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French Riviera Photos Reveal Radical Change On France’s Beaches
French Riviera Photos Reveal Radical Change On France’s Beaches

When you think: ‘French beaches’, you probably envision splayed nonchalance, pastel beach towels and a gently lapping tide. Not to mention People Going Topless.But you can put your puerile fantasies aside for a second; there’s been a big change. Since The Pandemic put a gravel-flying halt to tourism (and to domestic liberties), the residents of The French Riviera (and other beaches in France) have had to change their habits.The upshot? You’re now unlikely to see the crowds that used to make for such iconic drone photography, for one. Indeed, a comparison of the hashtag #lescalanquesdecassis (one of Marseille’s coolest beaches), which has been used on Instagram 2,880 times, reveals quite a difference between February last year…

… September last year…

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… and May 2020.

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It’s also less likely (though it is hard to tell from Instagram, which searches and destroys these kinds of images with close-minded prejudice) that beachgoers are going topless now too. Why do we say that? Well, because according to the latest reports, going to the beach in Europe, though it is now in many places allowed again, is not quite as liberal as it once was (and it’s probably not quite the same for nudists or semi-nudists if there are rangers patrolling).

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On top of that, there are now restrictions in place for your time on the sand: as Traveller reports, over the weekend, as Europeans returned to the beaches for the first holiday fin de semaine since lockdown restrictions eased, a number of new rules were in effect.“Overjoyed French families flocked to the Grande Motte beach on the Mediterranean shore Sunday, swimming and sunbathing in areas specially marked to keep a distance from others. Cordons of ropes and wooden stakes were neatly spaced out across the sand, giving each visitor or group an eight-square-meter (85-square- foot) space of their own.”“Online reservations are required though free of charge, and there is already a two-day waiting list,” Traveller added. “Those lucky enough to get a spot for a four-day weekend relished the opportunity, frolicking beneath a summer-like sun. Elsewhere in France, beaches have also reopened, but only for individual sports or walks, and visitors weren’t allowed to sit or lie down.”

“Yet even as social distancing rules spread families and friends out Sunday across beaches and parks, the virus remained a constant threat. Europe has seen over 169,000 dead, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.”

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Elsewhere in France, further Instagram posts like #sttropez suggest locals are spending more time at home (a la Brigitte Bardot in 1960)…

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Brigitte Bardot in 1960, with friends in St Topez dinning al fresco #swimshorts #sttropez #swimwear

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… and going for coastal walks…

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… rather than amassing down on the sand.Of course, once The Pandemic is over, things will (presumably) return to normal and France’s ‘beach rules’ will lift.On that note: this is something Europe is striving for: across the continent, various countries of various tourism dependencies, are experimenting with different strategies for containing the pandemic without destroying their economies (or putting travellers at risk).As Traveller reports, “Germany, France and other European countries aim to open their borders for European travel in mid-June, but it isn’t clear when intercontinental travel will resume.”Until then, a virtual holiday is probably your best bet.

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The post Les Calanques De Cassis: French Riviera Photos Reveal Radical Change On France Beach appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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How To Make A Margarita Straight Out Of Mexico
How To Make A Margarita Straight Out Of Mexico

What better way to get suitably sozzled than by drinking a few margaritas? The tequila-based cocktail is a favourite of many, most likely due to the fact it has all the benefits of drinking tequila, but with its taste enhanced by a sweet layer of lime, orange liqueur and, in some instances, agave syrup.

It lends itself to being drunk at any time of the day, as opposed to some other classics, such as the Old Fashioned, that are perhaps better suited to evening drinking. With all manner of variations available too, whether it be a different flavour or served frozen, the margarita is a fun and easy cocktail to make, and one that is certainly here to stay.

Origin Of The Margarita

The exact origin of the margarita is just as blurry as you become after drinking a few. Some reports suggest Iowa newspaper editor James Graham discovered the drink in Tijuana in 1936, while the Cafe Royal Cocktail Book, published in 1937, features a recipe using the exact same ingredients and measurements as the margarita, but calling it the Picador instead.

