Too Cool Articles

Lone Female Travellers - Tips on How to Stay Safe
By Bebhinn O’Loingsigh

It can be daunting to travel alone as a woman, especially in parts of the world where women are viewed and treated very differently from what you are used to. Fear for personal safety, fear of getting mugged or robbed and fear of getting attacked are all legitimate worries for a solo female traveller. But you can have a lot of control over keeping yourself safe with a little forward planning, a dash of common sense, and a few little tips and tricks up your sleeve. Then you can be free to enjoy yourself and have one of the most liberating and confidence boosting experiences of your life!

Here are some of the things I did and found useful on my solo travels. I hope they help.

1. Arrange your travel plans so that you arrive early in the day at your destinations. This way, even if you haven’t pre-booked accommodation, you have plenty of time and daylight to make the arrangements you need. It also means you don’t get stuck somewhere at night with nowhere to stay, or having to stay somewhere that you are not totally comfortable.

2. Keep spare money in different places - some in your personal bag, some in your main rucksack, some on your person. At least this way if your bag gets snatched you know you have backup. It’s also a great surprise when you find some secret money stashed somewhere months later after forgetting all about it!

3. Dress Conservatively. Travelling is not the time to show off your latest cute top. Save it for when you get to where you’re going and you know it’s appropriate. You can save yourself a lot of staring, unwanted attention, gropes or worse if you just cover up. In India, for instance, I had a few tunics and trousers made up for very little money, and kept them as my travelling clothes. I never had any significant hassle from men. Bear in mind that local women will prefer it if you cover up too, and they are likely to be a lot more friendly and helpful if you dress appropriately.

4. Learn about the culture you are visiting, as this will help you to understand the best way to respond to unwanted attention. It is not a ‘one size fits all’ kind of thing. In India, for instance, it is perfectly acceptable to shout and embarrass a man in public if he is inappropriate towards you. However, in Thailand, it is a very bad idea to cause a Thai man to lose face in public, and could end you up in more trouble. Don’t just apply a Western approach to the situation - know your audience.

5. Walk with confidence and in brightly lit areas. You get told this at home all the time, and you must do the same abroad. Do not assume just because you are on a chilled out tropical island that this automatically makes it safe to walk home alone at 3am.

6. Look at maps of your destination before you get there so you have an idea of the lay of the land. Try not to get your map out every five minutes in public either, as this makes you look vulnerable and could attract someone looking to take advantage.

7. In some countries, it can help to wear a wedding ring and let people assume you are married. This can often be enough to keep unwanted attention at bay. This worked very well for many women who I met travelling around Asia, where it can seem very strange to locals that a single woman is travelling around alone.

8. When you choose accommodation, consider what it will be like to walk there after dark.

9. Make sure your room is secure - if necessary spend a little extra for a better room with a decent lock and close to other people. A lot of places expect you to have your own padlock to secure your room, so bring one with you.

10. Make friends. Having other people to keep an eye on you is always going to help. And of course you can return the favour.

11. Make sure people know where you are and where you are going. If possible, have someone at home who you always tell your plans to, and check in with them regularly.

12. Trust you gut - this will be your best friend. Don’t be afraid of looking like you are over-reacting to a situation. If you are not comfortable, get out.

13. If you are in your room at night and are worried that someone is creeping around outside, ask your imaginary boyfriend very loudly to go and see what’s going on outside.

14. In hot countries, you may well not be able to sleep with the windows shut, so choose rooms either high up, or with bars on the windows if you are on ground level.

15. Invest in some pepper spray.

16. It’s a common one that applies everywhere, but be careful about getting too drunk and making yourself super vulnerable. If you are in a place where you know you are going to want to go out partying, then get accommodation very close to where you’re going out.

17. Choose your destinations carefully. As annoying as it may be, there might be some places that just really aren’t wise to go to on your own. If that’s the case, try and hook up with some other travellers for those particular destinations.

Finally, don’t get paranoid and ruin your trip. Keeping you and your belonging safe when you are travelling alone can easily just become a part of your routine. I’ve always found that the more aware you are, the easier it is to avoid trouble without it becoming a big deal. Most importantly, don’t forget to enjoy yourself!

Bebhinn O’Loingsigh is a Life Coach at Hightail Coaching Solutions. She works with professionals who feel stuck in a rut, fed up or burnt out and want to take some time out to gain a fresh perspective.

