Tag Archives: tips

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: N

Posted on by

If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Namibia

    • English
    • Afrikaans (national language)
    • German (regional language)
    • Oshiwambo (regional language)
  •  Nauru
    • English
    • Nauruan
  •  Nepal
    • Nepali
  •  Netherlands
    • Dutch (de facto, statewide)
    • West Frisian (in Friesland)
    • Limburgish (regional language)
    • Low Saxon (regional language)
    • Papiamento (on Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire)
    • English (on Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba)
  •  New Zealand
    • English is a de facto official language (statewide)
    • Maori (statewide)
    • NZSL (NZ Deaf community)
    • Tokelauan (in Tokelau)
    • Cook Islands Maori (in Cook Islands)
    • Niuean (in Niue)
  •  Nicaragua
    • Spanish
  •  Niger
    • French
    • Hausa (national)
    • Fulfulde (national)
    • Gulmancema (national)
    • Kanuri (national)
    • Zarma (national)
    • Tamasheq (national)
  •  Nigeria
    • English (official)
    • Hausa (national)
    • Yoruba (national)
    • Igbo (national)
  •  Norway (Languages of Norway)
    • Norwegian (statewide) (Bokmål and Nynorsk are the official forms, and municipalities choose between them or a neutral stance)
    • Sami (indigenous language in vast areas from Engerdal to the Russian border, official administrative language in Kautokeino, Karasjok, Gáivuotna – Kåfjord, Nesseby,Porsanger, Tana, Tysfjord, and Snåsa)
    • Kven (national minority language, administrative language in Porsanger)
    • Romani (national minority language)
    • Scandoromani (national minority language)

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

About these ads
Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: B

Posted on by

If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Bahamas
    • English
  •  Bahrain
    • Arabic
  •  Bangladesh
    • Bengali
  •  Barbados
    • English
  •  Belarus
    • Belarusian
    • Russian
  •  Belgium (Languages of Belgium)[12]
    • Dutch (Official only in Flanders, including Brussels)
    • French (Official only in Brussels and in Wallonia, though not in the German-speaking Community of Belgium)
    • German (Official only in the German-speaking Community of Belgium)
  •  Belize
    • English (Official language)
    • Kriol (the lingua franca)
    • Spanish (Minority language spoken on the border with Mexico and Guatemala)
  •  Benin
    • French
  •  Bhutan
    • Dzongkha
  •  Bolivia
    • Spanish
    • Aymara
    • Quechua
  •  Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • Bosnian
    • Croatian
    • Serbian
  •  Botswana
    • English
    • Tswana (national)
  •  Brazil
    • Portuguese (national, all cities)
    • German (in Pomerode, Santa Catarina)
    • Pomeranian (in Pancas[14][15] and Santa Maria de Jetibá, in Espírito Santo)
    • Hunsrückisch (in Antônio Carlos, Santa Catarina)
    • Talian (in Serafina Corrêa, Rio Grande do Sul)
    • Nheengatu, Baniwa and Tucano (in São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas)
    • Guarani (in Tacuru, Mato Grosso do Sul)
  •  Brunei
    • Malay
  •  Bulgaria
    • Bulgarian
  •  Burkina Faso
    • French
    • Fula (national)
    • Jula (national)
    • More (national)
  •  Burundi
    • French
    • Kirundi
Info retrieved from Wikipedia.
Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: T, U

Posted on by

If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Tajikistan
    • Tajik (national)
    • Russian (for interethnic communication)
  •  Tanzania
    • Swahili (national)
    • English
  •  Thailand
    • Thai
  •  Togo
    • French
  •  Tonga
    • English
    • Tongan (national)
  •  Trinidad and Tobago
    • English
  •  Tunisia
    • Arabic (national)
    • French
  •  Turkey
    • Turkish
  •  Turkmenistan
    • Turkmen (national)
    • Russian (for interethnic communication)
  •  Tuvalu
    • English
    • Tuvaluan (national)
  •  Uganda
    • English
    • Swahili
  •  Ukraine
    • Ukrainian
  •  United Arab Emirates
    • Arabic
  •  United Kingdom and overseas territories
    • English,with the following specifications:
      • English (in Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Indian Ocean Territory, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Montserrat, Northern Ireland (de facto), the Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena and Turks and Caicos Islands)
      • Cornish (minority language in Cornwall)
      • Dgèrnésiais (in Guernsey)
      • French (in Guernsey and Jersey)
      • Irish (in Northern Ireland)
      • Jèrriais (in Jersey)
      • Manx (in the Isle of Man)
      • Pitcairnese (in the Pitcairn Islands)
      • Scots (in Scotland)
        • Ulster-Scots (in Northern Ireland)
      • Scottish Gaelic (in Scotland)
      • Welsh (in Wales)
  •  United States
    • No official language nationwide, English is the de facto but not the de jure official language (at the federal level). Spanish is the second-most commonly used language in the U.S. and many forms and documents are published in both languages.
  •  Uruguay
    • Spanish
  •  Uzbekistan
    • Uzbek (national)
    • Russian (for interethnic communication)

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: V, Y, Z, & Others

Posted on by

If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

 

  •  Vanuatu
    • Bislama (national)
    • English
    • French
  •  Vatican City
    • Italian (de facto—see Languages of Vatican City).
  •  Venezuela
    • Spanish
  •  Vietnam
    • Vietnamese
  •  Yemen
    • Arabic
  •  Zambia
    • English
  •  Zimbabwe
    • English
    • Shona
    • Northern Ndebele

Partially Recognized States

  •  Abkhazia
    • Abkhazian
    • Russian
  •  Kosovo
    • Albanian
    • Serbian
    • Turkish (regional)
  •  Nagorno-Karabakh
    • Armenian
  •  Northern Cyprus
    • Turkish
  •  Palestine
    • Arabic
  •  Sahrawi Republic
    • Arabic
    • Spanish
  •  Somaliland
    • Somalian
    • Arabic
    • English
  •  South Ossetia
    • Ossetian
    • Russian
    • Georgian (regional)
  •  Taiwan
    • Chinese
    • Taiwanese (recognized regional language)
  •  Transnistria
    • Moldavian
    • Russian
    • Ukrainian

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: O, P

Posted on by

If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Oman
    • Arabic
  •  Pakistan
    • Urdu (national Language; official)
    • English (official Language)
    • Sindhi (provincial language of Sindh)
    • Other major languages like Punjabi, Balochi and Pashto have no official recognition
  •  Palau
    • English (statewide)
    • Palauan (statewide)
    • Sonsorolese (in Sonsorol)
    • Tobian (in Hatohobei)
    • Japanese (in Angaur)
  •  Panama
    • Spanish
  •  Papua New Guinea
    • English
    • Hiri Motu
    • Tok Pisin
  •  Paraguay
    • Spanish
    • Guaraní
  •  Peru
    • Spanish (Official)
    • Aymara (co-official)
    • Quechua (co-official)
    • All native languages in areas where they are spoken by the majority of people
  •  Philippines
    • Filipino (statewide) (national)
    • English (statewide)
    • Arabic (Recognised as “voluntary and optional” statewide)
    • Spanish (Recognised as “voluntary and optional” statewide)
    • Bikol Central (Recognized as “auxiliary official” in Luzon)
    • Cebuano (“auxiliary official” in Visayas and Mindanao)
    • Chavacano (“auxiliary official” in Basilan and Zamboanga Peninsula)
    • Hiligaynon (“auxiliary official” in Visayas and Mindanao)
    • Ilokano (“auxiliary official” in Luzon)
    • Kapampangan (“auxiliary official” in Luzon)
    • Kinaray-a (“auxiliary official” in the Visayas)
    • Maranao (“auxiliary official” in Mindanao)
    • Maguindanao (“auxiliary official” in Mindanao)
    • Pangasinan (“auxiliary official” in Luzon)
    • Tagalog (“auxiliary official” in Luzon)
    • Tausug (“auxiliary official” in Mindanao)
    • Waray-Waray (“auxiliary official” in the Visayas)
  •  Poland
    • Polish (sole official language of state)
    • Kashubian (recognised regional language and auxiliary language in part of Pomeranian Voivodeship)
    • German (minority language and auxiliary language in part of Opole Voivodeship)
    • Lithuanian (minority language and auxiliary language) in Puńsk commune, Podlaskie Voivodeship
    • Belarusian (minority language and auxiliary language in Hajnówka commune, Podlaskie Voivodeship)
  •  Portugal (Languages of Portugal)
    • Portuguese (official)
    • Mirandese (regional, in Miranda do Douro)

 

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

thCANBN26C

Memes, Signs, Tips!

Posted on by

en2

Like everyone else, I love a good meme. Every few days I’ll be posting some favourites I’ve made and seen. Some will actually be photos I’ve taken on my travels. If you spot any, check out the next in the series to see if you got it right :-) !  Also, check out the helpful tips below. The memes may be funny but their significance could mean the difference between a great or terrible trip!

es2Como la otra persona, me gustan memes! A veces, voy a publicar mis favoritos: algunos he visto y algunos he hecho. Vas a ver unos fotos de mis viajes. Si tú ves estás fotos, puedes adivinar de donde las tomé. Voy a responder en la próxima entrada de Memes, Signs, & Tips!. También, hay consejos relacionados debajo. Algunos son la diferencia entre un viaje bueno o malo!

Memes

en2

Tips

  1. You’ll recall some of my posts regarding batteries. 
  2. Always do some light research on the countries you are visiting. You’ll want to impress the locals rather than embarrass yourself or insult them!
  3. Spelling isn’t really too important, but any way to show your knowledge of linguistic or cultural treasures are a plus.
  4. If you stay in a hotel and you use any of the disposable products, take the remainder with you. Hotels often throw away opened lotion bottles or soaps. These items often can come in handy long after you’ve left your pampered accommodations. Don’t take the towels though. They count those and you could end up with a disproportionate fee attached to your bill!

es2

Consejos

  1. Tengo unas entradas de las pilas.
  2. Siempre, investigar sobre las países donde que vas a vistar. Impresiona a la gente! pero, no se avergüence o insultarlos en el proceso!
  3. La ortografía en realidad no es demasiado importante, pero tu conocimiento de los tesoros lingüísticos o culturales son un plus.
  4. Si te quedas en un hotel y usas alguno de los productos disponibles, tomar el residuo contigo. Hoteles con frecuencia tirar botellas usados de loción o jabones. Estos artículos a menudo pueden ser muy útil mucho tiempo después de salir de tu alojamiento mimados. Sin embargo, tú no debes tomar las toallas. Cuentan esos y  podrías recibir una multa desproporcionada en tu factura!
Helpful-Tips

Travel Finds: Farting, Antarctica, Sleeping Pods, and Soloshot

Posted on by

logoEAFB

Here are some great articles about great travelling goodies, places, and discoveries that I’ve stumbled onto recently. I thought you would be interested :D !

Passing Gas Mid-Flight Is Good For Your Health, Doctors Find.By McLean Robbins

A new study from a group of New Zealand physicians has confirmed something we’re rather certain most people would rather not know: it’s not only OK, but preferred, that passengers pass gas mid-flight.
Read more…

Napcabs Debuts Sleeping Pods at Munich Airport. By Deanna Cioppa

We’ve all attempted it—the quick nap between flights at the airport, wedged betwixt a row of chairs and a recycling bin, our carry-on for a pillow. Not the most restful sleep, is it? Well at Terminal 2 of the Munich Airport, passengers can snooze in style via napcabs. When we first heard the term, we immediately thought of some sort of large van with cots (a la the “Relaxicab” from Friends), but as it turns out, napcabs are stationary pods one can rent for some quick Zzz’s or just some peace and quiet

Read more…

Five Things You (Probably) Don’t Know About Antarctica. 

By 

MATT LONG

This is the latest post in my series about Antarctica. The trip was made possible thanks to Adventure Life, the small group adventure tourcompany that specializes in, among other things, Antarctica cruises.