Fast forward one year to 1938 and Carlos “Danny” Herrera stakes his claim to inventing the ol’ margy at his restaurant, Rancho La Gloria, nestled between Tijuana and Rosarito, Baja California. However, the strongest claims to the margarita’s invention lie with Francisco “Pancho” Morales, who is said to have made the drink in Juárez, Chihuahua on July 4, 1942, at Tommy’s Place Bar.


There is a whole list of claims as to who really invented the margarita, so it seems weaving out the genuine claims from those without much evidence is easier said than done. Whoever invented it, gracias.

Margarita Cocktail Ingredients

The main spirit base for the margarita is tequila, and with so many bottles coming out of its namesake home in Mexico, experimenting with different tastes is incredibly easy. But, to start, you’ll need the following ingredients:

  • Tequila (Try 1800 or Altos)
  • Triple sec/orange liqueur (e.g. Cointreau)
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Agave syrup for added sweetness
  • Salt for rim
  • Margarita glass (similar to a cocktail/martini glass, but with a stepped diameter)
  • Cocktail shaker

Classic Margarita Cocktail Measurements

We’ll get into the many variations later, but first, you must master the basic measurements for the margarita. Luckily, it’s incredibly easy to follow. The official IBA measurements for the margarita read like this:

  • 50ml tequila
  • 20ml triple sec/orange liqueur
  • 15ml lime juice

However, Proximo‘s Tequila Specialist Hayley Dixon calls upon American cocktail bar Death & Co for her classic recipe, which adds in agave nectar.

  • 50ml blanco/silver tequila
  • 20ml Cointreau
  • 25ml lime juice
  • 7.5ml agave nectar
  • Lime wedge garnish

She adds that because of its blurry history, “nobody really knows the original recipe and even if they do, it most certainly would not suit our palettes today.”

How To Make The Margarita Cocktail

The classic margarita is undoubtedly one of the easiest cocktails to make and once you have the recipe nailed down, you’ll be churning them out at breakneck speed.

  1. Cut into a lime wedge and rub lime juice around half the rim of a margarita glass
  2. Dip the glass into salt to create a salt rim
  3. Pour ice into the glass to chill
  4. Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker along with a big scoop of ice
  5. Shake well until cold
  6. Strain into the cocktail glass (some methods say to single strain, while others call for a double strain. A single strain method will include ice shards in the drink while the double strain will remove them. It’s a matter of preference.)

Variations Of The Classic Margarita

The margarita cocktail lends itself to some great experimentation. Virtually any other fruit juice can be added to provide a new flavour. Popular choices include mango, peach, pineapple, banana and strawberry, but you can easily trial and error all manner of ingredients.

Not only can you use various tequilas, but you can switch out Cointreau for other orange-flavoured liqueurs such as Grand Marnier. Alternatively, you can try using other fruit-flavoured liqueurs to introduce new flavours.

The limes you use can play an important role in the overall taste of your margarita too. You should always use fresh lime juice, but the region your limes come from will have their own unique tastes.

Expert Twist On The Margarita

Being a Tequila Specialist, Hayley certainly knows her way around a margarita. However, her expert twist actually comes from another bartender who she has previously worked for.

“For the margarita twist I have taken a drink from one of the best bartenders/owners I have ever had the pleasure of working for, Joe Jones, the owner of Romeo Lane. It follows a similar template as the Daisy cocktail – said to be the inspiration for the margarita – and although is such a simple concept, is one of the best drinks I have had, that I never would have thought to create myself. One of Joe’s best qualities was making cocktails that are so simple in their foundation that packs in serious flavour no other bartender had thought to combine yet.”

‘Summer Time’

Ingredients

‘Whip’ all ingredients over ice and strain over crushed ice. Garnish with Lemon Crescent.