Contact Bebhinn now and find out how she can help you at contact@hightailcoaching.co.uk

Or learn more about Bebhinn at http://www.hightailcoaching.co.uk

Or follow her blog, packed full of interesting articles and information on travel and self development - http://www.hightailcoaching.wordpress.com

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The Royal Bengal Tiger of the Sunderbans
By Kunal A Vahalia

The Sunderbans is the world’s largest mangrove forest out of which one third is in India and two thirds is in Bangladesh. The tributaries of the Ganges river runs through these mangrove forests bringing silt from the plains. No wonder, these forests have experienced tremendous growth of mangroves and other plants. The Ganges then empties itself in the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges River is known to have the world’s largest delta. The Sunderbans is are home to the most dangerous tiger on the planet, the man eating royal Bengal Tiger. It is the second largest tiger after the Siberian Tiger but much more deadly as it roams the villages at night and would not bat an eyelid before snatching a baby. However both countries regard the Bengal Tiger as their national pride and it is also the national animal of India. However people are worried after the incidents of human killings that have taken place over the last few years.

The Royal Bengal Tiger can swim in the tributaries for longer distances and hence can travel quite far in search of its next pray. People are however finding a solution to keep the tiger away form their village. But the number of tigers in the world has decreased so dramatically that it is officially banned to kill the tiger. So what do the people do next? The villagers called an expert from abroad who was a dog trainer and this trainer decided to train the village local dogs to bark loudly and scare the tiger away in case it came near the village. The villagers have found this as an ideal solution as the tiger is not killed and the method does not cost a bomb to implement.

The man eating phenomenon of the tiger has not been seen in any other place on the planet. A tiger would only become a man eater in case he becomes too old to catch prey. But the Bengal Tiger kills about 200 to 300 humans ever year. The experts have also done research to find out as to why these tigers have gone after human lives and they have concluded that the natural prey for them is not easy to find. Even though the tiger has brought so many deaths to the villages, the villagers regard the royal animal as one of their gods called Daskin Ray. There is even an annual festival every year to please the lord.

There have also been cases of attacks in the boat where the tiger silently swims from behind and then catches hold of one of the man and pulls him in the river. There is also a small tiger museum in one of the villages. The Indian Government has also launched operation save tiger which creates awareness of the presence of the tiger as a very important part of the ecosystem. You as a citizen can take part in this awareness campaign by not buying any parts of the tiger such as tiger teeth and tiger skin.

The author if this travel article is Kunal Vashalia. He loves to write travel related articles as he himself is a travel agent of 7 years. He started off with doing Mumbai tours as he loves his city and would like to show the bright side of it. However he also does tours out of Mumbai such as Lonavala and Pune excursions. Do visit his website, http://www.namastecitytour.com for more details.

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The Importance of Learning How to Cook
By Carolina White

One:

From France we have quiche, split pea soup, and the crepe; from Mexico, the burrito, rice and beans, and from Italy we have pizza, and pasta. Many of these foods have become apart of the American daily diet. As an American I have heritage from all over the world. I am Spanish, Irish, Native American, and Swedish. The great thing about living in America is that we get the chance to explore all the best of ever ethnicity out there. America is a place where one can explore other religions and ethnicities, in order to find what is best for them as a person.

Two:

Food is a great example of this. There is a great variety of different foods found in the U.S. which then represents countless countries and nations based off their traditional dishes. Like said before, I am a romantic, I was brought up in a very old-fashion house hold. My mother or father will make a home-cooked meal every night, and we as a family will sit down and eat together. However, according to CBSNews.com 30% of Americans do not cook their own meals because they don’t know how. This to me is extremely shocking. Like stated above, Florence is known more so for its beautiful contemporary art sculptures and historical monuments, I feel as though culinary arts is a huge part that makes Florence, Italy a desirable vacation destination.

Three:

While studying abroad in Florence, I made it a point to make sure I came back with more knowledge about the world of culinary arts. I strive to be a strong and independent women, and I feel like if I can express myself through cooking, it will allow me to be more prepared for my life in the future. I have always disagreed with the old fashion idea of a women always having to cook. However, I think it is extremely important for a mother and a wife to have a strong foundation in providing their family with healthy meals. This is why everyone should have the knowledge of what is healthy for their family to eat. Become educated, diet is important.

If you enjoyed what Carolina had to say about Studying Abroad then check out her other sites having to do with Flat Screen Monitor and Pink Desk Chair.

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Face Painting Ideas That Work
By Hollie Copeland

These days, people have become more enthusiastic than ever before. They are always eager to find out new, creative and innovative ways. Particularly, if it is time for celebrations, everyone is full of energy and wants to express the enthusiasm in a unique way.

