Travel Finance Tips

Yesterday, I reviewed some travel-friendly apps that I find useful. Today, I’d like to share some financial saving tips for all savvy travelers to take advantage. Even if you are not a worldly traveler, these tips are great money savers at home too. The majority of U.S. banks and credit cards would charge an ATM fee when you use an unaffiliated ATM to withdrawal money, and charge a foreign transaction fee when you use your plastic in another country. Here’s how to avoid them.

Banking

Nowadays, there are many online banks offering high interest savings and checking, extra-wide network of fee-free ATM access, and conveniences of mobile banking in additional to helpful telephone customer service. They offer consumers a competitive option to traditional fee for service bank

Travel Blog

Last week, I found a really cheap flight ($657RT) to Istanbul, Turkey on the Skyscanner App on my iPhone. I found it using a feature of searching From: BOS, To: Everywhere, and Depart/Return on the specific dates of my Thanksgiving break. The search yielded countries by price of the flight, and Turkey surfaced near the top of the list.

Ever since my first travel to Cuernavaca, Mexico on a research trip in undergrad, I became infected with a viral desire to travel and see the world. This travel bug has its moments of latency, but every now and then when I least expect it, I come down with a full blown impulse to go somewhere.

I asked a Turkish friend for travel advice and found a travel blog by Young Adventuress, and I was hook, line, and sinkered into the imminent adventure! In the present moment, I should be studying ocular disease and low vision, since their midterm exams are next week. However, I just need a quick break and let out some excitement through this creative outlet.

I want to share some of my travel friendly tips. I understand some of these advices are geared more towards American travelers, but feel free and take what you can use.

Travel-Friendly iPhone Apps

1. Kayak Pro. It’s free for a limited time so get it while it’s hot!
   I use it for its convenient airport terminal maps, airline info to call any airline, to create and manage my packing lists, to track flights, to convert currencies, to book flights/cars/hotels, and more… It’s truly the swiss army life of travel apps!

Oh No They Didn’t!

I went to sleep last night thinking this congressional game of chicken would finish by midnight and GOP would back down because that would be a sensible thing to do, no? I mean, we’ve heard it for months leading up to today, but it sounded so ridiculous, sad, pathetic, and laughable, that I thought, no they wouldn’t! But no, the Tea Party pushed it too far! U.S. Government closed? Regardless of which end of the U.S. political spectrum you lean towards, threatening and forcing government shut down because the American majority voted for the law, you sued to overturn the law and lost the suit, now you’re throwing a tantrum and hurting the American economy because you can’t get your way? What type of precedence is this setting?

Non-essential staff are furloughed. National parks and museums are closed for business. Hi visitors international and domestic, we have national debt, but keeping revenue generating sectors of our government running isn’t happening because it’s my way or NO WAY because I can sabotage! Well, I sent in a passport renewal on September 23, 2013 in preparation for an international trip I’m taking in November, can I hope to get it back on time?

My most worthwhile investment

The summer between second and third year optometry school is split in half. Half of the class continued into seven more weeks of clinics and summer classes immediately following second year finals. The other half of the class, in which I was placed, started second week of July and is continuous with the current fall semester. After spending the first half of my summer back home embarking on various outdoor adventures and a week in LA and San Diego for Optometry’s Meeting 2013, I returned to Boston at the end of a heat wave in early July. I had four days of clinic a week along with 5 modules of Ocular Pharmacology and a few sessions of Advanced Diagnostic Techniques. My fellow classmates and I started to adjust to the new title of “third years,” it’s scary how fast time has flown, and how little time we have left at school.

Coming back to Boston, I bought a brand new ride, a single speed beach cruiser for $85.00 and free shipping to my apartment, thanks to Walmart. (Hey, a college kid’s gotta take advantage, especially when used bikes cost $100+ on craigslist.) My first ride was across the bridge to Harvard Square. I couldn’t believe how fast and effortless that ride was. The second ride, I got a little carried away, a 27.5 mile loop around greater Boston.

With numerous stops along the way, a total of 3 mini hills, and a beautifully sunny day, my new ride quickly topped the list of “best things I’ve bought for myself!” The only regret was why hadn’t I purchased this two years ago? Thinking back at all the missed opportunities to explore town, the minutes that quickly accumulate to hours and days of waiting for the bus or the T, and the sweat and inefficiency of running from place to place, I feel for the first time the freedom of being able to cover large distances in a short amount of time, that liberation from being at the whim of the public transit, traffic jams, human speed, it feels exhilarating!

