Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea; Heaven on Earth

Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea

The world is full of beauty, and beautiful places are always attractive to tourists. There is probably no greater advertisement for a country’s tourist industry than a non-captioned picture showing beautiful scenery, unspoilt land and smiling faces. And perhaps more than any other region, the South Pacific has all of this in great quantities. Nowhere is this more in evidence than in Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia, and an attractive proposition for any sun-seeking tourist with an interest in living the relaxed life. If you had to put a visual picture to the word “holiday”, then perhaps the most immediate one would be one which corresponds very directly to what you will see in Tahiti – palm trees, sandy beaches, the whole nine yards.

In fact, Tahiti is a series of islands, and also the name of the larger island which makes up most of the landmass of the small French protectorate. The island of Tahiti, in fact, does not quite have the same beach lifestyle as the rest of the country, but what it does have is a lot of holiday resorts which feature the aesthetic beauty of the South Pacific in all its glory, along with the capital city, Papeete. Papeete makes for an excellent base from which to see the rest of Tahiti. Also on the main island are some volcanoes which form part of the breathtaking natural scenery of the area. Off the main island you will find, though, some of the most heartbreakingly beautiful scenery that you have ever seen.

Bora Bora is recognized as being among the most desirable locations for a honeymoon that the world has to offer. In the holiday resorts of Bora Bora you will find the immediately recognisable overwater bungalows, wooden huts raised on stilts over the lagoon which surrounds the island. These range from some very affordable accommodations which will suit the pocket of any visitor and serve perfectly well as a marvellous setting from which to see the area, to more luxurious bungalows which make for the ideal setting for a honeymoon. Anyone who could look at Bora Bora, its tropical lagoon, coral reef and the overwater bungalows and not want to visit, must surely have seen everything in their life.

Moorea is seen as the more exclusive sister island to Bora Bora, but is in truth not that much different to it. This is not to denigrate its charms, which are extensive and very clear to anyone who pays a visit. In fact, on Moorea the main selling point is that it is simply something different to Bora Bora – equally beautiful in a different way, with stunning views over any of its two gorgeous bays. The overwater bungalows are also present here, as are garden bungalows and apartments which are set among a relaxed atmosphere which would make not just honeymooning couples but also any casual traveler feel absolutely blissful. Beyond these two islands there are still others, making a package deal a worthwhile choice for anyone looking for a break in the sun.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Travelnowsimply.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com site. This article originally published on the above website on Oct 11, 2009.

TFSA - No Need To Rush

TFSA or RRSP

First Published: December 10, 2008 ADawnJournal.com

Recently, an ADJ reader sent the following email:

Hi Dawn,
Been reading your blog for some time now and getting more and more interested in learning to handle my own finance.
I would like to know more details about the new Tax Free savings account and your take on this new thing and how we can use it best.
Thanks for your time!

Ms. ADJ Reader (Withholding name for privacy)

Today’s article is specially written for Ms. ADJ Reader and many other ADJ readers who are waiting eagerly to read ADJ article on TFSA.

What Is a Tax Free Savings Account?

TFSA is an account type where you can make contributions, grow your money (means you can earn interest or income), and take out money without paying any taxes.

Doesn’t It Sound Like an RRSP (Registered Retired Savings Plan)?

Kind of. However there are some major differences. Let’s look them one by one.

RRSP

TFSA

When you put money in an RRSP, you get tax slips to reduce your taxable income

contributions in a TFSA do not reduce your taxable income

When you take out money from an RRSP, you pay taxes on withdrawals and your withdrawal will be added to your income (it simply means you taxable income will be higher)

TFSA withdrawals are tax free

RRSP account has age limit (must be terminated by 71);

TFSA has no age limit

Once you put in money, your contribution room is used up. You will not be able to regain your contribution room back by taking out money

Amount withdrawn will create equal contribution room

Some TFSA Features

·   Canadians aged 18 and older can save up to $5000 a year.

·   Annual contribution limit will be indexed and will increase gradually.

·   Contributions will not be tax deductible but income and gains will not be taxed.

·   No taxes to pay when you withdraw money out of TFSA.

·   Income earned or withdrawals will not affect eligibility for Federal benefits such as Old Age Security, Canada Child Tax Credit, Guaranteed Income Supplement.

