Travel Guide - ThePointsOfLife

What’s Your New Year’s Resolution?

The Deal Ticker

thepointsoflife

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December 17, 2019

It’s been a while since I’ve made a New Year’s resolution. However, in 2020, I am committed to reviving my career as an author. It took two years to write my first book, Everyone’s Advice Is Wrong . . . Including Mine, and five years later, I’m more famous as a blogger than I am as a writer (see The CNN Business Traveller Clip! Now Playing).

But, this post isn’t only about me. It’s about the employees who find themselves hating their job while only being able to escape it for a few days thanks to points (read Step 1 of the book: Enjoy #ThePointsOfLife, the genesis of my blog).

If your resolution is to escape in 2020, I can help. If it’s not, then buy my book because you love/hate TPOL and leave an honest commending/scathing review. I’m willing to sign a copy upon request, though my first book signing did not attract a large crowd (see Signing Day! in Mongolia).

a man writing on a book — Signing day in Ulaanbaatar

Dongtian Pho Shanghai: Maybe the One in Beijing Is Better

thepointsoflife

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December 16, 2019

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Dongtian Pho Shanghai Review is part of the TPOL in Shanghai Trip Report.

Once upon a time I wrote about Pho Peace Summit in Shanghai. The restaurant I reviewed, Pho Yum, is now closed. Looking for a substitute I went to Dongtian Pho, which is located next to my gym (see Z & B Fitness: TRX Training in Shanghai). I read good reviews including this one about the location in Bejing. It may be worth the 40-minute wait there but it’s worth skipping here. I’m only writing this review as a warning for fellow pho lovers.

Spring Rolls

Not very good and didn’t seem fresh.

Pho

I’ll quickly go through it.

Beef: Appropriately undercooked.
Broth: Did not have the right flavor.
Noodles: Not the standard pho noodles.

Overall

Let the photos do the talking. If the bowl is empty, it was right on.

Dongtian Pho Shanghai Review is part of the TPOL in Shanghai Trip Report.

Sunday Funday Shanghai: An Expat Timeout

thepointsoflife

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December 13, 2019

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Sunday Funday Shanghai is part of the TPOL in Shanghai Trip Report.

Where can you celebrate Sunday Funday in Shanghai? The answer is the corner of Changle Lu and Fumin Lu. There you will find Cantina Agave.

Next to that is where I had all you can eat teppanyaki (see Kagen Teppanyaki: Everything, I Mean Everything Is Included). The corner was packed with expats. I found a table at Cantina Agave and ordered a Michelada followed by a Bloody Mary.

TPOL’S TIP: Yes to the Michelada, no to the Bloody.

For food, I went with the great option of nachos. The jalapeno poppers were what you would expect poppers to be.

TPOL’s TIP: Cantina Agave is located at 291 Fumin Road.

If you still want to drink, head to 624 Changle Lu for an assortment of beers including one of my favorites, Delirium. For 25 RMB ($3.50) you can afford to sample beer after beer, reminding me of my time in Guadalajara, Mexico (see World Baseball Classic Guadalajara: Beer Detour).

Overall

Sometimes expats want to see other expats and eat food from home. The intersection of Fumin Lu and Changle Lu is the place to go for that.

Sunday Funday Shanghai is part of the TPOL in Shanghai Trip Report.

Happy Festivus! Airing of Points Grievances 2019

thepointsoflife

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December 12, 2019

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Happy Festivus! It’s been a great year for TPOL, but let me tell you all the ways that airlines, hotel chains, credit card companies, bloggers, and commentators have disappointed me over the last year. I’m just as angry as when I celebrated Festivus in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. This year I was especially annoyed with commentators who talk and talk but only do so in the shadows. Come out, come out and say it in person!

Before we get to those people, let’s get to my complaints!

Now for the annoying people of the world.

