Author Archives: rpauline

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Anthro on Foot Goes to Egypt

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Assalaam ‘alaikum!

For my travel photos on IG: @rtw.in.3.meals

Sharing with you resources that helped me with travel planning + inspiration:

Books: All About History’s Book of Ancient Egypt (to me, the best crash course on the history of Egyptian civilization), Eve Powell’s A Different Shade of Colonialism (I haven’t read this, but I saw repeat recommendations that this is the best book to understanding the nuances to Egypt’s modern history), Kara Cooney’s When Women Ruled the World: The Six Queens of Egypt, Reader’s Digest’s Vanished Civilizations. For reviews, visit Goodreads and Scribd*.

Tourism sites: free walking tour, Nomadic Matt, official tourism website

Travel planning sites: Airbnb*, Booking.com*, Skyscanner, World Nomads*

(*Note: It helps keep this site going every time you sign up or book from these links. I am a big fan and have been using these sites since 2015. If this blog helped you in any way, it doesn’t hurt to make your booking from these links. Thank you!)

P.S. My keys to sustainable travels: acknowledge that your trip might not go as planned | back up important files before and during travel | bring a portable multi-cooker, coffee/tea press, food containers, utensils, water bottle, water heater, and clothesline rope | bring extra medicines and prescription | bring souvenirs from home for friends you’ll meet along the way | get a local sim card | get travel insurance | have an extra card to be used only for emergencies | learn the language if you deem it necessary | listen to your gut | only bring stuff that you can carry on your own | only go for local food that’s vouched for being clean and safe | record and stay on top of your expenses | stay in accommodations where cooking is allowed | take public transportation | treat everyone and yourself with kindness and respect, as always | treat guidebooks as guides; don’t get boxed by them | visit local cafés | walk as much as you can | wake up early | when faced with difficult decisions, ask yourself why ❤

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Anthro on Foot Goes to Jordan

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Merhaba/ Assalaam ‘alaikum!

For my travel photos on IG: @rtw.in.3.meals

Sharing with you resources that helped me with travel planning + inspiration:

Books: Nicholas Ostler’s Empires of the Word, Philip Robins’ A History of Jordan (I haven’t read this, but I saw repeat recommendations that this is the best book on the modern history of Jordan), Raoul McLaughlin’s The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes, Reader’s Digest’s Vanished Civilizations. For reviews, visit Goodreads and Scribd*.

Tourism sites: free walking tours, official tourism website

Travel planning sites: Airbnb*, Booking.com*, Skyscanner, World Nomads*

(*Note: It helps keep this site going every time you sign up or book from these links. I am a big fan and have been using these sites since 2015. If this blog helped you in any way, it doesn’t hurt to make your booking from these links. Thank you!)

P.S. My keys to sustainable travels: acknowledge that your trip might not go as planned | back up important files before and during travel | bring a portable multi-cooker, coffee/tea press, food containers, utensils, water bottle, water heater, and clothesline rope | bring extra medicines and prescription | bring souvenirs from home for friends you’ll meet along the way | get a local sim card | get travel insurance | have an extra card to be used only for emergencies | learn the language if you deem it necessary | listen to your gut | only bring stuff that you can carry on your own | only go for local food that’s vouched for being clean and safe | record and stay on top of your expenses | stay in accommodations where cooking is allowed | take public transportation | treat everyone and yourself with kindness and respect, as always | treat guidebooks as guides; don’t get boxed by them | visit local cafés | walk as much as you can | wake up early | when faced with difficult decisions, ask yourself why ❤

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Anthro on Foot Goes to Palestine

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Merhaba/ Assalaam ‘alaikum!

For my travel photos on IG: @rtw.in.3.meals

Sharing with you resources that helped me with travel planning + inspiration:

Books: The Holy Bible and Koran (I’m sure every pilgrim will agree that these are the best books for preparing for a trip to Israel and Palestine), Karen Armstrong’s A History of God, Nur Masalha’s Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History, Ilan Pappe’s Ten Myths about Israel. For reviews, visit Goodreads and Scribd*.

