Mobile Phone Use While Flying: Not All That Popular Says Survey

by Chris Owen on

Just when those who would like to use their mobile phone in the air get a break, a new survey says most travelers would prefer that they keep it turned off.

Not long ago, Virgin Atlantic announced it would allow mobile phone calls during flights on its London to New York route. Calls made will cost £1 a minute and a text will be 20 pence, much more than on the ground but worth it to those who need uninterrupted communications ability.

But a new survey from flight comparison site Skyscanner has revealed 86 percent of those surveyed said it would be “annoying to listen to other people’s conversations” reports Caribbean News Digital.

“In a world where we are now almost always ‘on call,’ it seems people don’t want to say good-bye to their last sanctuary of non-connectivity,” says Sam Baldwin, Skyscanner Travel Editor. “Flying allows us to switch off for a few hours, both from our own calls, and other people’s.”

Even those who like the idea of using their mobile phone in the air are not all that excited about it. Only 1 percent of respondents said they would actually pay more to fly with an airline that offered mobile call ability – surely not enough to get airlines in the mood to offer it.
The Skyscanner survey also revealed 48 percent said they would send texts, 35 percent said they would surf the web, 10 percent would send email, but only 6 percent would actually make and take calls.



[Flickr photo by Tim Psych]

The Greeks Are Not Lazy

by Dave Seminara on

The reason why Greece is in such serious trouble is because the Greeks are a lazy people who while away the days drinking ouzo on the beach, playing backgammon in cafés, smashing plates and dancing the Sirtaki – Zorba’s Dance. Now their culture of irresponsibility is finally catching up to them and they’re in danger of bringing the entire global economy down with them.

Not everyone has been this blunt in assessing the Greek crisis, but the country and its people have been taking a beating in the court of world opinion over the last year. Thomas Friedman, the New York Times columnist, implied that Greeks needed to be more like Germans in how they saved, how many hours they worked and how frequently they vacationed. This, despite the fact that according to the OECD the Greeks work longer hours than anyone else in Europe – a full 40 percent more than Germans, for example.

Next, “60 Minutes” got in on the “Greeks Are Lazy” innuendo with a story that stated, “In the past, when the Greeks found their accounts overdrawn, the country simply printed more money, or devalued its currency, to accommodate the relaxed Greek lifestyle.” The clip to accompany the narration showed a pair of young Greeks laughing and embracing.And Fox News analyst Bob Beckel said that Greeks were “a bunch of lazy people who don’t work.” And scores of other politicians and pundits have been less blunt while delivering a similar point.

I think the main reason why there seems to be so little sympathy for the plight of the Greeks is this persistent stereotype that the Greeks have been partying a bit too hard and need to put their noses to the grindstone and get to work.

I’ve been traveling to Greece for more than 15 years and have had the pleasure of getting to know lots of Greeks in the U.S. No two are exactly alike but the common thread I’ve noticed across this culture is their love for and pride in their country, and their strong work ethic. They travel the world in search of work but retain their culture and always strive to return home to Greece. Let me introduce you to a few of the Greeks I’ve met while traveling in Greece the last few weeks.

Sofia Tsatsa works at the City Market along the harbor in Kos, an island in the eastern Aegean that was home to Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine (see first photo). I was in Kos for ten days and shopped at this market every night, and Sofia and her co-workers, Barbara and Sotiria, were always hard at work. One night, I asked them if they were looking forward to the weekend or their next day off.

“Day off?” Barbara said, looking at me as though she was unfamiliar with the concept. “We don’t have days off.”

At the moment, there is no real minimum wage in Greece, no mandated vacation time and many employers are using the crisis as an excuse to slash workers’ wages. Sofia and her colleagues work seven days a week, ten hours per day, usually until 2 a.m. and they make only 800€ per month for their efforts.

Think they’re an aberration? Walk out of the City Market, take your second left on Themistokleous Street, and meet Bogdana Petrova, a Greek of Bulgarian origin who runs the Easy Laundromat. Bogdana works from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. every single day with no days off. I brought a mountain of laundry to her shop one day and was almost embarrassed when she asked for just 6€ to wash, dry and fold the whole travel wardrobe of our family of four.

