Relative Joy

Traveling to another place will always require accommodation.

And just like flying, the choices have now diversified into so many options.

Staying Smart

Location. Location. Location.

The best place will always be at the heart of where the action is.  And where public transportation is most accessible.

For example, if your 5 days trip will require you and your family to spend 3 days at a theme park, then book your stay at a hotel near the theme park! You can go to other places for shopping, dining and entertainment FROM the hotel near the theme park on the remaining days.  Hotels near the theme or amusement parks are usually far cheaper than those centrally located in the business and shopping district.

In short, your choice of lodging will depend on your itinerary.

Boutique or Standard?

I have always had preference for Boutique Hotels. They are quaint. Have more personal service.  Usually have larger rooms compared to commercial standard hotels.  Not too noisy. And smell better!

The downside with many Boutique Hotels is that most of them are located a bit further down the road.  And there are few Boutique Hotels that are chain hotels with reward benefits.

(These are The Haymarket and The Ham Yard Hotel during our travel to London).

With so much information at our fingertips, searching for hotels together with airline deals are available from http://www.expedia.com or other websites that offer hotel deals like trivago.com or agoda.com.  These third party sites actually employ people to stalk the various promotions of airlines and hotels (and other events). They also cater mostly to standard business hotels (very rarely do I see a Boutique Hotel on their sites). Personally, I have tried some of these sites and you do get better deals for hotel cost (compared to booking directly at the hotel site) more often than not. However (and this is the however part), if you’re a member of the chain of hotel and made a booking through Agoda or Trivago or some other third party site, your stay in the hotel cannot be credited to earning points for upgrades or future redemption for free hotel stays. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.  Please do not fight with the front desk by brandishing your Hotel Stay Rewards card without checking the finer details.  Pay less but don’t expect to get rewarded with the discount afforded.

You cannot have your cake and eat it too!

The upside of a busy business hotel chain is the smorgasbord treat to a heavy breakfast spread.  Or the unlimited wine and cocktails if you’re booked on their executive floors.

If you’re still interested in a Boutique Hotel, then I suggest http://www.tablethotels.com or www.mr&mrssmith.com for your luxury escape.  These sites are uber luxurious and provide membership benefits.  Room upgrades (based on availability. Who doesn’t want to stay in a suite?!?!), late check-outs, free wifi (especially for hotels that make you pay extra for wifi use), free gifts and breakfast, travel and food vouchers, or simply escape to the world of being pampered?

(Photos of the Tokyo Station Hotel.  My favourite hotel in Tokyo, Japan)

Airbnb

Stands for Air-Bed and Breakfast. And it is a company.

Formed in 2007, it started as Airbedandbreakfast.com from a serendipitous alliance between friends.

Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia had just moved to San Francisco and became roommates.  Both didn’t have a job and needed money to pay rent. Both were designers and because the International Design Conference was coming to San Francisco in October and all the hotels were fully booked, the two thought that they could make some money by renting out their place and turning it into a bed and breakfast.

They got 3 airbeds and created a website called “Air Bed and Breakfast”.

People signed up to rent the airbeds and they cooked them breakfast every morning and acted like tour guides. Both Brian and Joe did not mean to start a business. It wasn’t a stroke of genius.  It was from a need – to pay the rent. It gradually became a big idea. They eventually expanded beyond their apartment and their three airbeds and shortened the company name to Airbnb.

The rest is history.

It’s an online marketplace that allows people to share their accommodations for a fee. Launched officially in 2009, it’s an online marketplace that allows people to rent out their properties or spare rooms to guests (“strangers if you asked me”).  Airbnb takes 3% commission of every booking from hosts, and between 6-12% from guests.  Not bad for just a website born from needing to pay rent.

The upside and why people are into Airbnb is, you can rent prime property at half the cost of having to stay in a 15 sqm hotel room. Easy to book. Personal communication with the host. Well maintained and up-to-date. And safe.  It’s like an Uber for lodging – anywhere from a room to a whole villa!

Relatives and Friends

Now this has never been a good idea to me.

They say that’s “what friends are for”.

So you decide to go on a trip and announce to the world that you’re traveling to some part of the world. And expect friends to host.

In all honesty, it’s always difficult to have guests over at your place.  Expecting them to put up with you, AND your family may be difficult for some. Place yourself in the position of the guest before considering staying with them.

Wherever you stay, remember that there are rules to be followed.  It is not your home.  There are others that are occupants in the place.  Being considerate is vital to co-existence.

I am not Skytrax and this is not a review of all the airlines.

So here’s my take on flying.

Flying Smart

The most important factor in choosing an airline is the flight record.  After all, we need to get from Point A to Point B. The basis for bestowing an airline as being safe include: previous incidents, average age of their fleets, and audits from governments and aviation industry’s regulatory bodies.

