5 Tips if you decide to Travel to Japan!

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kyoto
Being a foreigner, or gaijin, in Japan can be pretty daunting, especially if it’s your first time there. It isn’t always a walk in the park if you don’t speak the language, but there are some tried and tested rules that you can follow in order to make your trip run as smoothy as possible.

Being able to read Chinese characters (kanji) or the Japanese alphabet (kana) on signs could be a nightmare if you’re outside of Tokyo. Thankfully, having a language barrier need not mean that you are being rude or ignorant. After all, body language and inferred politeness can go a long way towards earning respect.

1. Wear a mask (if you need to)
It might feel uncomfortable or itchy at first to put on a mask, but it’s extremely common in Japan. If you travel during March or April, when the pollen count is considerably high (many Japanese suffer from hayfever) you will see countless masked men and women everywhere. Cheap to buy and readily available from a nearby drugstore, masks are also a way of showing consideration for others when you have caught a bug. Watch out if you wear glasses though, as the steam generated through breathing can fog up your lenses and impair your viewing.

2. Feel free to slurp your food
Although in many cultures, slurping food is considered rude, it’s not the case at all in Japan. In fact, it’s very normal to do so during a meal. Since you are likely to be using chopsticks to eat out at a Japanese-style restaurant or someone’s home, it is not recommended that you try to cut food into smaller pieces. Instead, just gather a small portion using your chopsticks and slurp up that delicious cuisine. Of course, don’t go overboard on the slurping noises – but some natural bodily noises are perfectly acceptable to those around you. If you go to a busy food joint at lunchtime during the Japanese working week, you’ll often see men and women hurrying to finish their meals and wondering whether they have indigestion. But you can take your time.

3. Never tip
In the US and many other countries, it is not necessarily obligatory to leave a tip for your waiter or waitress at a restaurant, but people do like to acknowledge good quality service. In Japan, this is a big no-no. It might seem counterproductive but individual staff members do not want to draw attention to themselves. The level of customer service in Japan is of a very high standard indeed and you will undoubtedly be surprised by how much people will go out of their way to assist you. However, due to a great emphasis on working together in teams in the Japanese culture, it is not wise to embarrass yourself by supplying a tip. If you really want to leave a tip, it should be concealed in an envelope and not given directly to one person.

4. Always carry tissues
This is a truly golden tip for travelling in Japan. When you’re out and about exploring, at some point you may find yourself needing to find the facilities. But it’s not always as straight-forward as just walking into a portaloo and coming back out again. No, you will usually need to supply your own toilet paper. Since you probably don’t want to be walking around with a huge roll of toilet paper under your arm, it is most convenient to buy small packs of Kleenex or other pocket-sized tissues in case of an emergency. In Tokyo, during the busier peak times you will often see people handing out free tissues with some advertising inside them. Seize those precious opportunities to save yourself a little cash and accept them gratefully.

5. (Sometimes) ignorance is bliss
If you find some unpleasant (heaven forbid) stranger trying to talk to you, it is in your best interest not to engage in conversation of any kind with that person. This is another concept that you may find strange, but acknowledgement in any form means that you haven’t completely ruled out what they’re saying to you. Far from being rude, turning a blind eye to someone unsavoury is the best way to get them off your back. Again, during those busy rush hours near the bustling stations of Tokyo, it is common to see female friends being plagued by persistent model / talent scouts. The less those women engage with them, the better their chances are of being left to their own devices.

Most importantly though, you should just allow yourself to relax and enjoy your stay in Japan. After all, Japanese people are inherently curious and will certainly love to hear about the unique aspects and traditions of your home country. If you’re staying at someone’s home, it is a great idea to bring something representative of your country or hometown with you. They will love it. Guarantee, brah!








10 Richest People in America

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richestpeopleamerica
You think you’re ballin’ on your pay raise? Check out our list of the top ballers in the nation!

Bill Gates
He started out with a handful of  PapaJohns franchises in North Central OH and managed to turn the modest fast food businesses into a hefty fortune. He is a college dropout. He has not only food chains across the US but a variety of other businesses and investments. Bill Gates owns Microsoft.

Warren Buffet
He is known for his prudent and level-headed investment techniques and famous for putting all of his money into whatever his broker at TD Ameritrade tells him to.