I would highly, highly recommend anyone moving into Boston to invest in a little bike. It will make your life so much easier! Also, if you live in an apartment with free water, consider getting one of these, a Portable Washer that hooks to your sink and drains into your sink or bathtub. Save your quarters and save the energy of hauling laundry around. You can always sell these two items when you move away, and you just ended up paying a really cheap usage fee for all that convenience!

Two Years of Optometry School?

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by OHPNTZ (@happilybeing)

This blog endeavor has inadvertently been placed on the back burner for a number of reasons. The main one being I have not quite developed the habit of blog writing yet. Since my last post, we’ve been hit with Sandy, Nemo, and most recently, and tragically, the marathon bombing mere blocks from where I live and attend school. Despite all this, spring has arrived relentlessly, and Boston Strong has been nothing short of amazing.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by OHPNTZ (@happilybeing)

Two years? I am in awe! It was as if it were just yesterday that I first stepped into the Lecture Hall 3 at the New England College of Optometry. Oh how silly was I struggling to remember plus lenses for hyperopia and minus lenses for myopia. Oh, how little did I know then. Two years? I have worked up my first patient, refracted my first patient, examined my first posterior pole, typed up my first assessment and plan, seen my first case of diabetic retinopathy, diagnosed my first case of primary open angle glaucoma, seen my first case of mild dry age related macular degeneration, seen my first retinal scar from toxoplasmosis, seen my first case of gustolacrimal reflex tearing from aberrant regeneration of cranial nerve 7, referred my first patient for neuroimaging due to his presentation of opsoclonus, and so much more! It is absolutely incredible how far I have come in the last two years. I am in awe at how much I have learned. I am ecstatic about how much more there is to learn.

Optometry entails a career of lifelong learning. What I have learned in my two years of optometry school, from my impassioned professors and preceptors, is that one must always be up-to-date with the current clinical studies, so that one has the most current knowledge and tools to provide the best possible patient care. That is the fundamental responsibility that comes with being a primary eye care provider.

This morning, I finished my sixth final of the semester. I have resorted to pulling all nighters, leisurely cramming for the exams. Two years of optometry school has rewarded me with much success with procrastination, such as now, when I should be studying for my final exam of the semester tomorrow morning, I instead enjoy spilling my thoughts out in front of my laptop. But seeing as I have until 11 AM tomorrow, I am not worried. They say second year optometry school is the hardest, but I find myself in a lowered stress state compared to first year. I think stress was heightened in first year because of the uncertainty of expectations. Not knowing what to prepare for, I worried of failing expectations. This time around, I knew what was coming, and I knew after seven successful survival of exam week under my belt, I just need to take this final week one test at a time. Good Luck to all test takers out there!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by OHPNTZ (@happilybeing)

Air Force HPSP Improvements

It has been a semester since my HPSP scholarship started, and I have notice a huge improvement in communication. The AFIT’s Civilian Institution Programs page has evolved to be a comprehensive resource where HPSP recipients can find answers to most of their questions. On the main page right after login, you see new announcements, and right underneath that is contact info for the program manager including email, phone numbers, fax numbers, and addresses. On the right hand side is a column of tabs where you can find all the general program information, including your benefits letter, and reimbursement forms and instructions. Another improvement I noticed this semester is that someone will promptly email me a confirmation of the receipt of my reimbursement packet and even give me a time frame of when to expect the reimbursement. I am really enjoying this new and improved responsiveness of the program!

Enucleation, Evisceration, and Extenteration

It’s the third week into the second semester of second year optometry school. Rumor has it that this is the most intensive semester yet. Since the beginning of last semester, I’ve been commuting an hour and a half each way to Lynn Community Health Center for my clerkship rotations. At LCHC, no two patients present with the same problem. Every Friday, I look forward to seeing something new at clinic. I should have kept up the blog because there were so many interesting cases, and being a second year, everything is new and intriguing! Last semester, I refracted my first patient second day of clinic, and my preceptor prescribed based on my refractions! Through the teaching tube, I saw corneal scars, Hollenhorst plaque, Drusen from AMD, Koeppe’s Nodules around the pupillary margin, pseudoexfoliation on the lens, dot and blot hemorrhages that I learned in Diabetes and Glaucoma course first year. I saw scarring from Toxoplasmosis under guidance of my preceptor near the macula where the patient still preserved BCVA of 20/30. I learned to grade cataracts, write assessments and plans, and present differential diagnoses. I picked up small tropias during cover tests and saw countless number of Meibomian gland capping, pingueculas, pterygiums, arcus, and limbal melanoses. I saw a little boy who reported unilateral tearing while eating with a history of bell’s palsy. I performed tonometry on a real patient for the first time, and the last patient I saw before the semester ended presented with opsoclonus!

