Are you a bird lover? Then there is nothing that could excite you than a birding vacation to a destination of your choice. With millions of bird species around the world, bird watching is a wildlife observation activity that will forever be fun, exciting and thrilling.
Most bird watchers will travel to their destinations for this activity because other than it being a fun filled activity, it is also a chance for them to learn and appreciate the wonderful bird species that the world has to offer. However, for an up-close view of the birds, bird watchers need to bring a pair of binoculars with them.
If you are used to bird watching with the bare eye, here is a chance for you to have and up-close look at the beautiful species. The binoculars are made of two telescopes that you will use when viewing distant objects. But with so many options available on the market, choosing the right binoculars for your Costa Rica birding tours can be a challenge. Not to worry though; here are important tips to consider when shopping for some birding binoculars:
- Check the magnifying ability–When shopping for a pair of birdwatching binoculars, the first thing you must consider is the magnification that the binoculars offers. The greater the magnification ability, the easier it will be to identify the birds in the air. However, anyone would think that the 10x binoculars would be a great choice for birding but in as much it has high magnification, the images may be slightly darker when the light is low. That said, the perfect magnification for birding glasses would be 8x.
- Consider the price–Of course the prices of the binoculars will differ depending on the magnification and other factors. So, for a good deal, it is advised that you budget in advance for a good pair of birding binoculars.Top-of-the-line birding binoculars that are designed to give you good views might be costly but at the end of the day, they will be good value for money. So, start planning early!
- Make sure you test several models –Every birdwatcher has their preferences depending on the size of their hands, the shape of the face and how to hold the binoculars when focusing. So, before you can find a pair that suits you, test a few of them.
- Check for clarity – The reason why you are buying binoculars is for you to be able to enjoy a clear and close view of the birds. That said, clarity, especially in low light, is an important factor to consider. No matter how favorable the price range is, never compromise on image quality.
To conclude, the best pair of binoculars are the ones that you feel comfortable holding, and the ones that keep you enthusiastic about birding. To ensure that you find the right pair, use the above tips, do your research and make sure that you try the binoculars before buying them. And once you have your pair, get ready for the bird watching season.
Family
3 Crucial Financial Tips for Traveling Students

College can be an excellent experience regardless of your age, goals, or interests. Whether you’re looking to start a new career, or simply improve your earning potential, college opens the door to a variety of unique opportunities. Not only will you learn more about yourself, and the strengths you can bring to an employer, but you’ll make new friends and harness new skills too.
College can even open the door to opportunities to travel and see more of the world, through exchange programs, class trips, and chances to attend learning events overseas. However, as anyone who has ever struggled to live on a student budget will know, managing the costs of travel when you’re earning your education can be difficult. Fortunately, with the following tips, you can ensure you’re prepared for almost anything.
Create and Manage Your Budget
The first step in maintaining your financial health as a traveling student is learning how to use budgeting to your advantage. Chances are you already have a budget to help guide you through the challenges of managing everyday expenses like accommodation and food. However, if you’re planning on traveling, either for a short trip or a long-term event, you’re going to need to rethink your strategy. Start by researching the location you’re going to be visiting, and learning as much as you can about the costs of things like travel, accommodation, entertainment, and food. This will help you to plan how much money you need on a weekly basis. If you’re traveling as part of a program with your college course, your teachers and other students may also be able to provide some advice on how you can optimize your budget.
Have a Back-Up Source of Funds
If you’ve invested in building your savings account before your trip and you have a strong budgeting strategy in mind, you should be able to manage the costs of travel relatively effectively, without too much of a problem. However, the world can be an unpredictable place, and there’s always a chance you could end up running out of money faster than you’d expect.
It’s important to have a back-up source of funding available that you can turn to if something goes wrong. If you have extra savings in your bank account, make sure you can access them wherever you are. If not, it might be worth looking into student credit cards so you can leverage additional resources while you’re away from home. Make sure you look for a card that supports international usage and comes with the best possible terms.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
Finally, technology can be an incredible resource for college students for several different reasons. Not only does the internet make it easier to communicate with professors and loved ones wherever you are, but it also ensures you can easily research everything from the cheapest sources of accommodation on your travel, to the best deals available for students. Make sure you have access to the internet during your journeys, so you can keep yourself informed, and stay savvy with your spending habits. It might also be worth downloading a mobile app for your banking service, so you can track your spending over time, and make sure you’re not going over your budget too often.
Out of Town
Opening Night of Ragtime at the Boston Pops–and Tateh Took Me Home!

