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Morocco is hot in the summer. And as much as I love warm weather, 110 degree heat is pushing it in a busy city where the air-con exists only in one KFC. I was used to the local people hassling me and begging for money at 5 minute intervals, but I wasn’t ready for one guy to overstep the mark. The man held his hand out to my girlfriend and I as we were sitting and enjoying the day, but he lingered for too long. He edged closer and tried to reach into my pocket without me noticing. I stood up and moved away so as not to cause a a fuss, but the man stood up and started shouting as though the contents of my pocket were his to take. Then he spat on me. Without elaborating, I lost my patience and it ruined the entire experience.

If you don’t learn how to be patient…

…all sorts of negative things can happen to both your mind and your body; we can become stressed and anxious, or start wishing ourselves into the future. The human imagination is so good at what it does that we can think ourselves into a preferable situation that might not even happen. When we do this it makes us want to jump forward into this imaginary future to escape the stressful present (which is stressful in itself, because such a thing is impossible to do). When we let impatience turn into stress and let that stress gather momentum, it becomes crazily hard to return to balance. We can start to feel our muscles tense, experience shortness of breath and feel our limbs become restless - all of these are physical manifestations of our negative mental state. Impatience is no good for our minds either; our thoughts become scattered and any trace of our ability to stay focused turns to goop. If this goes on for even a moment too long, we risk heading into the abyss that is anger, and you sure as hell don’t want to go down that road. Worst of all, if we don’t learn how to be patient we can begin to feel isolated, and isolation can make us feel very sad and lonely. We feel cut-off and alone because rather than accepting that we’re being impatient, we assume that the fault lies with the other person or situation. The feelings themselves spring from the realisation that there are some things we just can’t control. And so, we must learn patience.

How to learn patience

When people suggest that you should take a deep breath and count to ten, they’re not all that far off the truth (as annoying as that statement may be). The below is by no means a definitive list, but there are some simple points to get you started.

• Breathe

Step one: breathe. Before you announce that you’re already breathing, let me explain: actively paying attention to the breath in the body can bring focus and clarity to your present experience even at the worst of times. Spending a few moments focusing on the breath can loosen the grip of impatience like a Chinese finger trap; the more you relax, the easier it is to escape it. Breathing is probably the easiest thing ever, so it’s amazing how dramatic the effects are when we pay it even a little bit of attention. The best thing is that you can do it anywhere; in a long check-in queue; at an unhelpful immigration office; with that one travel buddy who drank too much and can’t make it home without you; anywhere.

• See the challenge

The next time you notice impatience creeping on, silently say the following three sentences to yourself: “I am intelligent enough to realise that this response is not beneficial.” “It’s completely normal for me to respond this way, but it is not productive.” “From this moment on I will breathe, pay attention to my breath and observe my feelings mindfully.” The moment we see situations that cause impatience as challenges, we’ve already shifted our focus away from losing our cool. This takes a lot of practice, so don’t be disheartened if you find it completely impossible the first few times. There are plenty of opportunities to learn this skill while travelling, as life on the road presents us with frustrating challenges almost everyday. For some of us, personal growth is why we travel in the first place.

• Teach

Teaching requires incredible patience. If you find the above point too difficult, try and teach someone something. It gives you more control over the situation as you’re going in prepared to feel frustrated. Teach someone local three reasonably complicated phrases in your native language and see how you get on. Judge your mood before, during and after to see what the patterns are and which triggers start the frustration and make the feeling of impatience worse. Next time see if you can accept frustration and be with it by being kind to yourself and focusing compassionately on the needs of the person you’re teaching. You’re there for them just as much as you’re there for yourself.

• Meditate

Daily meditation is an irreplaceable ally. There are many forms of meditation and they all have their own individual benefits, but for simplicity I recommend mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation helps us to become more aware of the present moment rather than dwelling on the past, or wishing ourselves into/worrying about the future. It hones our ability to drop into the present – just what we need when a little patience is required.

• Ask your friends

Our friends and family see a side of us that we do not. If we want an honest opinion, we must ask for one – it’s no good roping in a relative unless you’re going to tell them to be brutally honest.  Ask them if they recognise anything that causes you frustration and compare that with self-assessment. Write a list of everything you learn and try to take one item each week and look out for it. If you notice frustration arising from any item, refer to points one and two, rinse and repeat.   The most challenging thing about this process is that it requires persistence, which is in and of itself a challenge. Fortunately, next week’s post is all about the benefits of persistence, so subscribe to the mailing list if you don’t want to miss it. You’ll start to notice that many of the things I talk about are interconnected and dependent on one another. The best way to nail them all is to chip away piece by piece – take baby steps and don’t lose hope. If you’ve got any stories about a time you managed to keep your patience instead of switching on the rage, please let us know how you did it in the comments below.

