Free Language Courses

Welcome, Karibu, Bonjour, Bienvenidos, Willkamen, Haere Mai, Sawasdee, Bem-vindo, Dober dan….

In Sumatra, several years back when I was young and naïve and still glowing from fulfilling a childhood dream of mine (of seeing orangutans in the wild), I was handed a small box to take care of. Let me explain…My friend and I were taking an overnight bus from Bukittinggi to Dumai, which ended up being a van with just the two of us. At the beginning of the trip, the driver stopped at a house, went in for a few minutes, and then came back out and handed us each a box that was all taped up. We asked the driver what was in the box and he just shook his head at us with a perplexed look on his face. This immediately made me suspicious of its contents. We at this point overreacted and decided we didn’t feel comfortable holding a box for the overnight ride ahead, especially if we didn’t know what was inside. When we started to open the box the driver shook his head at us. Thus, we proceeded to jump out of the van and run like Forest Gump back to town. We decided to forfeit the $1.00 or so we spent on the 10-hour ride and booked with another company. We found out later the box contained breakfast for us. Wow, did I ever feel stupid and embarrassed! If only I had some grasp of the local language that I could have determined the generosity of the bus company before getting myself all worked up and jumping out of the van. I guess we live and learn….

With that said, I always think its useful to learn a few key words and phrases before travelling. It’s a great way to interact with the locals and enhance the travel experience. I find the locals really appreciate it when you try to speak their language, even if it’s barely comprehensible. After all, it’s the thought that counts…

There are several ways to learn a language. One is buy purchasing a pocket size phrasebook (the lonely planet books are hours of entertainment with random funny phrases), However, if you are like me the phrase book is not the most practical. It increases my vocabulary, but it doesn’t teach me how to say the words properly. I would win a spelling bee, but would most likely pronounce the words wrong so no one would have the faintest idea what I was saying.

That’s why I like utilizing the free courses online. Many have audio features so you can listen to the words and learn how to pronounce them properly. Some sites I recommend are:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/ - has approx. 10 languages such as French, Spanish, Gaelic. Japanese etc. I find this the most comprehensive of all. It has crosswords, beginner courses, refresher courses, videos, etc. You can also sign up and track your progress.

http://www.babbel.com/ - This website is a combination of learning a new language and social networking. You can connect with people from all over the world and find an online study partner.

http://www.internetpolyglot.com - This site is not as good for beginners but acts more as a refresher for those who want to maintain and practice their vocabulary, There are plenty of games to play to test your vocabulary.

http://www.livemocha.com/ - This website is an online “learning language community” . It has interactive lessons that help you build your reading, listening, speaking and writing skills in your own time. You can also track you progress.

Happy Learning,
Meghan

Triathlons: The Best Sport Ever Conceived

This past weekend I participated in my first triathlon. It was an Olympic distance (1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run) race held in Kelowna, British Columbia. I’ve competed in a number of sports in my lifetime; including basketball, volleyball, track, football, rowing and running. I can honestly say I’ve never been as happy during a race as I was bouncing around from the lake, to the roads, to the streets of the Okanagan valley. The experience was so amazing; I have no reservation around unabashedly proselytizing the sport. Everyone should try a triathlon at least once in their lifetime.

Before you dismiss my enthusiasm. Consider I only decided to do a triathlon two months ago, I borrow a road bike to train and race, and I am regularly passed in the pool by the elderly and the pregnant.

Despite all this, I still can’t wait for the next race, and cherish all the time I am able to spend swimming, cycling and running.

Perhaps one can gain a little incite into the enthusiasm behind the sport by looking into its origin. According to sports historian Scott Tinley, early triathlons were held as off-beat training exercises for runners in history-rich port towns like La Rochelle and Marseille.