With reporting by Jacquline Parker
The Boston Pops opened their Summer Season on May 12th with Ragtime, the award-winning Flaherty and Ahrens musical as a symphonic concert. Symphony Hall was ablaze with multi-colored lights on the marquee, giving the legendary venue the air of an old-fashioned event from the era of Ragtime. It was thrilling to finally be in the hall where Arthur Fiedler and John Williams once reigned, smaller by far than our Carnegie Hall, but warm and welcoming. A huge screen hung behind the musicians displaying the Ragtime logo, and with stunning projections by Wendall Harrington became a vital piece of scenery as well. The house in New Rochelle, newspaper headlines and pictures of Ellie Island and the Lower East Side appeared as the actors sang about them. Seeing a moving picture of an early assembly line and immigrants at Ellis Island made the story even more vivid than I remembered. A highlight was a projection of the Polo Grounds during the baseball game song. One heard the crack of a bat, and watched as the young son reached back with his mitt to catch the ball, which Maestro Lockhart nimbly dropped in from behind.
The cast was superb, with New Yorkers Klea Blackhurst as Emma Goldman and John Cariani as Tateh, all directed with skill, grace and surprise by Jason Daniely.
Fortunately I ran into John afterwards, who kindly walked me back to my hotel when cabs were no where to be found.
This 36-hour respite not only afforded me this glorious musical opportunity. Boston was full of easily accessible treats like stained-glass windows by masters La Farge and Tiffany, architecture by McKim and Richardson, shopping, walking and excellent weather. It is a clean and safe city, and easily navigable. I returned refreshed and reinvigorated. Perhaps we New Yorkers can all benefit from an occasional weekend away from the Big Apple.
This Ragtime is worth the trip up to Massachusetts. It will be performed at Tanglewood on July 8th, and there’s always the annual July 4th concert on the esplanade!
Family
The Complete Guide to Planning a Couple’s Vacation: Everything to Know

The writer Ernest Hemingway once said, “Never go on trips with anyone you do not love.” He makes a good point, which is why going on a couple’s vacation is so special. Traveling with your partner allows you to deepen your bond and enjoy special time together, away from the regular stresses and hassles of everyday life.
Taking a trip with a partner requires a certain amount of planning in order for it to be as enjoyable and memorable as you both hope. In this blog post, we will share practical tips and advice for planning a couple’s vacation with your significant other.
These include deciding on a destination that both of you will enjoy, planning an itinerary together, sharing responsibilities, and finding time to spend alone during the trip. Let’s get started.
Choose a Suitable Destination
Of course, it would be great if you and your partner were in complete agreement about where to go on your vacation. That might even be the case. However, in a lot of instances, each person will have their own ideas about where to go in order to have the very best trip.
That’s okay, too, given that we are all different and have different tastes. The key here is to find a common ground where you both are happy (which is really what being in a relationship is all about). Choosing a destination that works for both you and your partner might take a little planning and some debating, but it will be worth it.
If neither of you is sure where to go on your vacation, there are lots of resources available to help you. For example, travel magazines, blogs, and social media platforms are great starting points when narrowing down a list of suitable spots for your trip.
A big part of choosing the right destination is to first decide on your couple’s vacation budget. There is no point in planning an all-inclusive luxury trip if your budget won’t allow for it. So, be mindful of the cost when looking at potential locations.
Plan the Itinerary Together
Again, a certain amount of give-and-take is required here as both you and your partner may have a different idea about what constitutes the perfect vacation. The first thing that you should both do is plan a loose itinerary, to simply gauge each other’s interests. From that list, you can start to decide on what things you will be able to do depending on factors like location, time, and budget.
One person might want to spend the day hiking, while the other person might not have the physical ability for such a pursuit. Discussing things like this in advance will enable you both to plan an itinerary that works best.
When it comes to making a concrete itinerary for your vacation, there are a lot of online resources that will help. Even by simply Googling a particular activity in a specific location should bring up plenty of results. It’s always a good idea to book activities that you are planning to do in advance, to avoid disappointment if they are fully booked up when you arrive.
In instances where you and your partner are poles apart in terms of interests, try and make time for activities that each will enjoy. For example, spending time in the morning doing an activity that your partner enjoys is fine, so long as the afternoon activity is something that you like.
Share Responsibilities
When it comes to planning a couple’s vacation, there’s a lot to do. From booking flights and hotels, to planning and booking activities, to figuring out what to bring with you, and more, it can be complicated and stressful.
Given that you are traveling with someone else, it’s valuable to share the responsibilities so that one person isn’t completely bogged down in organizing. For example, one person could organize the flights and transport, while the other person can look after booking the hotel and the different activities you decide to do.
Enjoy Time Alone During the Vacation
It’s certainly exciting to be going on a trip with someone as a couple. It can be romantic and memorable to spend a whole vacation with another person, developing a deeper bond with them. However, that also doesn’t mean you can’t find time to spend time alone during the vacation, either.
This is particularly true if there are certain activities that you really want to experience but your partner doesn’t. Depending on the length of your vacation, you can parcel off a day or half a day to spend on your own, doing something you enjoy. During that time, your partner can also go out and have fun with a particular activity.
Of course, spending time apart during a vacation always allows you both to buy little gifts for the other person, so there are lots of good reasons, really! Click here if you are interested in reading about relationship, motivational, lifestyle advice and more.
Your Handy Guide to Planning a Couple’s Vacation
From choosing a couple’s vacation destinations to packing for vacations and more, there’s a lot to organize when traveling with a loved one. The above information will help you to have a fun trip and create memories that last a lifetime.
Like this blog post on planning a couple’s vacation? Be sure to check out our other informative articles on a wide range of interesting topics.
Events
Social Media Post Contest To Celebrate Japan Month