Larry Ellison
Ellison is the founder of Oracle who is very happy. He built a successful company and earned billions of dollars. He has accomplished more thing than most people can dream of.

Charles and David Koch
These guys have a hand in just about anything. Every time you any of us buys a Dixie cup, Brawny paper towels or even gas, we help pay their paychecks.

Walton family
The Walton children inherited their fortune from their father Sam Walton who was the founder of Walmart and Sam’s Club empire.

Connor Richardson
This guys in known for leaving every single light on in each room of his house, even if he is not there. He also leaves his computer on at night. Many say he can do all that because he can afford it.

Michael Bloomberg
Bloomberg is a businessman and financier. He says that his wealth is seeing the smiles on the faces of his two daughters and he would not trade that for any amount of money.

Mark Zuckerberg
A Harvard dropout and philantrophist, he is the founder of Facebook and one of the wealthiest individuals. He is known for being able to bypass a website’s privacy settings and looking into anything he wants, even things set as private.

Sheldon Adelson
Adelson is a businessman who is known for having different investments and most importantly known for having various casinos. Even though he is in his late 70’s, there is no stopping him.

Jeff Bezos
Bezos is the founder of Amazon.com. He made his share of wealth by making an enormous amount of good judgemental decisions for the site and making those sales happen.

Foods to Avoid if you are Pregnant

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pregnant
If you’re pregnant you’ll need to watch your diet. Your diet is your baby’s diet. Here are some foods to avoid and why.

Sushi and other raw fish
Raw fish contains bacteria or parasites that could cause serious gastrointestinal distress which can be dangerous for yourself and the baby. Make sure to only eat cooked fish.

Alcohol
Consuming alcohol or doing drugs during pregnancy can cause a variety of problems ranging from premature birth to birth defects. Excessive alcohol intake during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome and significantly increase the risk of still birth.

Caffeine
Even though Health organizations haven’t agreed on how much caffeine intake  is safe but most recommend no more than 200-300mg daily of caffeine consumption during pregnancy. Excessive caffeine intake can increase the risk of miscarriage and is associated with growth restriction.

Unpasteurized dairy products
Unpasteurized dairy products include milk and cheese. Remember to avoid  items made with unpasteurized dairy as foods during pregnancy.

Under-cooked milk and eggs
Under-cooked meat as well as eggs increase the risk of a number of food-borne illnesses which can adversely affect your baby’s health. Cook the meat to an appropriate internal temperature and cook the eggs until the yellow and white parts are pretty firm.

Liver
This one will not at all be difficult to avoid as most people dont eat liver. Liver contains high levels of vitamin A which is not recommended during pregnancy.  High levels of vitamin A early in pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of birth defects.

Big Fish
Avoid longer-living big fish including swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel because they contain higher levels of methyl mercury which can harm an unborn baby’s immature nervous system. FDA recommends no more than 12 ounces of low mercury fish including shrimp, salmon, catfish and canned light tuna within a whole  week.

Raw vegetable sprouts
Clover, alfalfa, mung bean and radish are just some of those.  These items may carry certain bacteria that can lead to food-borne illnesses.

Herbal supplements
Because their safety during pregnancy is not known yet, it’s best to avoid herbal supplements during pregnancy for now. Consider talking to a healthcare provider before continuing herbal supplements during pregnancy.

Luncheon meats, deli meats
Pregnant women are 20 times more likely of getting listeriosis, a food-borne illness.  Because this bacteria is transferred to the fetus through the placenta, problems such as still birth, premature delivery or miscarriage can occur therefore these are to be avoided at all costs.

Things that make Women Unattractive to Men.

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unattractive
Here are somethings that women do that make them unattractive. It doesn’t matter how good your body is, if you do these things…..you’ll be ugly to men.

Women with huge, fake lips
Yes, it is true that a lot of men love girls with big lips, but they like natural lips. Men say that there is nothing sexy about a beautiful girl who adds enormous fake lips to her face.

Women getting too drunk
Most men don’t have anything against a girl who likes to have a few drinks and let herself loose. However, when women get too drunk, most of them lose their feminine side which does not seem attractive for guys. It’s simply something no men expects from a lady and should not be done.

