And just so you know, the Pyramids of Giza are one of the only remaining 7 wonders of the ancient world. If you're planning a visit here or anywhere in this region, it's always a good bet to check with your foreign office or if you're from the United States, the State Department. Moving back stateside, we're going to New Orleans, Louisiana, my favorite city in the United States.
It blends French and Caribbean culture with great music, and the food alone is worth the trip. Skip the crowds at Mardi Gras and hit the French Quarter in the shoulder season. There're way fewer crowds, but Frenchmen Street and all the live music bars that are on it are still popping https://thebicycleoutfitteronline.com/online-gambling-legislation-lobbying/. Croatia is the darling of most travelers, but unfortunately its popularity has increased its price.. King's Landing. Save money by spending time in lesser-known places like Vis, Plitvice National Park or its capital Zagreb. Sorry that I mispronounced all three of those. Better yet, check out the Bay of Kotor and Montenegro, the beaches of Albania, or Sarajevo in Bosnia. Moving back to Southeast Asia, we have Myanmar or Burma. I was here in 2009 when this country was largely closed off to the rest of the world. There were no ATMs and very little foreign money. A lot has changed since then. The country's leaders have made a lot of progress towards democracy, and it's a lot more popular now with travelers. The former capital of Rangoon is a funky mixture of old British colonial buildings, and it's a great place to get your bearings before heading up to the Temples of Bagan or Inle Lake. Heading back to South America, let's talk about Bolivia. This landlocked Andean country is one of the best travel bets for South America. Plus, it's got a bit of everything, from the world's highest lake to the infamous death road, which you can do on a mountain bike, and the world-famous Uyuni Salt Flats... all of these are great places to visit, and supposedly Bolivia has one of the most incredible kind of lunar martian landscapes. For the Caribbean, we're recommending Dominican Republic. It is the cheapest country in the region with the exception of its next-door neighbor Haiti. D.R. is much safer than Haiti and has a lot better tourism infrastructure, so hence a recommendation. There're great beaches, but the problem can be that it's hard to find something that's not an expensive resort, so check on Airbnb for a bungalow. Heading back to Eastern Europe, we're going to Bulgaria, which happens to be the home country of our good friend Raya, but also the home of the cheapest capital in Europe, Sofia. You can eat, drink, party, and sleep here for well under $40 a day. That's why it's making this list. But don't forget that Bulgaria is on the Black Sea. It has beaches, islands ,mountains, not to mention UNESCO sites like Nessebar with incredible architecture. The best kept secret in Western Europe is hands-down Portugal. The capital Lisbon is one of the most enchanting cities in Europe. Seven hills dotted with colorful villas and crisscross with iconic trolley. But it's not just beautiful, it's great value. Good luck trying to find a coffee over one euro Accommodation in particular is cheap and easy to find because it's still undiscovered by most tourists. The only downside is there's not a lot of direct flights to Lisbon from other countries outside of Europe, so you might have to fly through Madrid and then take a train. Heading back to Australasia, let's go to Bali. Bali the most popular island in Indonesia is no secret... thanks Eat Pray Love. Nor is it the cheapest... thanks Australia, but it's still a good deal for those of you wanting to get away from it all without much hassle. Rent an inexpensive villa with a pool, an automatic motorbike, sign up for some yoga classes and you're chillin'. Most people stick to Abood, but if you are a surfer, head down to the south. Waves like Uluwatu are some of the best in the world. And if you get bored of Bali. don't worry there's 17,000 other islands in Indonesia and all of them are cheaper than Bali. Last but not least, Morocco. Easy to reach from Europe, inexpensive, this North African paradise is the original bohemian getaway. It's the safest country in North Africa; it's got tons of style. Tangier is the gritty port popularized by expats, like the Rolling Stones. Essaouira is the vibey surf town, complete with a Portuguese castle and former home of Jimi Hendrix. Marrakech is the place to go if you want that vibey Instagram photo of you chillin' next to a Riyadh, which are those big courtyards with the fountain in the middle. All right. That's our list. If you guys have been to any of these places, if you have a favorite, please let us know by adding a comment in the comment section. That's how all of us travelers get information these days, you know, the old-fashioned way by using the Internet. Word of mouth, baby. If you liked the video, give it a thumbs -up, share with your travel buddies, and don't forget to subscribe and turn on those notifications so you get new video updates every single week. All right you guys, in the meantime remember to stay curious, keep exploring, and we will see you guys and girls on the road. Peace.