From the post Pho Darwin: Worst in the World, Debbie Donner wrote:

2. From the post Cathay Business HKG-SYD: No Orchids Says It All a screenshot of a phone 3. From Delta Amex: First Bag Free, Second Is a Scam

4. From Expat Life Shanghai Metro: When Every Day Is Black Friday a screenshot of a phone

Who are these people? Why are they so angry? Some use their work emails, which makes me really wonder how bright they are. While I’ll continue to blog and welcome comments from anyone, positive or negative, I am not going to change my ways. If I lose readers, ah well.

Happy Festivus!

a group of pandas lying on the ground in the woods — Happy Festivus from Happy Pandas!

Where to Party? New Year’s Eve

thepointsoflife

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December 11, 2019

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If you take a look at the New Year’s Roll Call Trip Report, you’ll notice that the tradition of being out of the country for New Year’s Eve began in 2000 in Cancun, Mexico. From there it increasingly improved, went stale for a couple of years, and then it began rebounding.

1999: Orlando , Florida
2000: Cancun, Mexico
2001: Toronto, Canada
2002: Montreal, Canada
2003: Cancun, Mexico
2004: Acapulco, Mexico
2005: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
2006: Tokyo, Japan
2007: Paradise Island, Bahamas
2008: Dubai, UAE
2009: Bali, Indonesia
2010: Panama City, Panama (should’ve stayed in Cartagena, Colombia)
2011: New Orleans, Louisiana (The Sugar Bowl New Orleans: Celebrating Brady Hoke)
2012: Goa, India
2013: Cape Town , South Africa ($77,000 Trip Heard Round the World)
2014: Mandalay , Myanmar (Happy New Years from Mandalay)
2015: Orlando , Florida (Jet Lagged! The Citrus Bowl Trip Report Debrief)
2016: Bangkok , Thailand (New Years 2016! My Last Binge in Bangkok)
2017: Scottsdale , Arizona (TPOL in the Desert)
2018: Hong Kong (TPOL Down Under Trip Report)
2019: Rio Mar, Puerto Rico (Despacito! TPOL Moves to Puerto Rico).
2020*: Rio Mar, Puerto Rico (The Lost & Found Year(s): COVID Trip Report)
2021: New York, New York (Happy New Year! TPOL’s NYC NYE Party Guide)
2022: Rio Mar, Puerto Rico (Michigan loses to TCU in Fiesta Bowl)
2023: Bangkok , Thailand
2024: Rio Mar, Puerto Rico
2025: Rio Mar, Puerto Rico; Curacao on New Year’s Day

Each year the tradition continues but for one problem: where to go?

Here are the guidelines:

It can’t be in the United States. How can there be last call on NYE? Rookies go to Vegas for NYE so that’s not an option.
It has to be a party city. Mandalay certainly was not.
It can’t be somewhere I’ve already been. An Acapulco remix trip would be great, but there’s no way to duplicate dancing with the devil from a decade ago.
It can’t be somewhere cold. What’s the point of chicken & broccoli then?
It ideally would be a new country so I can add it to the Country Count List. Alternatively, it would be in close proximity to countries I haven’t been to so I can see them before or after.
New Year’s is an expensive time to travel so I want to use points to cover my hotel stays.

As is the format of the segment ¿Sí o No? from the best/worst sports show on television, Highly Questionable, I’ll put some options out there for destinations and respond as to whether or not I’m intrigued.

