Embrace the naked, my experience at the Onsen.
just an opinion and ob..., Memories captured, Opinion, Personal Story, positive mindset, Postcard commentary, Reflections, Taking time out, travel, writing community Sylvia Jimenez just an opinion and ob..., Memories captured, Opinion, Personal Story, positive mindset, Postcard commentary, Reflections, Taking time out, travel, writing community Sylvia Jimenez

Embrace the naked, my experience at the Onsen.

Sitting naked in front of strangers was not on my bucket list or my yearly activity-to-do for 2024 leading into 2025. Still, the power of shedding layers, enveloped by water has a certain thrill when we jump out of our comfort zone. The ancient Egyptians did it, and so did the Greeks, Romans and Mesopotamians. Scandinavians do ‘Sauna.’ Folks from Türkiye have perfected it and the Japanese are still doing it. Nothing screams ‘Vulnerable’ like baring your breasts or making sure your Punani is perfectly coiffed for people who don’t care. Yes, that’s right, don’t care. When you bare all at a Japanese Onsen or an Ottoman Hamman experience no one cares what you look like, so why should you?

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21 observations why you should go to Kyoto
Connecting with people, insight observations, just an opinion and ob..., Looking around, Memories captured, observing people, Postcard commentary, travel, wanderlust Sylvia Jimenez Connecting with people, insight observations, just an opinion and ob..., Looking around, Memories captured, observing people, Postcard commentary, travel, wanderlust Sylvia Jimenez

21 observations why you should go to Kyoto

In the spirit of Japan’s famously meticulous order, I figured the best way to share my Kyoto observations (the ones you won’t find in a tourist guide) is through a list. Here are the top 21 observations and recommendations.

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Unexpected Joys: Human Connection in Japan
Connecting with people, insight observations, just an opinion and ob..., Memories captured, observing people, open letter, Opinion, Personal Story, positive, Postcard commentary, psychology of people w..., Reflections, travel, wanderlust, writing community Sylvia Jimenez Connecting with people, insight observations, just an opinion and ob..., Memories captured, observing people, open letter, Opinion, Personal Story, positive, Postcard commentary, psychology of people w..., Reflections, travel, wanderlust, writing community Sylvia Jimenez

Unexpected Joys: Human Connection in Japan

The trip to Japan was memorable not for its famous sights but for the warmth of human connections. A simple interaction with a kind store assistant named Koji highlighted the profound nature of kindness in daily life. Small gestures, like his assistance with laundry supplies, left a lasting impression, showcasing Japan's culture of respect.

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Lost and Found: a mini self discovery in the back streets of Budapest
insight observations, Looking around, Memories captured, observing people, Postcard commentary, Reflections, travel, wanderlust, writing community Sylvia Jimenez insight observations, Looking around, Memories captured, observing people, Postcard commentary, Reflections, travel, wanderlust, writing community Sylvia Jimenez

Lost and Found: a mini self discovery in the back streets of Budapest

I wish I could say that hitting up Budapest solo was a calculated move, but honestly, I just followed my feet – they have a habit of taking me to the coolest spots! Budapest, this architectural diva draped in history, was my playground. While everyone’s queuing up at the tourist hotspots, I dove headfirst into the city’s secret nooks and crannies.

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Live like a local and get off the tourist path
insight observations, Looking around, observing people, Postcard commentary, psychology of people w..., travel, walking in the park, wanderlust, writing community Sylvia Jimenez insight observations, Looking around, observing people, Postcard commentary, psychology of people w..., travel, walking in the park, wanderlust, writing community Sylvia Jimenez

Live like a local and get off the tourist path

If I could, I would split my time between countries, my home with my family and my ancestral home with my culture. Earlier this year, I spent five fantastic weeks living like a local. I had the tremendous opportunity to be a digital nomad and simultaneously combined work and family matters. A great plan, excellent collaboration and complete trust from my employer meant that I could log in a work from the opposite side of the globe without having to dip into my precious annual leave.

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The scene on the grass
#family, Connecting with people, Memories captured, Personal Story, positive, Postcard commentary, Taking time out, travel Sylvia Jimenez #family, Connecting with people, Memories captured, Personal Story, positive, Postcard commentary, Taking time out, travel Sylvia Jimenez

The scene on the grass

In a small corner of the world, at approximately 12:46 pm on a sunny Monday, our extended family was captured in a holiday scene reminiscent of a 90s Benetton billboard. I can still smell the fresh air. I can hear the swans lapping in the lake behind me. I remember the blog post that caught my attention on my feed and what conversation was being had. The boys headed balls while the girls deliberated whether a swim was a better option. It was hot; clothes were left in the rooms, and lunch was arriving soon.

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Water Therapy
just an opinion and ob..., Looking around, Memories captured, observing people, Personal Story, positive, Postcard commentary, psychology of people w..., Reflections, travel Sylvia Jimenez just an opinion and ob..., Looking around, Memories captured, observing people, Personal Story, positive, Postcard commentary, psychology of people w..., Reflections, travel Sylvia Jimenez

Water Therapy

The locals laughed and scoffed about my thermal bath mania. Warning, if you don’t want to be confronted with the myriad of rubens-esque physiques, then my suggestion is to omit the customary soak in the mineral-laden waters of Budapest. But if you are like me, and believe all female figures are interesting and extraordinary, then dive straight in, well, no diving, but immerse yourself in the 38-degree water and let the stress of the day simply melt away [pun]. What I loved most, apart from the medicinal aspects, was that regardless of one’s form, all inhibitions were left at the door. Granted I attended on Tuesday Ladies only day, but it was the one few places where being at ease with one’s body was the norm.

