Welcome to Friendly Planet
“One’s destination is never a place,
but a new way of seeing things.”
Henry Miller
space
Hello! Nihao! Sain baina uu! Tashi delek! Hola! Gutentag! Tudo bem? Sawat Dii! Sua s’dei! Sabai dii!(more to come)
Welcome to Friendly Planet - a blog about a new way to see the world. My name is Adrian and I just want to do some good. I’m currently traveling in Asia.
Topics we’re talking about here:
- People, companies, and ideas that are changing the world
- Being an individual change agent
- Social entrepreneurship, corporate responsibility, &environmental sustainability
- Wanderlust travel stories from around the world
- Travel tips, advice, and mistakes
- How to quit the mold and hit the road ©
- How to sh*t without a toilet
Let’s go 50 - 50. Here’s the deal! Friendly Planet donates 50% of ALL blog revenues to non-profits, stranded travelers, or needing souls that I stumble across while traveling. The other 50% goes to hiring a yak or paying student loans while I’m on the road. You can hand out money, too, by visiting the site and/or our Friendly Store - each time you make a purchase you make a donation half-way around the world! Could it be easier to make a difference?
You in? If you enjoy what we’re talking about here, hang out, subscribe (upper right), leave some comments, start discussions with friends, or offer to write for us. Check out the About Friendly Planet tab for the details. Check out the Friendly Store to make your purchase make a difference.
Live. Love. Laugh. Eat Chocolate. Travel. Dream. Change the World.
Thanks for stopping by.
With Love and Respect,
Adrian
Friendly Planet is proudly partnered with TOMS Shoes and CoolPeopleCare.com, where a small percentage of your purchase is donated by us to non-profits or needing souls.
08
06 2009
An Unexpected Surprise from my Chinese Students
I assume most English teachers in China come and go. It’s a temporary sort of thing for us Westerners looking to see another country. As for the students, they see a new one every year and probably forget all about last year’s laowai (foreigner). I thought that was the case for me until I received this email just after the New Year:
Hey Reif,
We, the frisbee team of you and the school, miss you very much. When we found you was climbing the Himalaya, that`s a exciting time for us, for we could make a show of our junior schoolmates. We said,”You see, that`s our frisbee coach!!”
So,could you come back to our school one day, our frisbee skill has been enhanced and we want to have a game with you to show you our efforts. We,as you know, are going to graduate in June this year.The important thing is that the junior students in our school have built a frisbee club, in fact , we taught them the rules, the skills ,the everything you told us. In my view, this sport–frisbee would have a perfect develpoment in our Shenzhen Forigen Language School. As i image, you will feel glad when you hear this news from us!!
We are looking forward your E-mails.我们想你,大鱼!
Yours,
Teddy and his classmates
*I didn’t edit Teddy’s email at all
Yes, Teddy, I’m amazingly glad to hear this news. This news made my year!
As you can see, their English could use a little work (yeah, partly my fault, but an excuse for you to go over and teach, too!). But I don’t think it’s about the English. It’s about…well, I’ll let you judge what it’s about.
19
01 2010
Weekly Updates for 2009-12-13
- Finished 20 days of walking Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) Nat’l Park. Unbelievable. Time to add back 10 lost pounds and take hot shower. #travel #
- off to Lumbini #travel #
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13
12 2009
Weekly Updates for 2009-12-13
- Finished 20 days of walking Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) Nat’l Park. Unbelievable. Time to add back 10 lost pounds and take hot shower. #travel #
- off to Lumbini #travel #
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13
12 2009
Hello from 11,000 feet!
Hello Everyone - Just wanted to drop a quick update since I haven’t written in a while. It’ll be quick cuz internet up here is not cheap and not fast.
