Posts tagged TikTok
The Tipping Point: When Generosity Turns Into Obligation

I recently experienced something that left me utterly gobsmacked and believe me, I've seen a lot in my years of globetrotting. I was checking out of a lovely hotel in Mykonos, Greece—sun, sea, and... sticker shock.

A Shocking Tipping Request in Mykonos

As I handed my credit card over to the front desk, the clerk slipped it into the card reader and handed it back to me. And there it was—like a surprise party you didn't want—an American-style tipping prompt. What percentage of my bill would I like to tip?

I was genuinely flummoxed, staring back at the two tanned, guilt-wielding staff members. "Sorry," I stammered. "Tip for what, exactly?"

"Well, you know, if you were happy with our service," one replied, referencing the dinner reservation they made for me at Scorpios. Hang on, isn’t that the concierge's job?

In utter disbelief, I clarified, "You want a tip on the entire hotel bill? Including the already-inflated high-season room rate, taxes, and the tips I’ve already left?" They did.

Of course, I didn't pay it. The sheer absurdity of it! But it got me wondering—would they ask a local Athenian for a tip? Not a chance, according to my Greek friends.

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Getting Around, ExploreChristina Fordtipping, tipping culture, travel, travel expenses, social media reactions, tipping norms, Instagram, TikTok, Mykonos, Greece Comment
Can't Text This: Decoding Millennial and Gen Z Slang

The day I got schooled by a message from a Millennial/Gen Z hybrid was a day like any other—except that day I was publicly reprimanded on TikTok, made worse that, and I could not understand most of it. 

The message was simple: "Hey Boomer. Do you know that it is legit rude to actually just pick up the phone and call someone?"

Wait What??! I thought. Were they seriously telling me it was rude to call someone on the phone??? 

They were. 

My reply, born from sheer bewilderment, was, "You know, that is what the phone is made for, right…to call people?" But then I got hit with: "Seriously, "dude, your Boomer Boner is low-key salty. It has no cap. It gives vibes of"a thirsty Karen." 

Oh, the "humanity…and confusion.

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Life LessonsChristina FordMillennials, Get X, Boomers, Gen Z, Hey Boomer, Easy Bake Oven, Parents, Kids, Cheat Sheet, salty, stan, snack, TikTok, Karen, Old School Comments
A World Without Men: Unpacking South Korea's 4B Movement and its Global Shockwaves

Beaten down by the patriarchy is not a new concept. As a woman who worked decades in a career dominated by men, the environment was thick with sexist comments, ripe with sexual innuendo, career blocking and what I like to call disgusting man behavior. And like myself, many had to endure the punishment that came directly from refusing the sexual advances of men in power.

My salacious boss had physically cornered me in a hotel elevator on an overnight shoot. That resulted in a permanent career demotion when I politely refused to let him penetrate me. Sadly, my story, this story, is a tale as old as time. #metoo!

So, is it any wonder women have had enough? 

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Life Lessons, Beyond LondonChristina Ford4B Movement, South Korea, Drew Barrymore, Sharon Store, Cher, Women's right, Equal rights for women, #metoo, TikTok, Sharon Stone Comments