Read more…

Soloshot “Automatic Cameraman”: Like Traveling with a Film Crew in Your Daypack. By MIKE RICHARD

If you’re not the sort of well heeled travel photographer/videographer who rolls with an entire film crew, the new Soloshot is for you. Billed as an “automatic cameraman”, it’s designed for solo recording and capturing of photos and video when you haven’t got a backup crew or friends to do it for you. It mounts between your camera and any standard tripod, then automatically tracks and follows your movements via a radio transmitter armband like so:

Read more…

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: Q, R

Posted on by

If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Qatar
    • Arabic
  •  Romania
    • Romanian (statewide)
    • Armenian (minority language)
    • German (minority language)
    • Hungarian (minority language)
    • Romani (minority language)
    • Serbian (minority language)
    • Slovakian (minority language)
    • Turkish (minority language)
    • Ukrainian (minority language)
  •  Russia (Languages of Russia)
    • Russian (federal; official)
    • Abaza (in the Karachay–Cherkess Republic)
    • Adyghe (in the Republic of Adygea)
    • Agul (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Altay (in the Altai Republic)
    • Avar (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Azerbaijani (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Bashkir (in the Republic of Bashkortostan)
    • Buryat (in Buryat Republic)
    • Chechen (in the Chechen Republic and Republic of Dagestan)
    • Chuvash (in the Chuvash Republic)
    • Dargin (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Erzya (in the Republic of Mordovia)
    • Ingush (in the Republic of Ingushetia)
    • Kabardian (in the Kabardino-Balkar and Karachay–Cherkess Republics)
    • Kalmyk (in the Republic of Kalmykia)
    • Karachay-Balkar (in the Kabardino-Balkar and Karachay–Cherkess Republics)
    • Khakas (in the Republic of Khakassia)
    • Komi-Zyrian (in the Komi Republic)
    • Kumyk (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Lak (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Lezgian (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Mari (in the Mari El Republic)
    • Moksha (in the Republic of Mordovia)
    • Nogai (in the Karachay–Cherkess Republic and in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Ossetic (in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania)
    • Rutul (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Sakha (in the Sakha Republic)
    • Tabasaran (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Tatar (in the Republic of Tatarstan)
    • Tati (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Tsakhur (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Tuvin (in the Tuva Republic)
    • Udmurt (in the Republic of Udmurtia)
  •  Rwanda
    • English
    • French
    • Kinyarwanda

 

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: I

Posted on by

If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Iceland
    • Icelandic
    • Icelandic Sign Language
  •  India (Languages with official status in India)
    • English (statewide)
    • Hindi (Central Government, ten states, and Delhi, Chandigarh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands)
    • Assamese (in Assam)
    • Bengali (in Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, parts of Assam and West Bengal)
    • Bodo (in Assam)
    • Chhattisgarhi (in Chhattisgarh)
    • Dogri (in Jammu and Kashmir)
    • French (in Pondicherry)
    • Garo (in Meghalaya)
    • Gujarati (in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Gujarat)
    • Kannada (in Karnataka)
    • Karbi (in Assam)
    • Kashmiri (in Jammu and Kashmir)
    • Khasi (in Meghalaya)
    • Kokborok (in Tripura)
    • Konkani (in Goa and Mangalore)
    • Maithili (mentioned on the 8th schedule but no region specified, spoken in Bihar)
    • Malayalam (in Kerala and Pondicherry)
    • Meitei (in Manipur)
    • Marathi (in Maharashtra, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu)
    • Mizo (in Mizoram)
    • Nepali (in Sikkim)
    • Nicobarese (in Andaman and Nicobar Islands)
    • Oriya (in Orissa)
    • Punjabi (in Punjab, Himachal pradesh, Haryana and Chandigarh)
    • Sanskrit (in Uttarakhand)
    • Santali (in Jharkhand)
    • Sindhi (not regionally specified)
    • Tamil (in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Pondicherry)
    • Telugu (in Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry)
  •  Indonesia (Languages of Indonesia)
    • Indonesian (national and official)
    • Acehnese (in Aceh)
    • Batak (in North Sumatra)
    • Minangkabau (in West Sumatra)
    • Javanese (in Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java)
    • Buginese (in South Sulawesi)
    • Banjar (in South Kalimantan)
    • Malay (in Riau, Jambi, West Kalimantan)
    • Sundanese (in Banten and West Java)
    • Balinese (in Bali)
    • Betawi (in Jakarta)
    • Madurese (in Madura)
  •  Iran
    • Persian
  •  Iraq
    • Arabic (statewide)
    • Kurdish (statewide)
    • Assyrian Neo-Aramaic (in assyrian areas)
    • Iraqi Turkmen (in Turkmen areas)
  •  Ireland (Languages of Ireland)

    • English (national)spoken by the 99% of the population
    • Irish (national) spoken by the 0.5% of the population
  •  Israel
    • Hebrew (de facto official)
    • Arabic (co-official)
  •  Italy (Languages of Italy)
    • Italian (statewide)
    • Albanian (in some parts of Southern Italy)
    • Catalan (in Alghero, Sardinia)
    • Croatian (in Montemitro & Acquaviva Collecroce & San Felice, Molise)
    • French (in Aosta Valley)
    • Friulian (in Friuli)
    • German (in South Tyrol)
    • Greek (in some parts of Apulia and Calabria)
    • Ladin (in some parts of Belluno, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol)
    • Sardinian (in Sardinia)
    • Sicilian (in Sicily)
    • Slovene (in some parts of Friuli-Venezia Giulia)
    • Venetian (in Veneto)

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: D, E, F

Posted on by

If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Denmark
    • Danish (statewide)
    • Faroese (in the Faroe Islands)
    • German (protected minority language in Southern Jutland)
    • Kalaallisut (in Greenland)
  •  Djibouti
    • Arabic
    • French
  •  Dominica
    • English
  •  Dominican Republic
    • Spanish
  •  East Timor
    • Portuguese
    • Tetum
    • Indonesian (constitutionally enlisted as working language, and still in widely used after 23 years annexation)
  •  Ecuador
    • Spanish (Quechua or Kichwa and Shuar are official languages of intercultural relation, ancient languages are official in their territories.)
  •  Egypt
    • Arabic
    • Coptic (de jure language of the Coptic Church)
  •  El Salvador
    • Spanish
  •  Equatorial Guinea
    • Spanish
    • French
    • Portuguese
  •  Eritrea
    • Arabic (working language)
    • Tigrinya (working language)
    • English (official)
  •  Estonia
    • Estonian (nationwide official language)
    • Russian (de facto minority language)
  •  Ethiopia
    • Amharic (working language)
  •  Fiji
    • English
    • Fijian
    • Hindustani
  •  Finland
    • Finnish (statewide, except in the Åland Islands)
    • Swedish (statewide) (in the Åland Islands where Swedish is spoken monolingually)
    • Sami (minority language in Enontekiö, Inari, Sodankylä, and Utsjoki)
  •  France and overseas departments and territories (Languages of France and language policy in France)

    • French (statewide)
    • Corsican (in Corsica)
    • Breton (in Brittany)
    • Tahitian (in French Polynesia)

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

foreign-travel

On spotting mountains and climbing them

Posted on by

A really reflective poem by P. Alford reminds us that traveling, like many other things, isn’t only for the very rich or a select few. You can do almost anything if you put your mind to it. Limitations are self-created, self-preserved!

Climb the highest mountain,
Swim the deepest sea,
Always aim to be,
The best that you can be,
Love with all your heart,
Laugh with all your soul,
Enjoying every day you live,
Should be your daily goal,
Remember you are special,
Unique in every way,
Let no one on this earth,
Stand in your way.

Here’s an article I drifted onto the other day. It’s on 10 Spectacular Volcanic Plugs & Natural Monoliths. My hope is to ascend El Peñón de Guatapé in Colombia one day!

http://www.freewallpaperpic.com/viewer/wallpaper.php?/rio/1280/Sugarloaf_Mountain-ccbysa-PaulMannix

Sugarloaf Mountain, Brazil

El Peñón de Guatapé

El Peñón de Guatapé

http://www.holidaycheck.com/fullscreen-Penyal+d+Ifac+Pe%C3%B1%C3%B3n+de+Ifach+Calpe+Costa+Blanca-ch_ub-id_1156031368.html

Penyal d’Ifac, Spain

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Le_Puy-en-Velay,_%C3%89glise_Saint-Laurent_et_Aiguilhe_PM_48569.jpg

Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe, France

Photo descriptions and source files here: http://www.theworldgeography.com/2012/12/plugs-and-monoliths.html

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: G, H

Posted on by

If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Gabon
    • French
  •  Gambia
    • English
  •  Georgia
    • Georgian
  •  Germany
    • German (nationwide; official)
    • Danish (in Schleswig-Holstein) (minority language)
    • Lower Sorbian (in Brandenburg) (minority language)
    • North Frisian (in Schleswig-Holstein) (minority language)
    • Romani (nationwide) (minority language)
    • Saterland Frisian (in Lower Saxony) (minority language)
    • Upper Sorbian (in Saxony) (minority language)
  •  Ghana
    • English (statewide; official)
    • Adangme (in Greater Accra)
    • Dagaare (in the Upper West Region)
    • Dagbani (in the Northern Region)
    • Ewe (in the Volta Region)
    • Ga (in Greater Accra)
    • Gonja (in the Northern Region)
    • Kasem (in the Upper East Region)
    • Nzema (in the Western Region)
    • Twi (in Akuapem, Akyem, Ashanti, Fanteakwa, Fante, and Kwahu)
  •  Greece
    • Greek
  •  Grenada
    • English
  •  Guatemala
    • Spanish
  •  Guinea
    • French
    • Fula (national)
    • Maninka (national)
    • Susu (national)
  •  Guinea-Bissau
    • Portuguese
  •  Guyana
    • English (official)
    • Guyanese Creole (national)
  •  Haiti
    • French
    • Haitian Creole
  •  Honduras
    • Spanish (official)
    • Garifuna (in the Northern Caribbean Coast)
    • English (in the Bay Islands)
    • Miskito (in Eastern Honduras)
  •  Hungary
    • Hungarian (official)
    • Croatian (minority)
    • German (minority)
    • Romanian (minority)
    • Serbian (minority)
    • Slovak (minority)
    • Slovenian (minority)

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

Helpful-Tips

Why Power Outlets Look So Weird in Other Countries

Posted on by

 By Andrew Tarantola at Gizmodo

 Getting foreign gadgets to play nice with the local power grid is a nightmare any time you travel internationally. Here’s why every country on the planet (except yours) totally screwed up indoor wiring.

In the early days of the electricity craze, just after Nikola Tesla and the Westinghouse company wiped the floor with Thomas Edison’s DC power scheme, inventors around the world began working on ways to harness the fantastical energy for household work. Everybody had a different idea of how to do so. In fact, when Westinghouse standardized its operating frequency 60 Hz, it snuffed out nine other potential frequencies. The same is true for the worldwide standard of 120 and 220-240V systems—these two beat out ten other options to become the de facto voltages.

However, Germany paid little heed to the US’s choice of a 60 Hz frequency. They instead decided on a 50 Hz standard because that’s what was already being used by the BEW company, which held a monopoly on German power generation and transmission, in 1899. The 50 Hz scheme spread through Europe while the 60 Hz spread through North America. They became competing, nearly-universal standards—120V at 60Hz in North America, 220-240V at 50 Hz in Europe.

The other problem with early electrical systems: There was no easy way to tap into the power supplying small appliances. If you had a table lamp or a hair dryer or some other low voltage gadget, you’d have to knock down a wall and hard-wire it into the house’s electrical grid. Amateur inventor Harvey Hubbell is credited with creating the first appliance with a “Separable Attachment Plug.” However, instead of the cord remaining attached to the device, it would be hard wired into the system and would disconnect from the base of the gadget.

While Hubble’s preliminary plug and socket design prevented access to live wires from the home grid, many other inventors stepped up to improve his pioneering design to reduce shock and fire risks through the inclusion of grounding and electrically insulated pins, polarized shapes, and additional cut-off switches.

