7,000 gold-digging Chinese women apply for a matchmaking cruise

by Annie Scott on

The JiaYuan matchmaking service in China is hosting a modern-day Cinderella ball. And friends, it’s a juicy one.

Basically, they’re taking applications to fill 80 spaces: 40 men and 40 women. The men must be worth over $7 million, and the women, well … “they will be stringently screened for their looks, physique and intellect, with marriage counselors on hand to judge whether they are ‘kind, gentle and tasteful,'” organizer Cheng Yongsheng told the Xinhua news agency, according to Reuters.

Apparently, after last year’s event (which includes a banquet, a ball, a five-star hotel and a cruise, all over the course of just two days), ten couples began dating and one couple has even gotten married. It’s like a reality show without the cameras.

Over 7,000 women in China have reportedly applied. Seven thousand! If you’re “kind, gentle and tasteful,” maybe you should, too. But you’re going to have to speak Chinese to navigate the website, and you’re also going to have to admit to yourself that you’re a gold-digger.

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If you’re into this, you should also check out Mike Barish’s article on Air New Zealand’s matchmaking flight.
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10 tips for traveling as a couple – and not breaking up

by Katie Hammel on

Traveling together for the first time as a couple can be a make-or-break experience. You can learn more about a person on a two-day trip than you can in a few weeks of dating.

When you travel with someone, you quickly figure out how he interacts with other cultures, how she manages money, how she handles stress, or how he deals with conflict when the two of you cannot escape each other. Not to mention, you’ll be privy to all those things the other person may have tried (maybe successfully) to hide from you before: she doesn’t look quite the same without her makeup on, and you do not want to go in the bathroom after he uses it first thing in the morning.

Travel can be a more intense experience than life at home, and that holds true for couples traveling together too. But, traveling with your mate can also be an enriching experience that brings the two of you closer. Here are some tips for traveling with your significant other, whether you’re planning your first trip together or have been exploring the world as a couple for some time.Start small
The length of time you spend on your trip should be directly proportionate to the amount of time you have been dating. Couples who have been together for years have a better chance of surviving long-term travel, while those who have been together for less than 12 months should stick to trips of a week to 10 days.

If you’ve only been dating a month or two, do not attempt more than a weekend jaunt for your first effort, and never plan a trip more days in advance than the amount of time you have been together. Known each other one month? I don’t care if you are in love. I still wouldn’t recommend you buy tickets for a two-week long trip for three months from now.

Pick the right location
I often hear people ask what is a good “romantic destination.” That’s the wrong question. Any destination can be romantic. Romance is more about who you are with, what you do, and your state of mind than where you are on the map. Sure, some locations are more picturesque or have more “romantic” lodging options, but that doesn’t mean they are the perfect place for you and your sweetie.

Focus more on what you want to see and do and go from there. If you get bored lying on the beach all day, you aren’t going to have a great trip, no matter how “romantic” the resort claims to be. Talk to your significant other and discuss what you each want to do and what your travel style is, and select a location based on those considerations.

Plan together
In many relationships, it seems like one person always takes the reins of planning while the other is content to be led. This can work out fine for decisions such as where to go to dinner, but when you are talking about spending several days, and possibly several hundred dollars, on a trip, both people need to contribute to the decision making. Once you’ve settled on a location, you can divvy up the planning responsibilities in one of several ways.

If one person is more of a foodie, he or she can select restaurants, while the person who is more passionate about history or art chooses which museums to visit. Another option is to alternate days when each person plans the itinerary. You’ll decided what to do on Monday; he’ll make Tuesday’s plan. The third option, and the one that works best for my husband and I, is to each make a plan based on what we want to do. Then we compare (usually finding that most of our “must-do” activities are the same) and craft a final itinerary from there.



Compromise
In the travel planning and on the trip, you have to realize that you can’t get your way all the time. When creating an itinerary that includes both what you want to do and what your significant other wants to do, you often will each have to give up a few things in order to make it work. One way my husband and I do this is to figure out how many activities, cities, or restaurants we can fit in on the trip. Then we each make a list of our top choices, filling in one from each person until we have maxed out our time. This way we each get to do the things that are most important to us.

Take time apart
For your sanity, and in order to do some things you may want to do that your mate does not, it’s important to take time apart on your trip. Whether it’s 20-30 minutes to clear your head with an early morning run on a short weekend trip, or taking off an entire afternoon of a week-long trip to visit a museum that your significant other has no interest in, spending some time apart is vital. It can help prevent you from getting frustrated with each other and having petty arguments, and it can allow you the time to do things that matter most to you. Plus, a little time apart can make you appreciate the time you spend together even more.

