Tip # 8: Watch Films and Read Literature Set in the Destination Country.

One of the things that has enhanced my travel experience the most has been reading novels set in my destination country in advance, on the way to, and while I was in the country.

I highly recommend you indulge in literature that teaches history as well as some contemporary culture. Also, I
enjoy indulging in films set in the destination country.

A novel about a young American living in Paris is what inspired me to study in France my junior year of college.

Some personal examples are: before going to Viet Nam recently, I read The Quiet American, by Graham Greene, and later I rented the film. While near the Chinese border in northern Viet Nam, I read The Good Earth by Pearl Buck. It’s an intriguing tale of the struggles and prosperity of a rice Farmer living in China during the pre-revolutionary period. As we rode through the rice fields of Viet Nam, I felt I was a part of the farmer’s world. Touring around Saigon, I saw all the landmarks that were featured in The Quiet American.

On the way to Japan, I read Gary Katzenstein’s Funny Business: an Outsiders Year in Japan. He provides an entertaining tale of his experience blundering through a foreign culture working for a Japanese company headquartered in Tokyo.

Before traveling to India, I rented several Indian films including Veer Zaara, Water, Earth, and Monsoon Wedding. On the way to and while in India, I read A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. Although the lifestyles of many of the characters were very foreign to me, I felt I could relate to them, because I saw them all while in India, from the monkey man, to the struggling housewife, to the outcastes living on the edges of society in tents, to the beggars in the streets etc.

In short, consuming literature and films set in the destination country enhance my total travel experiences.

Outsourcing-Philippines is Fastest Growing Worldwide

A friend of mine from business school, Steve Leof, posted this article about outsourcing trends to his blog : http://leof.wordpress.com/author/leof/

Outsourcing to the Philippines: fastest growing in the world 12/19/08

YES YOU read it right. The level of outsourcing to the Philippines is growing faster than in any other country, according to the Global Outsourcing Statistics Report released last December 15 by oDesk, the leading marketplace for online workteams for employers outsourcing technology jobs to certified, freelance developers and programmers.

The report also states that the Philippines remains a popular destination for outsourcing work. Other popular countries include the U.S., India, Pakistan, Canada, Ukraine, and Russia.

The bulk of the outsourcing jobs received by the Philippines is in the Knowledge Processing Outsourcing (KPO) sector. This includes data entry and virtual assistants. India’s largest work category, on the other hand, is in the software and web development field.

The report also divulged that the Philippines’ average feedback rating surpassed the oDesk average for the first time. The U.S. has the highest average feedback rating and the greatest number of providers.
Here are statistics from the report:

CANADA
Total Number of Providers: 3,581
Average Hourly Rate Charge: $19.60
Average Feedback Score: 4.32 (out of 5.00)

INDIA
Total Number of Providers: 27,454
Average Hourly Rate Charge: $12.52
Average Feedback Score: 4.01

PAKISTAN
Total Number of Providers: 5,960
Average Hourly Rate Charge: $11.13
Average Feedback Score: 4.36

PHILIPPINES
Total Number of Providers: 17,213
Average Hourly Rate Charge: $6.33
Average Feedback Score: 4.30

RUSSIA
Total Number of Providers: 2,721
Average Hourly Rate Charge: $16.86
Average Feedback Score: 4.31

UKRAINE
Total Number of Providers: 2,929
Average Hourly Rate Charge: $15.96
Average Feedback Score: 4.36

USA
Total Number of Providers: 52,637
Average Hourly Rate Charge: $18.32
Average Feedback Score: 4.40

Noticed something? The Philippines has the lowest average hourly rate charge. Good work at cheaper rates—no wonder it is so popular.

English Is Challenging

Here is a thought provoking, fun, interactive exercise that demonstrates how challenging English can be. It is written by Mary Beth Marino, The Writing Editor.

