March 2008
Monthly Archive
Mon 31 Mar 2008
Posted by foxnomad under
CharityLeave a Comment
I launched a personal donation page for foXnoMad and all of you mid-2006 with the hopes of raising $,1000 before 2007.
We reached our goal that year with your help. Since then our little page has helped to raise $1,454.81. UNICEF is doing some restructuring of its site, so our page is being retired. A new redesigned page site slated for sometime in April.
There are some other great (and free) ways to help the world around you - donate some frequent flier miles, click to give free mammograms, or define words for free rice.
Thank you again for your contributions!!
Mon 31 Mar 2008
Posted by foxnomad under
Hack ,
Security ,
Video1 Comment Sat 29 Mar 2008
How To Bargain Your Way To A Good Price
Bargaining your way to a good price is easy if you??re firm and use the negotiating disadvantages of being a tourist to your benefit - here??s how.
US Travelers Check Credit Card Receipts For Full Numbers And Get New Ones When You Return
Travelers outside of the US who use charge while shopping should check their receipts for full credit card numbers. If you see that your copy of any printed (or written) receipt has all 16 digits, request a new card from your bank when you return home.
Fri 28 Mar 2008
Posted by foxnomad under
Advice ,
MoneyLeave a Comment
Travelers outside of the US who use charge while shopping should check their receipts for full credit card numbers. If you see that your copy of any printed (or written) receipt has all 16 digits, request a new card from your bank when you return home.
United States law requires that credit card numbers are obscured on receipts helping to prevent someone from taking in the number and using it online. Consider taking a travelers card (many banks offer it) or stick to cash. Credit cards numbers are often used as collateral at hotels so protect yourself by bringing an unactivated card. Keep tabs on your statements online if you can get reliable Internet (never from cafes) and contact the credit card company as soon as you see something fishy.
Most countries around the world don’t prohibit the printing of full numbers on receipts, which may leave you open to fraud even months after you return. Although you can certainly decline the charges, it may be hard to keep track of small purchases long after your trip.
[photo by: The Flooz]
Thu 27 Mar 2008
Posted by foxnomad under
Money[2] Comments
Negotiating a good price while shopping around the world will not only save you money on a variety of goods, but help you to forge relationships and learn about the culture you are immersed in. Tourists from the US and Europe often fall prey to higher prices because they’re used to a fixed cost at home and feel awkward trying to cut a deal.
Bargaining your way to a good price is easy if you’re firm and use the negotiating disadvantages of being a tourist to your benefit - here’s how.
- Always Look At More Than One Store, Especially On Day 1 of Shopping - You won’t be able to know what an item is worth or how much the prices have been jacked up if you don’t compare. Most shopkeepers will try to convince you that their souvenirs can only be found there which is most always not the case. Find the store with the lowest price and begin your negotiating there.
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Wed 26 Mar 2008
Posted by foxnomad under
Money ,
Travel Journal1 Comment
Get the best deals on common gifts, clothes, and other Indian goods at Indian malls rather than small shops. Both the malls and larger stores offer many of the same goods you’d find in the large shopping areas around Brigade and MG Roads but with lower beginning costs.
Mall prices are generally 20-30% lower and can be brought down 40-60% - depending on your bargaining skills. Many of the smaller shops cater to tourists and higher class shoppers making them reluctant to knock of a few rupees for people who are perceived to have money.
Ironically this seems to be why the malls are a good place to catch a good deal. They aren’t frequented very often by touristy shoppers and are keen on making a sale. Make sure to go at off hours or around closing time and don’t seem to eager to buy. Go to Brigade and MG Roads for good coffee, places to smoke, or great food and save your souvenir buying for the average mall.
[photo by: Arindam Thokder]
Tue 25 Mar 2008
Posted by foxnomad under
Travel Journal1 Comment
In the thick of a partially residential, semi-business area of crowded Bangalore lies Mocha Cafe. Mocha is a spacious coffee bar that serves food and hookahs with a variety of tobacco flavors. The place is frequented by mostly a younger crowed and has a good fill of people from the mid-afternoon through the evening hours.
The coffee is strong and the hookahs are new, giving a refreshing (but powerful) shot of smoke with each puff. The prices are reasonable, a cup of coffee will run you about $3 and a hookah around $8. The service is good as well - it should be since Mocha has the Indian trait of hiring about 3 times the number of employees that an American or European establishment would. Most of the staff are ethnic residents Manipur, located in the eastern reaches of India. The several waiters I spoke with said they all came to Bangalore for work, as is the case with many ethnic minorities from Manipur.
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Mon 24 Mar 2008
Make international phone calls to India and other parts of southeast Asia from the US for competitive rates through TrueRoots. The service, provided by the Indian Tata Group, works as an Indian prepaid calling card that is filled with credits online and used over any phone. The rates are competitive when compared to other services that require a mobile or land line phone.
Activation of the service is immediate and doesn’t require joining or subscribing to a service (no new user name and password to remember). Credits range in prepaid amount from $5-100 and are valid for 12 months. The current rate for calling India from the US is about 6.9 cents per minute. The service doesn’t work in reverse however and can’t be used to dial from overseas.
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Sun 16 Mar 2008
Posted by foxnomad under
Travel Journal1 Comment
I’ve finally been able to upload a few pictures from my first day of walking around Bangalore, India. I’ll continue posting as the week continues.
Thu 13 Mar 2008
The electric outlets in India can look baffling but are rather simple once you know which hole is what. You can even take along a simple European adapter (this trick works for Americans as well) and save the expense and space of a European/US to Indian outlet adapter.
The three things you’ll need are a plastic pen, plug adapter, and a voltage converter (for Americans).
One of the first things you’ll notice is the two vertical holes (locks) on top and the 4 horizontal buttons (electric outlets) just below. The switch to the left is a safety and serves to cut the power on and off to the outlet.
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