Talk budget before you go
Money is one of the main sources of disagreement for all couples, whether they be traveling or not. It’s easy to say, “I’m on vacation, I’ll deal with it later,” and then cry when you get your credit card bill. One member of the couple may also feel pressured to keep up with the other, which can then lead to resentment.

Before you begin booking your trip, talk openly and honestly about what you can afford and how you plan to divide the costs. Unless your finances are already shared, the best system is to set a budget and go dutch on all costs. This doesn’t have to mean splitting the check at every restaurant though. Just figure out how much you plan to spend on each expense and assign each cost to one person.

For instance, if your hotel will be $500 for five nights and the plane tickets were $250, you can pay for the flights while you mate pays for the hotel. If you’ve budgeted $100 per night for dinner, just switch off picking up the tab.

Be flexible
While I’m a firm believer in making an itinerary and planning a budget for every trip, I think it’s equally important to remain flexible. Things change. Sometimes after a long day of sightseeing, you just don’t want to go to that fancy restaurant you had selected for dinner. The day you wanted to climb the Duomo for the perfect view dawns cloudy and grey. Make a plan but plan for it to change. Always have a Plan B and Plan C and don’t let the little hiccups frustrate you. Sometimes the best things can happen when your plans fall through.

Keep a sense of humor
With precious little vacation time, sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves to have the perfect trip, to enjoy every single second of it to the fullest. When that doesn’t happen, we’re crushed. But things go wrong on the road. Planes are delayed, luggage gets lost, hotels lose reservations and sometimes even the most highly recommended restaurant turns out to be a disappointment.

When bad things happen, try to keep an open mind. So a crazy Italian chef screamed at you for suggesting that the swordfish wasn’t all that fresh(as happend to me on my honeymoon), don’t let it ruin your trip. Find a way to laugh about it and you’ll end up with a better experience, and a better story to tell when you come home. So you’re hopelessly lost, it’s raining and your train leaves in an hour. The worst that happens could be that you are out a bit of money and spend an extra night in the city. Try to keep things in perspective. Remember, in most cases, the troubles you have are minor and temporary.

Make time for romance
Any trip, any restaurant, any hotel, is as romantic as you make it. When we’re running around sightseeing, trying to pack a lot into a short trip, it’s easy to forget to slow down and appreciate the time we have with the one we love. Sometimes we need to schedule romance. On even the most budget trip, find a way to do something special for your partner. Whether it be a picnic with a view, an order of breakfast in bed, a splurge meal, or just a long moonlit stroll under the lights of the city, be sure to plan at least one thoughtful surprise for your significant other.

Protect your investment
Of course you and your love are never, ever going to break up. And certainly not before your week-long trip through Napa Valley or your two-week jaunt through his ancestral land of Ireland. But…..these things do happen. I know several people who’ve lost hundreds of dollars worth of plane tickets because they were dumped right before the trip, or who suffered through an uncomfortable vacation (rather than lose the money) and broke up as soon as they got home.

Don’t let this happen to you. Make sure that your ticket cost can be refunded or that the tickets can be changed. If you need to put down a deposit, find out when the last day to get a refund is. For a trip of significant cost, look into travel insurance, which often contains a “cancel for any reason” provision that would cover heartbreak and allow you to recoup all funds if the relationship goes sour.

Vintage clothes shopping across America – Don’t go without these tips

by Annie Scott on

Some people think the best shopping in America is in New York City. It’s true, we have all the Diors and Guccis you could want, but our vintage shopping can be just as expensive as designer shopping, which, if you ask me, just ain’t right. Sure, we have used-clothing shops like Beacon’s Closet in Brooklyn, and Cheap Jack’s (which has truly fabulous vintage clothing, but is not all that cheap), but what most savvy New Yorkers know is that vintage clothes can be bought much more inexpensively in other states, or at least upstate. In New York City, the demand for vintage clothes is high, and sellers know when they have a great item — and they price it accordingly.

In my travels across America I’ve always found the very best vintage clothing, shoes and even jewelry in small towns, where the cost of living (and demand) is low. A size 2 vintage dress priced at $150 might sell in a day in New York City, but in the middle of say, southwest Michigan, it might never leave the mannequin in the window. Jewelry enthusiasts might have an eye for a setting that a used-clothing store owner in the middle of Kentucky might not notice; and in some rare cases, designer labels are all but ignored, and you’ll find Prada on the same rack as Express. There is no Antiques Roadshow for clothing, but if there were, contestants would flock to tiny shops two hours from nowhere.

Salvation Army and Goodwill are also not to be ignored once you’re out in small towns, as in some cases, these are the only places for miles around where people can bring their used stuff.

