This Way Out
The Jakarta Post - WEEKENDER | Tue, 09/23/2008 4:55 PM |
SAY WHAT?
Here’s a new travel term most befitting of the current sky high fuel prices, a slowing global economy and consumers tightening their belts. Those making the best of these hard times by forgoing that yearly holiday and choosing to stay home instead, welcome to your “staycation”.
Defined by urbandictionary.com as “a vacation that is spent at one's home enjoying all that home and one's home environs have to offer”, the term has been making its rounds in the mass media, in stories about how consumers are putting travel plans on hold as part of larger cost-cutting measures. Retailers in the U.S. are also lapping up the concept, and launching their own ‘staycation’ sales and promotions for staycationers.
In fact, the word has invaded mainstream consciousness, readers of Seattle-based daily The Seattle Times have even taken to coining their own punchy portmanteaus. We’re thinking these ones might just catch on…
Straycation: Going on holiday with someone other than your spouse.
Oblication: Taking vacation time to make a stressful trip to visit family – which hardly ever counts as a restful holiday.
Paycation: Using time off to work somewhere else.
Graycation: Visiting mom.
HIT THE SHOWER
Emirates Airlines may have just one-upped Singapore Airlines when it comes to pulling out the stops on their fleet of Airbus A380s. Like the Singapore Airlines’ A380s, the Emirates Airbus A380 features private suites in first class, with seats that fully convert to beds, work desk, LCD screens and all the perfunctory first-class frills.
But charting a true first in first-class travel is the fleet’s Shower Spas which will have you looking and smelling fresh as a daisy even after a red-eye flight. Two fully equipped bathrooms complete with full shower facilities – a shower cubicle with water temperature / time control, vanity unit and wash basin, clothes changing area and toilet —stand ready in first-class for all your grooming needs. And how about heated flooring, leather seating, flower displays, hairdryer, full-length mirror and Bvlgari amenities to ensure you’re primping in comfort and style?
There’s even a 15.4inch LCD monitor so you can monitor the flight’s status while prepping for touch-down.
Now, we just hope there’s a plan for dealing with bathroom-hoggers.
VIVA LA FIESTA!
It’s always a treat to turn a corner and stumble onto a street festival, parade, carnival or any form of celebration while on holiday. And while serendipity’s sweet, it wouldn’t hurt to be clued in on all the celebrations that are afoot at your next holiday destination. Enter Lonely Planet’s first-ever edition of A Year of Festivals which helps you do exactly that – keep tabs on all those crazy, colorful cultural celebrations and festivals happening worldwide. The book showcases not only the renowned festivals like Mexico’s Day of the Dead but also relatively obscure ones - Battle of the Oranges in Spain, anyone? In fact, expect to find events and celebrations of all manner – musical, religious, food, art, bizarre spectacles, hedonism within its pages. And even if you never get to see all of them in this lifetime, you can surely rack it all up to general knowledge.
US$24.99
GUIDING LIGHT
You’re already playing games, surfing the net, emailing, listening to music and watching vids on your handphone. Now let it be your tour guide too when you’re on holiday. Indeed, lugging around too-thick travel tomes may be a thing of the past if Digital Concierge 2 Go has its way.
A free downloadable program from www.digitalconcierge2go.com will let you access tourist information like key attractions, transportation routes, live updates on events and happenings, shopping and F&B directories and even updated weather information on your handphone.
While it currently covers only Singapore, Digital Concierge is gearing up to take over the world. It will be available in 15 languages, and users will be able to access information for cities such as Shanghai and London by the end of the year.
+ Chan Hse May
Here’s a new travel term most befitting of the current sky high fuel prices, a slowing global economy and consumers tightening their belts. Those making the best of these hard times by forgoing that yearly holiday and choosing to stay home instead, welcome to your “staycation”.
Defined by urbandictionary.com as “a vacation that is spent at one's home enjoying all that home and one's home environs have to offer”, the term has been making its rounds in the mass media, in stories about how consumers are putting travel plans on hold as part of larger cost-cutting measures. Retailers in the U.S. are also lapping up the concept, and launching their own ‘staycation’ sales and promotions for staycationers.
In fact, the word has invaded mainstream consciousness, readers of Seattle-based daily The Seattle Times have even taken to coining their own punchy portmanteaus. We’re thinking these ones might just catch on…
Straycation: Going on holiday with someone other than your spouse.
Oblication: Taking vacation time to make a stressful trip to visit family – which hardly ever counts as a restful holiday.
Paycation: Using time off to work somewhere else.
Graycation: Visiting mom.
HIT THE SHOWER
Emirates Airlines may have just one-upped Singapore Airlines when it comes to pulling out the stops on their fleet of Airbus A380s. Like the Singapore Airlines’ A380s, the Emirates Airbus A380 features private suites in first class, with seats that fully convert to beds, work desk, LCD screens and all the perfunctory first-class frills.
But charting a true first in first-class travel is the fleet’s Shower Spas which will have you looking and smelling fresh as a daisy even after a red-eye flight. Two fully equipped bathrooms complete with full shower facilities – a shower cubicle with water temperature / time control, vanity unit and wash basin, clothes changing area and toilet —stand ready in first-class for all your grooming needs. And how about heated flooring, leather seating, flower displays, hairdryer, full-length mirror and Bvlgari amenities to ensure you’re primping in comfort and style?
There’s even a 15.4inch LCD monitor so you can monitor the flight’s status while prepping for touch-down.
Now, we just hope there’s a plan for dealing with bathroom-hoggers.
VIVA LA FIESTA!
It’s always a treat to turn a corner and stumble onto a street festival, parade, carnival or any form of celebration while on holiday. And while serendipity’s sweet, it wouldn’t hurt to be clued in on all the celebrations that are afoot at your next holiday destination. Enter Lonely Planet’s first-ever edition of A Year of Festivals which helps you do exactly that – keep tabs on all those crazy, colorful cultural celebrations and festivals happening worldwide. The book showcases not only the renowned festivals like Mexico’s Day of the Dead but also relatively obscure ones - Battle of the Oranges in Spain, anyone? In fact, expect to find events and celebrations of all manner – musical, religious, food, art, bizarre spectacles, hedonism within its pages. And even if you never get to see all of them in this lifetime, you can surely rack it all up to general knowledge.
US$24.99
GUIDING LIGHT
You’re already playing games, surfing the net, emailing, listening to music and watching vids on your handphone. Now let it be your tour guide too when you’re on holiday. Indeed, lugging around too-thick travel tomes may be a thing of the past if Digital Concierge 2 Go has its way.
A free downloadable program from www.digitalconcierge2go.com will let you access tourist information like key attractions, transportation routes, live updates on events and happenings, shopping and F&B directories and even updated weather information on your handphone.
While it currently covers only Singapore, Digital Concierge is gearing up to take over the world. It will be available in 15 languages, and users will be able to access information for cities such as Shanghai and London by the end of the year.
+ Chan Hse May
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