After finishing my retreat in Thailand, I boarded a cheap flight to Kathmandu, nepal the very next day. After four days in the vibrant, yet hectic city I boarded a 12 hour bus to Jiri, where I began the traditional trekking route to Sagarmatha (the Nepali name for what the English decided to call Mt. Everest) Base Camp. Now, for a price, people can fly in much closer than where I started, but the first seven days were priceless - very few other tourists and great landscapes - although the trekking has been arduous to say the least. Up and down. Up and down. Luckily, I paired up with two other guys who were going solo and our threesome has made it easier and more fun. Especially since the sun goes down around 4 or 5 and much of the night is spent inside a lodge. We leave around 7 or 8 in the morning. Nights have been cold and will get colder (-18 degrees Celcius), but we’ve been hiking in T-shirts during the day! Currently, I’m in Namche Bazaar, which is a relatively big (1,000 people?) Nepali city at 11,000 or so. Tomorrow, we will take a rest day with a short side hike to acclimatise to the altitude. I can’t tell you how breathtaking the landscape is. Today, we were surrounded by snowcapped mountains as we followed and crossed over rushing turquoise - turquoise!!!! - rivers. Yak caravans were coming down as we were going up.
Well, it’s time to eat some dinner and rest the legs. At least two more weeks of trekking and climbing to go and I can’t wait. I’m already planning my return trips to this beautiful country.
From 11,000 feet with love,
Adrian
27
11 2009
Guest Post on theplanetd.com
Dave and Deb, two adventurous and fearless travelers, graciously allowed me to guest post for their Travel and Give Back Series on their travel blog, www.theplanetd.com.
You can check the post out here: http://theplanetd.com/your-own-two-hands/
Check out the rest of their blog, too. It will get you off the couch and living life!
Just finished the 10-day meditation retreat near Kohn Kaen, Thailand and back in Bangkok before trying to catch a flight to Kathmandu. It was far from the flowery relaxation I had expected, but more than rewarding. More to come on the pain I survived for 10 days and how I did it in the coming weeks (and how you can, too! 
)
Much love from NepaL,
Adrian
27
11 2009
Weekly Updates for 2009-11-22
- Thanks to @theplanetd for asking me to guest post! Your Own Two Hands http://bit.ly/2QVZFE #
- Made it to Kathmandu…and out of the SE Asian heat!!!! #travel #
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22
11 2009
Weekly Updates for 2009-11-01
- You can win a postcard from where ever I am…or significantly alter the course of your life - http://bit.ly/Zk6en #
- Stunned…but happy –> China is doing more to tackle #climatechange than it gets credit for http://short.to/vh3l Thanks to @GrantSEngland #
- BRILLIANT! The Currency of Pad Thai http://owrn3.th8.us thanks to @wanderingearl #
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01
11 2009
Weekly Updates for 2009-11-01
- You can win a postcard from where ever I am…or significantly alter the course of your life - http://bit.ly/Zk6en #
- Stunned…but happy –> China is doing more to tackle #climatechange than it gets credit for http://short.to/vh3l Thanks to @GrantSEngland #
- BRILLIANT! The Currency of Pad Thai http://owrn3.th8.us thanks to @wanderingearl #
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01
11 2009
Travel Update - November 1, 2009
Travel Update – November 1, 2009
Let’s see, where did I leave you last?
Kon Tum, Vietnam
En route to Laos via Vietnam I passed through the city of Kon Tum, an exciting city. My stay didn’t last long, but made my last 24 hours in Vietnam more than memorable. After exiting the bus, I checked prices in two hotels. In the second, I ran into Molly, a Vietnamese lady who spoke some English also questioning about prices. She helped me with the language barrier and when I declined to stay there noting it was above my budget ($5 or so), she said to me in English, “Turn and follow me, don’t say anything.” Already conditioned by the Vietnamese not to trust anyone, I skeptically followed her reminding myself that I’m capable of
getting out of any scam by now. (In my three weeks, I had had 0 experiences with people wanting to help me NOT in return for money or a purchase. Every interaction seemed to have dollar signs underlying it) We crossed the street and turned a corner down a dark street. The nerves kicked in a little here as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Then, I noticed a large tour bus parked in front of a large building. Molly is a tour guide so this must be there bus. But what’s the scam? She called a man over and spoke with him in Vietnamese, then turned to me and said, “you can stay here for free.” OK, but where is here? I thought. The tour bus was actually hiding a small Buddhist monastery where Molly’s group was staying and as I strolled in I found a large group of retired Vietnamese men and woman eyeing me curiously. Still unsure of what was going on, they invited me to sit and eat and a few members including an older lady who smacked my arm jokingly as she shouted at me in Vietnamese scurried around to fill my plate with Buddhist fare. Three plates later and stuffed, they continued to stack my plate. Not wanting to be rude (and being a glutton), I ate until I physically could not. Molly had disappeared and some of the older ladies tried their English with me, but it wasn’t much, and I had failed in picking up any Vietnamese during my 3 weeks. Finally, Molly returned and told me they were going to a “village for lepers” the next day and asked if I wanted to join. Always on the lookout for unique experiences, I accepted, still utterly confused. Read the rest of this entry →
01
11 2009
Teaching English in China - Part 1
“May all the happiness follow you wherever you go!”