Method

  1. First up you will need to make your ginger syrup. Fresh and homemade is always best but if you’re feeling a little lazy, head to your closest grocery or health food store and try to find yourself ‘Rochester Ginger.’ If you’re up for a little extra work grab yourself some fresh ginger and fine caster sugar. Juice your ginger either in a juicer if you have one or you can also grate it finely and then squeeze it through a clean Chux to obtain your juice. You will need around ½ cup of fresh ginger juice. On average this requires approximately 650g of Ginger.
  2. Next, you need to add your caster sugar. The ginger juice will dissolve the sugar quite easily by just stirring it in of if you have a blender feel free to speed up the process. You will require 1 cup of superfine caster sugar to your ½ cup ginger juice. Make sure you keep tasting it as you add in the sugar, you don’t want to lose the beautiful spice in the ginger. Stir or blend until completely combined.
  3. Get your double rocks or tumbler glass into the freezer – the colder the better.
  4. Juice your fresh lemon juice.
  5. Add all ingredients to your cocktail shaker.
  6. Make up some crushed ice – this part is always fun. Get yourself an old but clean tea towel and add a bunch of ice to the centre, then wrap it up so none can go flying out on you. Get yourself something sturdy that you can hit and break up the ice with, a rolling pin, muddling stick or something similar. Whilst holding all your ice in place with your tea towel on a benchtop, use your rolling pin to hit and crush up the ice. If you need to just do small amounts at a time. If you have an ice crusher and don’t have any anger or frustrations to get out, feel free to use that.
  7. Fill your cold glass straight out of the freezer with the crushed ice, you don’t want to add it afterwards or it may overflow. Make sure you pack in as much as possible into your glass.
  8. Add 2 cubes of ice to your cocktail shaker and give it a light shake, because your drink is being served over crushed ice you don’t want to add too much dilution to the drink, just get it a little colder and combine all your ingredients.
  9. Strain your cocktail into your glass, making sure you leave about 1.5cm to the top of the glass, you don’t want cocktail and ice all over the place.
  10. Add some more crushed ice to the top of the cocktail to form a sort of ‘cone’ on the top.
  11. Garnish with your lemon crescent.

How To Drink A Margarita

Ideally, you’re going to want to be at a Mexican-themed bar where you can sample the many flavour variations of the iconic cocktail. Wherever you drink yours though, you’re likely going to be with a large group of friends on a mission to get as drunk as possible, but you’re too chicken to consume multiple shots to achieve the desired effect.

Bar, cruise ship, all-inclusive hotel resort, the choice is yours.

Margarita FAQ

How to make frozen margaritas?

Put the usual ingredients for a margarita in a high-power blender, add ice and blend until slushy-texture. Serve in a glass with salted rim and some lime slices.

What is a skinny margarita?

A skinny margarita is a low-calorie (about 106 calories) version of your regular margarita. You use fresh orange or lime juice and agave nectar instead of the usual orange liqueur mix.

Can you make margaritas with vodka?

Yes. Use equal amount of vodka as replacement for tequila and follow the regular margarita recipe. Many fondly calls this drink “vodkarita.” It should taste a bit different, but still good.

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s New Haircut Could Be This Summer’s Big Haircut Trend
Cristiano Ronaldo’s New Haircut Could Be This Summer’s Big Haircut Trend

Whenever we feature Cristiano Ronaldo here at DMARGE, it’s usually got something to do with a new workout routine that you can replicate in an attempt to get yourself just as fit as arguably the greatest living footballer. Today, however, things are a little different, as the Juventus forward may have just given us a glimpse into the changing world of men’s hairstyles.

Ronaldo, like a few other big-name footballers (here’s looking at you, Becks) has always been one to change up his hairstyle on occasion – nowhere better exemplified than when he let his girlfriend cut is recently – but it’s fair to say his looks haven’t always been to everyone’s taste (although we’re sure he’s been singlehandedly keeping Brylcreem in business). His latest look however is a little more universal, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see many guys adopting it in the coming months.

 

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The image in question was posted on his Instagram feed on the 27th May, accompanied by the caption “Approved?” – perhaps the usually-confident man from Portugal is more insecure than we thought – to which it has received hundreds of comments indeed approving of the wavy new look.