Tourism sites: escorted tour (note: you have to be part of a group tour to be allowed entry in Palestine as a tourist), official tourism website

Travel planning sites: Airbnb*, Booking.com*, Skyscanner, World Nomads*

(*Note: It helps keep this site going every time you sign up or book from these links. I am a big fan and have been using these sites since 2015. If this blog helped you in any way, it doesn’t hurt to make your booking from these links. Thank you!)

P.S. My keys to sustainable travels: acknowledge that your trip might not go as planned | back up important files before and during travel | bring a portable multi-cooker, coffee/tea press, food containers, utensils, water bottle, water heater, and clothesline rope | bring extra medicines and prescription | bring souvenirs from home for friends you’ll meet along the way | get a local sim card | get travel insurance | have an extra card to be used only for emergencies | learn the language if you deem it necessary | listen to your gut | only bring stuff that you can carry on your own | only go for local food that’s vouched for being clean and safe | record and stay on top of your expenses | stay in accommodations where cooking is allowed | take public transportation | treat everyone and yourself with kindness and respect, as always | treat guidebooks as guides; don’t get boxed by them | visit local cafés | walk as much as you can | wake up early | when faced with difficult decisions, ask yourself why ❤

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Anthro on Foot Goes to Israel

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Shalom!

For my travel photos on IG: @rtw.in.3.meals

Sharing with you resources that helped me with travel planning + inspiration:

Books: The Holy Bible and Koran (I’m sure every pilgrim will agree that these are the best books for preparing for a trip to Israel and Palestine), Vanessa Betts’ Jerusalem, Karen Armstrong’s A History of God, Nur Masalha’s Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History, Ilan Pappe’s Ten Myths about Israel. For reviews, visit Goodreads and Scribd*.

Tourism sites: free walking tours, Nomadic Matt, official tourism website

Travel planning sites: Airbnb*, Booking.com*, Skyscanner, World Nomads*

(*Note: It helps keep this site going every time you sign up or book from these links. I am a big fan and have been using these sites since 2015. If this blog helped you in any way, it doesn’t hurt to make your booking from these links. Thank you!)

P.S. My keys to sustainable travels: acknowledge that your trip might not go as planned | back up important files before and during travel | bring a portable multi-cooker, coffee/tea press, food containers, utensils, water bottle, water heater, and clothesline rope | bring extra medicines and prescription | bring souvenirs from home for friends you’ll meet along the way | get a local sim card | get travel insurance | have an extra card to be used only for emergencies | learn the language if you deem it necessary | listen to your gut | only bring stuff that you can carry on your own | only go for local food that’s vouched for being clean and safe | record and stay on top of your expenses | stay in accommodations where cooking is allowed | take public transportation | treat everyone and yourself with kindness and respect, as always | treat guidebooks as guides; don’t get boxed by them | visit local cafés | walk as much as you can | wake up early | when faced with difficult decisions, ask yourself why ❤

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The Wonderful World of Living an Ordinary Life

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“The Wonderful World of Living an Ordinary Life” posits the many wonderful things that unfold in choosing to live an ordinary life, the trade-offs that come with wanting to be ordinary, the romanticization of choosing prestigious roles in society, and the need to support leaders with absolute integrity given the many trade-offs that come with the life of genuine leadership. It ends with a reminder that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being ordinary, as long as we do our every work honestly, diligently, and conscientiously.

As seen on Rappler: [OPINION] The Wonderful World of Living an Ordinary Life

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Puzzling but Not Surprising: Speaking English with Filipinos in the Philippines

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“Puzzling but Not Surprising: Speaking English with Filipinos in the Philippines” suggests that one of the readily available ways to stop inequalities in the Philippines is to stop speaking in English. It starts with a brief history of the country’s pre-colonial legacies, how these legacies were circumvented by the colonial powers to help legitimize their positions, and how the system was further maintained to feed the status quo. It then proceeds with the premise that normalizing the use of English not only perpetuates these legacies but also hammers the difference between “us” and “them.” Ultimately, the privileged and the literate are encouraged to become constantly obliged to remain acutely sensitive to not allow English to become the new Spanish.