-Poet Lee (14-year-old high schooler in Shenzhen, China)
My first stint overseas started in February 2009 in Shenzhen, China, where I taught English for four months. Many people have asked about the English teaching gig. Some just curious, others interested in trying it for themselves. In my opinion, next to volunteering, it’s one of the easiest ways to get overseas, see the world, and (sometimes) even make a little money. So, here’s Part 1, a brief overview followed by a few of my experiences. Part 2 will outline many of the things I learned about business from teaching English in China.
First, in many Asian countries and even South America, there is a high demand for English teachers. Some countries are only able to afford volunteers or supply housing for teachers, but other countries like Japan, China, and South Korea typically compensate teachers quite well. In Japan and Korea, a teaching gig is often a full-time job between 30-40 hours per week. I heard from someone who taught in Japan that he earned about $2,700/month (but cost of living is much higher..). Most positions in China are 15-20 hours per week (unless you work with a corporate school like Wall Street English where you can earn more money). You’ll often need little more than a Bachelor’s Degree and an English Teaching Certification. Respected programs will help you with this.
Jobs are different across countries (as is the amount of money needed to live comfortably). In addition, there are quite a few scams on the internet, so be careful. You probably know a friend who’s taught English, so ask them to recommend a few programs. Otherwise, a good place to start is Dave’s ESL Cafe. I went through the Center for Teaching and Learning in China (CTLC), which is well run and supported (in most opinions). They may be able to recommend reputable programs in other cities.
My job
In China, I was an oral English at the Shenzhen Foreign Languages School, an outstanding boarding high school with over 2,000 students in Shenzhen. My role included:
Read the rest of this entry →
26
10 2009
Weekly Updates for 2009-10-25
- Business and the heart. Thanks to @TOMSshoes A letter from Blake’s recent trip to Ethiopia! http://tinyurl.com/yzpwu68 #
- Elephant Tale and @savvysushi need your vote here! (http://bit.ly/2jrf8b Please! Please! Please! #
- RIP Kanye West is not dead but @savvysushi could use your vote to revolutionize education! (http://bit.ly/2jrf8b #
- RIP Kanye West is not dead, but @savvysushi could use your vote to revolutionize education! http://bit.ly/4geJpq #
- Elephant Tale and @savvysushi could use your vote to revolutionize education and win $500,000! http://bit.ly/4geJpq (8 days left) #
- when will @GuyKawasaki realize he tweets so much that he dilutes himself? Needs to be more selective;guess I’ll tell him that when im famous #
- In Luang Prabang, Laos after 30 hours of buses and only 3 hours sleep in two days. But city is making up for it!!! #travel #
- RT @NWF Wisconsin schools have a plan for increased environmental education: http://bit.ly/3rIe9S #ecoschools #
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25
10 2009
The “Start Volunteering” Challenge
“Each of us has a role to play in improving our communities and our country. Small actions add up to a big difference.”
Recently, Google and some other friendly companies launched AllForGood.org, a site that aggregates volunteer opportunities and makes it super easy to search for ones relevant to you. From their site: “All For Good helps you find and share ways to do good”. This got me thinking…..
Volunteering is perhaps one of the easiest ways to make this planet friendlier. Small actions from you have the power to make a world of difference for a person (or animal, if that’s your thing). And often times, volunteering has the power to enrich your own life.
