This is not the ordinary TOP THINGS…this is that TYPICAL TOP THINGS. Haha!

I should have _________ when I get lost.

a.Map – I can explore any street and landmarks with just a map. If I do not know the language, I can always show the map to a local then ask where I am located.

b.Camera – Getting lost can be thrilling (whatever you want to say against it) so having one is a great experience. The crazy idea is to take pictures of me getting lost and finding my way back.

c.US Dollar – This is an international currency acceptable to any country (unless you’re in a remote place). This can help me to get a ride, pay entrance fees and eat.

I never dare to _________ .

1.Talk nonsense joke when the immigration agent is expressing a strict look. I don’t know why they have serious faces but it pays to just keep quiet.

2.Wear something that the country’s culture does not allow. Some people are used to wearing what they used to wear but deepening oneself into one’s culture suggests to wear what is appropriate.

3.Say something in my own language with an obvious tone of its meaning in front of a local person. This, I think, is really rude even if they don’t understand. I try to talk in a monotony voice so I don’t portray what I am talking about.

I should always have _________ .

a.Camera

b.Paper

c.Ballpen

Because most of the daring trips I had were prepared by Mame’s friend and I am a self-confessed loser in remembering things, I need to write things right after they were explored. I keep a travel journal (which I am now thinking if I should rewrite them all here) of the things I did, expenses, landmarks, food we ate and other things I learned. This keeps my retention longer and makes the world I have discovered continue to live in my mind.

I always try to eat/drink _________ .

1.Local famous dish and drinks – Why travel thousand miles away if I will only eat the same food.

2.Streetfood – Eating streetfood introduces us to a lot more about the culture. Streetfood is the food you eat when you’re in a hurry or really need to silent that hungry tummy. It is also where you can enjoy listening to the conversation of the seller and buyer about silly and funny things.

3.Junkfood – I enjoy browsing junkfoods in grocery stores. Hehe

I have to ________ before traveling.

Research. Research. Research.

That alone already gives 3 points. Seriously speaking, research! And everything will follow. It is the most essential thing one should do. After doing my research, I always feel like I am half-way ready for the trip.

I always end up wearing _________ whenever I do not know what to wear.

a.Dress – I don’t really wear dress but it is always a wise decision to bring one. It is both stylish and saves space in my luggage. Some places require conservative clothing and it would be wise to stay safe in meeting different cultures with a dress in knee-length.

b.Comfortable footwear – traveling is a lot of walking

c.Scarf – I can use this whether the weather is cold or humid. I usually tie my hair up with scarf when it’s too humid to bear.

My camera always go with _________.

1.Charger and extra battery

2.Extra memory card

3.Hard Drive – I take 700 pictures a day so I need to free up space from the memory card every single day.

I usually say to my buddy, “_________________________.”

1.“I want to see this. Can I go here?” – Whenever there is a place I want to visit that my buddies are not interested to see.

2.“Please take a photo of me here” – With thousands of pictures I took, I can count with my fingers how many times I had the opportunity to have my own photo taken.

3.“Can you talk to the person? I can’t speak in English anymore.” – Hahhahahha. There’s just those moments when you can’t speak and explain anymore in English.

I am fond of taking photo of _________ .

1.My feet – I like the idea of seeing my feet standing on finally found path.

2.Food – Because they’re just so thrilling to look at.

3.Crowd – Local people busy with their own things makes me invisible.

I always aware myself of the _________ of the country.

1.Manners/Ethics –It pays to live like a local but experience like a foreigner without sarcastic look from locals.

2.Culture

Culture precedes Manners. Culture is a very general word but one should know about the culture first. Wearing appropriate clothes for religion reasons is one example (this is so understated but I still want to highlight it because I find it really rude for women to wear revealing clothes when they already know such are not welcomed). And from there, right manners should also be observed as this helps you to blend in the crowd of the locals. It saves you from trouble and heated irap. Ex: in one country, it’s ok to burp. That shows you are grateful for the food. But in another country, that might be really rude.

3.My Country’s Immigration address and contact number – for emergency or travel documents issues, at least.

What is your typical top 3 things on traveling?

Photos were taken in Taiwan (December 2010), Australia (August 2011) and Brunei (December 2011).