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How to build a travel map in R (Updated 2025)

One of my first posts on this site was how to create a travel map in R. I always wanted to re-visit that map to add new destinations, to make the code more efficient, to use better packages. In the old map, I found that the grouping by continent was

Moving to Paris: A useful if potentially incomplete guide

In October 2024 I moved to Paris and while I did so I wrote down all the handy practical advice people gave me, as well as the things I learnt which I wish someone had told me. Now you, dear reader, can also benefit from this advice should you ever

So you've decided to become an expat in Singapore

For expats, it is said that Singapore mixes East and West such that its learning curve is not too challenging but neither is it boringly familiar. An expat might readily acclimatise to living in Singapore before moving onto other countries more culturally distant from home, or could very well settle

Trip Report: Eastern Europe 2023-Nov

I spent 52 days overseas from November 2023 to January 2024. This is the train travel through Eastern Europe part of that trip.

Trip Report: Christmas in the Rhineland, 2023-Dec

I spent 52 days overseas from November 2023 to January 2024. This is the Christmas in Germany part of that trip.

Invisalign: Much more than you wanted to know

It's January 2024 and what better topic to start the new year than orthodontics. One ordinary day, at a regular check-up, my dentist noticed that there was some concerning movement in my lateral mandibular incisor (a tooth on the bottom right jaw near the front). The tooth was

Apps I recommend for your most cherished Android device

A dozen apps that I endorse most heartily (as well as one I don't) for the betterment of your smartphone enjoyment.

How to watch YouTube without doom-scrolling

Here are some concrete things you can do to limit your YouTube watching without giving up on good content.

Trip Report: Turkey, Bulgaria, North Macedonia & Greece

In late 2022, Google sent me a notification that in March there would be affordable flights from Singapore to Istanbul and coming back from Athens. The dates aligned with my calendar, so I said, why not, I've always wanted to see the Aegean. 2023 April 22, Saturday As

How long does it take to go through an airport?

If you've never missed a flight, you're probably spending too much time in airports. - George Stigler When you're planning a flight, deciding when to arrive is a delicate balancing act. If you show up too soon, you might spend precious hours waiting around,

How to turn images into text with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) in R

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a way of turning pictures of words into actual words on your electronic device. For example, OCR can turn a photo of a book page, or a bad photocopy of a PDF, into actual words and characters you can edit. In fact, Microsoft Office already

How much did it cost me to live in Melbourne, Wellington and Singapore?

How well does the ONS' scale of wellbeing line up with intuition?

In 2013, I started monitoring my mental health. I scored my day based on my subjective impression on a scale from one to ten. I had a vague sense that a day less than five had more pain than pleasure, and vice versa for a day greater than five. But

I kept a journal for 10 years, here's what I learnt about happiness

In 2013, I was having a hard time of it. I graduated university in 2012. I completed an internship at a policy think tank. I then got a job in a big four consultancy, moved to Melbourne, met lots of people and put down roots. But soon I felt completely

How to review Audible books

Here are some prompts and scoring that might help you write a good Audible review.

Trip Report: Korea Oct '22

Summary Korea is wonderful. It was autumn, the orange fields and evening haze was beautiful. Nowhere felt far away from the rest of Korea. There were English signs everywhere. The trains were always a joy. Seoul is a really cool city, super easy to navigate. The buildings are old Joseon

How to map the Australian Government's Travel Advice in R

The Australian Government operates the site https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/ which advises Australians on whether and where to travel. Oftentimes the maps are down as the Government reconsiders its advice, but the overall travel advisory remains. For those who want to create their own map, you can use the

How to start a skincare routine

When I was a kid, my school did not teach middle school hygiene as Futurama would recommend. As an adult I had to go out and learn a good skin care regime from scratch. This post is to consolidate what I learnt. If you learn one thing, it's

Trip Report: Southeast Asia '22

My travels through Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam roughly followed the lower Mekong river, but there were sadly no boat rides. Reflections * Vietnam felt richer than Cambodia. Cambodia felt richer than Laos. And the richer nation was more enjoyable to travel. * Vietnamese food was phenomenal. One of the best cuisines

Trip Report: Brunei & KL '22

Summary * Brunei is a great destination for Singaporeans on an eco-tourism package. Singapore dollars are used everywhere, and the jungle landscape (seems) lovely. * Kuala Lumpur is a great place to work remotely. * Coffee hand grinders can make airport security suspicious. * Airports don’t have Wi-Fi. 2022 Aug 07 Sunday The

What I've learnt about traveling

I spent my 20s pointedly not traveling anywhere. Then in 2019 two of my dearest friends organised a sweepingly gorgeous wedding in Assam, and the fire for travel was lit forever within my soul. If you are planning a trip, allow me to offer these hard learnt lessons so you

How to build a travel map in R

I used to catalogue my holidays using Polarsteps. It's a great app for tracking your travels, sharing photos and keeping a journal as you go. But my organising tendencies cannot abide the minor but regular inaccuracies of the Polarsteps travel tracker. Instead, I built my own map in

A traveler's packing list

I love it when a flight takes off at the start of a new journey. But I never shake the feeling once the tires leave the tarmac that I forgot something essential. So long as you have your phone, passport and wallet on your person, then there's no

The best things I read online in 2018

There’s no shortage of good things to read, the trick is finding them. Here are the most interesting, enjoyable or teachable articles I read this year, and why they matter. We Live in the Tail End This year has been more real than most that we have strictly finite