Bits of advice when travelling

Everyone can afford travelling nowadays. Many airlines have promotions and seat sales from time to time. It can get as cheap as a few dimes on some rare occasions. I guess many people have been bitten by the travel bug. It's a good thing because it stimulates the economy.

I love to travel, too. In fact, I decide my domestic and international travel schedule as early as possible to save for the expenses will be incurred during these trips. I'd love to travel with style, too, you know.

One thing I have learned about my recent experiences is that it is better to travel light. Airports are such big places to get lost in and if one has so many luggages, it's hard to maneuver his/her way out.

It is also very important to invest in good quality luggage sets. I especially like my trolley to have at least four wheels so I can just twist and turn it wherever I want it to regardless of its weight. Even a plus if your luggage sets are as stylish as Tumi Luggage and Briggs and Riley Luggage. Most people have black suitcases so why not opt for more colorful or decorated ones, they're much easier to spot on the conveyor belt.

If traveling internationally, it is also important to keep the necessary documentations handy like passport or visa, tourist permit, among others to avoid being arrested or questioned by immigration police. Cash and credit cards should be readily available to, and as much as possible, convert to the country's local currency before departure or to US dollars which is standard exchange currency.

Importantly, a traveler should have presence of mind during the whole journey so he/she can keep watch on his/her belongings and not fall prey to robbers/tricksters and to reach the destination and return home safely.

sponsored links are brought to us by friends at www.villageluggageandgifts.com/.

Why I say Movies should have a label: "watch out before you watch"

To kill time, out of boredom, people watch movies.

To relax, people head to the nearest theaters and see a feel-good movie.

To have quality time together, friends and families watch films.

There are many reasons why people love to indulge for a few hours to see them.

To be entertained, informed, experience drama - the list goes on

But sometimes, these can be disturbing, too and I learned it the hard way.

So I resolve never to watch a movie again before reading its reviews and critics. I skip on movies with themes about violence, crime, nudity and pornography. I read the storyline beforehand, too. And to be safe, I watch family drama/comedy movies most of the time - just to make sure there are no scenes inappropriate for me.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

-Philippians 4:8

Math is neither easy nor difficult, isn't it?

Many people say Math is difficult yet many others say it is easy.

There's no point in arguing on whether Math is easy or difficult. While it may be true that some people are naturally good at it (like many geniuses that we know), for ordinary people like us, Mathematical ability, like language skill, is acquired with constant practice.

Some of the reasons why students struggle with their math courses especially Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 in high school and college (which most students have to take anyway) are:

• attitude or mentality - Math is what one thinks it is. If one thinks it's hard to understand, it really is.
• teachers - they are either too intelligent to understand student's difficulty in the subject or know too little to explain/simplify it
• not doing homework/practice exercises - one becomes skillful at doing something by constantly practicing so if one does not do any exercises, it's hard to master Mathematics
• refusing to seek help/get a tutor who can supplement and explain what are learned at school.

So, it's really neither easy nor difficult. Some people just have to work harder than others to master it. That's exactly what I did in college - constant practice and asking help from tutors who can explain difficult problems.

Note: Sponsored links brought to us by http://www.tutorvista.com/algebra-1

A new beginning commences

Photo credit: here

You can't go back and make a brand new start but you can start today and make a brand new ending.

-Whit Criswell

It makes sense, doesn't it?

Right after graduating from university, I didn't know what exactly I wanted to do with my life. I just woke up each day getting by and enjoying a carefree existence. Now that I am turning 25, I realized I need to make concrete dreams; visions of the future; define my territories; discover myself, acknowledge my limitations and so on.

It's not that I didn't have any direction, I did but because life presented itself with many opportunities, it made me indecisive . I made many back-up and contingency plans but my original plan is vague and abstract.

Having experienced both the joys and harshness of the real world, I can say that I have matured as a person. For this, I am thankful to my family and friends who have in every way support my decisions even when I was wrong and they were right. My boyfriend also helps me become aware of my strengths and weaknesses so I can work out to maximize my good points and reconstruct my attitude towards my low points. Surely, God has strategically placed them in my life because they help him shape me into how I can truly be perfect.

I'm turning 25, there's no point going back to relive old memories or to regret over my failures. I have become who I am because I chose to and I can be what I want to be in the future because I will and have decided to.

Japan's prime minister quits eight months after landslide victory

While most politicians in the world do everything to stay in power amidst criticism, protests and rebellion, Japan is perhaps the only country in the world where leaders rule successively only for a matter of months or years.

Yukio Hatoyama resigned after being pressured by his Democratic Party of Japan to step down after a failure to fulfill his promise to move American base in Okinawa elsewhere.

A few days ago, Mr. Hatoyama insisted he would not quit his post but would try to iron out the issue with his party members. On Wednesday, June 2, he announced his decision in an emotional telecast address saying that he wanted to change Japanese politics but admitted of his "failings".

I have been following Japanese politics since I started being an ESL teacher to Japanese people almost three years ago. I think this is the fourth time Japan's prime minister resigned in a period of four years.

News source: BBC News UK

Venturing out into business

I am not a business-minded person but observations of recent trends in our global market today made me realize I should expand my horizon to be receptive and develop such frame of mind.

There's no such thing as job security nowadays. It's even quite difficult to find a decent and self-fulfilling job. Money has become tighter as companies give fewer and fewer raises and benefits. It's tough competition out there in the rat race. People are incurring more liabilities than assets. There should be a way out to this, I thought. I can't remain trapped in this old system of employment which offers limited space for professional growth and personal development, not to mention - stunted financial gain.

A well-delivered presentation for a business oppurtunity for a franchise opened my eyes to the a wider spectrum of possibilities. The speaker quoted Robert Kiyosaki from his famous book, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" and shared such insights such as:

• Having a job is a short-term solution to a long-term problem
• Why climb the corporate ladder when you can own the ladder?

I thought, why don't I try and invest on income-generating projects instead of travelling on leisure or on house renovation? So, I searched online for possible businesses I can do - took note of those which seem profitable and feasible in my area and that which I could personally enjoy. I thought that maybe checking up franchises for sale may also be another option especially since I don't have any business-related experience/expertise yet. This seems the best idea so far since the marketing strategies have already been proven effective so there is small chance for failure.

Right now, I couldn't decide what to do. There are just too many choices to select from. But eventually, I hope I can eventually venture out and create my own business.

Note: Sponsored links brought you by friends at http://www.franchiseadvantage.com/