Three Books to Change the World
Sort of an off week. Perhaps these books haven't changed the world, but they revolutionized my point of view on the world, much more so than better-known pop science books like Freakonomics or Blink.
Thanks for visiting. You can read more about me in the About page. Recent blog entries from all categories are below. You might also want to filter blog entries by tags that interest you.
Why is Amtrak so Expensive? (or, Why is BoltBus so Cheap?)
I don't have a definitive answer, but recently I was planning a trip to New York, and came across some incredible numbers. Both BoltBus and Amtrak depart from Baltimore Penn Station, and arrive at New York's Penn Station. (The bus stop is a few blocks away from each).
The Amtrak's high-speed Acela takes two hours, fifteen minutes, and costs at least $134.
The BoltBus takes three and a half hours, costing $15.
Both of these are demand-based prices, but the ratio remains effectively the same: for an extra hour of travel time, BoltBus is one-tenth the price of Amtrak. How is this possible?
The Almighty Dollar
To be honest, there's not too many times I've gone off the beaten path as a backpacker. There was almost always a travelers' hostel, with other Americans or Europeans wandering around. But one of the few times that there wasn't was at Tai Shan, Mount Tai, in eastern China.
Independence Day
It's an odd feeling, spending July 4th outside the US.
Creativity is Endless When Someone Wants Your Money
Anywhere there's a lot of foreign tourists and local unemployment, you'll find them: local people who seem smart and speak English, yet inexplicably have nothing better to do than talk to you.
I hate to paint with a broad brush, because in every country, most of the time, I've also had fantastic experiences with locals who legitimately want to talk to you, practice their English, or make some foreign friends. But it's important to always stay aware of your surroundings, and remember that context is crucial. The stories below -- my own and others' -- are illustrative of the precautions you should take, especially in tourist hubs.
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf occupies that most unusual of genres: the science-fiction sitcom.
The Path Less Taken is Getting Pretty Busy
Recently, an old university acquaintance of mine posted a set of pictures from his round-the-world trip to Facebook. The very first one caught my eye -- it was a thatched-roof hut restaurant like you'd see anywhere in the tropics, but this one looked familiar. Sure enough, it was the Topi Inn, in the small village of Padang Bai, Bali, Indonesia. I got my advanced open water SCUBA certification there last year.
Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Paddy McAloon
(Another "music I like" entry, because I can.)
The Cheapest, Best Place to learn SCUBA Diving: Malaysia (No, Not Thailand!)
Admittedly, I'm biased here. I landed in Malaysia pretty early on in my round-the-world trip, coming off a marathon month in which I'd climbed Mt. Fuji, gone by rail from Shanghai to Beijing, and spent most of a week in North Korea. By the time I arrived at Singapore's wonderful airport, I was ready for a few weeks of vacation time.
North Korea has 500,000 3G Mobile Phone Users
Of course, they'll still confiscate your mobile phone for the duration of your visit.
I don't have too much trouble believing this recent news report. The 3G network rollout was well under way during my visit in late summer of 2009; my guides had mobile phones "for use in emergency situations." They said that they didn't have coverage out in the countryside yet, but I think that there is now.