The most momentous of these added features arrived in 1928 at the hands of Philip F. Labre. Until then, it was uncomfortably common to receive an electrical shock when removing plugs because the pins (or prongs) would short easily short when the plug was partially pulled out of the outlet. The electrical current could travel through the person into the ground. By integrating a third pin slightly longer than the other two, Labre was able to direct all potential short circuits safely to the ground rather than through a person.

The problem with Labre’s design is that the triangular plug can be inserted into the socket in three different ways, two of which are wrong. This creates what’s known as an unpolarized plug. So engineers developed plugs that could only be fully inserted into a socket when properly oriented, thus guaranteeing a safe, polarized connection.

There are a few ways to design such a plug. [...]read full post here.

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: C

Posted on by

If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Cambodia
    • Khmer
  •  Cameroon
    • English
    • French
  •  Canada
    • English (federal; de jure official language)
      • De jure official language in the provinces and territories of Manitoba, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon.
    • French (federal; de jure official language)
      • De jure official language for the provinces and territories of Manitoba, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec and the Yukon.
    • Chipewyan (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories)
    • Cree (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories)
    • Gwich’in (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories)
    • Inuinnaqtun (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut)
    • Inuktitut (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut)
    • Inuvialuktun (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories)
    • North Slavey (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories)
    • South Slavey (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories)
    • Tłįchǫ (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories)
  •  Cape Verde
    • Portuguese (official)
    • Cape Verdean Creole (national)
  •  Central African Republic
    • French
    • Sango (national)
  •  Chad
    • Arabic
    • French
  •  Chile
    • No official language, Spanish is the de facto official language. (the languages and dialects of ethnic groups are also official in their territories)
  •  China
    • Chinese (statewide)
    • Bai (in Dali, Lanping, Yunnan)
    • Blang (in Shuangjiang, Yunnan)
    • Bonan (in Jishishan, Gansu)
    • Daur (in Morin Dawa, Inner Mongolia; Meilisi Daur District, Heilongjiang)
    • Derung (in Gongshan, Yunnan)
    • Dong (in Sanjiang, Guangxi; Qiandongnan, Yuping, Guizhou; Jingzhou, Tongdao, Xinhuang, Zhijiang, Hunan)
    • Dongxiang (Santa) (in Dongxiang, Jishishan, Gansu)
    • Evenki (in Evenk Autonomous Banner, Evenk Ethnic Sumu, Inner Mongolia)
    • Gelao (Klau) (in Daozhen, Wuchuan, Guizhou)
    • Hani (in Honghe, Jiangcheng, Mojiang, Ning’er, Yuanjiang, ZhenyuanYunnan)
    • Hlai (Li) (in Baisha, Baoting, Changjiang, Ledong, Lingshui, Qiongzhong, Hainan)
    • Hmong (Miao) (in Pengshui, Xiushan, Youyang, Chongqing; Chetian, Liangshui, Rongshui, Guangxi; Daozhen, Guanling, Qiandongnan, Qiannan, Qianxinan,Songtao, Weining, Wuchuan, Yinjiang, Zhenning, Ziyun, Guizhou; Baoting, Qiongzhong, Hainan; Enshi, Hubei; Chengbu, Jingzhou, Mayang, Xiangxi, Hunan; Jinping,Luquan, Pingbian, Wenshan, Yunnan)
    • Jingpho (Kachin) (in Dehong, Yunnan)
    • Jino (in Jinuoshan, Yunnan)
    • Kazakh (in Aksai, Gansu; Barkol, Ili, Mori, Xinjiang)
    • Kyrgyz (in Kizilsu, Xinjiang)
    • Korean (in Changbai, Yanbian, Jilin)
    • Lahu (in Lancang, Menglian, Shuangjiang, Zhenyuan, Yunnan)
    • Lisu (in Sudian, Weixi, Yunnan)
    • Maonan (Anan) (in Huanjiang, Guangxi)
    • Mongolian (in Subei, Gansu; Weichang, Hebei; Dorbod, Heilongjiang; Inner Mongolia; Qian Gorlos, Jilin; Fuxin, Harqin, Liaoning; Haixi, Henan, Qinghai; Bayingolin,Bortala, Hoboksar, Xinjiang)
    • Monguor (in Datong, Huzhu, Minhe, Qinghai)
    • Monpa (in Gongri, Jiba, Lebuqule, Mama, Pailong, Tibet)
    • Mulam (in Guzhai, Luocheng, Guangxi)
    • Nanai (Hezhen) (in Bacha, Jiejinkou, Sipai, Heilongjiang)
    • Naxi (Nakhi) (in Yulong, Yunnan)
    • Ngac’ang (Achang) (in Husa, Jiubao, Nangsong, Yunnan)
    • Nu (in Gongshan, Yunnan; not a specific language)
    • Nuosu (Yi) (in Weining, Guizhou; Ebian, Liangshan, Mabian, Sichuan; Chuxiong, Eshan, Honghe, Jiangcheng, Jingdong, Jinggu, Luquan, Nanjian, Ninger, Ninglang,Shilin, Weishan, Xinping, Yangbi, Yuanjiang, Zhenyuan, Yunnan)
    • Oroqen (in Greater Khingan, Oroqin Shibazhan, Inner Mongolia)
    • Palaung (De’ang) (in Santaishan, Yunnan)
    • Pumi (in Lanping, Yunnan)
    • Russian (in Shiwei, Inner Mongolia)
    • Qiangic (in Beichuan, Ngawa, Sichuan)
    • Salar (in Jishishan, Gansu; Xunhua, Qinghai)
    • Sarikoli (Tajik) (in Tashkurgan, Xinjiang)
    • She (in Jingning, Zhejiang)
    • Sui (in Sandu, Guizhou)
    • Tatar (in Daquan, Xinjiang)
    • Tibetan (in Gannan, Tianzhu, Gansu; Guoluo, Haibei, Hainan, Haixi, Huangnan, Yushu, Qinghai; Garzê, Muli, Ngawa, Sichuan; Tibet; Diqing, Yunnan)
    • Tujia (in Pengshui, Shizhu, Xiushan, Youyang, Chongqing; Yanhe, Yinjiang, Guizhou; Changyang, Enshi, Wufeng, Hubei; Xiangxi, Hunan)
    • Uzbek (in Da’nan’gou, Xinjiang)
    • Uyghur (in Xinjiang)
    • Va (in Cangyuan, Gengma, Menglian, Shuangjiang, Ximeng, Yunnan)
    • Vietnamese (in Jinping, Jiangxi)
    • Xibe (in Qapqal, Xinjiang)
    • Yugur (Western, Eastern) (in Sunan, Gansu)
    • Zhuang (in Lianshan, Guangdong; Guangxi; Wenshan, Yunnan)
  •  Colombia
    • Spanish (the languages and dialects of ethnic groups are also official in their territories)
  •  Comoros
    • Arabic
    • Comorian
    • French
  •  Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • French
    • Lingala (national)
    • Kikongo (national)
    • Swahili (national)
    • Tshiluba (national)
  •  Republic of the Congo
    • French
    • Lingala (national)
    • Munukutuba (national)
  •  Costa Rica
    • Spanish
  •  Ivory Coast
    • French
  •  Croatia
    • Croatian (statewide)
    • Italian (at regional level in Istria county)
    • Serbian (in some municipalities)
    • Hungarian (in some municipalities)
    • Czech (in some municipalities)
  •  Cuba
    • Spanish
  •  Cyprus
    • Greek
    • Turkish
    • Armenian (minority language)
  •  Czech Republic
    • Czech
    • Slovak
    • Bulgarian (minority language)
    • Croatian (minority language)
    • German (minority language)
    • Greek (minority language)
    • Hungarian (minority language)
    • Polish (minority language)
    • Romani (minority language)
    • Russian (minority language)
    • Rusyn (minority language)
    • Serbian (minority language)
    • Ukrainian (minority language)

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: A

Posted on by

If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Afghanistan

    • Pashto (statewide) (official)
    • Dari (statewide) (official)
    • Uzbek (statewide) (third official language in areas where spoken by majority of population)
    • Turkmen (statewide) (third official language in areas where spoken by majority of population)
    • Pashai (statewide) (third official language in areas where spoken by majority of population)
    • Nuristani (statewide) (third official language in areas where spoken by majority of population)
    • Balochi (statewide) (third official language in areas where spoken by majority of population)
    • Pamiri (statewide) (third official language in areas where spoken by majority of population)
  •  Albania

    • Albanian (based on Tosk dialect)
  •  Algeria
    • Arabic (official and national)
    • Tamazight (national)
  •  Andorra (Languages of Andorra)

    • Catalan
  •  Angola

    • Portuguese
  •  Antigua and Barbuda
    • English (de facto official)
  •  Argentina
    • Spanish (de facto)
    • Guaraní (co-official in Corrientes Province)
  •  Armenia
    • Armenian
    • Kurdish (Minority language)
    • Russian (Minority language)
  •  Australia
    • No official language, English is the de facto official language.
  •  Austria
    • German (official statewide)
    • Croatian (official in Burgenland in areas with a Croat minority) (statewide minority language)
    • Slovene (official in Carinthia and Styria in areas with a Slovene minority) (statewide minority language)
    • Czech (statewide minority language)
    • Hungarian (in Burgenland) (statewide minority language)
    • Slovak (statewide minority language)
    • Romani (statewide minority language)
  •  Azerbaijan
    • Azerbaijani
    • Armenian (Nagorno-Karabagh)

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/

Knowing what to say, T, U: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms

Posted on by

In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!

T

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Taiwan
(See “China (ROC)” entry)
Tajikistan Dushanbe Tojikistan
Тоҷикистон		 Dushanbe
Душанбе		 Tajiki-Persian
(Cyrilic)
Tanzania Dodoma English
Thailand Bangkok Mueang Thai, Prathet Thai, Ratcha-anachak Thai
เมืองไทย,ประเทศไทย, ราชอาณาจักรไทย		 Krung Thep Maha Nakhon
กรุงเทพฯ, กรุงเทพมหานคร		 Thai
Togo Lomé French
Tokelau English
Tonga Nukuʻalofa Tonga Nukuʻalofa Tongan
Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain English
Tunisia Tunis Tunis
تونس		 Tunis
تونس		 Arabic
(Arabic script)
Turkey Ankara Türkiye Ankara Turkish
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Nicosia Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti Lefkoşa Turkish
Turkmenistan Ashgabat Türkmenistan Aşgabat Turkmen
Turks and Caicos Islands Cockburn Town English
Tuvalu Fongafale (in Funafuti) English

U

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Uganda Kampala English
Ukraine Kiev Ukraїna
Україна		 Kyїv
Київ		 Ukrainian
(Cyrillic script)
United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Al-’Imārat Al-‘Arabiyyah Al-Muttaḥidah
الإمارات العربيّة المتّحدة		 ‘Abū ẓabī
أبوظبي		 Arabic
(Arabic script)
United Kingdom London United Kingdom
Y Deyrnas Unedig
Unitit Kinrick
Rìoghachd Aonaichte
Ríocht Aontaithe		 London
Llundain
Lunnon
Lunnainn
Londain		 English
Welsh
Scots
Scots Gaelic
Irish
United States Washington, D.C. United States or America
Estados Unidos or
Ta-Te
or América
États-Unis or Amérique
‘Amelika-hui-pu-’ia or ‘Amelika-hui		 Washington D.C.
Washington D.C.
Washington D.C.
Wakinekona or Wasinetona		 English
Spanish
Cajun French
Indigenous
Hawaiian
Uruguay Montevideo República Oriental del Uruguay Montevideo Spanish
Uzbekistan Tashkent O’zbekiston Toshkent Uzbek

Source:wikipedia

Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/

Knowing what to say, V, W, X, Y, Z: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms

Posted on by

In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!