One great way to express oneself in a different and attractive way is face painting. Face painting is a new trend, just like tattoos, which is getting popular day by day. Facial painting can be done according to an event. If there is a sports event, fans paint their faces with logos of their favourite teams to express their support.

Similarly, people paint their faces with scary drawing on Halloween party, with flags on national days and with heart shapes on valentine or proms. Facial painting is also used to promote election campaigns, and supporters of specific party paint the election symbol and slogan of their parties on their faces.

Actually, the basic idea of facial painting is not new. In olden days, the Red Indians used to paint their faces with different patterns. Similarly, in ancient China and India, there was a custom of painting on faces. Now, facial painting is getting famous all over the world and is used at various events. Particularly, the huge fans and admirers of facial paintings are children. Whether it is a birthday party, fun fair or any other occasion for children, it is a crime to move around without their favourite designs painted on their faces. That is why, in fun fairs, the stalls of look painting are the most crowded ones.

The famous look painting designs for children are many, such as sun flowers, roses, trees, sun, clowns, scary skulls, princesses, butterflies, mice, lions, tigers, pirated ship captain with one eye and rabbits etc. Majorly, the design of facial painting depends on the theme of the event you are going to attend. But, there are also other ways to get an idea about the design of facial painting such as magazines, story books, Henna and tattoo patterns.

These days, the most effective way for getting ideas about facial painting is the internet. On the internet, one can find unlimited designs, styles and ideas about face painting. There are many websites specifically dedicated to face paintings. These websites also contain valuable advices, tutorials, guidelines and ideas about face painting.

Face painting is an art and with little creativity and practice, anyone can do really good face paintings. The things required to do a face painting are: good quality face paints, which must be available in all colours, painting brushes of various sizes, made up of good material and different coloured glitters to give beautiful effect on the face.

One needs to be really cautious while purchasing face paint, as the quality of face paints really matters. Usually, skin of our face is sensitive, and use of low quality paint can cause allergic or some other severe skin problems. So, make sure that you are not allergic to any particular ingredient of the paint before you apply it on your face.

For more information about face paints and other Face Painting Ideas please visit our website.

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Popcorn Facts For the Popcorn Lover!
By Ashante Wilson

We all know that popcorn is one of the most popular snacks - and why not? It’s relatively cheap, easy to make, and tastes great all the time. Here are some lesser known facts about popcorn:

1. Popcorn is said to originate from Mexico. The ancient Indians used it not only as food, but also for decorative purposes on head-dresses. In fact, corn was a staple and had therefore lots of uses and methods of preparation. The traditional way of popping corn was, at that time, throwing the kernels on hot stones and, when they popped, trying to catch them. The reward of the game was that the winner got more snacking pleasure.

2. Corn flakes, the popular breakfast cereal, are actually a derivative of popcorn. When the English arrived in Massachusetts a few centuries ago, they mixed it with milk and sugar.

3.The pop in the popcorn is often a very forceful procedure. The starch and liquid in the corn heat up very quickly and the hull of the kernel cannot contain the pressure - kind of like a pressure cooker that explodes if there is no safety release. A kernel can jump up to 3 feet high when that pop occurs.

4. Popcorn is not only a tasty snack; it is responsible for an enormous amount of money exchanging hands. The modern way of making popcorn - by using a microwave oven - is, by itself, responsible for $250 billion per year. And that’s only the microwavable one!

5. The average American eats about 70 quarts of popcorn per year. When you calculate this, we arrive at an astonishing 17.5 billion quarts yearly. In other words, if you would take all the popcorn eaten yearly by the Americans, you would be able to fill more than 36,000 average-sized American homes, from ceiling to roof!

6. Popcorn makers were originally designed to be dragged and pushed around on carnivals, to movie theaters and festivals. It wasn’t until 1925 that people started getting popcorn machines for home-use. At that time, after the depression and the First World War, not many could afford them, though.

7. The Papago Indians in Arizona still make popcorn the old-fashioned way. They use clay pots, some of which have a diameter of up to 8 feet. Apparently this tradition is more than 1,500 years old.

8. In October, 2006, the world’s largest popcorn ball was unveiled. This happened in Lake Forest, Illinois. The huge ball measured 8 feet in diameter and weighed 3,415 pounds.

Interesting, isn’t it, how deep the tradition of popcorn has its roots. It makes it all the tastier for me.

Find out more about popcorn by visiting Shop Popcorn Machines and learn The Truth About Popcorn Buckets.

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