With that said, the world’s safest airlines for 2018 are (in alphabetical order):

1. Air New Zealand
2. Alaska Airlines
3. All Nippon Airways
4. British Airways
5. Cathay Pacific Airways
6. Emirates
7. Etihad Airways
8. EVA Air
9. Finnair
10. Hawaiian Airlines
11. Japan Airlines
12. KLM
13. Lufthansa
14. Qantas
15. Royal Jordanian Airlines
16. Scandinavian Airline System
17. Singapore Airlines
18. Swiss
19. Virgin Atlantic
20. Virgin Australia

Of course, just because they’re not up there in the list does not mean that the airline isn’t worth the trip.  Just make sure they’re not in the bottom of the pack. For those who fear flying, traveling by air is one of the safest way to get to your destination of choice. While there are reports on tragic accidents, it is impressive to note that the airline industry has placed safety as its priority.  Data from year 2000-2017, showed that the range of fatal accidents was between 10-37 and the number of deaths between 256-1139 for the years 2000-2016.  In 2017, there were 10 fatal accidents for commercial flights, resulting in 44 deaths. None of the fatalities involved passenger jets.

Options Options

Choosing a destination to travel should take into consideration the shortest route with the least possible jet lag, and the best available time without having to perturb your body clock.

That, to me, is a no brainer.  Obviously, the cheapest fares will always be the least traveled routes.  While it looks economically appealing to just book the cheapest, sometimes it ends up as being more expensive because you arrive either in the wee hours of the morning (where you’ll need to drop your things and stroll around town because your room isn’t available yet) or super late in the evening (because that’s the time you arrive).

The worst kind of flight is the long haul with (1) a very long (> 3 1/2 hrs) layover, or (2) multiple pit stops (> 1).  Even when you’re traveling on first or business class, try to factor in the long layovers and try to see if it’s really worth the long wait. I mean, yes, you want to arrive at your destination but if you’re arriving like part of the luggage (that’s been tossed and thrown around), you might as well save enough to afford a trip that will make you arrive like a human being!

The Upgrade

We all love free tickets.  Or an upgrade! Believe me when I say, when you’ve flown in business class (especially for the long hauls), flying on economy class is a blah! With various airlines competing with each other for more customers nowadays, this is the best time to strike a deal by traveling in comfort. And getting away from it all.  After all, your vacation can begin from the time you step into the airport, without having to wait till you get to your destination.  From the personal lounges, you can sit and sip your margarita while watching CNN or the planes arriving and departing on the oversized windows facing the tarmac.

It’s not just about the better service or the personal space or the unlimited food and drinks, the extra amenities, the turn down beds, those large comforters and pillows and a 180 degrees lie flat bed or a chair that massages you all throughout your flight.  Or those slippers and night shades or the midnight snacks, or another round of Martini with your tenderloin steak at 35,000 feet.  Of course, there’s the extra space around you and the multiple sockets for your gazillion gadgets. You’ll never need your battery pack on board.

And no queue to the larger lavatories! That alone is worth the price of a business class ticket for long hauls.

And flying business class does not have to be too expensive that you’d break the bank.  Stalk the internet and the various airfare promotions so that you can anticipate these mega sale where some business class fares are given for a song. Compare the various airlines that leave from your destination to the places where you want to go.  And choose an airline that have alliances so that you’re earning miles on whichever alliance (not just the airline) that you’re flying! Pretty soon, you’ll be traveling free or on an upgraded flight!

If your budget won’t fit the business class seats, choose a plane that may offer premium economy seats or pay a little extra from front or choice seats.  This is where your miles will also come in handy because some airlines offer the upgrade to better seats in exchange for miles earned.

Hello World

Preparing for a flight is important.  If you have maintenance medicines which you need to take during the flight, keep them in your carry-on bag.  Don’t pack your house and insist on cramping everything into your carry-on luggage.  You need to be considerate of other passengers who are sharing the same luggage bin as you!

At the airport, be mindful of the departure schedule.  Try to be there 2-3 hours ahead of your flight.  Take note of the announcements on boarding time and gates.  Don’t hold up the plane because you’re still busy shopping at the duty free shop.  Remember: you don’t own the plane! You don’t want people to clap or glare at you when you’re the last to board or that they will have to get rid of the baggages that you checked in because they won’t allow you to board any longer.

There are in flight reminders and instructions.  In case of emergencies you will need to remember them.  Take time to remember these announcements.  They were made for you!

Oh and finally, please make sure that you dress appropriately even if it is a commercial flight.  Other passengers still have their sense of smell intact.  Don’t make it a 13 hours hell ride for the passenger next to you just because you’ve not showered or your clothes have been worn for several days.  It is violative of human rights on an airtight enclosed area.

With these in mind, I hope you have a safe journey and enjoy your flight.

To me, this poster is an apt description of why we all need a break.

From the humdrum of life.  From the stress of work or school. We live to seek adventures and to learn what it is like to live.