V

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Vanuatu Port Vila Vanuatu Port-Vila English
Vatican City Vatican City Civitas Vaticana Latin
Venezuela Caracas Spanish
Vietnam Hanoi Việt Nam Hà Nội Vietnamese
Virgin Islands, British Road Town English
Virgin Islands, US Charlotte Amalie English

W, X, Y, Z

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Wallis and Futuna Matâ’Utu Wallis-et-Futuna Matâ’Utu French
Yemen Sana’a Al-Yaman
اليمن		 Ṣan‘ā’
ﺻﻨﻌﺎﺀ		 Arabic
(Arabic script)
Zambia Lusaka English
Zimbabwe Harare English

Source:wikipedia

Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/

Knowing what to say, M: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms

Posted on by

In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Macedonia Skopje Makedonija
Македонија		 Skopje
Скопје		 Macedonian
(Cyrillic script)
Madagascar Antananarivo Madagasikara
Madagascar		 Antananarivo
Antananarivo/Tananarive		 Malagasy
French
Malawi Lilongwe English, Chichewa
Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Malay
Maldives Malé Dhivehi Raajje
ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ		 Malé
މާލެ		 Dhivehi
(Thaana script)
Mali Bamako Mali
Mali		 Bamako
Bamakɔ		 French
Bambara
Malta Valletta Malta Valletta or Il-Belt Valletta Maltese
Marshall Islands Majuro English, Marshallese
Martinique Fort-de-France French
Mauritania Nouakchott Muritanya / Agawec
ⵎⵓⵔⵉⵜⴰⵏⵢⴰ / ⴰⴳⴰⵡⴻⵛ
mūritaniyah
موريتانيا		 Nwakcuṭ
ⵏⵡⴰⴽⵛⵓⵟ
nwakšūṭ
نواكشوط		 Berber language
(Tifinagh script)
Arabic
(Arabic script)
Mauritius Port Louis Maurice Port Louis English
French
Mayotte Mamoudzou Mayotte Mamoudzou French
Mexico Mexico City México Ciudad de México Spanish
Federated States of Micronesia Palikir English
Moldova Chișinău Moldova Chișinău Romanian
Monaco Monaco French
Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mongol Uls
Монгол Улс		 Ulaanbaatar
Улаанбаатар		 Mongolian
(Cyrillic script)
Montenegro Podgorica Crna Gora
Црна Гора		 Podgorica
Подгорица		 Serbian
Montserrat Brades Estate[4] English
Morocco Rabat Amerruk / Elmeɣrib
ⴰⵎⴻⵔⵔⵓⴽ / ⴻⵍⵎⴻⵖⵔⵉⴱ
Al-maɣréb
المغرب		 Errbaṭ
ⴻⵔⵔⴱⴰⵟ
Ar-ribaaṭ
الرباط		 Berber language
(Tifinagh script)
Arabic
(Arabic script)
Mozambique Maputo Moçambique Maputo Portuguese

Source:wikipedia

Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/

Knowing what to say, S: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms

Posted on by

In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon Saint-Pierre Saint-Pierre et Miquelon Saint-Pierre French
Saint Helena Jamestown English
Saint Kitts and Nevis Basseterre English
Saint Lucia Castries English
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Kingstown English
Samoa Apia English
Samoan
San Marino San Marino Italian
São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé São Tomé e Príncipe São Tomé Portuguese
Saudi Arabia Riyadh Al-Mamlaka Al-‘Arabiyyah as Sa‘ūdiyyah
المملكة العربية السعودية		 Ar-Riyāḍ
الرياض		 Arabic
(Arabic script)
Senegal Dakar Sénégal Dakar French
Serbia Belgrade Srbija
Србија		 Beograd
Београд		 Serbian
(Cyrillic script)
Seychelles Victoria Sesel
Seychelles
Seychelles		 Victoria or Port Victoria Seychellois Creole
French
English
Sierra Leone Freetown English
Singapore Singapura
Singapore
Xīnjiāpō
新加坡
Singapur
சிங்கப்பூர்		 Malay
English
Mandarin Chinese
(Simplified Chinese characters)
Tamil
(Tamil script)
Slovakia Bratislava Slovensko Bratislava Slovak
Slovenia Ljubljana Slovenija Ljubljana Slovene
Solomon Islands Honiara Solomon Aelan Honiala English & Pijin English
Somalia Mogadishu Soomaaliya
aş-Şūmāl
الصومال		 Muqdisho
Maqadīshū
مقديشو		 Somali
Arabic
(Arabic script)
South Africa Pretoria (administrative capital), Cape Town (legislative capital), Bloemfontein, (judicial capital) South Africa
Suid-Afrika
iNingizimu Afrika
uMzantsi Afrika
Afrika-Borwa
Afrika Borwa
Aforika Borwa
Afurika Tshipembe
Afrika Dzonga
iNingizimu Afrika
iSewula Afrika		 Pretoria, Cape Town
Pretoria, Kaapstad
iPitoli
iPitoli
Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria
Pitori
iPitoli
iPitori		 English
Afrikaans
Zulu
Xhosa
Pedi
Sotho
Tswana
Venda
Tsonga
Swazi
Ndebele
South Sudan Juba English
South Ossetia[1] Tskhinval Khussar Iryston
Хуссар Ирыстон
Samkhret Oseti
სამხრეთი ოსეთი
Южная Осетия
Yuzhnaya Osetiya		 Chreba
Чъреба
Tskhinvali
ცხინვალი
Tskhinval
Цхинвал		 Ossetic
Georgian
Russian
Spain Madrid España
Espanya
Espainia
Espanha		 Madrid
Madrid
Madril
Madrid		 Spanish/Galician
Catalan
Basque
Aranese
Sri Lanka colombo Sri Lankā
ශ්‍රී ලංකාව
ஸ்ரீ லங்க		 colombo
ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර කෝට්ටේ
கொழும்பு		 Sinhala
Tamil
Sudan Khartoum As-Sudan
السودان		 Al-Khartûm
الخرطوم		 Arabic
(Arabic script)
Suriname Paramaribo Dutch
Svalbard Longyearbyen Svalbard Longyearbyen Norwegian
Swaziland Mbabane English
Sweden Stockholm Sverige Stockholm Swedish
Switzerland Bern Schweiz
Suisse
Svizzera
Svizra		 Bern
Berne
Berna
Berna		 German
French
Italian
Romansh
Syria Damascus Suriyah
سورية		 Dimashq / Ash-Sham
الشام / دمشق		 Arabic
(Arabic script)

Source:wikipedia

Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/

Knowing what to say, K, L: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms

Posted on by

In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!

K

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Kazakhstan Astana Qazaqstan
Қазақстан
Kazakhstán
Казахстан		 Astana
Астана
Astana
Астана		 Kazakh
(Cyrillic script)
Russian
(Cyrillic script)
Kenya Nairobi English, Swahili
Kiribati Tarawa[3] English, Gilbertese
Korea (North) P’yŏngyang Chosŏn as called in NK
조선 / 朝鮮
Buk-han as called in SK
북한 / 北韓		 P’yŏngyang
평양 / 平壌		 Korean
(Hangul/Hanja)
Korea (South) Seoul Hanguk as called in SK
한국 / 韓國
Nam-josŏn as called in NK
남조선 / 南朝鮮		 Seoul
서울 / 漢城		 Korean
(Hangul/Hanja)
Kosovo[1] Prishtinë Kosova, Косово Prishtinë, Приштина (Priština) Albanian, Serbian
(Latin, Cyrillic)
Kuwait Kuwait City Al-Kuwayt
الكويت		 Al-Kuwayt
الكويت		 Arabic
(Arabic script)
Kyrgyzstan Bishkek Kyrgyzstan
Кыргызстан
Kirgizija
Киргизия		 Bishkek
Бишкек
Bishkek
Бишкек		 Kyrgyz
(Cyrillic script)
Russian
(Cyrillic script)

L

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Laos Vientiane Lao
ລາວ		 Vientiane or Vieng Chan
ວຽງຈັນ		 Lao
Lao alphabet
Latvia Riga Latvija Rīga Latvian
Lebanon Beirut Lubnān
لبنان		 Bayrūt
بيروت		 Arabic
(Arabic script)
Lesotho Maseru Sesotho, English
Liberia Monrovia English
Libya Tripoli Libya
ⵍⵉⴱⵢⴰ
Lībiyā
ليبيا		 Ṭrables
ⵟⵔⴰⴱⵍⴻⵙ
Tarabulus
طرابلس		 Berber language
(Tifinagh script)
Arabic
(Arabic script)
Liechtenstein Vaduz Liechtenstein Vaduz German
Lithuania Vilnius Lietuva Vilnius Lithuanian
Luxembourg Luxembourg Lëtzebuerg
Luxemburg
Luxembourg		 Lëtzebuerg
Luxemburg
Luxembourg		 Luxembourgish
German
French

Source:wikipedia

Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/

Knowing what to say, I, J: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms

Posted on by

In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!

I

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Iceland Reykjavík Ísland Reykjavík Icelandic
India, Republic of New Delhi Bharôt
ভাৰত
Bharot
ভারত
India
Bhārat
ભારત
Bhārat, Hindustān
भारत, हिंदुस्तान
Bhārata
ಭಾರತ
Hindōstān
ہندوستان
Bhārat
भारत
Inḍya, Bhāratam
ഇന്ത്യ, ഭാരതം
Bhārat
भारत
Bhārat
भारत
Bharôtô
ଭାରତ
Bhārat, Hindustān
ਭਾਰਤ, ਹਿੰਦੁਸਤਾਨ
Bhāratam
भारतम्
Bhāratu, Hindustānu
ڀارت، هندستان
Indiyā, Bārata
இந்தியா, பாரத
Bhāratadēsham
భారత దేశం
Hindostān, Bhārat
ہندوستان، بھارت		 Nôtun Dilli
নয়া দিল্লী
Nôea Dilli
নয়া দিল্লী
New Delhi
Navī Dilhī
નવી દિલ્હી
Naī Dillī
नई दिल्ली
Nava Dehali
ನವ ದೆಹಲಿ
Dilī
دِلى
Navī Dillī
नवी दिल्ली
Nyūḍalhi
ന്യൂഡല്ഹി
Navī Dillī
नवी दिल्लीNūadillī
ନୂଆଦିଲ୍ଲୀ
Navīñ Dillī
ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ
Nava Dehalī
दिल्ली
Naīñ Dihlī
نئين دهلي
Puduḍilli
புதுடில்லி
Krothha ḍhillī
క్రొత్త ఢిల్లీ
Naī Dĕhlī, Naī Dillī
نئی دہلی، نئی دلی		 Assamese
(Assamese script)
Bengali
(Bengali script)
English
Gujarati
(Gujarāti script)
Hindi
(Devanagari script)
Kannada
(Kannada script)
Kashmiri
(Perso-Arabic script)
Konkani
(Devanagari script)
Malayalam
(Malayalam script)
Marathi
(Devanagari script)
Nepali
(Devanagari script)
Oriya
(Oriya script)
Panjabi
(Gurmukhi script)
Sanskrit
Devanagari script
Sindhi
(Perso-Arabic script)
Tamil
(Tamil script)
Telugu
(Telugu script)
Urdu
(Perso-Arabic script)
Indonesia Jakarta Indonesia Jakarta Indonesian
Iran Tehran Īrān
ایران		 Tehrān
تهران		 Persian
(Perso-Arabic script)
Iraq Baghdad Al-’Iraq
العراق		 Baghdad
بغداد		 Arabic and Kurdish
(Arabic script)
Ireland Dublin Éire
Ireland		 Baile Átha Cliath
Dublin		 Irish
English
Isle of Man Douglas Isle of Man
Ellan Vannin		 Douglas
Doolish		 English
Manx
Israel Jerusalem Yisrael
ישראל
Isrā’īl
إسرائيل		 Yerushalayim
ירושלים
Ūršalīm
أورشليم		 Hebrew
(Hebrew alphabet)
Arabic
(Arabic alphabet)
Italy Rome Italia Roma Italian

J

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Jamaica Kingston English
Japan Tokyo Nippon or Nihon
日本		 Tōkyō
東京		 Japanese
(Kanji/Hiragana/Katakana)
Jersey St. Helier Jersey
Jersey
Jèrri		 St. Helier
Saint Hélier
Saint Hélyi		 English
French
Jèrriais
Jordan Amman Al-’Urdun
الأردن		 ‘Ammān
عمان		 Arabic
(Arabic script)

Source:wikipedia

Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/

Knowing what to say, N, O: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms

Posted on by

In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!

