Michael Montesa Photo Blog
Archive for September, 2009
ETIQUETTE 101 – What Not To Wear: Dress Codes Worldwide
03 years ago
How appropriate this is when you travel. A must know skills and knowledge before leaving the U.S. soil so you will not stand out in the crowd.
Link: Etiquette 101
Rule 1: Leave the Fanny Pack
What makes an Ugly American ugly? Is it the timbre of our voices? Or the way we travel in herds? Or is it (as we suspect) our love of sweatpants, baseball caps, and yes, fanny packs, no matter the occasion or place? While it can sometimes seem that the world has fallen victim to a sort of sartorial globalization, where jeans are welcome anytime, anywhere, the truth is-of course-more nuanced. What works in surprisingly laid-back Singapore will be greeted with looks of horror on the streets (or in the boardrooms) of Paris. And ladies, while you can (and should) pile on the gold and jewels in Greece, quirky and stripped-down is the way to go in Germany. So here are the rules on looking not just appropriate but actually stylish around the globe, whether you’re in a meeting, At a party:, or just walking outdoors. Plus: Tips on how to wear a head scarf, what to pack for safari, and how to play European for a day. Ugly American? Fuhgeddaboudit.
Source: www.concierge.com
ELLESMERE PORT AND CHESTER
03 years ago
I’m having a great time here in Ellesmere Port. This town is quiet and away from the city. Most people from London moved up here and most people that works in Liverpool lives down here too. Ellesmere Port is just minutes away from Liverpool and half hour drive from Chester. Chester is an old town built by the Romans many centuries ago. I believe it dates back to 100AD. The Roman ruins and the English architecture mixed together in harmony. The people here are very friendly and there are tons of tourists here who likes to shop. There are so many high end store in this area too. One of the beautiful structure here is the Chester Cathedral. It’s enormous and the Gothic design is beautiful. Chester is easy to navigate by foot. The roads here, like most UK are so narrow but they always have pedestrian friendly roads. I will be heading back to London today. Back to the busy city again. I will miss this town. I will make sure I come back to this place again.
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ENROUTE TO LIVERPOOL
03 years ago
I will be spending a couple days in Liverpool. I’m excited to see the countryside and can’t wait to see my cousin and my niece. I will be traveling via the High Speed Virgin train and it takes 2 hours to get there with a stop at Chester.
WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY
03 years ago
I had a wonderful birthday today. I spent most of my time inHyde Park and at the Kensington Palace Gardens. I spent all day walking around the park. It was very peaceful and the weather was so nice. A little bit sunny with a cool breeze. I can say that this is my peaceful birthday ever and that how I wanted it to be. I was surrounded by many squirrels and birds in the park. I just contemplated on life and I
thought to myself that I am very blessed that I get to travel and do what I love to do. God has been so good to me. Aside from many challenges and stress that life brought me, that is nothing compare to how many blessings I have received. This is the second time I spent mybirthday outside the States and honestly, I did missed my family on my birthday. I really cannot complain though. I really had a nice
birthday celebration given by my friends and family before I left for Europe. Tonight, I spend my night with my cousin and her friends hanging out in a Pub. Quiet honestly, I have never been in a English Pub and I can say is that I did have a great time and it was nice meeting new friends.
Tomorrow, I am heading to Liverpool to meet my other cousin. Another exciting place to travel. I can’t wait to get there. I will be traveling by High Speed Virgin Train. I love the train ride. I wish we have this kind of train in the West Coast especially from Phoenix. Well, it’s time to hit the sack now. Another new chapter will begin tomorrow. I will be posting lots of photos and I hope you guys will enjoy them. I am very honored to share a piece of my world and experience my travel through my camera lens.
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IPHONE IN LONDON
03 years ago
by mikemontesa
in Uncategorized
Woohoo. The 3G on my iPhone is working perfectly thanks to the O2 network Bolt Ons. Just got it activated today. My GPS is working beatifully too. I need to put this baby on a wringer. I’m heading to Central London at this moment and I’m currently on the Tube. Let see how good their network is.
BACK TO EUROPE
03 years ago
Well, 2 more nights to go and I’ll be on a plane to London Heathrow. Europe, here I come! It has been 2 years since my last visit to the UK. I’m really excited to go. I’m all packed, my iPhone unlocked for O2 network and my rental flats are all waiting for me. I leave on Tuesday night via British Airways and I fly non-stop from Phoenix to Heathrow. I don’t usually fly British Airways (if possible, my preference is Virgin Atlantic) but on this trip, I’m on a budget and I try to be a smart traveller on recession. My trip is also not just for pleasure but to work on my portfolio. As a photographer, all I think about is the dream of documenting other places that tells more stories, show colorful pasts and friendly people. So on this trip, my mission is to take documentary style photos in Europe especially in Spain and Portugal. I’m also excited to fly into Heathrow’s new Terminal 5. I want to see what is all that hype that everybody is talking about. I’ll found out when I get there.
TRAVEL COUNTDOWN
03 years ago
by mikemontesa
in Travel Logs
I have finally finished packing and that took a lot of work. It usually takes me forever to make a decision on which stuff to bring and some of you knows that I take my whole studio with me (sort of) when I travel. I’m fully equipped though, from medicine to batteries. I’m all ready for any situation that can happen during the trip. I also got all my money exchanged to Euro’s and British Pounds. I’ve already learned a lesson from my first European trip of not exchanging the money in the US right away. It’s a lot cheaper to do your currency exchange here in the US than doing it abroad. They only charge you $5 here at Chase Bank instead of $30 at the the Currency Exchanger, especially those at the airport.
