ExploreThere

Why Medical Tourism?

Medical toursim procedures such as dental implants, lazer hair removal, plastic surgery, fertility procedures, facelifts, and all variety of other elective procedures are increasingly being performed overseas. It’s not limited to the purely aesthetic procedures either. In 2010, consulting firm Deliotte concluded that 875,000 Americans were medical tourists. This is a lot of people electing to fly to another country to endure a procedure that they could have easily have done at home, and this number only takes into account the number of Americans for that year. There are many people from countries around the world electing for similar trips.

It’s really no surprise that people are always looking for the best options, but just what does that mean? Medical tourism is just a simple solution to a supply and demand problem in the medical industry. Each country has slightly different health systems, and because of the economic differences in each region you find that others can perform at much lower costs or shorter wait periods. Sometimes these costs can be as low as one tenth the cost of the exact same procedure in the United States.

The American medical industry is one of the worlds best, but it is also the most expensive, leaving most people unable to afford procedures that they might want or need in some cases.…

Tigers. You love, respect, and fear them all at the same time. In Asian cultures, tigers are known to represent the virtue of courage. Their rich black and gold stripes are a sight on their own. Tigers are a solitary silent hunter who stalk, rather than chase its prey, representing our quest for the silent peace of the soul. It symbolizes removing all distractions from the mind and being purely focused on the present moment, something I strive to maintain on a daily basis.

I’ve always had a fascination with these creatures. The name ‘tiger’ is taken from the Greek word ‘tigris’, a derivative of the Persian word for arrow, referring to the animal’s great speed. I also learned that most tigers have over 100 stripes. Like a human’s fingerprint, the patterns on tigers are unique to each animal and can be used to identify individuals. The wildlife conservation group WWF says wild tiger populations have dropped sharply across Asia and may soon be wiped out. The WWF says Asia’s wild tiger population numbered around 100,000 a century ago but, due to poaching and human activity, only an estimated 3,200 remain today, about half of them in India. Several Asian nations including China, Nepal, Japan, South Korea and Thailand have endorsed tough protections for tigers in the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).…

Learning a new language is a daunting task for many of us. I know that I was a bit nervous when it came to picking out a language school in Xela, Guatemala. With so many choices, try not to get overwhelmed with your choices.

Guatemala is known for their “proper” Spanish. Slow and easy to understand, it is an ideal choice for someone trying to grasp the Latin American Spanish language for the first time. While there is a little bit of slang to pick up, there isn’t much in comparison to the quickness of Colombian Spanish or the more relaxed form in Panama.

We were looking for a school that was not only affordable, but offered a choice of activities and volunteer opportunities available at the various NGOs around the area. Our school of choice was the humble Utatlan Spanish School. At $150/week we got a homestay, 3 meals a day, and 25 hours of school a week (5 hours a day), it was a steal.

During the 3 weeks there I climbed through the cloud forests to Volcano Santa Maria, saw a lake on top of Volcano Chicabal, went to a Xela-ju soccer game, and participated in a traditional Guatemalan dinner (and that is just the tip of the iceberg!).…

Do I Tip?

It’s all happened to us. We’re sitting at the table at the end of a meal in a foreign country and we’re suddenly struck with the question “Do I tip?”

Tipping in other countries can be confusing and it all depends on where you are. Don’t think that you are doing the right thing by just tipping everywhere you go. It is not always a good idea to tip where it is not customary. In fact some Asian countries see tipping as insulting. This is also true of many other countries that are based on a hierarchical class system.

Take heed as well that the change you have in your pocket may be worth more than you think. If you are in Britain for instance, that loose change in your pocket could easily be worth $10 USD or more, and you’re trying to leave them on the table after paying for your $14 USD meal just because it looked like a couple quarters. Not only do you look silly in this instance, you just doubled the cost of your meal when a 10% tip would have been appropriate and appreciated. Always check the denominations of change that you are leaving for tip.…

A personal story of taking a chance

There’s a difference between traveling through a new place and starting a chapter of your life there. Especially when you’ve relocated to a culture fantastically different from your comfort zone, life doesn’t come close to resembling Eat, Pray, Love.

Transplanting my life from Austin, Texas, to Hsinchu, Taiwan, was a decision I made in mid-2010; by August 27, 2010, I stood in the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, three suitcases and a backpack surrounding me, and I was nearly overwhelmed. I’d never been to Asia. My friend Gretchen was coming to pick me up, but she was nowhere to be seen. I had no phone, zero knowledge of Mandarin, and very little money. At that moment, I doubted myself.

I decided to move because I knew I’d regret it if I never did. I’d considered teaching English abroad for over five years. It never felt right, and I was concerned about my financial situation; with over $20,000 in student loans and debt, I couldn’t flit about carelessly. I had to be smart. It wasn’t until Summer 2010 that the option became real and, dreading the potential regret, I bought my one-way ticket to Taiwan.

Once I finally climbed into a cab with Gretchen, I relaxed a bit and took in the passing scenery.…

According to CourseHero.com studying abroad brought significant benefits to the majority of students who took on the extra expenses of a semester or year abroad.

This really comes as no surprise to us as more and more employers are looking for individuals who stand out from the rest of the crowd. It also opens up your options of working in in various locations around the globe. In a down market this can be the difference in having a job or not.

73 percent of employers say citing your study abroad experience is important in evaluating job candidates resumes.

If you’re on the fence about whether or not you should be investing in study abroad experience, then you should go ahead and make the leap. Its money well spent. 77 percent of people surveyed said that their study abroad experience made at a minimum, a moderate difference in their career goals. Thats a signifigant number of people who were probably in the same position as you.

See the infographic below:

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