Overcoming Failure, Adversity & your Parents by Harry Potter Author
Vinay Patankar · 15 Apr, 2010 · People
### Takeaways: - You don't have to let your parents influence your direction in life "There is an expiration date on how long you can blame your parents for pushing you in the wrong direction" - Failure is OK - Think about all the positives in your life - The value of learning from your failures and experience against the value of learning from school - A reminder on how lucky we are to live in a democratic society - The importance of giving back ### Watch Video J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine. For another People angle, read The Importance of Decisions (How a Single Decision Changed my Life).
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Blog Moving to Abstract-Living.com
Vinay Patankar · 13 Apr, 2010 · Technology
As you can probably tell from the title, I have decided to move my blog (wordplaywithvinay.com) to Abstract-Living.com. If you've noticed anything weird going on here over the last day or so, this is why. I decided on this move for two key reasons: ### Personal Branding I created this blog to document my changing lifestyle and to build my personal brand. I've been reading lots about personal branding over the last couple of years (great simple resource to get you started is Colin Wright's free eBook - ExileLifestyle.com). One thing I've found about this blog is that the domain isn't very receptive to any keyword... there are some famous Indian dudes named Vinay and there is no way I am competing with them. Plus the domain doesn't really give any feel to the type of blog I am trying to represent. I have changed my personal branding page to a Posterous page with a domain of my full name vinaypatankar.com. This is already ranking second under my LinkedIn account and above my FaceBook page. I did this as more of an experiment but it seems to have paid off. I now control about half the front page of Google for the keyword "Vinay Patankar" - this blog ranks 43. Its true that I do have a unique name which makes it easier and I was lucky that my domain wasn't taken but its still nice to know that the front page is basically controlled by me. We are all going to have more and more of our lives posted on the internet. It is already becoming normal for potential employers to Google you. When I applied for the TEDxBKK event (which I was accepted for but couldn't make it to) they asked me for a public online profile. Its happening so you better get used to it. At some point, some person / organisation / institution is going to post something about you on the net, be assured of it. If that happens to be a negative comment having control over the front page of Google may save you lots of stress. ### Building the Blog This hasn't really been a serious blog. I've been traveling extensively and had other projects to work on. As mentioned above it was more of a personal branding thing. I have however decided to make a move to build this blog into something a little greater. It took me a while to decided exactly how to brand what I was interested in writing about. A sort of combination of travel, lifestyle design, technology, life hacking, social hacking, personal development and loads of other things. But I decided that I'm interested in these things because I am on a quest to build myself an abstract lifestyle. A life that is different form the standard template of life. A life of travel and exploration. Of failures, leanings and successes. A minimalism empire builder. A life where I can drink with the rich, eat with the poor and dance with the nasty. A life of EXPERIENCE. Abstract-Living will be about the things I learn on my journey of experience. Glad to see you here! M7TETTS8W5UV For another Technology angle, read Abstract Education: The Khan Academy.
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Tools to Build you a New Life
Vinay Patankar · 06 Apr, 2010 · Technology
I came across a post about a week or so ago by Rob at Its an excellent collection of all the resources he's found since starting his Lifestyle Design journey. The list includes books, blogs, and tools both functional and research based. There are heaps tools way to many in my opinion to hit at once so I wanted to highlight a few that I like most and add in a few I use that he didn't mention. ### My Favourites: Evernote: This tool is amazing. It allows you to manually enter notes from your PC, iPhone, Blackbery or Web Browser in voice, photo or text. It then syncs all your devices together and stores them on the web. You can search, tag, group and do a whole bunch of stuff. There is a plugin for Firefox so you can dump straight from web pages, great of off-line reading. It also has image scanning capabilities to scan text from photos of business cards or receipts. You get a free 40mb upload per month, which is loads if you mostly use text but can fill up quickly if uploading high-res images or voice. The Google Suite: I'm not going to go through all the Google tools, but if your not using them, use a fool! Gmail, Docs, Analytics, Adwords, Calendar, Apps, Webmaster Tools, Reader, Picassa etc... I'm sure there are plenty of resources on how to make the most of these tools. They will save you loads of time and stress. Check em out. : This book simply kicks ass. Elance/oDesk: Outsourcing sites. Ebay's for services. I haven't tried oDesk, but I hear good things. ### My Additions: Dropbox: Dropbox is an application that creates a folder on your computer where you can save any kind of file. It then automatically syncs everything in that folder to the web, giving you a real-time backup of your files. You can access these from any web browser or from your iPhone. This app really gives me peace of mind and the great thing about it is once its installed, you don't have to do anything! Its just like using your documents folder. plus you get 2 GB of storage for free! Shopify: I currently run my online store using Shopify. Its a great site, really (relatively) simple to use and removes the most difficult and technical aspects (besides finding customers!) of running an online store. It has great support, loads of marking help, integration with many apps and tools such as Google Website Optimiser and Google Product Search. LinkedIn: I talk about LinkedIn here and here. Its a great tool for personal branding, networking and marketing. : This thing is awesome. Its an eBook reader. It allows you to store 1500 books and download new books from Amazon in over 100 countries. Bookmark, highlight and take notes, its a library in 6". And its really easy to read. I don't like reading books on a computer, but this is like a normal book. You can also read pdf's and word docs on it. There is lots of hype around the iPad becoming a Kindle killer, but the iPad has 10 hours batter life and the Kindle has 7 days. Hard to compete if you want to use it to read books and not watch YouTube videos. What are your favourite tools? A strong follow-up in Technology is Looking for a Co-Founder for New Startup - UI/UX.
