Blackberrys
SIM Card Tip
May 11th
Before traveling internationally, I always have two items on my packing checklist, my BlackBerry and my old-fashioned Nokia tri-band phone. Why? Those of you who check the phone bill after a long-haul flight know why. The roaming charges are through the roof! My small, non-smart phone is smarter than it looks and it saves me a bundle of money.
The first thing I usually do after landing internationally — even before leaving the airport, if possible — is buy a local SIM card. It never costs more than $10-15 and, depending on the length of my stay, the card lasts the entire trip. If it does not, I usually only require one more $10 refill. The SIM card is a small chip under the phone battery that stores and registers phone numbers and calls being made. Refills can usually be done at any newsstand in the country. By using the card, I save $200-300 on my phone bill, as I often call home or to the office. With the amount of time I spend overseas, you can imagine the savings.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love my BlackBerry, and I chose to have one because it does work internationally — everywhere but Japan! However, depending on the country and the continent, calls can cost me $1.25-2.00 per minute. I will still use it to make urgent calls, and it has kept me out of a bind numerous times, but when traveling outside the country, I recommend travelers bring a phone without a contract to make sure they can swap in the local SIM and make quick, inexpensive calls.
– Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher
As the World Turns
Jan 26th
This past Saturday, I sat down in my seat on SWISS on my way to Geneva. I turned my phone off and stopped communication with the world for seven hours. I landed and turned on my BlackBerry again. The news I read just seven hours before had quickly become yesterday’s news. New headlines and new emails started my day.
When a headline catches my attention, I stop and take note for a moment. Frankly, unless the headline affects me directly, it is very easy not to pay further attention beyond that moment and to simply move on. I’m willing to bet most people operate in this manner. However, when tragedy hits in your own backyard, you cannot simply turn the page of the newspaper or flick an off switch and move on. The tragedy, its problems and its aftermath lives for days, months and even years.
Some tragedy in the news is harder to get away from than others. Over the last few weeks, Haiti has been on the news around the world. I have seen the coverage in Dubai, New York and now France. I also know there are new headlines in the papers every day pushing the news and people of Haiti further and further away from the minds of people around the world, including mine.
However, just before my flight to Switzerland on Saturday, my Haitian friend contacted me. I asked how he was doing, how his family was doing. I knew before he even responded that I probably did not want to know the answer. My trepidation was confirmed when he responded, “Not good. Some are okay, some are dead, and some are still missing.”
For my friend, this tragedy, which has had its day in the headlines, will stay with him for life. Perhaps the next person you sit next to on a flight, train or subway will personally know the impacts of a tragedy, but you, hopefully, will not. We have all been asked recently to dig a little deeper into our pockets for charitable donations. Please continue to donate and help the people of Haiti or those who were once in the headlines but are now yesterday’s news.
There are wonderful charities all around, for all types of causes. In addition to charities dedicated to Haitian earthquake relief efforts, there are established charities that need your help as well, including the Mentor Foundation, GT‘s charity in 2010. Please continue to research how you can help.
– Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher
The First Snowfall
Dec 8th
I love to give credit when credit is due, and credit is due to the weathermen and women in New York City. Their predictions for the weather this past weekend were absolutely right — they predicted snow and snow it did! I was fortunate enough to be in upstate New York for the first snowfall, where four to five inches accumulated into a winter wonderland. I was with great company, surrounded by incredible food and wine, which only made the snowfall that much better.
I was born on Long Island, but I am a winter girl at heart. I love being in the snow and visiting the mountains whenever I can. This weekend, I was reminded of the time I spent in Vermont, as a student at the University of Vermont. Everyone there loved to be outdoors in the summer or the winter. Skiing and hiking the local mountains, Stowe, Sugarbush or Jay Peak, were popular activities. I know anybody reading this who knows me now can’t picture me with anything but my stilettos and BlackBerry, but it’s amazing what you learn about people, or yourself, when given a chance in a new environment.
For all those beach lovers out there (especially those dwelling in a city), as winter gets underway across North America, take a step outside your typical comfort zone and breathe in some fresh mountain air! I’m full of great suggestions for weekend getaways if you need any ideas. And if you have some ideas for excursions, send them my way!
– Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher