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- Hello, guys! Our road trip in Iceland just ended and we thought we'd make a little video to tell you more about how to travel Iceland with the most common questions which come up when you prepare for a trip which we also had before we were prepared for our trip. (upbeat music) (relaxing electronic music) - [Gareth] We just spent the last two weeks traveling around Iceland.
We started here in Reykjavik, we went up the what is it, the West coast, through the North, down the East coast, and then back to Reykjavik. That took us how many days https://casinoslots.sg/welcome-bonus? - I'd say we did it in 10 days with a little bit more, we factored a little bit more time in because we also do photography and video as you've seen in the series. So let's start from the beginning. - Yes. - Getting in. Getting Around. (upbeat electronic music) In terms of visa situation, it's pretty fast forward for basically for us two, like for North America. - Yeah, you have 30 days on just your regular passport, valid passport, all that kind of stuff. That has to be applied, but yeah 30 days with a valid U.S. passport. I believe Europe is the same. - Yeah, it's the same. Iceland is basically part of Europe so not a big problem. Yeah, just buy a ticket, come when you're from this area. It's a little bit different for other countries so I recommend making sure with your country checking out the visa requirements before you go, but in general it's the same as in other countries in Europe. (upbeat electronic music) And when you're in, how do you get around from the airport to get into the city center of Reykjavik 'cause it will probably be your first stop. There are two major companies, two bus companies, Flybus and Gray Line and you can book online transfer ticket which takes you actually either to the bus terminal or if you pay a little bit more, also to the hostel or hotel you're staying at. And the same goes for the way back. So you can buy a return ticket which is cheaper than buying two one way tickets. So you could think about doing that beforehand and save some money on that. (upbeat electronic music) - I think the best thing for us and what we talk about a lot is we made a really good decision in renting a car. For us especially, for videography and photography we were on our own schedule all the time. We could go off the beaten path whenever we needed to. (upbeat electronic music) - So in general, you have three options. You have a normal rental car, you have a 4x4, and you have a camper van. Camper van is cool because you can sleep in a camper van, you can cook. Yeah, and you basically have everything in one place. - It's definitely the most economic choice as far as your accommodations are built in that you can stay. There's a lot of campsites around the country that you can find beforehand, and stay in those. And there's some nice setups, we even passed one that had a large dining area and kitchen setup and public bathrooms and things like that. So again, if you're on a very tight budget but you do have time, I would highly recommend, you know, the camper van option is a really good option. - Exactly. We went with the 4x4 because we went a little bit off the beaten path. We went on the gravel roads which you can mostly find in the Highlands but also in the East and in the North. If you want to go certain waterfalls, they are so called "F-roads" which you can only drive on if you have a 4x4. Your work will have more substance behind it, and people will really be able to feel and engage what you're doing. I can guarantee, if you find this purpose, you for one will feel way more excited and motivated by your work, and at the end of the day, that is what matters most. Learn color theory. When considering the composition of a photo it helps to think about what colors will be present. Certain color combinations are more visually pleasing than others.
The colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel are considered complementary colors. A few examples would be red, green, blue, orange, purple, and yellow. So if you're going to shoot a photo of yourself in the woods, perhaps consider wearing something red as it complements the greens of the leaves, moss, grass, et cetera. You don't need expensive, professional gear to take great photographs. But you do need to understand your camera. While I think it's important to invest in a decent DSLR camera, you don't need to get the top of the line model, especially if you're a beginner. Shop within your budget, and take time, and learn, and understand your camera, and the basics of photography principles before you travel. You can find a good camera for under $500 if you shop older models, or consider buying used. Enroll in a photography course, and spend time watching YouTube videos to learn how to adjust settings on your cameras. Then practice, practice, practice before you leave for your travels. Have patience and think about your shot. Aside from the usual suspects of mastering composition, light, and technical stuff, our biggest tip would be, have patience with your photography. Sometimes you're so worried about getting the shot that you start snapping away without really stopping to check your settings or think about the scene in front of you. When you do that, you tend to miss out on many great photo opportunities, because you haven't taken the time to really absorb what's around you. There's nothing worse than looking at your photos later and thinking, if I'd only get the shot from this angle instead. When you slow down, you'll start to see then. But we all knew that, right? Shoot in the moment. People can spot a posed photo a mile away. But when you're shooting in the moment, capturing the real, raw emotion and actions that aren't staged, your photo will feel more organic and relatable.
