For our first real meal in New Zealand, and by “real,” I mean the first meal where we weren’t so tired, we couldn’t think straight, we went with an all New Zealand theme at our hotel restaurant. We’re staying at the Kiwi International Hotel in Auckland, and its restaurant blows the reputation of hotel eateries out of the water. As long as you’re willing to sit and eat a leisurely meal, there have been few hotels that I’ve stayed at that have had food this good.
Continue readingLeaving Khabarovsk for New Zealand
We got up for our flight from Khabarovsk early. From the window, it looked like the skies were clear. We showered and made sure everything was packed. Our first taxi couldn’t make it t the hotel, but a second taxi was quickly dispatched and arrived. The roads were slick and ice covered. There were the fewest number of cars on them that I had ever seen in Khabarovsk. It was 6:30 am on a Tuesday; surely there should be more traffic.
Continue readingA Day in Khabarovsk before Heading to New Zealand
Getting off the train in Khabarovsk, it was cold. A bitter wind blew; tears streamed down our face. When we finally found our taxi, we both were hesitant to be outside. Even with our heavy gear on, it just wasn’t pleasant. Still, we would need to find food. However, after our arrival at the Intourist Hotel, it started to snow, and then it started to blizzard. The view went from pleasant to almost being a whiteout.
From Blagoveshchensk to Khabarovsk by Train
Every international trip from Blagoveshchensk starts with a train ride to Khabarovsk. This isn’t because Blago doesn’t have an airport. It isn’t because there aren’t any international flights out of Blago. Rather, it’s because the flights that go out of Blago go to other destinations or must pass through Moscow, and flights from Blago to Khabarovsk are prohibitively expensive, especially when you consider the cost of the train.
Continue readingThe Journey to Better Marketing: Advertising Copy and Structure
Your ad will likely be constituted of a headline, the body, the offer, a call to action (CTA), a hook, and graphics. Following the AIDA model, you need to grab the person’s Attention, spark their Interest, increase their Desire and move them to Action. You need to do all of this in a simple and clean format. Advertising is an art.
Continue readingBlack Star Burger in Blagoveshchensk before We Head to New Zealand
I thought we should start our vacation a little early this evening by going out to Black Star Burger in Blagoveshchensk. Black Star Burger has some of the least expensive food in town, but it doesn’t sacrifice any of the flavor. Burgers used to run about 75 cents each for the most basic; a recent price increase has seen them become about $1. They high-end burger runs about $12.
Continue readingStories from an Alaskan Cabin: Chapter Eleven
This is the story John told:
I have a friend who works with Fire and Rescue in Anchorage. Every year, he has to go down to the mud flats to rescue tourists who think it’s fun to hike on them. They don’t realize that Turnagain’s bore tide comes in so quickly, and sometimes, they get stuck in the mud. More than one pair of shoes has been left on the flats as people fled the coming tide. Still, in spite of numerous warning signs, it seems that many tourists are oblivious to the danger. Some are more oblivious than others.
Continue readingSpeakers Club 2019: Thanksgiving
Journey to Better Marketing: The Hook
“Join our email list today for a free penguin calendar.” (Not a real offer, yet.) A hook grabs attention, creates interest, stokes desire and drives to action. The calendar in this case is the bait on the hook. Other things that can be bait: information, books, a list of some sort, a compendium of facts.
Continue readingJourney to Better Marketing: Newsletters (and Email lists)
The edition of “Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days (affiliate link)” I have is older and doesn’t feature a strong emphasis on online news more than a couple of chapters. This chapter on newsletters could be easily adapted for email lists.
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Penguinate! Positive Creativity 