Beware and cautious when you are travelling!!!
The Newspaper Attack
Where: Rome
The Scam: A group of gypsy children surrounds you, waving newspapers in your face. The papers are merely to confuse you and block your view as the youths reach into your pocket and grab your bag—or anything else they can get their hands on.
Advice: Firmly brush past them and move away quickly—and shout for help if you need it.The Bus 64 Sting
Where: Rome
The Scam: Bus 64 passes many of Rome ’s most famous historic sights, so it’s hugely popular with tourists—and pickpockets. Working in teams of three or four, the thieves go after wallets, cameras, and other small valuables, usually by causing a disturbance such as slipping on stairs that takes your attention off your belongings. (likewise at Supermarket stairs or elevators)
Advice: Always secure your property and keep it close, especially when traveling on crowded buses and trains.Duty Free Items
Where: Bangkok
The Scam: As has been reported in the press recently, this crime involves a traveler who is arrested for handling merchandise in the airport duty-free shop. Once in custody, the victim is introduced to a middleman who says he can gain the traveler’s freedom—for a fee. The police, in on the deal, split the payment.
Advice: Don’t touch items in duty-free shops unless you intend to buy them.The Hot Dog Trick
Where: Airports
The Scam: The perp “accidentally” squirts mustard on you while eating a hot dog (it’s really a tube of mustard in a bun). Full of apologies, he clumsily tries to help clean up the mess while an accomplice walks off with your carry-ons.
Advice: Always place your bags between your legs in a public setting, whether you’re sitting or standing.
The Brass Ring
Where: Paris
The Scam: A passerby finds a gold ring on the sidewalk near you and agrees to sell it to you for a ridiculously low sum. You soon discover that the buy of a lifetime is made of brass.
Advice: There are no lost gold rings on the streets of Paris or anywhere else. Just say non.
The Bracelet Scheme
Where: Rome and Paris
The Scam: “Someone, usually quite charming, comes up to you offering directions or sightseeing advice. Suddenly, the person ties a woven bracelet around your wrist in a double knot, then demands payment. If you refuse, he screams that you’re stealing the bracelet,” says Karen Schaler, author of Travel Therapy. Victims are often so unnerved that they end up paying the handful of euros.
Advice: Beware of overly friendly people who approach you on the street offering courtesies you neither want nor need
The Lube Job
Where: East Africa
The Scam: You drive into a small town, and a helpful bystander points out that your wheel bearing is hemorrhaging oil “In fact,” says Lonely Planet Publications cofounder Tony Wheeler, “the bystander has just sloshed a cup of oil onto your wheel, and tells you there’s a garage around the corner that’ll fix your problem.” The garage owner is in on the con, charges an inflated rate, and splits the take with the bystander.(understand they have the same tricks for putting nails on the road in Indonesia )
Advice: Be wary of someone who points out a problem you didn’t know you had, then offers to help you get it fixed.
The Taxi Driver Trick
Where: Istanbul
The Scam: You’re paying a fare with a 50-lira note. The driver drops it on the floor and switches it to a 5-lira bill, which looks very similar. He then argues with you that you’ve shortchanged him.
Advice: If this happens to you, call the police by dialing 0090155 from your U.S. cell phone or 155 from a Turkish phone. The police know this old trick, and the driver stands to lose his license.
The Fake Art Show
Where: Beijing and Shanghai
The Scam: Young and convincing “art students” befriend you on the street and persuade you to visit their school’s gallery, where you find yourself getting a high-pressure sales pitch to buy overpriced, third-rate work being passed off as art.
Advice: Steer clear of anyone in China inviting you to an art show.
The Rip-off Joint
Where: Cities
The Scam: Two male travelers in an unfamiliar city meet two pretty young women who invite them to a private room in a bar. When the bill comes, it is hugely inflated. The bartender demands cash (no credit cards, of course), and the doormen tell the travelers to pay up and leave.
Advice: Beware complete strangers who offer to take you to a bar or nightclub.
The Tumbling Woman
Where: London but could happen anywhere.
The Scam: “If there’s a commotion, assume it’s a fake to distract the victim of a pickpocketing or purse snatching,” says travel guru Rick Steves of Ricksteves.com. “For example, someone, usually an elderly looking woman, ‘falls’ down an escalator in the London Underground.”
Advice: “Step back,” says Steves, “and watch your valuables.”
The Gypsy Baby Toss
Where: Italy, Eastern Europe
The Scam: Here’s a variation of the Newspaper Attack, as told by Peter Greenberg, travel editor of CBS News: the victim—usually a single female traveler—is approached by a gypsy woman carrying a baby in a blanket, who tosses the child into the arms of the victim. Cohorts grab the victim’s purse, wallet, camera, and anything else they can snatch amid the confusion. After the crooks run away, the victim discovers that the “baby” is nothing more than a doll.
Advice: Avoid gypsies and beggars on the street, and move away if they try to approach you.The Snatch and Follow-up Steal
Where: Barcelona
The Scam: As travelers with suitcases wait for a cab, a man rides by on a bicycle, slices the strap of a seemingly random woman’s purse, and rides off with it. As the sympathetic travelers drop their bags to give chase, an accomplice swoops in and attempts to make off with the abandoned booty.
