uGoGirlFriday

It’s amazing how often we take something for granted, how much we tend to neglect something, that is, until they’re gone. Why is it that some things have to get lost first before we understand their true value?

Last Friday, I had the misfortune of losing my make-up kit pouch which also holds my Social Security ID, Driver’s License and my car insurance policy inside the office. I was really shocked considering that I have always felt secured inside the office. At first, I thought my pouch was just misplaced or someone took a really mean prank on me. But as the end of the day drew near, it became apparent that I DID lose my pouch. I was fine with losing those high-end make-ups, but the IDs?! That’s just too much. I’d have to file for an affidavit of loss, pay for replacement fees, etc.

Anyhow, this morning, the floor manager informed me that the janitor saw IDs on the trash bin. Lo and behold, he was referring to MY SSS ID and Driver’s license! *whew* After cleaning them with alcohol, I immediately secured them and vowed not to bring them anywhere unless I’m driving or they’re required from some application form of some sort. I guess one can never be too sure and secured, huh?

Just don’t wait for something like that to happen before you realize how important something is. I WAS lucky that the person who took that pouch had the decency to “return” my IDs. But then again, luck is not always on our side. Prevention will ALWAYS better than cure.

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Officially the French Republic, France is the most visited country in the world and continues to sit right at the top of the European heap. Below are some of the most in places this summer in France:

1. For festivals and avant-garde events organized around the arts, dance, literature and theatre, go to Le Lieu Unique, in Nantes.
2. For a choice of restaurants serving delicious crepes and cider, visit the medieval quarter of Bouffay, in Nantes.
3. To set eyes on the renowned collection of paintings by the modern artist Pierre Soulages, as well as great 19th-century French artists, drop by the recently renovated Fabre Museum, in Montpellier.
4. Need a break from your tour? Rest your feet at Place de la Comedie, in Montpellier. It is a huge pedestrian-only esplanade overflowing with cafes.
5. For sublime pool settings, drop by Set Cluband dive into an idyllic ambiance of palm trees, rose-bay trees, pine and cedar.
6. If you’re into jet-set, visit Saint Tropez’s Papagayo nightclub, the international destination point of the Cote d’Azur.
7. To have a taste of the best and most prestigious Parisian night clubs, go to the Golden Triangle (Champs Elysees, George V and Montaigne).

One of the most visited areas in France is Paris, the city of light. Should you decide to go to France, I suggest you check in at Paris Hotels in suburbs for a cheaper rate. Then again, Hotels en Paris proper are the best place to be in to experience Paris at its best. Up to you…

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Brisbane delivers on all fronts – from sophisticated and progressive, to dynamic and diverse. However, to be able to fully experience the best of both worlds in Brisbane – the sunny islands in the east and the breezy rainforests in the west, with an in between attractions of a lively city – I suggest you plan your trip well with a Brisbane travel guide. That way, you’re sure not to pass up any happenings like major sporting events, and miss notable destinations during your trip.

A note for those into gaming facilities: If you have cash and are looking for gaming opportunities, be sure to drop by Conrad Treasury Brisbane. This boutique casino hosts more than 1300 gaming machines and over 80 gaming tables.

Anyhow, with or without a travel guide, with Brisbane offering great food, wine, arts, entertainment and major sporting events, and a multitude of parks and esplanades, I’m sure you’ll find yourself much entertained.

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Often referred to as Australia”s “sporting and cultural capital”, Melbourne City boasts great events, a passion for food and wine and a remarkable arts scene.

With a wide range of events and festivals in Melbourne, all those with artistic appetite are sure to drool. Some of the non-stop program of festivals hosted in this city are the Australian Open Tennis, Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Melbourne Fringe Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, and of course, Melbourne International Arts Festival.

For people who want to see, breathe and live the arts, and are thinking twice about the expense, you don’t need to worry much about finding Accommodation in Melbourne because there are many cheap Melbourne Hotels. Moreover, those Melbourne Hotels, though cheap, offers quality services and are located in prime places.

From grand opera and grand prix, to cheap accommodation, Melbourne offers it all.

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The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.

- Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854)

Nowadays, you need not worry on whether or not your friend will be able to join you in the next trip. In fact, you don’t have to worry at all about a doomed, melancholic trip if you’re traveling alone. Armed with detailed maps and foreknowledge about your target place by browsing an online travel guide, you’re sure to be all set to an invigorating, it’s-just-me-and-my-backpack getaway.

Yep, that’s all you need – map and foreknowledge of your target place. With foreknowledge, make sure you do well research about the people, the culture, how to get around, how to avoid problems, as well as suggestions for itineraries, accommodations, dining and things to do. That way, you’ll be able to maximize your stay there AND avoid hassle.

So next time you want to go to a certain place, don’t bother calling up people to accompany you. Just go!

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Memories of persons who have touched your life and those you love are associated with souvenirs such as letters, gifts, and photographs. Photos with them are the ones treasured the most. For me, I include in these memories pictures of the places I had visited. These pictures also help me remember these historical places and tourist spots I’ve been to.

My unique and simple method of taking souvenir photos is to buy a postcard of the site I’m visiting and have my photo taken similar to that of the one printed or captured in the postcard. Thus, when I turn the pages of my photo albums, no one would dare say that I had not been in these places.

