Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Change in Traveler's Trade Pictures

So I decided to change the whole theme of my website. My memories of Europe are getting very foggy. I changed all my pictures to look like I remember them now. + I get bored in my Computer Photoshop class. I enjoy 'tweeking' out my pictures. Check them out here.

Before this month is out, Traveler's Trade will look almost completely like my 'tweek travel pictre page'.



Tell me what you think.
Give me some tips and advice.

Thanks
James
International Travel Guide

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Playing With My Pictures...

Here are some of the pictures from my site 'tweeked out'



This is a statue at the Convention Center in downtown San Diego


Same picture, tweeked....


Chimnies on top of Gaudi House in Barcelona, Spain



Same one, tweeked.....


The originals are @ www.travelerstrade.com

I'm thinking about making my site more focused on tweeked travel pictures. Just so it could be different than most other travel picture sites.

what do you think?

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Thursday, May 25, 2006

From London to Toronto

This is a picture above the clouds from my return flights to the states.



Above Atlantic Ocean from London, UK to Toronto Canada

My Desktop Background | Travel Picture


Table Mountain - South Africa


Map of Africa

United States Army Tanks | Iraq



Army Tanks in the middle east

Lake Tahoe Travel Picture | Lake by Dessert



Wednesday, May 17, 2006

English | French | Portuguese | Italian

Right now I'm learning French & Portuguese. I know a little Spanish from my few months in Barcelona, Spain. Learning different languages makes me realize how similar English is to the Romance Languages. If you could get the pronunciation right, learning to speak another romance language is a breeze.
For example.

'Station'
in Portuguese its 'Estacao',
in Italian 'Stazione'
in Spanish Estacion.
but in French it's 'Gare'
* I know English and Spanish, so when I read the word 'Estacao' on the Portuguese website, I already knew what word it was.

'Arrival'
in Italian it's 'Arrivo' & in French it's 'Arrivee'
but
in Spanish it's 'Hora de llagada' & in Portuguese it's 'Chegada'

Again, if you know English and see the word 'arrival' in Italian or French, you have an ideal of what word it is. If you know Spanish, when you hear it in Portuguese, it almost sounds the exact same.

'Ticket'
in french it's 'Billet'
in Portuguese it's 'Bilhete'
in Italian it's 'Biglietto'
in Spanish it's 'Billete'

You'll find a lot of amazing similarites like this, when it comes to nouns and verbs. Althought they look the same, they all sound completely different. The hard part is understanding the pronunciation. When you see it, it's easy to recognize, but hearing it in the middle of a sentence is much harder.

'Supplement'
in French it's 'supplement'
in Portuguese it's 'suplemento'
in Italian it's 'supplemento'
in Spanish it's 'suplemento'

I guess I'm telling you these things incase you read a sign or book anywhere where the romance languages are used, notice that you could read it if you thought about it hard enough.

I must stress using pronunciation, because their are many words that are spelled the same, but if you can't say it like the natives, then it sounds like nothing.

For example
the word 'habit' in French is 'habit' but when pronuncing it it sounds like 'abi', because thay don't sound out the 'H' and the 't' is VERY silent.

Now you know why it's neccessary to know how to sound out all the letters of the alphabet of the language you are trying to learn.

Next Time, I will talk about the similarities of English, German, Dutch & Swedish.

It seems like english is just a mix of all the languages with it's own pronunciation.

This Travel Photoblog is part of my Free Travel Pictures website, Traveler's Trade.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

5 Tips To Travel Abroad

When you are traveling abroad you will undoubtedly find yourself dealing with a large number of companies that you are unfamiliar with, and whose policies and procedures are different from what you are used to. One of your objectives when traveling abroad should be to minimize the opportunities for screw ups that might jeapordize your enjoyment and cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars more than you were counting on.Here are some tips for when you are planning your next trip abroad.

1. Whenever possible, deal with people and businesses you know

Buying a cut rate vacation package from a company you have never dealt with before may seem smart at the time. But if you have no experience with the company, you really have no guarantee that everything promised in your travel package will actually come off as expected. Talk to friends and relatives about travel companies they have dealt with. Look for reviews on the internet. Deal with companies who have been around for a while and are members of professional associations such as the American Society of Travel Agents, the National Tour Association or the United States Tour Operators Association.

2. Start planning well in advance

If you are planning a major vacation abroad start researching at least a year or two in advance. Search the internet for information about your destination. There are many travel sites devoted to providing information about special air flights, hotel rates, local customs, and things to see and do in the country you are planning to visit.Hook up with one or two companies or travel agents that sound promising. Ask them for information, or ask to be put on their mailing list. Talk with them occasionally and follow their promotions. This will give you an idea of the type of service they provide and the costs involved. It will also help you to learn the vocabulary and give you a better idea of the proper questions to ask.

