airfare and accommodation, I also received a monthly stipend which is really more than what I really need, so I save almost half of my stipend every month for my side travels and shopping. Just for four months, I have been to almost one third of the South Korea peninsula. From the deadly border of DMZ to the sunny beach of Tongyoung, I have been there. But mostly, I have been to the beautiful countryside and historical province of Gyeongju and Daegu. 

There are lots of scholarship and fellowship grants available out there. From the Erasmus programme of European Union to Monbukagakusho Scholarship of Japan government, all is available and free to apply for students like us. But remember, all of this comes with a great responsibility. They are free but you got to work for it. Its a tedious application but the reward is so fulfilling and all effort is so worth it.

2. Join International Conference or Exchange - Joining international conferences or exchanges is just one lame excuse to travel abroad, but with it, you got to travel with purpose and also meet new people. If really travelling alone is not your type, then maybe this is for you. Depending on your interest, there are lots of international exchanges going on right now specially with oncoming 2015 ASEAN Integration.

As for me, I joined ASEANpreneur Youth Leaders Exchange 2014 so I got to travel to Singapore. When the conference has concluded, I went to a side trip to Malaysia to visit Lego Land. Also, my JENESYS 2.0 experience has lead me not just to travel across Tokyo but also to experience their culture first hand. Not bad eh? All of this for a little or no cost.    

3.Save up - This takes a lot of practice and exercise. When you first experience living abroad away from the comfort of your home, you will realize that some things in life are just plain useless. I have given up drinking soft drinks, eating junk foods, and buying useless stuffs. With these little sacrifices, you can then save enough money for your travel every year. I have been saving up for almost two years for me to materialize my Travel 2014. Also with proper preparation combined with determination, you will be living your dream in no time. Just learn to practice delay gratification. Everything will pay off eventually all you have to do is believe. 

Also one thing I do to save up is to establish a travel fund. I make sure that all monetary gifts, excess cash, and cut off from my allowance will go directly to my travel fund. People might wonder how can a student like me living with about $5.00 everyday can afford to travel. My answer is proper saving and DETERMINATION.

These are only  that I have tried yet, but I am sure there are a lot more ways to travel as a student. You can try to volunteer, be an Au pair, or even have internship abroad. I'm still on the process of knowing each and every of it for me to share to everyone. Like what I have said, You don't need to be a millionaire to travel and to make your dreams come true.  All you need is determination and hard work. We now live in a world of social media where almost all information are available online. Exchanges, scholarships, conferences, and promos are all happening at this moment. I tell you, a lot of opportunities out there are waiting to be taken, so don't waste your time Facebooking and complaining how hard life is. Try and take risk. Take a gap year if you can. After all, there is no harm in trying. Life is shorter than what you think so make best out of it.

What Travelling Has Really Taught Me

Travelling is fun but sometime things don't go according to plan. Travelling teaches us a lot of things as we go beyond our comfort zone. And below are some of the things what travelling has taught me so far. 

When travelling . . .

It teaches me to be sensitive. Every time I travel, I always remember that when in Rome do what the Romans do. I do research on the customs and culture for me not to be rude to other people. Travelling teaches me to become culturally sensitive, as you will be more conscious on your words and on your actions. Also remember that not everyone knows English, and stop being rude you know English very well, so try to learn their language every time you go different places.  I knew conversational Korean so when I was in Korea, I always get to bargain things very low and sometime get more than I expected. When you talk with their second language, you talk with their mind; but when you talk with their mother language, you talk with their heart.

It teaches me to go off limits. Travelling makes me more adventurous as I go beyond my comfort zone and sometimes go beyond the law. Underage drinking, beating the curfew and jaywalking are some of the common things I do. And when I get caught, I just play dumb. I, myself, am fond of drinking so I make sure to try local beers or to try night pubs in each places. Take risk and just have fun, if it goes well, then good; if goes the other way, then charged to experience. 

It teaches me to make new friends. I took your picture, you took mine. Everyone, for sure, wants to have their own picture taken at a certain place, but it's problematic sometime when you're travelling alone. Travelling teaches me how to speak up. (Read more about this here.)

It teaches me to be good at math. Oh yeah, shopping is one thing everyone do when travelling. Travelling teaches us to be an instant mathematician. We tend to convert everything in our own currency mentally (unless you are super rich and does not care about money). When I was in Korea, I tend to multiply per 10,000원 by P300, in Singapore I just multiply by P35, and in Japan, the easiest, I just divide the price by two. I also tend to travel on budget so I make sure all my stuffs are well accounted and well recorded. (Yeah, my accounting courses work for me). 