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How to Take a Phone Message... The Abstract Way
Vinay Patankar · 01 Apr, 2010 · Business
I'm assuming some people reading this are going to be like “wtf? does he think I’m an idiot and don’t know how to take a phone message?” but you would be surprised how many people absolutely suck at taking phone messages. Coming from an industry where the phone is king it’s amazing how many people in my office couldn’t take a decent phone message…. And seriously, it’s not that hard but it’s such an important skill to have and an effective message can make or break a deal. ### There are 3 elements to a message: - Name - Contact Information - Reason for call These elements are non-negotiable. If you want to add additional elements to the message, feel free, but the BARE minimum should be the above 3 points. Name: The persons full name, with spelling. MAKE SURE YOU GET THE SPELLING of both names! To make sure you have spelt it correctly, repeat the spelling back to them or ask them to spell it for you then repeat the spelling to confirm it is correct. This is so important and there are few things more annoying than “please call Dave on 111-222-3333”. Contact information: Phone number and company (or relationship to the person they are calling, friend, sister etc..). Again, make sure you repeat the phone number. You could also consider taking a secondary number (land line) and an email address. Reason for call: This is the big one that people usually let slide. But it’s amazing how much of a difference it can make knowing why someone is calling. If someone has started working for me and one week later resigns, and I get a call from my client saying that the person I placed has just resigned, I sure as hell want to know about it before I pick up the phone and call them back. The reason for the call gives the person who has to return the call a chance to prepare before they pick up the phone. A chance to call other people first and find out what is happening so you are not walking into a bear trap! Delivery: There are a number of ways to deliver a message. In my experience, the two most common are hand written and email. But I can envision social media could be a pretty good way to take messages also. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn could all be used. My messages are always taken in email. As soon as I pick up someone else’s call, I open a new email and make the subject line “message”. I then structure it with the above 3 points. Below is an example. There are a few of short cuts I use, but before you start using them make sure the people you are taking messages for know what they mean. I think these are made up, I’m not sure. But you can make short cuts for certain functions that relate to your job. Off the top of my head here are a few: RYC = Returning your call PCB = Please call back JE = Job Enquiry MC \= Marketing Call Inv = Invoice related You get the picture… The benefits of email (besides saving the environment) is that its highly visible, instant, doesn't get lost and is traceable. If you write your message on a post-it note or loose piece of paper then 2 hours later the person you took the message for comes up and says – why didn’t you give me that message? There isn’t much you can say in your defense. Sorry if I hurt anyone’s intelligence with this post. What’s the most annoying message you have ever received? A strong follow-up in Business is Abstract Income: How to Support an Abstract Lifestyle.
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The Coolest Bachelor Pad Toy Ever!
