I straighten my curly hair every morning…except for the summer I spent in Europe. I had remembered to pack my straightener, but I packed the wrong adapter.
Did you know that there are at least 12 different sockets in widespread use! It’s already tough enough to pack!
Continue to read how it all happened.
Airplanes were turned around, ferries were stopped and everyone was seeing red in Sydney, Australia.
Strong winds and a severe draught caused Sydney to experience the worst dust storm since the 1940s, experts say.
Starting 1 July, Britain Ben Southall will be reporting for duty at the best job in the world.
The four-month-long contest, put on by Tourism Queensland, called on contestants to create a video as to why they’d be well-suited for the job. The “job” is caretaker of Hamilton Island, an Australian island that overlooks the Great Barrier Reef. Oh, and he gets paid $150,000 for six months of this “work;” posting video blogs and pretty much snorkeling and hanging on the beach the whole time.
Southall had previously been a tour guide, charity fundraiser and events manager. Read more…
Here is a list of countries around the world that are most friendly to expats. The list is based on the ease with which relocators can make friends, join local groups and learn the local language. Check it out:
Here is a list of the world’s most secluded beaches. Get there fast, though, because inevitably they’ll fill up quickly:
The Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica
Holbox Island, Yucatan Peninsula
I have enough trouble trying to figure out what to tip in my own country - I can’t even begin to describe the issues I have when traveling and this problem arises. Fortunately, here is a guide to tipping around the world:
Restaurants: 15% to 20%, with 20% being the norm at high-end restaurants.
Taxis: 15%, or round up to the next dollar amount.
Hotel Porters: $1 per bag, but at luxury hotels such as Four Seasons properties, $2 to $5 per bag is the norm.
Hotel Concierge: $3 to $5 for a simple service, such as arranging airport transportation. For a more complicated request, such as a hard-to-score reservation, tip $20 and up.
Restaurants: Service charges are included in most meals, but add another 5% to 10%. If no service charge is included, add 15% to the bill.
Taxis: 10%.
Hotel Porters: The equivalent of $2 per bag (or about 1.50 euros)
Hotel Concierge: $2 is enough for easy requests, but this amount should increase to $30 or more for special requests, such as getting an after-hours tour of the Louvre.
Asia: Japan, China and Hong Kong
Restaurants: In Japan, it’s considered an insult to tip for anything. In China, 3% is the norm, and in Hong Kong, 10% to 15%, if it’s not already included in the bill.
Taxis: In China, no tip is necessary. In Hong Kong, round up to the next dollar.
Hotel Porters: $2 to $3 per bag at high-end hotels.
Hotel Concierge: $3 to $5 for basic requests such as dinner reservations. Incrementally increase the amount based on the complexity of your request.
Restaurants: If it’s factored in, leave a few dollars extra. If not, leave 10%.
Taxis: It is not necessary to tip.
Hotel Porters: The equivalent of $1 per bag.
Hotel Concierge: $2 for easy tasks and up to $20 for more intricate requests, such as arranging Mumbai’s top jeweler, Neelam Kothari, to bring her latest collection to your hotel room for a private viewing.
Africa (Major cities such as Cape Town or Nairobi)
Restaurants: In most cases, gratuity is already factored in. If not, 10% is the norm.
Taxis: 10% in major cities.
Hotel Porters: The equivalent of $1 per bag.
Hotel Concierge: $2 for simple tasks. Increase the amount based on the complexity of the request, but usually there’s no need to exceed $20.
Restaurants: For fine dining, 10% to 15% is acceptable. Otherwise, a service charge is almost always included.
Taxis: Round up the fare to the next dollar amount.
Hotel Porters: The equivalent of $2 per bag.
Hotel Concierge: $2 for each basic task, such as arranging transportation, and up to $50 for harder requests, such as scoring tickets to a sold-out opera at Sydney Opera House.
Restaurants: There is no tipping in Argentina. Otherwise, if it’s not already included, leave 10%.
Taxis: Round up the fare to the next dollar amount.