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I completely understand the desire to plan; I plan every working day down to the minute with a strict routine. I do this to increase my productivity, as without it I’d almost certainly spend 90% of my time on either Facebook or Reddit. But travel is a different beast. We’ve all sat down and made that pretty travel itinerary that outlines our trip day by day, or hour by hour. And, because we’re creatures of expectation thanks to our swollen frontal lobes, we like to have things set out for us. We’ve developed a fear of the unknown that in the present world doesn’t do us much good. Playing it safe as a result of fear can flat-out ruin a travel experience before you’ve even left for the airport, so be sure to make a note of…

…The 5 Worst Travel Itinerary Mistakes

• 1. Planning your travel itinerary too rigidly

Travel planning is a part of travel culture which makes it hard to challenge, but challenge it we must. A whole lot of people love the idea of going with the flow, but when it comes down to it line-by-line plans seem to win out. Downloading an itinerary template and filling out the spaces makes us feel good, because it lets us believe we’re in control. The reality of the situation is that we are not. If we’re unwilling to change our plans at short notice, there’s a good chance we’re going to miss out on spontaneous experiences. These unexpected experiences are crucial to our development. They loosen the grip of our expectations and help us appreciate the present moment for what it is; the only moment we have.

• Squeezing too much in

Don’t try to do too much. How can we enjoy the simplicity of a life on the road if we don’t take the time to breathe things in? It’s okay, I get it – some of us only have a limited time to see the places we travel to. But surely being in a place allows for a deeper, richer experience. Learning how to really exist in an unfamiliar place takes time. We need to invest that time, slowly, to develop an appreciation of what the here and now really gifts us.

• Building expectations

Another danger of over-planning a travel itinerary is building expectations. An expectation is a form of attachment – an attachment to or belief in a future that hasn’t yet happened. If that belief turns out to be nonsense, we can find ourselves deflated. “We assumed that everything would be fine, but then there was a bus crash and it took 6 hours to get to Bangkok instead of 3. We missed our connecting flight to Indonesia and our weekend plans were ruined.” The stress that comes from well-established plans going wrong, or things being different to the way we imagined, is far worse than the challenge of sorting things out when we arrive at the destination. Don’t just take my word for it – try it yourself.

• Forgetting to add breathing space

If we absolutely have to make a travel itinerary, which I still do from time to time, we can’t forget to include time for reflection. I don’t mean 30 minutes breathing room in case your taxi is late picking you up, I mean creating a true mental space to appreciate what you’re experiencing. If our schedules are filled with back to back adventure, we don’t have time to let our minds settle. If we don’t let our minds settle to absorb the experiences, we’re not giving ourselves the chance to grow. Sometimes I’ll take a whole day out of travelling to meditate and go out for short walks. The space allows me to root myself deep in the experience and enjoy myself all the more for it.

• Letting your itinerary rule you

Letting travel plans rule us is the most potent poison on this list because it’s such an easy trap to fall into. It’s better to think of a travel itinerary as a list of ideas rather than a binding contract. I once saw a couple’s travel itinerary become more important than the trip itself, and that led to all sorts of problems. Control may be an illusion, but choice is not. It’s up to us to decide whether to follow plans we’ve outlined or throw them away. Travelling the world and engaging with the people in it has the power to change us fundamentally. If we open our minds to what these experiences have to teach, we become stronger, happier and more compassionate people ready to do real good in the world. What does your travel itinerary look like? Do you have a story about a time when a strict schedule did more harm than good? Share your experiences in the comments below.

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5 ways to not waste money in Marrakech

 

Marrakech is billed as one of the best cities in Morocco to visit and I believe this to be true. However, Marrakech isn’t without its traps and pitfalls, so it’s best to stay vigilant and make the best use of your time and money without getting scammed. While it’s true that there are scams all over the world and in every country, Marrakech is a hunting ground for locals wanting to make a quick and easy living from sun-stroked tourists that are otherwise unaware. Here are my 5 top tips for holding onto your money when enjoying Marrakech.

1. Don’t follow ‘helpful’ people

 

You might think that young man is being mighty friendly offering to show you how to get to the tanneries, but alas he is not. “Oh hello! Where are you going?”, he’ll say. If you tell him where you’re going he’ll take you the longest possible way to nowheresville and charge you to help find your way out.