Let’s paint a picture here. You’ve been running along the French coast for the longest time. There’s nothing but pristine beaches, fine wine, ocean-side cafés, and blue skies for miles… I know… total yawnsville. But, you need a little something to shake things up. You look at the pristine blue water and some locals in their haute couture riding to work on their bikes. You think,”Ah oui!… I am going to float around in the water and take a little jaunt along the coastal roads before my run today”.

Et voila! That sums up the total vibe behind a triathlon. It’s all about having fun participating in a race built on three free-wheeling activities in the most picturesque of landscapes. What other sport offers this?

You may be think, "what about the labored breathing and excruciating lactic acid build-up"? The honest truth is: you decide whether you want to push yourself to those limits in a triathlon. You could chose to go out like Simon Whitfield in the Beijing Olympics; pushing your body to extremes only to race across the finish line on pure mental will. However, there is nothing saying you can’t take breaks, enjoy the scenery, and do the entire race with a smile on your face. As sure as the sun rises every morning, there will be others doing the same and feeling absolutely wonderful for their accomplishment.

If you are still not convinced. I simply ask you to give it a try. Join a local triathlon club, pick a race, follow the training and do the race at your own pace. You'll be sure to come out the other end beaming from ear to ear.

Happy racing!
Stephen

Finding Cheap Flights in Turbulent Times

Frustration, long lines, delays, bad food or no food at all, one blanket per row of 9, questionable movies, lost luggage….this is generally my experience of flying, but in order to get from A to B I have to grin and bear it and try to find the positives in flying…hmmm, frequent flier miles, the destination at the other end, views on a clear day to the landscape below, an excuse to read a good book for 10 hours straight.

I like to consider myself pretty good at finding economical flights on the web, but it requires some research and patience. If you have the time, it is best to shop around and wait a few weeks before making your purchase, unless of course, you find that one deal that is too good to be true.

I have worked in the travel industry for close to 4 years now, and have traveled for many more, but I am still no closer to understanding how airlines work then I was 10 years ago. Prices change all the time, and there seems to be no pattern to why this happens. We hear all the time from our travellers “the flight was $800 yesterday and then today when I went to book it, it had increased to $1200”. I don’t get it either, but chances are the next day the flight might be back to $800 again. So if you have the time it’s worth checking on the flight for a week or two to see if and what changes are occurring in the price.

Below are some suggestions for booking and finding the most economical flight for your next adventure:

1) Search the web and check various sites for the best deal. Some websites for booking flights are Expedia, Travelocity, Kayak, Orbitz and Sidestep. When booking on these sites check prices daily to see how they fluctuate before making the purchase. Everyone on a plane pays a different price because there are so many classes of service, which all have different rates, plus seat sales. I've saved as much as $500 off of a ticket by monitoring sites for a week or two.

2) These days there are so many different classes of travel. Airlines are cutting out services and then giving us the option to either purchase this service for an extra cost or reduce the price of the ticket by not opting for the service. Some of the “extra services” include advanced seat selection, the ability to change or cancel your flight, meal packages or complimentary hotel accommodations if flights are delayed. Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t most of these services included in air ticket prices not so long ago?

3) Booking flights on points can be time consuming, and oftentimes needs to be done far in advance to secure a seat. However, if you have time, check daily for availability because seats almost always open up. People either cancel or lose their reservation for not confirming within the allotted time frame. I have always gotten the flights I wanted when booking on rewards, yet I often hear people complain that they never do. It requires a bit of diligence, but it is well worth the effort.

4) When purchasing flights, check to see the amount of points you will be rewarded to your air miles. I know some of the cheaper flights only reward 50% of the air miles, so in the long run you might as well spend the extra money on the flight to get all your miles rewarded. As well, if you're flying with an airline that you don't have air miles with, but you do with one of their partner airlines, check to see that the class of service your ticket is booked in qualifies for rewards with your air miles membership.

5) If you have extra vacation time and are heading to Europe, we recommend finding a cheap charter flight to London and then flying from there with one of the many cheap airlines such as Ryan Air and Easy Jet. Sometimes these flights can be ridiculously cheap.