·   No taxes to pay when you withdraw money out of TFSA.

·   Unused room can be carried forward indefinitely.

·   TFSA account can hold same products like RRSP, such as GICs, stocks, mutual funds, and many more.

·   Upon death, your TFSA can be transferred to your spouse without tax implications.

·   Excess contributions will incur a monthly penalty tax of 1% – just like an RRSP.

TFSA Ideas

You have to be creative here. There are so many ways you can use a TFSA account. Here are some I can think of off the top of my head:

·   If you don’t have room in your RRSP account, use TFSA.

·   If you don’t have room in your RESP account, use TFSA.

·   Use TFSA for short-term savings.

·   Use TFSA for long-term savings.

·   Use TFSA to keep your emergency funds.

My Take

You should use TFSA to its full limits; however, I don’t see there is any need to rush. You will see bank ads and some personal finance blogs making it sound like you should jump into it right now – otherwise, you will miss the boat. This is simply not not the case. TFSA is not going anywhere and there is no need to rush. Take your time to draft your investment planning and strategies and then make full use of TFSA.

Toronto to Taipei - Eva Air Business Class | Travel Blog

Toronto to Taipei - Eva Air Business Class

 Toronto to Singapore via Taipei Nov 23, 2018

 Getting a boarding pass at the business counter at Toronto Pearson Airport Terminal 1 was a breeze. Eva Air business calls their business class Royal Business Class. There is no 1st class on this Boeing 777-300ER.

Plaza Premium Lounge

 The lounge Eva Air uses at Toronto Airport is the Plaza Premium lounge. The lounge is rather small and made up of only 2 sections. One is for dining and the other is for resting. Food selection was lacking.

 However, there is a shower facility, but you need to book first before using the shower. The overall lounge experience was not bad. Food tasted good and the lounge’s cleanliness was good as well, including the washroom.

 At the Gate

 I have noticed a lot of customers, mainly senior citizens, at the boarding area in both business- and economy-class lines. What struck me is that I have never seen this many senior citizens boarding on one plane before.

 My guess is that probably most of these senior citizens are leaving Canada to spend the winter in warm places in Asia and they will be back once winter is over. Toronto was very cold, reaching -20 on this date.

 Inside the Business Class Cabin

 Eva Air business class configuration is 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone layout. All lie-flat seats offer aisle access, so regardless of where you sit, you will have full aisle access. I chose a window on the left, so there was no one sitting next to me.

 The Amenity Kit

 The amenity kit provided 3Lab toiletries and there are 2 pouches. One is a smaller one made of leather-like material and the other one is made of fabric. Both of them look like high-quality products.

 Also, the sleeping set came with pajamas and a sleeping shirt.

 Food & Drinks

Food and drink selections were great. My main course was Lotus root and Shimeji Mushroom with Dan Zai Noodle. My dessert was fruit mango Charlotte Cake.

 After waking up from an hour sleep on the flat bed, my pre-breakfast was a beef burger with fries and coffee. My full breakfast was an Asparagus and Brie Omelette with Turkey sausage and Roesti potatoes.

 I don’t drink alcohol while flying, but for those who are interested, I picked some of the drinks available below.

 Champagne/Wine

 Veuve Clicquot La Geande Dame 2006 - Champagne

Comte de la Perriere-Silex 2017 AOC Sancerre - French White Wine

Chuteau Larmende 2011, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux - French Red Wine

 Cocktails

 Bloody Mary, Screwdriver, Gin Martini, Aurora, Passion Island

 Spirits

 Kavakan Single Malt Whisky

Glenfiddich Reserve Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Royal Salute 21 Years Scotch Whiskey

 Liqueurs

 Campari

Khula

Baileys Urish Cream

 This is not the full list. I just picked the top 3-5 from the list.

 The Washroom

 The washrooms were extremely clean and well-maintained. I had a feeling that after each use, the attendants cleaned and made sure everything is in order. Each time I visited, I found it spotless and things in place.

 The washrooms had one time toothbrush & toothpaste, mouthwash, and other female necessities. There was lotion, hand wash, cologne, and face spray in containers as well and I found them always full and no after-use dripping signs.

 Entertainment System

 There were fairly recent movies and TV shows, I watched Mission Impossible Fallout. Eva Air does not provide free WiFi in business class like Turkish Airlines.

 Final Thoughts

 My flight had a night mode feature on the ceiling, creating stars in the night sky. It looked really good when all lights were out and I liked it a lot.

 My overall business class flight experience with Eva Air was pleasant and satisfactory. This is my first time flying EVA AIR and I am looking forward to my next flight from Taipei to Singapore.

Why You Are So Tired?

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Most of us will, at least once a day if not more often, feel a little bit short of energy and experience a desire to stop whatever we are doing and go chill out for a spell. Excessive tiredness is a surprisingly common complaint, and it affects people in all manner of jobs from the highly physical to the mainly sedentary. How often will you hear someone say “I really don’t know why I am so tired – I’ve not even done much today!”?

The reason that people find themselves wondering just that is that they have, as often as not, got too little sleep. In today’s society, the work-life balance tends to be weighted firmly in favour of work – and that leaves many of us fighting to get through the week. “That Friday Feeling” may be about partying for some people, but for many of us it is more about feeling blessed relief that we can crawl under the duvet for a spell.

For many of us, work commitments mean getting out of bed at any time from 5am onwards. To get the eight hours of sleep that the average human being needs, this would necessitate going to bed at some time prior to 9pm. If you have got back from the office at any point after five or six o’clock, that leaves you with a very short window in which to get something to eat, chat with family or friends, and get ready for bed. Although that sounds monstrous, it doesn’t always happen that way, as we often rebel against our body clock and stay up a few more hours to watch TV or whatever else we like to do.

The problem with doing that is that we are simply saving up a “sleep debt” for ourselves, which our body will be looking to cash in at some point. For those of us who have weekends off, this means that as often as not we will spend the mornings of Saturday and Sunday catching up on missed sleep. So much for any plans we had to get things done around the home.

The solution to the sleep debt problem is not immediately evident. Many of us just accept that we will have to deal with the effects of sleep deprivation during the week, get ourselves back on a relatively even keel at the weekend, and then begin the process anew on Monday. If we could all find jobs that allowed us eight hours of work, eight hours of free time (minus travel and preparation times) and eight hours of sleep, we’d probably all be a lot happier. As this is not an achievable situation, we have to look at the options we do have.

It is vital, however, that we all realize that burning the candle at both ends is not a sustainable way of doing things, long term. If you can find a way to increase your window of opportunity for sleeping, then it is a good idea to do so. You will feel a great deal more recharged as a result.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Simplepersonaldevelopment.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com site. This article originally published on the above website on June 7, 2009.

Scammers Empty out Personal Finance Author’s Bank Account

Scam Alert – Beware of Bank/Credit Card Skimming at Gas Station

First Published: December 15, 2008 ADawnJournal.com

As you know, I always talk about how to protect yourself from various scams and ask you to be extremely cautious. This implies that I am a person who is always cautious when I am exposed to banking and online transactions; however, there are times when you are unable to protect yourself from these scams, regardless of how careful you are. My bank account was recently emptied out by scammers and I will tell you what happened with a screenshot of my bank transactions.

On November 19, 2008, I went to a Chapters Indigo bookstore and attempted to pay with my bank card at the checkout. Instantly, to my surprise, my bank card was declined. This was simply impossible to me, as I always have some cash and overdraft protection on my checking account. I called my bank right away and was told that there were four withdrawals of about $200 each on November 17. Once the bank’s system found out that it was a possible scam, my account was blocked to prevent any further withdrawals.

I did not have any access to my bank account for about seven days. In the meantime, my bank performed an investigation and returned the money that the scammers took from my account. I got a new bank card in the mail and my account was operational again.

I am posting a screen shot to show you how things went:

·   Nov 17 – I paid at a Petro Canada gas station with my bank card

·   Nov 17 – Someone somehow got a hold of my personal information and withdrew money four times. Notice these amounts scammers withdrew. A regular bank machine in Canada lets you withdraw amounts in multiples of $20 such as $20, $40, $60, etc. I am not sure how they possibly withdrew amounts like $201.50, $202, etc.

·   Nov 27 – Bank completed investigation and returned $812.50

Although my bank did not tell me if the hackers got my banking info from the Petro-Canada electronic terminal, I will never use a bank card or credit card at a gas station again. In turn, I would ask you to be extremely cautious using a bank or credit card, especially at a gas station.