Vinay Patankar · 25 Mar, 2010 · Technology
Recently I was in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics. It was great, the city had an excellent buzz and lots of records were smashed. Canada won the most gold medals for a Winter Olympics ever, not just for the host country. They won their first gold in Canada. And of course beat the US in men’s Hockey to take home the gold. Possibly the biggest sporting game in North American history. But aside the actual games, there was lots of other cool stuff happening. I mentioned in my earlier post about the houses showing off loads of cool virtual stuff. This was in conjunction with sponsors Sony, Acer, Panasonic and Samsung. Some of the biggest names in electronics and gadgets. This brings me to the coolest bachelor pad toy ever. In the Russian house, which was a converted Science World, they had one of the coolest gadgets I have seen to date: Behold the floor projected indoor football field. (I don’t know who makes it or what it was called, but I assume it has a cooler name) I’m disappointed with the turnout of my photos of this thing. It was quite difficult to catch as it naturally projects shadows, but it was seriously cool. It’s a projector, mounted to the ceiling that displays a football field, with goals at each end and a ball in the middle. A camera (presumably infrared?) is mounted next to the projector to track interactive movements with the display. Basically, if you kick the projection of the ball on the ground, it will move. No controllers, no battery packs, no broken vases. It’s so simple, but I can easily imagine having hours of fun with that thing. It’s like twister on steroids. Straight to the top of my Amazon (if I ever settle down again and live a normal life) wish list. If this Technology topic resonated, continue with Blog Moving to Abstract-Living.com.
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The Definitive Guide to LinkedIn Recommendations
Vinay Patankar · 04 Mar, 2010 · People · Technology
LinkedIn is the biggest business social network in the world. It allows you to post up a snapshot of your career and connect with relevant professionals plus a whole bunch of other cool stuff. If you don’t have an account, you should get one today. There are many different ways LinkedIn can be used to further your business or career. This post focuses on recommendations. ### What are LinkedIn Recommendations? LinkedIn has a recommendation system that allows someone to send you a recommendation and have it displayed on your profile to the public world. This system is great and can be used in the same manner as either a reference check or a testimonial only better. The reason this system is better than traditional testimonials plastered over your website or a letter from a former boss is the reference is connected to that person’s profile. So whoever is interested in your recommendations can track them back instantly and see who recommended you and how respectable they are. Another great thing about LinkedIn recommendations (as with other benefits of LinkedIn) is that they will last your whole life. A little work now will go a long way later. ### What about Fake Recommendations? When I talk to people about LinkedIn recommendations, a constant response I get is “don’t people just make them up or get their buddies to recommend them? How valuable are they really?”. To this I answer, “yes, they probably do”. Here’s the catch. The recommendation system of LinkedIn reconciles itself. If I recommend you, it is displayed on my profile that I recommended you. If I’m trying to build my personal brand and you’re a total douche bag, I’m not going to recommend you. Yes, some people may get recommendations that are illegitimate, but you can usually sus them out. Here are some situations that may raise suspicion: \- 5 people in similar positions, all recommended by the other 4. \- Recommendations from people with inactive or incomplete profiles. \- All recommendations on the same or close dates If you have recommendations from over 20 people, most who work in respectable jobs and who have something to loose from a negative personal brand, chances are they are going to be legitimate recommendations. Even if all those 20 people are your friends, you still must be a decent person to have 20 respectable people like you enough as friends to recommend you. And in that alone I believe there is merit. Now if you can get recommendations from super valuable people, even better. How do you think traceable recommendations from Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Donald Trump would look? P.S. If anybody knows them, tell them to hit me up! ### How do I Get People to Recommend Me? There are two key ways I have gotten recommendations. The first, is basically working with the buddy system I talked about above. These are people I had a good working relationship with at some point and asked them if we could swap recommendations. I knew I was good at my job, I also knew they were good at theirs so it was mutually beneficial to swap recommendations. A cheeky message of “write me a recommendation and ill write you one back” is easy to do and is win-win. But remember, you’re putting your personal brand on the line, so don’t ask people who you genuinely don’t think are good at whatever they do. The second way, and the more effective way is to ask someone for a recommendation as soon as you deliver some sort of value to them. For example, if you are a designer or freelancer and you deliver a good project to a client and they are happy with it, ask them for a recommendation. Make sure you do this straight after you deliver the work as it will still be fresh in their mind. For me, I was a head-hunter, so every time I placed someone in a job or found a client their perfect