Happy New Year! There, I did it before the year ends again.

I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating the coming of 2014. As for me, I was with my family in Taipei over the New Year holidays. Hereโ€™s a time-lapse video of the countdown fireworks at Taipei 101. Not an Emmy award material, I know. But hey whateverโ€ฆ

 

 

No, my family is not from Taiwan. My sisters and I started a new family tradition of traveling together (parents and all) when we can. This usually happens during Easter or New Year or both. ย The holiday was great because my sister Pincky, her husband, and Jin met us there. They live in Tokyo. It was a surprise to our parents, so that was really fun. We also stayed in a great location, very near Taipei 101, so that video was taken like 4 minutes walk from our hotel.

 

hny

ๅ…จๅฎถ็ฆ

It was overall a great trip, except I generally donโ€™t enjoy the cold. I freeze over at 20 degrees, so I canโ€™t imagine the Arctic thing happening n the US and Canada today. Although, of course I fantasize about setting foot in Antarctica and Patagonia one day.

 

2013

Iโ€™m the worst blogger in the world. If this blog is an indication of my life, youโ€™d think I was dead or something, luckily it isnโ€™t. My hey day as a round the world traveler is over but I continue to lead an exciting daily life. I also did a few of trips in 2013 but was just really too lazy to write.

Butย if you follow me on facebook, twitter, or instagram, youโ€™d get some pulse there from time to time.ย If you arenโ€™t already following me, now is a good time to do so. :-)

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I was in Xiamen for the first timeย over Easter; Went to Boracay with my friends in summer; In Hong Kong for the fashion week. Then I went back a couple of weeks later as guest of Hong Kong Disneyland. Finally, in Taiwan for the year end.

Around the middle of the year, I went diving again after over one year. Scuba diving is one of my 3 long standing passions, along with traveling and photography. One of my yearโ€™s highlight was being part of the organizing team of the Anilao Underwater Photo Competition Festival. It was an 8 day event in Anilao where I met some of the best underwater photographers alive and learned from them. I meant to write about the experience! :(

The event was so inspiring, that I rekindled ย my interest in underwater photography. I was very into that before I left in 2011. And then as part of my renewed commitment to underwater photography, I got myself an early Christmas gift!

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Christmas came early. Dec 2013.

 

2014 โ€“ whatโ€™s in store?

Iโ€™m hopping on a broom in 12 days and heading to South Africa! I have 4 weeks!ย ย I still have no concrete itinerary and will most likely wing it, as usual. ย I will write more later and also posting how to get a visa to South Africa. As if itโ€™s not already a trip of the year, Iโ€™m headed for the Maldives for a week liveaboard dive trip! This is where my Christmas gift (above photo) will take its first trip. But really I donโ€™t have time to think about that trip yet. But I am drowning in excitement I can tell you!

So letโ€™s say, Wanderlass is back wandering!! is whatโ€™s in store for 2014.