WANDERLUST.

from the land down under > vancouver

[juliadancel]

ROBOTIC SUITCASES?!?!

IS THIS LEGITIMATE? Yes. I have seen this kind of suitcase that transports a passenger to their gate. It’s awesome because not only it saves you time but also takes out the stress you get from travelling. Since I started working at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR), I’ve seen atleast 5 of these so-called ‘smart luggage’ roaming around and about the terminal. 

What are these robotic suitcases? 

MODOBAG, TravelMate, Cowarobot R1, Floattie

To start off, if you watch the above video, you will see an array of smart luggage that will fascinate you. There’s this suitcase that follows you, a motorized suitcase that transports you around the airport terminal, a fully autonomous suitcase that not only follows you but also avoids any obstacles (eg. blockage, stairs,etc.) in their path. 

Some of the coolest specifications (in my opinion) you will be getting if you buy any one of these suitcases would be:

Built-in GPS, detachable portable charger, built-in scale, protective packing system, adjustable wheels and many more. 

To conclude this, I think there is a balance between the pros and cons regarding this newfound technology for the tourism/airline industry. It is beneficial for the reason of time-saving, convenience and security reasons. However, the cons will most likely be a malfunction or a defective suitcase, jeopardizing your security welfare, convenience and your time. It could also be from mishandling. NO guarantee, what’s the probability of these happening? 

[juliadancel]

안녕하세요! (HELLO)

How does Korea brand itself, specifically Seoul? Is it effective?

First and foremost, I chose Seoul, South Korea because I think their branding and marketing strategies are unique and compelling. It works well because they know their target market well. 

For instance, take K-POP, for example. All those viral dancers/dances you see on the internet are mostly by korean boy/girl bands. They are usually targeted to attract millennials; sometimes even GenX and GenY. 70% of the time, the video would either be a hit or miss. If it is a hit, people will make ‘dance covers’ or imitate those people. Therefore, the branding will in turn be successful. 

According to an article I read,some of the unique marketing methods day use composed of: celebrities in the spotlight, narrator model grabs the audiences’ attention (in advertisements), Using sexy themes to sell consumer goods,Western advertising, for better or worse, tends to be quite prudish about bodily functions, whereas Korean marketers are unabashed and last but not the least, Confusing Destination Branding.

[juliadancel]

PROD 102 - HONDA UBI-CUB

My reaction to this product, literally. I thought to myself, I could actually get something of this, I reckon it caters to lazy people; like me. Let me give you a run-down of this product:

Looking like a stool, rather than a bike or a car, the idea of the uni-cub is that you control your movement in any direction by leaning that way. Riders, if you can call them that, need only to shift their body weight to move forwards or strafe left or right at a comfortable rather than hair-raising speed (it has a maximum speed of around 4mph.) Expected to be used in museums in the future so you can look at things while still sitting down (or at home, office, school, yenno, just basically anywhere) LOL

[juliadancel]

FOOD IN 2018?

Every year the restaurant business get bigger. In the past year, people have grown more accustomed to vegan, organic and gluten-free diet. In Vancouver alone, there are about 50 vegan and gluten-free stores that opened just in my area. In addition to that, some of the top five trends that I found going around are:

1. Breakfast all day, anytime

-  Some of my favorite fast-food restos have finally made a their breakfast menu stay for 24 hrs., not just until 11 AM, and I think that is one of the best things they have ever done. They are already very popular, with people wanting to eat breakfast and not just in the morning but all day long

2. Open Kitchen concept

-  The increased interest in delicious, healthy food has influenced new trends in appearance in the restaurant business. Over the past year, the open kitchen format has become popular in Europe and the USA, where a restaurant's guests can watch the cooking process and assess produce quality. When customers see the entire workflow from the inside, they don't doubt the freshness of the produce and the quality of the restaurant staff’s work. In addition, the time spent awaiting the order is much more exciting than the view from the window or on the TV screen.