Hotel Porters: The equivalent of $1 per bag.
Hotel Concierge: Nothing is required for basic requests such as dinner reservations, but you can leave $10 or more for trickier tasks, such as getting a private tour of one of the several wineries just outside of Santiago.
Restaurants: 10% to 15% is expected.
Taxis: Round up to the next dollar amount.
Hotel Porters: The equivalent of $1 per bag.
Hotel Concierge: For simple tasks, $2 per request is enough. For more complicated ones, increase incrementally based on the task–up to $20.
The annual World Brand Index results were released. Compiled by international consulting firm FutureBrand, this study “ranks countries as brands and assesses opportunities, insights and findings related to nation branding.” Here are this year’s rankings:
Check out this list of locations where you’ll get the best bang for your buck.
Stockholm, Sweden
Now: $1 buys 7.9 Sweden kronor (SEK)
June 2008:$1 bought 6 SEK
Increase in value of the dollar: 32%Reykjavik, Iceland
Now: $1 buys 120 Icelandic kronur (ISK)
June 2008: $1 bought 74 ISK
Increase in value of the dollar: 52%Bruges, Belgium
Now: $1 buys 0.79 euro (EUR)
June 2008: $1 bought 0.64 EUR
Increase in value of the dollar: 23%Madrid, Spain
Now: $1 buys 0.79 EUR
June 2008: $1 bought 0.64 EUR
Increase in value of the dollar: 23%Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Now: $1 buys 1.6 Australia dollars (AUD)
June 2008: $1 bought 1.05 AUD
Increase in value of the dollar: 52%Rotorua, New Zealand
Now: $1 buys 1.8 New Zealand dollars (NZD)
June 2008: $1 bought 1.28 NZD
Increase in value of the dollar: 41%Istanbul, Turkey
Now: $1 buys 1.7 new Turkish lira (TRY)
June 2008: $1 bought 1.2 TRY
Increase in value of the dollar: 42%Montreal, Canada
Now:$1 buys 1.28 Canadian dollars (CAD)
June 2008: $1 bought 0.99 CAD
Increase in value of the dollar: 29%Enniskerry, Ireland
Now: $1 buys 0.79 EUR
June 2008: $1 bought .64 EUR
Increase in value of the dollar: 23%
Julian Beever is an English artist who’s famous for his art on the pavement of England France , Germany , USA , Australia and Belgium Beever gives to his drawings an amazing 3D illusion.
Look closely and try to find which is the real Julian Beever and which is the real beer.
Here’s his website for even more examples of his work.
With All Hallow’s Eve fast approaching, you may be in the mood to creep yourself out. If that is the case, here is a list of the creepiest places in the world. Boo!
1. Mummy Museum, Guanajuato, Mexico
2. St. Michan’s Church, Dublin, Ireland
3. Catacombs of Paris, France
4. Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague, Czech Republic
5. San Bernardino Ossuary, Milan, Italy
6. Bhangarh, India
7. Dia de los Muertos Celebration, Oaxaca, Mexico
8. Sedlec Ossuary, near Kunta Hora, Czech Republic
9. Feng-Du “Ghost City,” China
10. Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France
11. Bran Castle (aka Dracula’s Castle), Romania
12. Fremantle Prison, Australia
13. Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh, Scotland
14. Rose Great Hall House, Montego Bay, Jamaica
15. La Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Argentina
16. Manchac Swamp, Louisiana, United States
17. Haunted Well of Himeji Castle, Japan
18. Ballygally Castle, Ireland
19. Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney, Australia
20. Capuchin Crypt, Rome, Italy
21. Raynham Hall, Norfolk, England
22. The Chase Vault at Christ Church, Barbados
23. The Hellfire Tunnels and Caves, West Wycombe, England
24. Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town, South Africa
25. Old Changi Hospital, Singapore
26. Salem, Massachusetts, United States
27. Ossuary in Hallstatt, Austria
28. The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado, United States
29. Valley of the Kings, Egypt
30. New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
31. Bell Witch Cave, Tennessee, United States
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