Gadling http://www.gadling.com Gadling http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Gadling http://www.gadling.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Samoa leaps over International Date Line, be careful when booking a flight]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/05/10/samoa-leaps-over-international-date-line-confuses-ambassador/http://www.gadling.com/2011/05/10/samoa-leaps-over-international-date-line-confuses-ambassador/http://www.gadling.com/2011/05/10/samoa-leaps-over-international-date-line-confuses-ambassador/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Samoa, International Date LineThe Pacific Island nation of Samoa has changed its time zone ahead one hour. This isn't some sort of island paradise version of Daylight Savings Time, but rather a shrewd business move.

By doing this they're actually hopping over the International Date Line. The Samoan government wants the country to be in the same day as more westerly Australia and New Zealand, their main trading partners. So instead of being 21 hours behind Sydney, they'll be three hours ahead.

While it seems to only be quibbling, actually it makes a huge difference. In an interview with the BBC, Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi pointed out that when it's Friday in Samoa, their business partners in Australia and New Zealand are enjoying a lazy Saturday. Sundays in Samoa are the start of the business week in Australia and New Zealand.

The International Date Line already has several zigs and zags. Traveling from north to south, it takes a swerve to the east to keep Russia's Chukchi Peninsula all in one time zone, then a sharp turn to the west to keep the Aleutian Islands in the same time zone as Alaska. Then it goes straight down all the way to the Equator, where it makes its biggest detour to the east to make sure Kiribati is to the west of it.

Another swerve puts Samoa to the east of the International Date Line. That bit is slated to change, so this is probably the last time you'll see this particular map of the International Date Line. The Line doesn't get back on its original course until it's far to the south.

The move doesn't happen until 29 December, so the Samoans, and airline companies, will have plenty of time to get adjusted. I wouldn't be surprised if at least one carrier screws up and sends their passengers to some sort of temporal limbo.


[Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons]

Samoa leaps over International Date Line, be careful when booking a flight originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 10 May 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessbusiness newsBusinessNewsdatedatesinternational businessinternational business newsinternational date lineinternational tradeInternationalBusinessInternationalBusinessNewsInternationalDateLineInternationalTradepacificpacific islandsPacificIslandsSamoatime zonetime zonesTimeZoneTimeZonestradeTue, 10 May 2011 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Photo of the Day (12.24.10)]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/12/24/photo-of-the-day-12-24-10/http://www.gadling.com/2010/12/24/photo-of-the-day-12-24-10/http://www.gadling.com/2010/12/24/photo-of-the-day-12-24-10/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

photo day

For Santa, Christmas Eve must be a royal pain in the ass. First of all, he obviously has to work at an unreasonable, unfathomable pace. He is also forced to grapple with potentially uncooperative reindeer and salty elves--not to mention children who just won't go to bed. One imagines that by the time Santa hits Apia he's ready to jet back to the tundra and hibernate for a good long month.

On top of everything else, Santa has to constantly watch where he's going, lest he plunge face-first into a building. In this image, taken in Ljubljana by Gadling Flickr pool contributor pirano, he's done just that.

Got a funny image of Santa? Upload it to the Gadling Flickr pool. If we like it we'll select is as a future Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day (12.24.10) originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apiaChristmasljubljanaphoto of the dayPhotoOfTheDaysamoasanta clausSantaClaussloveniaFri, 24 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Zealand surfer escapes tsunami]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/07/new-zealand-surfer-escapes-tsunami/http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/07/new-zealand-surfer-escapes-tsunami/http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/07/new-zealand-surfer-escapes-tsunami/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Surfers are constantly on the hunt for the "big one" - that epic wave they'll be able to tell their grand kids about. But for New Zealand surfer Chris Nel, that epic wave turned into a nightmare. Nel was out surfing with five friends in the Samoan Islands last week when a catastrophic 8.3 magnitude earthquake struck, sending a towering tsunami of water rumbling his way.

Before they even realized it, the ocean around them was rushing back out to sea, sucking Chris and his friends along with it. Chris describes the scary feeling of doom as he was pulled towards the giant mass of water, powerless to do anything but ride out the waves. For the next 45 minutes, Nel and his friends struggled to stay afloat in the pounding tsunami surge, worried they would be smashed into the beach or jungle. Finally, the friends caught a lucky break, scrambling to safety back on land in between surges. However, the surf camp where he was staying was completely destroyed. Chris returned to New Zealand wearing nothing but a pair of jeans found in the jungle.