Last Friday, I saw my first patient with a prosthetic eye. My preceptor showed me insertion and removal techniques similar to RGP contact lens removal. The patient still had her globe (Phthisis bulbi), and her iris pigment is slightly visible underneath her vascularized and opacified cornea. My homework was to learn the difference between enucleation, evisceration, and extenteration. Prior to this patient, I saw a membrane tear with no history of trauma or surgery. There is so much to learn and every week, there is more knowledge to consume. There is nothing like learning on the job. When I see real patients with real cases, I remember them so much better.

Ingenuity

Today, a fellow classmate and super cute friend invited me to go shopping at Haymarket, and I convinced her to stop by Costco in Everette, MA for some apartment essentials for the semester. The Haymarket that I am referring to, for those who are unfamiliar, is a Friday-Saturday open air market near the Haymarket station accessible via both Green and Orange lines. Vendors pick up ripe and overripe fruits and veggies and other grocery store items that may be close to or just past their prime and price them irresistibly for a quick sale. Bargain hunters all around Boston and surrounding towns would meander through the raucous market to pick up often more than what they need and can carry. Prices like $5 for an entire large case of plums, at least 15 lbs, was hard to resist today, but I know I would never be able to eat all that without wastefully throwing some in the garbage. But 4 nice zucchinis for $1, I had to split that deal with my friend. Yum, I can’t wait to make some stir-friend zucchinis this week!

But what prompted this blog entry began with the Costo trip. My roommates and I have gone through almost an entire 6.3 oz Kirkland Tellicherry Black Pepper Grinder and the Kirkland Mediterranean Sea Salt Grinder since September 2011, so I went to the spice aisle to pick some up. However, I noticed a larger jar of the Tellicherry Peppercorns and thought ooh, refill! When I got home, I attempted to twist off the grinder top to refill the bottle, however it felt like the whole grinder would break before it comes off. Then I noticed the red word on the label–disposable, and panicked. Uh-oh, is it not meant to be refillable? Did I just waste $6 on a jar of whole peppercorns? For someone living in Boston without a car, going to Costco is a real feat, and to return a jar of peppercorn, totally not worth the time and effort. What can I make in the next two years that can use up an entire 14.1 oz jar of whole peppercorns? Hot pot? Google! Actually, I’ve been Binging lately, you can collect points for using the search engine, and get free $5 giftcards for Amazon, Groupon and other cool things. So far I’ve earned $15 in Amazon credits! Wooo! But back to the main point, I binged “how to refill Kirkland peppercorn grinder” and came across a youtube video of some guy drilling the top of a disposable pepper grinder (How To Refill Throwaway Pepper Grinders – Chef Remy Cooks!) and decided to look at the top of my grinder. What I noticed was coarse and fine adjustment screw and I was able to twist it off completely and pull out a piece of white plastic underneath it to reveal 3 slits large enough for the peppercorns to fit through! Ingenuity! I carefully poured the peppercorns from the jar and slowly filled up the grinder. Then, you just screw everything back on in the reverse order that you took them apart. And voilà, success! You can now continue to grind more peppercorns!

So in case anyone wonders and tries to google how to refill a disposable peppercorn grinder, hopefully these tips will give you the insights on how to successfully refill yours!

Pancake Update and Random Discoveries in Boston

I was able to track down Scott Jenson and find his original pancake article. Crisis averted! Here’s the link, and it’s definitely worthy of your attention. My class is collecting a list of recommended places around Boston that are worthy of a visit. I came up with a little list, mainly of cheap eateries around the city:

1. J. Pace & Sons

Italian Grocery and Deli

42 Cross Street, Boston, MA (Haymarket Station)

Best Italian Sandwich: Prosciutto, Fresh Tomato, Fresh Basil, and Fresh Mozzarella on Seeded Italian Bread with Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil (you can add sun-dried tomatoes too) Best $8 you’ll ever spend on food!