 

Whatever you do, don’t stop or it’ll become more difficult to leave, instead just politely explain that you’re just out for a walk and head off. Be warned that these young men are persistent and can become angry if you refuse them, so be as friendly as you can when  you decline their ‘generous’ offers.

 

2. Don’t be persuaded by the ‘aggressive sell’

 

If you’re not fond of bartering and aren’t filthy rich then you probably won’t like the markets. In the markets of Marrakech, or ‘souks’ in the local tongue, are hundreds of empty-bellied, money-hungry salesmen waiting to help you part with your cash. If you’re not vigilant and don’t stand your ground it’s more likely that you’ll be taken advantage of.

 

“Come inside, come inside!” or, “No charge for looking!” they’ll say. But be warned, once you’re inside a shop it’s extremely difficult to get out without experiencing the owner’s aggressive sales manner. Once I was almost hassled to death and despite being polite the owner thanked me by saying something inaudible and spitting at me.

3. Don’t buy the drugs

 

If you buy drugs in Morocco you’ve got to be a little bit crazy. One of the oldest scams in the book involves drugs and it goes a little something like this – Man 1 tries to sell you drugs. You say yes. Man 1 gives you the drugs. Man 2 (a police officer), will then arrest you and tell you that you owe him (insert obscene amount of money here) or you’ll be taken to prison.

 

Just don’t do it.

 

4. If someone says something is free, it probably isn’t

 

Speaking from experience in the souks I had items forced into my hands on several occasions being told that they were free, and when leaving told that I had to pay or they would call the police. Don’t be threatened by this, it’s just the way in which things appear to be done. Again, politely refuse any free offers (including a cup of mint tea) and walk away if you have no intention of buying.

 

5. Don’t get into a taxi without agreeing a price

 

Don’t get into a taxi without agreeing a price. You will be ripped off if you don’t negotiate terms or make the driver turn on his meter. You’ll probably hear “Sorry the meter is broken”, so negotiate a price before you even enter the vehicle.

 

Despite some pretty stark advice it’s not all doom and gloom in Marrakech. It’s a fascinating city with many cultural heritage sites to be in awe of and as long as you’re up for the challenge there is much enjoyment to be had.

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At twenty-past seven in the evening outside Shinjuku station, Tokyo after I’d finished a shift at the school I was teaching in I had a revelation; I needed to rid myself of addictive technology or I’d go completely mad. The revelation came as a surprise to me as I love technology with a capital L. I was finally living in a country I’d wanted to visit since before my teenage years and I was doing nothing but wasting time on my laptop and checking Facebook on my phone. I sold my phone almost immediately and told people they could contact me via email if absolutely necessary and starved myself of technology. ItThe experience changed the way I use modern tech forever. So, this list isn’t necessarily a list of things that will make your travels easier, but one that will make them richer.  

A Journal/Diary

Let’s start with the most obvious – a diary. Writing down your thoughts every day has more value than most people realise.  A diary will not judge you like ‘friends’ on Facebook – it’s an open forum for you to have a private conversation with yourself. Only you can judge what appears on its pages. Carrying a diary can help you free yourself from a social media addiction by giving you a space to brain vomit through the best and worst of times. You might even develop a deep relationship with the most important person of all – yourself.  

A film camera

I have a digital SLR, but that’s not to say I’m not an advocate of a good film camera – in fact I infinitely prefer them. It’s not about the quality or the convenience, but about the restrictions. This blog is all about being restriction-free, but when you’re working with something like a film camera the importance of getting the right shot the first time around is paramount. Knowing that you don’t have a screen to review what you’ve just taken means that you’ll take much greater care when taking photos. It will encourage you to be more intimate with your subject and the surroundings and help you develop a sense of perspective, both literally and metaphorically.  

Photos of home

These can work in two ways…   They can: a) Remind you of the people who mean the most to you and in turn give you a willpower boost or b) Remind you of what you’ve escaped from Both of which I think are incredibly useful motivators for winning freedom.  

A book about something you’ve always wanted to learn

No matter what anyone tells you, travelling can be a lonely affair even if you’re not travelling alone. When you have your moment of self-realisation you’ll likely realise how isolated you’ve become from ‘the world’, and you’ll grasp at the air to find ways to reconnect. The trick is that it’s not ‘the world’ you need to reconnect with – it’s yourself. One of the best ways to get to know yourself is to try and learn something new. Pick something that you’ve always wanted to try and is easy to do on the road – whatever the results may be you’ll learn heaps about who you thought you were and have a lot of fun in the process.  

