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You’re staying at a nice hotel somewhere in a major city that wants to charge you up to $23 per day for Wi-Fi! How do you react to management? What approach do you take to score free WiFi?

Considering it’s 2015, that’s way too much for Internet. Many hotels charge a “resort” fee, as well as other surcharges for amenities, including access to a gym or free breakfast. But mostly, free WiFi is readily accessible in the lobby area.

However, before you get bent out of shape over the excess cost (What? Are they going to charge you extra for basic utilities, like water and electricity, too?), here are a few things you can try.

Join a guest membership program.

Members of a particular hotel chain, such as Starwood, Marriot, and Omni, can enjoy free internet. Ask them whether they offer any guest membership programs, and whether joining is free of charge (many are). As a member of their loyalty scheme, you get the perks of free Internet--without having to pay the daily fee.

Sometimes, asking nicely and being polite works 100% of the time.

You don’t have to be mean or threaten them with a negative TripAdvisor review. Sometimes, all it takes is for you to approach the front desk nicely, and ask them if they can provide you with complimentary WiFi. Period.

They may react by saying. “No, we charge for Internet.” (which you already know that’s why you’re asking), but then you can say “No, I’d like you to comp me for the Internet.” and just stare at them and smile. It’ll surprise you what you can get away with when you’re nice to people. By this time, they’ll either just allow you free access, or they’ll ask permission from their manager. Repeat your request, and they’ll say, “Yes.”.

If the manager absolutely won’t budge, you can try telling them remorsefully that you were just about to get a couple of drinks in their bar while sifting through your emails, however, now you’ll have to go to a nearby cafe for free WiFi. Wish them a good day and leave. Chances are, the manager might give you an offer.

Usually hotel guests can request for all sorts of free things, like free drinks, free meals, and even free nights. It’s rare for front desk employees to turn down requests because pleasing guests and making them happy are their no.1 priority. (They have no responsibility over the loss of profits.) This holds true most especially if you’re a guest paying full price at a luxury hotel, costing $150-$300 a night. The average cost to maintain a room ranges from $30-$39. So, waiving that $25 fee shouldn’t be a big thing.

Charging $20 a day for WiFi doesn’t seem reasonable, considering it fetches up to $750 a month per user! That’s $3,000 for a family of four! It’s weird that electricity and hot water which incur marginal costs for hotels (depending on usage), are free but Wifi, which brings in no marginal cost, is not.

However, if you’re on a business trip that requires Internet access, and prior to booking, the hotel failed to disclose the absence of free WiFi, you might be able to get a one-night minimum no-show charge.

And if all else fails, there's free WiFi in a nearby café or shop.

Many “luxury” hotels offer a premium price for WiFi service, and in most cases, the connection is slow and intermittent. A Starbucks nearby is probably all you need for a good connection.

Did you ever have to pay a ridiculous price for WiFi? Share your story below!

If the airplane you were on happens to crash, do an ocean landing, or rapidly catch on fire, which seat(s) on the plane give you the best chances of survival? (And keep you safe from out-of-control dining carts or falling luggage?)

It’s those seats at the rear end of the plane.

According to a study by Popular Mechanics, which took a closer look at every single airplane crash by a commercial jet in the US, since ‘71, with both survivors and fatalities,

"Passengers near the tail of a plane are about 40 percent more likely to survive a crash than those in the first few rows up front. “

So, what do you do to minimize risk?

1) Travel economy class

2) Pick seats near emergency exits
3) Book the rear airplane seats

4) Maybe, a window seat to avoid falling luggage and food trollies
5) Don’t forget to fasten the seatbelt

Of course, the safest seat would be a seat on a different plane. Considering the chances of being killed in a flight, though. You have a far greater chance of being killed in a car crash or by a bolt of lightning.

Fred Landis, investigative reporter, tells his story of an airplane crash survivor:

“When I was an undergraduate there was this really brilliant math prof who was on vacation and his Alitalia flight crashed into a mountain. Everyone aboard died except the math guy, his wife and children, who were seated all the way in the back.
He decided that this was a sign from God, moved to Israel for several years, joined the Air Force, and distinguished himself in one of those cataclysmic wars. At the time it was not politically correct to be pro-Israel but he got a pass because of the circumstances. I knew him, but in a campus of 45,000 people everybody got to hear this story. My guess is that the moral for most was to sit in the back of the plane, not move to Israel.”

Channel 4’s The Plane Crash deliberately crashed a Boeing 727 carrying sensors, cameras, and crash test dummies with breakable “bones” into the Sonoran Desert, Mexico.

As the nose hits the ground, the plane’s first 11 rows of seats for business and first class were completely ripped off. The front section of the plane recorded a force of 12G. At the rear end, the force falls to 50% at around 6G. None of the first-class passengers would have made it. However, 78% of the passengers would have, and the survival chances increase as they get closer to the end of the aircraft.