Get in your photos. It took me over a year of photography to finally realize this. I had hundreds of photos from around the world that I wasn't too excited to post anywhere and I couldn't figure out why. Anyone can take a picture of a monument, beach, building, et cetera. If you get in the frame, it adds a perspective and some personality. It also makes your photo more unique, and not like any other photo on the internet. Nate is always carrying her vlogging camera while I take pictures on the different one. So it takes more time and planning to get a photo with one of us in it, which is why I didn't do it for so long, but the effort is totally worth it. Carrying cameras around can attract a lot of attention to yourself. A lot times we embrace that, and we take it as an opportunity to ask locals if they mind being in the photo or video. Sure there are a lot of people who are not into it, which is a little awkward, but I can't even count how many times this question brings hugs and smiles to their faces. Just make sure your camera's ready when this happens for the priceless shot. Most of my best travel photos are taken either at sunrise or sunset. I use the mobile app Sun Surveyor to know the exact time of the sunrise and sunset in my specific location, as well as the exact path that the sun is going to take throughout the day. Be sure you know your location at least 30 minutes prior, so you can set up your camera, and don't miss the shot. When posting your travel photos to Instagram, crop your images to the four by five aspect ratio. This allows your photos to take up the maximum amount of real estate in the feed, which will lead to higher engagement from your audience. Be sure to keep this in mind as you're out shooting, and compose your photos accordingly. Challenge your perspective. Is there a famous landmark you wanna shoot? I guarantee everyone and their mother has taken a picture at eye level straight on. Even Google Street View probably has the same photo. Find a new vantage point, climb a tree, get on your butt, sneak into a rooftop bar across the street. Yes, we've definitely done this. Whatever it takes to make it fresh. Tell a story. I think the most important thing is to tell a story with your photography. What is it you're trying to say with your photography, and why? I think if you consider the aim of your travel or photography, you start to move and shoot with more purpose and direction. No! They are enjoying a day out and they're paying for it, but they're not paying for it directly. They're paying for it at the tables, and they could possibly get that money back.
That's something that they enjoy doing. They're adults. They're allowed to do that. One of the absolute worst arguments that I have seen against gambling comes from the Southern Baptist Convention. And I'm going to link this paper down below, but I'll read what what they said. They said, "many Christians object that if they budget a certain amount of their discretionary entertainment funds for gambling and don't go beyond that, 'what's the harm?' After all, Christian people waste money on all kinds of diversions. Far from convincing me that gambling is not necessarily wrong, this particular argument actually confirms in my mind, because it reveals a complete disregard for what for what one's participation in gambling does to others. This argument reveals a self-centeredness, and a lack of concern for weaker brothers and sisters that believers ought to find disturbing Casinoslots. In reality, even Christians who are not personally hurt by it are not free to participate in in an industry that preys on the weak and poor." What a terrible argument! Because here's the thing - you can become addicted to anything. You can be addicted to food. You can have a shopping addiction. You could have a sex addiction. So does that mean that we're going to stop eating food? We're going to stop shopping and we're going to stop having sex? No! Of course not! That's ridiculous. But here's the other thing - what does Jesus say about sin and self-control when it comes to you? Is it "everybody else make sure not to do anything that is going to cause somebody to sin?" (And legitimately anything could possibly cause somebody to sin.) Jesus says that, "if your (Matthew 5:29-30 on screen) right hand is going to cause you to sin, cut it off! If your eye is going to cause you to sin, pluck it out!" It's not for everybody else to forego living their life. In the book of Ecclesiastes it says, (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 on screen) "eat, drink, enjoy your life. Go do these things." So no. People don't need to stop living life because you have decided that you don't want to work on your personal responsibility. It is up to you to take care of your own self, your own household. And of course we're not going to lead somebody into sin, and cause them to be a stumbling block when we are around them. So "oh we know somebody has a propensity to you know abuse alcohol," so we're not going to drink around them. Or maybe this person's having a hard time financially, so we're not going to show off all of our stuff so they begin to covet. Of course not! But that doesn't mean that we're not allowed to have nice things, or drive cars, or gamble, or have families, because that might lead somebody else into sin, or that might lead a weaker person to sin. That's a garbage argument. And this is the same kind of garbage argument that people in Saudi Arabia use for having women covered from head to toe all in black - so that no men get any terrible thoughts about a woman. It's on you. If you have a problem, cut your hands off. Period! One of the most upsetting arguments against gambling is this one. It's from the same paper from the Southern Baptist Convention, and let