As seen on Rappler: [OPINION] Puzzling but Not Surprising: Speaking English with Filipinos in the Philippines

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When Living Alone Has Become a Badge of Honor

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“When Living Alone Has Become a Badge of Honor” explores the new, fashionable way to mark what it means to be a ‘grownup’ in this day and age. It starts with the author’s personal experience, explores if there, indeed, is anything wrong with living at home as an adult, how different families respond to different realities, and ends with challenging the fact that we might be asking the wrong question whenever we ask, “Why are you still living with your parents?”

As seen on Rappler: [OPINION] When Living Alone Has Become a Badge of Honor

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Celebrating Father’s Day in a Paternalistic World

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“Celebrating Father’s Day in a Paternalistic World” starts with my personal experience as a single parent after my husband left our family, the cultural expectations of what it means to be a ‘mother’ and ‘father,’ the costs of keeping the nuclear family, appreciating globalization as a family ally, an opportunity to revisit what it means to be a ‘father’ and ‘mother’ every time we celebrate father’s and mother’s day, and, finally, what we can take away from celebrating father’s day in a paternalistic world.

As seen on Rappler: [OPINION] Celebrating Father’s Day in a Paternalistic World

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Anthro on Foot Explores the Wonderful World of Nature

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Hello!

Sharing with you resources helping me connect with nature’s wonderful language:

Books: Alecia Spooner’s Geology for Dummies, Arin Murphy-Hiscock’s The Hidden Meaning of Birds, Barry Lopez’s Of Wolves and Men, Dante Ambrosio’s Balatik, Henry David Thoreau’s Nature and Walden, Jiang Rong’s Wolf Totem, Michael Balick’s Plants, People, and Culture: The Science of Ethnobotany, National Geographic magazines, New World Library’s The Sacred Earth, Rachel Carson’s The Edge of the Sea, Silent Spring, and The Sense of Wonder, Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass, Roland Ennos’ The Age of Wood, Stefano Mancuso’s The Revolutionary Genius of Plants, Stephen Maran’s Astronomy for Dummies, Tim Fisher’s A Photographic Guide to Birds of the Philippines, Tristan Gooley’s The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs. For reviews, visit Goodreads and Scribd*.

Sites: Merlin Bird ID app, Plant Snap app, Pinoy Mountaineer, US National Park Service (this site offers a wealth of tips on how to camp and hike in different temperate and tropical environments), SkyView Lite for Android and iOS, Wild Bird Club of the Philippines

(*Note: It helps keep this site going every time you sign up or book from these links. I am a big fan and have been using these sites since 2015. If this blog helped you in any way, it doesn’t hurt to make your booking from these links. Thank you!)

P.S. My keys to sustainable nature trips: bring your essentials and some extras (batteries, clothes, first aid kit, flashlight or headlamp, food, money, pocketknife, water), check the weather before going, follow local rules, get a local guide, start exploring from your home and neighborhood first, stick to the path, wear appropriate clothing and shoes, no one may never really understand floral and faunal whys… and that’s perfectly fine ❤

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Anthro on Foot Lives Through the Pandemic

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Wishing that you’re safe and well as you read this post.

The arrival of this pandemic is the reason why I put this blog on private for a while. I didn’t feel it was right to show snippets of my travels while the world was and still is gripping at its feet.

I’m not a front liner, and I didn’t lose my job. In many ways, I am very privileged. And while I’m very thankful, I also feel very uneasy about it, just seeing and hearing about what’s happening outside my door.

Unlike my other posts, I can’t share resources on how to live through this pandemic because coming from this ‘privileged’ vantage point would mean I may sound indifferent and callous.

What I will share instead are job search portals that may help you or a friend you know.

Job search portals: Google Jobs, Jobstreet, LinkedIn, Onlinejobs.ph

And if you need assistance on building or revising your resume (you need not send your details if you’re uncomfortable in doing that. I can also just send a template), or if you’re into research and you’d like me to refer you, please don’t hesitate to contact me. ❤