Earplugs: God’s Gift to Travelers

So you are looking to travel. You buy a book about your destination, you save some money, and you head to REI to check out all the gadgets designed to make your life simpler and safer. You tuck your new security wallet confidently into your underwear and pat yourself on the back. You’re ready to go, right? Wrong. Because without a good set of earplugs, you are not ready for a trip.

Cambodian Transit and Transportation: A Study

I am currently in the middle of a book about idleness that is simultaneously depressing and inspiring me to do better. In it, the author discusses the importance of being idle, or doing nothing. Because in doing nothing, we give ourselves the chance to think, to reflect, and to ponder. Therefore, in this post, I am doing a study- this time of Cambodian transport, both of traffic flow and of public transportation. I promise it will not be as boring as it sounds.

Exploring the Temples of Angkor Wat

A trip to Italy wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Vatican. If you go to New York and don’t see Times Square, you are doing it wrong. Likewise, a trip to Cambodia without seeing Angkor Wat is no trip at all. And so, despite our general aversion to religious buildings (thanks to the church tour of Italy), we went to visit the temples. And we were not disappointed.

Cambodia’s PR Campaign: An Uphill Battle

The land border crossing from Thailand to Cambodia is, in a word, challenging. But far more challenging is the person whose job it is to change the perception of “Scambodia” into one that is more tourist friendly. Which brings me to public relations, or more accurately, how PR can only do so much.

Thailand to Cambodia: The Land Border Crossing Saga

After two uneventful nights in Bangkok spent recovering from our flight and visiting stuff, we decided that we would head over to Cambodia to visit the temples of Angkor Wat. But instead of flying, which would cost about $110 per person, we took a bus. The experience that followed was a stressful crash course in scam economics.

Mountain Dew in Asia, The World`s Advertising Capitol

As far as brands go, Mountain Dew may be one of America’s most recognized. It has colors that are unique, it has a distinctive feel, and its font and logo are very recognizable. I always know when I am looking at a Mountain Dew ad. It isn’t often that I seek out Mountain Dew ads, or pay attention much at home. But it became apparent that they have distinguished themselves quite successfully when I arrived in Bangkok earlier this week.

Pak `N Save, the Costco of New Zealand

While we were traveling in New Zealand, we made a concerted effort to save money. Instead of restaurants for breakfast and lunch, we went to supermarkets and bought things. This meant peanut butter and jelly sandwiches more than we would have preferred, but it also meant critical savings. One key weapon in our arsenal in our quest to save money was Pak `N Save, the Costco of New Zealand.

Bay of Islands, the Last Leg of our New Zealand Adventure

Let me begin this post by saying that domestic air travel abroad is so easy, it makes me want to move every time I do it. New Zealand is now apart of that legacy, since our flight from Wellington to Auckland was pleasant, painless, and relatively cheap. The domestic terminal even had free wifi so yay for that!

Marketing at Work: McDonald’s Georgie Pie

One key aspect of marketing is market product differentiation. In other words, if you have a company with a presence in multiple markets, you need to make sure people in each market have a product that fits their lifestyle. So for one demographic, you have one product, and for another, you have another. In one country, you have one mix of product offerings, and in another country, you have something different, all based on your customers. Therefore, I present to you, the McDonald’s Georgie Pie.

Stay Off the Road: Our Trip to Wellington

Wellington is the capitol of New Zealand and a city of about 200,000 people. It has a hipster area in Cuba Street, lots of bars and strip clubs (oddly enough), and is home to New Zealand’s film industry, hence the nickname Wellywood. Peter Jackson has his studio here, and so did lots of filming for the Lord of the Rings in the area. Naturally, we found a film location to enjoy, but we were careful to “Stay off the road…”