It’s time for a good laugh! A belly shaking, rolling on the floor laugh…AND an English lesson to boot! My love affair with words was nourished by an email that was sent to me by a friend. It challenges the English language while giving a good laugh and marvels the astonishment about how things get to be what they are and why. Curious? Read on.

I love English

Can you read these right the first time?
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Overseas Travel Tip # 5-Pack Small, Pack Wisely

from my blog-One of the more tangible ways you can minimize stress of overseas travel is by eliminating the need to check luggage. Because of all the uncertainties surrounding travel logistics including weather, flight delays, missed connections, and changing airport security regulations, the odds are, you will eventually encounter headaches over checked luggage.

By adhering to the carry-on only rule, you will save time during departure and arrival, and importantly, you will rest assured you have all the items you need in your rollerboard bag.

For the travel savvy, here is the rule of thumb: if you are staying for one week or less time, you can pack everything into one carry on wheeled bag.

Here are some guidelines that will help you with the discipline of bringing only carry-on luggage:

1. Plan Ahead. Create a master checklist (see next chapter). Envision how you will spend each day during your trip and plan accordingly. If possible, a layout all of your items two days before travel. For clothing packing, many experts suggest that once you have all your items laid out, then, take away half of them. For long trips, I write down what item I will wear each day/event.

2. Choose a Single, Neutral Color Scheme. Build your wardrobe, using items in black, navy, tan, or khaki. Add color and variety to your look with accessories (scarves, belts, costume jewelry, ties, brooches etc.)

3. Pack Compactly. Fold and roll each clothing item. Seal each one into a clear plastic bag. This will help you to glance easily without unpacking. Packing cubes and envelopes and vacuum bags are especially helpful for long trips. Browse your nearest luggage retailer for practical packing solutions.

4. Look Your Best During Travel. Because people do judge a book by its cover, always look your best and most professional while traveling. You will receive better treatment and even avail yourself to upgrades if you look the part. It also helps with networking when you dress to project the image you'd like to convey.

5. Pack to Dress in Layers. Where sleeveless or short sleeves under your jacket on travel day. You will want to remove your jacket so you can sleep lighter on the flight. Pack light weight, shirts, T-shirts, and turtlenecks. They pack easily, and they dry overnight when you do hand laundry in your hotel room.

6. Pack an Empty Duffel Bag, Just in Case

World's Happiest Places

The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World.-- That is the latest book written by Eric Weidner, whom I saw at this year’s book festival in Miami. His work is a culmination of the study of happiness around the globe and actual visits to worldwide destinations long considered to produce the happiest citizens.

Here is a Forbes article about the notion of happiness around the world and a mention of Weidner’s book.

Chasing Happiness
Hana R. Alberts, 04.23.08, 7:30 PM ET Forbes.com
"Taking all things together on a scale of one to 10, how happy would you say you are?" With that question and global surveys, the folks at the World Database of Happiness* have ranked 95 nations on a happiness scale.

Switzerland's citizens closely trail the Danish, each reporting an average happiness level of 8.1 (out of 10), followed by Iceland (7.8), Finland (7.7), Australia (7.7) and Sweden (7.7), all the way down to grim Moldova (3.5).

While the Netherlands ranks only 15th on the list of the world's happiest countries, its industrial capital, Rotterdam, is home to the database, housed at Erasmus University. Its director, Ruut Veenhoven, has made his life's work researching which nations are home to the happiest citizens.

Veenhoven's research shows that Scandinavian nations come out on top, making up five of the 13 happiest nations. Denmark tops the list as a whole--its citizens rank their average happiness as 8.2 on a 10-point scale.

Inspired by Veenhoven's rankings, former foreign correspondent for National Public Radio (and self-proclaimed grouch) Eric Weiner embarked on a quest to visit the happiest places on earth. In his book The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World, Weiner immerses himself in the cultural fabric of the world's happiest countries to pinpoint exactly why residents of some countries, like Iceland and Switzerland, are so downright satisfied with their lives.