For all the tragedy that came from last week's earthquakes and tsunamis, it's heartening to hear of some good news. Despite the increasing availability of tsunami warning systems in the Pacific Ocean, it's not likely Nel or his friends would have even had time to get out of the water, even if they learned of the wave in advance. Like any outdoor sport, surfing is not without its occasional risk - sometimes you just happen to get lucky.

New Zealand surfer escapes tsunami originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>disasterearthquakesurvivalsurvivortsunamiWed, 07 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tourism in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Samoa in light of recent disasters]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/04/what-the-recent-disasters-mean-for-tourism-in-the-philippines-i/http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/04/what-the-recent-disasters-mean-for-tourism-in-the-philippines-i/http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/04/what-the-recent-disasters-mean-for-tourism-in-the-philippines-i/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

In light of the recent quakes in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Samoa and the total devastation in the areas surrounding Manila, Padang, and Apia, it's important to understand what tourism will look like as these tourism hot spots recover. Here's a look at the current relief work happening in each locale, and some speculation as to what tourism will look like in the coming year.

The Philippines
Nearly a third of Manila, the capital city, was under water after a devastating quake late last month. Today, news is coming in that a second quake hit the Moro Gulf off Mindanao. Recovery in the city will certainly be slow and difficult, and as the main hub in the Philippines, travel will be slow and treacherous, meaning travelers to the Philippines might be better off waiting a few months before embarking on a pleasure trip.


Continue reading Tourism in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Samoa in light of recent disasters

Tourism in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Samoa in light of recent disasters originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>disaster reliefDisasterReliefearthquakeindonesiamanilapadangphilippinessamoasurfingtourismvolunteerSun, 04 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lonely Planet lists Ireland as the friendliest country in the world]]>http://www.gadling.com/2007/10/19/lonely-planet-lists-ireland-as-the-friendliest-country-in-the-wo/http://www.gadling.com/2007/10/19/lonely-planet-lists-ireland-as-the-friendliest-country-in-the-wo/http://www.gadling.com/2007/10/19/lonely-planet-lists-ireland-as-the-friendliest-country-in-the-wo/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Sometimes you go to a place for its beauty or famous tourist sites. Other times, you simply go for the people.

That's partially how I ended up in Ireland to work after college. In my humble opinion, the Irish are some of the nicest people on this planet. And now, there is documented evidence to support this.

Lonely Planet's remarkable Bluelist now boasts that Ireland is indeed the friendliest, most welcoming country in the world.

While this is no surprise for me, I'd never be able to guess the other countries mentioned in the top ten list. And in fact, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that backpackers and travelers voted the USA in at second; this is great news considering the bashing we've been receiving abroad in the last few years.

In case you are looking for a holiday destination where the people themselves will put a smile on your face you may want to check out the other countries which also made the list; Malawi, Vietnam, Thailand, Fiji, Indonesia, Samoa, and Scotland.

Lonely Planet lists Ireland as the friendliest country in the world originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Mead Film Fest: November 8-12, 2006]]>http://www.gadling.com/2006/08/20/mead-film-fest-november-8-12-2006/http://www.gadling.com/2006/08/20/mead-film-fest-november-8-12-2006/http://www.gadling.com/2006/08/20/mead-film-fest-november-8-12-2006/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It's a ways off still, but worth putting on your calendar. The Margaret Mead film and video festival will be in New York City this year from November 8-12. It's the 30th anniversary of the festival, which always offers scientifically-minded travelers a great way to catch films about other cultures. In case you're unaware who Margaret Mead is, you can check out an online bio site. Most people know Mead from their college anthropology class and her book Coming of Age in Samoa. She remains a very controversial figure, as you can read about at this site, which discusses criticism of her by anthropologist Derek Freeman. And, of course, who can forget that the governor of Florida called her a "dirty old lady" for her views on decriminalizing marijuana.

Mead Film Fest: November 8-12, 2006 originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 20 Aug 2006 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Sun, 20 Aug 2006 10:05:00 EST