N

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Namibia Windhoek Namibia Windhoek
Windhuk
Windhoek
/Ae-//Gams
Otjomuise		 English
German
Afrikaans
Damara/Nama
Herero
Nauru Yaren (de facto)[5] Naoero
Nauruo		 English
Nauruan
Nepal Kathmandu Nepāla
नेपाल		 Kāṭhamāṇḍauṃ
काठमाण्डौं
Kāntipura
कान्तिपुर
Yen Dey
येँ देय्‌		 Nepali
Devanagari
Netherlands Amsterdam Nederland
Nederlân		 Amsterdam
Amsterdam		 Dutch language
Frisian language
New Caledonia Nouméa Nouvelle-Calédonie Nouméa French
New Zealand[6] Wellington New Zealand
Aotearoa		 Wellington
Poneke/Te Whanganui-a-Tara		 English
Māori
Nicaragua Managua Spanish
Niger Niamey French
Nigeria Abuja English, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Pidgin English, Ibibio
Niue Alofi Niuē
Niue		 Alofi
Alofi		 Niuean
English
Norfolk Island Kingston English
Northern Ireland Belfast English
Northern Mariana Islands Saipan English
Norway Oslo Norge
Noreg		 Oslo
Oslo		 Norwegian Bokmål
Norwegian Nynorsk

O

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Oman Muscat ‘Umān
عُمان		 Masqaṭ
مسقط		 Arabic
(Arabic script)

Source:wikipedia

DSC01523

To Kingston, Windsor, and Bath (Part 2)

Posted on by

Upon leaving, I decided to visit Windsor Castle, which was only about 5 train stops away. I had seen photos of the castle before. I had also read my history books and know that many castles are large. I had even seen the “castle” at Disney’s Magic Kingdom and the model of Hogwarts at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure in Florida. I have also seen countless castles in movies, but seeing my first castle was simply breathtaking. This thing is huge! I am not even sure if my words or photos can aptly describe its dimensions. It literally towered above the landscape with its massive walls and grandiose seat upon the city’s centre hill. I exited the train station directly at the foot of the great castle hill, where a very lucky school, St. George’s is established.
As I stood there at the castle gates, I wished beyond all things to enter its ancient halls, but sadly, the line through the visitor entrance stretched almost endlessly down the street. I imagine the jubilee festivities and the time of day I decided to go there (after 1 in the evening) had made the possibility of a short line highly improbable.I will definitely have to go inside the next time I travel to England!
I was still able to enjoy the visit however, as exploring the quiet, beautiful town was an adventure in its own right. I wandered down a neighbourhood street where the residents were planning something of a block party. Differing from the American block parties I have
seen, instead of music and dancing, the neighbours were competing with tea tables, fine china, and crumpets. I followed a high thick wall that lay at the centre of the small town to discover it was a royal barracks. Like many of the public buildings in the country I’ve seen, the foundation stone, as recorded, was laid by a member of the royal family. This time, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was to thank.

An interesting thing happened at Windsor. I got lost. Well, when I needed to find a train, I thought I did. The bad news was that I had wandered around the city and had actually stumbled on a second train station in search for the one I had arrived at. The good news was that this was actually the station I needed for the next leg of my journey since I wasn’t returning to Kingston! Following the first rule of traveling, I had kept calm in my station search even though I thought I was lost. In the end, this level-headedness paid off.

This day’s events are continued in an upcoming post.
Related Articles
Helpful-Tips

Storing your money

Posted on by

During the planning phase of my trip I purchased a money belt under the assumption that it would provide the most convenient and secure way of carrying my money.  The belt has easy-open zippers for your to quickly retrieve cash, but I believe that if one was to zip it open in public, it would appear make others think that you had a reason to hide your money, and that perhaps it is a large sum. This obviously unnecessarily increases security risk. The best solution is to take a few bills out of the belt to keep in your pockets. Bigger bills and the majority of your money can then be kept safely from the eyes of bystanders.

Although the security factor was definitely provided for, the convenience aspect has been utterly lacking. If you have any sort of fashion sense, you may be horrified by the bulk it adds to your stomach area. What I ended up doing was keeping the money belt in a light bag I had purchased to carry my laptop, other electronics, and travel documents in when walking about. So, from my experience, although helpful, a money belt could be replaced with something less obtrusive that you could keep in a larger (but medium-sized) carry bag. If you wear larger shirts or would rather a pouch that won’t be able to leave lying about, then a money belt remains the best option for you.

DSC01493

Kingston, Windsor, and Bath (Part 1)

Posted on by

Today I went to visit a university (or “uni” as I have heard the English call it). I had recently heard about Kingston University and its location, the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, wasn’t too far off my train trail. With that agreed upon, I also agreed that I did not have much time to explore the town. As its main attraction seemed to be the shops, with many of them closed due to the bank holiday for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, there weren’t that many things to do or see there in any case. I need up in a Primark store, where I bought a small carry bag (See tip at bottom). I had heard negative comments about the store, but I wasn’t at all put off by it. I would have probably purchased a few t-shirts if my backpack had space in it or if my shoulders were capable of more than the limit to which I had already subjected them.

Tip

Take a smaller more portable bag than your big backpack. Items like electronics (cameras, batteries, computers, etc) and food stuffs will be used by you when you’re out on the road. If your hostel allows you to rent lockers (sometimes for free), you should use one to store the large burdensome bag, the contents of which will only be used at the hostel in any case.


This day’s events are continued in an upcoming post.


			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				Helpful-Tips			
		
		
More Camera Tips


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
Tip 1


Don’t forget to buy extra batteries! I bought replacement batteries for my Sony dxc hx5 from an Amazon vendor. Unlike many replacement items not bought from the OEM manufacturer, this battery provided an extra feature that the original battery did not. It allowed me to see how much time was remaining for battery use instead of only the battery power meter that’s usually there. Having backup power came in handy when I had to rush out of the house one day and had forgotten to recharge the battery that was in the camera. Because I was only going to be out for a short, while I knew I probably wouldn’t need both batteries, but I knew I would need at lease one full one. So I was able to plug the used one in and take the full one with me.


Tip 2


If you will be traveling on the train or tour buses or boats, then you should definitely invest in a high shutter speed camera. You don’t need an extra fancy, extra expensive one. I suggest the one that I have. It’s like it was built for people on the go. You can take 10 photos all in less than a second with the “burst” mode, or quickly capture a moving subject (or a still subject when you’re moving). What it does is takes many shoots extremely quickly and combines them into one perfect photo almost every time! I don’t recall how much I paid for it (got it last fall for a school project), but I know that I wouldn’t have spent more money that was needed or more than it was worth.


 

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/			
		
		
Knowing what to say, P, Q, R: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!


P






Country (exonym)
Capital (exonym)
Country (endonym)
Capital (endonym)
Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)




Pakistan
Islamabad
Pākistān

پاکستان		
Islāmabād

اسلام‌اباد		
Urdu, English




Palau
Ngerulmud
Belau
Ngerulmud
English, Palauan




Palestinian National Authority[1]
Ramallah and Gaza
Filastīn

فلسطين		
Rāmallāh, Ġazzah

رام الله, غزة		
Arabic

(Arabic script)		




Panama
Panama City
Panamá
Panamá
Spanish




Papua New Guinea
Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea

Papua Niugini

Papua Niugini		
Port Moresby

Pot Mosbi

Pot Mosbi		
English

Tok Pisin

Hiri Motu		




Paraguay
Asunción
Paraguay

Paraguái		
Asunción

Paraguay		
Spanish

Guaraní		




Peru
Lima
Perú
Lima
Spanish




Philippines
Manila
Pilipinas

Philippines

Filipinas

ᜉᜒᜎᜒᜉᜒᜈᜐ᜔

Pilipinas		
Maynila

Manila

Manila

ᜋᜈᜒᜎ

Menila		
Filipino / Tagalog

English

Spanish

(Tagalog script)

Kapampangan		




Pitcairn Islands
Adamstown


English




Poland
Warsaw
Polska
Warszawa
Polish




Portugal
Lisbon
Portugal
Lisboa
Portuguese




Puerto Rico
San Juan


Spanish






Q






Country (exonym)
Capital (exonym)
Country (endonym)
Capital (endonym)
Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)




Qatar
Doha
Qaṭar

قطر		
Ad-Dawḥah

الدوحة		
Arabic

(Arabic script)		






R






Country (exonym)
Capital (exonym)
Country (endonym)
Capital (endonym)
Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)




Réunion
Saint-Denis
Réunion
Saint-Denis
French




Romania
Bucharest
România
București
Romanian




Russia
Moscow
Rossiya or Rossiâ

Россия1		
Moskva

Москва		
Russian

(Cyrillic script)		




Rwanda
Kigali


French, Kinyarwanda, English






Source:wikipedia

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				Orlando International Airport			
		
		
Update. Flight Day Nassau to London


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
Photos at bottom


Update Week 2


A few of my friends are fascinated by airplanes and airports, and one of them told me to take as many photos of airplanes as I could for the blog. Taking him up on his request, here as some of the photos of airplanes and the airports I saw on my way from Nassau, Bahamas to London Gatwick, via Charlotte Douglas Airport, North Carolina. I saw the rocking chairs in Charlotte that a reader had commented earlier about. I love watching planes land and take off, so it was cool to sit back in the chairs and watch the show.


Trip’s first annoyance


I also thought I’d share with you an annoying issue that I hope you never experience when traveling internationally.


I arrived at Charlotte about two hours before my connecting flight left for the UK and I got some food from a bagel/sandwich joint. I detest paying for airport food because it’s always overpriced. When the boarding call begun, I thought to use my VISA signature card to take advantage of the priority boarding mentioned in an earlier post. To my surprise, and to the vast majority of the other passengers, we weren’t cleared to board with the regular check-in we had done. Instead, we needed our passports checked and our tickets stamped before we could board the plane. Well, I don’t like lines, and the knowledge of this procedure 3 minutes before the plane should have taken off resulted in a very long and very agitated line. So, I called a friend to chat and sat nearby for about 20 minutes (I never understood why people wait in lines; lines that aren’t really moving and in which your seat at the end has already been guaranteed anyway).


Flight


The plane took off beautifully and I was able to track its progress along the northeastern seaboard with the GPS displays embedded in the back of each seat. I’m not one to be frightened during flights, but being that high up in the air for such a long time, with constant warning of turbulence blaring from the pilot’s speaker did very little to preserve my regular calm. I was happy I brought the neck pillow, because it encouraged me to sleep. I found that after a while, especially in the darkness, I forgot that we were thousands of miles above the ground (except when the floor tossed back and forth from wind of course).


Memorable things and tips from travel day 8:


    

  • Always check at the airline desk near the boarding gate to enquire if you will need to complete anything before boarding the plane.
    • 

  • Always take a neck pillow
    • 

  • Always take extra snacks (although there will be food on the plane, you would want to have eaten something right before you head out into the brand new world).
    • 

  • If you’re taking only one bag with you, do a simple weight test at home by standing on a scale twice: once with the bag and one without. It is important that it be less than 50 pounds, as wont have extra bags to spread the weight around.
    • 



Boarding, Nassau
London to Trains
London to Trains
London to Trains
London to Trains
First Train in London
Nassau International Airport
Nassau International Airport
Nassau International Airport
Nassau International Airport
Nassau International Airport
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport
Charlotte Douglas
Charlotte Douglas
Charlotte Douglas
Charlotte Douglas
Charlotte Douglas
Charlotte Douglas
Charlotte Douglas
Charlotte Douglas
Charlotte Douglas
Charlotte Douglas
London Gatwick
London Gatwick
London Gatwick
London Gatwick
Nassau International Airport
Charlotte Douglas
London Gatwick
London Gatwick

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				526266_332809133457684_332801273458470_822752_801751887_n			
		
		
Keeping Clean


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
What to Bring


You will definitely need to bathe/shower and wash your clothing while backpacking abroad. My plan for this includes an easy-drying towel made with microfiber material that also retards the growth of bacteria (bacteria that may cause sickness and a foul-smelling backpack). I actually ended up buying tw


o of these (facial size) from the same company that I bought my convertible carry-on backpack from, Rick Steves. Although small, the towels are extremely absorbent and quickly drying, meaning that I didn’t need to lug a large or medium-size one around with me to dry off.


