My Travel Tales

It is a perfect destination for everyone

Moving halfway around the world, to a culture as foreign and difficult to penetrate as Japan's is difficult for anyone. If you become an English teacher here, you will probably have to deal with a Japanese boss and staff with different cultural values from your own. This can lead to a feeling of paranoia in some cases; isolation and disillusionment.

To a great extent, leaving your friends and family and going to Japan to teach English engenders some of the same feelings as that of teenagers rebelling from their parents in the West. Teenagers rely on their parents, yet resent and rebel against them. Of course they complain to their friends about them too.

Foreign English teachers in Japan must rely on their Japanese bosses for: their work visa, in some cases their apartment, and of course their salary. Some teachers come to Japan with virtually no knowledge of the country. Childlike, they ask questions about Japan that many six year old Japanese know the answers to. The new teacher can feel embarrassed at times having to ask such basic questions as how do I use the Japanese toilet in my apartment? Can you open a bank account for me tomorrow? How do I get home from the school? To someone used to being independant, it is an uncomfortable, flashback to the teenage years.

Japan is a beautiful, interesting, yet daunting country for the newcomer. Some people thrive in the adventure that is teaching English in Japan and others don't. For them it is the toughest thing they have ever done. The new arrival to Japan is faced with three alphabets to learn just to read her pay cheque! One comes to feel pretty helpless and childlike at times. Going to the doctor for your first cold can be intimidating. You don't understand her questions and she doesn't understand your answers.

Paranoia is common amongst immigrants the world over. Experts argue it is a symptom of not understanding what is going on around you– linguistically and culturally. The isolation this can lead to, causes the paranoia.

Resentment can set in if you are not prepared for this kind of culture shock. The possible symptoms of culture shock are many, and of course different levels of culture shock can occur over many years. If you are not a member of the majority, culture shock can hit you at any time. One symptom we often see in Japan is that of foreigners lashing out by complaining. They complain about the food, they complain about Japanese people, if they work for a Japanese company, they complain about how they are mistreated, and if they work for an Eikaiwa school, (which comprises most Western foreigners in Japan), they complain about the Eikaiwa school they work for. Some complain about all Eikaiwa schools as if all of them are the same, and all are bad. Some expats in an attempt to beef up future sales for the book they are writing, even set up a whole website to complain about Eikaiwa.

While there are certainly problems in Eikaiwa, there are many great things happening too. You only have to open the pages of an ETJ magazine, ELT Journal, or read the latest article at ELT News to see that. No this prevalence of complaints is something more. Indeed culture shock is one aspect of this phenomenon.

At many of the big schools the working hours are about the same as they are at public schools in North America. Yet the teachers of GEOS and Nova complain about their 28 hours of teaching and 40 hour a week shifts. (They work a 9 hour shift, five days per week at GEOS, with a one hour lunch break which equals eight hours of preparation and teaching). One Canadian elementary school teacher said: " I don't know what they are complaining about. That is what I do every week. That is what we all do at the public schools in Canada."

At many schools though, the shifts are much shorter and they don't require you to be in the office. The work time of around 20- 25 hours per week, would be considered part-time work back home. At Kevin's English schools the teachers work between 20-25 hours per week with no requirements to be in the office when they are not teaching. Under the contract they can be asked to work as many as 28 hours per week but none are currently doing so. The current average is about 22 hours per week. They are not required to put in any office hours, so when they don't teach their time is their own.

Many of the Eikaiwa teachers miss their friends and family back home. Some were not happy in their home country and escaped to Japan to try to sort out their lives–only to find they are not happy here either. The old saying: "Where ever you go, there you are." springs to mind.

I assert that the rampant negativism on the internet about teaching at Eikaiwa schools is only in a very small part due to the schools, but is a symptom of culture shock and the difficulty adjusting to life in Japan for some teachers. It is a reaction to the sense of dependancy some teachers feel as they have to rely on their bosses and Japanese staff for many things.

The boss who is in some cases also the landlord, is cast by the teacher (unconsciously) in the role of parental figure, and the Eikaiwa teacher, the star of our show, is the rebellious teenager with a need to get it off his or her chest. The internet forums provide the perfect venue for that.

While most Eikaiwa teachers are well balanced and make the most of their time in Japan, it is the vocal minority we see on the internet complaining about how unfair their Eikaiwa school is. While some of these complaints are legitimate and the Eikaiwa school should be taken to task, others are merely venting a teenage like rage, as they rale against what they fail to understand is simply culture shock.

