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?
Published: 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.
Published: 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.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Beachside morning and a shared moment
Today the beachside wasn’t just a shared destination, it was a reminder to appreciate the moment, the sound of the waves, the warmth of the 9am sun and a testament to how easily strangers sit close, upholding social decorum to not invade personal space and like a Mills and Boon novel, everyone was dreamy, and the atmosphere was euphoric.
Published: 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.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
How much do we really notice all that is around us?
We often take for granted how much we really notice in our environments. Our brains are able to recognize and process a tremendous amount of information. We may not always be consciously aware of the details, but our subconscious constantly takes in and processes information from our surroundings. We may not be able to recall specifics, but when we become more mindful of our environment, we can begin to notice more of the details that may have gone unnoticed before. It’s amazing how much we can observe when we take the time to really pay attention to what’s around us.
Published: 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.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Love Letters and other hotel slippers
There are two kinds of people. Hoarders and non-hoarders. And if you happen to be the offspring of a baby boomer, chances are you would have likely shared a home with a hoarder. This was evident in the days I dedicated to clearing a dead man’s history. I had an inkling that dear old dad used to hang onto just about everything, not because I found shoeboxes filled with mini soaps, tiny shampoo and conditioner containers, toothpaste packets, tea and coffee pouches swiped from the hotel rooms he frequented since retiring, nor did the drawers full of medicine receipts, travel booking confirmations and retro postcards sent decades before, but in the cupboard, yes, a cupboard full of pristine, still-in-the plastic-wrap hotel slippers. The type that robust bodies saunter about when the sauna session is complete.
Published: 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.
Published: 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.
Published: 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.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Mind-wandering in solitude in a city swarmed by high rises.
Who would have thought that in the middle of inner-city Sydney, a parcel of land, large enough to develop a small suburb lays dormant to real estate aficionados’ grasp, provides solitude to early morning walkers, as well as being a true representative of Australian colonial history? On Easter Saturday I met with my good friend Liz for overdue catchup. We often meet in between our homes for a brisk walk and interesting conversation. She is one who listens intently and offers insightful observations. It was on this crisp morning walk that she showed me Yaralla from a local’s perspective and I’m ashamed to say that living in the area for nearly a decade I had never ventured past the gates. The estate, now heritage-listed was initially the home of a convict turned landowner who later mortgaged the land and was then converted as a convalescent home for returning soldiers.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Receiving a postcard was the best thing that happened to me today
Greetings from lockdown!
Published: Sylvia Jimenez