Iranians the biggest gamblers in Asia? What are the odds?

by Aaron Hotfelder on

In the US, gambling online is technically illegal, but that doesn’t stop millions of Americans from playing poker and betting on sports over the internet. Some of us are even known to fund our travels that way (allegedly).

It turns out all of us dangerous gambling delinquents have something in common with the Iranians– we’re both fans of non-government-sanctioned internet gambling.

A British online gambling outfit called RummyRoyal has determined that the Islamic Republic of Iran has the highest ratio of online gamblers to population in all of Asia. This despite the fact that gambling is forbidden in Islam and under Sharia law.

Sasha Arkin, RummyRoyal’s game room manager, sees this as a good sign coming from Iran: “[T]hrough the exchange of messages and money, [Iranians] are breaking out of their isolation imposed by the State.”

It’s nice to know that the US and Iran, two countries often at odds with each other, have something in common: a propensity for passing dumb laws and an inability to enforce them. (Also we both like gambling.)

Bored? Got miles? Make some bag tags

by Grant Martin on

So you’ve got 1237 miles in your Northwest frequent flyer account, forty five minutes at lunch and some mischief rolling around in the back of your head. What to do?

Make some baggage tags — Northwest Airlines just fired up a tool to redeem 1,000 miles for customized bag tags. Customized with any pictures and text that you want.

While this does afford you the opportunity to make cute bag tags with you and your girlfriend/dog/house plant/parents, I think that we should be taking better advantage of this feature. Yes, Northwest did prohibit most of the fun stuff, including:

  • Competitive marks/names (e.g. American Airlines®, United, Continental Airlines®, etc.
  • Political statements
  • Branded products
  • Copyrighted or trademarked material not owned by Northwest Airlines
  • Celebrities/musicians/public figures/athletes/cartoons, etc.
  • Socially unacceptable groups (e.g. gangs, supremacy, etc.)
  • Provocative or sexual content
  • Violence
  • Profanity or obscenities
  • Any references to the Olympic Games or events (really?)
  • Any photo image that might interfere with airline or government security control (e.g. TSA, CREW, Diplomat, etc.)
  • Any printing or process that interferes with the production of the luggage tags
  • Other images as designated solely by Northwest Airlines

But there is yet plenty of room left to be creative. Some suggestions:

  • Photos of your friends’ mothers
  • Dirty pictures that are pixelated/zoomed in enough so that NW can’t tell what the image is.
  • A photo of your bag (in case they get separated!)
  • Personal Ads, in case you want to woo any baggage handlers
  • A photo of blogger Matthew Firestone, who I hear is a sexy, sexy devil (I can provide these photos if you would like).

Other thoughts? Send them our way.

Short on miles? Try out the Worldperks University where anyone with a mouse and a clue can get five hundred miles for free.

Give it a try at nwatagyourbag.com.

Lonely Planet Joins The Hotel Booking Game

by Josh Lew on

Since it was sold to the BBC, everybody’s favorite guidebook company has had uncertainty looming in its future. The brand took a step away from its paper-and-binding roots recently by signing a deal with Expedia and Hostelworld. The trio will join forces to provide an online hotel booking service.

Lonely Planet will put all those hotel reviews it has in its vaults to good use, while Expedia and Hostelworld will provide the nuts-and-bolts.

The move is good for LP. They are actively bringing the brand to an online audience, and by doing so, are ensuring their survival in a world populated by websites featuring user-generated travel reviews and tips. With guidebook writers already scouring the globe and bringing back write-ups about hotels, guest houses and hostels, it shouldn’t drain the budget too much.

Expedia might also come out well in the deal. They are a giant among booking sites, but perhaps not much of a player when it comes to the backpacking set. By working with LP, they will gain exposure to a new group of customers.

Hostelworld and Lonely Planet are a match made in backpacker heaven. The budget accommodation booking service gets to put its name next to two of travel’s biggest, LP gets the technical side of the venture taken care of without having to break a sweat, and Expedia, like I mentioned above, gets some exposure in a new demographic.

No word on when the service will be up and running, but I’m sure quite a few people are holding their breath in anticipation.

Photo from Flickr user ChihPing

Get your Chinese name in time for the Olympics

by Jamie Rhein on

Along with the tips for how to be a traveler that China would like to have back, the Hilton Hotels’ be hospitableTraveler section also has a fun, interactive page that will give you a Chinese name. This is another way the hotel chain is helping people gear up for the Olympics in Beijing through its “be hospitable traveler” campaign.

It’s simple. Fill in the boxes with your first name, last name, birth date-including year of birth, plus the quality you would like to bring to you, such as, wealth, or good character and, you’ll be given your Chinese name.

The Chinese characters, the English spelling, and the meaning of your name are provided almost as soon as you hit the send button.

As the site points out, this is merely for fun. Acquiring an authentic Chinese name involves a more detailed process. Still, this is one way to while away some time.

The name I was given by the web site, Ran (surname) Ji Mao (first name) is sort of close to what my name was when I lived in Taiwan.

I was given a Chinese name where I worked in order to get paid.

In case you’re wondering. Ji means: skill, ability, talent, and ingenuity. Mao means: thick, lush, dense and talented.

Dense?! Well, kind of.

Here is the link to the page that will give you your name. And here’s a link to an article that lists the top 10 lucky symbols. The one in the picture means “blessing, good fortune and good luck.”

Be hospitable in China: Tips for American travelers and athletes

by Jamie Rhein on

One of the best things a person can do before traveling to a new country is to find out cultural norms in order to know how to be polite. It’s a great way to make friends, get the best prices when bargaining, and to not create a situation where someone is mad at you because you’ve made a faux pas without realizing it.

Jim Wells at behospitable traveler.com of the Hilton Hotels hooked us into travel tips to help Americans (or anyone else for that matter) know how to behave when heading to China for the Olympic games.

This is part of the Hilton Hotels’ campaign to help people be the stellar travelers we love to love. Hilton Hotels is one of the sponsors of the games and have been getting involved big time. (No, I’m not being paid to say that, it’s just an observation.)

Whether you’re one of the athletes or a couch potato, follow these tips and you’ll leave China happy and the Chinese will be happy to have had you as a visitor.

The tips are presented by athletes in videos and print form. These are a good read whether you are going to China or not since they offer a glimpse into the Chinese value system. From this link, click on the hospitableTraveler: A call to Act box. This will lead you the tips. Click on the learn more tabs to “Thoughtfulness,” “Character” and “Awareness.” If you have problems accessing that link, try this one. Under the heading “Dining,” you’ll even find rules for using chopstick rules.

There is also a link to helpful Mandarin phrases like “Where is the bathroom?” When I was in Beijing, I used the bathroom at McDonald’s several times. I bet that by the time the Olympics start, Beijing will be flush in Western style toilets.