Grab Taxi and Uber

So last week I was in the Philippines enjoying a vacation from the vacation.  Great place, too bad about the crime, here is a picture of my Hotel Shuttle.

On a serious note, the Philippines is great to get away and enjoy dry air.  It was heaven compared to the humidity in Phuket.  Of course when traveling in South East Asia you never know if your taxi driver is ripping you off or giving you a good deal. Then there is the problem with Taxi drivers having absolutely no clue where they are going, many unable to read a map, or perhaps unwilling.

I tried Uber in Thailand once and the prices quoted there were ridiculous.  More than the tuk tuk mafia!   But then someone in the Philippines recommend Grab Taxi and I have to say I'm impressed.

What is the fuss about Uber and Grab Taxi? 

Well Uber in my opinion is just a headache and they compete with taxi companies.
Grab Taxi on the other hand joint ventures with taxi companies and has a much better interface.

Why you should use Grab Taxi

1. Joint Venture with Taxi Company
2. Choose between Metered Taxi, Sedan, Luxury Vehicle, and SUV
3. Fares are estimated for metered Taxi and fixed price for other vehicle types
4. GPS with Map Locations so you don't even need the address and you can do keyword searches like airport, ferry, mall etc
5. Secure & Safe - License Plates shown with driver info, you can share your trip via email and social media to ensure you arrive safe
6. Receipts - all receipts are emailed to you
7. Drivers have GPS Driver app and know where they are going
8. No fees*
9. *Schedule Rides - i.e. An early morning trip to the airport.  This is the only feature that you are charged a very small fee for.

Even if there is a taxi stand, I still use Grab Taxi.  Why?  Because they know where they are going.  Last regular taxi I took, the driver didn't even know the road he was on, my hotel was just 1km down the street and he wanted me to pull up Google Maps on MY phone.  Put it this way, if a taxi driver is smart enough to cash in on regular fares AND Grab Taxi fares and uses a smartphone for GPS, that's the driver you want..   Thank You Grab Taxi for making my traveling easier.

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

About 3 weeks ago I watched Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead and ordered a juicer just a few days later.  It's been two weeks now and I have slowly been juicing more and more, and loving it! 

 

 

 

 

Today I start my 7 Day - Reboot with Joe - Juice Fast.   Only fresh vegetable/fruit juice (80:20) and no solid foods, sugars, coffee, wheat, or dairy.  I had my last espresso (I'm down already from 4 doubles to just one) and ate all the "normal" food and junk food that I have so that I won't get tempted or break down.  I'm excited!!!

 

Juicing is a little bit of work but if you buy and wash your produce at the same time and juice first thing in the morning for the day, and leave your juicer out for any impromptu cravings, then it's not that bad.  I don't have a dishwasher here in Phuket, seems in Thailand everyone believes in the old fashioned way...   but if I did.. boy would it be easier.

 

 

It's good to keep your body and mind healthy, and detoxing your body once in a while can help with that.  Ever since I started juicing I feel better and am calm and focused.  Yoga, weight training, and my sunset walks around Lake Nai Harn or swimming at Nai Harn Beach help too.

 

As a trader you need to keep focused and sharp.  Even if you "feel" healthy and don't have to take an prescription medication, I highly recommend you look into "detoxification" and watch this movie:

Watch Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead for FREE - click here

The Ujjayi Breath

Yoga Breathing or Pranayama, is the foundation of your yoga practice.  This deepening of your breathing helps you stay focused and calm while doing yoga poses, especially difficult ones.  You will find "breathing" is the foundation for many sports and exercises, allowing to push yourself, and really enjoy your work out.

I was introduced Ujjayi Breath in Phuket at the Traditional Ashtanga Yoga Shala in Phuket when I first got into Ashtanga Yoga.   The instructors, a Russian couple were simply great and I really advanced my Yoga skills.  Ujjayi btw means victorious.

Breathing especially helped me advance my practice, it's funny how some of the most important fundamentals, that we do without thinking, are often overlooked, never mind improved or perfected. 

 

Lately I have been finding myself applying breathing exercises when I hit the gym.  I have been bulking up a little, following the "Body for Life" plan that I followed back in the day, alternating days of cardio and weight training with a simple meal plan.

 

So circling back like a Seinfeld episode, what does Ujjayi Breath have to do with Forex?  Well if you want to be "victorious" in trading you need to have to be calm and focused. While breathing can help here too, it can go "deeper".  A set of systems, safeguards, and standard operating procedures. And a lot of analysis.   What exactly depends on you.  Just stay calm, and keep trading ;)