Sometimes we travel with the people who are most dear to us, like family and friends or your life partner.  Then there is traveling alone, because ONE is a peaceful number.

Others travel in (usually on a budget) in order to write (or blog) about it because it’s their line of work.  The latter isn’t my cup of tea.  I don’t squeeze in traveling at a budget.  While some may dream of seeing the world on a budget, I think of a “getaway” as a form of reward for the hours one toils.  If you will scrimp on yourself, then why even splurge or spend for a vacation? We are not getting younger.  And trying to enjoy a vacation when we will need ambulatory assistance is no fun at all.

Then there are others who take advantage of their work in order to travel.  Nothing wrong with that.  But the idea of a vacation rather than mixing work and pleasure isn’t appealing to me.  If I need to travel for work related matters, then it is for that very purpose alone.  It is tiring, weary and stressful to squeeze in the “fun” in your itinerary when you need to catch a 7AM meeting the next few days. Believe me.  Been there.  Done that.

This month, I will take you to some of my private getaways. To recharge.  To see the world. To appreciate life.  To dream and reflect.  After all, we only live once. To make moments out of our lives, because we have stories to tell when we are old and grey.

I know you’ll all want to read this with a title like that.

A man went to see a urologist that he had a problem when having sex.  He wanted it to last longer during a sex tryst.  The doctor told the guy that masturbating before sex often helped men last longer during the act.

The man decided, “What the hell, I’ll give it a try.”

He spent the rest of the day thinking about where to masturbate before going home to have sex with his wife!

He couldn’t do it in his office.  He thought about the restroom, but that was too open.  He considered the alley next to his home, but figured it was too risky and unsafe.

Finally, he realised his solution.  On his way home, he pulled his pick up truck over on the side of the highway.  He got out.  Crawled underneath as if he was examining the truck.  Satisfied with he privacy, he pulled his pants down and started masturbating.

He closed his eyes shut and thought of his wife.  As he grew closer to the final explosion, he felt a quick tug at the bottom of his pants.  Not wanting to lose mental fantasy or the organ, he kept his eyes TIGHTLY SHUT and shouted…”WHAT?!!?!?!”

“Sir.  This is the police.  What’s going on down there?”

The man replied, still with his eyes shut, “I’m checking the rear axle of my truck.  It’s busted.”

The cop replied back, “Well, you might as well check your brakes too while you’re down there because your truck rolled down the hill five minutes ago.”

One night, Tom did what he always did to his wife every Friday night.

He would kiss his wife.  Crawl into bed.  Fall asleep.

Suddenly, he awoke and an elderly man dressed in a white robe stood in front of his bed.

“What the hell are you doing in my bedroom? And who are you?”, he asked.

“This is not your bedroom,” the man replied.  “I am St. Peter, and you my son, are in heaven.”

“WHAT?!?!?!!? Are you saying I am dead? I don’t want to die.  I’m too young,” replied Tom. “I want you to send me back immediately!”

“It’s not that easy”, said St. Peter.  “You can only return as a dog or a hen.  The choice is your own.”

Tom thought about it for awhile.  He figured that being a dog would be too tiring.  But a hen probably has a nice and relaxed life.  Running around with a rooster can’t be that bad.

“I want to return as a hen,” Tom replied.

And in the next second, he found himself in a chicken run, really nicely feathered.  But now he felt like his rear end was going to blow.  Then along came the rooster.

“Hey you must be the new hen St. Peter told me about,” the rooster said. “How do you like being a hen?”

“Well okay I guess, but it feels like my ass is about to explode.”

“Oh that!” said the rooster.  “That’s only the ovulation going on.  You need to lay an egg.”

“How do I do that?” asked Tom.

“Cluck twice, and then you push all you can!”

Tom clucked twin and pushed more than he was good for, and then ‘plop’!! An egg was on the ground.

“Wow!!”, Tom said.  “That felt really good!!” So he clucked again and squeezed.  And you better believe there was yet another egg on the ground.  The third time he clucked, he heard his wife shouting:

“TOM!!! For Christ’s sake!!! Wake up!!! You’re shittin’ all over the bed!”

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.  One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.  His bed was next to the room’s only window.  The other man had to spend all his time on his back.  The men talked for hours on end.  They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had gone for vacations…Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and colour of the world outside.  The window overlooked the park with a lovely lake.  Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats.  Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every colour and a fine view of the city skyline could be see in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would los his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by.  Although the other man couldn’t hear the bad – he could see it! In his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.  She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.  As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window.  The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painful, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside.  He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed…and it faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.  The nurse responded that the man was blind.  And could not even see the wall.

“Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you,” she said.

The moral of the story:

There is tremendous happiness in making others happy.  Despite our own situations.  Sometimes we’re too busy looking out for ourselves that we forget that other people matter.  Shared grief is half the sorrow.  But when happiness is shared, it is doubled.