Lots of good, backpacker-y advice here so I won't pitch in with my native middle-class-y thoughts, except to endorse Ubu's point about PPP's: the general PPP exchange-rate I use is SGD 5 (== USD 6.50) == INR 20. Note that INR 31 = SGD 1 lately in the forex market.

That said, Delhi is disgustingly expensive to spend some time en boite; while the Ministry of Sound franchisee in Singapore charges S$15-20 for entrance depending on the time and the phase of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 10:40 AM on June 22, 2008

There's a Facebook application called Traveler IQ Challenge that does just this. Warning: found it _very addictive_.
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 11:20 AM on January 26, 2008

I have nothing to add really, except this:-

SEA is a big place to be. If it's M'sia/Thailand (even Cambodia, to a large extent), then I find it useful to pick stuff up entirely on the way. For instance, I brought three sets of shirts-pants/cargo-half-pants (that's three including the ones I was wearing) and... just took the first flight to Bangkok. I have since expanded my wardrobe three-fold.

HOWEVER, that won't work with Burma obviously. I had... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 3:07 AM on December 1, 2007

I'm 25/M, 101kgs (which is _shocking_, seeing as it is that was 75kg only two years back) and this couch-to-5k thing sounds exciting!
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 7:42 PM on September 21, 2007

zardoz: Travelling without schedule on trains in India => IndRail passes.

Plane travel is fast becoming cheap, though; flew some 700-odd km sometime back for INR 500. (I got _very lucky_; ymmv)

lbergstr: Here's my list for backpacking:-
a) A good guidebook (Lonely Planet for Gap travels, for example)
b) Travel insurance. (My insurance plan allows me to get repatriated to my home-base)
c) Electronic copies... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 6:21 AM on September 11, 2007

On Singapore: As far I as remember, if you're on a student pass the limit was 16 hours work per week during term-time, and 100% during vacations.

(In fact, ICA confirms it.)

A better option, legally speaking, might be to find full-time work in Singapore (that is, legally reside here on an Employment Pass), and see if you can do a part-time course.

I have no idea about what kind of courses you'd require for a teaching... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 3:02 AM on May 14, 2007

One possible variation to make it more personal, is to take the idea of code and spin it around its head.

Something like this, for example:

public static void MessageGreeting()
{
/*
* I so wanted do to learn C#,
* And all I can make do is this lousy crap.
* Roses are #FF0000, Violets are #0000FF
* All I want to say: Happy Birthday to You!... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 7:05 AM on January 25, 2007

Divabat: Sorry, should have been clearer. What I meant to say was, if you're finding the whole business of poetry using code a bit troublesome, you could look at doing poetry within a code-like structure. Just an idea. Best of luck!
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 6:57 PM on January 25, 2007

@Thrillhouse: ALL cinemas I've been to (Asia only) have had assigned seating. :-)
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 7:12 AM on January 25, 2007

For those cursing that +'s dont work, here's an older workaround.
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 2:55 AM on November 10, 2006

Lying is always a bad idea. If I was your friend, I'd come up with a proper PR-isque script to explain things from his point of view, perhaps even put up a website or something for anonymous viewers explaining what his 'real' views are, and why Borat the movie is an unfair depiction of reality.
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 7:09 PM on November 6, 2006

Appreciate the responses, everyone!

Blazecock Pigeon: Thanks for the link! That was really helpful; I now know where to begin.

chrismear: Thought as much. I do remember seeing Chinese characters in a colleague's ipod, but Indic characters was an interesting question to ask. However, here's the fun part: because the basic structure is the same for Thai/Khmer/Devnaagri/etc, I'm thinking it'll be an interesting thing to try and get them on an ipod.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 6:34 AM on October 19, 2006

I've been in Iran in much more troubled times than ours (one of the longest conflicts of our times, the Iran- Iraq war), and have, as I've mentioned elsewhere on this site before, particularly been to the areas which saw military action.

While I certainly lacked an adult perspective on the events happening while I was there, I certainly returned with a greater appreciation of the Iranian people and their charming ways of tehzeeb (if that's the Farsi... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 10:49 PM on September 5, 2006

Thank you all for your great suggestions. My belief in the MetaFilter community has been restored!

My ex-flatmate was a part of a local Toastmasters group, and I did drop by their sessions on two occasions; it's an interesting group, and, you guys are right, I ought to check'em out.

UbiRovas, I found your point about the changed expectations rather insightful; I suppose part of the problem is the fact I've been so far performing to prove myself,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 8:04 PM on August 3, 2006

బోద్ధలగు వారు మత్సర పూర్ణమతులు,
ప్రభలగర్వభూషితుల్ ప్రభువులెన్న
ఇతర మనుజూలు బోధ్ధోపహతులు,
గాన భావమున జీర్ణమయ్యె సుభాషితంబు.

(My peers are too bothered to hear me out,
The rulers are too proud to listen,
People who aren't rulers or peers are too dumb to appreciate it,
Which is why I've digested these words here)

తివిరీసమున తైలంబు తీయవచ్చు,
తవిలి మృగతృష్ణలో నీరు... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 3:45 AM on August 2, 2006

I've somehow always considered Gaiman to be the inheritor of the British speculative-fiction-with-humour throne from DNA, so I'd say, DNA came up with it, Gaiman perfected it. :-)
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 3:36 AM on July 31, 2006

Pretty freaky admitting that I've, at times, watched daytime Indian television, but there was this one episode where they replaced an actor in some soap who's name (and channel and language) escapes me now. They had a mugshot of the old dude morph into that of the new dude, with a single line saying that this particular character will now be played by the new actor. Guess the screenwriters were also threatening a strike over pay.
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 6:34 AM on April 18, 2006

Remember reading about a base 2 numbering system used by Ethiopians.
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 8:52 AM on March 16, 2006

Out here in equitorial Singapore, if it doesn't rain, it's sunny.

So yes, I guess you could say spring has arrived, now that we're getting that gentle breeze from Indonesia, and American Idol live off the satellite.
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 8:46 AM on March 16, 2006

Here's another idea then: she visits, you guys go to Phillipines, get married, come back to the US, and get married again, but this time for your American folks!

Problem solved at twice the fun.
posted to Ask Metafilter by the cydonian at 2:34 AM on February 21, 2005