The Swiss, Weiner discovered, are efficient and punctual, comparatively wealthy and face hardly any unemployment. Their streets, air and tap water are squeaky clean and chocolate is a national obsession. But Weiner saw no joy in their faces, and reasoned that perhaps it's better to live in this middle range than to vacillate between gleeful moments of elation and gut-wrenching spates of despair. Swiss happiness, he writes, is "more than mere contentment, but less than full-on joy."
Because the country is dark and cold, Weiner was initially skeptical about Iceland's ranking as the fourth-happiest nation in the world. He learned the small nation is quite literally a family; curiously, geneticists have found that all Icelandic citizens are related.

Certain phrases in the Icelandic language, Weiner writes, are even more telling. When people greet each other, the phrase they use roughly translates to "come happy," and when people part, they utter the equivalent of "go happy." The country is a favorite stamping ground of artists and cultivates a creative spirit; the government supports writers with generous subsidies.

To provide a stark contrast to Iceland and Switzerland, Weiner visited Moldova. The citizens of this former Soviet republic, according to database figures, rate their happiness at 3.5. The nation, sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, had been relatively prosperous, but since the fall of the Berlin wall, per-capita income has fallen to only $880 per year.

But it's not just about money. Nigeria and Bangladesh are poorer and happier, Weiner points out, but Moldova compares itself to Italy and Germany. The country also lacks a distinct culture and any semblance of national pride. Government officials even speak Russian--the language of their oppressors for much of the last century.

So just how does the United States fit into this picture? "Happiness is there for the taking in America," Weiner writes. "You just need the willpower to find it, and enough cash." The surprising fact, though, is that America is not as happy--scoring 7.3 and ranking 17th in the database--as it is wealthy. U.S. residents are three times richer than they were in 1950, but the happiness ratings haven't shifted in the past decade. After Sept. 11, researchers found no significant decrease in measured levels of happiness.
"Americans work longer hours and commute greater distances than virtually any other people in the world," Weiner writes, but "they remain profoundly optimistic." Two-thirds of Americans say they are hopeful about the future.

Can we predict happiness based on a country's collective "personality"? Not quite. So far, the data reveal national happiness doesn't predictably track average income, type of government--democracy versus dictatorship--or even warm climate.
So with Moldova at the bottom of the happiness ratings are former Soviet republics Belarus, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, alongside such troubled African nations as Tanzania, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

Thus, while wealth doesn't seem to generate happiness, extreme poverty is more likely to produce the opposite.
It's comforting, though, that most people in the world report being satisfied with their lives. "Virtually every country in the world scores somewhere between five and eight on a 10-point scale," Weiner writes. "There are a few exceptions." So while, admittedly, those Scandinavians have it pretty good, the rest of us aren't too far behind. And that's something to be happy about.

http://www.forbes.com/2008/04/23/happiness-world-index-oped-cx_hra_0423happy_print.html


*PS Here is the study’s (World Database of Happiness) rankings of the 13 happiest:
1. Denmark
2. Switzerland
3. Austria
4. Iceland
5. Finland
6. Australia
7. Sweden
8. Canada
9. Guatemala
10. Luxembourg
11. Ireland
12. Mexico
13. Norway

Pilgrimage to Mecca-Hajj

MECCA, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- More than 2 million Muslims descended on Saudi Arabia during the weekend to perform the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

Devout Muslims regard the journey, also known as the ancient ritual of the hajj, as the spiritual pinnacle of a devout Muslim's life, The Los Angeles Times said.

Controversy erupted this year over the participation of Muslims from the Gaza Strip with thousands of would-be pilgrims unable to travel to Mecca because of the power struggle between rival Palestinian factions over who had the right to distribute visas to visit Saudi Arabia.

The hajj is one of the five "pillars," or basic requirements, of Islam. The others are belief in one God and in Muhammad as his final messenger; prayer five times a day; Zakat, a form of tithing to the needy, and fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, if physically able.