A list of jokes in the local language

This has served me well in more instances than I can remember. Making people laugh is just about the perfect way to gain access to any culture if you know the right things to say. Google a few jokes in the language of the places you’re headed and, when you get the opportunity, read them out to the locals. You might end up making a complete fool of yourself, but either way they’re going to laugh with you or at you.   Do you agree with these? Is there a piece of technology you couldn’t bear to travel without? Whatever your answer let us know in the comments below.

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Travel does many of things for us. Facilitating journeys of self discovery is one of those things. It’s okay, most of us are confused about who we are and what this life thing is all about. But rarely do we have time to search for the answers. I’ve experienced identity crises like everyone else, but these days I’m driven by meaningful purpose. I’m driven because I’m quickly waking up to the essence of who I really am, deep under the surface. But I had to be able to recognise when it was time set-off  on my journey before I was able to take the first crucial step. Here are some signs that might signal that it’s time for you to wake up and start asking questions.

You feel disconnected from the world

There’s a gap that seems to appear between us and the world when we’re unsure of ourselves. We can even feel completely cut off from our friends and family. When our sense of who we are comes into question we often turn inward to find the answers. But what many of us don’t get is that it’s partly through our interaction with other people that we come learn the truth about ourselves. If you’re feeling disconnected, maybe a journey of self discovery is for you.

You’ve got itchy feet

Hands up if the voice in your head enjoys nagging at you. Yep, me too. The nagging can manifest in many different ways. We might feel like quitting a boring job, moving house, leaving a bad relationship, killing a smoking habit, or anything else that would mean a fundamental shift in perspective. Our minds are tired and want out of the game. A chance to breathe. And the only way to satisfy a persistent voice is to listen to what it has to say. It might be time to listen to your voice and uncover your true self by experiencing all the diverse contexts the world and its people offer up.

You daydream about self discovery

Simply put, your head is in the clouds.

You don’t like getting up in the morning

I know that a lot of people find getting out of bed about as attractive as a grenade, but that says something about the way we’re living. To be alive should be a great joy. We should be able to welcome every day with positivity. “And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?” – Rumi But sadly the thought of waking up, both metaphorically and literally, becomes too challenging when it feels like there’s no escape from the cycle. The good news is that it’s never too late to realise that things can be different. The path of self discovery is infinite because we never stop learning. But thats okay because when we live in the moment, the journey becomes the destination.

You distract yourself with stuff

Hands up if you buy crap that you will probably never use. Yep, me too. We do this because it offers us a temporary pleasure – a distraction from the terrifying prospect of self discovery. It lets us forget all the ‘problems’ we’d rather sweep under the carpet, or put aside to think about another day rather than confront them. We don’t just do it with stuff. We do it with TV, movies, video games, alcohol, drugs and all sorts. We hide because we’re afraid of the truth. And we’re afraid of the truth because we don’t know what it is.

You’re always tired

Our physical wellbeing is inextricably linked with Our mental wellbeing. Having a tired body and a tired mind only serves to block life’s answers from view. When we find that we’re always tired, we might be spending too much time involved in soul-sucking activities that totally drain us. It’s not always easy to tell what those things are without a change in perspective World travel offers us limitless, dynamic perspectives that can guide us toward what we’re looking for.

You feel like there’s so much more

If you can recognise any of the following, you’re probably in this category : “I’m ready to conquer the world, but I’m afraid to step outside my comfort zone.” “I feel like there’s so much more out there, but worry about taking action.” “My rational mind files away my dreams for another day.” What’s funny is that the times when we’re truly afraid to make a leap of faith are often the times we need to leap the most. The truth is that there is much more out there, but it’s not going to fall into your lap. The fruit of life is low hanging and incredibly sweet. Take it, it’s yours to enjoy.   In the next post we’ll look at how travel helps with all of the problems listed above. Subscribe to my mailing list to get it in your inbox. There’ll be no spam. And that’s a promise.

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The 5 Worst Travel Apps

 

We might as well face up to the fact that the attention depleting smartphone in your pocket isn’t going away anytime soon. The best thing to do is fill it with things that help you in your day to day experience of the world. In this case we’re looking at apps, although it’s worth noting that the five apps below are ones you’re probably never going to find useful. Think of it as me being kind and doing some BS filtering for you.

1. Find Nearest McDonalds

I have nothing against free-will. Not a thing, but i will say this: If you’re so desperate for a McDonalds that you need an app to find one nearest to you, you’re in serious trouble in life. what’s more is that if you have any map application all you need do is type McDonald’s in the search field and it does exactly the same thing. When you’re in a foreign country, please do your best to try the local food rather than eating burgers and fries. The app isn’t even free!