Advice: Hide your valuables—money, passport, and credit cards—in your inner pockets, in a money belt, or anyplace else where they are difficult to grab.The Missing Cash
Where: Moscow
The Scam: A pedestrian bumps against you and drops something. “If you pick it up and attempt to return it, you’ll find you’ve got a bagful of banknotes and a bagful of trouble,” says Tony Wheeler. “That’s when the careless cash-dropper accuses you of removing some of the money.” Of course, the bad guy turns out to be willing to forget the whole incident in exchange for a fistful of rubles.
Advice: Don’t be afraid to call someone a crook, loudly, and walk away. Often the last thing they want is for the police to become involved, because the police know about most of these scams already.The Fake Palace Guides
Where: Bangkok
The Scam: Official-looking guides approach travelers in the streets surrounding Bangkok ’s Grand Palace , away from the main entrance. They’ll tell you, convincingly, that the palace is closed to visitors that morning, but that they’d be happy to take you on a “private tour.”
Advice: Ignore them, and check for yourself at the main gate. “In many countries,” says Anthony Dennis, editor of Travel + Leisure Australia , “it’s usually best to arrange for a certified guide through your hotel”The Security-Checkpoint Scam
Where: Airports
The Scam: Before you walk through the metal detector at airport security, a person from behind cuts ahead of you. As he tries to walk through the metal scanner, the alarm rings and the line comes to a halt; it turns out he has “forgotten” to remove his keys and loose change. “Meantime,” says Peter Greenberg, “his accomplice has gone through ahead of you and is picking up all your stuff from the conveyor belt and leaving with it.”
Advice: Avoid placing your tray of valuables on the X-ray machine conveyor belt until you are ready to walk through the metal detector, and keep an eye on your belongings as they come out the other side.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
16 ways con-artists target travelers
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
“Our World, Their War”
Tell us how you would defy the Autobots and destroy the world, and which Decepticons character you would like to transform into to destroy the world?
Easy! Firstly the character i would like to transform into is RAVAGE!
I could be launched to earth through a soundwave, isn't that amazing. Travelling through sound?.
The best part of this character is that it could release thousands of “ball bearings” which will take over any electronic stuff that comes into its way. If each time it releases a thousand and new thousand robots is born,the earth will be filled with deceptions robots. It could be in any sizes. Isn’t that a strong plan to beat the autobots. muahahahahahha!
This is how the story goes, i will release all this electronics ball bearings that could take over any electronic machines.the only most reliable and strong ones is cars!
I may just release all this ball bearings that will take over the cars that we can see on the road.In a car form,even the Autobots wont realize that a war is awaiting them right in front of their eyes.
Even proton WAJA can be transform ! Malaysia Boleh!
Proton Savvy,TRANSFORM!
Audi R8,TRANSFORM!
Perodua Myvi,TRANSFORM!
AND MORE!
With thousands and thousands of robots under the Decepticons,Nothing is impossible.
Hitting the Autobots every corner of the earth,YOU R DOOM! MuahahahhahahahaaA!
If i am not in luck to transform,I will just use the GSC-EON Bank credit card to purchase the tix! =)
Not in action but watch the action..Nothing to lose!
Support the Decepticons!
Earth shall fall!
But what is the chances?
Will it be different this time?
Watch the movie and we will know! =)
Before that, get a taste of it by watching the trailer,
There you go,
Enjoy!
That is not all,there are more to win !
This picture is contradicting! Where is the Decepticons VERSION!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
DEALING with INSULT - Word of Wisdom
DEALING with INSULT
The Buddha explained how to handle insult and maintain compassion.
One day Buddha was walking through a village. A very angry and rude young man came up and began insulting him. "You have no right teaching others," he shouted. "You are as stupid as everyone else. You are nothing but a fake."
Buddha was not upset by these insults. Instead he asked the young man "Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone, and that person does not take it, to whom does the gift belong?"
The man was surprised to be asked such a strange question and answered, "It would belong to me, because I bought the gift."
The Buddha smiled and said, "That is correct. And it is exactly the same with your anger. If you become angry with me and I do not get insulted, then the anger falls back on you. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you have done is hurt yourself."
"If you want to stop hurting yourself, you must get rid of your anger and become loving instead. When you hate others, you yourself become unhappy. But when you love others, everyone is happy."
The young man listened closely to these wise words of the Buddha. "You are right, o Enlightened One, "he said. "Please teach me the path of love. I wish to become your follower."
The Buddha answered kindly, "Of course. I teach anyone who truly wants to learn. Come with me."
Beautiful Quotes
If you are right then there is no need to get angry
And if you are wrong then you don't have any right to get angry.
Patience with family is love,
Patience with others is respect,
Patience with self is confidence
and
Patience with GOD is faith.
Never Think Hard about PAST,
It brings Tears...
Don't Think more about FUTURE,
It brings Fears...
Live this Moment with a Smile,
It brings Cheers.!!!!
Every test in our life makes us bitter or better,
Every problem comes to make us or break us,
Choice is our whether we become victim or victorious !!!
Search a beautiful heart not a beautiful face.
Beautiful things are not always good
but good things are always beautiful.
Remember me like pressed flower in your Notebook.
It may not be having any fragrance
but will remind you of my existence forever in your life.
Do you know, why God created gaps between fingers?
So that someone who is special to you, comes and fills those gaps by holding your hands forever.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Top Five Regrets
By Bronnie Ware
For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.
People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learned never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.
When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:
1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me
This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. It is very important to try and honor at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realize, until they no longer have it.
2. I wish I didn't work so hard
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence. By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends
Often they would not truly realize the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying. It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying. Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.