A New Lease of Life

Whether you live in a city, town, village or hamlet; transport and how we get from A to B is something that affects us all.

In our every day lives, transport is something that has to be factored into nearly every decision we make.  Where our children will go to school and how to get them there.  How long our commute to work will take and whether the same is more cost and time efficient in a car, train or bus.  Whether that night out is really worth it, when you will be spending £40 on taxis.

Roman Fox

For the past ten years I have been using public transport and taxis to carry out both my commute and my every day/social life. 

I want my own space back.  A simple journey to the shops that does not take an hour and two buses, but takes ten minutes.  I don't want to wait at a freezing cold bus stop, for a bus that frequently does not come.   I want to go to the cinema knowing that I haven't spent more on transport than the ticket.

I want to put down the pedal down on my own metal.

I want a car.  But, what I don't want is a long term commitment or to be fixed in financially for five years.  What I do want is a good, new or nearly new reliable car that will keep me safe, keep me in comfort and not an old banger like I used to drive.  So what to do?

Malte Wingen

There are many different options when it comes to buying, hiring or leasing a car and I have looked at all of them.  As I said, I don't want to be committed for years on a large payment, nor do I want to hire, which seems expensive and without the added benefits of leasing where you can get maintenance in with your contract.

Deciding to look at more high spec cars, again with safety in mind, I looked at The Best Volvo Lease Deals and did a comparison of how much I would pay over a 36 month period with leasing versus hire.

I specifically looked at the Volvo S90 T4 Momentum Plus as being a good combination of the great safety record of Volvo, with a sleek elegant look and a good engine size for the speed that I love.  Safely first of course!

The figures came out at over £2,600 less money paid by leasing the vehicle versus hiring it over the same 36 month period.  

This particular vehicle is worth over £38,000.00.  Looking at a cheaper vehicle for additional comparison, I looked at the Nissan Micra 1.0 PS117 N-Sport which is approximately £17,000.00.

The saving still worked out comparing leasing over hiring.  Looking again at the same 36 month contract, with 10000 miles allowed, the saving was over £1,100.00.

In summary, if you do not want to get tied into a long contract to buy a vehicle and want to see what is best option of leasing versus hiring, leasing is the cheaper option and also, allows you to add maintenance into the contract.

Now to look at what vehicle I want to lease!

Hearing: The Sense We Forget To Protect

Helen Keller once said:

Blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people

 When thinking about our five senses, hearing is the one that we take for granted the most.  The sense that we don't get checked or protect enough.

If our vision becomes blurred, we go to the optician and get glasses.  Employers usually pay for free check ups to get our eyes tested if you work with computers.  Yet if you are for example an audio typist, the same checks are not in place.

If our sense of smell was to disappear, we would be off to the doctor.  Yet, when it comes to our hearing, we are much more complacent.

In the days of modern technology it is more important than ever that we protect our hearing. How many times have you been listening to music on your phone, turned the audio for your favourite song and had the high volume warning message come up?  How many times have you ignored it?  In my case, every time.

There are simple ways in which you can protect your hearing.  Generally, a noise level that could damage your hearing can be quantified by having to shout over others to be heard, you have ringing in your ears (after a concert for example) or you cannot hear what others are saying to you.

 Here are some easy ways in which you can protect your hearing:

Don't Ignore Ear Pain

Earache, as anyone who has ever had it knows, can be horrendous.  Worse, it can cause temporary hearing loss and if ignored, can have far reaching consequences.  If you work in a social environment like a club or a bar with sound system for example, it is wise get your hearing regularly checked.  For my locality, I use London Hearing 

Use Noise Cancelling Headphones

On your daily commute to work or even when you are going for a run, you want to drown out all other noises and distractions.  The temptation is to turn up your music to full to drown everyone else out.  Using noise cancelling headphones removes the distractions, whilst also allowing you to listen to music at a lower volume.  Guidelines saying we ought to limit the volume to 60% and for no more than an hour at a time.

 Give Your Ears a Break

Whether your job involves working with loud machinery, or perhaps you go to concerts or a noisy club every weekend, it is important that you give your ears a break to recover and rest.  Take breaks.  Remove yourself from the environment as often as you can and when possible, especially in a work environment, use ear protection.

How often do you think about protecting your hearing?

Things to do before you visit Thailand

Thailand is the most-visited country in southeast Asia and for a good reason: the country offers practically everything that tourists could want, from delicious food to sandy beaches. 

Pixabay - CC0 License

Just like every other country in the world, Thailand is unique. Here’s how to prep correctly before you visit. 

Book Your Trip For Spring

Being so close to the equator, Thailand’s seasonal patterns are very different from those in temperate regions. It doesn’t go through the usual spring, summer, autumn, winter rotation. Instead, it alternates between the rainy season and the rest of the year where conditions are relatively dry. 

The rainy season in Thailand probably isn’t the best time to go if you want to enjoy the great outdoors. The rainy season officially begins in July and ends in October. Most people, therefore, book their trips in the spring to avoid a washout. With that said, if you want to see the spectacle of the monsoon, then the summer is the best time to go. Just remember to take your umbrella. 

Get Your Hep A And B Vaccinations

While Thailand is tropical, the disease risk is comparatively low. People who travel to the country usually get their hepatitis A and B vaccinations, but there is minimal risk of other diseases. Malaria, for instance, is now almost non-existent. Yellow fever is also mostly absent. 

Always Talk About The Late King Respectfully

Many local Thai people believe that their late king who died in 2016 was and is a god. For that reason, tourists need to be careful about what they say about him. Avoid any form of disrespect in public. 

Book A Tour Of The Country’s Many Buddha Statues

Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country, home to some of the religion’s most impressive monuments anywhere in the world. Thailand tours take you to the best-known landmarks, allowing you to see the craftsmanship that went into these statues yourself. 

Plan Festival Trips In Advance

Thailand is home to some popular festivals you might want to take part in during your trip. 

If you love beach parties, then make sure that you check out the Full Moon festival in Koh Phangan. The festival runs monthly in the city and regularly attracts more than 40,000 people who spend all night on the beach partying. 

The Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai is also another big draw. Held in November, attendees release Chinese lanterns into the air in their thousands to release bad vibes and give them good luck for the following year. 

Pixabay - CC0 License

If you’re in Thailand in the middle of April, make sure that you head to Bangkok for the Songkran Thai New Year. Every year, the Thai authorities close off the streets to traffic, laying the way for processions and carnivals that make their way through the city. If you decide to attend this event, be prepared to get wet. People throw wet sponges at each other to symbolise the washing away of their sins. 

Are you planning a trip to Thailand? If so, make sure that you prepare!