With the towels I also bought liquid travel wash soap. Liquids are easier to use, especially when water is limited and their easy-snap container tops make storage a breeze. Imagine daily cleaning up or scraping the film or r


esidue from a soap bar or its container! The travel soap I bought is designed to work up an easy lather and is safe for use on your body, face, or clothing.




Update- London


I just took a shower in my first hostel. Wasn’t bad at all. Ample-sized for standing and 360-spins, the shower stall had clean walls and floor. There was only one temperature: warm. The flow of water was steady and was controlled by a timer button that provided about two minutes worth. The stall door had a rack for hanging my clothes on. The waterproof feature of space saver bags proved useful for carrying my toiletries in and out of the stall dry.


Tip


One word of advice I’m entitled to so far: let your towel dry before you place it into your bag. Its fast-drying capabilities won’t necessarily work with it sealed in a waterproof bag. And, it should be sealed in a waterproof bag for those days when it rains or your fall into a river :-) .

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				chase-sapphire-card			
		
		
Shout out: Chase Visa Sapphire Preferred Credit Card


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
I had tried not to use the name of the card too much out of fear that my readers might think that I endorsed the card, but I am really in love with this credit card!


If anyone has ever boarded a plane before, he/she will know that the boarding zones are helpful in preventing everyone from barraging the plane at once. However, one will notice that within your boarding zone, chaos often ensues, as numerous people with seats in the same area are fighting to put their bags into the overheads at once.


Wouldn’t it be cool to be the first one in your boarding zone to board the plane, and be able to put your bags up and get comfortable before anyone else arrives? Well, with VISA Signature cards on US Airways, that’s a benefit you have, or at least I had for my connecting flight between Orlando, FL and Charlotte, NC. I was able to flash the back of my card and was allowed to board the plane as if I had some special VIP wristband. Needless to say, I was happy I had brought this card with my for my travel (tip: you shouldn’t bring them all).


This is the same card that allowed me to book my hostel reservations for Vienna, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin in GBP(£) without charging a foreign currency conversion fee.


This is also the same card that saved me hundreds of dollars on my transatlantic plane ticket with easily earned rewards points.


This is the same card that’s made out of some weird hard plastic or flexible metal that makes the eyes of every dining cashier (double points at fast food, sit-down, and take-out restaurants) sparkle with interest.


This is also the same card that earns double points on travel, and whose points are worth about $0.01. 1 cent doesn’t sound like a lot, but after paying for tuition, groceries, and utility bills for a month, there’s no way you won’t rack up enough points to at least exceed the $95.00 annual membership fee. Besides, even if YOU don’t spend that much, you can always add trusted friends or family members to the account, with them each receiving their own personalized cards.




One downside of the card is that with its almost blank outer side (numbers are printed on back), it’s easy to see scratches on it. After the first few weeks of using it stopped telling cashiers not to scratch my card out of fear of sounding pretentious, and because I realized it was futile.


p.s., I am not offering financial advice. Please bear in mind that high credit scores are necessary for the card, which offers higher balances (it is for travel after all). Applying for and obtaining or not obtaining the card will all possibly affect your credit score. My personal advice is, however, to use credit wisely and NEVER charge/borrow more than you can pay back.

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				foreign-travel			
		
		
Week 1 Bahamas: Local Conversation


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
While visiting in the Bahamas you will most likely notice the sometimes short and aggressive way in which many of the locals speak. Humor may often be mistaken for insult if one does not take into account the social or conversational context. Also, as like many of their Caribbean counterparts, tend to speak faster than most Americans are used to and with a unique way of placing intonation at various parts of sentences and to indicate varying meanings for words. it is best to explain to locals that you do not understand them when you don’t, saying it later will cause more problems than not. Bahamians are generally upfront and usually appreciate bluntness that isn’t in itself insulting or derogatory.

My job at school partially consists of finalizing reservations for faculty and students traveling abroad on our programs. When making the reservations on two Bahamian islands, I was glad that it was I and not another of my co-workers, as the laid back attitude of the staff at the hotels would probably have been mistaken for impoliteness. I knowing that this was not in fact intended, was quite fine with the receptionist not placing the phone on hold to call up her boss.




Back to my travel, at the airport terminal and in the airplane, a lady displayed the classical Bahamian sociability. It may be mistaken (incorrectly or not) for intrusiveness on his/her part, but most Bahamians like to talk. Most will start a conversation with complete strangers, especially if their current situation or task makes them affiliated, if only momentarily. She spoke not only continuously, but loudly and clearly as though the world was a stage and her special audience. She spoke with the American businessman heading to the Bahamas to help in planning building construction; spoke with other locals that were headed back home; spoke with the stewardess; spoke with the man opposite her on the flight; and she spoke with me. Rather, being a Bahamian myself, I spoke with her :-D !


This “intrusion” into the conversations of others often proves helpful, as visitors are often from countries where one would rather accept being lost as one’s fate instead of asking strangers around you for help. This also usually results in Bahamians being more polite, saying hello, thank you, and good bye to strangers, coworkers, and fellow customers. I hadn’t realized this until a few Bahamians had visited the US with me and said “good afternoon” about three times because the customers and staff weren’t used to people saying that and hence, hadn’t given a response. Confessedly however, this can also be seen as rude and unwanted at times by visitors and locals alike.


So remember, when you visit, have an open mind to experience other cultures, and you’ll be fine.

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				HDR sunset over Vienna Westbahnhof, viennamac, www.flickr.com:photos:63053633 @N07:5926848511			
		
		
Airports, Seaports, Train stations: Wien Westbahnhof, Vienna, Austria (Background)


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
One of the most exciting places to visit while traveling is usually the first place you leave and the first place you arrive at at both the start and end of the trip. Modern airports, seaports, and train stations are designed to mesmerize and to entertain visitors. They do this not only to keep visitors occupied, but to make sure that they spend their last dime before leaving the host country. The website’s background is currently a photo of the Wien Westbahnhof in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the two train stations I will be visiting on my travel through Austria.


Tip 1


Remember that if you were to get lost, maps are only as helpful as they are legible. It is important that you learn the endonyms for places you plan to visit.The German Wien is the endonym for Vienna and Bahnhof translates to station in English. German is sometimes fun for English speakers because of the common linguistic heritage. Hence, the west in Wien Westbahnhof means just that, west or western.


Tip 2


If you are going backpacking through Europe, do not assume in planning (as I once did) that your destination train station to a country will be the one you will use to leave that country for another. This will occur twice on my trip, In Vienna, Austria and in Paris, France. Below is a small gallery of photos of the Wien Westbahnhof and Bahnhof Wien-Meidling and some interesting places near both that I plan to visit. By these stations I will enter Austria (Österreich) from the Czech Republic and leave for Italy (Italia).


Passengers wait for the arrival of their train at the Meidling railway station in Vienna, on Monday, Nov. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Hans Punz)
Westbahnhof
westbahnhof, http://www.centraleasteurope.com
HDR sunset over Vienna Westbahnhof, viennamac, http://www.flickr.com:photos:63053633 @N07:5926848511
Westbahnof Wien, http://www.tripwolf.com
Wien Westbahnhof U3 Station
Wien-Westbahnhof-Europaplatz, http://www.city-walks.info:Vienna:Train.html


Nearby Locations 


    

  • Schloss Schönbrunn
    
Schönbrunner Schlossstraße, Wien
    
1130
    • 

  • Naschmarkt
    
Wienzeile 1, Wien 1040

    • 

  • 
Stephansdom
    
Stephansplatz, Wien 1010

    • 

  • Museumsquartier
    
Museumsplatz 1, Wien 1070

    • 

  • 
Prater
    
Prater, Wien

    • 

  • 
Hundertwasserhaus
    
Löwengasse 43, Wien 1030

    • 

  • 
Belvedere
    
Prinz-Eugen-Straße 27, Wien 1030

    • 

  • 
Hofburg
    
Michaelerplatz 1, Wien 1010

    • 

  • 
Staatsoper
    
Opernring 2, Wien 1010

    • 

  • 
	Ringstraße
    
Wien 1010
    • 


			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				Helpful-Tips			
		
		
New: Travel Planner Website!


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
I found an excellent resource for planning your travel abroad. You can use www.tripwolf.com to load interesting locations that others have voted on into a printable/downloadable trip planner. You can use it to search for nearby hotels and food places as well.

It creates a map to help you plan your movement and make sure you use your time efficiently, especially if you are are getting around by foot and do not have much time in which to see everything. 


The link has been added to the list of links near the bottom the website’s pages. 


http://www.tripwolf.com/

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/			
		
		
Knowing what to say, B: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!






Country (exonym)
Capital (exonym)
Country (endonym)
Capital (endonym)
Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)




The Bahamas
Nassau


English




Bahrain
Manama
Al-Baḥrayn

البحرين		
Al-Manāmah

المنامة		
Arabic

(Arabic script)		




Bangladesh
Dhaka
Bangladesh

বাংলাদেশ		
Ḍhaka

ঢাকা		
Bengali

(Bengali script)		




Barbados
Bridgetown


English




Belarus
Minsk
Belarus’

Беларусь

Biełaruś

Belorussiya or Belorussiâ

Белоруссия		
Minsk (Mensk)

Мінск (Менск)

Miensk

Minsk

Минск		
Belarusian (archaic form)

(Cyrillic script)

(Latin Belarusian Alphabet)

Russian

(Cyrillic script)		




Belgium
Brussels
België

Belgique

Belgien		
Brussel

Bruxelles

Brüssel		
Dutch

French

German		




Belize
Belmopan


English




Benin
Porto-Novo
Bénin
Porto-Novo
French




Bermuda
Hamilton


English




Bhutan
Thimphu
Druk Yul

འབྲུག་ཡུལ		
Thimphu

ཐིམ་ཕུ		
Dzongkha




Bolivia
La Paz
Bolivia

Buliwya

Wuliwya

Volívia		
La Paz

Chuqiyapu

Chuqiyapu

La Paz		
Spanish

Quechua

Aymara

Guaraní		




Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo
Bosna i Hercegovina

Босна и Херцеговина		
Sarajevo

Сарајево		
Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian

(Cyrillic script)		




Botswana
Gaborone


English




Brazil
Brasília
Brasil
Brasília
Portuguese




Brunei
Bandar Seri Begawan
Brunei

بروني		
Bandar Seri Begawan or Bandar

باندر سري بڬاون		
Malay

(Jawi script)		




Bulgaria
Sofia
Bulgariya or Bălgarija

България		
Sofiya or Sofija[2]

София		
Bulgarian

(Cyrillic script)		




Burkina Faso
Ouagadougou


French




Burma
Naypyidaw
Myanmar

မြန်မာ		
Nay Pyi Taw

နေပြည်တော်		
Burmese

(Burmese alphabet)		




Burundi
Bujumbura


Kirundi, French






Source:wikipedia

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				P_question			
		
		
Q: It’s two months before my study abroad program starts and…


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
Q: It’s two months before my study abroad program starts and parts of the program still don’t seem finalized. Should I be afraid of participating in my program?


In answer to a student who wished to remain anonymous,

The short answer is no. I am not suggesting that you not be vigilant in making sure that aspects of your program are comfortable for you, but I would say that certain things are outside of our comfort zone not bother us, but simply because that’s just the way things are.

Study abroad programs are a perfect example of this. If your program involves academic credit like mine where the teaching portion abroad is assumed by an institution external to your home one, then you must consider the steps involved and the length of time and planning needed for each interaction.


For instance, my program is hosted by the Instituto Franklin at the University of Alcalá in Spain. That University already has its own insurance, identification, and enrollment procedures set up. So, unlike other programs where everything is determined by your home institution, these ones require an almost doubling of the tasks involved. What are these tasks you ask? Well, they include things like identification for accounting, and governmental purposes, proper documentation of travel arrangements with schedules and unique record identifiers. This means passport copies, flight itineraries, ticket numbers, emergency contact forms, and the like need to be collected by not only your home, but your host institution as well as the entity providing your lodging.