3. Be wary of telemarketers with travel deals

Telemarketers and vacation resellers are in the business of selling surplus travel and accommodation for other companies. They want to make the sale, and beyond that are not interested in your satisfaction, or whether you actually get the product you bargained for. Be aware that they have no responsibility to you after the sale has been made, and it might be difficult to get exactly what you thought you were getting from the company that is actually providing the service.Many resellers will use ads in the newspaper or on the internet, or will send unsolicited faxes that offer cut rate vacations. Without some background on the company offering these "deals" you have no way of knowing if they are legitimate. The fact is the "deals" often contain hidden costs or they may require you to attend a sales presentation to qualify for the discount. Certain practices used by these companies are dead giveaways that there is something fishy about their service. For instance don't deal with a company that wants to send a courier for your payment or asks you to send money by overnight delivery. Even giving your credit card information to such a company is very risky. So the best policy is not to deal with companies you don't know or don't have good reason to trust.

4. Don't pay until you have verified details of your travel package

One important advantage of dealing with a travel agent or tour operator that you know and trust is that they can make most arrangements without full payment from you. This allows you to withold a substantial part of your payment until you see the complete details of your trip. If your agent is booking flights, hotels or cruises for you they should be able to provide, in writing, a complete itinerary with names, addresses and telephone numbers so you can verify the bookings. Your agent or tour operator should also provide complete cancellation and refund policies.If you deal with cut rate tour resellers it may be difficult to get these details, and you will probably be required to pay the full cost in advance. Nine times out of ten they will say "We need full payment to hold your spot and guarantee these low prices." But once you have given them your payment you have very little leverage. If it turns out that you are not satisfied with some of the arrangements they will simply say "You get what you pay for."

5. Never give out your credit card information on the phone to strangers

Most people who think paying online is risky are only too happy to give out their credit card information on the telephone to individuals they know nothing about. It is true that there are safety mechanisms built into the credit card system. But it is also true that someone who has your credit card information can do serious damage to you in a very short time. And even if you can eventually straighten out the mess, you will have been seriously inconvenienced in the meantime.The general rule is that you should not give out credit card information to companies you are not familiar with. This means that if you are buying travel services from someone on the other end of your telephone you should not be prepared to pay by credit card. Of course that presents a problem, since the alternative would be to send a check or money order, and they may not be prepared to wait a few days to receive it. That is good enough reason to look for a different service provider.

If ordering online, the best and longest trusted is Orbitz!
300x250 Europe

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com
Rick Hendershot publishes Linknet News Brazil Tours - Fantastic travel packages to Brazil Cancun Mexico Hotels and Resorts

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

This is a PhotoBlog By Traveler's Trade

I just realized that I called this blog a photoblog & haven't really posted pictures from my website.


Here's more Barelona, Spain Pictures.... Mont Juic Cable Car to Beach



Top: Stairway up Sagrada Familia
Bottom: View from top of Sagrada Familia


Sagrada Familia - from the park across the street.


these are some of the pictures from my Barcelona Photos Page

Great Tips If planning to move to Paris

Hey,
I posted a ad about my move to France on Craigslist, hoping to get any kind of advice about living in or moving to Paris. A nice lady name Kathleen sent me great tips, from how to enjoy Paris to finding out what the French like and don't like. Here is the email she sent me...

1. learn the metro by heart. you'll be using it everyday. memorize it. know it even better than the back of your hand.

2. when you enter any kind of shop or restaurant, listen closely. almost inaudibly, you will hear the person who enters the store say "bonjour monsieur/dame" (whoever is there). when you can hear them say it (it's very quiet), then YOU do it. it's a good manners kind of thing, and they'll respect you for it. but don't do it unless you've heard them do it a few times, so you understand HOW to do it.

3. check the bread at numerous cafes and boulangeries. they are all just a bit different. each chef has his own little way of making his bread his. after tasting a bunch of places, find the one you like the best. then make friends with the owners or shop keepers.

4. buy really good walking shoes. you'll be doing a lot of walking. maybe 2 or 3 pairs. get them here, before you go over there. and break them in before you go. just make sure they're really good quality so they can last awhile.

5. don't be afraid of a little rain. a lot, fine, use an umbrella. but if it's just a little, don't sweat it. the french like to take it all in, rain or no rain. enjoy it.

6. try to speak french as much as you can. carry a pocket dictionary. if they see you're really trying, they'll help you. but if you go over there with an american attitude that everyone there should speak english, then they'll shun you for life.

7. watch and learn how the frenchmen dress. one of their "games" is to pick people out of a crowd and name their nationality. i thought it was weird at first, but after being there for a few months (i lived there a year total), i could do it too. it's weird. but it's 90% clothes. so, if you want to fit in, dress like the natives, NOT like a typical american tourist. better yet, find a friend, and have him/her go shopping with you. then, after you're there about 6 months, you try the "game". it's fun.

8. be patient. especially at meal times. the french like to take their time, enjoy their food, and really taste it all...not just devour it down in 5 minutes flat and then run to a meeting or class. learn to slow down. enjoy life. enjoy every single bite of the food. don't rush through it. just enjoy.

9. visit all the tourist sites. study them. know them. the french are very proud of their historical sites and places to visit. they talk about them every day. if you don't know them, they'll think you don't really care about their country. and don't go just once. go several times to each place.

