Page 78 – The Points Of Life

Blog Roast OMAAT: Starting Posts with Ouch, Wow, Uh Oh, Wild, Major, Whoa

thepointsoflife

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June 28, 2021

Today’s travel blogs are becoming more like tabloid spam. How many videos do I have to see with people fighting on airplanes? How many times do I have to read about Chase’s 100k offer? I understand that no one is really traveling and content is hard to come by but when is the travel blogging going to go back to happy travel tales? For these reasons, I am going to write a roast post on each blog that I read where I dole out tough love and provide unsolicited advice on how to make the blog better.

I am starting today with the only blog I read consistently, OMAAT. Lucky publishes multiple posts on a daily basis and gently pushes credit card offers. However, I have to call him out for three things:

The use of emojis which has ruined the English language within his posts (Happy Emoji Day! = End of Civilization).
His overuse of the word ‘given’. There is a thesaurus.
His post titles that start with “Ouch, Wow, Uh Oh, Wild, Major, Whoa”. The title of the article speaks for itself. Why do you insist on using these words? It weakens the headline.

Other than that, keep up the good work. And nice job on calling out that Marriott in Greece.

Jamaica Carnival 2022: Marriott Still Unavailable

thepointsoflife

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June 25, 2021

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There’s nothing better in life than carnival. My first experience was in Rio (see Guns & Butter: Rio de Janeiro Travel Guide). The second was in Trinidad (see Last Minute Trinidad Carnival Guide! Everything You Need to Know And Stuff You Will Figure Out On Your Own!). The third was supposed to be last year in Kingston, Jamaica. It was cancelled again this year, and I have started planning for attending next year. Since April, I have been checking Marriott’s website. Since April, it shows that points redemptions are unavailable.

When I booked Trinidad’s carnival, I did it literally last second (see How to Book Trinidad’s Carnival Last Second for Free*). I am optimistic that rooms will open, but I will probably have to use the same last-minute strategy. Celebrating carnival will be the best way to return to a life of debauchery.

And now for some questions. Have you been to any carnivals? Which one is your favorite?

IQKhameleon: Halfway There!

thepointsoflife

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June 24, 2021

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If you haven’t heard of IQKhameleon (see IQKhameleon عقخ: The Lifestyle IS Coming), I won’t blame you yet. Given the boredom of the pandemic and inability to travel, I decided to develop a lifestyle brand. Marketing 101 requires everyone to follow on IG and to create of a website. Marketing 102 required the purchase of technology (see VIDEO: SkyDio 2 Inaugural Flight: Rio Mar, Puerto Rico & DJI Pocket 2: The Compliment to My SkyDio Drone). Now, the sample design has been made. The next step is to go visit my distributor in Colombia and approve the prototype.

IQKhameleon – Smart Sportswear

The World’s Most Expensive Cities for Expats

thepointsoflife

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June 22, 2021

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Remember when TPOL was supposed to move to Albania (see Vote Where TPOL Moves in December (For Real This Time)), and then I used COVID as an excuse not to go (see Canceled! TPOL’s Move to Albania)? I don’t regret that decision, but I have learned that living in Puerto Rico is no bargain. 11.5% sales tax, an electric bill that cost more than my former Acura Integra car payment, and a water bill that is as erratic as the rainforest weather in Rio Mar are reasons why I am looking forward to splitting my time abroad. That’s why I will not be living in these places, which made the Top Ten List for most expensive cities for ex-pats in 2021.

10. Bern, Switzerland: I know nothing about this city except for the daily weather which is reported on BBC International.

9. Beijing, China: The Great Wall is great. Other than that, I do not like Beijing. In fact, it’s my least favorite city in China.

8. Geneva, Switzerland: I haven’t been but Vlad and Uncle Joe were there. “I don’t see any reason why it would be?”

7. Singapore: Great food but boring, no thanks (see “You can get anything you want here.”).

6. Shanghai, China: My favorite city in the world (see TPOL’s Travels: The Best Big Cities in the World) is no longer up and coming. It’s there and it’s expensive.

5. Zurich, Switzerland: I went to Zurich expecting it to be Geneva. I found fancy and filth (see Glamour And Grime: My Time in Zurich).

4. Tokyo, Japan: Tokyo has always been expensive and continues to be. I prefer Osaka.

3. Beirut, Lebanon: Tragically Beirut is on this list not because it’s a thriving metropolitan but because of economic instability (see Guns & Butter: (Overrated) Beirut Travel Guide).

2. Hong Kong: Hong Kong is a value buy at #2. Hong Kong was consistently ranked #1 but now there’s a mass exodus from the island.

1. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan: “Turkmenistan’s ongoing financial crisis, which has led to food shortages and hyperinflation, is cited by Mercer as the reason why Ashgabat’s cost of living has risen over the past couple of years.” Add this one to the list of places I need to go for my Country Count List when I leave my basement.

Maybe Albania is a good idea after all.

Like Arnold, I’ll Be Back

The Deal Ticker

thepointsoflife

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June 18, 2021

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So many messages asking why I’ve broken my daily blog promise (see TPOL Opens M-F at 10:07AM EST). I am happy I’m missed but asked why they aren’t following me on IG. If they did, they’d see I’ve been golfing. Simultaneously, I’m stuck on this Tahiti Triumph Trip Report. I vow never to fall behind on these Trip Reports because finishing them, though necessary, is boring.

a golf course with a rainbow in the background — I’ll be back, sometime next week.

