by pankaj | Apr 29, 2022 | Vacations & Leisure
This article outlines suggestions of seasonal leisure activities to be had for little to no money.
Spring
Take a park stroll with pals. You’ll have been sick and tired of being cooped up over the winter, and you’ll get to see the work of nature in progress as the world turns green again.
Take up a new sport. Whether or not your New Year’s resolutions have burnt out, spring’s a great time to start jogging, cycling, a ball game or any other high-impact activity – easier to break yourself in than under the scorching summer sun, plus you’ll look great in your holiday swimwear!
If you’ve a young family, get into the spirit of Easter. You can make bonnets for the price of some coloured card, ribbons, glitter and glue. Paint eggs: start by pricking a tiny hole at the top and bottom of an egg. Blow out the yolk, and the painted egg need not be thrown out. On the day, get out to the nearest steep hill and send your chocolate eggs rolling!
Get out into the garden and reacquaint yourself with plants you haven’t seen since autumn. It’s remarkably therapeutic, and even more satisfying with a team of friends or family to help out.
Summer
Go retro with a Twister tournament on the lawn. You’ll be unsurprised to learn your co-ordination hasn’t much improved since you were ten. If you like, go the whole hog with the kid stuff and bring out the water guns and balloons to cool off when you’re done.
Obvious, really, but a picnic in the park can be as much of a pleasure as a trip to a sunny beach. Loads of home and garden suppliers sell sophisticated hampers and picnicware, and there are millions of classy picnic recipes online, so there’s no danger of soggy sandwiches and limp salad leaves.
If you don’t have a three-figure sum for a festival ticket, check out boutique festivals happening near you – a lot of the gigs are free to attend.
Have an all-hands-on-deck barbecue. Ask each of your friends to supply something and you’ll have a great evening without having to spend a fortune. Most people end up buying and cooking far too much anyway, so you’re being soft on the planet as much as your wallet. You can also apply this principle to dinner parties year-round.
Autumn
If you’ve a digital camera, it’s worthwhile going on a nature walk to track the changes in the seasons. Photography hardware and software is becoming more advanced all the time, so you can while away hours tweaking your beautiful autumn pictures.
If window-shopping is frustrating you, (the town centres will already be plying Christmas promotions) take a detour into your local art gallery. Most are free to enter or require only a small donation.
If you’ve children, take them out to get them kicking through the dry leaves. These also make pretty collages.
Have a Halloween party at home instead of an expensive night on the town. Don’t spend a fortune in fancy dress shops for Halloween – you’d be surprised at what you’ll find lying around from previous years. Older relatives are also great sources of quirky clothing and accessories. Turn your hair white with talc, or any other colour with a cheap can of temporary spray: much more convincing than a wig.
Winter
Organize a murder mystery or casino-themed dinner party and have everyone dress up and contribute something to the meal (ask them to base their dishes on their character, or devise an appropriate cocktail, if you like). A whole evening’s worth of entertainment for very little initial outlay.
Get reacquainted with your local library. So few people make the time to sit down and read for its own sake these days, so find a stellar read, a quiet corner, and lose yourself for an afternoon.
It’s a time for snuggling in, so plan a movie night with your friends. If everyone brings a DVD and a bottle, all you need do is provide a couple of your own, sofa space, popcorn and nachos, and you’ve a comfy, cosy night in on the go.
Shop-bought fireworks aren’t just dangerous, they’re frequently disappointing. Save yourself the hassle by hitting a local display: after seeing the sights, take your friends back for hot chocolate (or a hot toddy) and bargain snacks such as hotdogs and baked potatoes. So much more satisfying than wet feet and numb fingers.
Get your crafty friends together for a day of handmade gifts – whether it be sewing, cooking, painting, collage or making mix CDs, a few bottles of wine and a handful of craft materials will do far less damage to your wallet than a shopping spree with cocktails. Plus you’ll avoid the savage Christmas shopping crowds!
New Years’ is always the centre of much hype that rarely delivers: skip the huge bill for a ticket to a street party (or even a local pub!) and have a small gathering at home: have a musical friend man the decks, have everyone bring a bottle of their favourite, keep snacks simple and home-made and you’ll bring in a fresh year in the warmth, with loved ones and without having run your bank balance below the ground.
by pankaj | Apr 8, 2022 | Travel Tips
Don’t be a target for thieves.
