Thursday, 25 October 2012

Getting Off the Couch: 5 Movies that Inspire Us to Travel


Do you sometimes feel a tinge of envy watching other people’s holiday videos? Or perhaps you sat through a movie more for the fantastic backgrounds and camera angles that swept the city skyline, than for the storyline. Has a movie ever evoked your wanderlust to visit a country? Because no matter how real it is onscreen, nothing beats going to a place yourself so that you’ve ‘been there, done that’.



Paris-city of love. When we think of old Paris and new Paris, the contrast is beautifully shown in Amelie and The Da Vinci Code. Whimsical Amelie brings us on a journey to quaint cafés and quiet nooks of Paris we dream of but don’t usually see. There’s humour too when a homeless man declines her change as it’s his ‘day off’. Da Vinci Code however gives us a quick-tour of the Louvre, chateaus, and fantastic architecture. Ok, so the movie ends in London. But true to Paris, there’s love at the end of both movies.



Bangkok-city of angels. In Bangkok Dangerous, we get to see much of the city, and then some. We sit back as the film brings us to touristy restaurants, tranquil temples and street markets. Now for the second part of the title: courtesy of Nicholas Cage, we get to see Bangkok’s Water Market in a whole different light, plus overturn a kingpin’s ruthless organization. Don’t try this abroad.



Taipei-city of surprises. In Eat Drink Man Woman, the movie starts and ends with a sumptuous feast. Not a bad way to portray a modern Asian city that respects tradition. In between, we see everyday life through the stories of the characters and their relationships.



Greece-country of gods. From the bright colours, good company, lovely beaches and breath-taking mountains, Mamma Mia! invites us to join the wedding celebrations as Sophie races to discover her real father. Faulty hostel toilets are also closer to real life than we think.

Movies move us to travel. And if you have an urge to start a travel-memoir, follow your heart. Because in the end, we don’t want to be like Raphael (Amelie’s retired father) who had to be pushed to fulfill his dream of travelling the world, via envious postcards sent home from his globe-trotting garden gnome.

Monday, 15 October 2012

Mind Your Sign Language

Have you ever been to a country where they give you disgusted stares when you hold out your index and middle fingers in a ‘V’ sign?
If you're puzzled about it, here's the deal: it's a high probability you may have just made a rude gesture at the locals but thankfully not enough to start a riot that wants to lop off your head.

Before you go on your next holiday, check out some of the more common hand gestures thought to be harmless, but not so elsewhere.
Who knows, it might save you from making an embarrassment of yourself!



Thumbs Up




Many make the mistake that this show of fist with the thumb sticking upward signifies a positive message, such as ‘good’, ‘excellent’, and ‘good luck’.
Not so in Latin America, West Africa, Greece, Russia, Sardinia, southern Italy, and especially the Middle East, as it conveys the same message as what the middle finger is to the lot of us!

A-OK




With your index finger and thumb forming a circle while the rest of your fingers are stretched out, this signifies ‘OK’, ‘good’ and other similar positive expressions to us.
But you might not want to show this to the Brazilians, Germans and some other Mediterranean folks, as this action conveys the term ‘a-hole’ and ‘faggot’ to them.

Peace




Giving someone the ‘V’ sign with your index and middle finger showing toward yourself is considered an insult to the people of Great Britain, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand.
It may be a ‘peace’ sign to us whichever way our hands may be facing, but unless you're ready for a fight, you may want to avoid giving them this gesture, which contrary to popular belief, is the sign for ‘this is war’.

The Palm




The instance where your palm is opened and fingers stretched out to your intended target may seem like a friendly motion of saying 'hi',
but do that in Greece and you will inadvertently insult the locals. Known as a 'moutza', it basically carries a rude connotation similar to the American version of ‘talk to the hand’.
Innocently common hand gestures? Think again. One man's salute is another man's insult. Travel wise, and travel smart!