The Travel Peoples

Ohayou gozaimasu ! (It's one of my often-uttered words in Japan together with arigatou gozaimasau , sumimasen , itadakemasu , oishi , and daijoubu . Google their meanings if you don't know.) My recent travel to Japan was unplanned. First, it was during a pandemic. Second, I just recovered from COVID-19 on May 28. Lastly, it was for business, not pleasure. It was for business every time I visit.  Japan is very strict in observing COVID-19 border protocols, but I was amazed at how easy and systematic the whole documentation process was. I had to make sure that I was already COVID-19-negative before flying. It was a last-minute decision to go because the first test showed I was still positive. I tried again after three days, and it's no longer positive! That was when I booked a flight through Japan Airlines.  It was a seven-hour evening flight. I thought I would be able to sleep on the plane. I did, but only for an hour. I was tired and sleepy, but I could not manage to even c...

In 2020, COVID-19 didn't stop us from celebrating our 19th year as a married couple. It was in the middle of a lockdown when my husband and I decided to have a staycation in the city. After all, in recent years pre-pandemic, we usually celebrated our anniversaries by traveling out-of-town or abroad. We, somehow, felt deprived, of our tradition as a couple. To make a long story short, we booked a room at the Shangri-La in Kuala Lumpur to relieve our itchy feet.  The experience was fruitful, to our surprise. We lowered our expectations considering that it was an abnormal time in history. The hotel did not fail to deliver an excellent service despite the challenges and so many changes it had to implement in its amenities and services.  The welcome kit assures we have the buddies that we need. (I love this! Although this is a deviation from the usual fruits or wine welcome gift.)  I was happy that there were very few people who checked in. In fact, it was early afternoon when...

Goodbye, 2020! You are the most unfriendly when it comes to travel. Yet, you are the best in bonding people confined at home. (Or you could also be the worst in breaking bonds between family members who are annoyed at each other. 😁) If there was an award for "the most anti-social," you got the grand slam! You even used Zoom and other new platforms to your advantage!   Nevertheless, 2020 is a bitter-sweet year for me. Downs and ups, it left a lot of new memories and discoveries. It also brought in some milestones and achievements that I could never imagine happening during a pandemic.  My heart breaks for those whom we've lost due to COVID-19. Some strong souls survived, but they still feel the lingering effects. This disease will never bring anything good, especially to the affected individuals. But when it comes to life lessons, there will always be something beneficial for the soul. And somehow, I cannot accept that these life lessons would have to come from a teeny we...