2. Bombay Cafe

Indian Restaurant

175 Mass Ave, Boston, MA (Hynes Convention Center Stop)

$6.95 Lunch Buffet, so good, so cheap, so filling! Warning: Do not go before an important afternoon lecture, the food has been proven to induce food coma at a 100% success rate. The lethargy is so bad that I’ve slept an entire afternoon after a meal of mere 2.5 plates. This is good for insomniacs trying to catch up on sleep.

3. New Dong Kanh Restaurant

Vietnamese Restaurant

87 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA (Chinatown Stop or South Station)

Cheap and delicious Pho XL bowl for $6.75, eat half there and pack the other half to-go and reheat on stove top for breakfast! Their pho is almost as good as Pho Duy in Denver, CO, I think Pho Duy has the best pho in the whole world:) They also serve Boba tea if you’re a fan of them slimy gelatinous black balls in your drink (I feel I should not have to chew if I’m drinking something:) CASH ONLY.

4. Bukowski’s Tavern

Burger Joint

50 Dalton St. Boston, MA (Hynes Convention Center)

You can’t go wrong with any of the selections on the menu. If you can afford to splurge a little, get the Hangover Helper (yum egg on a burger!) and some Allagash White!

5. King’s Bowling Billiards Lounge

Entertainment/Drinking/Free

10 Scotia, Boston, MA (Hynes Convention Center)

Tuesday Night get FREE bowling, pool, skee-ball, and/or shuffleboard with your NECO/college ID. There might be a wait for the bowling lanes, but you can play skee-ball while you wait. They expect to make $ off of drinks, but I’ve gone multiple times shamelessly asking for water when the waitress came by:P

6. Godiva

Free Stuff

in Prudential Center

Go to the store, sign up for the rewards program with your designated spam email address, and get 1 FREE piece of Godiva Chocolate Every Month whenever you stop by. Don’t feel obligated to spend any money, just enjoy your guilty chocolate pleasure and look forward to the next month!

7. Anna’s Taqueria

Mexican Restaurant

MIT Student Center

For some reason, Boston, even though it’s an international city, hasn’t quite figured out how to do Mexican right. (There’s a decent place in Lynn, near the community health center, called Lupita’s, but that’s a $6 commute away). But you can get an okay burrito, quesadilla Chipotle-style, or little tacos on corn tortilla. Cheap and you can practice your Spanish.

8. Roxy’s

Food Truck

Fridays in front of Boston Public Library, 11 to 3, Check out their different locations at: http://www.roxysgrilledcheese.com/locations/

Most Amazing Grill Cheese, it’s the bread, perfectly toasted yet somehow it’s still soft beneath the crunch. Mmmmmmm!

9. Sweets

Cupcakes

Mass Ave and Beacon and on Newbury St (Multiple locations)

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but this little cupcake place is a little piece of heaven. It’s expensive, but well worth it for any special occasion.

Buttermilk Pancakes

I thought Google had all the answers known to mankind. I taught my mom to just “Google it,” whatever that she was trying to find. In a sense, Google does have it all, all the info, and that if Google didn’t have it, it doesn’t really exist anymore. That’s exactly what happened to my favorite Buttermilk Pancake Recipe by Scott Jenson. A year or two ago, I stumbled upon an article published on knol (http://knol.google.com/k/buttermilk-pancakes#). Today, I tried to revisit the site because it was indeed the best pancake I’ve ever made or eaten. For someone like me who isn’t the greatest at following instructions, including recipes, the result was nothing less of the most phenomenal pancakes ever, that’s how incredible Scott Jenson’s article was!

But what did I get today? Certainly not the most amazing article on pancake making by Scott Jenson>(

Google Disappeared the Information I was Looking For!

I was confused, then I was distraught, and now I am angry. The almighty Google has abused its power. It got rid of knowledge, information that people shared over the world wide web and vanished it into oblivion! This is not a post related to optometry or HPSP or whatever I’ve previously blogged about, but this was significant enough that I spent time out of my busy optometry schedule to do a screen capture and write-up about because buttermilk pancake were wonderful and Google is not so wonderful for getting rid of it.

***Update: Original Pancake Recipe Found! https://scottjenson.wordpress.com/article/buttermilk-pancakes-imd1ml4q-vzc3bg/***