This is also what I intend to do when I get to travel to Barcelona or Prague. Hmmm… but I’ll probably visit Amsterdam first since my friends told me Amsterdam have more to offer to those with less to spend. With this, I intend to book in Amsterdam Hotels that suit my needs and budget to maximize my stay in the place.

I will, of course, not leave Amsterdam without buying the postcard of “The Venice of the North” and having someone take my picture close to the beautiful canals running through the city centre of Amsterdam. Afterwards, I can proudly ask my friends, “Would you like to see my postcards and photos in Amsterdam?”

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The Pleasure Beach is a famous theme park which hosts Pepsi Max Big One – one of the largest roller coasters in the UK. What’s great about this theme park is that it’s located in Blackpool (the most popular seaside resort in the UK), Lancashire, England.

Thus, after visiting the theme park, we can go to variety shows featuring entertainers such as Ken Dodd and Roy ”Chubby” Brown, or even get ourselves invited in one of the controversial hen and stag parties. If we’re lucky, we might even get to watch the 8-day Blackpool Dance Festival – the world’s most famous annual ballroom dance competition of international significance, held in the Winter Gardens, Blackpool since 1920. Then again, we could always move the celebration to sometime September so we could catch the Blackpool Illuminations or Festival of Light which consist of a wide variety of light displays arranged along the entire length of the sea front, from lasers, neon, light bulbs, and fibre optics, to searchlights and floodlighting.

Which got me into thinking… we’ll need a lot of dough for this trip. Thus, we’re definitely going to avail of cheap Hotels in England; more precisely, cheap Hotels in Blackpool, to save on accommodation expenses. On the other hand, I saw some really cheap Hotels in Liverpool, the 2008 European Capital of Culture. Liverpool is celebrating its 800th birthday in 2007 which will be marked by a series of exciting events throughout the year. Could be more exciting than going to Black Pool… tough decision…

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Sydney, the state capital of New South Wales, Australia, is built around Port Jackson, which includes Sydney Harbour, leading to the city”s nickname, “The Harbour City”. Often referred to as the international gateway of Australia, Sydney is a major international tourist destination. It is noted for its wide variety of cultural sites and institutions (e.g. Opera House and Sydney Symphony Orchestra), and for hosting many festivals and some of Australia’s largest social and cultural events.

One of the largest celebrations held there is Sydney’s New Years Eve, which draws more than one million people from all over the world each year. Over 80,000 fireworks are traditionally set off from its magnificent centre-piece – the steel arched Sydney Harbour Bridge. This attracts an average of 300,000 international tourists yearly. Well, that and The Harbour of Lights Parade wherein cruise boats (the prime position for the evening) covered in fairy lights cruise the centre of the harbour all night.

With their splendid display of fireworks, which is the culmination of 12 hours of countdown and celebration, and their exceptional Harbour of Lights Parade, Sydney has recently been acknowledged by numerous media sources as having the world”s best New Year celebrations.

Though the 2008 New Year is still several months away, it is never too early to start booking in Hotels in Sydney. Remember, according to the Mercer cost of living survey, Sydney is Australia’s most expensive city, and the 21st most expensive in the world. Consequently, staying in Sydney Hotels is expensive. Thus the earlier you plan, the better your chances of booking in a prime cheap Sydney Hotel.

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Known as the “Magic City”, Miami is located in Southeast Florida. Ranked as U.S.’s #1 Healthiest City by Natural Health Magazine in 2002, Miami caters to action-oriented visitors from around the world with some of the world”s top golf, tennis and sporting facilities.

Not only that, pristine waters and sun-kissed skies greet you at every turn as you enjoy Miami deep sea fishing or a luxurious dinner cruise on glass-bottom boats or a sailboat charter off the Florida coast. Sounds enticing? Imagine if you reside in one of the Miami luxury Condominiums that are located just minutes away from downtown, South Beach, arts & culture, the airport and so much more!

With a unique River of Grass and the city being the only place in the U.S. with two national parks – Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park* – who wouldn’t want to live in Miami, Florida?

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* Everglades National Park is an untamed ecosystem, while Biscayne National Park is the only living tropical reef within the continental U.S.

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I love Sex and the City. It’s about four chic female New Yorkers who gossip about their sex-lives (or lack thereof) and find new ways to deal with being a woman in the 90”s. Though I’ve missed a few episodes, I made sure I’ve watched all the best ones. What I love best about this TV-Series is the way it featured New York. In fact, it made New York so alluring that I simply just have to personally check out the 50 most memorable locations visited by Carrie and her friends. Since I’ve never been there, I decided to browse the net for a sightseeing tour. I like the packages being offered in New York City Tours. Especially since they do not only provide tours in motorcoaches and new double-decker buses, they also offer NY harbor cruises and helicopter rides around Manhattan. Imagine that!

To cap it off, they actually have a “Sex & The City Hot Spots” Tour! I almost fainted when I saw this.

The tour, which only costs 38 USD, includes over 40 locations. Also, you get to sit on Carrie’s apartment stoop, shop at The Pleasure Chest, go on location to the gallery in SoHo where Charlotte worked, and probably even visit Prada and Manolo Blahnik! Hmmm… I wonder if the tour also includes places like Madison Square, Staten Island Ferry, Boathouse Central Park, Fountain at Columbus Circle, Chelsea Piers, Church of the Holy Trinity and Nell’s? I’ll give them a ring later. Oh, in case you’re interested, online customers receive $5 off per ticket. 0;)

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