I, too, am victim to the phrase “I would like to do more volunteering.” As most of us know, it rarely turns into an action. Why? Well, we are time crunched. We’ve got kids to take care of, jobs to report to, lawns to cut, and other fun stuff to do. But I want to challenge you to challenge this assumption. How many hours of TV did you watch this week? Video games or surfing the net? Can you survive with 1 less hour? In fact, could you improve your life by reallocating that hour to something more rewarding?
In the Spring of 2008, I finally acted on a 3-year long goal of “I would like to do more volunteering.” I decided I wanted to help kids, but wasn’t prepared to be a Big Brother yet. So, I signed up at the Monroe Harding House in Nashville, TN to mentor “at-risk” youth - kids who are usually in and out of the foster system or detention centers. Read the rest of this entry →
22
10 2009
Weekly Updates for 2009-10-18
- @savvysushi Aww shucks! I’m not sure which “feet” you’re talking about - I probably just “stumbled” (bad metaphor…) in reply to savvysushi #
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18
10 2009
Travel for Free? - World Nomads Travel Scholarships
I stumbled across a unique opportunity that could get some of you on the road - for FREE.
World Nomads Travel Scholarships: Learn, Experience, Create
Are you a budding travel writer, travel photographer, video documentary filmmaker or podcaster?
Check out Worldnomads.com Travel Scholarships and you could learn the tricks of the trade from a professional, have an amazing travel experience and get the opportunity to share your experiences with the world.
Read about current World Nomads Scholarships for details.
Is this your chance to travel?
Friendly Planet is proudly partnered with TOMS Shoes and CoolPeopleCare, where we give away a small percentage of your purchase to non-profits or needing souls:
14
10 2009
On the Banks of the Mekong
On the Banks of the Mekong
As I wandered towards Pakse Hotel’s rooftop bar tonight, I decided to pass by the mighty Mekong River first, a few blocks farther south before heading for a beer and the sunset via rooftop. As I approached from the north, I noticed chairs and tables lining the sidewalks, with vendors serving BBQ and beer. As the road curved east and began to follow the Mekong, I looked out and noticed that beautiful massive ball of fire in the background – a magical orange color, with a hint of pink. The horizon was about a mile away, the other side of the massive river, and the sun shared its orange with the river in a rippled line coming directly towards me. Screw the fancy hotel rooftop, I thought, as I sat down in a plastic blue chair and a plastic table and ordered, the murky Mekong only 20 feet away. The vendors cooked my food under a blue and green tarpaulin looking ready to fall over at the first sign of wind, draped between a few trees and a light post.
Out comes my food; an ice cold Beer Lao, the national pride of Laos, unknown barbecued meat, a few veggies, and a Read the rest of this entry →
12
10 2009
Weekly Updates for 2009-10-11
- I can relate to this: VIDEO: “Surfing Without Lessons” | http://ow.ly/r6zV thanks to @wanderingearl #
- @tferriss How Singapore makes health care work at 25% of the US cost: http://su.pr/8Jp7Rc via @gmc in reply to tferriss #
- Made it to Laos via rarely used border at BoY (vietnam). Nobody there, not even a bus to take me to next town… #travel #
- What essential ebooks would you recommend? Two of my picks (http://xn8ft.th8.us) @wanderingearl ’s Rat Race & @coolpeoplecare Energy Guide #
- Nashville Steps It Up - Calls on Citizens for Change http://bit.ly/A7Bit #sustainabilty #government #
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11
10 2009
Friendly Store Adds 4 NEW Partners!
Friendly Planet is proud to say we’ve hooked up with 4 cool new partners. In our Friendly Store we’ve added:
TOMS Shoes
Great shoes with a purpose. TOMS Shoes gives away one pair of shoes to a child in need for every purchase made. Make your purchase make a difference. Need I say more?
Both of these books have significantly impacted my life - and in your search to travel or make a difference, they will impact yours.
The Modern Guide to Escaping the Rat Race - Derek Earl Baron (also WanderingEarl.com) puts together a brilliant and eye-opening book dedicated to helping you travel the world (often times making money while doing it). I’ve already acted on 2 pieces of his advice and have two more planned. After personally knowing Derek for several months, I wholeheartedly believe in this book’s ability to alter your life course. Plus, it has a 60-day 100% satisfaction guarantee. Can’t hurt to give it a try.