candidate, I would ask for a recommendation. You won’t get them every time you ask, but if you have done a good job, and they are happy, it’s not a big favour to ask. ### Here is the structure I use to build my connections and ask for recommendations. When I first interacted with someone new for work, whether on the phone, in person or via email I would send them an invitation to connect on LinkedIn. (Quick tip: you can send a message to someone with a free account by sending them an invitation with a short note attached. This saves you from having to pay to upgrade your account to send ‘inmails’ to people who you are not connected with) “Hi xxx It was great meeting you / speaking with you today. I would like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. Look forward to working with you in the future. Regards, Vinay” Keep it simple, and non-specific. But making sure you have everyone you’re working with on your network, the ones you do add value to are already there so asking for the recommendation down the line easier. Once you have delivered value of some sort, bring up a recommendation in a meeting. Here is an example of a conversation I’ve had after delivering value: XYZ: Vinay, I just want to say thanks for finding me this job. It’s working out really well. Me: No problems, XYZ, glad to hear you’re happy there. I want you to make sure you call me if there are any problems or if there is anything I can do to help. XYZ: Ok no problems, I will talk to you soon. Me: Oh, XYZ, there is one thing I thought of just before you go XYZ: Oh what’s that? Me: Well... I’ve done a pretty good job helping you out right? XYZ: Yes of course! Me: Well I was wondering if you could do me a small favour. It will only take a few minutes. XYZ: Sure Me: I was wondering if you could write me a recommendation on LinkedIn. We are already connected and it would really mean a lot. XYZ: Sure Vinay, no problems. Give me a few days and I will send one out. Give them 1-2 days to write the recommendation. If they haven’t done it after 2 days, go into your LinkedIn account, into recommendations and send them a “request for recommendation” message. A default template will come up, just use that. If they still don’t do it after a few days, you will need to use your judgement to decide how much you will chase them. If they are a super busy important high value person, probably best to give them a significant amount of time. Like I said, use your judgement. The “request for recommendation” message will stay highlighted in their account until they action it. I have had recommendations come through months after I sent the message, so it really is a case by case basis. ### So I have recommendations, now what? Recommendations are the most powerful tool LinkedIn has to offer if you chose to use your profile for sales pitches or as your central web profile. One you have obtained recommendations from respectable people, your profile becomes a powerful tool to give people a positive first impression of you. This is useful for job interviews, sales pitches basically any-time you meet a stranger you want to get something out of. As an example, I recently applied and was accepted to attend TEDxBKK. Unfortunately I couldn’t attend due to a last minute schedule change, but in the application process they asked for an online profile that would teach them something more about me. This was before I had my blog up and running so I used my LinkedIn profile. I’m almost certain this is what got me the invite to the oversubscribed event. So what are you waiting for? Recommend me for my recommendation to get recommendations! For another People angle, read Why LinkedIn is Awesome and you Need an Account Today!.
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Vancouver Winter Olympics – Lines, Houses and Hockey
Vinay Patankar · 02 Mar, 2010 · Travel
Vancouver is an interesting city. In general there is nothing spectacular about it but there is nothing you can really put as a negative either. It’s kind of ‘neutral’ – which why I find it interesting. There are few cities I have been to that I would class as ‘neutral’. There is lots of natural beauty, a positive but the weather is average, a negative. Groceries are cheap, a positive, beer is expensive, a negative. During the 2010 Winter Olympics however, there is a unique buzz. In terms of organisation and controlling logistics, I would say Canada did an average job. There is minimal information available on transport, pricing, events both sporting and cultural. Maybe there is information, just not much on the first page of Google, which is usually as far as I look. Either their information sucks or their SEO specialists suck, either way, not too impressed. Busses have arrived at events up to 90 minutes late, people have had their tickets refunded due to badly designed venues and there was no backup plan in case Mother Nature didn’t deliver the required snow for the various events (which she didn’t). But to be fair, organising the Winter Olympics is probably more difficult than the summer. Everything needs to be frozen! I understand the difficulties associated with the various sporting events, but one true complaint I have is about the lines for everything else. You seriously have to line up for everything! The houses, the bottle shops, the shows, for pizza, for the train, there is a line for everything... I don’t have a genius solution for this problem, just venting. But there are definitely positives too. The tens of thousands of people that have flocked here for the Olympics have seriously given this place a buzz, especially in the nights. The downtown streets are alive (pending weather) with people. Red and white are the colours of the moment, with people sporting flags as capes, red maple leaves as hats and