Kalinga Storyteller

Kalinga Storyteller Fil-Am 🇵🇭🇺🇸
Author & Global Storyteller 🌍
Real travel, culture & human stories
Across Africa, Asia & North America

Kalinga Storyteller is where stories come alive—across cultures, generations, and journeys. Janice, based in California, proudly embraces her Kalinga heritage and transforms the oral tales of the Kalinga Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines into children’s storybooks. Beyond her publications, she continues the art of storytelling through reflections on culture, her love for cooking, and sharing stories from her travels around the world. Follow her work at https://www.amazon.com/author/jshiu

09/21/2026

📍 Zone 3, Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India.

This is Mahi, a wild Bengal tiger.

Mahi (RBT-2504) is the sub-adult daughter of Riddhi (T-124).

We watched her attempt a hunt and fail. Later, she walked along the lakeshore, marked a tree, and looked straight at us.

Tigers are territorial and largely solitary, so Mahi was approaching a stage when she would need to establish space of her own.

Since our visit, Mahi has disappeared from regular sightings following territorial conflicts with her mother. Forest teams have searched for her, but I haven't found a confirmed update on what happened to her.

Riddhi has since been seen with a new litter of cubs.

I hope Mahi is out there somewhere in Ranthambore’s 1,334 square kilometers, establishing a territory of her own.

📍 Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India.What is a safari gypsy?Before our trip to Ranthambore, I kept seeing the w...
09/20/2026

📍 Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India.

What is a safari gypsy?

Before our trip to Ranthambore, I kept seeing the word gypsy while reading about tiger safaris.

This is what they were talking about.

A safari gypsy is a small, open 4×4 used for wildlife safaris in Ranthambore.

After safaris in Africa, I was surprised by how compact it was.

Then we started driving.

Narrow tracks.
Trees close to the vehicle.
Tight turns.
Uneven terrain.

The terrain explained the vehicle.

09/19/2026

📍 Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India.

Worst possible sighting. Best possible feeling.

Our first wild Bengal tiger: Riddhi (T-124).

Trust us. She was there—blissfully eating something with an antler, hidden in the tall grass near the lakeshore.

Possibly the most inconvenient spot for photography.

The footage is imperfect. I treasure it anyway.

📍Kolkata, India.My husband used to joke that when he first met me, black pepper was my idea of super spicy.After all the...
09/18/2026

📍Kolkata, India.

My husband used to joke that when he first met me, black pepper was my idea of super spicy.

After all these years, my spice tolerance has definitely improved.

But when in India, there seemed to be an underlying level of heat in so many of the dishes I ate, even when I wasn’t expecting it.

During those first few days, lassi became my secret weapon. The cool yogurt drink came with many of my meals, and if my husband sensed I might need one, he’d recommend I order it.

And he was usually right.

If spicy food isn’t your strength either, remember the lassi.

09/17/2026

📍 Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India.

Our first tiger safari started with me trying to follow a guide who spoke mostly in Hindi.

I understood more than I expected.

I figured out that we were passing the “welcome tree.”

So I thought I was following along pretty well.

Apparently, I missed the important part.

You’ll hear the exact moment at the end.

And we were only just entering Zone 3.

📍 Near Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India.I never thought I’d meet a dog who survived a leopard attack.We met h...
09/16/2026

📍 Near Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India.

I never thought I’d meet a dog who survived a leopard attack.

We met him at Baaghini, a homestay in Sherpur just outside Ranthambore National Park.

The owner, Kalponika, told us she found him as an injured puppy with a large gash from a leopard attack.

She brought him in for treatment. Somewhere along the way, this survivor became part of life at Baaghini.

Most days, we found him secured in the guava grove—lounging in the shade and very happy whenever someone came over to give him attention.

He doesn’t roam freely. This close to Ranthambore, leopards and tigers are part of the surrounding landscape.

But he’s still here, thriving—and giving love, as dogs do. 🥰

Note: Baaghini is not a pet-friendly homestay [I can completely understand why 👀]

09/15/2026

📍 Sawai Madhopur Railway Station, Rajasthan, India.

Getting off the sleeper train was the easy part.

Now we had to get ourselves—and our luggage—out of the station.

My husband offered to take my suitcase along with his.

I happily let him.

He pulled both up the steep walkway toward the exit.

Then we reached the stairs.

That's when I finally took mine back.

At one point, my solution was simply:

“Just throw it.” 😂

📍 Sleeper train from Delhi to Ranthambore, India.I kept wondering: how were they going to change the sheets?When we got ...
09/14/2026

📍 Sleeper train from Delhi to Ranthambore, India.

I kept wondering: how were they going to change the sheets?

When we got to our cabin, the previous passengers were still asleep.

Our friend had to wake them so we could get into our assigned space.

After they left, the attendant collected their used bedding.

Then ours arrived in this sealed paper bag with fresh linens and a pillowcase.

Now I knew how the turnover worked.

09/13/2026

📍 Sleeper train from Delhi to Ranthambore, India.

Three gritty things to know if it's your first time riding a sleeper train in India.

I was lucky. I was traveling with people who had done this before. But if I'd been by myself, these are three things I would've wanted to know.

1. Find where your carriage will stop.
Our friend checked the numbered posts along the platform so we could wait where our carriage would arrive. With luggage and people boarding, being in the right place saves precious time and stress.

2. Don't wait for everyone to get off.
Passengers in our cabin were still gathering their things while others were already boarding. If you're used to waiting for everyone to exit first, you could lose precious boarding time. Get on and find your spot.

3. Bring your own wipes.
An attendant brought fresh bedding, and we made the beds ourselves. If you want to wipe down or disinfect your space first, bring what you need. No one will do it for you.

None of it was difficult once I understood how it worked. But if I were taking my first sleeper train alone, I'd want to know these before boarding.

📍 California.16 years with our first furbaby.🥰🥰🥰Sixteen years ago today, we brought him home from the Society for the Pr...
09/12/2026

📍 California.

16 years with our first furbaby.🥰🥰🥰

Sixteen years ago today, we brought him home from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. By all calculations, he should be about 17 now.

We have traveled through the last 16 years together—from puppy school and trips along the Pacific Coast to the COVID pandemic.

We still remember the puppy who could jump almost four feet into the air to catch a ball. Today, he sleeps more than 18 hours a day.

Two months ago, he faced a life-threatening diagnosis. He defied the odds and is still here to reach this milestone with us.

Somewhere along the way, we started getting older together.

For now, all travel is on hold for our boy.

We are so grateful for you, Baba.

Happy 16th adoption anniversary, Rex.

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