Chris Guillebeau's Blog, page 64
February 8, 2015
“What do you do for a living?” “I confound expectations.”
Bob Dylan gave a rare 35-minute speech at a MusiCares event for the Grammys last night. It’s all interesting, but here’s my favorite part:
Critics have made a career out of accusing me of having a career of confounding expectations. Really? Because that’s all I do. That’s how I think about it. Confounding expectations.
“What do you do for a living, man?”
“Oh, I confound expectations.”
You’re going to get a job, the man says, “What do you do?” “Oh, confound expectations.”
And the man says, “Well, w...
For Another Side of North Korea, Watch This Ultimate Time-Lapse Video
Apparently Pyongyang isn’t just rationed electricity and a lack of lunch options:
“North Korea was the last country seemingly immune to change—but no longer. Recent years have witnessed mobile phone penetration, a surge in tourists, and even a marathon. Numerous special economic zones have been launched in cooperation with China, Russia, and South Korea, with railways planned linking all countries in the region.”
Maybe it’s time I plan that extended vacation in Pyongyang…
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February 7, 2015
6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXI
I. Around the World
Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.
Travel Blogger Hits the Reset Button After 5 Years of Writing — Adventurous Kate reevaluates and sets new goals for her next 5 years of adventures
Meet the Dad Who Wears Tattoos of His Son’s Doodles — Every year, he takes a design by his son and has it tattooed on his own right arm
This Video Game Only Allows One Move a Day — Need some help battling instant gratification?
How to Quit...
The Working Day in North Korea
What’s it like to live and work in one of the most mysterious countries in the world?
A new book shines a spotlight on the working day in Pyongyang, North Korea. Here are a few of my favorite points, as reproduced by the Guardian:
Apartment life is a challenge.
“Those who live on higher floors may have to set out for work or school a little earlier than those lower down. Due to chronic power cuts, many elevators work only intermittently, if at all. Many buildings are between 20 and 40 storeys t...
February 6, 2015
Updated Offer: 70,000 Points + Additional Free Stay from IHG Hotels
Link: 70,000 IHG Hotel Points
An updated travel hacking offer has just landed. All of a sudden, anyone who likes to stay in hotels free has an all-new option: the IHG® Rewards Club Select card.
IHG brands range from the upscale Intercontinental (very nice) to the mid-range Crowne Plaza (depends on the property) to the down-market Holiday Inn Express (well, in some markets there are far worse places).
The latest version of the card has a strong signup offer: 70,000 points after completing a low...
February 5, 2015
It’s Okay to Schedule “Real Life” Into Your Calendar
I’m looking for people who have their “Dream Job” or career to nominate themselves as case studies for my next book. Is that you? Let me know.
I saw a great quote from Kaitlin on one of the initial survey forms:
“I’ve accepted that it’s okay to schedule ‘call parents’ in my calendar so long as it helps me actually do it. It doesn’t make me a bad person for scheduling real life into my calendar.”
I completely agree with this. You shouldn’t feel bad about “scheduling real life.” If you thrive on...
A Free Online Business Video with REAL Training
Link: New! Free Training from Marie Forleo
Greetings, friends and readers!
New fun thing: my friend Marie Forleo, who kindly supported the debut of my last two books, is preparing to relaunch her mega-popular B-School course. As part of the process, she’s releasing three free videos that aren’t just teasers—they each include more than 25 minutes each of non-salesy, helpful tips on running an online business.
The first one is out today, and you can watch it by joining the pre-list at the link.
I...
An Annual Series of Micro Quests : Nancy Howell’s Way of Thinking About Birthdays
This is a quest case study. ( Read others or nominate yourself . )
Over the last decade, Nancy Howell has dedicated the first five months of the year to completing an ever-growing series of micro-quests: adventures and new experiences that take her outside her comfort zone and daily norms.
Tell us about yourself.
For the past 10 years, I’ve embarked on annual “micro-quests.” The number of micro-quests is correlated to my age—so every year, I do one more. Starting on the first of the year, I give mys...
February 4, 2015
Join Us on Friday, February 6—Virtually or In Real Life—for the 2015 Dining Dash
This Friday (two days from now!) I’ll be going on a mini-adventure to visit 12 restaurants in one day. You can follow along virtually, recreate the adventure in your own way, or even join me for the last stop of the evening in Portland, Oregon.
Last year my travel hacking colleague Stephanie Zito and I went on a “Dining Dash” (not to be confused with Dine and Dash) adventure to ten restaurants in a single day. We did this to requalify for VIP Member status with Rewards Network, a company that...
Top 5 Credit Card Signup Bonuses for Miles & Points: February
Every year I earn well over one million Frequent Flyer miles and points. About 250,000 of them come through actual travel, and the rest come through travel hacking: the art of seeing the world on a budget.
One of the easiest ways to earn a lot of miles all at once is through credit card signup bonuses. This post contains the best current card offers as of Wednesday, February 4. If getting every card from this post, you’d earn 215,000 points or miles. Happy travels!
In this edition:
Chase Sapphi...