Ever since the study has been made, it has led to a sharp decline in the number of enquiries for first-class seats. Would you risk perishing in first class for plenty of legroom and a healthy amount of alcohol?

The busy streets of Manila now is in stark contrast with the laid back swagger of Old and New Manila. Around 1898 when the Americans arrived and experienced the Philippines firsthand, Manila carried a centuries-old charm, renowned for its impeccable beauty as the “Pearl of the Orient” and the “Venice of Asia”.

As 1904 rolled around, the old walled city of Intramuros was an astonishingly-preserved medieval city, impressing Daniel Burnham (sent by President Taft to overtake the city’s planning). Snazzy Meralco street cars were also soon installed after.

There were beautiful old churches, and elegant, sloping Filipino Bahay-na-Bato style houses. Ground floor walls were made entirely out of stone, and overhanging second floors were crafted out of wood. Sliding capiz shell windows filtered the sunlight, with wrought iron grill creations. And by 1912, Manila Hotel just completed its construction following the Army and Navy Club.

If you're feeling nostalgic from the heavy traffic, here are a few scenes from around Manila ca. 1900-'20s, which includes these postcards from Jonathan Best's Book, Philippine Picture Postcards 1900-1920.

North Pasig, Union Landing and Customs House Wharf
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Manila Hotel, with a view of "New Luneta" and the Bay.

The mouth of River Pasig and Anda Monument

Plaza de Goiti and the Santa Cruz Church

Escolta, Clark's famous ice cream parlor and cafe

Cascos in the Binondo Canal

Escolta, and MERALCO's new street cars, 1904

The Santo Tomas Church courtyard, Intramuros, destroyed in WWII

Rotonda Circle and fountain

A casco used to deliver veggies up the Pasig

Sentry watchtower, Bastion de San Andres

Binondo Church and Insular Cage Building

Malacanang Palace, 1909

What did you think of old and new Manila circa 1900-'20s?

“Take your Holga out for a ride. Stop often. Play.”, Kit Frost

The Holga is a pretty simple, low-cost camera. It’s made almost entirely out of plastic, and uses a low-contrast plastic lens. It’s a toy camera, after all, but the way the Holga sees the world is entirely different. It procures soft, dreamy photographs with vignetting and occasional light leaks that feel almost more solid and real than the actual subject.

If you’re used to arbitrary standard straight-edge, rectangle images, the holga lets you explore a refreshingly different side of photography. If you think about it, the Holga pretty much sees the same way we do. The way the images present, sharp in the center and vignettes around the corners, is how our vision works and processes the space we live in. Sharp on the focal point, and kind of blurring out into our peripherals.

From shooting landscapes, to still life, street photography, and others, your pictures aren’t coming out “perfect”, or the very least, perfect in the traditional sense of the word. Shooting with a medium format film (120 film), they’ll be surprisingly detailed and square shaped instead of the usual 3x5 and 4x6 dimensions, with a plastic lens making everything dreamy--the OG in Instagram’s formula for success.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro, or beginner in photography, the Holga veers away from our obsession over details, accumulating gear, and accessories.

Let Go of Pretense

The Holga summons up Dadaist traditions of chance, surprise, and willingness to see what happens. -Robert Hirsch, Photographic Historian.

Stop often and play. Mess around and go crazy with these little pieces of cheap plastic. You never know how your frame will turn out. Accidental double exposures, neighboring frames, light leaks, and vignetting--all offer an element of surprise to your photographs. Instead of fretting over the finer technical details, focus on composition.

Ideal Shooting Conditions

The limited Holga settings place much of the control and flexibility in the film itself. Steer clear of shadowy places, unless you have a high speed film (at least 1600 speed) or flash.

Utilize different film speeds for shooting in a range of conditions from cloudy weather to sunny outdoors, or poor indoor lighting.

Modifying your Holga

There are so many ways of modifying the Holga camera. A Holga leaks light from all over its body, from the camera’s film counter window, back and edges, and even the shiny black finish inside, bouncing light all over the place. You can cut down this effect by covering the back of the camera (where the film counter is) with electrical or duct tape. Many paint the interior matte black.

If you get “neighboring frames”, your back may have been set incorrectly, not because of any need for tension adjustment. To get perfectly spaced frames, make sure you wind it correctly, and point the arrow to 12 and not 16, if you’re shooting with the square insert.

You can also use 35mm film with your Holga with 35mm film, which lets you create interesting photos with a wider horizontal length that fill the entire film area, including the sprocket holes.

Buttons, Settings, and Variations

The Holga isn’t overrun with a million settings. You won’t be having a hard time getting familiar with everything. There’s the cloudy/sunny switch. Make sure you focus the camera beforehand. There’s also the nifty B-N switch at the bottom of your Holga. N stands for Normal, which is the usual setting.

