Tag: exploring

Episode 55 – Latin American Travel Adventures

The Episode:

To download the audio, right click and press “save as”.

Remember to subscribe on iTunes or subscribe on Pocket Casts.

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The Cash:

We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link.

The Story:

Trippa? Taking a Trip can blow your mind! Nothing to do with hallucinations, mushrooms, ancient rituals, or drinking goats blood under a full moon while rotating your arse on a ouija board.

We are talking about going old school, boots, bag packed and exploring the real world. Travelling is a mind expanding experience because it gives life a chance to question itself. Perhaps decades of routine and familiar rhythms have created a comfortable lifestyle, yet many of us find ourselves numb and occasionally find ourselves slipping into a feeling of emptiness. Travelling is often a natural calling, something spiritual which the soul begs for. Gaining new perspectives and changing the lens in which we see the world is healthy. The mind and character needs it for personal growth and development. The best part is that, it’s always the subtle things that take one by surprise. Keeping it simple lets you soak it all in, new smells, new foods, new clothes, mix it up and live a little.

What about the language change? Have you ever thought about a language as the tool for creating new realities? Okay, so even if you are not interested in becoming or pretending to be a wizard, a new language is the way to upskill: increasing your own self worth and something to be proud of. Learning a new language is not an easy task, it may leave you struggling for years but once it clicks, it can be one of the most rewarding challenges and an adventure in itself.

For those who have already conquered a second language, why not go for the third? Language has been said to be a primary factor in the evolution of man, this was because language has the capability to re-wire the human mind by creating new connections and associations.

In this episode we were lucky enough to enjoy the company of Nikita and Ravinesh, great Aussie mates visiting Mexico and bringing a homegrown perspective. As they were travelling through the Americas, specifically Latin America, we had the chance to catch up and share a little paradise. In between commentary of a trip of a life time (which now become a lifetime of trips) we discus cultural awareness of australians (or lack of), how language affects thought and how swearing in multiple languages can open your eyes to many beautifully obscene ways to express yourself. These were just a few of the side topics amongst many more, please enjoy another episode of The Paradise Paradox.

The Links:

The Higher Taste: A Guide to Gourmet Vegetarian Cooking and a Karma-Free Diet
Butter chicken recipe

Cuban sandwich

Black Monday carnage

 

Episode 53 – AirBNB & Travel

The Episode:

To download the audio, right click and press “save as”.

Remember to subscribe on iTunes or subscribe on Pocket Casts.

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t keep it a secret! Feel free to share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit, or your office bathroom wall.

The Cash:

We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link.

The Story:

In 2007, two graphic designers were having troubles making ends meet in their San Francisco apartment. They had some space that they could free up in the loft which they thought they could use to accommodate travellers, and thought about putting it on Craigslist, but they thought it was too impersonal. Instead, they decided to create a website, offering people passing through a chance to stay cheaply on some air mattresses and eat a home-cooked breakfast. Pretty soon they were receiving emails asking when the service would be available in Buenos Aires, London and Tokyo, and they began to formulate a vision.

They contacted their old roommate, an engineer, to join the team. In a clever move to raise funding for the project, they designed custom boxes for cereal to appeal to voters in the upcoming election, selling 500 boxes of both Obama O’s and Cap’n McCains for $40 each, raising $30,000.

airbnb-obamo-os

Inviting the hosts to share their listings on Craigslist helped build their guest numbers and traffic considerably, as did spamming existing listings on Craigslist for similar properties. Then by developing their philosophy of offering personalised service, hospitality and something that guests just couldn’t find in a traditional hotel, they solidified their place as a key player in the accommodation industry.

Today, millions of people use AirBNB to travel cheaply, and to make money, subverting the conventional model of tourism and helping people to enjoy cities in a friendlier way. How has this business opened up the world to travellers, making it more affordable and interesting? What is the value of travel in general? Why do some people resist travelling adamantly? We explore these questions and more, in the next breathtaking chapter of … The Paradise Paradox!

The Links:

Into the Wild – movie

Into the Wild – book

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (Expanded and Updated)

Growth study – AirBNB

How AirBNB started