Cartagena, Colombia: Oh, si, si, (in papi voice) I’m very intrigued. The chance to make up for the disaster that took us from Cafe del Mar in Old Town Cartagena to a hell bus ride from Panama City to Bocas del Toro only to find a bunch of surfers and rain would be a good choice.
Punta del Este, Uruguay: Oh, si, si, I’m very intrigued. Argentinians fed up with the heat of BA head to what is usually a quiet fisherman’s town for Ibiza style partying. By most accounts, renting a villa in La Barra is the way to go.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Oh, si, si, I’m very intrigued. There are beaches. There is party but damn it I’ve been there for Carnaval. Read the Guns & Butter: Rio Travel Guide to see why it may be worth returning.
Margarita Island, Venezuela: Do you want to party with prisoners? I thought you’d be intrigued. This has the makings of a good TPOL Trip Report.
Sydney, Australia: No, I’m not intrigued. I’ve been all over Australia including Sydney. I was not impressed with the fireworks in Hong Kong so another display doesn’t sound exciting. Sydney has nice beaches (see Bondi to Bronte: How to Spend A Day in Sydney), but as for the city itself, it’s no different than Los Angeles.
Manila, Philippines: Another friend of mine has embraced TPOL’s Shut Up & Book! philosophy and makes the trek at least once a year to SE Asia for some great debauchery and raves about Manila. I’ve been to Boracay so the Philippines wouldn’t be a new country and the rest of the stops would obviously be fun, but how many times can I party with ladyboys in SE Asia? Perhaps one more time.
Beirut, Lebanon: This comes from a friend that is risk loving. I’m not intrigued primarily because the weather isn’t great. Temperatures in the 60s and an unstable region – how’s that a fun time? Updated for 2019: Beirut is overrated.
Europe: Not intrigued, it’s cold.
Caribbean Islands: Good weather, delicious rum, and some decent points options make the Caribbean intriguing. The cost of excursions and food do not. Furthermore, where in the Caribbean besides Bahamas is a big party spot? I guess cases could be made for Jamaica and Dominican. The issue with the Caribbean is its proximity to the US. I could go there any time making it not as adventurous as other places on this list. Still, I’m not ruling it out as a stop along the way. Updated for 2019: I now live in Puerto Rico.
The Moon: I could always pick a random place, buy a bottle of Jack, and get after it.

Well, this did nothing for me. If you haven’t gone to some of the gems on the list like Bali or Dubai for New Years then count yourself lucky. You still have options. If you have recommendations for me, feel free to share them. TPOL might come meet you there.

Oh, and I don’t care for fireworks so that’s not a factor despite every ‘top list’ showing a slide show of them going off throughout the world.

In case you’re curious, here’s how it all went down:

a group of people posing for a photo — Disney World: Orlando (1999)

two men smiling at the camera — Senor Frogs: Cancun (2000)

a man in a mask punching a man — Knocked Out: Toronto (2001)

a group of people smoking — Is that a cigarette? Montreal (2002)

Cancun when Cousin George had hair (2003)

And Dance with the Devil! Acapulco (2004)

Jim Jones in Tokyo 2006 — Jim Jones in Tokyo (2006)

Classless Bottle Pictures: Dubai 2009 — Classless Bottle Pictures: Dubai (2008)

Red Bull Gives You Wings: Panama City, Panama (2010)

Hurricanes, Umich victory, Bald Cousin George: New Orleans (2011)

B School Alum: Goa, India (2012) — B School Alum: Goa (2012)

new year's eve 2016 — Shimmy Beach Club: Cape Town (2013)

a group of people sitting under a canopy — Michigan wins a bowl game in Orlando. (2015)

a man smoking a cigarette — Bangkok, Thailand (2016)

a glass with ice and a bottle in it on a table with a flag — Watching Michigan lose a bowl game in Scottsdale (2017)

fireworks over water at night — Fireworks then LKF for blackout crawl (2018)

fireworks in the sky — Like Hong Kong, but from my house in Rio Mar, Puerto Rico. (2019)

a man and woman taking a selfie — Fuck Covid from Rio Mar, Puerto Rico Again (2020)

palm trees on a beach — The dawn of a new year for Michigan football (2022)

Will You Go to a Bowl This Season?

Sports Reporter

thepointsoflife

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December 10, 2019

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Michigan versus Alabama for the national championship! That’s what I was hoping for. I had the right teams but the wrong venue. Once again, Michigan will be playing in the Citrus Bowl, a place I’ve been too many times before. Last time I used points and went for next to nothing. This time I’ll be watching the most intriguing match besides the New Year’s six from home. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other games unworthy of my attention. Consider the following:

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl
Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl
Camping World Bowl
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

And the best: Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.