His wavy locks are a far cry from the slick-backed look of his Real Madrid days, and gone is the small man-bun he’s been seen sporting on several occasions since donning a Juventus jersey. It’s not a million miles from the look he was rocking when he joined Manchester United for the 2003-4 season as a young 18-year-old, just without the blonde highlights.

 

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Approved ? 🤔

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It certainly looks more indie than what we’ve come to expect from Ronaldo, which makes it more appealing to a wider audience. Don’t be surprised to see a wave of waves in the coming months when you walk down the high street (when lockdown restrictions ease, of course).

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This Simple Test Will Reveal Your Post-Iso Fitness Level
This Simple Test Will Reveal Your Post-Iso Fitness Level

Unless you’ve had the motivation to lock yourself in a home gym during lockdown, or your regular gym has switched to an online model which you’ve subscribed to – or outdoor boot camps – you’re probably going to come out of it less fit than when you went in. We know that will most definitely be the case for us here at DMARGE because despite having some gym equipment at home, bars of chocolate and doughnuts have been far too tempting.So before you head back to your gym when the restrictions ease even further (a date hasn’t been set in stone just yet, but we’re hoping it will be soon) you may want to gauge where you are in terms of fitness. After all, you wouldn’t want to try completing your regular treadmill run or bench press, only to find your body is no longer capable.

 
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Personal trainer and avid Instagram user Pete O’Reilly has put together a simple bodyweight test that you can easily do in the comfort of your own home, to give you a rough idea of how fit you are. There are four exercises to complete, with each one being given beginner, intermediate and advanced tiers of goals to hit, whether it be time to carry out the exercise or number of reps.The four exercises and their tiers are:

  • Bodyweight Squats: Beginner – less than 20; Intermediate – 20 – 40; Advanced – 40 or more
  • Plank Hold: Beginner – Less than 60 seconds; Intermediate – 60 – 120 seconds; Advanced – 120 seconds or more
  • Burpees: Beginner – Less than 20; Intermediate – 20 – 30; Advanced – 30 or more
  • Push-ups:
    • Men – Beginner – Less than 25; Intermediate – 26 – 39; Advanced – 40 or more
    • Women – Beginner – Less than 15; Intermediate – 16 – 24; Advanced – 25 or more

Pete says you should aim to complete the exercises in a maximum of 12 minutes, but ideally less, meaning three minutes per exercise and one minute per set. You’ll, therefore, want to aim to complete each set in less than one minute to factor in some rest time.Alternatively, you could smash one of the exercises out the park, squats, for example, leaving you more time to complete the burpees (one of the worst exercises to do, we’re sure you’ll agree, but one that is incredibly good for you).Once you’re done, tally up your scores to give a cumulative score and an approximate indication of your fitness level.No cheating.

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Grim Photo Reveals The Lengths Australians Are Going To For Group Exercise
Grim Photo Reveals The Lengths Australians Are Going To For Group Exercise

How far would you go in the name of shredded abs, bulging biceps and gluttonous glutes?

It’s a question we’ve asked ourselves here at DMARGE during the current climate, and we answered by attempting to set up a home ‘grim gym’. After a few uses, we realised summoning up the motivation to workout on a daily basis was just too damn hard. And TimTams were too readily available.

The same can’t be said for some other fitness fanatics. Particularly in Bondi, citizens are clearly chomping at the bit to get back in the gym to shed their ‘lockdown bellies’. Gyms and fitness studios can’t fully reopen just yet – although they’re earmarked for the stage 2 lifting of restrictions – but outdoor boot camps of up to 10 people can take place, and that’s the approach taken by F45 Bondi.

Posting an image on its Instagram page, the popular F45 studio and double world champion across all F45 locations gave us a glimpse into how it is dealing with the current restrictions, by summoning 10 eager gym-goers to put their bodies through an early morning routine at Bondi Beach Pavilion.

Although, judging by the looks on some of the faces in the pictures, they’ve realised they’ve made a huge mistake.