me read it to you. It says, "gambling is a wasteful use of the Lord's money. I doubt that many Christians who gamble tithe, but even if they do, New Testament Christians understand that God doesn't have the right to only 10% of our money, but all of it. Even though I'm a tither, I am still required to be a steward of all I have because it belongs to God. I am no freer to gamble with God's money than I am with anyone else's, even though others might waste the Lord's money on equally frivolous things. Their sin does not excuse mine." You know who this reminds me of? Maybe you've heard of him. His named Judas Iscariot. Traitor! Thief! And in John chapter 12, Mary Magdalene anoints Jesus. She cracks open a perfume made of nard - pure nard. It costs a year's wages. And she wipes Jesus's feet with her hair, preparing him for burial. Judas comes onto (John 12:4-8 on screen) the scene piping up saying, "why wasn't this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the destitute?" The Bible goes on to say, "he said this not because he cared about the destitute, but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money bag and would steal what was put into it." And what does this paper say? "Oh I doubt that many Christians who gamble tithe!" What does that have any bearing on anything? Oh that's right! Because the pastors who are speaking about this want more money in their coffers so that they can decide what to do with that money. Because you know what? In the United States all these churches are 501(c)(3)s so they're not filing tax returns where they are beholden to shareholders, or where they have to disclose what they're spending money on. They could be using the money for whatever they want. They don't want oversight. What they're saying is, "don't spend money there! You need to spend it here!" And it's all about "giving it to God" nonsense. They're all a bunch of snakes! People are allowed to have fun. People are allowed to use discretionary income for things that benefit them. They are allowed to purchase things that other people might covet, but that's not their problem. It's one thing if you're showing off in front of people who don't have anything, where you're causing them to stumble. But you going about your day, in your own private life, you're allowed to go gamble. You're allowed to have fun. If you can pay for it, you're all good. If you have an addiction problem - take care of your addiction! Cut your hands off! Cut your eyes out! Whatever you have to do to prevent yourself from sinning. But it's not everybody else's job to live like prisoners, because you can't control yourself. This isn't Saudi Arabia. This is not Islam. This is Christianity and we have freedom in Christ Jesus to go out and enjoy the life that God has given us. Yes of course we work towards God's kingdom. But we also get to enjoy this life here on earth. It's not a sin. Stop saying that things are sinful when only man says they're sinful, not God! That's just something that I wanted to share with you today. I hope you will like, subscribe and share and I'll talk to you later. Bye! Title: 悪人 (Akunin) English Title: Villain Released: 2010 Directed By: Ri Saniru (Lee San'il) Story By: Yoshida Shuichi Starring: Tsumabuki Satoshi, Fukatsu Eri “There are too many people in the world who act as if there is no one important to them and that they have nothing to lose. And this makes them feel as if they have become strong. They look at those who want and who have lost through eyes of contempt.” Those hoping to witness a truly evil and twisted character will likely be let down at Villain, a movie which attempts to stray from the “black-white” mentality by calling into question traditionally established assumptions of good and evil and thus, in the process, features no real character with which the label “evil” can be attached. In fact, even the title of the movie is used ironically, as the main protagonist and antihero Yuichi, turns out to be a much more likeable and sympathetic character, rather than any sort of villain. Instead, the movie attempts to critique more concrete and fundamental problems such as a lack of sympathy and compassion that seems to be characteristic of the society in which we live. As far as the viewer is able to sympathize with Yuichi, even though he has committed murder, and dislike other certain characters, the movie is successful in challenging ideas of guilt and innocence as well. Certainly Yuichi’s circumstances, which are disclosed in varying amounts throughout the movie, would allow us to see that he has been just as much a victim, if not more so, than he has an actual perpetrator. Similarly, the characters who would traditionally be regarded as victims are presented in such a way that they must be seen as bearing at least some part of the guilt. On the one hand, for example, we are first tempted to sympathize with Yoshino, the young woman killed by Yuichi, after seeing the way she has been treated, but in the following scenes are forced to retract some of this sympathy after learning how she has treated Yuichi. Villain is successful then, in creating a certain group of characters with which we find it difficult to fully sympathize with. At the same time though, the movie does ask us to sympathize with Yuichi, the criminal – protagonist. For a large portion of the movie, we are assisted in this by the movie’s crowning achievement, the presence of Mitsuyo. Although both Mitsuyo and Yuichi suffer from isolation and rejection from the society around them, both their feelings are only fully articulated through Mitsuyo. Similarly, she is also a bridge which makes it possible for the audience to arrive at some understanding of Yuichi. At its center, Villain strives to highlight that, in current society, those who are