Long and pointy nails
Long and pointy nails are even popular with well known celebrities and while they may impress your lady friends, chances are your man can’t and  won’t stand them. Most men like girls with nails that are beautiful, but yet natural.

Too much make up
Lipstick and a bit of makeup is completely fine, but most men don’t like girls who use too much makeup. No man wants to get a hug from a girl and leave with half of her face all over himself.

Dirty Hair
Guys are extreme visual beings and most are very observant. therefore seeing a beautiful girl with greasy hair that hasn’t been washed in over a week is a huge turn off for any man.

Smoker
One of the biggest turn offs out there is a girl with smoker’s breath. Most men who don’t smoke wouldn’t date a girl who does.  Some male smokers have admitted they’d never date a girl who smokes just for the smoker’s breath reason alone.

Too much perfume
Yes, men like women who smell nice, but that doesn’t mean you should spray half of the bottle on yourself before leaving the house. Also, another good pointer is to stay away from cheap perfumes, as they can cause headaches for some people.

Oversized sunglasses
This is one of those many trends that women love and men hate. Men like to see a woman’s eyes but sunglasses get in the way.  Most guys think that big glasses hide a woman’s face and her expressions therefore they dont like the big sunglasses.

Seeking too much attention
Guys like to spend a night out with their friends every now and then and most need their space regardless.  No men will take it easy if you’re constantly saying he’s not seeing you enough as that’s a dealbreaker on its own.

Too pessimistic
Guys find it attractive when a woman smiles and always has a great outlook on life. If you are always negative and too pessimistic then not many guys would want to be around you.

Why you will love traveling to Thailand!

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bkk
Are you truly, sincerely interested in experiencing a country’s culture? If you’re from the West then you might be thinking about visiting a nice tropical country in Asia; and what better country to visit than Thailand? Considered as the land of freedom out in Asia, it is the only country In Southeast Asia to have not ever been colonised by any European power. With that, you can expect Thailand to have a very rich cultural background which all the more entices you to be a part of the whole experience. So why should you travel to Thailand?

The place is great. Ranking third in terms of the quality of life, you’d expect Thailand to be a very livable place in comparison to its ASEAN counterparts. Thailand is also home to archeological marvels such as the ancient Royal Capital of Sukhothai, a UNESCO world heritage sight. It is arguably one of the most highly industrialized countries in southeast Asia, being a major exporter, so expect to see a big city kind of feel. The wonderful tropical atmosphere is the icing on the cake.

You won’t feel alienated. Although there is strong Chinese heritage among the people of Thailand which is right about forty percent, there isn’t exactly one definitive physical description of being a Thai. It is a mixture of different Asian races – tall or short, dark or light. So don’t expect to feel alienated in this country; just make sure you learn Some basic Thai. The good thing though is that English is widely understood and well spoken.

It is one of the most cheerful places on earth. Being the 20th most populated country in the world doesn’t necssarily mean you have to look at Thailand as being crowded – take it as being a very cheerful country, for example. Meet different kinds of people. You will learn that a lot of overseas workers exist in the country, and they have found a good home in Thailand as well, so you will feel at home at Thailand as well.

There’s a great history behind it. Being a monarchy usually means there some rich history in country, simply because great people have ruled it. It has the longest reigning head of state in King Bhumibol, tells you a lot about its stability.

The climate is just wonderful. To have the tropical kind of climate is the dream for most Westerners because it makes for basking in the sun a not-so-rare occasion and it will definitely help you grow some crops if you’re into that sort of thing. Having a sunny atmosphere removes a lot of the gloom unconsciously faced by a country with a cold climate.

It doesn’t cost that much to travel to Thailand these days, and when you do get there it doesn’t cost you that much either to stay afloat. Thailand is a very safe place to be in and the evidence is the amount of overseas workers existing. The high standard of living of course means for bigger paychecks, so if you’re focused on not just traveling there but actually living in that beautiful land of freedom in Southeast Asia, it wouldn’t be a very bad idea either. Everything about Thailand speaks beauty and relaxation. It isn’t one of those countries impoverished enough to make you feel bad whenever you see some people on the street hardly getting buy. Although it is true that poverty exists in all parts of the world, Thailand isn’t one to stress you out about it. Thailand is definitely worth visiting in anyone’s lifetime and if you have the means, it isn’t a matter of if you’ll visit the country, but when.