Admittedly, they get to watch the sunrise of the ocean, but for us, it’s a hard pass. We’re not against outdoor workouts, but the location of choice is just a bit “meh”.

We’d either want to work out in a large open space such as on the beach or in a park. Alternatively, we’re happy to wait until we’re back in the safe confines of the gym walls to get our workout on.

Judging by the comments, though, we’re wrong. Several users have pledged their support for the grim-looking outdoor boot camp, correctly claiming the workout warriors are showing “dedication” and “commitment”.

Each to their own. We’re going to enjoy a couple more packs of TimTams before resuming training tomorrow.

The post Group Outdoor Fitness: Grim Photo Reveals The Lengths Australians Are Going To For Exercise appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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The Only Way Australia’s Tourism Industry Can Save Itself, According To Experts
The Only Way Australia’s Tourism Industry Can Save Itself, According To Experts

It’s no secret Australia’s tourism industry recently came to a rubber-burning halt. With borders closed not just to international travellers, but to domestic travellers wanting to head interstate as well (cheers, Queensland), it will be some time before business can boom once more.

This is worrying because, as Flight Centre chief executive Graham Turner recently told The Australian, not only is this negative for the economy but “many tourism companies will be decimated if domestic travel restrictions are not lifted within a month.”

He said this about a month ago, and though we are now seeing intrastate travel on the cards once more, things are still moving slowly. Which leads us to today’s hot topic: what the hell is Australia going to do about its tourism industry?


Contrary to what you might think, the answer is not necessarily government support. In fact, the most effective way to get Australia’s travel industry back on its feet is for it to support itself.

Before we get to that: here’s a brief run-down of the current state of affairs, domestically.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced regional travel will be able to take place within the state as of 1st June, but Queensland is remaining stubborn, saying it doesn’t plan to open its borders to other Australian states until at least September, in a bid to minimise the potential threat of a second wave of the COVID-19 virus.

Victoria has said it will allow its residents to travel to holiday homes and other private residences within the state, and public camping grounds can reopen, but any communal facilities must remain closed.

Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania are in similar boats.

 

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Even in this state of easing restrictions, it’s going to be tough to outrun the dire predictions flying around that the entire Australian tourism industry may be “up to 30 per cent smaller by 2022.”

As Graham Turner also told The Australian, smaller tourism operators won’t have the financial support – even with Government payouts – to weather the coronavirus storm unless businesses can start generating income.

This is something Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison knows all too well. Also speaking to The Australian, she said the Government-run agency is already in the process of “overhauling its strategy” so that it can better-promote holidays and travel within Australia.

Central to this is encouraging those Australians that haven’t seen some of their home country’s hotspots to buckle up and do so (when domestic travel is once again encouraged, as it soon will be).

“Tourism Australia is going to be focusing on encouraging those people to holiday in their own backyard next year and take some of those things that they have had on their bucket list for a while and do those.”

She also pledged her support for opening borders to our Kiwi cousins, claiming “New Zealand is our second-biggest inbound market.”

Grattan Institute CEO John Daley echoes Ms Harrison’s comments, telling SBS News, “There are lots of Australians who haven’t visited lots of the country, so I think that’s a big opportunity.”


On top of that, global tourism expert, Professor Marianna Sigala at the University of South Australia, believes Australia’s tourism industry must change how it operates, rather than just go back to “business as usual” if it wants to thrive in a post-pandemic world.

The key? According to Professor Sigala, it’s prioritizing sustainability and wellness.

“There’s no doubt Australia’s tourism sector is suffering – we started the year in recovery following the devastating bushfires and then, before operators were even back on their feet, we were hit with the Covid-19 pandemic, and everything rapidly shut down,” Prof Sigala says.

“Everyone is keen to re-active our tourism industry, but we must not default to ‘business as usual’. A new restart rather than a recovery to the old normal is more reasonable.”

“COVID-19 has led to profound changes on tourists’ behaviour and expectations as well as on industry operations which are predicted to have long-lasting impacts. We need to take advantage of the slow-down to reflect, rethink and plan for improved practices and behaviours,” the Professor said.