usually some form of red face paint. The second positive fallout from the Olympics are the houses. For those that don’t know, there are a number of countries who set up what are called ‘houses’ to promote their countries, host their natives and get people drunk. There is the Russian House trying to convince people to attend the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, houses from the major Canadian states and other random houses such as the Irish, German and Holland Heineken which I think are there just to get people really really drunk. The houses are either temporary structures built over open spaces such as car parks or non-alcoholic venues converted like Science World. They have interactive events during the day, lots of cool Winter Olympic virtual stuff resembling the such as virtual ice hockey, speed skating and snowboarding. Historic facts and shows on the Winter Olympics. Cultural displays from the relative countries and various things for kids to do. Then at 8pm they kick out all the kids, bring on music of some sort and turn into massive parties in excess of 3000 people! One of the main notables of Canada is their love of ice hockey. I’m pretty sure this is a well known fact but Canadians seriously love hockey. Most people would sacrifice a limb of some sort to see their country win gold (which they did and went nuts over!). I’ve seen hockey games on the main downtown street at midnight. Hockey games played by 5 year olds. Hockey sticks replacing walking sticks. Hockey in parks, back yards, on streets, in cars, frigin hockey everywhere! It’s so infectious, that every expat I have met has been converted. It’s like a living breathing entity that consumes you. Pretty weird. I imagine it’s like soccer/futball/football in South America or the UK. I’ve had a great time here, it’s fun partying with people from all over the world and the buzz of any city hosting the Olympics is going to be great. But I think to get a true feeling of what the city is like I will need to spend some non-Olympic time here. For another Travel angle, read The Luggage Conundrum (or How I Chose a Travel Bag).
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4 Tips to Not Get Screwed on Elance
Vinay Patankar · 21 Feb, 2010 · Business
For those who don’t know, elance.com is a site where people can sell their services. Basically like an ebay for services instead of goods. The way it works is you can post a job for anything from web design, data entry, marketing, ghost writing to virtual assistance and relevant service providers can pitch for your work. You then select the provider who you think best fits your request and they start working away. Funds are placed in an escrow holding service and released once you mark the work as satisfactory. Anything that can be done remotely can be organised over elance. The key benefit of this system is the ability to take advantage of currency differences. You can pay someone market rates in India or Eastern Europe and have it come to a fraction of the cost in a western country. But using this service to complete tasks does not come without complications. I’ve done a few projects on elance now, some better than others. Here are a few tips from my fails: ## 1\. DON'T BE A PUSHOVER LITTLE BITCH Seriously, this is important. Treat your freelancer like your boss treats you – there is a job to do, no exceptions. For people with no management experience, this can be tricky. I learned quickly as I saw a project expand from 2 weeks to 2 months! Setting rules is important as discussed below, but enforcing rules is equally if not more important. Don’t listen to excuses like “the work was harder than we thought” or “you had too many change requests”. They shouldn’t have bid if the work was too hard. If they think your change requests are going to push out milestones, they need to request milestone changes. If they don’t, tough luck. You’re not the expert they are. ## 2\. Make rules Make rules for everything. How, when and in what format you want the work delivered. Ask for periodic updates and set deliverable dates. Tell them if things are not up to your expectations you will pull the project or have them restart. Be specific in your rules. If for example you’re having a website done, tell them if you want the site up and running on your host or if you just want the files sent. Tell them if you want social media integration, testing or support. These should all be laid out before the job is accepted. > Check out: The Best FREE Tool for Managing Freelancers and Outsourcers ## 3\. Punish rule breakers Set penalties for rules being broken. As an example a 5% penalty for every milestone not met. That means, if they update you in 4 days instead of 3, hit them with a 5% penalty. Make sure you do this the FIRST time they miss a milestone. This will discontinue a pattern of abuse. Again, don’t be a pushover little bitch. Highlight punishments clearly in the rules before the project starts. ## 4\. Don’t give feedback until you are completely happy. This means that everything is up and running and you have tested everything. Don’t get conned into providing feedback after you see the site working well on their host, or you have a general brand theme without all items complete. Elance workers like eBay sellers live for feedback. And once you leave feedback, you can’t change it. Many suppliers would prefer a 5 star review and 50% of the money over 100% cash and a 3 star review. ## The verdict? There is no doubt elance can provide quality work for cheap over a secure and reliable platform. But if you let people screw you, they probably will. The success of the project still rests on the project manager - you! If this Business topic resonated, continue with How to get Asana (and other web apps) onto your Taskbar.
