The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament 2009: Final Four
Three of the four remaining final four cities in the Best City to Visit Travel Tournament advanced by a single vote. Two surprise cities – Negril, Jamaica and Utrecht, The Netherlands – have advanced beyond even what the people who nominated them thought.
Let’s see if they can upset the big (relatively speaking) cities standing in their way. Voting for the final two begins now and goes through this Friday, March 20th.
The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament 2009 - Final Four: Chicago vs. Negril
- Negril, Jamaica (daryl) (53%, 20 Votes)
- Chicago, USA (Christina) (47%, 18 Votes)
Total Voters: 38
Loading ...The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament 2009 - Final Four: Sydney vs. Utrecht
- Sydney, Australia (Cuckoo) (66%, 19 Votes)
- Utrecht, The Netherlands (Bas Serial Expat) (34%, 10 Votes)
Total Voters: 29
Loading ...You can see the entire bracket thus far below (click for the larger version).
Missed this contest? I run a number of large and small contests throughout the year. Take a look at some previous competitions and prizes and stay tuned for the next one by signing up to my RSS feed or email newsletter below.
Political Bumper Stickers On The Road
March 13, 2009 by Anil P.
Filed under Pictures and Video
When I came across this car it reminded me of Taylor’s post on missed opportunities and about how we travel saying as much about us as where we travel. These bumper stickers are relaying a message, they are sending a louder message about the driver.
What messages are you projecting about yourself when you travel?
Smart Bargaining When You Don’t Know The Local Language
Bargaining is an integral part of many societies and cultures and a skill you can hone even if you don’t speak the local language. Much of bargaining is based on subtle physical mannerisms and a proper focus, both of which don’t require you to know more than a few words in any language.
Smart bargaining by being aware of yourself and how you are perceived, can not only get you a better price and forge relationships but also develop your wits as a smart traveler – especially when you’re in unfamiliar ground or don’t know the language.
- Posture Is Everything – The moment you walk in to a shop or catch the eye of a merchant, your body language is screaming a number of things about you. It’s vital to look confident and like someone who knows what they want.
- Stand up straight
- Keep your head up
- Eyes forward (not slightly downward, avoiding eye contact, or wandering to everything around the store)
- Engage The Shopkeeper Directly, but Non-Verbally – Most tourists who are not comfortable with bargaining do everything they can to avoid the store, cart, etc. employees. Watch what the locals do, in most cultures, that is making eye contact upon initial contact. Make sure to learn the local customs and brush up on your international faux pas first. What you are doing is communicating that you are a confident person who is not intimidated – all without immediately giving away that you don’t know the language.
- Bargaining is about making relationships, not just dollars and cents. Remind yourself that you are dealing with a person, not a store. Unlike an employee at a large chain (i.e. Walmart) the employees’ livelihood is directly based on the income of their shops. They want you to buy things for a decent price, but be satisfied with your purchase at the same time.
3 Travel Related Things About You
I’ve been working on sharing more of myself and posted 15 travel related things about me a few days ago, and hopefully you’ve gotten to know me a little better. I promised that you all weren’t off the hook and would like to learn more about you.
I encourage you to share 3 travel related things about you in the comments so that we can all get to know a little more about each other.
I look forward to hearing from you about your travel quirks, habits, and opinions.
[photo by: MargauxV]
