Feb

First-Class Economy Travel

by Joyce McGreevy on February 18, 2019

Dublin International Airport, Ireland prompts a favorite travel tip: You can clear U.S. Customs before you board. (Image © Carolyn McGreevy)

Fly home via Dublin Airport (above) to clear U.S. Customs before you board.
Your jet lagged brain will thank you!
© Carolyn McGreevy

Travel Tips to Upgrade the Experience

Overseas travel is enriching, and you don’t have to be rich to travel well. When people say it’s all about managing resources, they usually mean money. But another resource is our mindset.

If we’re fixated on how things “should be,” it won’t take much to discourage us from our travel goals, and any little thing could “ruin the trip.” If we’re adaptable, we’ll “find a way” and savor both the journey we anticipate and the journey as it actually unfolds.

Oh, I see: The attitudes we invest in can enrich our travel even more than the money we spend. Here are travel tips for “First-Class Economy” to help with both resources.

This is an airport? You don’t need to be a VIP to enjoy the Departures-area garden
at Aarhus International in Denmark.
© Joyce McGreevy

Prepare for takeoff.

List “Travel” as a monthly expense. Then use an app to automate saving. You can set a specific amount or round up each transaction to the nearest dollar and save the rest.

Mindful travel tip: Discovering how easily you can save, even on a tight budget, also sheds light on “unconscious” spending.

An array of old currency suggests a favorite budget travel tip about saving. (Image © Carolyn McGreevy)

Simplify expenses and save steadily—the keys to affording world travel.
© Carolyn McGreevy

Preview travel costs.

BudgetYourTrip.com lets you view average travel costs by country, region, and city. Categories include food, accommodation, and transportation. Simply convert local-currency prices into your own currency.

Budget Travel Tip: Use the figures as guidelines, not gospel. The “typical” monthly costs displayed skew much higher than I spend, even with lovely apartments. In fact, extended stays usually come with discounts.

Mindful travel tip: Donate, don’t accumulate, foreign coins. Many international airlines collect change for UNICEF. You can donate miles, too.

A toy dog in different hats accompanies a budget travel tip about saving by not overpacking. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Briefly tempted by a souvenir hat at Heathrow Airport, a savvy saver decides
to stick with his easy-to-pack beret.
© Joyce McGreevy

Weatherize, don’t “excess”-orize.

Whether you dress informally (hiking in New Zealand) or more formally (exploring the arts in Italy), you need only one small suitcase. Pack light, based on Climate, Culture, and Comfort. Why waste money on airline fees for overweight or multiple suitcases? Managing cumbersome bags just makes you vulnerable to theft.

Mindful travel tip: Are perfect selfies worth lugging around a closet? Use Instagram to capture insights, not “I” sights.

A model inspired by Lord of the Rings at Wellington Airport, New Zealand, inspire travel tips about mindful travel. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Not just another airport: In Wellington, New Zealand, art installations
celebrate The Lord of the Rings.
© Joyce McGreevy

Don’t wing it.

Read reviews of Economy flights. Does traveling long-haul in Coach sound miserable? It needn’t be. My favorite airlines treat you well whether you’re seated in 1A or 38F. This includes Air New Zealand, Turkish Airlines, and Ireland’s Aer Lingus.

A DIY travel amenity kit accompanies budget travel tips for mindful travel. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The budget-friendly way to score an amenity kit—DIY!
© Joyce McGreevy

Budget Travel tip: Some airlines offer Premium Economy upgrades—from your meal to your seat. In this regard, international airlines offer better quality and value than U.S. airlines.

An airline meal accompanies budget travel tips for First-Class Economy travel . (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Smoked salmon, delicious entrée, fine wine—this is Economy?
© Carolyn McGreevy

Mindful travel tip: Boarding a crowded flight is a stressor that can ratchet up the territorial instinct—which only creates more stress. My solution? Committing to flexibility and remembering that those around me are my neighbors. Empathy works wonders.

Don’t wait for jet-lag to find out what Arrivals is like. Some airports, like Schipol in Amsterdam, expertly guide passengers from plane to ground transportation. But some airports . . . good luck finding the secret location of the taxi rank.

Do a dry run online. Check airport websites for basic previews. For detailed tips, visit online travel forums like Lonely Planet Community.

Budget Travel tip: Save big on public transportation by paying for fares like a local: Buy before you board. Ask about discounts. Book online, or buy a smartcard.

A toy dog on a train in Austria accompanies budget travel tips about saving on First-Class Economy travel. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Being public-transport savvy will reduce your fares and speed you on your way!
© Joyce McGreevy

Mindful travel tip: Arriving in one city, heading to another? Consider building in a breather overnight. Then resume the journey refreshed. Many airlines allow free stopovers. It’s also a nice transition to heading home, especially if your flight departs early.