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Outbound Flights... F*&k!
Vinay Patankar · 07 Feb, 2010 · Travel
I can’t believe this has happened to me twice in the last 6 weeks. First from Sydney into Bangkok, then from Bangkok to Vancouver. Both Jetstar and China Airlines wouldn’t let me on the flight without having an outbound ticket from the country. As an Australian, I am allowed to stay 30 days in Thailand without a visa, and 6 months in Canada. 6 months!!! How can they expect me to have an outbound ticket if I may leave somewhere within the next 6 months! I understand the logic, kinda. I understand that if people don’t have an outbound ticket, there is the possibility that they may jump ship and stay in the country. But if someone is running away from their country to start a new illegal life and they have the money to buy a ticket, do you think that’s going to stop them? Do you think that they may just not get on that flight? When I was in Sydney dealing with Jetstar they blatantly told me over the counter “we can book you a refundable ticket, and for a $40 fee you can get a refund when you land in Thailand” – so that’s what I did. Big deterrent if I was trying to stay illegally in the country – ohh no, not a $40 cancellation fee. To my amazing frustration, once I landed in BKK, nobody checked to see if I had an outbound ticket.. I just got my bag and walked off. Very annoying. In Bangkok (I’m sitting in the airport drinking away my frustration) I bought a ticket out of Canada to England. So I’m not sure if they will check in Canada about my outbound flight but if I’m allowed to stay 6 months – I highly doubt they will. (Edit: Canada did check my ticket. They actually screened me quite thoroughly. It seems countries think it’s weird when someone is travelling with no exact plans or job.) Luckily I’m in Canada for training and need to be in Sudan in a month’s time so have some dates to work with and the ticket will get used. I would have liked a little more time than the 1 hour and 300b per hour internet to find and book a ticket tho. It pisses me off how they let you book the one way ticket on the internet with no notification until you are checking in that you need an outbound ticket. I need to find a way to get around this... I was thinking maybe I could have bought a cheap bus ticket into the US? Or maybe just taken an old flight confirmation email edited the dates and locations in word to fake I had a flight? (Edit: I don’t think this is a very good idea now) The China Airlines “supervisor” said that it was immigration law and that the airlines can get fined if I don’t have a ticket. I think that’s a load of crock. (Edit: It’s actually the truth) But when your flight leaves in 2 hours, you don’t really have much choice. Anyone know and sneaky tactics to get around this? A strong follow-up in Travel is Just say YES! And a Tattoo!.
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I'm Such a Flashpacker...
Vinay Patankar · 04 Feb, 2010 · Travel
The hot sticky air of Bangkok only added to my frustration as I searched my belongings for the illusive memory card reader. I still haven’t found it... But that was the day, after I ripped every electronic related item from my bag and dumped them on the floor I realised... I’m such a flashpacker. ##### Flashpacking, according to Wikipedia: > Flashpacking is a neologism used to refer to an affluent backpacker. Whereas backpacking is traditionally associated with budget travel and destinations that are relatively cheap, flashpacking has an association of more disposable income while travelling and has been defined simply as backpacking with a bigger budget. > A simple definition of the term Flashpacker can be thought of as backpacking with flash, or style. One school of thought defines the flashpacker as a rapidly growing segment of travellers who adhere to a modest accommodation and meal budget, while spending freely, even excessively, for activities at their chosen destination. Another school of thought defines flashpacking as an incongruous mix of 'slumming it' and luxury; of adventurous travel with those on a budget by day and sedate dining and comfortable accommodation by night. Flashpackers have been further defined as tech-savvy adventurers who often prefer to travel with a cell phone, digital camera, iPod and a laptop, although none of these is required in order to be a flashpacker. As with other forms of travel, the term flashpacker is mainly one of self-identification. The origin of the term itself is obscure. > The term also reflects a growing demographic of travellers who are forsaking traditional organized travel, venturing to destinations once the reserve of more adventurous backpackers, and the increasing number of individuals who leave well paid jobs or take 'career breaks', using the time to travel independently, but with greater comfort and many of the gadgets they are accustomed to at home. As a result, hostels are evolving and offering more up-market accommodation and facilities to those still travelling on a budget in order to obtain their business. Hostels have realized a need to evolve in order to meet the changing demands of travellers. I don’t spend money on expensive hotels (I try to keep to $20 AUD per night max) and I often stay in a hostels for cheaper. But if I am staying for a longer period, I will look for WIFI. I’ll happily eat on the street for $1-2, but I’ll spend $20-$40 drinking in a fancy bar. I don’t mind local buses, but if I need to be somewhere in a hurry I will fly. My Cable Collection I personally think these traits are similar to many individuals that class themselves as “backpackers”. The main difference I see between me and them is the number of cables I carry and the emotional ties I have to them... The whole mobility / digital nomad / location independence movement has spawned many flashpackers and these numbers are only growing with technology advances and as more start to earn a living on the road. But there is the argument that if you’re carrying the proverbial baggage that is your precious electronics, it can restrict you from the ‘full experience’ of travel. To this point, I would have to agree. I take precautions because of my electronics and desire to work on the road which restrict me. I'm also waay to attached to my electronics - not healthy. ##### Final thought I can't say for sure what the best way to travel is, each to their own I guess. But I ask you this: Does one experience more, travelling while working for 12 months or working at home for 11 months and travelling for 1? For another Travel angle, read Outbound Flights... F*&k!.