If the person is your friend, you need to listen to them and sympathize, but at some opportune moment, you may want to suggest to them, that couldn't their negative feelings about their boss or school be due to something else? If their complaint is legitimate then talking with their union, labour relations board or finding a new job with one of the many great Eikaiwa schools here, might be the answer.

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An air travel finder can be the best tool you ever use, and with these top 7 money-saving tips you will get the best deals possible on you air travel:

1. Make your reservation as early as possible. At least 14 days in advance, but aim for at least 21 days in advance. After this time, the air tickets can easily more than double in price.

2. Be flexible with your travel time. Changing the day or the time of day can drastically reduce the price of your air travel. The best day to fly on is Wednesday, which is also the best day to book the flight on. The cheapest time to fly is early morning or late evening.

3. Fly during the off-season. Prices are a direct result of supply and demand. As demand goes down, prices go down as well, benefiting flyers.

4. Shop all the airlines. This is the most possible using a couple of key air travel finder companies that I recommend on my site. Being able to check all the airlines at the same time can get you the best deal.

5. A stopover instead of a direct flight can result in huge savings.

6. Membership in some clubs like AAA can get you discounts. With air travel prices at an all-time low this isn't as influential on the price as it is shopping between the airlines themselves. You get much better deals using an air travel finder to check prices of the different airlines against each other.

7. Look into air travel packages. Purchasing your air travel, hotel, and rental car through the same place usually gives a huge discount. Using a bigger air travel finder will allow you to do all of this on the same website. I have recommendations for this on my site as well.

The prices on air travel tickets are a direct result of competition, inventory, and demand. Competition is the airlines competing with each other. Inventory is how many seats are left open on a given flight. Demand is how many people are looking for air travel tickets. By choosing the least-crowded flights that are the least in demand, you get the lowest price. It's really that simple.

As you can see, there are many ways to get better prices. If you use a major air travel finder and choose the best days and times to fly, you can often get unbelievable deals and save a hefty amount of money in the process.

<b>Virgin America One Step Closer</b>

Virgin America is moving one step closer to starting operations. With management staff being hired and the first group of pilots being interviewed, the airline has also filed with the DOT its desired service area.

Named in the start up airline's report to the DOT were 40 U.S. markets the carrier "would potentially be interested in serving." Chief markets planned include San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, and New York. The airline listed Raleigh-Durham and Austin, TX as two of the several smaller markets of interest to the company.

Virgin America is still in the vetting process with the FAA and DOT. Opposition has come from competing airlines who question whether the airline's U.S. owners wouldn't be unduly influenced by British investor Richard Branson who has helped start several other Virgin label airlines over the years.

<b>Hooters Air Behind On Fuel Payments</b>

Hooters Air may be a favorite airline to passengers because of its "Hooters Girls" helpers, but the airline is not a favorite with airline officials at one Pennsylvania airport.

The Lehigh Valley International Airport is claiming that Hooters Air is behind on fuel payment charges to the tune of $1 million. This is the second time that the airport has had an outstanding fuel charge with a discount carrier in the past year. Southeast Airlines was the other carrier and it went out of business leaving the airport unable to collect what was owed to it.

Hooters Corporation is headquartered in Atlanta and owns Pace Airlines which operates Hooters Air flights. Hooters is a privately held organization operating 400 restaurants nationwide, a new casino in Las Vegas, and a new publication, Hooters Magazine.

<b>China To Produce Commercial Aircraft</b>

China is entering the commercial aircraft industry with the production of a 70-90 pax seat regional jet according to a report appearing in the Shanghai Daily.

The ARJ21 jet will be built by the China Aviation Industry Corporation, currently a producer of the country's military jets. The jet will be tested in 2008 and is likely to go to its first customer, Shandong Airlines in 2009.

Cambodia has seen far more than its fair share of tragedy and misery. The blind masseuses offer a glimpse of the true Cambodian heart and will to carry on.

Seeing Hands Massage

With the onset of the genocidal rule of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia took a serious turn for the worse from the late 1970s through the early eighties. When the Khmer Rouge were finished killing or starving as much as twenty percent of the population and finally thrown out of power, the land turned into a lawless morass with all that implies. During this time, numerous people were left disabled. A particularly significant disability was blindness, which arose from torture or muggings undertaken by throwing battery acid in the face of victims.