Why are these important?


A few things come to mind such as:


    

  • Well, if you get lost or stolen the civil authorities need to know where you had expected to be and where they can hope to find you. This would be where the schedules come in.
    • 

  • If you lose your passport, having a copy on you, or safe at one of the institutions gives you more safety than having nothing at all. (Many hostels in Europe, for example, require you to leave your passport with them as a form of collateral or for identification purposes for locked away items).
    • 

  • Your ticket also shows that you actually intend to travel and that your study abroad coordinators are not investing money into students that end up not participating in the program.
    • 



Accommodation Verification Lag-time


In reference to accommodations, if you’re staying with a family like I will, they will want to have a full and proper description of who they will be exposing themselves and their personal space too. So your home institution will usually provide a questionnaire for you to fill out detailing your eating, social, religious, and other habits along with your physical description (yes, including picture) to your host family selection pool. It may seem a bit odd, but yes, for this instant you are a commodity to be compared against and selected for things like risk (social values, property, etc) and impact (affect you have on their everyday activities).


With these things in mind, it’s no wonder that your program may not have announced who you will be living with 4 or 5 weeks in advance of your travel. But rest assure, everything has to finalized before you leave, and the people you are being shipped off to have been vetted (especially study abroad families) for dealing with you and the benefits and problems you bring. So, keep this in mind, stay patient, and know that when you’re there, everything’s been thoroughly checked for your safety.


- Question from May 2012 UCF program participant

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/			
		
		
Knowing what to say, G, H: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!


G






Country (exonym)
Capital (exonym)
Country (endonym)
Capital (endonym)
Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)




Gabon
Libreville


French




The Gambia
Banjul


English




Georgia
Tbilisi
Sak’art’velo

საქართველო		
Tbilisi

თბილისი		
Georgian

(Georgian alphabet)		




Germany
Berlin
Deutschland
Berlin
German




Ghana
Accra


English

Akan

Fante

Twi

Ga

Dagbani

Ewe		




Gibraltar
Gibraltar


English




Greece
Athens
Hellas

Ελλάς

or

Ellada

Ελλάδα		
Athinai

Αθήναι

or

Athina

Αθήνα		
Greek

(Greek alphabet)		




Greenland
Nuuk
Kalaallit Nunaat

Grønland		
Nuuk

Godthåb

Danish		




Grenada
St. George’s


English




Guadeloupe
Basse-Terre


French




Guam
Hagåtña


English




Guatemala
Guatemala City
Guatemala
La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción
Spanish




Guernsey
St Peter Port


English




Guinea
Conakry
Guinée

Gine

Gine		
Conakry

Kɔnakiri

Konakiri		
French

Maninka, Susu

Pular		




Guinea-Bissau
Bissau
Guiné-Bissau
Bissau
Portuguese




Guyana
Georgetown


English






H






Country (exonym)
Capital (exonym)
Country (endonym)
Capital (endonym)
Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)




Haiti
Port-au-Prince
Haïti

Ayiti		
Port-au-Prince

Pòtoprens		
French

Haitian Creole		




Honduras
Tegucigalpa


Spanish




Hungary
Budapest
Magyarország
Budapest
Hungarian






Source:wikipedia

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/			
		
		
Knowing what to say, D, E, F: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!


D






Country (exonym)
Capital (exonym)
Country (endonym)
Capital (endonym)
Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)




Denmark
Copenhagen
Danmark
København
Danish




Djibouti
Djibouti
Jībūtī

جيبوتي

Djibouti		
Jībūtī

جيبوتي

Djibouti		
Arabic

(Arabic script)

French		




Dominica
Roseau


English




Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo
República Dominicana
Santo Domingo
Spanish






E






Country (exonym)
Capital (exonym)
Country (endonym)
Capital (endonym)
Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)




East Timor
Díli
Timor Lorosa’e

Timor-Leste		
Díli

Díli		
Tetum

Portuguese		




Ecuador
Quito


Spanish




Egypt
Cairo
Misr or Masr

مصر		
Al-Qāhirah

القاهرة		
Arabic

(Arabic script)		




El Salvador
San Salvador


Spanish




Equatorial Guinea
Malabo
Guinea Ecuatorial
Malabo
Spanish




Eritrea
Asmara
Iritriya

إرتريا

Erta

ኤርትራ		
Asmaraa

أسمرا

Asmära

አሥመራ		
Arabic

(Arabic script)

Tigrinya		




Estonia
Tallinn
Eesti
Tallinn
Estonian




Ethiopia
Addis Ababa
Ityop’ia

ኢትዮጵያ		
Addis Abäba

አዲስ አበባ		
Amharic






F






Country (exonym)
Capital (exonym)
Country (endonym)
Capital (endonym)
Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)




Faroe Islands
Tórshavn
Føroyar

Færøerne		
Tórshavn

Thorshavn		
Faroese

Danish		




Fiji
Suva
Fiji

Viti

फ़िजी		
Suva
English

Fijian

Hindustani		




Finland
Helsinki
Suomi

Finland		
Helsinki

Helsingfors		
Finnish

Swedish		




France
Paris


French




French Guiana
Cayenne
Guyane
Cayenne
French




French Polynesia
Papeete
Polynésie française
Papeete
French






Source:wikipedia


			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/			
		
		
Knowing what to say, C: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!






Country (exonym)
Capital (exonym)
Country (endonym)
Capital (endonym)
Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)




Cambodia
Phnom Penh
Kampuchea

កម្ពុជា		
Phnom Penh

ភ្នំពេញ		
Khmer

ខ្មែរ		




Cameroon
Yaoundé
Cameroun

Cameroon		
Yaoundé

Yaoundé		
French

English		




Canada
Ottawa


English

French

Indigenous		




Cape Verde
Praia
Cabo Verde
Praia
Portuguese




Cayman Islands
George Town


English




Central African Republic
Bangui
République Centrafricaine

Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka		
Bangui

Bangî		
French

Sango		




Chad
N’Djamena
Tchad

Tšād

تشاد		
Ndjamena

Nijāmīnā

نجامينا		
French

Arabic

(Arabic script)		




Chile
Santiago


Spanish




China (PRC)[1]
Beijing
Zhōngguó (Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó)

中国 (中华人民共和国)		
Běijīng

北京		
Mandarin Chinese

(Simplified Chinese characters)		




China (ROC)[1]

or Taiwan		
Taipei
Zhōnghuá Mínguó or Táiwan

中華民國 or 臺灣/台灣		
Táiběi

臺北/台北		
Chinese

(Traditional Chinese characters)		




Christmas Island
Flying Fish Cove
Christmas Island
Flying Fish Cove
English




Cocos Islands
West Island


English




Colombia
Bogotá


Spanish




Comoros
Moroni
Komori

Juzur al-Qamar

جزر القمر

Comores		
Moroni

Moroni

موروني

Moroni		
Shikomor

Arabic

(Arabic script)

French		




Congo
Brazzaville
Congo or Congo-Brazza
Brazzaville
French




Congo (DRC)
Kinshasa
Congo
Kinshasa
French




Cook Islands
Avarua


English




Costa Rica
San José


Spanish




Côte d’Ivoire
Yamoussoukro


French




Croatia
Zagreb
Hrvatska
Zagreb
Croatian




Cuba
Havana
Cuba
La Habana
Spanish




Cyprus
Nicosia
Kypros

Κύπρος

Kıbrıs		
Lefkosia

Λευκωσία

Lefkoşa		
Greek

(Greek alphabet)

Turkish		




Czech Republic
Prague
Česká republika

Česko		
Praha
Czech






Source:wikipedia


 



 

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				Photo-29-04-12-11-52-03.jpg			
		
		
Travel Abroad Scavenger Hunt: Earphones


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
Photo 29 04 12 11 52 03


Earphones are absolutely necessary when you’re traveling long distances, especially the ones to and from your destination country. That part of the journey is usually when peopler are most anxious. Sitting aboard a boat, in a car, or on a plane (like I will be) for more than 4 hours will be very boring after a while and perhaps highly stressful if you don’t bring things along to keep you occupied.


I have fallen asleep on EVERY plan ride I have ever been on… except for two that were between two nearby islands that lasted nearly 15 minutes. This one, I think will not prove the exception, but seeing as my naps usually only last between 2 and 4 hours, I sure will need some music, games, and writing to occupy me. Well, what would I do if my earphones stopped working?Hey, weird things happen to things when you need them most!


So I’m making sure not only to have my trusty old earphones, but I order some cool new red skull candy ones for 1/3 the price thanks to http://www.ebags.com! So if one gets lost or broken, I’ll still be able to jam both ways across the Atlantic and in between!




Technorati Tags: , , , 



			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				spainflag			
		
		
Knowing what to say (Spain): Airport


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
Going to Spain? Want to expand your Spanish vocabulary in the meanwhile? Me too! So, we’ll help each other out. I’m making lists of words I think are important or interesting to know for a trip to Spain. Do you have any words you think that I should know in Spanish? suggest them and I’ll follow up.


EnglishSpanish






airline
una línea aérea




airplane
un avión




airport
el aeropuerto




Arrivals
Llegadas




baggage
el equipaje




baggage claim
la recogida de equipajes




boarding pass
la tarjeta de

embarque		




carry-on luggage
el equipaje de mano




cart
una carretilla




checked luggage
el equipaje facturado




check-in desk
el mostrador de

facturación		




customs
la aduana




Departures
Salidas




duty-free (store)
(una tienda)

libre de impuestos		




early
temprano




economy (coach) class
la clase

económica		




first class
la primera clase




flight
un vuelo




gate
una puerta




immigration
la inmigración




late
tarde




layover
una escala




one-way ticket
un billete

sencillo		




passport
el pasaporte




plane ticket
un billete de avión




round trip ticket
un billete de ida y vuelta




security check
el control de

seguridad		




shuttle
un puente

aéreo		




terminal
la terminal




visa
un visado










to board
embarcar




to buy a ticket
comprar un

billete		




to check bags
facturar




to declare
declarar




to land
aterrizar




to make a reservation
hacer una

reservación		




to take off
despegar










passenger
pasajero,

viajero		




pilot
el piloto




flight attendant
un(a) auxiliar de

vuelo		








Technorati Tags: , , 


 



			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/			
		
		
Knowing what to say, A: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!






Country (exonym)
Capital (exonym)
Country (endonym)
Capital (endonym)
Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)




Abkhazia
Sukhum
Apsny

Аҧсны

Abkhaziya

Абхазия		
Aqwa

Аҟəа

Sukhum

Сухум		
Abhazian

(Abkhaz Cyrillic script)

Russian

(Cyrillic script)		




Afghanistan
Kabul
Afghanestan

افغانستان		
Kabul

كابل		
[[Dari (Eastern Persian)| PashtuDari

(Perso-Arabic script)		




Albania
Tirana
Shqipëria
Tiranë
Albanian




Algeria
Algiers
DzayerAl-Jazā'ir

الجزائر		
DzayerAl-Jazā'ir

الجزائر		
Berber language

Arabic

(Arabic script)		




American Samoa
Pago Pago
Amerika Sāmoa

American Samoa		
Pago Pago

Pago Pago		
Samoan

English		




Andorra
Andorra la Vella
Andorra
Andorra la Vella
Catalan




Angola
Luanda
Angola
Luanda
Portuguese




Anguilla
The Valley
Anguilla
The Valley
English




Antigua and Barbuda
Saint John's
Antigua and Barbuda
St. John's
English




Argentina
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Spanish




Armenia
Yerevan
Hayastán

Հայաստան		
Yerevan

Երեվան		
Armenian

(Armenian alphabet)		




Aruba
Oranjestad
Aruba
Oranjestad
Dutch




Australia
Canberra
Australia
Canberra
English/ Aboriginal native languages




Austria
Vienna
Österreich
Wien
German




Azerbaijan
Baku
Azərbaycan
Bakı
Azeri

(Latin script)		






Source:wikipedia


			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				http-::www.flickr.com:photos:33782816@N00:5357375455			
		
		
The peculiarity of the British: Traveling by train


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
Got a train pass for continental Europe like the Eurail passes?




