#foreign staycationer

[foreign-staycationer]

Movie Title: The Sapphires

Country of Origin: Australia

Language(s) Spoken: English

Year Released: 2012

Genre(s): Comedy, Music, Drama, Biography

Where I Watched It: Via DVD

IMDb Rating: 7.1/10

My Rating: 10/10

Mini Synopsis: It's 1968, and four young, talented Australian Aboriginal girls learn about love, friendship and war when their all-girl group The Sapphires entertain the US troops in Vietnam.

[newstfionline]

Headlines

Anxiety and Covid-19 (CDC/Bloomberg) A special project by the Census Bureau has set out to map and measure all the anxieties that Covid-19 has brought in its wake. One finding: Almost a third of people in some states have little or no confidence they can pay August’s rent or mortgage. Some of the longest-lasting effects of the pandemic may stem from its adverse impact on mental health, and from enforced delays in medical treatment for other conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a study conducted in May and June, found that more than 10% of adults seriously considered suicide—a figure that rose to more than one-quarter among 18-24 year-olds. It also found a jump in substance abuse, and said mental health outcomes were worse among racial minorities, essential workers, and unpaid caregivers.

Making billions vs. making ends meet: how the pandemic has split the US economy in two (The Guardian) Stock markets are setting new highs driven by soaring prices for the tech companies that enable those lucky enough to work from home. Apple is close to being valued at $2tn. The total wealth of US billionaires has soared $685bn since the middle of March to a combined $3.65tn. Rock-bottom interest rates have triggered a home sales boom for some as those with the money reconsider their priorities in the work-from-home era. With nowhere to go, those Americans who can are saving at record rates. But only one in four Americans can work from home. Meanwhile roughly 30 million people are unemployed in the US, about 20% of the workforce. Almost 30 million Americans recently reported that they have not had enough to eat at some point in the previous seven days, according to the Census Bureau. The vast majority—about 26 million—had lower rates of educational attainment. “It’s white-collar professionals who are able to work from home. In some ways, this is a sign that the economy is just officially split in two,” Glenn Kelman, chief executive of property company Redfin, told NPR last week.

Protests, counterprotests, and violence (Washington Post) Far-right extremists and continued clashes between Black Lives Matter protesters and police this weekend renewed tensions in Portland, Minneapolis and other cities, pushing the country into its 80th day of consecutive demonstrations in some places. A group with ties to far-right organizations that have long targeted Portland gathered downtown Saturday afternoon to wave American flags and push back against Black Lives Matter protests challenging police brutality. The event ended with two gunshots. Protests in other cities also erupted into violence Saturday, as police grappled with small groups hijacking otherwise peaceful events. One clash ended in fistfights after Proud Boys marched in Kalamazoo, Mich. Police intervened as the Proud Boys retreated into a parking garage, about seven minutes after a large brawl broke out between members of the far-right group and their opponents. Officers arrested some counterprotesters who had come out to oppose the right-wing group. In Chicago, a protest also grew violent after people used umbrellas and skateboards to attack police officers, injuring 17. Twenty-four people were arrested. And just before midnight Saturday, a group of roughly 50 protesters, most dressed in black and wearing full-face masks, descended on the 5th District police precinct in South Minneapolis. The group lobbed rocks and fireworks at the building. The station’s front windows were sprayed with anti-police graffiti, and red paint was poured along the steps of the front entrance and the sidewalk.

Virus pandemic reshaping air travel as carriers struggle (AP) In a bid to survive, airlines are desperately trying to convince a wary public that measures like mandatory face masks and hospital-grade air filters make sitting in a plane safer than many other indoor settings during the coronavirus pandemic. It isn’t working. Surveys indicate that instead of growing comfortable with air travel, more people are becoming skeptical about it. In the United States, airline bookings have stalled in the past month after slowly rising—a reaction to a new surge of reported virus infections. Globally, air travel is down more than 85% from a year ago, according to industry figures. The implications for the airline industry are grave. Several leading carriers already have filed for bankruptcy protection, and if the hoped-for recovery is delayed much longer, the list will grow.

Staycations (Morning Consult) Fully 63 percent of U.S. adults said they had plans to take a staycation during the pandemic, with 26 percent having already taken one during the pandemic, compared to 17 percent who took a vacation. The staycationers—those realists who rejected false hope instantaneously, immediately wrote the summer off, and promptly made the best of a truly abysmal situation well beyond their control—were led by the Millennials, a generation forged in the fires of crushing societal disappointment, of whom 35 percent have already taken a staycation.