With that info covered, here are five tips for great vintage shopping — specifically for those out-of-the-way towns you pass on your way to Grandma’s for Thanksgiving.
1. Talk to the owner. No need to go bragging that you’re from some big city; if the town is small enough, the owner will know you’re not from there. He or she will also probably appreciate your interest in their wares, and you’ll often hear a great story about whose Aunt Mildred wore what to which wedding, find out which the newest items are (not picked over by other shoppers) and sometimes even get a discount.

2. Turn it inside-out. Try things on, of course — especially as, over the years, we’ve all grown a bit taller and carry our fat in different ways — but when you’re looking at yourself in the mirror, you often don’t see the garment for what it is. Turn it inside out and check the seams, check the lining for stains, definitely check the underarms (no matter how pretty it is, those stains will never come out) and look for holes. If you find something small, ask for a discount — but only if you know you can fix it or live with it.

3. Look for the rocks. If you’re jewelry shopping, keep an eye out for real stones. Often, there will be a honking gem on display in a hideous setting — so buy it at a great discount and spend a little money having it reset once you get home. Your local jeweler will love you; everyone loves a project.

4. Load up on un-used cheapies. I know, when you’re at some vintage store in the middle of nowhere, it doesn’t seem that exciting to pony up for Donna Karan tights, but if they’re selling them in-the-box for $5? Load up, or you’ll be kicking yourself when you get home. Unused items like tights, underwear, socks, gloves and more often somehow make their way into used-clothing stores. Sometimes, they’re even vintage items themselves.

5. Check labels, then ignore them. Obviously, you want to know if you’re getting a Chanel for the price of a coffee, but if you don’t like it, don’t buy it. Trying to resell your brilliant but non-wearable finds is a full time job. Get the coffee instead, or something someone made by hand that looks fantastic on you.

So, on your next road trip, when you see a tiny store on the side of the road boasting “vintage,” “antiques” or “used clothing,” pull over. You could snag a million dollar look for the price of a New York City lunch.

Device helps women on the go “go” in the woods or elsewhere

by Jamie Rhein on

If you’re a woman traveler, you’ve probably been in a quandary at one time or another wondering how and where you might pee. Gazing about, it seems that no bush is big enough. Trees seem skinny. Where is the best angle to squat to be the most discrete in case someone unexpectedly rounds a corner?

If in a vehicle and nature calls, the nearest gas station or fast food place may seem like the only solution.

For a guy, it’s a different story. I mean, really–don’t guys just seem to go any old place?

Here’s a new solution for women that’s better than the portable toilet that Catherine wrote about two years ago–no offense to the portable toilet. It may be a swell idea for a car trip, but it’s not as if you’ll lug one along on a hike.

The GoGirl, however, looks practical. According to the description of how it works in Hilary Howard’s New York Times article , it could be fun. The contraption allows women to pee in “an arc-like penile stream” while standing up.

Sarah Dillon, the president and founder of GoGirl, is currently focusing on the women hikers and women traveling with young children market. Another market Dillon might consider tapping into big time is women who are traveling to countries where squat toilets are widely used. Squat toilets create another dilemma.

Squatting and peeing straight down takes practice. GoGirl might be a perfect solution to keeping shoes pee free. With its small size and affordable price of $6.99, GoGirl could be easily added to Annie’s Top 10 things not to forget on a trip. For women, make the list a Top 11 list for peace of mind.

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Do solo adventures break up relationships?

by Kraig Becker on

Outside Magazine has an interesting story on their website entitled Never, Ever Let Her Go (On a trip overseas. Alone. Especially to Africa.) The article begins with author Eric Hansen recounting a tale of a married couple who were friends of his, and seemingly had an idyllic marriage. But when the wife went off to Botswana on a volunteer trip for a month, she returned home and announced that the marriage was over, and she now longer was attracted to her husband.

When telling this story to others, Hansen discovered this wasn’t an isolated tale. He uncovered similar stories from a number of people who had their significant others go off on a big, adventurous trip, only to have their relationship end once they came home. Even more confounding was the fact that many of the travelers were women and many of them had been traveling in Africa. The article goes on to get quotes from several guide services and travel companies, who say that this is indeed a common tale that they encounter on a regular basis themselves. A marriage counselor also weighs in on the topic, saying he sees at least one marriage per month break up after an adventurous solo trip.This of course begs the question as to why this occurs. The story speculates that it is due to the person traveling expanding their horizons and having a life altering experience on their journey, something we can all relate to from our own travels I’m sure. The same counselor mentioned above says that generally the issues were there before the solo adventure, but the travels bring them more the forefront.

Outside‘s article concludes with the advice that you don’t let your significant other travel alone. Go with him or her. Experience the life changing moments together, and share the journey. If you break up when you get home, at least you got a great trip out of it, right?

So, has anyone experienced this phenomenon first hand? Have you been the dumper or the dumpee?