Good vibrations
What is it about taking a holiday that makes us so damn happy? A
study by leading travel portal Expedia has the answers.
For better or worse, holidays abroad make us happy. It’s why we scrimp
and save for the next big trip and pine longingly for vacation time
to come round. And while exotic choices like meditation retreats and
detox getaways can do wonders for one’s spirituality, well-being and
happiness, good feelings (and bad) are in the littlest things we do
while on holiday.
A 2005 study conducted by an established psychologist for travel portal
Expedia.co.uk identified the key moments in a holiday that
make them so darn special.
Five study subjects including a young family, a dating couple, young
professionals, a retired couple and a lone traveler were given
heartbeat monitors and psychological questionnaires. With these,
subjects were able to record their holiday experience from the
moment they booked their holiday to their first day back at work.
According to the study, the five key holiday highs (where subjects’ heart
rates differed drastically from the average baseline of 71.5 beats
per minute) include:
Pre-holiday shopping
The women were suitably excited, clocking responses of 82 bpm. (The
men, on the other hand, registered a sluggish heart rate of 68 bpm.)
Checking in at the airport
According to the study, “a combination of anticipation and
excitement” had heartbeats registering 86.6 bpm.
Pre-landing
Excitement (and perhaps fear) brought heart rates to 83.2 bpm.
Entering your hotel room for the first time
A mix of excitement, happiness and anticipation made hearts race at
89.2bpm.
First dip in the pool
Heart rates registered 87 bpm, equivalent to “a night out with
friends”, according to the study.
Designer threads
If you’ve always admired the flattering silhouette and pleasant hues
of the Singapore Airlines uniform, you’re not alone. Popular design
rag Wallpaper* named the kebaya-inspired uniform a Design
Classic in its September issue, marking the very first time a
uniform has earned the tag. Created by French couturier Pierre
Balmain in 1974 and flying the friendly skies ever since, the iconic
get-up now shares bragging rights with other design chic creations
such as the Plia chair by Giancarlo Piretti and Danish and Parentisi
lamp by Achille Castiglioni & Pio Manzu.
As for the secret to their fine form on the Singapore Girl, Wallpaper*
reports that Balmain insisted that the uniforms be fully tailored,
rather than off the peg. Until today, Singapore Airlines in-house
tailors have a minimum of two fittings with each crew member.”
Airlines who outfit their attendants in lesser-looking threads may want
to take note.
Bright lights, big cities
The recently concluded Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards,
now in its 10th year, has named its new list of Top
Cities. Judged on various criteria such as
“nightlife/entertainment”, “aesthetics/architecture”, “culture”,
“cleanliness” and “food/restaurants”, each city had its average
score in every category tabulated to yield an overall rating. Sydney
beat out the competition and came out tops, garnering highest marks
in the “cleanliness” and “user-friendly” category, finishing well
ahead of last year’s cream of the crop Rome.
The Italian capital, meanwhile, scored top marks in “culture”. While
Paris garnered the highest scores for its food and restaurants, New
York dealt the City of Lights a deft blow in the nightlife and
entertainment stakes, beating out last year’s champ with its
exciting after-dark offerings. Start spreading the news.
+ Chan Hse May
The
Top 10:
1. Sydney
2.
New York
3.
Paris
4. Rome
5. Barcelona
6. Venice
7. San Francisco
8. Cape Town
9. Singapore
10. Hong Kong