beaten down and punished are those who are already weak and whose position was already low. In other words, the weak become weaker. Moreover, as the quote above implies, showing an indifference to the weakness of others can make one temporarily forget their own fragility, thus granting one a false sense of strength and power. In one aspect then, the heroization and victimization of Yuichi can be seen to contrast even the very penal system, a system reinforced by the society under critique. Additionally, the movie goes on to stress this power relationship within society through the examples of Yuichi’s grandmother, who is hounded and attacked by both the media, and loan-shark doctors, as well as through Yoshino’s father, who is repeatedly unsuccessful in his attempts to receive just some small apology from the man implicitly involved in his daughter’s death. While the movie might be more successful with the examples of some of the secondary characters, it almost oversteps itself in taking for granted that its audience will grant them the necessary favor of sympathizing with Yuichi. This assumption is pushed to its limit when he is seen, not just to be a good and likeable character, but in fact is portrayed almost as a martyr through his action of willingly making himself a sacrificial victim. If the stretch is not made, admittedly a tenuous one at times, one’s image of Yuichi and, perhaps the film in general run the risk of turning sour. Even if one is ambivalent about Yuichi though, some beautiful scenes, such as Mitsuyo’s escape from the police station, as well as a touching love story, and an always welcome commentary on the importance of compassion, redeem Villain and serve to make it a worthwhile watch. Likely not the most memorable film you will see, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. Title: ヴィヨンの妻 (Viyon no Tsuma) English Title: Villon's Wife Release Date: October 10, 2009 (Japan) Villion’s Wife is based on the book of the same title by Dazai Osamu. However, having not read the book yet, I can’t write a correct essay of how well the movie follows the story. I can however, do my best to tell a little about the movie, which I really enjoyed and would highly recommend. This is a pretty accessible movie. That’s saying a fair amount already, as a lot of Osamu’s work tends to be based around depression, alcoholism, and suicide. The author himself committed suicide with one of his wives, in an eerily similar fashion to an attempt by one of the main characters in Villion's Wife. Despite this, the tone of the movie is not incredibly dark, and I would even venture to say, slightly encouraging. The protagonist, Sachi (played by Matsu Takako), is the young wife of the unpredictable, and rather out of control Otani (played by Asano Tadanobu). The character Otani is loosely based on Osamu himself, and it can be assumed that some of the movie is based on real events as well, as the book was semi-autobiographical. Matsu Takako plays a really memorable role. She patiently and lovingly endures the suffering and hardships brought on by her alcoholic, cheating husband in a role that is somehow both beautiful and painful to watch at the same time. With a forced half smile, she dresses up nicely, puts her baby on her back, and trudges out in search of her husband who has run away and left her with a pile of debts to pay off. The scenery is beautiful, the image of a young mother and child is beautiful, and yet the audience is moved to tears by sympathy for the direness of the situation. Asano Tadanobu is one of my favorite actors. He’s appeared in an exhaustive catalogue of movies, some of the more memorable ones that I’ve seen being Survive Style 5+ and Kitano Takeshi’s Zatoichi. He fit into this role so well, that I didn’t even realize it was him as I first started watching this movie. It didn’t seem at all like “this is Asano Tadanobu playing Otani,” rather it was entirely “this is Otani playing Osamu,” – he transcended his persona and become the character and it was really fantastic to watch. A great scene of Sachi hearing the details of her husband’s theft from a restaurant owner and learning the amount of debt her husband has accumulated. As it becomes clear that she is going to have to be the one to pay off the debt, she begins to laugh while tears are still streaming down her face. The scene was very touching, and also surprising for me, to see such a reaction (laughter) at a time when many would feel simply anger or sadness. This, however, is a good example of gomakasu, a reaction more familiar to Japan than the West and similar to laughing in spite of one’s self or one’s situation. And again, another scene sure to leave an impression, and one of the darkest scenes of the movie, is that of Otani and his lover Akiko attempting double suicide in the woods. The couple fills themselves on sake and sleeping pills, and Otani goes on to tie a noose around his neck while hanging off a waterfall. A shocking picture without a doubt, and yet, the composure of the two, and the collected way they go about it, their grim determinist outlook, make the whole thing seem strangely natural. Despite the impression that descriptions of scenes like these might give, I want to reiterate that this is a fairly accessible movie. The themes are simple, the story is simple – there aren’t a lot of things that are going to be lost over people’s heads. At the same time, it’s not a light watch and it’s not something that you’d want to have on in the background at a party. Be expected to be sucked into the author’s world, to be put in the shoes of a young woman who maintains hope amidst the hopeless, and to walk away fascinated by this amazing portrayal of Osamu’s work, Villon’s Wife. |
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