It teaches me to be a better person. Travelling has taught me to conquer my fears and to break the box, from my DMZ escapade to Onsen and Jjimjilbang(public bath) experience. All has helped me to be more open to try new things and to learn different culture. And every time I got home, I am one experience richer.Hence, I have more stories and more lesson to share to my family and friends which makes me one step closer to be a global citizen.

The Joy of Meeting New People

Meeting new people has always been my passion. Ever since I made a new friend abroad, I have never stopped making new friends from different parts of the world. From the highest peak of Mongolia to the strangest sounding land of Lithuania, I have all made a friend there. They have taught me a lots of things which I can never read on any history or cultural books.

Even before the rise of Facebook and Twitter, I have been connected to the internet through the Jurassic site like Gaia Online and Interpals. Gaia Online has been my first virtual world where I meet people from different country. With my curious mind that time, I tend to commit cultural mistakes such as asking for sensitive stuffs that I think are just normal things to ask in my country. You will then realize that the world is so colorful and so diverse that what's right in your country might not be right for them which makes you more culturally sensitive and be more of a citizen of the world. 

Join and meet people on exchange. Even though you go the program alone, but don't be a loner. You go there to exchange ideas and build networks, and not to just sit on a corner all alone. You have been get together because you all have the same interest and that is to travel and meet people. Those people that you will meet might be your next best friends, and maybe your travel buddies. Also, you don't know you might need their help when you go to their country. So, go on join an exchange NOW!  

Don't be afraid to meet people online, they might be your buddy abroad. Before I went to South Korea, I have make sure to do research about the country. Since it is my first time to travel abroad and to live there for four months, I befriend with all the Koreans I saw in Interpals. I tried to ask them how is life in Korea, how much are the stuffs there, and what should I expect there. Then I stumbled to one Korean guy who is also going to the same university as mine. He has been my buddy my whole stay in the university. He show me around the campus, and have lunch and dinner with me. We have also traveled together around the province. Take risk, not all people on the internet are bad guys. Remember you are also one of those guys in the internet. There are lots of online platforms where you can meet people online, just choose the legit and safe one. I, myself, use Interpals and Couchsurfing. 

Talk to strangers. Ask for direction. If you are taught to don't talk to stranger on your country, then I must say forget about it. People are just as afraid of you as you are of them. You are a new to a foreign land and you don't know much of the direction so try to ask if you feel so lost. Don't be so arrogant and act as if you know everything. Sometimes, it feels great just to be lost so you can have conversation with the locals. You don't know how much information you will get to them, and also you can practice your language learning skills with them.

"I take your pictures, you take mine." This phrase is just so classic that almost all alone travelers use it. Who wouldn't want to have pictures of them while travelling, right? This phrase is a good ice breaker if you travel alone. I tell you, they will surely eager to help you and take that candid traveler shot you like. When I was in Japan, I was asked by a Malaysian stranger while in Asakusa temple to take a photo of her and she told me she will also take mine. Good deal, eh? It just so good that you gonna have interaction with alone travelers. 

You don't need to travel to meet people and exchange ideas with them. Join Postcrossing! With just the comfort of your computer chair, you gonna have the opportunity to travel and meet people. I, myself, have exchange more than a hundred postcards to hundred of people all over the world. You gonna exchange cards from various age, sex, and nationality. And each card will have a unique story to tell. It just depends on you if you gonna be open for more or not. 

There are a lots of way to make new friends online and offline. All you have to have is an open mind. Take the initiative and don't be afraid. Talk to the locals. Talk to fellow travelers. You don't know your seatmate on the subway, or the person in front of you might be your next travel buddy. I tell you, there are more better sites than Facebook. Why surround yourself with your shitty high school schoolmate whom you have never known of, when you can have the bests of world surround you. VON voyage!

Dreams Do Come True: JENESYS 2.0

When I was in high school, I have dreamed to be an Exchange student in Japan. As every weekend back then, I tried to study the Japanese language myself. I even have bought Japanese language learning books and dictionary just to help myself. I also subscribed to Japanese YouTube channels to help me learned more about the Japanese culture and language. You can say that I'm a really a "Weebo" back then because you will see me watching NHK and other Japanese channels, as if I can understand everything. I even eat food with my own chopsticks that I bought at the Japanese store. So I have lived this kind of lifestyle hoping one day I can go Japan and study there, until I have graduated high school

When I entered college, everything has changed. I have no more time to study Japanese so as times goes by, I have forgotten how to read and write Japanese characters and even some grammar points. I have focused too much on my major and have forgotten about this kind of things. Still every day, I am hoping that I can visit Japan even for just short period. Until one day, the day that I have been waiting for. 