“This includes revisiting how tourism activities impact communities; respecting nature and surrounds to ensure we’re enhancing and giving back to the areas and assets that draw tourists; and we need to do that with a mindset that shows we are ready for a successful and sustainable future,” she added.

“A tourism resetting plan that encompasses responsible tourism, seasonality and climate change, and importantly, practices that benefit all stakeholder – operators, visitors and communities – and their tangible and intangible cultural assets, could position Australia as a world exemplar in re-imagining and leading new tourism management in the post COVID era.”

Professor Sigala also argues that we should look to the positive environmental impacts the pandemic has had as inspiration for a post-pandemic world.

Though we want ~travel~ to go back to normal for the sake of the economy, Professor Sigala reckons that it may also be economically beneficial to find a way to keep the Himalayan skies and the Venice canals clear of pollution (as they are right now), even if that potentially means (more) pain to the industry in the short term.


Closer to home, Professor Sigala says, though Australia had been making positive steps towards these kinds of goals (in October last year, Uluru was closed to climbers as a mark of respect to the traditional owners of the land), recent calls from Northern Territory business groups to reopen the climb for the sake of tourism shows we still have a lot to learn.

“While isolation has enabled physical environments a chance to recover from the lack of mass tourism, we must find a balance between caring for tourism assets – and the communities in which they reside –valorising them for supporting tourism activities within and around these locations,” Professor Sigala says.

“When we commoditise and commercialse a cultural asset, we risk transforming it into an attraction driven by visitation defined by economic growth.”

“The trade-off between economic and other values is our current mindset, and this needs to shift.”

The World Tourism Organization estimates that international tourist arrivals could drop to 78 per cent, which translates to a drop of up to 1.1 billion international arrivals and a loss of US$ 1.2 trillion (nearly A$1.9 trillion) in export revenues from tourism, representing the largest decline in the history of the industry.

Under these dire conditions, survival of the industry must still include sustainability planning and development.

“Sustainability management should not be viewed as an expense to be managed, but as an investment for the future,” Professor Sigala says.

“Australia must continue to implement activities to keep customers, tourism staff and businesses engaged and ready for when travel restrictions lift.”

“We need to communicate to the wider and international community that we are not in hibernation, but rather we are upgrading, innovating and introducing sustainable changes in our tourism offerings and operations that enhance the well-being of tourists and our communities.”


All up? When tourists come back: “we should be welcoming them to a better, more ethical and more sustainable tourism industry,” Professor Sigala concludes.

In the meantime, it’s up to us to spend our holiday dollars in a way that promotes this kind of decision making.

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s “Scary Fit” Workout Is A Test No Amateur Should Try
Cristiano Ronaldo’s “Scary Fit” Workout Is A Test No Amateur Should Try

Cristiano Ronaldo is not the best in the world because of his vision. He’s got it – granted. But if he relied on talent alone he’d only be in the top 5 footballers worldwide (we reckon). What took him from ~phenomenon~ to the best in the world is his explosive speed (combined with, obviously, his technical skill set, and fitness).But every day the 35-year-old gets older, pundits are poised to say: he’s not got the legs he used to. And, speaking generally, it’s around 35 when you might expect his crus to dwindle.Chuck in the international lockdown we’ve seen in recent months, which has seen team-training stopped (especially in Italy, one of the first countries to fall badly to The Pandemic), and one might expect Ronaldo, now old enough to play in your local “over 35’s comp,” to struggle to get back in the game.Judging by an Instagram video, posted by Ronaldo on Sunday, you’d be wrong.After posting various videos during isolation revealing how to kill your chicken legs, driveway sprint like a pro and get the core of a champ  Ronaldo has now showcased his return to the field in awe-inspiring fashion.