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Koh Phi Phi - The Isle of Dreams
Vinay Patankar · 30 Jan, 2010 · Travel
Koh Phi Phi, is a small, famous Island in the south of Thailand, a 2 hour boat trip from Phuket. As some of you may know, the neighbouring island is where Leonardo Di Caprio filmed “The Beach” it was also the island most traumatised by the Tsunami – I also here there was some old school James Bond film set there before my time. Famous for its beautiful beaches, water activities, views and resorts - there are plenty of blogs that will tell you all about that kind of thing. This post is about why I - a 20 something single male - liked it. ## The Scene Koh Phi Phi is one of the most expensive places in Thailand, with 5 star resorts, expensive restaurants and cocktail bars. Perfect for families, couples and oldies. Yawwwn... It is also a thriving island for backpackers on the Thailand Circuit. Each comes for different reasons. I came for the latter. ## The Island Phi Phi is an island shaped like a backwards “h” with the arch being a double sided beach. The area between the two beaches is the town, with the peninsulas housing resorts. Due to the size of the island, and the fragility of the environment there are no land motor vehicles allowed, thus moving from the resorts into the town can take a while walking or be expensive chartering a boat. This means all backpacker related things are walking distance apart. And I mean everything: the guest houses, restaurants, bars, beaches, water activities, tourist places, miscellaneous shops (needed for purchasing replacement thongs every morning), clubs, beach parties, everything... This is fantastic for the social scene, as you run into the same people over and over again. On top of this it makes it easy to switch venues on the fly without concern, no 20 min taxi drive across town into the unknown and worrying about getting home. Small = good. ## The People Small = good is an interesting statement, particularly being a big city boy. The difference between Phi Phi and some rural hick town in inner Australia is the people. The beauty and fame attracts travellers from all around the world. I arrived in Phi Phi two days after the Full Moon party ended on Koh Pang Yang and it was swarming with Swedish backpackers, yes, lots of Swedish girls. Need I say more? ## Amenities Again, Phi Phi’s stature brings world class accommodation and food. But for a backpacker these material comforts are of little interest. I stayed in a 600 baht per night guest house with a nice veranda out onto the sidewalk (by veranda I mean concrete slab). It was all class. A double bed, a decaying combo drawer-chest-bed side table thingy and a wall mounted electric fan. A bathroom the size of my shower back home, which was quite nice because I could sit on the toilet while taking my cold shower – better than standing. A scoop flush toilet, oh and the sink was outside the bathroom with a small piece of PVC pipe drilled through the wall. But when you’re in a place like Phi Phi, who cares? I spent 8 hours a day in my room, and half that time I was asleep. You can upgrade if you want, but I don’t see the point. Some say a nicer place helps with attracting the opposite sex. I disagree. Just tell them it’s cute. It was! ## What to do A typical day - after hang over recovery – starts at about 10 or 11 involving water of some sort. Beach, swim, snorkel, scuba, boat, wind surf, etc... followed by some type of relaxing activity – read and/or sleep in a hammock? These are all great options because there are plenty of people out and about that you can meet. All buzzed from their holiday. Make an effort to remember people’s names, you will meet them again. After dinner, from 7-9pm, the place shuts down. The bars get ready to open, the restaurants empty and the streets go quite - ignoring the distinct massage parlour sales pitch ringing through the street “mmaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssaaaaaaaaagggggg?!?!” No thank you. “Come on, you very handsome boy, you come massage!?” No thank you. Haven’t they ever heard of probe and match? Then 9 strikes and everything starts to change. First stop Reggae bar, centre of town, unique for its Muay Thai ring. Even more so for the talented host who convinces Swedish girls to fight. Complete with cheap local beer, a free BBQ and plenty of pool tables – it’s an Aussie bloke’s heaven. From there you can meander around town, with a number of bars and side stalls selling the standard Thai beers, cocktails and death-trap buckets - red bull syrup, a flask of vodka and a can of sprite. \*Note, playing drinking games where