Death Valley hits 130 degrees, thought to be highest temperature on Earth in over a century (LA Times) Temperatures in Death Valley skyrocketed to a blistering 130 degrees on Sunday—possibly the highest mercury reading on Earth since 1913. If the National Weather Service’s recording is correct, it would also be among the top-three highest temperatures to have ever been measured in Death Valley, as well as the highest temperature ever seen there during the month of August. The reading comes amid an epic heat wave that continues to grip most of the southwestern U.S.

Belarus Protests (NYT) Minutes after President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of Belarus vowed to stand firm against protesters he reviled as “rats,” “trash” and “bandits,” antigovernment demonstrators staged their biggest protest yet on Sunday to oppose a fraud-tainted presidential election a week earlier. Tens of thousands of protesters—some estimates put their number at well over 200,000—turned out in the center of Minsk, the capital, dwarfing a rally of Mr. Lukashenko’s supporters earlier in the day. It appeared to be the largest protest in the history of Belarus, a former Soviet republic that Mr. Lukashenko has led since 1994. The protest had a festive air, in stark contrast to the tense moods of far smaller rallies last week that were violently suppressed by security forces, leaving at least two people dead, many injured and more than 6,000 under arrest.

Japan’s economy shrinks at record rate, slammed by pandemic (AP) Japan’s economy shrank at annual rate of 27.8% in April-June, the worst contraction on record, as the coronavirus pandemic slammed consumption and trade, according to government data released Monday. The Cabinet Office reported that Japan’s preliminary seasonally adjusted real gross domestic product, or GDP, the sum of a nation’s goods and services, fell 7.8% quarter on quarter. The annual rate shows what the number would have been if continued for a year. Japanese media reported the latest drop was the worst since World War II. But the Cabinet Office said comparable records began in 1980. The previous worst contraction, a 17.8% drop, was in the first quarter of 2009, during the global financial crisis.

New Zealand delays election because of coronavirus outbreak (Washington Post) Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday postponed the general election, scheduled for Sept. 19, for four weeks as authorities grapple with a new wave of cases that has set back the country’s pandemic recovery.

Normalizing ties with Israel (Foreign Policy) Israel’s historic agreement normalizing diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates seems to have opened the way for other Gulf states to do the same. On Sunday, Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen said that Israel is exploring similar agreements with several countries in the Middle East and North Africa, suggesting that Bahrain and Oman were at the top of the list. Both countries praised the accord shortly after it was publicized, but have not confirmed whether similar deals with Israel were in the works.

Death toll from attack on Mogadishu hotel rises to 16 (Reuters) At least 16 people were killed in an attack on Sunday by al Shabaab on a seaside hotel in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, a government spokesman said, as the Islamist group launched a similar assault on a Somali military base. Sunday’s toll includes 11 victims and five assailants, Ismail Mukhtar Omar said in a tweet late on Sunday, adding: “Security forces lost one, 18 people were injured.” Militants stormed the high-end Elite Hotel in Lido beach, detonated a car bomb and then opened fire with assault rifles, the latest attack by al Shabaab, which has been battling the country’s central government since 2008.

[chuckyleeflash]

International/Foreign Movies & TV Watched in 2018

Movies:

1. Assassination (South Korea) - 8/10

2. Ponyo (Japan) - 8/10

3. Bride & Prejudice (India/UK) - 8/10

TV Shows:

1. Me Too, Flower! (South Korea) - 5/10

2. Last Minute Romance (South Korea) - 8/10

3. Seven First Kisses (South Korea) - 8/10

4. Cheese In The Trap (South Korea) - 8.5/10

*Note(s) - I only rate something 10/10 if I love it enough to watch it repeatedly. Also, I include TV shows on the list when I have become up-to-date on all available content. Lastly, this list will continue to grow/update during 2018.

[indecohotels]

Why is Mahabalipuram a Great Market Space for Hospitality?

Not far away from the hustle and bustle of the capital city of Chennai and Pondicherry, Mahabalipuram is every holidayer’s go-to place. The quiet historic city and UNESCO World Heritage site presents itself as an excellent space for hospitality. In recent times, weddings, reception and theme parties organized here have made it a happening place, as people move away from traditionally popular getaways and explore newer geographies. There is a steady 0increase in the number of holiday resorts mushrooming in this region.

If recent trends are anything to go by, wedding tourism has gained popularity as a niche tourism area. Beach wedding, a concept endemic to the state of Goa in India, has found its new haven in Mahabalipuram, a low-profile destination at one time for the same. Another highly popular fad that is fast catching up with the millennials is weekend travel and staycationers. Mahabalipuram is second to none in offering such exotic holiday services. 