Are you going to any of these B-rated games? Or do you agree it’s time to scrap the system and expand the playoff system because the bowl system has lost its luster?

Unhappy Upon Check In? Don’t Let Buyer’s Remorse Sink In

thepointsoflife

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December 9, 2019

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Buyer’s Remorse is part of the TPOL in Shanghai Trip Report.

The Airbnb in Shanghai was awful (see Airbnb Long-Term? Never Again: My Shanghai Experience). The U Hotel was acceptable. Thanks to Citi’s 4th Night Free (now expired), I was able to book the Renaissance Yu Garden for a great rate and receive my Bonvoy benefits.

As a Titanium Elite I usually receive an upgrade, and the Renaissance’s website boasts about the great view. When I walked into my room and saw I had received neither, I was disappointed. I was also unimpressed by how dated the room was. The carpet was no longer attached to the floor.

Tired of changing hotels, I decided to accept my fate and not complain. I lay on the bed and tried to relax. I started messing with Marriott’s mobile app and saw that I could’ve stayed at the newer, nicer Marriott for the same rate. I got out of the bed to looked out the window searching for a rationale to stay. I could not find one.

an aerial view of a city — This wasn’t going to cut it.

I went down to the front desk and told them I wanted to check out. Bewildered, they said I could not leave because I had already been in my room for three hours. I explained that I was dissatisfied with the view and how dated the room was. They replied that they would’ve canceled my reservation had I informed them promptly.

For one hour, I attempted to arrange a buyout. They proposed letting me check out the next day with no penalty. But for the Citi Prestige perk, I would have done so. They proposed that I could pay $70, and then I could leave. I rejected both offers. After a lot of back and forth with me repeating my side and the employee repeating hers, we both started to laugh at the situation. Ultimately, she agreed to discount my first night stay and move me to a suite with a view the next day.

Before the blog trolls say I don’t deserve it and call me entitled, be warned you will be on the Festivus 2019 list (see past Festivus celebrations here). For everyone else, the lesson is two-fold: 1) If you don’t like the room, don’t let buyer’s remorse sink in. Here, the hotel pointed out the divets in the bed to show that I had used the room and that they would have to clean it before offering it to another guest. That’s a fair point minus the cheap cost of labor. 2) If you literally sleep on your rights to complain, recognize that a little charm, a little insistence, and mild indignation can get you what you want.

When I saw the view from my room the next day, I had no regrets about my temper trantrum (see Renaissance Yu Garden: Now That’s A View!).

Z & B Fitness: TRX Training in Shanghai

thepointsoflife

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December 6, 2019

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TRX Training Shanghai is part of the TPOL in Shanghai Trip Report.

Disclaimer: If you use my affiliate link, I get paid.

I used to pretend I would workout when I traveled. There was a time when I TRX’d in Tahiti. I have given up on that plan.

There is a difference between working out while on vacation and developing a regiment when living an Expat Life. Since the TPOL in Shanghai experiment was only for 30 days, joining a gym didn’t make sense. First, I didn’t want to spend $100 for a month, the cheapest I could find. Second, I have grown tired of my own routine. Why can’t chest day be six times a week?

Instead of becoming a dumpling, I signed up with Z & B Fitness. For 300RMB ($42), new members are given three classes. I wanted to improve my TRX skills for when I returned to Puerto Rico and worked out with my ropes tied to a palm tree on the beach and for the off chance that I one day TRX while on vacation. I also wanted to keep my spin abilities lest any reader wants to challenge me on the Peloton (@thepointsoflife). The best thing about Z & B is the ability to pay with cash instead of WeChat, something that foreigners have trouble doing (see Without Technology TPOL’s the Creepy Old Guy in Shanghai).

