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TRAVELLING

Yassin’s Falafel House owner raises over $188K, travels to Syria to help earthquake victims

by Tracy J. Chu

As nonprofits, nongovernmental organizations and humanitarian groups rush to help with earthquake rescue and relief efforts in turkey-earthquake/?id=96913081″ data-ylk=”slk:Turkey and Syria;elm:context_link;itc:0″ class=”link “Turkey and Syria, one Syrian refugee-turned-restaurant owner in Tennessee has amassed over $188,000 and counting in donations.

After hearing about the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked northwestern Syria and southeastern Turkey, killing more than 20,000 people, Yassin Terou sprang into action to help on the ground.

The owner of Yassin’s Falafel House in Knoxville — which won the Reader’s Digest Nicest Place in America accolade in 2018 — traveled from the U.S. to Turkey on a mission to help provide food relief, medical care, fuel and shelter to those in desperate need.

Terou has provided updates at the scene on Facebook live with videos showing the barren camps where families are in need of basic essentials like blankets to stay warm and milk for their children.

“We have no blanket, we have nothing to warm up,” Terou translated for a local man in the video. “This is what it looks like … we have nothing.”

Terou said “it’s very sad seeing how people are living right now” in the shelter camps.

“There is a lot of need right here … we’re just doing everything we can and changing our plan one or two times a day because every time we do something they need more,” he explained.

Before he left the U.S. to help, Terou told “Good Morning America” that his motivation was “helping people” who have been impacted “to keep building bridges of love between different communities.”

MORE: How to assist quake victims in Turkey, Syria

Terou launched a digital fundraiser to start an emergency soup kitchen and offer medical care, with money going directly to two organizations: CelebrateMercy and Syria

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HOTEL

Hotel prices 60pc higher for King’s coronation in London, says Trivago

by Tracy J. Chu

Accommodation search website Trivago has revealed that London hotels have ramped up their prices by nearly two-thirds for the King’s coronation.

rivago chief executive Axel Hefer told the PA news agency that the group has seen hotel prices in the capital jump by 60pc year on year for coronation day on May 6, with prices hitting £254/€286 a night for early bookers.

This compares with £154/€173 per night for the same day last year.

But as hotels increase their prices to capitalise on the expected surge in visitors surrounding Charles’s coronation, Trivago said booking trends suggest that many visitors may be shunning London on the day of the ceremony.

Its bookings data shows that the search share for the capital for the day of the coronation is lower than for the weekend before and the one after the ceremony, while searches for London are also down 8pc compared with the same day last year.

Trivago said that “given the very high prices, people would rather avoid traveling to the UK capital on the day of the coronation”.

Mr Hefer said that, while coronation day is an outlier in terms of prices this year, the group is seeing hotel prices continue to rise generally across the board.

He said hotel prices are rising by low single digits to high single digits this year, on top of increased prices in 2022.

Travellers are combatting the higher prices by switching to cheaper destinations, such as Istanbul, Morocco and Portugal, as well as domestic staycationing, while also beginning to book shorter stays.

But they are also showing signs of trading down, with Trivago seeing trends of holidaymakers opting for lower star ratings on hotels and cheaper accommodation to help bring down costs.

Mr Hefer said people are unlikely to ditch holidays altogether

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TRAVELLING

How Living Vicariously Through Popular Travel YouTuber Damon Dominique Makes Exploring The World More Accessible To Everyone

by Tracy J. Chu

Damon Dominque describes himself in his Instagram bio as an expat who “puts the ‘lust’ in wanderlust.” An Indiana native who speaks five languages fluently and has lived in Paris for the last several years, Dominique boasts 221,000 followers on his Instagram and another 422,000 on his YouTube channel while putting out content around travel and languages. (He and his best friend ran an old channel together, amassing over a million subscribers before they split up.) He credits his love for travel and new locales to watching episodes growing up of MTV’s seminal The Real World reality show, of which he’s seen every episode of every season.

“From a young age, I was just enthralled by travel, culture, and language despite being from the cornfields of Indiana,” Dominique told me in an interview earlier this month conducted via videoconference.

The origins of Dominique’s career grew from multiple roots. Money, of course, was a driving force. Dominique describes the desire to travel and become culturally literate has always been there, but in the early years he was “always broke.” It’s not easy to globetrot when you don’t have much money, after all. Moreover, Dominique was bored with all the travel vlogs that focus on food; as a vegan, he felt there wasn’t much out there that was considerate of his dietary choices. “That’s kind of the angle I’ve been going with [with the channel]—every other part of the travel industry besides food—languages, culture, [and] law,” Dominique said.

For Dominique, the linguistic component to travel is the key to success.