On the other hand, B stands for “bulb” which allows the shutter to remain open as long as your finger is pressed down. A tripod or extremely steady hand will allow some incredible long exposures.

Usually, Holgas use a 60mm lens with two aperture settings (f/8 and f/11). The first is for sunny days, while the other one is when the clouds roll through. There’s a switch to select between the two, a fixed 1/100 shutter speed.

Ever since the original model was produced, many newer variations provide its own set of added options: a 3D stereo version, panoramic version, built-in flash, tripod mount, glass lens, pinhole version, twin lens reflex version (TLR), and more.

Focusing

There are four focus marks on the lens to help you use the setting that is most ideal for your shooting situation. The drawing of a guy focuses the lens at a distance of 3 ft. or one meter. The family drawing allows 6 ft. or 2 meters. The third drawing of a group allows 18 ft or 6 meters

This doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t choose anything in between when you’re feeling adventurous!

Multiple Exposures

The shutter mechanism is independent of the film advance knob. You’re entirely free to exercise your creative choices, advance the film only once, and capture as many exposures on the same frame as you like till you're completely ready to move on to the next frame.

Life can appear like a barrage of industrial chaos, sometimes pointless--often ridiculous. SUVs roaring past a cathedral, sermons heard coming from an electronics store, noisy car horns amidst street vendors selling beautiful roses, all calling for attention. Wherever you are, the Holga lets you capture the cynical eccentricity or natural beauty in the culture of our surroundings. With its lightweight, small build, carry it around absolutely everywhere. Toss it in your bag, and just go!

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Why not sleep under the stars as a space traveler in a campsite that feels like you're in 2001: A Space Odyssey or The Martian? Rest your head in a cozy pod, kite cabin, or trampoline tent amongst sandscapes and quirky mobile art pieces for a unique camping experience on a remote, artificial island near Amsterdam.

Marring Art with camping, UrbanCampsite Amsterdam features art installations in an open-air exhibition 20 minutes away from the Dutch city. Created by local designers, any of the 12 campsites can be rented and slept in by outdoor-lovers.

1. Superfire Camp

Cook food over an outdoor fire pit that overlooks the IJ lake and is enclosed by a red

lounger, and a hot tub you can use. The cabin, also known as the sea beacon, contains a circular bed that sleeps two.

2. Solid Family

The “Solid Family” campsite sleeps composed of two “icosahedrons” capsules is spacious enough for 4 people. Each of the capsules contains a queen-size bed.

3. Bed Bug

Franka te Lintel Hekkert created the pad for nomads, and it supports mobile living protected against the elements, with a shiny foil interior.

4. The Kite Cabin

The two-person pod has a transparent roof for night-time stargazing. Plus, you can fly the window blind which is an actual kite.

5. IBC Shrinkwrap House

REFUNK, designer of the IBC Shrink wrap House, frequently explores recycling and garbage, and its link and utilization in design and architecture. The white spacious interior (despite being made out of recycled materials) is surprisingly peaceful, relaxing, and airy.

6. Trampotent

Infuse your day with energy after a few rounds on the Trampotent. This tent is multifunctional, transforming into a trampoline. The creator, Vince Vijsma, combines existing objects to suggest a new picture, object, or function.

7. Goahti

A “Goahti” is the traditional home of the indigenous Sami, who used to explore Norway. With a king-size bed perfect for two, this Sami hut is perfect if you’ve always wanted to stay in one.

8. The Val Ross

Find your original purpose in this design created by MUD Projects. “It is important to study the form of the existing object and let it speak to you in order to transform the object to subjugate the relation to its original purpose.

9. Upside Down You Turn Me

Dutch Visual Artist Rob Sweere says of his futuristic creation, “Lying inside you can look left and right and also up and down through hemispherical windows. You can sit outside, sheltered from the rain below the object. Thus, there are two rooms: inside the capsule, for resting and sleeping, and beneath the capsule one can sit and dream.”

10. Attic

Arjen Boerstra built a reconstruct-able camping space; “The attic from my youth plays a key role in my artwork. The reconstruction of this room builds a bridge between unencumbered imagination and the loss thereof later in life. The attic window connects an intimate inner world and the discovery of the outer world. “

11. Carved from wood

Studio Plots enhances the way you experience waking and the morning sun. They also wanted to emphasize the differences between the inner and outer realm. “The shape is created using varying lengths of wooden battens that soften the incoming sunlight in the interior. In this way, waking up will be a warm and intimate experience. “

12. Universe 7

Robbert van der Horst’s Universe 7 turns with the sun, and offers an expansive view of the lake and beyond.

Complete campsite facilities provided by The Tribal Toilet Tower, including showers, toitelts, compost tanks, and septic tanks.

All twelve of the Urbancampsite’s pod installations can be booked on Airbnb.com until the end of August.