Save and savor

Budget travel tip: Seeking affordable, authentic cuisine? Skip reviews by tourists. Search these terms: [your destination] + for locals + food. Or get a “taste orientation” with a 2-hour food tour. One of my favorites is free!

Mindful travel tip: Some great local dining costs little and includes free extras—from park-bench picnics to cafés in libraries, churches, and museums.

A man and woman dining in Ireland embody the concept of mindful travel and First-Class travel on a budget. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Which matters more—the cost of the meal or the pleasure of the company?
© Joyce McGreevy

What’s your favorite “First-Class Economy” travel tip? How does it enrich your travel experience?

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy Comments

Art of Travel/Clever Ideas/Worldwide Sites

Dec

Memorable Moments: Holiday Happenings

by Your friends at OIC on December 24, 2018

Our gift to you. © Kemal Bas/iStock

As you enjoy your own holiday celebrations, we’d like to share with you this look back at traditions and treats from around the world.

The Season Sparkle of Cultural Differences

Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or Epiphany. Whether you’re commemorating Père Noêl, Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, the Three Wisemen, Sinterklaas, Befana, or the miracle of light. ‘Tis the season to be festive. Go to the post.

Ten Christmas Traditions Stuffed in Stockings ‘n Shoes

Though the concept of giving is common across cultures, timing and traditions differ. Take a look at how variations of holiday stocking and shoe traditions abound worldwide. Go to the post.

And let’s not forget the desserts!

Happy Holidays from OIC Moments

For more interesting takes on holidays and celebrations, check out our category archive for Cultural Heritage & Traditions. And to find a new “Oh, I see!” moment every week in your inbox, take this opportunity to subscribe.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Your friends at OIC Comments

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Worldwide Sites

Dec

Holiday Foods Around the World

by Meredith Mullins on December 17, 2018

Christmas Pudding, showing the cultural traditions of holiday food around the world. (Image © Bruce Goldstone/iStock.)

‘Tis the season
© iStock

‘Tis the Season for Cultural Traditions

The holiday season is here, and thoughts turn to twinkling lights, frenetic shopping, food traditions, celebrations with family and friends, decorated trees, wreaths and menorahs, holiday songs, festive food, stockings hung by the chimney with care, animated store windows, seasonal food treats, red-nosed reindeer, roasted chestnuts, peace on earth, and . . . did I mention food?

There are many cultural traditions associated with the holidays around the world, and, in many cases, holiday food traditions play a major role. From roasted turkey to mince pies to babka and bibingka, every country is different.

OIC Moments takes you on a whirlwind tour of some of the most interesting customs.

Roasted chestnuts, showing cultural traditions of the holidays and holiday foods around the world. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

A holiday sign: roasted chestnuts
© Meredith Mullins

Iceland: Naughty or Nice

Christmas is called Jól in Iceland. Let’s start with customs that separate the “naughties” from the “nices.”

In Iceland, if you’ve been naughty, you get a rotten potato in your shoe, delivered by one of the Yule Lads—magical people who climb through windows to leave a treat or a potato. The Yule Lads have names like Pot Licker, Door Slammer, Sausage Snatcher, and Window Peeper.

It’s true that potatoes are a healthy food item, but finding one in your shoe isn’t exactly the kind of Christmas food tradition you might be wishing for. The potatoes could, however, go well with the roast lamb of the Icelandic Christmas dinner.

Shoes with potatoes showing an Iceland cultural traditions for Christmas and holiday food around the world. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Not another potato year!
© Meredith Mullins

Japan: Nothing like a Bucket of KFC Fried Chicken

In Japan, Christmas is known more as a time to spread happiness than a religious celebration. Japanese Christmas was in search of a tradition when Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) swooped in with the idea of a Christmas chicken bucket.

The idea has been popular since the 1970s, and now Japanese families have to reserve months in advance, just to be sure the festive red and white bucket will be on the menu. The Christmas bucket also includes a Christmas cake (celebrated by the shortcake emoji). 🍰🍰🍰

Bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken, showing the cultural traditions of Japan at Christmas and holiday food around the world. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Who would have thought that KFC would become a Japanese cultural tradition?
© Meredith Mullins

Israel: Hanukkah Latkes

Since the middle ages, these delicious fried potato pancakes have been a tradition for Hanukkah (the Festival of Lights). The fact that they’re cooked in oil recognizes the miracle of the Temple of Jerusulam Menorah burning for eight days with only a one-day supply of oil.

Plate of latkes, showing cultural traditions of the holiday season and holiday food around the world. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Yum . . . Latkes. Good at any time of year, but especially at Hanukkah.
© Meredith Mullins

Italy: The Feast of the Seven Fishes

The Feast of the Seven Fishes for the Christmas Eve meal doesn’t necessarily mean to go and buy seven fishes.

The more popular interpretation is to prepare seven different fish dishes, as a tribute to the seven sacraments in Catholicism or the seven days of creation. Common fish dishes are baccala (salted cod), eel, clams, sardines, or calamari.

When people return from Mass, they might have a slice of Italian Christmas Cake called panettone and a cup of hot chocolate.

Seven fish, showing the cultural traditions of Italy for Christmas and holiday food around the world. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

The Feast of the Seven Fishes
© Meredith Mullins

Mexico and Central America: Tamales

Every family has their own “secret” recipe for holiday tamales. The basics include corn dough, wrapped in a banana leaf or corn husk and then steamed. A tamale can be stuffed with beef, chicken, or pork, along with garlic, onion, potatoes, or raisins.

Tamales are shared throughout the holiday season (December 12 through January 6) and are included in the main Christmas meal on December 24. This meal also includes pozole (a thick soup with hominy, chicken or pork, and chilies) and roast turkey or pork.

Plate of two tamales, showing the cultural traditions of Mexico for Christmas and holiday food around the world. (Image © Roberta J. Cobley.)

France: Bûche de Noël

In France, where gastronomy is an art form, several holiday traditions are present. Stands of fresh oysters appear, and fois gras takes center stage.

However, the sponge cake that looks like a Yule Log is a key focus. In earlier times, families had a Christmas log, which they sprinkled with wine, and then burned on Christmas Eve (often thought to cleanse the air of the previous year’s events).

Now, cake enters the picture. The Bûche de Noël is a French mainstay, especially after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

Chocolate yule log cake or Buche de Noel, showing cultural traditions for Christmas and holiday food around the world. (Image © etorres69/iStock.)

Philippines: A Bibingka Breakfast

The holiday season in the Phillippines is one of the longest, often beginning with Christmas carols starting in September and festivities lasting into January’s Epiphany.

Noche Buena (the name for Christmas dinner) is celebrated after families attend the Mass of the Rooster. The feasting day begins with Bibingka, a traditional breakfast pastry consisting of coconut milk and rice flour, baked in a pot lined with banana leaves. Bibingka is topped with coconut, white cheese, or egg.

The feast continues into the day with roasted pig, spring rolls, ham, noodles, rice, and fresh fruit.

Philippine Bibingka, showing the cultural traditions of Christmas and holiday food around the world. (Image © bugking88/iStock.)

Romania: Cabbage Rolls

The Romanian holiday dish Sarmale dates back to the Ottoman Empire. The cabbage rolls are stuffed with beef, pork, onion, and rice and then boiled in tomato sauce.

For the Christmas dinner, Sarmale are served with roast pork chops, ciorba de perisoare (a slightly sour vegetable soup with pork meatballs), and cozonac (a rich fruit bread).

Stuffed cabbage rolls with rice and meat (sarmale), showing cultural traditions of Christmas in Romania and holiday food around the world. (Image © vkuslandia/iStock.)

England: Mince Pie

The Christmas meal in England is eaten at lunch or early afternoon on Christmas Day—roast turkey, roast beef, or Christmas goose is the main feature, with all the trimmings.

Dessert is Christmas pudding or mince pies. The exact ingredients of mince pie can vary, but the tradition in England dates back to the 13^thcentury. The pies contain dried fruit, suet, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg . . . plus a touch of rum or brandy.

Mince meat pies, showing the cultural traditions of Christmas in England and holiday food around the world. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Poland: Babka

Christmas Eve (known as Wigilia) is traditionally a day of fasting in Poland. The main Christmas meal is eaten in the evening after the first star is seen in the sky. Many families set an extra place for a lone wanderer who might happen to pass through during dinner.

The day-long fast is often ended by “breaking bread”—specifically babka, a sweet and spongy yeast bread. Babka is eaten throughout all holiday seasons in Poland.

Chocolate Babka, showing the cultural traditions of Christmas in Poland and holiday food around the world. (Image © A. Lein/iStock.)

China: An Apple A Day …

Christmas is not a major celebration day in China, but people do like to give the gift of a cellophane-wrapped apple.

The odd tradition started perhaps because, in Mandarin Chinese, the word for apple (ping’anguo) sounds like the words for Christmas Eve, or “peaceful night” (ping’an ye).

As this tradition grows, the apple packaging gets more creative, with heart-shaped boxes or tins that also include chocolates and flowers, much like a Valentine’s Day celebration.

A cellophane wrapped apple, showing the cultural traditions of China for Christmas and holiday food around the world. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Oh I See: Let’s Celebrate the Holidays (and Food!) in Many Different Ways

No matter what the cultural traditions of your country—or whatever country you’re spending the holidays in—the spirit rests in sharing moments with family and friends. And, of course, celebrating good holiday food.

Happy Holidays!