Duck out of the Easy Laundromat and head to the Kosta Palace Hotel along the harbor. Amble up to the front desk and you’ll find either Kotsifakos Manos (see photo below) or his wife, Elena on duty. Each day, one works the early shift and the other works the late shift, so they don’t see each other until 11 p.m. each night. Their next day off? Not until November 1, the start of the slow season in Kos.

These are the people you’ll meet when you travel to Greece. Take the time to talk to them, learn their stories and you’ll see the Greek work ethic in person. Trying to dissect exactly how Greece got itself into this mess is tricky, but if you want to try to apportion blame, start with Greece’s politicians, who have allowed the country’s oligarchs to evade taxes on a grand scale, while allowing Greece’s public sector to mushroom, all the while trying to pretend as though their government’s profligate spending was somehow sustainable.

Ask Dimitris Kalaitzes, the owner of Jimmy’s Balcony, a restaurant that overlooks Patmos’s glorious harbor, how Greece is viewed in the world and he’ll tell you about what an NYPD officer asked him after pulling him over on the Verazzano Bridge earlier this year.

“He said, ‘Greece is this small little country, how is it possible that it could bring down the entire world economy?'”

Greece is going to the polls again on June 17, and according to many I’ve spoken to, Syriza, a leftist coalition that wants to renegotiate Greece’s austerity deal with the E.U. and the I.M.F., may very well win.

“They are suffocating us,” said Anna Avgouli, the editor of Stathmos, a weekly newspaper in Kos, referring to the EU/IMF austerity deal. “The Greek people are ready for change and that makes Europe afraid. Greeks are ready to stand on their own feet.”

If you travel to Greece this summer, and you should, have no doubt that you’ll receive an even warmer welcome than usual. Greeks are angry and embarrassed by how their country has been portrayed in the international media and they are eager to show the world what their country and their culture are all about.

And if you want to put the current crisis in perspective, visit the Holy Monastery of St. John the Theologian, built in 1088 near the site where St. John the Divine wrote the Book of Revelation. I asked the Monastery’s Abbott about the Greek crisis and his response summarized for me the capacity of the Greek people to endure just about anything.

“Crisis?” he said, looking a bit confused by my question. “We’ve been here for 10 Centuries and we will continue on.”

(Photos by Dave Seminara)

Visit The Newport Medieval Ship In Wales

by Sean McLachlan on


When the city of Newport, Wales, was building its Riverfront Arts Centre back in 2002, there was an amazing discovery. A large medieval trading vessel was discovered in very good condition.

The ship measured about 85 feet in length and was 26 feet wide at its widest point. The timbers of the clinker-built ship survived the centuries thanks to the oxygen-poor conditions in the River Usk where it was found. This kept microbes from feeding on the ship.

Hundreds of artifacts were recovered during the excavation, including an hourglass, a shoe, a cannonball and Portuguese coins. The most important artifact was a small silver coin found wedged into a hole at the join between the stem post and the keel. This type of coin was minted in France from 1445-1456 and so the ship must date to then or later. Coins were often placed into the fabric of a ship when it was being built as a token of good luck.

While a planned museum for the ship hasn’t been built yet and restoration of the timbers isn’t finished, it’s still possible to visit the Newport Medieval Ship. There are various open days, including one on June 1 and another on June 9. The one on June 1 marks a decade since the ship was discovered. Visitors will get to see the restoration in progress and hear more about the ship and its times from local experts.

[Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons]

Adventurer Prepares For Global Triathlon

by Kraig Becker on

British adventurer Dan Martin is about to embark on an epic challenge that he calls the Global Triathlon. The journey, which is set to get underway from New York City any day now, will see Dan circling the globe completely under his own power, and just like any other triathlon he’ll be swimming, cycling and running the various legs. In this case, those legs just happen to be substantially longer.

All triathlons, regardless of length, always start with a swim and Dan’s is no different. In this case, however, that swim involves crossing the Atlantic Ocean. He’ll first enter the water in the Hudson River and start heading east, continuing to do so until he makes landfall in France. Along the way, Dan will be escorted by a support boat, which is where he’ll sleep, eat and rest while en route. At the end of each day, he’ll crawl on to the boat, replace as many burned calories as he can and try to regain his strength for the next day, when he’ll return to the water and continue on.