the punishment is to drink your whole drink is a bad idea when holding one of these, best to get a glass. Be prepared to meet people you met through the day while during your meandering. When the clock strikes 12, its time to hit the beach. Both the beaches host beach parties each night, all night. With bon fires and beats it’s the perfect place to dance the night away - and lose your thongs. Don’t worry, you may find new ones – otherwise its off to the misc shops in the morning. Night swimming is always a good option, but if you plan to skinny dip be sure you note where you put your clothes. I heard from a reliable source you can be charged a pretty penny for assistance. And if you have the stamina (which you will after one of those buckets), I highly recommend watching the sun rise. Very pretty. Can you dream of a better island? Related read in Travel: $2,000 Black Jack Hand - #ASW11.
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Why LinkedIn is Awesome and you Need an Account Today!
Vinay Patankar · 24 Jan, 2010 · Technology
It only takes one person to change your life. Plenty of people dont see the value of LinkedIn. They Say its crap and they never use it because they cant post photos of last weekends dress up party where they attended as a "tranny in custody". LinkedIn has many benefits, and yes, it’s true it may be more useful for certain professions such as sales, recruitment and entrepreneurs. But there is one undeniable benefit that should make it mandatory for everyone with even a smidgen of ambition: Networking. I know that sounds dumb. After all it’s a networking tool. But many - especially 20 something’s - don’t see the potential. Think of LinkedIn like a retirement fund. The earlier you start the more valuable it becomes. Take a hypothetical case study: You’re 21 and in your first job. In your department, there are 15 people you interact with on a regular basis. You open your account and connect with those 15 people. Legend: - Blue men = Connections - Red man = You During your time at this company (average 2-5 years) the people you work with start to move on to different companies – presumably in a similar industry. After a few years, your network will look like this: Now you have contacts in 8 different companies (including yours) that you can use as referees, for market information or to help you get a job in their new company (more on how to use your connections in the future). Pre-LinkedIn you may have stayed in touch with a few colleagues, but inevitably some would drop off your radar and become unreachable. After 4-5 years you decide to move on. You take a job at Company I and start working with 15 shiny new colleagues who join your network. As the years move on these people leave and join new companies. While that is happening, colleagues from Company A are still moving about. Suddenly, you have contacts in 17 companies. Remember, these are people you have worked with and know on a personal level. Even if you don’t speak with them for a couple of years, it’s easy to reinitiate contact. You will have their email and the company they work for. You can easily call reception and get transferred. Trying to track all these people without LinkedIn is starting to become difficult, even for the most socially proficient individuals. Then, as time moves on, you take your third job. Another 15 shiny new connections join your network. During this time, your previous colleagues continue to move in their careers, taking promotions and joining companies you may have never heard of. Here’s where it becomes messy. Are you really going to bother to track movements of all of your past colleagues? I know I wouldn’t, even with the knowledge I have. LinkedIn does it all for you. The best part? Using it in a simplistic capacity like this is about 5 hours per year of work. Adding new colleagues to your network and updating your profile with promotions and job changes. That’s all. 5 hours per year for a lifetime network. You’d be a fool not to... Now consider adding your friends, peers from university, 50 colleagues per company and you change companies every 3 years for 30 years. The numbers start to inflate. People change countries and industries. You build yourself a global network. Happy days. Remember, just because you are not ‘using’ it doesn’t mean it’s not valuable and the longer you wait, the more likely those early connections will slip through the cracks. So what are you waiting for? Join today! And while you’re at it, add me as a connection. Related read in Technology: 99 Abstract Life Hacks - Make your Life Easier Today!.
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