Conserving Energy in Your Household - High energy costs, declining paychecks. It’s time to do something about it. From our friends at CoolPeopleCare.com, this inexpensive PDF e-book is the perfect way to save money. It can also be a thoughtful gift for friends and family. It includes: more than 50 energy- and money-saving tips. Enter coupon code FRIENDLYPLANET and get 5% off (of anything in CPC’s store, that is!!!!).
CoolPeopleCare.com has other great stuff in their store, like sweet Organic Cotton Ts:
Travel Insurance from World Nomads
50% of ALL commissions earned from sales are donated to non-profits and needing souls. Make your purchase make a difference.
Thanks for your support of Friendly Planet!
09
10 2009
IMPORTANT NEWS: Fired from Google Ads, Adding New Partners
This is an embarrassing post to write.
Thanks to my naivety and arrogance, Friendly Planet is currently without sponsors, i.e. Google Adsense. No longer will simply clicking on ads donate money. Sucks, I know. We’ve reworked the business model and added several new partners (shoes that change the world, organic t-shirt superstars, great web hosting services, to name a few) and affiliate links that can be found in our Friendly Store. However, these partners only pay us a commission when a purchase is made. I’m predicting revenues will be far lower in coming months compared to the ease of clicking the Google Ads. So it goes.
Of course, you’re still free to follow along without making any purchases as I’ll still be posting occassional travel updates and a few surprises.
Getting Fired from Google Adsense
In my quest to change the world, I didn’t realize I was breaking my contract with Google Adsense, my primary sponsor, by encouraging visitors to click on ads. This does put advertisers at risk because the clicks may not be sincere. They pay regardless. I’m quite embarrassed at my naivety and ignorance. I was blinded by the notion of giving 50% of all ad money away, thinking Google would understand. They didn’t. My Adsense account was recently disabled and all money from August and September was forfeited. I can’t even see the final earnings, but last time I checked they would have been over $100. So thank you, even though it now goes back to the advertisers.
Still Giving
However, thanks to a mentor and anonymous donor, Friendly Planet will still be giving $500 in donations over the next few months. Of course, there is also the Friendly Store, where 50% of all commissions made will still be distributed. The Friendly Store is supported through partners, who’ve agreed to give a small commission for every purchase made through this site. With that in mind, I developed this site with the hopes that visitors would not have to open their wallets to make a difference. But if you’re looking for a friendly purchase anyway, our store is a good place to start.
With Lots of Thanks,
Adrian
Friendly Planet is proudly partnered with TOMS Shoes and CoolPeopleCare.com, where a small percentage of your purchase is donated by us to non-profits and needing souls:
09
10 2009
SE Asia Travel Update - October 9, 2009
Hello from Laos everyone.
This is semi-long travel update [edited from “quick travel update” after I finished typing] to let you know where I’ve been and what I’m doing. I’m hoping to do this about once per week from here on out.
At the end of August and beginning of September I spent three weeks in Thailand. The first days in Bangkok were spent overcoming a debilitating flu picked up just before flying over from Kunming, China. My last day there was spent mountain biking for 5 hours and Ultimate frisbee for 2 – all in the rain. Combined with little sleep, it was the perfect combo for flu. Voila.
After resting up in Bangkok, my friend Matt and I spent two weeks hopping around Krabi province in the south. Sights on tap: monasteries and monkeys, long tail boats, and crystal blue waters (in most places). Often times our bungalow was less than $6 per night and not farther than 50 feet from the water. We did the typical adventure stuff: kayaking (complete with a deserted island and seasickness), rock climbing, smashing coconuts on rocks like neanderthals, snorkeling and riding motorbikes around the countryside. Of course we also had a “busy day at the office” which included Read the rest of this entry →
09
10 2009
Weekly Updates for 2009-10-04
- Don’t worry everyone-the typhoon was a no show in southern Vietnam. A few rainy days, but didn’t even hear about it til 3 days after #travel #
- First time surfing: After 2 hours of pure frustration, stood up on the long board. Grinning ear to ear even though no one could see. #
- Left Mui Ne on southern Vietnam coast. In Dalat in the southern highlands. Long day on bus tomorrow, then into Laos on Tuesday. #
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