As the country recovers, a unique and heartening development has occurred with Cambodians that are blind. The Association for the Blind in Cambodia, along with international backers, has been training the blind to be masseuses. Their motto is, "The blind can see with there hands."

Members of the association travel the country to find potential masseuses. The individuals are then trained until they are masters of the art of massage. The Association has even gone one step further. In Sihanoukville, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, the Association for the Blind has opened massage businesses known as "Seeing Hands," which solely employee the blind masseuses.

I heartily and enthusiastically recommend you get a massage at Seeing Hands if you're traveling in Cambodia. Driving anywhere in Cambodia is a bone jarring experience. There is no better way to get out the knots than one of these massages. The masseuses are friendly and seem to be able to find every little knot. I guarantee you'll feel like a new man or woman after getting one.

Each Seeing Hands location has slightly different prices, but all are cheap as is typical for Cambodia. You can expect to spend between three to five dollars for the best one-hour massage you've ever had.

On top of it, you'll feel good to know you're helping people help themselves. In fact, many of the masseuses make more money a month than people who can see!

The true magic you'll find when you travel to Thailand is its alluring authenticity. Thailand is the only Southeast Asian nation never to have been colonized by European powers; consequently, the still-standing and functioning monuments of the past attract visitors who admire thousands of years of history integrated into present day society. Even more appealing, Thailand offers the diversity of a society running in parallel: booming city life and leisurely beach escapes, thickly canopied jungles and white sand islands, indulgent cuisine, clubs and cocktails and the sanctuary of Buddhist lifestyle. Thailand has come of age as a traveler's dream destination, an affordable gateway to paradise with all the modern conveniences at your fingertips.

What's In a Name?

The Kingdom of Thailand was known as Siam until 1939, when a bloodless revolution instated a constitutional monarchy and the name was changed to literally mean "free" land. The original kingdom was founded in 1238, but largely influenced throughout history by China and India. Geographically, Thailand is surrounded by countries whose turbulent 20th century histories have defaulted tourism into its exotic but more accessible borders. For this reason, Thailand is also a wonderful home base from which to explore Cambodia and Laos to the east, Myanmar (Burma) to the west, and Malaysia to the south.

Wat You Waiting For?

Thailand is littered with just as many exciting cities as beautiful beaches. Where you might notice the imbalance is in the inconceivable number of temples, or wat. As the main center of the very north, Chiang Mai is a large, beautiful and historic city. A visit to the famous Night Bazaar or the nearby Wiang Kum Kam archeological ruins is certainly not enough to distract even the most oblivious from the more than 300 Buddhist temples that sprinkle the skyline with shiny gold, red and green hues. Make sure to visit Wat Chiang Mun, the city's (and possibly Thailand's) oldest temple, located within the old city walls and dating back to 1296. Heading south, do not miss Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, Thailand's two former capitals (the latter being the founding city) classified as World Heritage Sites filled with hundreds of beautifully maintained temples, statues and bustling human activity, all embedded within the lush green environs.

Bangkok is perched on the Gulf of Thailand, but this humming, vibrant and congested 24-hour capital city is a far cry from the resort cities and towns found east and south along Thailand's sub-tropical coastline. Thailand extends south into the Kra Isthmus, providing for extensive coastline and some of the most filmed beaches in the world. Phuket is the most famous resort island, but more rewarding is a trip to one of the smaller and less commercialized areas. Ko Tao is of particular interest for scuba divers, while Ko Pha Ngan has become famous among younger travelers for its regular full moon festivals held all night on the sparkling shores. Ko Phi Phi is far more breathtaking in person than even the camera angles of the film "The Beach" could do it justice.

Some rudimentary social customs aside, Thailand is an extremely easy going and welcoming travel experience. Everything from simple to luxurious is at your disposal, and all with a very fair price tag, not to mention an unbeatable combination of picturesque beaches, rainforested mountains, and an intense metropolitan culture. So really, what are you waiting for? Start planning to travel to Thailand today.

Orlando Florida is one of the best vacation spots for a family to visit. Orlando is home to Walt Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Studios Orlando. With the popularity of these theme parks it is a good idea to find an Orlando hotel conveniently located nearby. You will also want an Orlando hotel that caters to children.

