“Oh, look at that mural! It looks similar to Starbucks’ logo, isn’t it?” I asked my tour guide who took me and the group around Capri, a beautiful island in the Bay of Naples, Italy. “Starbucks? What is it?” she replied. Oops! Right. Italians don’t drink Starbucks. Aaand, there wasn’t any Starbucks store in Italy when I visited in 2017. Due to sheer volume of business, Starbucks is designed to serve customers quickly and efficiently, whereas in Italy, you go to a coffee bar precisely for leisure and long, winding conversations with your local barista. Jenna Wang, “Why It Took Starbucks 47 Years To Open A Store In Italy” –…
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The Investment That You May Overlook
What if I tell you that you can print money, legally? Your body is the machine, and you’re trading your energy, time and health for every batch of dollar, euro, or ringgit that you print. You’ll be fully investing yourself in the process. Will you sacrifice most of your energy, time and health to do it? Some people may do so because they’re worried that one day, the opportunity is gone. Although most of the time, it’s just people being kiasu… I once had the opportunity to achieve an unlimited bonus from a company that I worked for. Rooted in my passion for travel, I sacrificed a lot of things…
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Summer Shoes Trend 2019: Square-toed
In case you forget because of the hectic summer, we’re still breathing in the month of August. This means, it’s STILL summer and we all should embrace the playful season like walking on square-toed shoes! On top of that, if you missed some fashion updates or haven’t filled your wardrobe with the latest trend, here’s a summer trend 2019 that guarantees won’t make you regret spending some cash or swiping your credit card. Some of My Favourite Square-toed Shoes Here are some of my favourite square-toed shoes: Kohai Ok, these shoes aren’t exactly square-toed but it’s my first ever. When I was in Jakarta, my sister went to the Wakai…
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Tony Robbins’ Investing Rules of Thumb – Simplified
Every Thursday in the office, I and a group of friends would gather during lunch hour to discuss a random topic. On one occasion, we were discussing life plans and I shared that I wanted to plan for my retirement because I read Tony Robbins’ investment book. “Clara, why do you have to plan for your retirement? You can just get married to someone who can help you. Look at our friend, she’s getting married and will be moving overseas!” said one of my friends. The thing is, everyone has a different fate. Therefore, whether you’re a man or a woman, NEVER hope that one day someone will come to…
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Eat Fresh, Eat Well: Ryoshi Izakaya Signature
This isn’t a paid post for Ryoshi Izakaya Signature. The rule of thumb when it comes to socializing is to appreciate the ones who are kind to you. Perhaps someone asks you out for a date, friends send you home although their house isn’t in the same direction as yours, or you’re invited for dinner. The appreciation doesn’t have to be ‘tit-for-tat’. It’s as simple as bringing them their favorite snack from your home country when you balik kampong and paying for the parking ticket. Or, you can also write a blog post about it, as I do š Last weekend, I was invited by a friend to his newly-opened…
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I Flew Almost 24h to Cuba Only to Find It’s Quite Similar to Asia – Updated
When it comes to Latin American countries like Cuba, what pops into your mind? Exotic culture, sensual music, sexy people… “Despacito” and “Havana”, perhaps? Been to Cuba in April 2018, and I agree with that. However, there are things that many people, especially Asian, will find it shocking when they travel to Cuba. That’s mainly because we don’t realise that Latin American countries are underdeveloped. After sitting on the plane for almost 24 hours and feeling my a$$ flatten like chapati, quite a number of things made my jaws drop during my 15-day tour. I was like, ‘I traveled from far far away to find this??’. Although surprising, I enjoyed…
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Breakfast and Birdwatching at M.P.S. Village, Sri Lanka
In the previous blog post, I shared that to travel is also to enjoy food. In addition, I feel that your travel experience is also affected by your choice of accommodation. This isn’t a paid post. I just want to share my experience staying at M.P.S. Village, a budget hotel in Sri Lanka with a wonderful view and yummy breakfast. Imagine hearing the sound of peacocks and other kinds of birds while enjoying your breakfast! Peacocks? Where do they come from? I’ll tell you later š M.P.S. Village, a Budget Hotel Surrounded by Greens and Birds First of all, this beautiful budget hotel isn’t located in Dambulla city center. You…
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How āBegpackersā Make Me Feel Grateful for My Powerless Passport
I used to feel bitter towards ābegpackersā because of my powerless passport, but not anymore. First of all, according to Global Passport Power Rank, my Indonesian passport is ranked 58th out of 93. While doing this research, I get to know that my passport is ranked lower than the passport of the countries I never heard of like Nauru, Kiribati, and Vanuatu. More surprisingly, the passport of Timor-Leste, which was part of Indonesia until 1999, is doing better – sitting at the 45th position! The Roots of My Bitterness Towards “Begpackers” For someone who loves travelling, the roots of my bitterness towards ābegpackersā are obvious. I have to work hard…