Don’t bring a purse. Purses are a distraction for the carrier and a target for pick-pockets. Instead, use a money belt secured under clothing for cash, passports, IDs, and credit cards, and carry a small pouch pack attached to your hip or shoulder strap for personal day-to-day items like small amounts of medication, reading glasses, and lip balm, etc. Men, leave your wallets at home; take what is needed and keep it in a money belt under your clothing. Thieves look for an easy mark and will focus on the tourist with a bulging wallet flopping around a back pocket or a lady swinging a purse around. Simply eliminate the issue.
Money
Carry at least $80 to 100 in small bills, ones, and fives for tips, water, etc.
Believe it or not, money changing can be the cheapest right at the airport, so scout out the currency exchanges in the terminal before you head out. Plus, crazy as it seems, the hotels are frequently out of money! So get it while you can.
Bring no expensive jewelry. Instead, take cheap but attractive pieces that can afford to be lost.
Pack lightly
Plan to hand wash some clothing halfway during the trip. Choose clothing articles that are lightweight and quick drying. Plan the entire wardrobe before packing everything so that all pieces go with everything else. Have a central theme to the wardrobe using a neutral color: black, brown, navy, or grey. Choose one or two accessories that spice up an outfit for evenings out, like a colorful, glittery scarf or a metallic belt with some “bling.” Finally, lay everything out on a bed for easy coordination.
Wear the bulkiest items on the plane: long pants, walking shoes with socks, jackets, and long sleeves. This strategy keeps a traveler comfortable during the trip and saves space in the luggage for lighter items.
All those who have scrimped and saved, planned for years, and finally booked that dream trip only to have luggage lost on the first day – live and learn. Couples traveling together can work as a team.
Take three pieces of luggage.
1. Take one personal item bag, not a purse, but used as a purse just for the flight, something like a beach bag or backpack. Later, this can be used to go to the beach or carry water bottles. In addition, I hold travel documents, books, games, glasses, pair of socks, a toothbrush, and a sleep pillow – just items to help make the airline flight more enjoyable.
2. Pack 3-4 days of important clothing in a regulation-size carry-on luggage piece. Most airlines have a 22-inch limit, and some might have weight caps too. One should think: These clothes would be sufficient for the trip if the unthinkable happens and a checked bag gets lost. Also, the camera and extra copies of important paperwork like passport, ID, credit/debit card, medications, and copy of travel insurance should be packed here and the bag stored in the airplane overhead bin.
A good traveler is an efficient packer but is prepared for all contingencies. Many countries have different cultural and religious traditions than the traveler’s home, so stores can be closed at unexpected times and days. Pack these 3-ounce portions of anti-biotics, Pepto-Bismol, Zicam, or other cold shortening otc product, hand sanitizer, headache pain remedy, bandages, sunscreen, and a packet of laundry soap or extra shampoo for hand washing clothes in the carry-on bag.
3. Check the third bag. It contains all the less critical clothing items and accessories. For example, it might contain dress clothes and shoes, bulky items, and pieces only worn a few times for special occasions.
Bon Voyage!
by pankaj | Apr 8, 2022 | Travel Tips
Having anything stolen at any time is frustrating at best, but it can ruin a vacation altogether, often before it has even started.
Personal Security. Tips for a Female Travelling Alone
Sadly, females traveling alone often fall foul of undesirables. It seems unfair to distrust everyone, but unfortunately, it’s the world we live in. If you are a girl and going anyplace alone, whether national or international, a few things may help you avoid a good deal of heartache. When you arrive at airports, train stations, bus stations, and the like, you will almost certainly have been seen by the people who make their living stealing things from others.
They will pay special attention to you if you are alone; you will almost certainly generate additional awareness if you are female and alone. This attention will increase with loose baggage, handbags, being disorganized, not being able to find things, even wearing a tight skirt and high heels will attract attention; all these things make a spirited resistance unlikely, and you will be well on the way to becoming a target.
Luggage
Try and get rid of your luggage as early as possible; this is easier with airport travel.