To date, only one other person has managed to swim across the Atlantic. Back in 1998, French long distance swimmer Benoit Lecomte managed to accomplish that feat in just over 73 days. Lecomte’s efforts are contested by some, however, because he didn’t use a GPS to strictly track his progress. Dan hopes to allow others to follow his progress via his website, keeping the world updated on his position at all times.Once he does arrive in France the cycling stage of the journey will begin. Dan will climb aboard his bike and start peddling across Europe and Asia – in the dead of winter no less. If everything goes as planned he’ll eventually end the bike ride in the city of Anadyr, located in Russia’s far east. From there he’ll hop across the Bering Sea and start the finale leg of the Global Triathlon, running from Uelen, Alaska, back to New York City. When he’s done, Martin expects to have covered roughly 18,640 miles.

Dan actually thought that he would be underway by now, but a few logistical hiccups have prevented him from getting started on time. Nonetheless, he and his support crew are currently in NYC and they hope to have everything ironed out soon. You can follow his progress and updates both on his Facebook page and through his Twitter feed.

Good luck Dan!

[Photo courtesy Dan Martin]


How To Have Good Luck Around The World

by Jessica Festa on

Do you carry a lucky penny or have a rabbit’s foot attached to your key chain? For some new ideas on how to keep your luck running high, here are good luck rituals from around the world.

Bury A Llama Fetus In Bolivia

Walking around the Witches’ Market in La Paz, Bolivia, you’ll see myriad mummified llama fetuses. These aren’t just for decoration, but are actually a good luck charm from ancient Andean culture. Before a new house is built, a llama fetus is buried under the foundation to help give the owners good luck.

Paint Your Door Red In China

In China, it is thought that painting your door red is not only welcoming, but will also bring good fortune and happiness. In Feng Shui, it is believed the door is the mouth of the house, and a bright red color can draw positive energy to the home. There are many other rituals for good luck in China, such as keeping a paqua, or small octagon mirror, above the bed or by the front door to keep bad energy away from your home and out of your dreams. Moreover, having a water source on the property is thought to bring wealth and happiness.

Throw Your Old Appliances Out The Window In Italy

Traditionally, throwing your old appliances, clothing and housewares out of the window on New Year’s Eve in Italy is thought to bring good luck for the future. According to Walks of Italy, the thought is that you are letting go of the past and ridding yourself of any negatives you may have experienced. While the custom isn’t practiced by everyone anymore due to safety reasons, there are those who are still keeping the tradition alive for the country.

Some other good luck practices in Italy include tossing coins on the floor or under your bed, exchanging sweets on New Year’s Eve and lighting a Christmas log on the last day of the year to ward off evil spirits. Additionally, at weddings the groom will often carry a piece of iron in his pocket during the ceremony to keep evil spirits away, while the bride may rip her veil a bit to bring the couple good luck.

Toss A Baby From A Temple In Southern India

Yes, you read that right. In southern India, it is an age-old tradition to toss a baby off a 30-foot temple balcony, to be caught on the ground by a giant blanket. The ritual is said to bring the newborn good luck. According to Ian Garland of the Daily Mail, the practice was banned by the Indian government in 2009 but returned in 2012 to the Nagrala Village, as many locals believe it is their religious duty to carry out the ceremony.

A less shocking ritual in India is people exchange sweets for good and prosperity when they visit a home during a festival.

Have A Young Boy Roll In Your Bed Before Your Wedding In Singapore

In Singapore, there are many good luck traditions that revolve around weddings. First there is an chuang, or the setting of the bed. Before the wedding, a prosperous man will come to help determine where to place the marrying couple’s bed. A young male relative will then come and roll on the bed, to bless the couple with fertility. Foods like green beans, red beans, oranges, dates and other fruits are then scattered around the bed for good luck.

There is also shang tou, or hair combing, that takes place on the eve of the wedding. The hair of the marrying couple must be combed four times, usually by a female relative. The first round of combing represents the continuity of marriage, while the second stands for a harmonious union into old age. The subsequent stoke is a blessing of fertility, and the final combing is a wish for prosperity in a long-lasting marriage.

Wear Yellow Panties On New Year’s Eve In Colombia

While it may sound funny, Colombians like to ensure good luck for the entire year by taking some precautions on New Year’s Eve. They first ensure good fortune by wear yellow underpants. And to help bring even more luck, they consume 12 grapes at midnight on the special day. Additionally, Colombians don’t “pass the salt” to other people, as they believe this brings misfortune.

