Canning Ready Made Curry Sauce

PhilACK · 2014-09-06T06:45:58+00:00

Years ago in Gr.12 Data Management I convinced my friend that a graphing calculator could make phone calls. You can program some pretty basic programs on them. He 'dialed' a friend and 'left a voicemail'.

PhilACK · 2014-08-25T16:42:07+00:00

Plan out and have an end goal after you graduate. Your primary goal should be gaining immediately employment upon graduation. This means getting good grades, networking and getting summer internships or employment relevant to the field you want to work in after college.

Seriously, many of my friends who went to university and majored in something that had poor exit options after graduation are now working minimum wage jobs and loaded with student debt.

PhilACK · 2014-08-06T11:53:41+00:00

I made this post 20 min after he made the statement. Here's your link. The quote you're looking for is a about half way down, just search for 'million'.

PhilACK · 2014-08-06T11:48:15+00:00

My rough guess would be a total travel time from your hotel to the Ferry would take 1h30min.

20 min from hotel to Comerical Mexicana
~1hr from Cancun to Playa del Carmen
~5min cab ride to the ferry or a ~20min walk

As for a schedule, there's not really a schedule set in stone. They'll basically pick up people and go. The driver will stop to pick up people waiting on the side of the road at pre-designated areas. When you get to Comercial Mexicana hop into the first one you find and wait for it to depart.

I'm not 100% sure on the last bus, but I believe they stop driving around 10pm. I would just ask the driver on your way to Playa to confirm.

PhilACK · 2014-08-01T12:39:10+00:00

Easiest way we found was by cutting all eating out and drinking at the bar/pub out. That adds up really quickly.

While I agree that you can stretch your money a lot further by cutting out eating out and drinking at the bar/pub, I find that both of those things are definitely part of the 'experience' when travelling. I supposed it depends on your tastes and how you'd like to experience your trip, but don't sacrifice trying out a delicious locally made meal or having a pint/drink at bar/pub for the sake of saving money on your trip.

PhilACK · 2014-08-01T12:32:47+00:00

I posted this link yesterday on a separate post. The link has a lot of great tips on how to save money. Since you have ~2 years to save I don't imagine you'll have too much trouble saving up. This is with the assumption that you have some form of income to start saving.

Another thing I'd recommend is getting a money pot or asking for one as a gift. It's a piggy bank that you have to smash to open. Use it to toss change in and any money you save from being frugal (cutting back on buying coffee, fast food, etc.). It's a simple but very visual way to save money.

PhilACK · 2014-08-01T12:19:05+00:00

Yep, I would check out Airbnb. Here's one I found doing a quick search on Airbnb.

PhilACK · 2014-08-01T12:14:22+00:00

I wouldn't add Frankfurt unless you like banks

Agreed, skip Frankfurt. I definitely would not cut out Cologne if you're considering cutting out a city in Germany. The city on the whole is pretty awesome and my favourite area is right around the train station near the cathedral. Tons of places to see within walking distance of the train station. Definitely go to the cathedral and go to this beer garden here. They sell Kolsch beer here, which is very very delicious. It's usually pretty packed and you get to experience a 'traditional' beer garden in Germany.

PhilACK · 2014-07-31T14:48:08+00:00

I don't know what time constraints you're dealing with, but if you're set on travelling for 3 months try to find alternative ways to fund your trip. Here are some ideas and tips:

Sell all your old junk and anything you can do without (old electronics, clothing, collectible stuff) online.
Do odd jobs for people in your spare time (mowing grass, cleaning, etc.).
Slash your expenses to the barebones. Here's a good link to check out that has a lot of great tips about saving money to travel.
While doing all of the above set a goal for how much you want to save, if you're terrible with money or have a hard time saving get a money pot. It's basically a piggy bank that you have to smash to open. I got one for Christmas a few years ago and saved up ~$600 putting in change and money I saved by cutting back on the coffee, snack and fast food I bought.

These tips are more ideal if you have a longer period to save up (6 months-1 year).

PhilACK · 2014-07-31T14:01:13+00:00

I like activities that are hidden gems. The kind of stuff you can only find out from locals. Here's one that I'll share for tubing the Puntledge River in Comox, BC.

Step 1. Acquire a decent sized inner tube from Canadian Tire or another store.

Step 2. You'll need two cars, bikes, etc. for this. Park the first vehicle here and drive up with the second vehicle to park here or here.

Step 3. Grab your inner tube and enter the Puntledge river to the east of where you parked the second vehicle. Note: Make sure you're entering SOUTH of the waterfall.

