November 21, 2012

6 Things To Know About Life In Frozen Climates

by Lindsay Shapka in Culture, Travel Tips, People

1. You will have to plug your car in... like a toaster

Yup, it’s true! It gets SO cold that if you do not plug your block heater into an electrical source so that it keeps your anti-freeze warm, your engine will not start. Most outdoor parking lots have electrical outlets.

2. People who live in cities that are located far to the north (or south depending on the time of year) get SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a medically diagnosed condition for the 'winter blues' that many people get because of how short the days become. The lack of exposure to sunlight can result in a deep depression. Don't worry though! There are solar lights that you can buy to sit under that are sure to cheer you up!

3. You will need to learn how to layer!

Just because it’s cold doesn't mean that people stay inside. It just means that you will have to wear long underwear, sweaters, snow pants, a neck-warmer, toque, mittens, wool socks, a jacket, winter boots... you get the idea.

4. If you are going to be walking around outside, leave your expensive, stylish, or trendy shoes at home

Because of ice, the sidewalks get covered in sand and salt so that pedestrians don't slip. This can seriously damage leather or suede shoes. Need another reason? It's freaking cold! You need socks and good grip on the bottom of your shoes to keep safe and warm!

5. Wind-chill plays a HUGE part in how cold it feels like outside

It may be –25 degrees Celsius (–13 degrees Fahrenheit), but with the wind-chill it could feel like –40 (–40 degrees Fahrenheit). When the temperature is forecasted, meteorologists will usually tell you how long it will take for exposed skin to get frostbitten so you know how covered you need to be to walk safely outside.

TIP: If you are doing any sport or activities in this chilly weather, cover exposed skin — like cheeks or your forehead — with Vaseline to keep a protective barrier between it and the wind.

6. We don't all live in igloos

Though ice is celebrated through ice sculpture competitions and festivals, nobody actually makes an igloo their permanent home anymore. Houses are extremely well insulated, however, and have to be built a certain way to ensure that any pipe with water running through it will not freeze, burst, and cause flooding.

Pin Me!

What you need to know about life in frozen climates

Read the latest posts!

Travel & Adventure Blog Feed

Guide to Teaching English as a Second Language

Best Places to ski and snowboard this winter.jpg

March 24, 2012

To Tip, Or Not To Tip? Your Guide to Tipping Around The World

by Lindsay Shapka in Culture, Travel Tips

The plates have been cleared, dessert is finished and the last sips of coffee have disappeared.

Your waiter or waitress has left your bill, face down on the table, for you to deal with whenever you are ready —but you aren’t ready.

You are not in your own country and you forgot to do your research which has left you with an etiquette challenge.

To tip, or not to tip?

Don't worry, I've got you covered. Here are some basic tipping guidelines for countries around the world.

Canada and the United States

If you are in Canada or the United States, you will be expected to leave a 15-20% tip.

Tips make up the majority of a server’s income in these two countries, so not tipping is literally taking money out of their pocket. Most servers make minimum wage at the most and, depending on what province or state you are in, this is not enough to live on.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin America and the Caribbean have similar tipping guidelines to Canada and the US, but only around 10% gratuity is expected.

Europe

Europe is a whole lot more complicated because each country has different rules and customs associated with tipping.

In most countries, a 5-15% gratuity will be added to your bill automatically and unless you think the service you received deserves more, it will usually suffice. If there is no gratuity added, it will be expected that you will leave the 5-15% on the table yourself.

The two exceptions I could find are Iceland and Amsterdam where tipping is not expected at all.

Russia

Tipping has just recently become more common in Russia. A 10% tip should be more than enough.

Asia

Asia is where you must be careful.

Leaving a tip of any kind can often be taken as an insult (especially in Korea and Japan). The majority of restaurants in Asian countries are small, family run business and leaving a tip is like telling them that you think they have a poor business and need a handout. The few establishments that do not take it as rude will be confused by the extra money and will probably try and give it back to you.

Restaurants located in touristy areas of Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia will accept tips, but it is not necessary to leave anything if you don’t want to.

Australia and New Zealand

Tipping in Australia and New Zealand can be controversial because it is often looked at as an unwanted imported custom. It is becoming more common, however, so leaving 10% for great service should be fine.

South Africa

I don’t know much about the rest of Africa, but in South Africa, it is common to leave a 10-15% gratuity for your server.

How do you know for sure if you should tip or not?

The best way to avoid an awkward cultural moment during your culinary escapade?

Do some research ahead of time. In my experience, travel guides are the best places to look for specific, up-to-date, dining customs.

Pin Me!

Why You Should Never Give Money to Children When Travelling In Developing Countries

by Lindsay Shapka in Culture, Travel, People, Travel Tips

Don't give money to children when you travel

When traveling outside of the developed world, whether you are pulling a Louis V. suitcase behind you or carrying an overstuffed pack on your back, you will most likely have more money in your pocket than what the average person in the country you are visiting will make in a year.

Because of this, you will likely spend the majority of your trip looking into the big, innocent eyes of precious children with dirty cheeks, bare feet, and empty palms stretched out towards you.

It will be very easy to reach into your pocket and pull out a few coins to drop into their palms, an amount that is really pennies to you in the grand scheme of things. By doing this, however, you are not helping them, but condemning these children to a life of dependence and poverty.

Why you shouldn't give money to children

In most of the countries where you see kids begging in the street, there are few government social programs or education regulations in place to ensure that children and their families are being properly taken care of.

To supplement this, NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) have set up shop to offer schooling and housing free of charge.

You would think that parents would jump at the chance to have their children receive an education from these NGOs but this is often not the case.

Because they pull at the heartstrings and open the wallets of tourists, children make more money begging than their parents make at legitimate jobs. Even though sending their children to school is free, to many parents (who are, sadly, usually uneducated themselves) the lure of quick cash is more enticing.

Begging is a big industry, and kids are the victims of it

Begging has become a big industry and there are men and women who scour the countryside, looking for young, cute kids to come work for them as beggars in the city. They take these children from their families, promising to send back money that the child earns. They essentially act as their ‘pimp’.

What this means is that the money you put in a child’s outstretched hand is usually going to the adult that is standing off in the shadows nearby and only a fraction of it will go towards the child and his or her family.

What can you do?

The best way to avoid perpetuating this cycle of poverty is to say no to that outstretched hand and instead donate directly to one of the hundreds of NGOs.

If you just can’t bear to walk away from the tear-stained cheeks looking up at you, try giving them something of no value that cannot be taken away from them.

I carry balloons to give to the little boys and bobby pins to give to the girls. Both cost next to nothing, take up little space in a bag and (in my experience) make the child you give them to smile more than a dollar would.

After all, they are just kids.