ABCs of Traveling Abroad
A – Address peel and stick labels for all your family and friends before you go. Then stick to postcards along the way and you’ll come home looking good.
B – Bottled water is a must – don’t drink anything else.
C – Cookbooks from your travels are always a great souvenir. Cook a dish from one when you have friends over to see your video and pictures
D – Digital cameras save the day; their small and you never run out of film
E – Expect excitement; go with anticipation, not trepidation
F – Food is fun, try something you’ve never eaten before like zebra pate or Australian wine
G – Give generous tips, especially in poor countries, you’ll be so glad you did
H – Hang out with the locals. Get to know a new person on your trip and get a photo with them
I – Inform someone at home of your itinerary
J – Journal every day. Can you remember now what you did last week?
K – Kids love it when you have packed little surprises to open along the way
L – Learn something: Take a pasta making course in Italy, Scuba diving in Argentina or Belly dancing in Bagdad (just kidding)!
N – Note the local artisans and buy something authentic
O – One substantial souvenir is better than a lot of small things. Then ship it home to lighten your luggage
P – Postcards will rescue you when your photography fails. You can never have too many
Q – Questions help you get the most out of all you see and experience.
R – Read before you leave. Read lots of books about your destination. Find out who the local best sellers are, and read one of their books.
S – Scrapbook within the first week of getting home
T – Travel as light as humanly possible. Dragging luggage is no fun.
U – Unpack as soon as you get home.
V – Vaccinations and certain medications are necessary in some countries – be sure to check with the World Health Organization about what you need.
W – Whining never fixes anything – buck up and deal with the differences
X – exchange your currency at the airport or a bank and be sure you understand the value of your money
Y – You are the one who will make or break your adventure. Plan to be positive
Z – Zero in on one or two experiences and squeeze the most out of them. Adventure overload will leave you confused.
Filipino, also known as Tagalog, is the official national language in the Philippines with English considered as the country’s unofficial one. Both English and Tagalog are taught in school starting in grade one. In addition, there are over 111 dialects spoken throughout the different regions of the country.
The Philippines primarily has a tropical rainforest climate. Heavy rains are common from June to October because of the Southwest Monsoon. Monsoons are rare from December through June so there is little rainfall during these months. Strong typhoons are a concern from June through November.
Our programs allow you to take part in meaningful community service work, while discovering the people, sights, smells and tastes of the Philippines.