Sorry to inform you that it won’t work in Great Britain. If you want to travel the Island with unlimited train rides, then one of the Britrail passes are your best bet. I am not sure why the British national railway chose not to accept the pass and enter the combined rail system like most of the other European states. Also, even if you want to cross the tunnel that runs beneath the British Channel (dividing France and Great Britain) known as the chunnel, you should know that neither of the regional pass systems will cover your travel cost. Instead, you will need to invest in another fare: a Eurostar ticket. However, there is some silver lining as a discount is offered for both the Britrail pass system and Eurostar tickets for Eurail passholders.


I had been looking at the travel and oyster cards (prepaid cards used to cover bus fare) and decided that a pass was probably better to use due to the large amount of traveling I have planned. The single fare prices, though low, would add up over time to being more in comparison than the pass. But, if your are staying for less than two weeks and don’t plan to do lots of traveling, then the travel card or oyster card will do well for you.


Once again statravel.com offers some discounts for those of us who are under 25.

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				http-::www.flickr.com:photos:33782816@N00:5357375455			
		
		
Traveling: When to pay for stuff (transportation)


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		


One of the recurring issues I am having with planning my trip is the dilemma of when to purchase things like train tickets/passes and the order in which to purchase them.


Step 1: Decide on where all you will be needing to go.


I know that I will be traveling in over 6 countries I have never been before. I decided that it would be best to purchase a pass instead of a group of point-to-point tickets simply because of the possibility of missing a scheduled train due to a miscalculation of walking distance or the other. For the region that I am traveling in, it would be best to purchase the Eurail pass. Because I am visiting more than 5 countries, I will have to get the Eurail Global Pass instead of the Select Pass (where you select up to 5 countries to visit), because a “visit” in a country counts as either getting off the train at a stop there, OR simply passing along its train tracks. So even though I wasn’t planning on stopping in France or Belgium on the way to Holland, the Select Pass would have deducted on country from my limited visiting total. The Global Pass, instead allows unlimited travel for the time period selected in any of the 23 participating countries.


* It is helpful to know that Eurail passes are not applicable in Great Britain. Just like Pound Sterling (instead of Euro) and three-prong electrical sockets (instead of two), the Brits really just like to have their own special “something”  I’m beginning to realize. I will provide follow-up in a future post about British rail tips.*


Step 2: Decide on the route you will be taking and the amount and location of stops you will want to make.


After leaving the UK, I will need to end up in Spain for my study abroad program, so I was able to calculate a maximum of 16 days  in which I would be able to traverse the Continent. Because that coincided most closely with the 15-day consecutive pass, I decided that that option would be best. Flexible passes are the other type of pass, and they allow non-contiguous calendar day use. Remember to sit back and look at who you are as a statistic whenever you have to pay for ANYTHING; it helps you to spot discounts everywhere! Because I am under 25, a student, and a non-European resident, I was able to figure out a savings of over $200 for this pass.


Step 3: Decide on when to pay for the pass/tickets.


When things are offered to tourists that are not offered to residents of a destination, they usually only retain their lower cost outside of the destination country. This applies to the Eurail, as its passes need to be ordered online and shipped for the special pricing. Purchasing them directly from the website or from a student travel site like statravel.com is best. This means that you can’t wait until the week before you travel to purchase the those passes. And because I plan to leave home before I actually fly to Europe, I have to plan a little more in advance.


So, to recap: some things you will need not only to plan, but to purchase, before you arrive at your destination. With shipping time included, this is definitely one of the highest on the list of purchase-ASAP-items.

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				charger			
		
		
Travel Abroad Scavenger Hunt: Charging


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
 


Another thing you will want for your trip is a new phone, iPad, or other high-use electronic charger. Because you don’t want to risk your electronic device losing power in a faraway country or at the airport before or after your journey, you should definitely invest in one of these. I know that they have electronic stores that sell chargers in Europe for example, but the ones they sell would be fitted for their outlets, as explained in a previous post. When you bring that charger back to the U.S., you will always need to use an adapter, as opposed to you purchasing a U.S. one and having to use an adapter for a days or weeks. As explained in the previous post, my charger is a dual voltage one!


 

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				spainflag			
		
		
Knowing what to say: Money/Bank


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
Going to Spain? Want to expand your Spanish vocabulary in the meanwhile? Me too! So, we’ll help each other out. I’ll make  a list of words I think are important or interesting to know for a study abroad trip to Spain. Do you have any words you think that I should know in Spanish? suggest them and I’ll follow up.


Money (dinero/moneda)


    

  • money back guarantee (n) garantía (f) de devolución (del dinero)
    • 

  • “money back if not satisfied” ”si no queda satisfecho le devolvemos su dinero”
    • 

  • money order (n) (US) giro (m) postal
    • 

  • it was money well spent fue dinero bien empleado
    • 

  • I paid or gave good money for it pagué un buen dinero por ello
    • 

  • when do I get my money? ¿cuándo me vas a pagar?
    • 

  • to be worth a lot of money -> valer mucho dinero; (thing) tener mucho dinero (person)
    • 





Bank (el banco)




    

  • bank account -> cuenta (f) bancaria
    • 

  • bank balance -> saldo (m) bancario, haberes mpl bancarios
    • 

  • bank charges -> comisión (f) bancaria, gastos mpl bancarios
    • 

  • bank clerk -> empleado(a) (sustantivo masculino o femenino) de banca
    • 


  • 

    • 







Idioms:




    

  • money doesn’t grow on trees! (familiar) -> ¡el dinero no se encuentra así como así!, ¡la plata no cae del cielo! (RP)
    • 










Brought to you by http://www.spanishdict.com


Related articles


			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				update			
		
		
Update: Almost bought airline tickets today


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
I was going to, but…


Okay, so I haven’t explained one of the ways I plan to save a great deal of money on my airline tickets. About 3 months ago I made sure my credit score was impeccable, and then I applied for one of the most beautiful credit cards I’ve ever seen… I’ll decide later if to tell you what card it is :P . Anyway… so the credit card offers no foreign transaction fee (this will be awesome if I ever need to use it on the other side), and it gave me quite a bit of cash back within the first three months because I was able to buy a ton of stuff for friends, for which they made immediate repayment. For every cash back dollar I apply to a airplane ticket, I actually get to redeem for $1.25. So, with all these in consideration, my plane ticket should be substantially lower than otherwise! Of course I have to factor in that the card charges an annual fee and that if I don’t pay any balance in full, I get charged interest. 


So, this brings me to my dilemma.


For the dollars to be worth more, I have to purchase the tickets through the credit card company’s online booking system. Using http://www.travel.bing.com (like I suggested in a previous post), my ticket is supposed to cost around $1,400 – $1,600. But, checking the online booking system today I saw that their lowest ticket for the same dates cost about $1,800! Of course, I then went into bargain-finder overdrive! Because the ticket that I am getting is a multi-city ticket (I want to go to my sister’s graduation and visit some family in London), I tried rearranging dates and schedules to figure out of that would lessen the cost. Well, after a while I found a fix. Instead of flying into London from my home town, I would fly into Dublin instead. Because the London airports are a lot busier than Dublin’s they charge higher landing fees and other charges for the airlines, thus inflating my ticket price. Now, the point of flying into Dublin was because I remembered the jewel of a website I had found the other day, http://www.RyanAir.com. They provide domestic flights at really low prices <– already stated haha. Connecting time looks great and because I was already using the company to get from London to my study abroad in Spain, I would be able to purchase them together.


However, after all this chaos, and the creation of an awesome plan B, I remembered that I had forgotten the first rule of airline ticket shopping! I was buying a ticket on a Sunday! Everybody knows that weekends are the worst days to buy tickets! Well, at least for domestic flights that is. So, instead of rushing for plan B, I’m going to wait to check prices (and my luck) on Tuesday!


I’ll update you guys on Tuesday with what happened.

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				spainflag			
		
		
Knowing what to say: Outskirts


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
Going to Spain? Want to expand your Spanish vocabulary in the meanwhile? Me too! So, we’ll help each other out. I’ll make  a list of words I think are important or interesting to know for a study abroad trip to Spain. Do you have any words you think that I should know in Spanish? suggest them and I’ll follow up.


afuera∗ah-fweh’-rah


adverb ( outside, outward; outskirts (pl.) )




Examples


    

  1. 

    

    Hace mucho calor afuera hoy.
    

    It is very hot outside today.
    

    

    2. 

  2. 

    

    Vivo en las afueras de la ciudad.
    

    I live on the outskirts of town.
    

    

    3. 







Idioms


    

  1. 

    

    ¡Afuera!
    

    Out of the way! / Get out!
    


    

    

    

    2. 





Brought to you by http://www.spanishdict.com

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				cropped-headerphoto.jpg			
		
		
Tips for if you get lost #2


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
Oh, yeah, about cognates. Some of them are false cognates, meaning that the words in both languages sound or are spelt the same, but they have different meanings. Don’t say these things if you don’t mean them haha!


False Spanish Cognates








English
Spanish




globe
globo (balloon)




pie
pie (foot)




rope
ropa (clothes)




soap
sopa (soup or pasta)




large
largo (long)




exit
éxito (success)




hay
hay (there is)






False German Cognates










German
English
English
German




Achsel
shoulder
axle
Achse




Advokat
lawyer
advocate
Befürworter




After
rectum
after
nach




Akt
nude (artwork); act (theater)
act (deed)
Tat




alle Tage
alle Tage
all day
den ganzen Tag






English: Map of world languages.
Map of world languages




Related articles


			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				spainflag			
		
		
Knowing what to say: Border


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
Going to Spain? Want to expand your Spanish vocabulary in the meanwhile? Me too! So, we’ll help each other out. I’ll make  a list of words I think are important or interesting to know for a study abroad trip to Spain. Do you have any words you think that I should know in Spanish? suggest them and I’ll follow up.


la franja∗fran’-hah


noun ( strip, band; border, fringe )




Examples


    

  1. Vivo en la franja de tierra cerca del río.

    

    I live on the strip of land near the river.
    

    

    2. 

  2. Me gusta mucho la franja amarilla en este vestido.

    

    I really like the yellow fringe on this dress.
    

    

    3. 







Idioms


    

  1. la franja (horaria) de máxima audiencia

    

    prime time (television)
    

    

    2. 

  2. la franja de edad

    

    age range / age-group
    


    

    

    

    3. 





Brought to you by http://www.spanishdict.com

			

	
	



				
					


	

					
				cropped-headerphoto.jpg			
		
		
Tips for if you get lost #1


				

			Posted on  by 		

			


		

		
Okay, so I was thinking. I’m not exactly a Spanish pro, so if I got lost in Spain I may not know what to say. Which reminded my of a trick I once had to employ. By saying some of the words I didn’t know in English, but with a Spanish accent, I was able to explain something to a Spanish lady I work with who isn’t fluent in English. Listen, I know you must think I’m off my rockers to give you such advice, but think about the fact that language, just like anything else, evolves over time, and will absorb elements from surrounding languages and cultures. So, just in case you weren’t sure, I’ll be pointing out many words, which when said (in English, but not like English), mean the same or near the same in other languages. Oh, and yeah, these are referred to as cognates :) . Will also be including spanish cognates for other languages.


Spanish Cognates









English
 German
 (Special) Sound




garage
 garaje
 [gah-rah’-hay] – “j” is pronounced like an “h”




garden
 jardin
 har-deen




gasoline
 gasolina
 gah-soh-lee-na




general
 general
 hay-nay-rahl : in words beginning with “ge”, the “g” sounds like an “h”






German Cognates









English
 German
 (Special) Sound




 accent
 akzent





 America
 Amerika





 vague
 vage
 vaghe




 villa
 villa





 vanilla
 vanille
 vah-nil-ay






Russian Cognates









English
Spanish
 Russian-Phonetic




night
noche
 noch




salt
sal
 sol




snow

 sneg




water

 vodA




sun

 solntse




milk

 miluko




nose

 nOs






English: Map of world languages.
Map of world languages




Related articles