Chase Sapphire Approved!

thepointsoflife

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June 14, 2021

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I logged into my Chase account and could not believe my eyes. At the very bottom of my account was a new account with a zero balance. I clicked on the account and wouldn’t you know, it’s the Chase Sapphire Card. The last time I was approved for a Chase card was years ago for the Ink, which took a lot of work (see Chase Business Preferred: 100k Finally, Finally, Finally!). Now the next 100k is coming my way. With no trips since 2020 (see NYC Twice: A Recap of My 2020 Travels), I am flush with Chase points and am poised to cross the 600k mark after meeting the minimum spend. Now I need somewhere to go (see 11 Reasons Why I Still Don’t Want to Travel).

Whatnameissnttaken2: Claim Your Free Trip to PR!

The Deal Ticker

thepointsoflife

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June 11, 2021

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LuckyTyler must not read the blog anymore. He didn’t claim his prize after winning the March Madness tourney (see Baylor What? Unlucky Me, Lucky Tyler Wins a Trip to Puerto Rico). Since it’s been more than two months, I’m moving on to the next person on the list, “Whatnameissnttaken2”. I’ll give him/her one month before, by default, Lost in Cebu is declared the winner. He can come down as soon as he makes it back to the US.

Golf in Tahiti? Not in This Town

thepointsoflife

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June 10, 2021

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Golf Tahiti is part of the Tahiti Triumph Trip Report. It covers the following cities:

See the Picture Preview here and see how this $60,000 trip cost $1999 here. Be sure to check out TPOL’s Map, the best feature of the blog.

Golf courses in scenic places are beautiful. Tahiti is beautiful. That doesn’t mean that a golf course in Tahiti would be as well. Golf courses cost a small fortune to maintain and without proper care, they are fields of grass and ditches of sand. Enter the Green Pearl Golf Course in Moorea.

a green grass field with trees and a body of water — But what about the course itself?

What the Pictures Show

Like the golf advertisements in Nepal (see Rip-off Alert: Golfing in the Himalayas), the pictures of the course in Moorea and the reality of the course are two different things.

a display of golf caps on shelves — Photos of what the course and clubhouse are supposed to look like.

Teeing Off

To tee of this review, I have to admit that I booked the round to boast that I golfed in Tahiti.

Fairways

Like the name suggests, the fairways were fair.

Bunkers

The bunkers were solid concrete. As any golf pro would recommend, they should be avoided.

a golf ball on a hill — The sign encourages golfers to rake the bunkers, an impossible task.

Greens

Without a robust golf membership, private donations, or a thriving golf tourism industry, it was not a surprise that the greens were terrible.

Water Hazard

The water hazard was spectacular. A lot of time must have been spent building it.

Golf Cart

Unlike golfing in Blenheim, New Zealand, at least there was a golf cart (see So I Picked the Wrong Course).

Mulligan

As I have traveled and golfed at better courses (see Golf Course Reviews), the novelty of saying I golfed in an exotic locale is no longer reason enough to golf in those locations. If the course is not up to international standards, it is worth skipping. Rather than forcing myself to golf just to say I golfed, there are much better ways to spend time in these destinations. For example, trekking around Moorea would have been more rewarding, despite this photo which is worthy of Golf Digest’s cover.

Overall

Golf in Tahiti? In the words of Bucho, “Not in this town”.

a man holding a stick and a coconut — Find nature organically, not forcefully.

Swimming with Sharks & Stingrays in Moorea

thepointsoflife

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June 9, 2021

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Swimming with Sharks & Stingrays is part of the Tahiti Triumph Trip Report. It covers the following cities:

See the Picture Preview here and see how this $60,000 trip cost $1999 here. Be sure to check out TPOL’s Map, the best feature of the blog.

I’ve done some wild things in my life from bungee jumping in Victoria Falls (see 3,2,1 Bungee! Bungee Jumping Victoria Falls) to eating blowfish in Osaka (see I Want to Eat Blowfish, But I Don’t Want to Die). I thought that swimming with sharks in Moorea would be on that list. It is not. On the contrary, it was a peaceful experience.

Boat

The boat picks up tourists from the Hilton Moorea and takes them to shark alley.

a body of water with mountains in the background — Leaving the Hilton

a group of sailboats in a body of water — Approaching shark alley

Stingrays

First, the stingrays come for a visit and tourists are allowed to touch them.

a stingray in the water — They really look like the automatic pool cleaners.

Sharks

Then the sharks come out to play Like the stingrays, the sharks are used to tourists. They circle around peacefully and keep to themselves.

Selfies

Then everyone dives under the water to become one with nature i.e., take selfies.

a man wearing goggles and swimming with a shark in the background — One shark take one.

a man in goggles underwater with a shark — Two sharks take one

a man wearing goggles underwater — Two sharks, take two

The Debate

a person swimming under water with a hand up — I have a question.

Should humans be touching stingrays? Should tour companies put out chum to attract sharks? Should wildlife be domesticated for the sake of selfies? I don’t think so. Then again, I did it and now I have this blog post to show for it.

a man wearing goggles and snorkeling — Shark in my ear

Targeted: 150k Amex Platinum Biz Offer

thepointsoflife

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June 8, 2021

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I normally don’t write about targeted offers because they are targeted. However, I felt compelled to write about this Amex Platinum Business offer because it is for 150k points and, allegedly, I am eligible despite having this card years ago (see Keep Vs. Cancel: Amex Business Platinum). Back then it was 150k points after 20k spent. Today, it is 150k after 15k spent in 3 months. Back then manufactured spending wasn’t a mortal sin. Today, I sadly spend that much on who knows what. Still, I’m going to wait until early fall to apply as I have to hit the min on my Hyatt card to re-qualify for Globalist (see Becoming Hyatt Globalist Again: TPOL’s Masterpiece Strategy). I am also holding out hope that I am approved for the Chase Sapphire (see Wait, Am I Under 5/24?) and that I will be approved for additional Chase cards.

Is the churn lifestyle back?