PHOTO DIARY: Vivid Sydney 2019

Yesterday was supposed to be the first day of Vivid Sydney. Vivid Sydney is a festival of light, music, and ideas. It unites not just artists and music makers, but also tourists around the world. From 6pm each night mesmerizing art installations and 3D projections transform Sydney’s architecture and open spaces along the harbor foreshore including The Rocks, Circular Quay, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Darling Harbour, Luna Park, and Chatswood.

Unfortunately, this year's Vivid Sydney is canceled due to the ongoing global pandemic. Here are some of the photos that I took when I went here last year. It was a visual feast and a spectacular experience. Defo one of the highlights of my 2019!

Staying safe on the road – your guide to driving during the coronavirus pandemic

We're all familiar with the devastating impact of Covid-19 as it's spread across the world. Now, even the simplest of tasks such as shopping and driving from A to B seems much more complicated and worrying than before.

Now that some restrictions are becoming a little relaxed, more of us will be getting into our cars this weekend for a much-needed drive and a change of scenery. And if you’re someone who drives for a living, you may be eager to hit the road once again and enjoy a sense of normality – if you’re injured at work, including whilst driving for your employer, contact a workers compensation lawyer in Georgia. 

However, despite our eagerness to enjoy the simpler things in life, such as driving and travel, we still need to exercise caution and common sense. Here I’ve compiled some simple ways you can stay safe on the road during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Future of the Hermit Kingdom

Photo by Random Institute on Unsplash

Now that the news about the death of Kim Jong-Un's has been circulating online for days, North Korea's future hangs by a thread. Some say that his younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, could take over. But, in a patriarchal and reclusive nation, that's a very tough sell. Is this the perfect time for the two Koreas to reunite again?

Chicago, Illinois - see the real America

A while back I saw a funny meme of how the outside world sees America. There was a map of the States, and just three words, which left to right read “Vegas - Yeehaw - New York”. Of course, we’ve all heard of the flyover states, sitting there in the middle of the country, growing corn and having county fairs and using words like prairie and y’all. But this is reducing tens of millions of people and a range of ways of life to a comedy quip, which is most unfair. That’s why this time we’re not going to focus on the usual American hotspots that get all the attention, and we’re going to look at Illinois. Or specifically, Chicago. Chi-town. The birthplace of Kanye West, Harrison Ford, Jennifer Hudson, Bill Murray, Gillian Anderson, Melissa McCarthy, Robin Williams, Cindy Crawford, Karlie Kloss, and although he wasn’t born there, Barack Obama now lives in Chicago. That’s a strong list.

Remember, if you’re traveling to the United States, you need insurance and valid travel documents (have the number of your embassy to hand in case of a lost or stolen passport). Also remember that laws may differ from what you are used to - if you face legal matters following an incident such as a car crash, see car accident lawyer in Aurora IL.

Best Road Trips in the World

Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

Once you decide to take a road trip, your head will be spinning about where to go. The easy bit is taking the leap to embark upon new adventures with friends, bonding over shared experiences and seeing the best sights in the world.

However, the hard bit is knowing which of the world’s most enticing routes to settle on. Firstly, however, get your license and insurance sorted as well as researching legal advice - you’ll need guidance from the likes of this company if anything goes wrong.

But, all being well, you will return back home safely with great memories and incredible photos. So, check out some of the most popular and famous road trip routes below:

Fraudulent Transactions

Photo by Code Mnml on Unsplash

Last week, as I was busy watching Crash Landing On You on Netflix. I received two text messages from BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands). Reading these messages gave me a heart attack. In the first text, I was charged by Facebook Ad Vietnam with an amount of VND 393,000. That's roughly Php 850. The second one was VND 20,000, or Php 50. Since these transactions were fraudulent, I immediately called the bank. It didn't take more than 3 minutes to reach them, thank God. I gave my card number and verified a few personal details to the customer representative.

Dangerous Crosswind

They say the less, the better.

Being an air traffic controller and a frequent traveler is not a good combo at all. You see, when your flight suddenly halts in the middle of the taxiway, you'd groan, "Oh no, give us some ample spacing for each arrival. I need to fly ASAP!" or, "Why aren't we taking off yet? There is no inbound traffic at the final approach runway 06?". Then, you'll check FlightRadar24 to monitor the traffic around the aerodrome traffic zone. But, I stopped doing it because it's stressing me out, to say the least.

Melbourne To Be Wild

If there's one city in the world where I can enjoy the laidback lifestyle, its sceneries, the accessibility, high quality of living, and experience its unique local culture, it's Melbourne. Unlike its sibling, Sydney, which is now overcrowded and a highly urbanized area, Melbourne offers a character that no other city could offer.

The flight to Melbourne from Manila takes 7 hours and 40 minutes. This time, however, we left Manila past noon. We then arrived in Melbourne at past midnight, and after the long queue at customs, we finally arrived at our hotel at 2 in the morning. My mom and I were dead tired from our trip, and we woke up late.