Hotel resorts too are rising to the growing demands of beach tourism with a slew of disruptive offerings and solutions. Most resorts have taken a new look at how best to pamper guests after a tiring day of moving around. 

Heritage hotels around such as the Indeco Hotels offer a whole lot of evening activities to help guests unwind the way they want. They know that travellers from all walks of life come to the place for business, leisure or ‘bleisure’—a combination of business and leisure—foreign or domestic, and there is something for everyone. October to January is when resorts are generally kept busy with the festive season on and influx of inbound tourists. 

The demand for both budget and luxury stays in the town has witnessed several hospital brands penetrating the market like never before. Business travellers, both domestic and international, spend more time on bleisure activities in Mahabalipuram and that is a big shot in the arm. Indeco Hotels, one of the best heritage hotels in Mahabalipuram, lends an air of antiquity with modernity, something which vacationers look for when picking a destination. 

[pheic]

Coronavirus: Britons turn to staycations amid fears over foreign trips during pandemic

Coronavirus: Britons turn to staycations amid fears over foreign trips during pandemic

Scarborough is busy, buoyed by a combination of traditional staycationers and those who can’t, or won’t, take their usual overseas holiday.

[getitdevidwarner]

'We're not going to risk it': Britons turn to staycations amid fears over foreign trips

Scarborough is busy, buoyed by a combination of traditional staycationers and those who can't, or won't, take their usual overseas holiday. from http://news.sky.com/uk Check out https://jamesheath1.blogspot.com

[shinenewsposts-blog]

Singapore Finds Staycations Cant Fill $20 Billion Tourism Hole

In Indonesia, locals can soon fly from Jakarta to the beaches of Bali for a domestic vacation. Tokyo residents can escape the pandemic stress with a hike up Mount Fuji, and New Yorkers can head to the Hamptons on Long Island.To get more news about WikiFX, you can visit wikifx news official website. 　　Residents of Singapore, a city-state smaller than New York City, have few such options, presenting a massive problem for its battered tourism industry. With borders closed to foreigners, hotels and tourist attractions need to count on ‘staycationers’ to plug the gap in an industry that brought in almost $20 billion in revenue last year. Its a tall order. 　　“Unless we have a return to international business, the hotel industry is going to be decimated as up to 90% of our bookings come from international travelers,” said Michael Issenberg, chief executive officer of Accor SAs Asia Pacific unit, the largest hotel operator in Singapore. 　　While tourism everywhere has been hammered by the pandemic, the gradual opening of some domestic travel has given a shot in the arm to airlines and hotels in places like Australia and Vietnam. Rosewood Hotel Group has seen occupancy rates as high as 70% at some of its China properties as leisure travel picks up, said CEO Sonia Cheng. 　　Read more on Hong Kong staycations 　　Singapores tourism sector faces a tougher challenge, as the hotels were just given a green light last week to request approval to welcome domestic tourists. Many locals like teacher Najeer Yusof prefer to save their money and wait for travel to resume in nearby hotspots like Thailand and Malaysia rather than spend it on a hotel down the street. 　　“There‘s more to see and experience overseas at a cheaper cost,” said Yusof. There’s also the “awe factor -- getting to see or experience something I wont otherwise be able to in Singapore, like the mountains and national parks in Indonesia and activities like diving and surfing.” Though the country of 5.7 million people has reopened its economy after a lockdown of more than two months, its borders are still largely closed. It recorded a historic low of just 750 foreign visitors in April, down from 1.6 million in the same month last year. May‘s numbers weren’t much better, at 880. 　　“In the short-term, hotels, eateries and attractions can re-orientate to draw interest to staycations, attractions or food discounts,” said Selena Ling, head of treasury research and strategy at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. “However, our inherent small domestic market size implies it may not be a longer-term sustainable solution.” 　　GDP Boost 　　Tourism has been an increasingly important industry for Singapore, helping to diversify the economy from its traditional strengths of finance, oil refining and shipping. Attractions including the Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino, the Universal Studios theme park and the Singapore Zoo have drawn tourists from around the world. 　　Last year, Singapore hosted a record 19.1 million visitors, while tourism receipts rose to S$27.7 billion ($19.8 billion), from S$26.9 billion the year before. Singapore‘s tourism sector, which employs about 65,000 people, contributes about 4% to gross domestic product. The Singapore Tourism Board doesn’t track the share of local versus international tourism. The border closure means Singapore needs to persuade locals to spend more money at home. Even with overseas travel off limits, Singapore residents will still want to venture out, said Tourism Board CEO Keith Tan. 　　“They may therefore be open to take time off in their own city and rediscover all that Singapore has to offer,” he said in an emailed statement. 　　Singapore has set aside S$90 million for the tourism sector and a task force is developing domestic and international recovery plans to be shared soon, Tan added. Hotels including the Shangri-la are also getting a small boost from the thousands of Singaporeans and expats who had been traveling abroad and are slowly being allowed back in. When they arrive, most are being forced to quarantine for 14 days in a hotel, at a cost of about S$2,000. 　　With occupancy running at just 15% for August, the iconic Raffles Singapore is offering a two-night special for about S$795, complete with a complimentary Singapore Sling, free breakfast, city tour and spa discounts. 　　Some tourist spots are also offering price cuts to attract residents whove been cooped up in their apartments for weeks. Sentosa Development Corp., which manages a resort island with attractions including Madame Tussauds and Universal Studios, has waived admission fees until the end of September, said Lynette Ang, the chief marketing officer.