Clothing
When traveling anywhere, comfortable clothing is the sensible choice. With this in mind, choose clothing that is both comfortable and practical; loose trousers and a sleeveless shooting jacket with lots of zipped pockets remove much of the risk. This type of clothing looks tidy, whether male or female, and keeps everything where you need it. Sturdy flat footwear such as trainers or approach shoes completes the ensemble.
What Fits Where?
Each pocket is reserved for a specific item; when you pull the item out, it cannot drag anything else out with it. So keep your wallet/purse in one of the inside fronts zipped pockets, and keep a small amount of money in another pocket to buy drinks, food, magazines, and the suchlike while you are waiting for your flight/train/bus.
Be Careful Who You Talk To
Be wary of people you do not know just coming up to you and making conversation; thieves often work in groups. Be on your guard for people requesting help or change, refuse point blank, and move away smartly. These places have all the help anyone could need.
Eating, Drinking, and Reading
If you can, always try to position yourself with your back against a wall if you are having a coffee, sandwich, or just reading; this will reduce the areas that need to be watched and give you peace of mind.
Toilets
These are, without doubt, potentially higher-risk areas but can be managed efficiently with little thought. Be wary of people standing near the toilets. Always use a cubicle with a lock and when you have finished, make sure you are completely dressed and ready before unlocking the door; unlock the door and move quickly out of the cubicle and out of the toilets. You should have a small bottle of antiseptic gel in one of your pockets (50ml) to remove the need to wash your hands in the bathrooms, an area of particular vulnerability. Sunglasses with reactive lenses are also a good idea, as spraying fluid into a victim’s face (often only soapy water) to frighten them seems to be on the rise again.
In the Unlikely Event of a Confrontation
If you have been successful in your assessments and preparations, the event of a confrontation will be improbable. However, several items may be used to great effect should things need to become physical; a rolled-up magazine, a ballpoint pen, an unimportant plastic ‘credit-card’ type card. Or a bunch of keys; these are only a few everyday items that you may use to control the situation. A ballpoint pen in your top pocket looks harmless enough, but when held in your hand with your thumb over the top, it becomes extremely adaptable, a groin, thigh, or back of hand application being very persuasive.
A rolled-up magazine used end-on is very strong indeed; use this to prod the small depression where the neck joins the chest (just below Adam’s apple). A sharp prod here will allow you to walk away unhurried, as will a similar blow to the eye socket or the underside of the nose. A key or plastic ‘credit-card’ type card across the face will also have the desired effect. If another female confronts you in the toilets, don’t get into a brawl; a finger or thumb to the eye will terminate the situation instantly. Providing these things are only used in self-defense, you will have no problems with the authorities whatsoever.
Help From Others
Don’t rely on help from other people; the vast majority will just walk away, not wanting to get involved with someone they don’t know. Instead, always try to be completely self-sufficient; this will help in many other areas throughout life-giving a glowing presence of confidence and control, the very thing thieves wish to avoid.
Exits
Always make sure you know where all the exits are and where they lead should you need to use them in an emergency.
The Whole Thing
All these things together will protect you better than you think; Thefts know what to look for and avoid; everything you have done, from the clothes you wear and your confident manner to the things you carry, all tell the thieves that you are a really bad risk. They will look for an easier target. Remember, good security is all about avoiding confrontation; if a bodyguard has to physically protect a client, he has failed in his primary objective of risk assessment, placing the client in direct physical danger. Unfortunately, good security often goes completely unnoticed. The consciousness of what is going on around you will always serve you well, and although this has only scratched the surface of a constantly changing subject, hopefully, it may just help things along a bit.
Safe traveling to all you female adventurers.
by pankaj | Apr 8, 2022 | Travel Tips
We talk of a need for authentic travel more and more these days, but with bursting pipes and dark days ahead, is that what we want?
Authenticity and Travel: What We Want
We aren’t used to snow in the UK. So the idea that we might be sitting near the top of the Winter Olympics medal tables, competing in cross-country skiing with the Norwegians and Swiss, seems an anathema. An aversion also appears that the authorities, both local and national, might be adequately prepared. Yet while not wanting to get too much into those issues, the slush, flooding, and dampness bring forth other visions not too far removed from images of the Russian spring in some Turgenev novels. The long winter without Christmas is before us; we dream of warmer climes, and the language of travel fills our minds.