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Explode mode

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Whether or not you’re fit – we highly doubt you’re ‘scary fit’ – a term we think describes Ronaldo’s state of being in this clip.Has the Manchester United, Real Madrid and now Juventus star got even stronger during lockdown? Going off the slow-motion seconds at the end, we’re calling yes.Keen to replicate it? We spoke to Fitness Playground founder Justin Ashley to ask: is it a good idea for the average guy to try this ‘scary fit’ workout?The answer? It depends. As Justin told us: “Explosive sprint training such as this is great, if you’re an athlete or your goal is to get faster.”However, if you haven’t sprinted anywhere since John Howard was in office, you might want to give it a miss.

“Speaking personally as a former semi-professional soccer player who spent years training likethis, the injuries take their toll as you get older and are unlikely to be worth the risk if you simply want to ‘get in shape.'”

The alternative? Here’s what Justin recommended: “Incorporate rowers, ski ergs and airdynes into your workouts, and… programming formats like TABATA.”

“The equipment has less impact on your joints than running, and the benefits of the programming is well researched.”

Jelly legs await.

Watch how to get lean like Cristiano Ronaldo

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I Finally Got Over My Instagram Crush; Here’s How I Did It
I Finally Got Over My Instagram Crush; Here’s How I Did It

Instagram isn’t short of ~sexy~. The social media platform thrives off photogenic accounts and provides a stable place for those better looking (and, you know, more creative and entrepreneurial) than myself to make a career.

Those at the heart of the influenza influencer pandemic know all too well there are users out there – myself included – that love to populate their own personal feeds with aspirational images. Whether it’s a bikini pic or a shoot at a landmark location, the onslaught of ‘thirst trap’ images is neverending.

For the uninitiated, a ‘thirst trap’ is defined by Dictionary.com as “a sexy photo posted on social media to attract attention.”

As we’ve seen before, it can get us in trouble with our better halves – whether it be for following other accounts or sliding into their DM’s – but the first step to overcoming an addiction problem is to admit it. And so here I am, declaring mine.

By the way, despite the feature image of this article, I have still yet to break out of my Eugenie Bouchard ‘thirst trap’. I don’t think I’ll ever break out of that one.

Back to the topic at hand and breaking out of my other thirst traps. That step technically came about a week ago, and in the days since I’ve managed to resolve my issues, break free from the thirst trapping world – get over my Instagram crush – and am now in a position to share my wisdom.

My secret to breaking out of Instagram ‘thirst traps’? Don’t surreptitiously watch their stories; actually follow your crush.

Hear me out.

Most of the accounts I’ve found myself looking at have come as a result of scrolling through the ‘Discover’ tab of Instagram. It’s here you’ll find images based on other accounts you follow, content Instagram thinks you’ll like and accounts your friends follow. It’s not uncommon, then, to be presented with several images of attractive men or women, usually accompanied by some sort of inspirational quote.

And this is how I was able to hit the nail on the head. Once I started following accounts of individuals that caught my eye, I noticed an alarming trend: they all like to overuse inspirational quotes.

These quotes are more absurd than a work of French existential literature; they rarely accompany the image in question – “stay safe loves” accompanied by an image of a girl in the desert – and perhaps this is the cynic in me, but they come across as though they’ve just been picked out of a hat at random.

Let me provide some examples.

If it’s not an inspirational quote, it’s trying to sell something, along with a candid-not-candid image.

 

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You’re telling me Sabina actually drank the cool aid Bang Energy drink? Sure.

It’s amazing how Jayde is able to cook gnocchi without being anywhere near the stovetop.

 

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Don’t let nobody get you out of your peace

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Ah, the old double negative. It’s great to see. Fortunately, Veronica knows how to avert our gaze away from her grammatical error.

It’s not just chicas. Male influencers and models are just as responsible for thirst trapping millions of Instagram users with jawlines and perfectly styled hair. Paper Magazine has documented a few of them here.

 

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Cheeseball

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After realising how delusional some Insta models can be, I found it far easier to press the ‘unfollow’ button, enabling me to get over my many virtual crushes – except Eugenie Bouchard, I’ll never get over her – and focus on finding someone who’s into picky Grammar Nazis instead (wish me luck!).

