Author: wooi

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How yoga and Buddhist philosophy influenced my travels

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Yoga and Buddhist philosophy broadly preaches the idea of letting go and not holding on – to events, thoughts, emotions – whatever that may be happening that prompts some sort of reactivity that is normal for all of us. In my travels, I’ve realised these ideas are applicable and makes for a better travel experience. I’ve translated these ideas to actionables in the form of questions that have helped me make decisions and cope with the difficulties of travel:

(1) what am I thinking / feeling? What are my perceived set of opportunities/missed opportunities / what do I think I can do?

(2) what are my actual set of opportunities/what can I actually do? What are my options?

(3) what can I do to broaden the set of possibilities/opportunities should I want to?

These questions, along with idea from yoga on not fixating, sitting with, accepting, and moving on allows me to put the past as past, recognise the present as dynamic and malleable, and see that there are multiple pathways.

 
 

There is always a way forward

While on the move, the only way is forward. And there are always multiple ways to move forward from a certain point, and we make decisions about the way(s) forward by evaluating the set of conditions available for us. Dr. Pitamber shared a piece of wisdom from her friend Helen (who we will meet): you can only work with the set of opportunities you have. In travel, there are many decisions to make and many opportunities to take. In highly urbanised areas like where we’ve been to, there are multiple ways to a destination. Which route is best? Is there even a best route considering the different preferences of the group?

I’ve found that travel also expose us to situations for personal growth. These moments – often of discomfort for me – are moments I sit with quite a lot. I shelf them to examine later most of the times. Are there moments I need a little more quiet? Moments I want to be with people? Why do I enjoy alone time or feel that crowds are too much on certain days? How do I deal with uncertainty and discomfort? Does my reaction to certain situations say something about myself? What kinds of assumptions do I have? Do I like that about myself? Do I want to change my thought patterns and actions?

Going through these questions helps me to think through what I can do about them and maximise the conditions of possibilities I might have. 

One week of the trip is now over; its so true that time flies when you are having fun! I’m looking forward to events of the weeks ahead and the sets of opportunities that may be available to us all. Onwards!

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ESim and Simcards – Staying connected

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It is vital that you can contact Dr Pitamber, myself, or Sarah at any points of the trip in case of emergency. Ideally, you would have at least a data plan for the trip (or partner up with someone who do at all times). Esims are a convenient way to ensure you stay connected, without the hassle of needing to change your sim card and need to manage the whole tiny pin and keeping original sim card safe affair. However, I’ve laid out three options to be connected on the trip (although I strongly recommend the e-sim if possible!):

E Sims

How does an esim work?

  • After purchasing an esim, the company will send you a QR code and instructions to download the esim via the QR code. The process takes 10mins maximum, and viola, your phone does not need a physical sim card to be connected to the telcos.
  • You need wifi to install an Esim. Most esims have an activation date (I set mine to 20 May) so once I’ve purchased and installed my Esim, I don’t need to worry about it and just need to turn it on when I reach Spain.

Here are some things to note when you are looking for an esim:

  1. Check if your phone is compatible with the esim.
  2. Check if your existing telco have any esims available, and if so, whether the cost makes sense.
  3. Check if your existing telco allows for esim downloads (it should!)

I’ve used this esim company (LINK HERE) and they are reliable, easy to top up when I need more data, and customer service is great when there are any issues. The pros of an esim include not needing to take out your existing sim card, and if your phone allows, sometimes having multiple esims to switch between (e.g. I have both Singapore and American e-sims because I need to receive OTPs from Singapore).

Physical sim card purchases

If you are opting to purchase a physical sim card upon landing, you’ll also want to check if your telco might allow you to switch sim cards. Some telcos (especially for those who might still be paying off their phones) might not, and would not allow you to use another physical sim card in your phone. If this is the case, do let us know and make sure you pair up with someone who can be connected. You can also consider bringing an older, spare phone for these situations.

Roaming from existing telco

The most expensive option (in my opinion) is to see if your existing telco plan has an overseas roaming component. It is hassle free in the sense that you are not “signing up” for a new plan, but you’ll need to decide if the cost makes sense. If you have any doubts, do reach out to your telco ASAP to see what they can do!