3. Food delivery services

- Nowadays, you can order food online and get them delivered to your door. Vancouver has a handful of food delivery services that you can either call or go to their website and order. Online food-delivery platforms (UberEats, Skip the Dishes, Foodora, etc) are expanding choice and convenience, allowing customers to order from a wide range of restaurants with a single tap on their mobile device. People accustomed to shopping online through mobile apps or websites, with maximum convenience, increasingly expect the same experience when it comes to ordering dinner.

4. Locally and ethical food source

- Local produce is an excellent alternative to imported varieties. First of all, imported suppliers demand higher prices, which is why so many restaurateurs have switched to more profitable collaborations with local food suppliers. Today people pay much more attention to what they eat, and their desire for locally grown produce is growing as well. The best way to get fresh fruit and vegetables for your kitchen is to find a local farmer's’ market with unique and varied produce. This may inspire you and your chef to create new dishes for your menu. It will always be beneficial if you write on your menu which local farm you are cooperating with so that guests know for sure that you are serving food cooked with fresh ingredients.

5. Instagram worthy or not?

-  You know when you’re about to take a bite of your delicious food and your friends screams ‘NO, DON’T EAT IT YET! I NEED TO TAKE A PICTURE’ because I’ve had my fair share of that. It’s like the camera eats first. However, on the other hand, if you want to know more about what’s the latest scoop in food/beverages, look for chefs and even bartenders in 2018 to introduce more food and drink options that focus on vibrant and exciting colors that guests will be sure to photograph, to share on Instagram or other social media networks.

[juliadancel]

CULT 101

DON’T PLAY WITH YOUR 箸（はし）

CULTURE ETIQUETTE LESSON!

The Japanese word for chopsticks is 箸 (はし).

Typically, in a nicer restaurant (in Canada), or someone else’s house, or most restaurants in Japan, you will not get wooden chopsticks in a package that you pull apart. You will get nice chopsticks, with a holder to rest on the table, like this:

Many people will rub their chopsticks together to get wood slivers out or play with them (have you ever not seen a child use them as drumsticks in a restaurant?). This is VERY rude, even in Canada. If your chopsticks do have wood slivers, discreetly rub them together under the table right before you eat.

But onto nicer chopsticks. Don’t play with them, don’t rub them together, don’t mess with them until you are going to eat. It sends a message to the host of the dinner (at a house) or the employer (at a restaurant) that you basically don’t trust their hygienics. It’s like going to a dinner party and cleaning your fork and knife with a napkin before using them. In addition, just don’t touch them until you actually get your food or the host raises his/her “fork” (chopsticks) so to speak, like in Western dinner etiquette.  Once you finish your food, you set your chopsticks down, and that’s it. That’s the message that you are finished eating.

Lastly, this is just a side note, but when you say the customary meal sayings, いただきます and ごちそうさま(でした), you really don’t have to put your hands together like you’re saying a prayer. It’s not a religious thing, it’s just manners/culture. Putting your hands together became a “cute” thing to do after a girl on Iron Chef (the Japanese show) did that with all of her meals. So….like all media fads, people started doing that and it never stopped. But you can just bow your head slightly and say いただきます・ごちそうさまでした。

[juliadancel]

Winter will become the new peak season

I recently came across this trend while looking up what recent travel trends are trending in 2018. Personally, I prefer winter than summer. Although; being out in the sun is fun, and most people love the simplicity of comfy tees and shorts, fuzzy clothing is the best. The cold winter weather allows for layering that would never be possible in the summer.

Back to the topic: the new peak season will be winter. I guess because there are more events and activities launching in the winter. (https://www.intrepidtravel.com/travel-trends-2018/)  Change is great; you might lose some, but on the contrary there are people out there who are venturers/allocentric who are up for this new change in the tourism industry.

[businessinsider]

The countries that have the most powerful passports in the world

[awesomeearthpix]

Northern Lights over Waugh, Alberta, Canada | Photography by ©Jeff Wallace