China Bans Lip Synching From High Profile Event

China has banned lip-synching from the nation's biggest TV show, held to celebrate Chinese New Year.

The broadcasting regulator has ordered organizers to pick "real" singers and songs with "healthy" lyrics.

The CCTV Spring Festival Gala attracts hundreds of millions of viewers with comedy sketches and patriotic-themed song-and-dance routines.
China was embarrassed by a lip-synching child who performed at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games. Officials decided that the actual singer, a seven-year-old with crooked teeth, wasn't pretty enough to be put on view.

Instead a nine-year-old girl who was deemed to look more suitable mouthed along to a recording, charming a worldwide audience and earning the title of China's "smiling angel".
That was not the first time lip-synching had made the headlines in China.
At last year's Spring Festival Gala, actress Zhang Ziyi was criticised for miming her way through her performance in the patriotic, star-studded TV extravaganza.
This year, China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has issued an order on its website to "Choose performers with real singing ability."
The announcement follows last month's news reports that the Ministry of Culture would revoke the licences of professional performers who are caught lip-synching it twice during a two-year period.

BBC News 12/4/08 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7765580.stm

2010 Diversity US Visa Lottery Ends Today

2010 Diversity Visa Lottery Registration Opened October 2, 2008
and the registration period ended December 1, 2008.

Here is an article that covers details:

Washington — The 2010 Diversity Visa Lottery (DV-2010) will be held from October 2 to December 1, 2008, the U.S. State Department announced. Applicants are urged not to wait until the last minute to apply because excessive demand on the lottery Web site may cause delays as the deadline nears.

Each year the U.S. government makes 50,000 permanent residence visas (“green cards”) available through the Diversity Immigrant Visa program. Visa applicants are selected through a computer-generated, random lottery, which is open to persons from eligible countries who meet certain education or work experience requirements. (See “Diversity Visa Applicants Must Meet Eligibility Requirements.”)

Persons seeking to enter the visa lottery must register online through the designated Web site (www.dvlottery.state.gov). Applications will be accepted only from noon Eastern Daylight Time (1600 GMT) on Thursday, October 2, to noon Eastern Standard Time (1700 GMT) on Monday, December 1, 2008. No applications will be accepted after that, the State Department said September 30.

The selection of a person’s name in the lottery does not automatically guarantee that a diversity visa will be issued; those who are selected have the opportunity to take the next steps in the visa application process.

The State Department’s Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky, will notify the lottery winners by postal mail (not e-mail) between May and July 2009. The applicants will receive instructions on how to complete the application process for DV-2010 visas, which will be issued during fiscal year 2010 (October 1, 2009, through September 30, 2010).

This lottery is only for DV-2010 visas. The DV-2009 lottery — which was for visas to be issued in fiscal year 2009 — is closed. Winners were selected from more than 9 million qualified entries and were notified by mail earlier in 2008.

Diversity visas are available only to people from eligible countries with low immigration rates to the United States. Two important changes for DV-2010 are the return of Russia to the list of eligible countries and the addition of Kosovo.

Natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply for the DV-2010 lottery because those nations sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States over the previous five years: Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.
People born in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible to apply.

In the DV-2010 lottery, for the first time, applicants may check the status of their entries online and learn whether their entries are selected or not selected.

There is no fee for entering the lottery or downloading and completing the application form. The State Department warns applicants to be wary of fraudulent schemes asking for money, fraudulent e-mails, or Web sites posing as official U.S. government sites. Each person may enter the lottery only once; spouses may each submit an application.
The English-language version of the DV-2010 Lottery instructions is the only official version, according to the State Department. Instructions will be available in other languages (on the instructions page) as translations become available.

The announcement on the DV-2010 Diversity Visa Lottery and instructions for submitting the application online are available on the State Department Web site.

Results of the DV-2009 visa lottery are available on the State Department Web site.