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Hidden Catch Behind Japan’s ‘Incredible’ Offer To Tourists
Hidden Catch Behind Japan’s ‘Incredible’ Offer To Tourists

We’d all love to slurp Matcha, sup sushi and drink-in Tokyo’s iconic nightlife. It’s no surprise then, that Japan’s incredible latest offer to tourists got so much buzz.For those who don’t live with their eyeballs permanently affixed to the news cycle, Hiroshi Tabata, head of the Japan Tourism Agency, recently said Japan will launch an $18.2 billion plan to subsidize half of tourists’ travel expenses (according to The Japan Times).While scant other details were released (it remains unknown how one would qualify, how long it would be in place, whether the honey pot would be refilled etc.) it has been touted everywhere from News.com.au to Concrete Playground as a bold move, much like Sicily’s, to lure visitors back to Japan.The one detail we do know is that the Japanese government has said the initiative could be up and running as early as July (despite travel bans to Japan still being in place).

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However, despite Japan’s success in containing The Virus (Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe just lifted the state of emergency in Tokyo and four other areas where it was still in place), there is, we believe, a hidden catch behind Japan’s incredible offer.Though this catch has nothing to do with the plan itself – and indeed is beyond the Japanese authorities’ control – it remains a source of dream-stopping dismay for anyone who thought they were sure to be sipping half-price cocktails Shibuya come July.

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The catch? Much as we reported last week in the case of Bali, travel insurance remains grey at best (out of the question at worst), for any Australian or American who runs into Pandemic Related Expenses while travelling abroad for pleasure this year.In other words: any Bat Kiss related delays, hospitalisation or itinerary-reshuffling incurred this year, should you travel, will likely be at your own expense. This means most people, we’d imagine, will choose to holiday domestically until international travel risks return to normal – something experts don’t think will happen until 2023 (even if Japan is relatively safe in July, an unrelated outbreak in a completely different country, airport, A380, etc. could mess up your travel plans – and unlike ‘normal times’ you would not be covered by insurance).As we reported last week, Budget Direct have suspended travel insurance sales, effective since the 18th March (“Budget Direct has made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend the sale of domestic and international travel insurance to new customers”).World Nomads, another Australian insurer issued the following on its FAQ page: “For Australian residents, as advised in our travel alert, unfortunately, we can no longer cover any claims arising from any event related to coronavirus (COVID-19) for travel to and/or from China for policies purchased after 5pm AEDT on 23 January 2020 or from all other destinations for policies purchased after 6am AEDT on Friday, 31 January 2020.”

“These dates are considered a cut off date for coverage.”

To the question, “I want to buy a travel insurance policy to cover COVID 19. Am I covered?” World Nomads added the following: “Now that you’re aware of coronavirus (COVID-19), unfortunately, you will not be covered for claims resulting from coronavirus (COVID-19), regardless of whether the need to change arises from a government restriction or transport provider.”The situation is much the same in America, with insurers like Allianz “temporarily ceasing sales of travel insurance.”Now the Virus is, to say the least, a known phenomenon, we doubt they’ll be changing their position come July.The upshot?  Even if international travel bans (in place “for the foreseeable future” in Australia) were to lift in time for your half-price Japan jaunt, unless the global situation radically calmed down, you’d still be taking quite a risk in taking the offer.

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This leaves travel operators in the awkward position of wanting to do their bit to help the industry find its feet again (and not unduly slowing the return), while also giving customers accurate and helpful advice, and not rushing people to make decisions that could prove costly.Stuck between an expensive place and an expensive place.It also leaves governments encouraging tourists to travel domestically for the time being. As Australia’s Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham recently told the ABC: “This is a good time for a bit of dreaming, planning, thinking about the Aussie break that you might take when we finally get to the other side of this.”According to the latest statistics Japan has had 16, 628 confirmed cases of The Virus, 13,612 have recovered and 851 have died. Worldwide 5.56 million people have been confirmed to have had the Virus, 2.27 million have recovered and 349 thousand have died.

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The post Japan Go To Travel: Hidden Catch Behind Incredible Offer To Tourists appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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