2. iWasHere

Was I? Several times while using this app I ‘checked in’ at places I’ve never been to. It’s a bit like Foursquare but much worse. the user experience is poor and when you’ve used the far superior Foursquare it’s difficult to see the point of iWasHere. There are several functions that I won’t describe here that seem to encourage intrusive, stalkerish behaviours and that alone is enough to put me off. Don’t waste your brain power on this one.

3. Coppertone MyUVAlert

 

This is an app that beeps at you when you need to reapply sunscreen and suggests products to buy. I think that’s all I really need to say.

4. EHU

I might be going crazy, but an app that measures the electrical output of your travel gadgets seems a bit counter-intuitive. Using electricity to measure how much electricity you’re wasting is just bonkers. I’ve come up with a much better solution: Use your electronic devices as little as possible or not at all when you’re away. Why not enjoy your trip instead of wasting energy by wasting energy.

5. Swearport

I’m in two minds about this app. On the one hand it’s hilariously funny in that it lists an enormous number of expletives in foreign languages, but on the other it’s useless to you while travelling unless you want to start a fight and get thrown into a Thai prison. In fact I’d go as far as to say it actually hinders you because it teaches you how to insult people in their home country. Not something you want to be doing as an ambassador for the country you’re from.  

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If you are the one who love the delicate taste of panfish, you might have hard time filleting these small size fishes. You can visit site to choose the best fillet knife for panfish, which will help you easily cut off the bones with precision. However, there is a problem when it comes to filleting panfish is that these fishes are usually caught in a bunch and I also tent to stock them up in freezer for a long time. That means, I need to clean a lot of panfish at once. This is why I choose an electric fillet knife for this work of filleting panfish. The electric model will save you a lot of time and make the entire process much easier when you need to deal with a lot of panfish. You can check the article about fillet knife for panfish here.

#1 American Angler PRO Electric Fillet Knife

I chose this American Angler PRO series fillet knife for the top 1 position because I have been use this knife for such a year and it offers a goof performance with cleanly cut. It comes with heavy-duty motor and amazing features. American angler has the reputation from its performance over the years. The blade is design to deal with even toughest fishes and big bones. It also offers the comfort grip that is designed with advanced airflow. The airflow design will keep the PRO Series ergonomic handle from heat up after hours of continuous filleting. The plastic handle body is not really highly appreciated but it is acceptable. As the name suggest, it comes with the finest heavy-duty motor with the power rated of 110 Volt, you can easily get the smooth and consistent cut. There is also venting and cooling fan system is equipped with the motor for longer time running. Although it is not cordless but the 8-foot polarized power cord is enough for you to use.

#2 BLACK+DECKER 9-Inch Electric Carving Knife, Black

This knife should be my favourite on this list. This is absolutely the best knife for who have limit budget as it offers the great performance for the price that may make you surprise. BLACK+DECKER offers 9 inches blade. It is power enough to cut through not only meat but also slicing bread, cutting foam. The stainless steel blades is ensure to resist corrosion and do not allow any rusts. It features an ergonomic handle that is especially designed for comfort grip and easy control during filleting. You also do not need to worry about security as this knife comes with a safety lock button, blade release button, non-slip tabs, knife stand with the handle. All of these provides you the most convenient and safety when using. It includes a powerful motor of 120V, what makes this electric knife is powerful enough to cut the sturdy bones. Although it comes with very friendly budget but it offers the powerful motor that is satisfy me. The only downside here is that it does not comes with a sheath.

#3 Mister Twister 120V Electric Knife

Honestly. At the first sight, I do not really like the ou look and color of this knife, it has the brigh color handle of green and yellow. However, the fact that it offer an amazingperformance. You will get the realisable, razor sharpe blade. I have used this blade for such a long time and I did not need to replace the blade.  It also does not require a lot of care, but still keep the razor-sharpness. Just like other options on this list, this knife can do more than filleting fish, you also can use it for slicing meat, chicken, and turkey or anything. Although I do not like the brightly color of the handle but I love the quality construction of it. The handle is made from high-quality plastic which you can firmly hold. Not only the quality blades, this electric knife also offer the powerful motor. The blade play an important role on how easily you filleting the fish but the motor play major part on how powerful it is. It also equipped nice twisted cords, the cords are made from quality rubble that are extremely durable. Like BLACK+DECKER, this electric knife also does not come with any sheath.  Mister Twister is the manufacturer that you can trust on as they are well known as produced some top-class fillet knives over the years.

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