A great Orlando hotel you might consider is the Hilton Walt Disney World Hotel Orlando. This is the official Disney World Hotel. All of the Disney theme parks are between 5 and 10 miles away. Down town Disney is actually 1 block away! Seaworld is located just 5 miles away. The hotel sits on 23 acres. It has 2 heated pools and a wading pool for the children. All rooms come with a mini bar and are nicely priced between $135 and $189. The hotel also has a ballroom that can occupy over 2000 people and over 70000 square feet of meeting and event space.

Another Orlando Hotel you may consider is the Wyndham Palace Resort. This hotel is located on a 27 acre separate island. It has 3 heated pools, a sauna, hot tubs, 2 playgrounds, volleyball courts, tennis courts, a hair salon, and a 24 hour fitness center. It is conveniently located within walking distance of Downtown Disney. It has competitive pricing between $89 and $99 and kids get to stay for free.

A very popular Orlando hotel is called the Westlakes resort. This is a 4 star hotel located on 110 acres with over a mile of lakefront. They offer 1 to 4 bedroom suites. Each suite comes with its own kitchen, whirlpool tub, washer and dryer, screened porch, and balcony. This hotel has several pools, tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts, Jacuzzis, shuffle board, and a top of the line gym. They even have a 10,000 square foot health spa and 6 restaurants to serve you. Staying here will cost you between $78 and $325.

The last Orlando hotel you might enjoy is the Clarion Hotel Universal. It is located half a mile from Universal Studios Orlando. They offer a free shuttle to Universal Studios Orlando and to Seaworld. All rooms come with a free security safe and coffee. The prices vary by season so you will have to check periodically.

Finding the perfect Orlando hotel can be a tricky endeavor. The above listed hotels are said to be the best and are all conveniently located near world famous attractions. Before choosing which hotel you stay at, try to decide which one offers you the most convenience for the attractions you wish too see. Also decide which amenities are the most interesting for you. If you have kids, be sure to pick a hotel that will be fun for them. With a little thought and a little patience, you will find the perfect Orlando hotel.

Traveling, particularly overseas, can be a great experience. For many people, it can also be an expensive one, which means you need to know how to save on expenses.

For many people, traveling is the ultimate method of rejuvenating their zest for life. On one hand, you get away from the constant interruptions of daily life that occur at work and home. On the other, you get to see a whole different way of living in another location, even if it is in your country. The only problem with traveling, of course, is it can put a whammy on your bank account.

Saving money when traveling is not as hard as you think. The number one thing to remember is that practically everything is negotiable. If it is not, such as the cost of flights, there are often timing issues that can result in savings. While there are hundreds of tips, here are a few you might be unaware of.

Traveling in a group is a great way to save money. Businesses in the travel industry like groups because they represent a pool of guaranteed money. If you can swing a group of 10 people for a trip, hotels, cruises, guides and such will provide you with their services for free. Just you, not the entire group. This may sound like a strange strategy, but it can work if you are mad about some location. You simply offer to provide a guided tour to the area and do some marketing. The cost of your trip is next to nothing and you may be able to write-off much of the remaining expense on your taxes. Of course, make sure to run it by your accountant.

When it comes to hotel bookings, it is important to understand that the price of every room is negotiable. A hotel assigns four, five and even ten different rates to each type of room they have. Obviously, they want to get the most for it, but they offer all types of deals to attract bookings during slow times. The best way to take advantage of this is through online hotel booking sites. Since these sites move massive quantities of bookings, they usually get the lowest or close to lowest prices. You just need to compare prices, point and click.

If you are traveling somewhere by plane, you are inevitably going to need ground transportation. Car rentals at airports tend to be price compared to in town options. If you must rent at the airport, the best way to get a deal is through your frequent flyer miles. Rates can be half as much as those posted at the desks. If you do not have frequent flyer miles, try to book through the online sites for the various rental companies. A number of them will be offering specials that can really add up to significant savings.

Taking small steps to save money on trips can make all the difference. Follow the above advice and you should see less of a drain on your bank account.

Taking a cruise is now one of the hottest vacations around. Why- because it has great vacation value. You pay for your cabin and all the food you can eat for 7, 10, or 14 days of luxurious pampering. That alone should put your mind at ease. Think about it. Not only don't you have to worry about keeping enough money for lunch or dinner on your fourth or fifth day of the vacation but you don't have to worry about trying to find a place to dine. There are a multitude of choices when you are cruising. On most of the large ships there are many restaurants to choose from. You can go casual, formal or just have pizza or hot dogs. And don't forget that there is always room service