The language of travel
On BBC Radio 4’s Word of Mouth, the Independent’s travel critic Simon Calder waxed lyrically, if not a tad sardonically, at the lexical fulminations of the holiday industry promoting itself through seemingly banal and empty adjectives, of which sunny, relaxed, cultural, and diverse are but a few. Such epithets appear helpful whether you’re promoting the nether regions of the United States, Serbia, Brazil, or Iceland, for as Calder notes, we, the paying tourist, seem, in the central, happy to play along.
While there are notorious examples of holiday experiences that sit mightily near to the base and far end of Richard Butler’s classic resort model, whereby the height of any pleasurable experience to be had at any given resort, for example, Coney Island or Blackpool has long given over to what Tim Edensor saw as holidaying in the ‘monotone enclave,’ there are still the Cancun’s and French Rivieras to fall back on.
Holidays are central to our aspirations.
As is entirely understandable in our hectic lives and relatively monotonous working conditions, most of us want to lie back and unwind either with or without the children in tow. As long as the airports, connections, and tour buses are efficient, synchronized, and staffed by friendly and helpful people, our holidays, often the simpler, the better, remain central to our yearly dreams and aspirations. Indeed, it is interesting when reading or hearing accounts of daily life behind the old Iron Curtain to note that of all the daily restrictions that bothered people, the restriction on foreign travel was one of the most annoying.
The historical and cultural playgrounds of ‘the old country, in Italy, for example, might not seem at first sight a caricature of the mass holiday destination as parodied on ITV’s Benidorm. Yet beyond the inferred sophistication of the former over the latter, there is no reason to suppose that concrete apartments and English pubs are any less ‘authentic’ in the south of Spain than a tour through the film set of our collective imaginings, a la Roman Holiday, La Dolce Vita or The Tourist.
Authenticity in travel
Yet again, the notion of authenticity, which is so debated within tourism studies, is highly subjective, that getting and experiencing the ‘real’ experience of life in any chosen destination. Dean MacCannell coined the phrase back and front tourist region, and you can’t get much more about it than taking a trip to see the Auschwitz concentration camp or the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. Visits to such places are littered with moral questions, like: are the masses of tourists cheapening the memory or significance of these sites by merely putting such an excursion into their itineraries? Simon Calder again thinks not. Such processes, he suggests, are just natural curiosities and part of the human make-up, just like some other activities that are not necessarily easy to explain, especially to your insurance company, like bungee jumping or parachute jumping.
But are any of these examples’ authentic’? Perhaps, but only in the same way that the Queen Victoria Pub in EastEnders is representative of a few other pubs in the country where everyone knows each other’s business; most pubs aren’t like Queen Vic. Most people don’t live in Assisi, Geneva, New York, or Dubai. The reality for most people isn’t the reality they go looking for when they want the truth of the other.
The real heartbeat of the United States, the middle and most representative of people, culture, and class, is somewhere in the Buckeye state of Ohio. Yet it seems unlikely that the British tourist would give up Manhattan or Florida for such a destination. Likewise, it would seem unlikely that your average American tourist would exchange Windsor, Bath, and Oxford for Swindon, Stoke, and Birmingham. Authentic isn’t really what we want, in the bleak mid-winter or not.
by pankaj | Mar 27, 2022 | Vacations & Leisure
A Fun Work/Life Rebalancing Act
Turn your vacation into something relaxing:
- Reinvent yourself.
- Pursue a beloved hobby.
- Meet lifelong friends.
- Have a summer ritual.
Be a kid again and sign up for an adult camp this summer. Permit yourself to let go of stress and routine. We work too hard and long all year. So many of us have nothing to look forward to every year. Attending a summer camp for a week can change your mental perspective. Here are some startling facts of how out of balance we Americans are:
- In 2019, Americans spent an average of 2.8 hours watching television vs. 19 minutes indulging in sports or leisure, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Time Use Survey.
- “The U.S. remains the only globally that doesn’t require employees to take annual leave legally.” (G.E. Miller, 2010). Other countries set limits on the workweek length and have laws on mandatory paid time off. Sadly, the U.S. does not set any limits, which causes unnecessary stress on the American worker.