Spin

I’ve done spin all over the world from Monterrey, Mexico to Prague, Czech Republic. In this class there were only two other participants. It was a good workout, and I would incorporate it in routine when I come back for ex-pat round two. However, from all the places I’ve done spin, US included, Peloton from my home in PR is by far the most challenging.

TPOL’S TIP: The classes are taught in English and Mandarin.

TIP TPOL: Purchase your own Peloton using my referral code.

TRX

I’ve done TRX for 13 years. I do not consider myself an expert. I don’t think I’m particularly great at it. When the instructor asked if I had experience with TRX, I said yes not knowing what was in store.

I am glad no one was filming the class. We did all sorts of exercises that were crazy and difficult. Legs were particularly challenging. Fortunately, I wasn’t the only one looking foolish.

Overall

I spent my first two weeks in Shanghai working out my dance skills (see TPOL’s Guide to A Night in Shanghai: 2019 Edition). I didn’t implement the workout plan until late into my tenure. By then it didn’t make sense to buy a 5 or 10 lesson package since I would not have time to use them all. But next time, I know where to go.

TRX Training Shanghai is part of the TPOL in Shanghai Trip Report.

Yoyo Chinese: Finally a Way to Improve My Mandarin

thepointsoflife

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December 5, 2019

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Best Way to Learn Mandarin is part of the TPOL in Shanghai Trip Report.

Disclaimer: If you use my affiliate link, I get paid.

Since 2010, I’ve been trying to become fluent in Mandarin. It started when I lived in Shanghai for my MBA exchange and came home embarrassed because I could not even say beer in Chinese. From there, I had the bright idea to try to learn Mandarin in three months and take the oral proficiency test, a prerequisite for graduating. To no one’s surprise, I came up short and had to take it again four months later. Since then, I’ve been off and on with my Mandarin studies. Fed up with the lack of progress from studying on my own, I hired a Skype tutor. That didn’t work out as most of those tutors proved unreliable.

After returning to Shanghai this past summer (see TPOL in Shanghai), everything had changed except me. Without Technology, I was The Creepy Old Guy in Shanghai. Without improved Mandarin, I couldn’t say much more than I could nine years ago.

Luckily, I now use Yoyo Chinese, the best and most organized software I have found for learning Mandarin. It starts off very basic but is comprehensive. Unlike Pimsleur, my favorite way of learning new languages, it progresses from intermediate to advanced. Notably, the creators admit that it will take years to improve and do not boast about immediate fluency.

Next time I return to Shanghai on my expat assignment, I am confident of two things: 1) I’ll be older than last time. 2) I’ll be speaking and reading at a much higher level.

Now if I could only find a good program for Arabic!

a stair with blue writing on it — Pretty sure that’s not what that means.

Best Way to Learn Mandarin is part of the TPOL in Shanghai Trip Report.

Looking to Churn? Move to Puerto Rico

thepointsoflife

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December 4, 2019

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I moved to Puerto Rico last April for the generous tax benefits (see Despacito! TPOL Is Moving to Puerto Rico! Effective Inmediatamente). What I did not expect was a new world of churning. While limited, there are options available to Puerto Rican residents. I recently applied for a United card, not with Chase, but with Santander. The sign-up bonus is only 32.5k but the spend is negligible at 1k. I received this message after applying:

Estimado(a) cliente: Hemos recibido su formulario para tarjeta de crédito y/o préstamo personal. Deseamos indicarle que el mismo será procesado y verificado por nuestros oficiales. De ser necesario podríamos estar comunicándonos con usted en alguno de los números provistos. Más adelante usted estará recibiendo contestación por correo y/o a través de una llamada telefónica. Si tiene alguna duda o desea información adicional de nuestros productos o servicios, puede acceder a través de www.santander.pr o a través de la Superlínea Santander al 787-281-3000

The problem is that TPOL the Polyglot is not fluent enough to call recon in Spanish. If I am approved perhaps it’s time to try Banco Popular’s Avianca card one more time.

If no taxes, beach, and golf aren’t reasons enough to move here, how about a new opportunity to churn?