Japan Month” is set to launch this May, with the aim of promoting Japanese food, culture, and charm to New Yorkers. The project is jointly sponsored by the Consulate-General of Japan in New York and JETRO, and is being promoted by Jforward Inc., headquartered in New York.
May is a significant month for Japanese culture in New York City, with the annual “Japan Parade” taking place alongside the Japan Street Fair on May 13th. “JAPAN MONTH” will extend the celebration throughout the entire month of May, with events and promotions to showcase Japanese food, culture, and more.
“Social Media Post Contest”
To celebrate the beginning of “Japan Month”, a Social Media Contest will run from May 1-31. Participants will be required to visit a participating Japanese restaurant in the city, take a photo of themselves enjoying Japanese cuisine, or a picture of a delicious-looking dish, and post it on their personal social media accounts with the theme “We love Japanese food” and the hashtag #mayisjapanmonth.
A number of participating Japanese restaurants will also be taking part in the Japan Street Fair in Manhattan on May 13th as vendors.
The grand prize is “A pair of round-trip air tickets to JAPAN”
With the sponsorship of Japan Airlines (JAL), the contest winners will receive a pair of round-trip air tickets to Japan in JAL miles.
A total of three pairs of round-trip airline tickets to Japan will be awarded. The winners will be selected by a selection committee consisting of representatives from Japan Airlines (JAL), the Consulate-General of Japan, and JETRO.
Music
All Aboard The Holland America Line For Their 150th Anniversary

ElizaBeth Taylor, other members of the press and I boarded the Holland America Line for their 150th anniversary docking at Pier 88. It was a beautiful day to explore what is new and exciting for this cruise line.
Pickleball is the newest in sport and it is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. Now Holland America Line, is the exclusive cruise line partner of the Professional Pickleball Association. All cruise ships feature pickleball courts with amazing top-deck views. The equipment and courts are available for a match anytime, so long as the weather allows. You can also earn the basics at a complimentary beginner’s lessons. Commemorative starter kits will soon be available in the retail shops.
The press got a chance to not only learn but play the game.
The ship is geared to music as their are scores in a specialty restaurant.
To a music note just hanging out in the lobby.
Wanting to know more about the entertainment part of the ship, I go my own tour to Rolling Stone Rock Room.
BB Kings, which looks like to was transported from 42nd Street.
The chandeliers on the shop are true works of art.
As are the sculptures.
At Billboard Onboard’s venue dueling piano’s.
There is also a state of the art theatre with surround a round video capability. On our tour we were show a documentary of the 150 years that was PBS worthy.
More of the art and sculptures on the boat.
Looking for an exclusive dinning experience? Club Orange is for you.
The chandeliers are truely stunning. These are from the main dinning room.
This is one of the specialty venue’s that had the score inscribed. That alone would make me choose this room.
Another has culinary masterpieces by Holland America Line’s Rudi Sodamin.
All in all the the Holland America Line has much to offer.
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