Reinvent Yourself
It’s time to reinvent yourself by signing up for a summer camp as an adult. And the benefits are many: skill development, social interaction/new friends, feeling connected to a group throughout the year, having fun trying new things, positive change, the spirit of exploration, encouragement, group bonding, a unique view of how unimportant work really is/puts routine life in perspective, taking up an old hobby, and just feeling like a kid again. In addition, all of your meals are planned and prepared for you, if nothing else. You can’t get that at home.
There are vacation spots for almost every interest. Examples are listed in the References section below.
It All Starts With a Search
After all, you are arranging a trip. However, camps have a theme that brings people with shared interests together, such as sports, fine arts, cooking, traditional back to nature, helping others, religious, language immersion, conservation, work camps, travel camps, promoting world peace, fantasy camps (dude ranch, rock-n-roll, astronaut), and hobby camps. Try these two directories to help you locate your dream camp experience:
- Grown-Up Camps – You can search by type of camp and location on this site. It links to a multitude of centers designed for adults.
- Camp Resource – this site groups by fantasy camps, hobby camps, etc. and is best searched by utilizing the site search field in the upper right-hand corner by typing in the word “adult” to filter out all the kids’ camps.
Action Steps
Think of the old swimming hole:
- Go ahead and take the plunge.
- Inform your colleagues that you’re going to camp this summer and watch their expressions. When you return, they will not only be envious of how well-rested you look but will soon be asking your advice on where they might go next summer.
- Check out the set of links below designed to give examples of what fun awaits.
- Feel free to add your own.
by pankaj | Mar 26, 2022 | Travel Tips
Not all air tickets require payment immediately. The due date for payment varies by booking method, type of airfare, and seat demand.
Many factors determine when an airfare has to be paid. All airfares have an in-built ticketing time limit. The ticketing time limit specifies how soon after a reservation is made, that payment is required. It can vary depending on booking online or with a travel agent. The cheapest flights usually require payment sooner than more flexible fares. And during busy periods, the airline may bring the ticketing time limit forward so that unwanted seats are released more shortly.
This information is based on airfares sold from New Zealand but is likely to apply elsewhere.
Online Versus Travel Agent Payment Deadlines for Air Tickets
Payment dates for the same air ticket can vary depending on how you have booked the flight. Most online flight booking engines require you to pay for the visa as soon as you have made the reservation. However, with some airfares, especially long-haul airfares, a travel agent can hold the same seats for a more extended period before paying for them.
For example, if you book a London to Singapore flight on the Singapore Airlines website, you will be required to pay for the airfare straight away. However, if you book it through a travel agent, you may not have to pay for the air ticket two weeks before departure. So it is handy if you are booking in March, but your flight is not until July.
Similarly, if you ring Singapore airlines and book with them directly over the phone, they may also be able to hold the seats without payment until a later date.
Airfare Type Determines Payment Deadline for Airline Tickets
Cheap airfares have more restrictive rules. It usually includes having to pay for the airfare sooner rather than later. For example, airfare specials often require payment within 24, 48, or 72 hours, even when travel is not for several months.
If you purchase flights for travel in another country, then payment is usually required the same day. If you purchase a ticket in Australia to travel between Brazil and Argentina, the airfare is likely to be an ‘instant purchase’ airfare. It means that it needs payment straight away to secure the airfare quoted.
The payment and ticketing date for business class flights tends to be much closer to the departure date than economy flights. There is greater competition for economy flights than business class flights. In addition, business class flights are a lot more expensive, so you get to book now and pay later.
Airlines can Bring Air Ticket Payment Dates Forward.
Most people who travel at Christmas, New Year, school holidays, or other traditionally busy times will understand the importance of booking early. One book early to avoid disappointment later when they cannot get a seat. However, booking does not necessarily mean having to pay straight away.
If seats fill way in advance of travel, the airline can bring the ticketing time limit forward. This forces people holding seats to either purchase them or release them.
The airlines can also bring the ticketing date forward if they plan to increase airfare. If you have a seat held through a travel agent or with the airline directly, the agent or airline will contact you to allow you to purchase the airfare and avoid the increase, or keep the seat but pay for the new higher airfare later.
When do Airfares Require Payment?
If you are booking online, then airfares require payment straight away. The advantage of this is avoiding any potential airfare increases. However, if you are uncertain about whether you will travel but are anxious to hold a seat, then booking through the airline over the phone or with a travel agent may buy you more time before paying.
