Monday, January 09, 2012
Kaushal Karkhanis
Go forth, your mountain is waiting! :) Brilliant video from Burning Man 2011.
The Ultimate 50 Things to do in Goa!
ExoticGringo brings you THE ultimate, exhaustive list of things to do, to make the most of your Goa trip.
Talk to me in...
...Portuguese, Spanish, French and now German!
As per the National Center for Languages, there are over 6,000 languages spoken in the world.
That’s what the European Day of Languages (EDL) on 26th September aims to celebrate
- by showing people how important languages are, and what fun can be had learning them.
As a polyglot currently learning German at the Goethe Institut, it's going to be a privilege for me
to attend The European Day of Lanuages 2011 here. Looking forward to some fun activities, events
and lots of learning! More details post the event.
Interested in learning a new language? Come join the event at Goethe Institut
[Cross-posted on my Personal blog, Kronicles with K]
Language hacking for the Indian traveler
The Indian traveler has an almost unfair advantage when it comes to picking up new languages on the go.
Since the devnagri script is phonetically pure, you always know exactly what a word sounds like when spoken.
Let me explain with an illustration, and I hope you use this language hacking technique which I used myself, to pick up Brasilian Portuguese and Latin American Spanish easily and quickly!
In this earlier post, I've already directed you to free online resources for learning a foreign language. With the help of Mango Languages or MP3s you've downloaded on to your player (or just listening to phrases along the way), you would first learn pronunciation of some key words.
Like in Brasilian Portuguese, 'r' is pronounced as 'h' which means Rio de Janeiro sounds like 'Hiu ji Janeroo' - that just looks weird in English, and seems unnatural. What I'd do instead is write this in Hindi / Marathi.
So, Rio de Janeiro = हिऊ जी जनेरू!
"temho uma cartao de debito, ta bom?" (I have a debit card, is that ok?) actually sounds like "तेंयू उमा कह्तौ जी देबितो, ता बों?"
Language Hacking using phonetic Devanagri script by kaushal
Try it the next time you want to learn a new language :) You'll be glad you're Indian!
Colombia - The only risk is wanting to stay back!
Cross-posting this from my comment on the Tripping.com Facebook page.
Tripping: Tell us about a *random act of kindness* from your travels.
Me: First day in Colombia... after having heard enough of "isn't it scary/risky" and refusing to believe such non-tested arguments, I found myself talking to one of the oldest men I've ever met. he was as local as local can be - came from a Guarani descent and spoke Quichua.
When i told him in my broken Spanish that I was here to explore his country, he was delighted to assist me in locating a shared taxi to reach my destination, the beautiful Las Lajas. He wished me a great stay and I knew already that I was in a great country with great people :)
Tripping: Tell us about a *random act of kindness* from your travels.
Me: First day in Colombia... after having heard enough of "isn't it scary/risky" and refusing to believe such non-tested arguments, I found myself talking to one of the oldest men I've ever met. he was as local as local can be - came from a Guarani descent and spoke Quichua.
 |
| Colombia es passion! |
Travel Inspiration - Visit a travel fair!
One of the best ways to be inspired to travel and to collect information about destinations you zero in on, is to visit travel exhibitions and fairs in your city.
This weekend, as I'm headed to the TTF & OTM (Travel and Tourism Fair 2011) - the biggest travel and tourism fair here in Mumbai (and perhaps India?!), I thought I'd share this with all my fellow travelers and specially novices who have yet to set foot and explore the world on their own.
Here's 5 great reasons to visit such travel fairs and how you can make the most of it!
1. Free Maps and Destination Guides
Travel fairs throw up tons of information through visuals, brochures and handouts. Use some discretion and pick up only stuff you can actually use for your travels.
I usually pick up only maps, guides and price lists - not brochures and handouts, unless I'm specifically interested in something. Keep their cards instead - use a pen to write what you liked at the back of it!
The stall owners would appreciate non-wastage of their material too.
Bonus: It's good for the environment!
2. Official Destination Representation
Get your doubts and questions answered by the best people who could help - the tourism boards or reps of the state / country / city you're planning to visit. Many merchants / tourism boards would even have a keen willingness to patiently understand your profile and help you plan your perfect trip! Keep their cards so you can revert or say thank you later.
3. Offers, Discounts and Contests
The consumer is truly king at these exhibitions. Not only do you get all the info and details on your dream destination from possibly the best people - but you also stand to avail the hottest deals, and even win contests perhaps. Try your luck. Who knows?!
4. Discover New Destinations
Sweet serendipity - You might have Ladakh on your mind but discover Bhutan instead!
Keep your eyes wide open and soak it all in :)
5. Meet Great People!
Travelers are open-minded people who wander the planet and most likely spread warmth, cheer and great energy. You couldn't possibly spot someone sad here.
From my own personal experience, I bet the psych majors would be able to prove that dopamine levels run as high as shopping therapy here - without burning a hole in thy wallet! Make some friends, find a travel agent, you may even chance upon a travel partner at such an event.
Drop me a message at kaushalk@facebook.com if you'd like to join me.
See you there!
This weekend, as I'm headed to the TTF & OTM (Travel and Tourism Fair 2011) - the biggest travel and tourism fair here in Mumbai (and perhaps India?!), I thought I'd share this with all my fellow travelers and specially novices who have yet to set foot and explore the world on their own.
Here's 5 great reasons to visit such travel fairs and how you can make the most of it!
1. Free Maps and Destination Guides
Travel fairs throw up tons of information through visuals, brochures and handouts. Use some discretion and pick up only stuff you can actually use for your travels.
I usually pick up only maps, guides and price lists - not brochures and handouts, unless I'm specifically interested in something. Keep their cards instead - use a pen to write what you liked at the back of it!
The stall owners would appreciate non-wastage of their material too.
Bonus: It's good for the environment!
2. Official Destination Representation
Get your doubts and questions answered by the best people who could help - the tourism boards or reps of the state / country / city you're planning to visit. Many merchants / tourism boards would even have a keen willingness to patiently understand your profile and help you plan your perfect trip! Keep their cards so you can revert or say thank you later.
3. Offers, Discounts and Contests
The consumer is truly king at these exhibitions. Not only do you get all the info and details on your dream destination from possibly the best people - but you also stand to avail the hottest deals, and even win contests perhaps. Try your luck. Who knows?!
4. Discover New Destinations
Sweet serendipity - You might have Ladakh on your mind but discover Bhutan instead!
Keep your eyes wide open and soak it all in :)
5. Meet Great People!
Travelers are open-minded people who wander the planet and most likely spread warmth, cheer and great energy. You couldn't possibly spot someone sad here.
From my own personal experience, I bet the psych majors would be able to prove that dopamine levels run as high as shopping therapy here - without burning a hole in thy wallet! Make some friends, find a travel agent, you may even chance upon a travel partner at such an event.
Drop me a message at kaushalk@facebook.com if you'd like to join me.
See you there!
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