I’ll never forget the joy when I starred on my very first Schengen visa in 2015. After all, it was granted by the German Embassy in Kuala Lumpur with much effort! That year, I embarked on my first Europe trip and lost my heart to Budapest. The inspiration to write this post came after I booked my 2020 Balkan trip. Due to my financial limitation, I never want to return to the same country until I travelled to all of the countries in the world. But, my beloved city turns out to be on the list! When you visit Budapest, you’ll understand why it’s easy to fall in love. The…
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Investing for a Bucket List, Tony Robbins’ Way
Thank God my lower back pain is getting much better today! I’ve been ‘itching’ to write about investing for a bucket list that I learned from Tony Robbins’ book “Money: Master the Game”. In the previous blog post, I shared Tony Robbin’s advice on building wealth by investing in All Season portfolios. This portfolio will protect you from any financial downturn so you’ll never lose money. Also, how you can use the service of robo-advisors to create All Season portfolios and let them do the rebalancing – automatically, within a click. But, what makes life more interesting is when we do things that we’re passionate about. It’s not just about…
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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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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 đ 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 âBegpackersâ Make Me Feel Grateful for My Powerless Passport
I used to feel bitter towards âbegpackersâ 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 âbegpackersâ are obvious. I have to work hard…
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Nuwara Eliya: An English Tale in Sri Lanka
Being a tropical country located near South India, I used to think that when visiting Sri Lanka, all I needed to pack was summer clothes. Wrong. Especially if youâre planning to stay in Nuwara Eliya, a beautiful English town on top of a hill. Dubbed Little England, the town is a contrast to other cities in Sri Lanka not only because of the English history, but also the climate and architecture. Founded by Samuel Baker in 1846, Nuwara Eliyaâs cool climate (daily average of 16°C) made the town a favourite place to stay for British civil servants and colonialists. Iâm so happy to include Nuwara Eliya in my Sri Lanka…
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I Visit Lonely Planetâs Hottest Destination 2019 and Regret
Like most of my friends, or should I say, most Asians, Sri Lanka, Lonely Planet’s hottest destination in 2019, is a country that we never dream of visiting. It doesnât even cross my mind. However, my crush tells me that heâs been to Sri Lanka four times and the country is one of travelâs best-kept secrets. Really? What are the good things in Sri Lanka? Soon after, Lonely Planet named Sri Lanka the best country in the world to visit in 2019! I feel so curious. I know that I need to see and experience the country myself. âYou better hurry or itâll soon become packed with travellers, just like…
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Globetrotters and âMacaronsâ, Is It True?
Some people think that globetrotters or people who travel a lot will kiss and bang strangers from around the world. Perhaps, in every country they visit. Whereâs this perception comes from?? Once I had caught up with my ex-colleagues. Weâre very close and brutally honest, we discuss anything. At one point, my male friend asked me, âSo Clara⊠Do you try a lot of âmacaronsâ when youâre travelling?â âMacarons?â I asked in confusion. The first thing that popped up in my mind was LadurĂ©e, the famous French macaron that I tried while in transit in Charles de Gaulle. âYou know what I mean,â he looked at me with a naughty…