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A missed connection reflection
a lighter look, insight observations, just an opinion and ob..., Looking around, observing people, Personal Story, Postcard commentary, psychology of people w..., travel Sylvia Jimenez a lighter look, insight observations, just an opinion and ob..., Looking around, observing people, Personal Story, Postcard commentary, psychology of people w..., travel Sylvia Jimenez

A missed connection reflection

One’s true personality tends to reveal itself under due stress. As you read this, I am on a flight from Dubai to Europe. I should have been there yesterday. However, our scheduled flight from Sydney was delayed by one hour. I only found out the reason behind the delay from one very vocal and distressed passenger. I was both intrigued and amused, and as I and most of the others were going nowhere fast, I thought and sat back and enjoyed the ‘entertainment’, a private joke between husband and me.

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Reminisce in your long-term memory; it could define who you are.
#family, 80s flashback, Memories captured, Personal Story, Reflections, travel, writing community Sylvia Jimenez #family, 80s flashback, Memories captured, Personal Story, Reflections, travel, writing community Sylvia Jimenez

Reminisce in your long-term memory; it could define who you are.

At last, I can identify that I have experienced a reminiscence bump! What is it about certain events or periods in one’s life that stands out in the memory bank brighter and more vivid than what was done last week, last month or last year? One theory of the ‘Reminiscence Bump’; the ‘life script account’ describes that during early adolescence, one starts to make essential decisions that have influencing experiences on their identity.

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Somewhere north of So-Ho – October 2000
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Somewhere north of So-Ho – October 2000

Currently embracing the armchair traveller movement, more images of past trips emerge as I finally get to the end of a five-decade photographic journey. I won’t even begin to count the number of images I’ve paused, giggled, and sighed at. Come on Covid, go away so we can travel again! When this picture was taken, we were sans children and on a trip to NYC. We learnt about ‘tree rodents,’ the importance of tipping, that a hot dog from a corner street vendor makes for a great lunch and tourist companion, and that coffee made by Australian baristas in Australia will always be the best. Apologies to my U.S friends but hoping for a good coffee we realised was all but a dream…Passing the myriad of mirrored Starbucks coffee shops along W Broadway, we came across this madam who decided to have a snooze. While she was very much alive (yes, we went in to check) we loved the fact that she was not only a fashionista-coloured co-ordinated granny, but that on close inspection she had the smoothest complexion. (Remember we lent in to make sure she was breathing and not in a creepy sort of way.) And as we channelled our inner Samantha Jones we said ‘Girl Paleese!’

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A pic in time
#family, #thephotonews, insight observations, Looking around, Personal Story, Reflections, sisters together, travel Sylvia Jimenez #family, #thephotonews, insight observations, Looking around, Personal Story, Reflections, sisters together, travel Sylvia Jimenez

A pic in time

My sister and I were in Budapest a few years back and I remember we had to kill time before our scheduled train trip into the countryside. We passed a small convenience store where fresh produce winked from the wooden cart. I bought us a couple of bananas. The streets were empty except for the garbage collectors down the way. The sun was just peeking through the shadows. Apart from fog, cobblestone streets and textured city sidewalks, I also have a fascination with gaudy entrance doors. They tell a different story. If they could talk. Pictured, this door leads down underground. It could be a cellar, it could be an underground record store. I’m not sure. But my sister passed it nonetheless, oblivious that it was there. You wouldn’t have guessed we were on our way to a funeral.

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Don't let the age fool you
#thephotonews, a lighter look, funny, just an opinion and ob..., Looking around, Reflections, travel, Uncategorized Sylvia Jimenez #thephotonews, a lighter look, funny, just an opinion and ob..., Looking around, Reflections, travel, Uncategorized Sylvia Jimenez

Don't let the age fool you

A few weeks ago my sister and I travelled OS together. This is something that we had never done before, so it was the beginning of a lot of ‘first’s.’ First to spend more than eight hours together, first to face tragedy together (another story to tell) and a first for me to show her the Budapest I love so so much. One of the ‘first’s’ was a visit to the thermal baths, one of the most famous in the city, The ‘Szecsenyi Furdo.’ The thermal healing waters of the baths were discovered in the 1880s and although now popular with tourists, the ritual of bathing in these baths has long been engrained in the culture of the Hungarian people. When I was a child only the mamas and the papas used to religiously frequent the 28 degree waters and I would complain how boring it was because I wasnt allowed in to ‘bomb’ and splash around. According to my great aunt Rose, the etiquette of relaxing in the soothing waters did not permit Sylvia aged 12 and her famous double barrel spike dive.

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Be the creator of memories
a lighter look, just an opinion and ob..., Looking around, looking forward, Opinion, positive, Reflections, Taking time out, travel Sylvia Jimenez a lighter look, just an opinion and ob..., Looking around, looking forward, Opinion, positive, Reflections, Taking time out, travel Sylvia Jimenez

Be the creator of memories

Lately there’s been numerous discussions in our household about getting out and doing things, see and experience life. Master X is hesitant and for the life of me I can’t understand why. I often compare his opportunities with my own (at his age) and when the topic arises, I’m surprised that he doesn’t jump at the chance to get on a plane (or train or any other modes of transport) and seek the (vicarious) adventure I crave. When I was trying to explain the importance of branching out and doing something out of your comfort zone, I summed it up in a statement, that ‘in order for one’s character to grow, one must create memories.’

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