Dreams do really come true. I have stumbled upon a cultural exchange program on the web, JENESYS 2.0, and eagerly join the program. Luckily, I was one of the chosen Filipino delegates for the Japan-ASEAN-Oceania festival. Everything is for free from plane ticket, accommodation and even food. Who would not want to travel free? Like what they have said, the best things in life are free, but you got to work for it. And JENESYS 2.0 made this opportunity possible for me. 

13 countries, 360 highschool and university students, 1 programme: JENESYS 2.0

JENESYS 2.0 is a program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for the youth and students who are interested in Japanese culture. They bring students from all over the ASEAN and Oceania region to experience and to learn Japanese culture first hand. The program itinerary includes visit to temples, schools or universities, companies, and farm. The program also exposes the delegates to daily Japanese culture and customs such as origami making, ikebana, planting, and many more. Even with a short stay in Japan, you will really get to experience the authentic Japanese culture.

The program is also not about visiting and seeing ALL the touristy place such as Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Sky tree, Imperial Palace, and others, but it is about the experience and friends you would have while in Japan. You can always make money, but you cannot always make memories. With all those first time experiences I have such beach combing, rice planting, firefly watching, and all those authentic and fresh Japanese shashimis I have tried, I have really been thankful for it. I can say that I went home fully refreshed and full of stories to share to my family, friends, and even to the whole world. But there are only two words that can summarize my experiences in Japan, “COOL JAPAN!”

どうもありがとうございます!

Day 7: Farewell JENESYS 2.0

June 2, Koto Cultural Center - It is our last day in Japan and our programme is about to end. It is the time to share and to show other delegates our experiences in each of our prefecture for the past three days.Our Chiba prefecture group is further subdivided into four smaller groups so the sharing would be easier. We first prepared and summarized all our experiences, realization, and learning for our stay in each prefecture. We then brainstorm on how will we present our ideas into a vision board. We decided to make a report based on the land and the sea since Tateyama is a city where the land and the sea meets. We then made a collage and draw on a big white paper our ideas using the brochures, maps, and other materials that we have collected during our stay in Tateyama.

After we have done our vision boards, we then have our lunch together by group. We then gathered in the auditorium to prepare for each prefectures presentation. After all the prefecture group has presented, we all then have our farewell dinner in TKP Garden City. The time has already come. The time when everyone bid good bye and tears come out from our eyes. It has been seven days since we all arrived in Japan, but it feels like we have just arrived yesterday. It was the saddest part of the event since we will all go different ways after and still unsure if our paths will ever meet up in the future. I am sure every one left the hall with teary eyes. Before we all went back to our hotel, we got to dance once again our group theme song, Koisuru Fortune Cookie, the song that will always remind us of our experiences in Japan. 

さよなら JENESYS 2.0! またね Jenesysts! 

(Farewell JENESYS 2.0! See you Jenesysts!)

Day 6: Japan - ASEAN - Oceania Festival

June 1, Showa Women University - Today was the highlight of the JENESYS 2.0. The day which everyone has prepared much for, the Japan - ASEAN - Oceania Festival. Yey! Each of the countries' delegates performed their own dance performance and after, was the song performance of each prefecture group. After the performances was the Japanese culture and games where the organizers set up booths in the hall where the delegates can enjoy the experience of Japanese culture and games. 

The dance performance was started by the Brunei Darussalam  then followed by Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. After the presentation of each country is the song performance of each prefecture group. Each group sang an assigned Japanese song.

Kagoshima - Kitte No Nai Okurimono

Kochi - Harugakita

Shimane - Tanpopo

Nagano - Sanpo

Shizuoka - Fujinoyama

Chiba - Tenohira wo Taiyouni*

Ibaraki - Furusato

Yamagata - Momiji

Fukushima - Yuki

The next was the booth and fair set up by organizers. They have different booths from traditional to contemporary Japanese culture such as origami, calligraphy, Japanese games, drums, and cosplays. After the fair, was the finale performance of all the delegates. The song which we practiced and danced our whole stay in Japan, and the song that reminds of our experiences in Japan, Koisuru Fortune Cookie by AKB48. 

After the JAO Festival, we all have our dinner at the university dining hall. It another photo opportunity for us to took pictures with our traditional clothes on. 

Our video dancing Koisuru Fortune Cookie*:

*Credits:

Mr. Faiz Zeo (Malaysia) for the pics & video:

    - Chiba group singing Tenohira wo Taiyouni         

    - Koisuru Fortune Cookie video