[foreign-staycationer]

Movie Title: Bad Genius

Country of Origin: Thailand

Language(s) Spoken: Thai

Year Released: 2017

Genre(s): Heist

Where I Watched It: Netflix

IMDb Rating: 7.7/10

My Rating: 8/10

Mini Synopsis: It’s like a heist movie, but what is being stolen is standardized test answers. Also, it is inspired by true events.

[foreign-staycationer]

Series Title: Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo

Country of Origin: South Korea

Language(s) Spoken: Korean

Year Released: November 2016 - January 2017

Genre(s): Comedy, Romance, Sports

Where I Watched It: Viki

IMDb Rating: 8.4/10

My Rating: 9/10

Mini Synopsis: A coming-of-age story about a group of college athletes who are fighting for their dreams, experiencing and finding love in the process, and growing every step of the way. Kim Bok Joo is a weightlifter who has a crush on Joon Hyung's older brother. At first Joon Hyung teases her and goes along with her act, but soon he himself falls for her.

[foreign-staycationer]

Movie Title: He Even Has Your Eyes

Country of Origin: France

Language(s) Spoken: French

Year Released: 2016

Genre(s): Comedy, Drama

Where I Watched It: Netflix

IMDb Rating: 6.1/10

My Rating: 9/10

Mini Synopsis:  When French-African couple Paul and Sali discover the longed-for baby they are about to adopt is white, family chaos and confrontation ensue.  

[foreign-staycationer]

Movie Title: I Fine.. Thank You Love You

Country of Origin: Thailand

Language(s) Spoken: Thai, English

Year Released: 2014

Genre(s): Comedy, Romance

Where I Watched It: Netflix

IMDb Rating: 7.1/10

My Rating: 6.5/10

Mini Synopsis: The male lead wants to learn English to win back his girlfriend. The female lead is an English tutor. Romantic entanglements ensue.

[foreign-staycationer]

Series Title: Shopping King Louie

Country of Origin: South Korea

Language(s) Spoken: Korean

Year Released: September 2016 - November 2016

Genre(s): Romance, Comedy

Where I Watched It: DramaFever

IMDb Rating: 7.8/10

My Rating: 9/10

Mini Synopsis: A rich heir named Louie is used to shopping away his grief. Through an accident he loses his memory and winds up trapped in Seoul where he is taken care of by a rural girl named Go Bok-Shil. She teaches him the value of a life without money.

[foreign-staycationer]

Movie Title: Ponyo

Country of Origin: Japan

Language(s) Spoken: Japanese (English Dub Available)

Year Released: 2008

Genre(s): Animation, Adventure, Fantasy 

Where I Watched It: Via DVD

IMDb Rating: 7.7/10

My Rating: 8/10

Mini Synopsis:  A five-year-old boy develops a relationship with Ponyo, a young goldfish princess who longs to become a human after falling in love with him.

[foreign-staycationer]

Series Title: My ID Is Gangnam Beauty

Country of Origin: South Korea

Language(s) Spoken: Korean

Year Released: July 2018 - September 2018

Genre(s): Romance, Comedy, Drama

Where I Watched It: DramaFever

IMDb Rating: 8.1/10

My Rating: 9/10

Mini Synopsis:  After spending her childhood being bullied Mi-Rae decides to get plastic surgery before starting university. However, she continues to get bullied for having had plastic surgery, and continues to struggle with her self-esteem. While grappling with her self-esteem she also navigates a romance starting to develop between herself and “face genius” Kyung-Seok.