“I’d say there’s never been a more accessible way or accessible time to learn a language—you don’t actually have to travel anymore. You can

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TRAVELLING

Don Cheadle Recalls How George Clooney Once Dared Him to Visit a ‘Spooky’ House in Italy

by Tracy J. Chu
Don Cheadle and George Clooney attend the premiere of Hulu's "Catch-22" on May 07, 2019 in Hollywood, California.

Don Cheadle and George Clooney attend the premiere of Hulu’s “Catch-22” on May 07, 2019 in Hollywood, California.

Erik Voake/Getty

Don Cheadle isn’t one to turn down a dare from people.com/tag/george-clooney/” data-ylk=”slk:George Clooney” class=”link “George Clooney.

In the new issue of PEOPLE, Cheadle, 58, who stars in the upcoming Netflix movie White Noise, recalls how Clooney issued an eerie challenge nearly two decades ago. While filming the 2004 heist movie Ocean’s Twelve, a sequel to the 2001 hit Ocean’s Eleven, the cast visited Clooney’s famed villa in Lake Como, Italy.

Nearby, recalls Cheadle, was an “abandoned, old, weird, spooky house,” he says. “We were just all sitting around, and he dared whoever to just go over there at two o’clock in the morning or something and walk around and hang out.”

“Only four of us took him up on it,” says Cheadle, who bravely went into the night with costar Brad Pitt and two others — but they didn’t sleep over. “There was no spending the night,” he says. “No way.”

Noted prankster Clooney previously told GQ about the incident. Though in his telling, he joined Cheadle, Pitt and Matt Damon.

RELATED:  george-clooney-amal-clooney-back-lake-como-with-twins-source-exclusive/” data-ylk=”slk:George and Amal Clooney ‘Thrilled to Be Back’ on Lake Como with Twins Ella and Alexander, 4: Source” class=”link “George and Amal Clooney ‘Thrilled to Be Back’ on Lake Como with Twins Ella and Alexander, 4: Source

“The first thing we saw was, like, a statue of [a] snake eating a woman’s head or something,” he said. “We came down to the conclusion that we’d give $10,000 to any guy that could spend the night in the haunted house with just a candle, six matches, and a bottle of wine.”

Clooney said that Cheadle and Pitt did indeed

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HOTEL

New browser extension Ratepunk helps compare hotel room prices

by Tracy J. Chu

When it comes to booking a hotel online, most people would use a price comparison site or application to hunt for the best price and offers available. But now, there is an even easier way to do this, via a browser extension.

Called Ratepunk, this extension compares hotel room prices across major online travel agencies (OTAs).

“Browser extensions, especially mobile ones, are not widely used yet. But in our assessment, they are the most convenient format to show the lowest hotel rates in seconds,” the company noted in a report by PhocusWire.

All consumers need to do is install the extension for free – there is no need to register or pay. Each time you search for a hotel on the web, Ratepunk pops up to display all the prices from its partner OTAs. At the moment there are nine OTAs listed including Expedia, Agoda, Booking.com and Trip.com, but the company is planning to add five more soon.

“The travel industry is a major duopoly of Booking.com and Expedia, and the lack of concurrence makes the pricing unfair for the customer. By introducing new products to the market, we give more opportunities to the consumer and a push to the major brands,” the company said in the report.

Ratepunk was founded earlier this year in Lithuania by two friends who also founded AirGuru, an interactive travel agency, flight-search and booking engine, nine years ago.

Grooming young stars

Meanwhile, a luxury hotel in Cambodia has pledged to nurture the next generation of hospitality stars by helping to build their skills and offer internship and work opportunities.

The Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh recently signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding with Cambodia’s National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (NIEI). Through this agreement, the hotel will be providing resources, workshops and training sessions,

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TOUR

Japan Relaxes Border Restrictions By Allowing Entry Of Non-Guided International Package Tours

by Tracy J. Chu

Good news for people heading to Japan. Starting on September 7, Japan allows for non-guided international package tours. Along with this, the cap on the number of tourists entering the country will also be increased.

However, visitors are still required to book their trips via agents and then obtain visas. Along with this, media reports state that tourists will have to follow guidelines issued for isolation if they are tested positive for covid-19 in Japan. Only people with Japanese nationality and people with long-term and pre-issued tourist visas are allowed.

With the ease in border restrictions, the tourism industry is eagerly looking forward to waiving programmes that allow tourists to visit the country without the need for a visa. According to media reports, Japan is hoping to get in line with the other Group of Seven countries to provide smooth entry to visitors.

According to Japan National Tourism Organisation, approximately only 1,44,500 foreign tourists arrived in Japan via group tours in July.

Japan has in place one of the most strict border restrictions. They had also barred the re-entry of foreign residents for several months during the first wave of coronavirus.  Starting from June this year, Japan reduced most of its travel restrictions and allowed visitors to enter in tour groups only if they were accompanied by guides.