10. know that when you order water at a restaurant, they will bring you perrier. so, either get used to perrier, or order something else.

well...that's it for now. i lived in tours, which is south of paris. was there for 1 year. that was many years ago. i speak fluent french and italian. have never been back since. would go in a second if i could. would live there, if i could.count yourself very very lucky to go there. cherish every minute of it. take pictures. write a journal every day of your life there. cause someday you will look back on it all, and say "wow, was i really there?" and your pictures and journal will confirm it. it will seem like a dream. and it will be.

good luck, james. i'm jealous you're going, and i'm not.

have fun....and like i said......enjoy.
kathleen

THANK YOU KATHLEEN for these great tips.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Learning French is a Blast!

So, I do really have my heart set on going to Paris for a academic year (Fall 2006-Spring 2007). I'm learning French because all my classes will be in French. And of course I need to be able to speak to the natives.

But I also got some opportunities to study in Sao Paulo, Brazil or Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Both of those places sound great, but I would have to learn Portuguese or Spanish. I know a little Spanish from living in Barcelona, Spain...

*TIP: make friends with non English speakers when living in another country, it's the only way to truly emmerse into the culture.

I'm picking Paris because I spent the last 3 months learning French and I loved it when I went there. But it would be nice to live somewhere I never been before. (I love doing that)

I have to say learning French is great. Girls always ask me to tell the something in French and I usually have fun with it. One time I just said the days of the week and she loved it! It's soo funny.

So right now, not only because of schools, I'm learning to speak Spanish, Frecnh & Portuguese.
I always wanted to master the Romance languages.

My levels in those languages
SPANISH
- Enough to ask for directions, look at a room for rent, talk to a girl, and watch some soap operas
FRENCH - count, tell time, greetings, some verbs
PORTUGUESE - bonita dos gracias, você é bonita , Eu não falo o português, não mais

Thinking About Moving | Study Abroad?

So right now I'm at Grossmont College on the computer thinking about what I'm gonna do with my life the next year. I hate being home so I'm debating on moving out. But that would stupid if I plan on going to Paris in the Fall. But I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to raise enough money for the trip. I been doing a lot of scholarship essays and making a little bit of money from my websites. I guess I just want to be sure if I'm going or not to the University of Paris. Because if I'm not, I don't want to spend anymore time at home.

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Gotta Check Out www.yugatech.com



This is my favorite Disneyland picture on the net. According to Yuga Tech, this picture is Hong Kong Disneyland. I don't think it really looks like that, but this is still a great piece of artwork.

Check out www.yugatech.com

About Me | At This Time of My Life

Well, I'm James. I am currently in San Diego living with the fam after being out of the house for 3 years. I lived in Oakland, San Francisco and San Rafael for a while then I spent a few months backpacking Europe and living in Barcelona, Spain. I had to come back home because Americans can only stay in the European Union for 90 days without a work or study visa.

Right now I am attending Grossmont college. I am planning on being a foreign exchange student in Paris. I got accepted to l’université Paris IV Sorbonne. I will be attending school Fall 2006-Spring 2007. I am very excited. I am currently practicing my French, last year when I went to Paris, I couldn't even say thank you in French, but now I'm on my way to having the ability to talk in French.

How things are looking finacially, I will not be going this Fall, but we'll see. Tuition is what's killing me. Because of the program I am going through, the fee is $10,000. That's not counting airfare, rent and food. Besides working on Traveler's Trade, I am working to save money. Even though it seems impossible to go, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! But realistictly, I'm not going. So right now I am in the between stages of pretending I am staying in the states but really planning on leaving. I'm hoping in the next month I'll know for sure.

James
Traveler's Trade - Free Travel Pictures of Paris

May 2nd | Completion date of Traveler's Trade

Hi,
I spent a lot of hours working on Traveler's Trade and it will finally be complete on may 2nd. I picked May 2nd because that is my birthday. I will be 24 and I spent most of time building this site during the age of 23. By May 2nd, all I will have to do is make improvments. Soon, my visitors will be able to upload their photos from their computers straight to the net. that will make things a loteasier. So until May 2nd I will be working on my page day and night. So I can finally sit back and be proud of my photo gallery from my travels.

James

Traveler's Trade is all about Free Travel Pictures

Monday, April 17, 2006

Disney Pictures | My Disneyland Website

I also made a Disney website with tons of pictures relating to Disney and Disneyland. Check it out. If you have any pictures, send them to me.


www.disneypictures.ws

Some pictures from Traveler's Trade

These are a few travel pictures from Park Guell in Barcelona Spain


This is the ceiling under the park.


This is a Gingerbread House built by Antoni Gaudi

See more travel photos at www.travelerstrade.com

Traveler's Trade Picture Blog

This is a blog filled with travel pictures from all over the world. This blog is by Traveler's Trade: A website dedicated to providing you with the most free travel pictures. In these gallaries you will find pictures from my travels in Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Cordoba in Spain. It also has the largest Paris Photo Gallery on the net. Traveler's Trade has the most travel pictures from all over the world.

Also Flags, Maps, Travel Resources and HTML Image Help. www.travelerstrade.com