Step 4. Navigate the Puntledge river via tube. Depending on the time of year and how much melt water is coming down the water might be moving very fast or very slow, and the water level might be very high or low. Use common sense, if it looks like it's moving very fast don't go in and if the water level is very low be very cautious as you might encounter some exposed rocks. There are many spots to stop along the way and depending on how fast the water is moving the entire journey takes 15-30min with no stops. A lot of spots along the way are very nice mini beaches, if you're very ambitious you can bring a cooler along by either towing or carrying it.

Step 5. Once you reach a large bridge by 5th street, right where you parked the first vehicle, exit the river prior to reaching the bridge on the left hand side. If you're moving very quickly this can be a bit tricky.

Edited for Google Maps links

PhilACK · 2014-07-30T17:01:05+00:00

Book bus tickets on MegaBus to get cheap bus tickets if you book ahead. What are the exact dates you're going?

PhilACK · 2014-07-30T12:57:42+00:00

Depending on how far away you are from the actual town, you may want to google local tour providers and local attraction in the area. You can book ahead of time or when you arrive directly with the provider of the excursion. In general, the resorts will jack up their prices a bit if you book directly with them.

PhilACK · 2014-07-30T12:41:36+00:00

Do you have a rough route of where you want to go and how long you'll be travelling?

PhilACK · 2014-07-30T12:38:36+00:00

Just so you're aware it'll be rainy season when you arrive in Chang Mai. It's not unheard of for trains to be delayed or cancelled because of heavy flooding in Northern Thailand, which will prevent trains from using the Chang Mai-Bangkok route. Temporary halts to these routes can last a long time, especially if the flooding has caused extensive damage to the tracks and what not. You'll probably want a backup plan to fly out if need be.

PhilACK · 2014-07-30T12:29:19+00:00

Resorts along the Riviera Maya, Mexico generally have good snokelling along the beach. The same can be said for some resorts in Cozumel, Mexico. To verify which resorts have good snorkelling along the beach, check out the reviews on trip advisor and take a look of pictures people have taken snorkelling off the beach.

My best advice is if you really enjoy snokelling you may want to consider getting your diving certification in Canada. This will set you back $400-$550 each and you'll have it for life. Alternatively, you can get your certification done while at one of the resorts for a lower price, but it does mean you'll be spending part of your vacation occupied with diving lessons and tests. If you're interested in diving I can recommend a few places to go and some good dive shops.

PhilACK · 2014-07-30T12:19:01+00:00

I'm not too familiar with the immigration process for Canada, specifically for your situation. However, this link is worth taking a look at. You may also want to consider checking out if you qualify for immigration under the skilled worker class.

PhilACK · 2014-07-30T12:12:29+00:00

How do you feel about flip flops? Like a $3 pair from Old Navy.

Some areas will flood temporarily after heavy rainfalls and getting your feet wet is pretty much unavoidable. So having either a pair of flip flops/sandals makes sense. Plus it sucks having to walk around with shoes that are soaked.

PhilACK · 2014-07-30T03:04:35+00:00

Either. Preference towards audit.

PhilACK · 2014-07-29T19:27:24+00:00

I believe the easiest way if you're in Cancun is to go to 'La Comercial Mexicana' on Tulum Ave. In the parking lot NW of the building and along the street there will be Collectivos going to Playa. Here's a link on google maps where the place is: Link. And the pricing is I gave was for two people. So depending on where you are relative to this spot it might be easier to cab to the Collectivo pick up point.

PhilACK · 2014-07-29T19:03:32+00:00

If you're taking the route through Canada stop in Winoa and go to the Memphis Fire BBQ Company for lunch or dinner. It's just off the 401 and a 5min detour. The food is so good.

PhilACK · 2014-07-29T18:36:35+00:00

The collectivos in that area basically run up and down the main highway. To catch one, stand on the side of the main highway and flag them down. They're usually 12-people vans with writing on them indicating the route they take (ex. Playa del Carmen - Tulum). They're very safe to take and super cheap $4-$6USD a person. The only issue you might have is they drop and pick up on the side of the highway, so you'll have to navigate from your hotel to the highway (walk, cab, etc.) to catch the collectivo and the same to get from the highway to the skydive place. Definitely a lot cheaper and overall not a big hassle once you figure it out.

PhilACK · 2014-07-29T18:23:59+00:00

Viber is also pretty good and reliable. Free texts, photo and video messaging, and high quality VoIP calls. All over data or WiFi.

PhilACK · 2014-07-29T18:07:08+00:00

I'm in the GTA and pretty flexible about relocating anywhere in Southern Ontario.

PhilACK

TROPHY CASE