According to reports, in 2019, Japan had recorded 31.9 million foreign visitors and had aimed to secure 40 million in 2020 before the covid-19 pandemic outbreak.

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TRAVELLING

Black Workers In California Allege Their Latino Co-Workers Would Write Things On Bathroom Walls Like ‘Gorillas, Go Back To Africa’ In Lawsuit

by Tracy J. Chu

If “I know you lying” was a situation, it would be one where Black employees are the constant target of racism, discrimination, and blatant disrespect.

There is no secret that America has a problem. Shoot, the world has a problem with Black people. Deeply rooted in inaccurate tropes, systems created for oppression, and perspectives shaped around negativity – Black people, constantly have to figure out how to navigate spaces not designed for their success.

And while many are aware of the treatment mentioned above that can sometimes happen from white people to Black people; the LA Times recently reported that workplace abuse toward Black people is becoming more rampant among Latino colleagues.

Same Show, Different Actors

While most workplace discrimination and harassment against Black people still come from white predators, the LA Times reports that instances of anti-Black bias are growing among Latinos.

The Latinos make up 19 percent of the United States population, and  39 percent in the state of California. And while Latin people are also subject to racial discrimination in the workplace and abroad, two of the most significant cases brought by the federal government in California were regarding alleged abuse of Black employees at warehouses of Inland Empire, one of California’s major distribution hubs.

The report found from interviews that a majority of racist insults and slurs came from Latino co-workers and management staff in the Ontario and Moreno Valley facilities. Based on court filings, one of those consistent slurs was the Spanish slang for the N-word, “m-yate.”

“They said it in English — they said it in Spanish all the time,” Leon Simmons explained to the LA Times. “When they look you right in the eye and call you the N-word to your face, that’s dehumanizing.”

Take It To Court

Several cardinal-and-appleone-civil-complaint.pdf” data-ylk=”slk:lawsuits” class=”link

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TRAVELLING

You Should Always Close Your Bedroom Door Before You Go to Sleep

by Tracy J. Chu

Your nightly routine can (and should) include brushing your teeth, washing your face, and getting into comfy PJs, but new information shows that most Americans skip a very important step before climbing into bed.

Nearly 60% of people sleep with their bedroom door open, according to a recent survey conducted by the safety science organization UL. That simple choice could mean life or death in the event of a house fire, as a closed door can slow the spread of flames, reduce toxic smoke, improve oxygen levels, and decrease temperatures.

With the increased use of synthetics in furniture and home construction, closing the door could make all the difference when it comes to getting out safely. The average time to escape a home fire has gone from 17 minutes to just three minutes or less in the past few decades due to flammable materials and contemporary open floor plans.

It’s not only about a lack of awareness. Most people who sleep with the door open do so because they mistakenly believe it’s safer — but it’s the exact opposite of what firefighters recommend. That’s why the UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI) has launched a new public safety effort to coincide with National Fire Prevention Week.

The “Close Before You Doze” campaign aims to share how closed doors can help save people’s lives. In one eye-opening demonstration, the group showed how a fire burns in a closed room versus an open one. The side-by-side video footage reveals what an impact a door can make.

Start making it a habit to close not only your own bedroom door at night, but your kids’ rooms as well. It’s also a good time to test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, check your home for potential fire hazards, and

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TRAVELLING

How to get better at speaking up in the moment

by Tracy J. Chu

“Whatever the not-okay behavior, oppressive action, or inappropriate discussion may be, it will continue to go on,” she says. “It should be resolved or addressed by pushing back.”

Cabral defines pushing back as challenging an idea or position someone else had before. In the workplace, that can be something as simple as disagreeing with someone’s perspective. Or it could be a matter of trying to create space for your ideas.

“When you’re thinking about pushing back, that means that you’re trying to challenge something that has been presented that is inequitable or doesn’t consider all the information is available,” says Cabral.

How to Push Back

There is a wrong way and a right way to push back, says Cabral. “You may be living life through your eyes, but other people are experiencing it, too,” she says. “You want to recognize how things might land, because messaging that lands well is more likely to be effective.”

For example, if your ideas aren’t being heard and you’re not being given the space you need, Cabral suggests inserting yourself by asking a question, such as, “I can appreciate what you shared. Would you be open to a different perspective?”

“What that question does is it invites folks who are listening to say, ‘Oh, there’s another person,’” says Cabral. “They have to give you an affirmative or say no. When you pose a question, you’re ‘permissioning’ those who are in the room with you, asking them to shift to their listening ear. It’s also very nonconfrontational; very inviting.”

Pushing Back When You’re Interrupted

If you’re being interrupted, however, the approach is a little different. “People don’t necessarily realize that they do it,” says Cabral. “However, the person experiencing the interruption can feel that it is deliberate.”

Cabral suggests pushing back by staying quiet and

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