6) Give us a call and we can check to see if our air consolidators can find you economical flights. Consolidators get bulk rates because they are booking in volume.

Happy Travels
Meghan

Save the World… Travel

A number of years ago I was driving from my home town of London, Ontario to Satellite Beach, Florida. I stopped at some random gas station in West Virginia to buy a drink and some gas. I started a conversation with the middle-aged attendant. The name on his shirt was Alowishus. He was quick to observe that I wasn’t a local. In a long southern drawl, he asked me, “Where’re you from?” I told him I was from Canada. He didn’t know where that was. I explained Canada was the country just north of Detroit. He said he kind of knew where Detroit was, but he didn’t know there was a country north of Detroit. Then, all of a sudden he lit-up and asked, “Hey, isn’t that where they live in igloos?” I thought he had to be kidding. It turned out Alowishus was dead serious.

It’s easy to be critical of such a character. How could anyone be geographically and culturally ignorant of an entire country that borders their own? It would be so simple to turn this piece into a segment from The Tonight Show’s Jaywalking.

But, that would be missing the point, and hypocritical.

When I was last in Thailand, I expressed surprise that Thailand had a monarchy from the back seat of a taxi. The taxi driver huffed at me through is rear view mirror as if to say, “How could you not know?”

How could I not know?

I work in the world of information. I have a laptop and access to Wikipedia. Really, how could I be smug about Alowishus thinking 30 million Canadian’s carve their homes out of ice?

When I told a friend and wise mentor of mine about my conundrum, he was quick to point out there are things I know (e.g. I know how to drive a car), things I know I don’t know (e.g. I know I don’t know how to speak Russian), and things I don’t know I don’t know (i.e. everything else I am completely unaware of). The point being: You can’t beat yourself up for not knowing what you simply don’t know.

The truth is we can’t be conscious of everything. But, when you travel you have a chance to open your eyes to new ideas and new ways of seeing things. Attitudes change from one of incredulity and intolerance, of difference perspectives and attitudes, to one of deep interest and acceptance.

The next time I bump into Alowishus or someone like him, I'll invite him or her to check Canada out first hand and see we have cities, cars, grocery stores instead of the white expanse he might have imagined. Hopefully, they'll catch the travel bug to see how the rest of the world lives. Hopefully they'll tell their stories and inspire others to travel, learn and appreciate the beautiful world we live in.

Happy Travelling,
Stephen

Great Videos from the World of Travel - Part 2

Here is the second installment of excellent video shorts from the world of travel. We found some fun takeoff and landing video from St Maarten.

Enjoy!
Stephen

Have the Best Stories... Travel

Arguably the best stories in life come from travel. When our individual preconceptions clash with those of a foreign country, we are presented with surprise, humor and potentially unending degrees of confusion.

I had my first real taste of a completely foreign culture when I was 25. I went to Korea for a summer to teach English in small town in southern South Korea called Yeo-chun.

The experience was outstanding. I had an apartment that overlooked the seaside, made plenty of new friends, and took every opportunity to dive into the local culture –“when in Rome…”

However, everyday, there was something new that shook my preconceptions about the world and my place in it. Here are some of my stories.

English Classes: Teaching was one of the most fulfilling things I’d ever done. All of my students were absolutely fantastic. My classes ranged from kindergarten to university and professional levels. My students all progress at remarkable speeds with the exception of one thing. Regardless of their grade level, G's were pronounced like Z's and Z's as G's. And, if you worked to switch the two, they both came out sounding like "dwee", which is how V was pronounced.

Student Riots: I’d fly up to Seoul almost every other weekend to meet up with friends. A half dozen times throughout the summer, we’d turn around some random corner only to be engulfed in a thick cloud of tear gas. Almost every weekend, young adult students rioted against young adult soldiers. It seemed so ironic. Regardless, it was good fun to see my friends turn into a pathetic mass of tears. I am sure I looked just as sad. I think the store clerks gave us refuge just so they could share in the laugh.

Sun Tanning: Simple... sun tanning was considered indecent before May 31st and after August 31st. If you did it in the off-season, even by one day, expect to be frowned at. And by frowned at, I mean get a look of disappointment that’ll rip the very fabric of your soul.

Mosquitoes: They were organized, in numbers, and out to drain your entire circulatory system. I had an infallible layer of netting over my windows. Regardless, when I woke up in the morning, there were usually two dozen of them on my bedroom walls fat with my blood. I’d take my revenge, but my room started to look like something out of Amityville Horror. I had to think twice about adding “clean blood off my walls” to my desk top calendar at work.

Soju: Korea produces a rice-based spirit called Soju. To date, I have never had a worse hangover in my life. Certain brands should be labeled with that toxic symbol you see on bleach containers. The director of my school had to be hospitalized for a couple days for drinking too much one night. Strangely, I felt a touch responsible. In some ways I think my western ways may have been a touch liberal for him and the local community.

Kind Gestures: I left the school one late evening at the same time as one of my female students. Since it was dark, I decided I’d be responsible and walk her to the bus stop just around the corner. The next morning I was met at the school by two policemen who were there to extradite me back to Canada. Apparently, alleged fraternization with female students is a contemptible offense. To get me off the hook, it took the school director to explain western cultural differences and a guarantee from me that I’d never do it again.

Food: Food is not what food is at home. To highlight some of the differences, here are a few examples:
• Live seafood: A live octopus is taken out of its water tank. The tentacles are immediately cleaved off. You put one of the wiggling digits in your mouth, chew, swallow and chase it down with a shot of soju. It's a lot like doing tequila shots, but in reverse. When doing shots of tequila, you bite into a lemon to hide the taste of the liquor. With octopus, you take a shot of Soju to numb the feeling of the tentacle wiggling all the way down your throat.
• Stir-fried silkworm larvae (Bondegi): They are fried in a big wok and sold by the Dixie cup. You eat them as you would popcorn in a movie theater. A friend and I tried them together. The experience hardly lasted one second after my friend opened his mouth and I equated it to the textures and tastes in my mouth.
• Dog (Kegogi): Enough said.
• Raw livestock parts: Again, enough said.
• Chicken: You think you are safe with this one. Think again. Never count your chickens till you see it hasn't been boiled in a pressure cooker to the point it's turned into poultry gel.

Driving: Driving in Korea is a fine art. Drive fast and honk your horn at as many things as you can (moving or not). Shoulder checks are optional. Here’s a little anecdote. A friend and I went for a car ride with one of our adult students. He somehow managed to get into a fender-bender with the only other car on this nearly abandoned country road. My friend and I walked home willingly.

The Mentally Insane: I have not been able to confirm this. I’ve been told the homeless mentally insane are made to wear a white square eye patch over one eye. I saw the eye patch and the crazy person wearing it. However, it just seemed so very strange to be true.

Fumigation: Fumigation is done periodically throughout apartment complexes with infestations. However, if you can not understand evacuation warnings blasted out over outdoor loudspeakers in Korean, expect to find yourself lost, choking and near death as you stumble five flights, completely blind, down the only available stairwell to safety. (Note: Important! Fumigation smoke does not leave a thin layer of clear air one foot from the floor as we've all been told in case of a house fire).

Of course, stories aren’t really worth anything if you don’t share them. I invite you to share the moments that made you laugh, cry or shake your head.

Great Videos from the World of Travel - Part 1

Being in the travel industry, we come across some excellent video shorts related to travel. This week we thought we’d start sharing some of our favorite picks.

Enjoy!!
Stephen

Where the Hell is Matt (4:29 mins)


Vietnam Traffic Intersection (0:09 mins)


Secret Seats on Airplanes (1:28 mins)


Lyra Bird (3:59 mins)


Panama Canal Timelapse (1:56 mins)