Burn A Chameleon If You’re Unmarried In Morocco

For unmarried women in Morocco, it is often believed that burning a chameleon in a glass will erase their bad luck, and increase their chances of getting married. Likewise, before a wedding ceremony the groom will often send his bride-to-be gifts, such as boxes of milk and Henna plants, to bring good luck for a happy and successful marriage. Also in regards to weddings, the woman getting married, who is traditionally expected to visit a hammam to be purified, will be soaked with water seven times by her close girlfriends, in order to bring good luck to her new life.

It’s not just brides and grooms who participate in good luck rituals. If you have a turtle in your garden or your home, and you keep it, you will also be brought good fortune.

Carry A 5-Yen Coin In Your Wallet In Japan

While 5 yen ($0.06) may not sound like a lot of money, this coin, pronounced “go-en” in Japanese, is close to the pronunciation for the words for destiny, karma or good luck. It is also the only coin with a hole in the center, making it easy to turn into a charm. In Japan, many people carry it in their wallet or purse, or wear it on a ribbon or chain for good luck.

Another way to procure good luck in Japan is through Daruma dolls. The papier-mâché figures are egg-shaped, and bare the likeness of Bodhidharma, the monk credited for founding Zen Buddhism. The dolls are sold with blank white eyes, and locals will add the first pupil when a goal is set and the second when a goal is achieved. Moreover, the dolls are considered a symbol of good luck by the Japanese.

Get A Tattoo In Tahiti

The word “tattoo” actually comes from the Tahitian word tatu, so it’s no wonder that this form of body art is so important to the culture. In fact, getting a tattoo is a ritual to bring luck and protection, as the tattoo represents your history, family background and often includes symbols that represent good fortune.

Another good luck ritual in Tahiti occurs during a wedding ceremony. This is when the priest will offer a blessing with a sacred auti flower and coconut milk. While doing this, the priest joins the bride and groom’s hands together and reads from a certificate of tapa cloth, usually made from a hibiscus tree.

Hold Lead And Boiling Water Over Your Head In Turkey

In Turkey, one way many people rid themselves of bad omens is through the ritual of lead pouring. To begin, the lead-pourer melts a tablespoon-sized piece of lead in a pan, while the person who is looking for good fortune sits with a cloth on their head for protection from the hot metal. From there, a small pan of boiling water is held over the person’s head, while the liquid lead is added. Most times, a prayer is chanted during the ritual. When the lead hits the water, it immediately turns solid, absorbing the person’s bad omens.

Another good luck tradition is to visit a special church that is open for just one day a year: April 23. Aya Yorgi, a Greek Orthodox church, receives hundreds of people on that day annually. These visitors tie multi-colored threads to trees at the bottom of the hill leading up to the church, in an attempt to bring good fortune.

Wear Baboon Skin On Your Head In Tanzania

According to Fair Travel Tanzania, who kindly interviewed the Hadzabe tribe in Tanzania, Africa, there is a ritual performed to help hunters who do not have luck catching animals. First, the elders advise them to wear baboon skin on their head and body, while putting beads on their shoulders. This is done at night, either under a baobab tree – the most sacred tree for Wahadzabe – or in the camp where they live. The whole community participates by singing and dancing and smearing the unlucky with herbal medicine to clear their misfortunes. Then, elders take the bows and arrows of the participants to bless them: “Haine (or God bless) these bows and arrows and make them shoot better,” is repeated over and over again. The unlucky also get to chew herbal medicinal plants, and should be good and ready for hunting the next morning.

Play Traditional Instruments For Friends And Family In Aruba

In Aruba, they try to ensure good luck for the new year through a ritual known as Dande. The tradition has been going since around 1880, right after the slaves were liberated. Groups made up of five or six people visit the homes of their families and friends, wishing these loved ones good luck and happiness for the upcoming year through music. Traditional Aruban instruments, like the tambu, wiri and raspa are played, along with the cuarta, guitar violin or the accordion to produce the upbeat rhythms of Dande. Lyrics for the songs usually incorporate well wishes for each person present. After the music is over, the head of the household will offer the performers a drink. What’s really interesting is the tradition is very local to the culture, as no other islands in the Caribbean participate in Dande.