We thought we had everything under control and things were going smoothly until the last hour and a half. We began feeling the pressure of the deadline and InDesign was being a b**ch!

Also, when we finally sent everything off to print, the printer, obviously, ran out of ink. And the whole building had no spare ink cartridges.

At this point, people were running around, frantically, trying to find help with the techies… Meanwhile last-second touches needed to be adjusted on InDesign and, well, we missed our official deadline.

But no matter! We are very proud with the result and the hard work and unexpected problems were definitely worth it. The magazine looks amazing and we hope you will enjoy reading it.

Thanks for following this production blog. We had so much fun making it. You’ve had a chance to see how we work, as if you were part of the Life360 team!

Until next time, Life360 signing off.

According to the Daily Mail, Taiwanese pop star and ‘New King of Asian Pop’, Jay Chou, held his wedding to model Hannah Quinlivan in north Yorkshire at Selby’s 1,000-year-old abbey.

Jay Chou is a big fan of the UK. It is easy to see British landmark buildings in his music video, such as Big Ben and London Tower Bridge. They are all chosen according to Jay’s personal preference.

On the most important day of your life, where will the scenic backdrop to your wedding be? A destination wedding should be a most romantic, memorable and unique experience. Destination weddings account for 24% of all U.S. weddings, 30% of those weddings take place outside the United States.

1. Bhutan

Bhutan is a place with a reputation for mystery, a magic place nestling in the Himalayas. The country has two powerful neighbours, which are India and China. Spectacular landscape and the traditional Buddhist culture attract many new couples, who want to go to pay a visit. People who have converted to Buddhism dream of going there, furthermore, they love the architecture of the traditional homes and temples. All-inclusive packages with accommodation, food, transport and an official guide will cost you a minimum of US$250 per day. However, tourism is restricted; visitors must travel as part of a pre-arranged package or guided tour. So, preparing well before going there is recommended.

2. Santorini, Greece

Santorini is a place that is painted white and blue, and all pictures taken from such a picturesque location show the stunning backdrop. Just imagine that, a young bride holding fresh, pink roses and snuggling up to her bridegroom. How wonderful it could be! There are amazing, breathtaking views of the Caldera in Dana Villas and magnificent sunsets. The most popular wedding destinations create opportunities for wedding agencies. With a click of mouse, plenty of relevant agency web sites can be found.

3. Caribbean Sea, Mexico

If you want to have a unique wedding experience, instead of going to the beach, you can have yours under the sea at Blue Bay Grand Esmerelda in Mexico. A 5-star luxury hotel surrounded by a lush jungle and the stunning shoreline of the Caribbean Sea, a trip here would be an unforgettable experience in your life. In addition, an under-sea wedding is a unique and unusual memory.

4. Hawaii

According to the records of Japanese travel to Hawaii, most Japanese youngsters prefer to go to Hawaii to have their wedding. Hawaii is one of the most romantic places on earth and it has beautiful beaches, dramatic scenery and world-class hotels to match almost every couple’s wish. Its palm trees and orchids come to mind when we think of images of Hawaii. Just imagine exchanging vows with dolphins swimming around.

5. Queenstown, New Zealand

Chinese actress Yao Chen chose to hold her second wedding in a chapel, which was located in central Queenstown in New Zealand. A chapel wedding is the most simple and traditional wedding and a chapel by a lake would be suited to a wedding ceremony at any time of the year. The authentic architecture and traditional character of a chapel work in harmony with the surrounding natural environment to create a beautiful wedding setting.

Get your ticket to free travel, from couch surfing to house swapping, teaching English and WOOFing it up.

Couch surf

Would you sleep in a strangers’ house? For many budget-conscious travellers, a free night’s kip is not as dirty as it sounds. Nolan, 29 from San Francisco joined a 10 million strong community of couch surfers for a free place to stay. “I’ve hosted a few times over the past few years and used this site to have great experiences in Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East,” he says.

Couchsurfing’s website “connects travellers with a global network of people willing to share in profound and meaningful ways, making travel a truly social experience.” Strangers all around the world are offering their couches for free, with no strings attached.

Challen, 26 from New Zealand, has been a member of couchsurfing since 2007 and she enjoys being a host. “Let’s face it. The prices for hotel rooms have got out of hand so I am happy to offer my couch,” she says.

Get paid to travel

“I believe travel should be absolutely accessible for everybody,” says Katie Rooke, who funds some of her travels through teaching English. “I taught in Spain, Italy and the Philippines and I got paid in all schools and this turned out to be great fun,” she explains. All you need is the ability to speak English fluently. It is also good to have teaching qualifications such as TESOL and TEFL depending on the country you work in. Katie has experienced a lot in the long run and was able to travel around the countries she visited. “The positive bit is that I learned so much about who I am and want to be as a teacher and was also inspired,” says Katie.

The world is yearning for teachers but remember that this is a job and you will often be  expected to work the equivalent of a full-time job.

Swap your house

Anyone who has seen the movie The Holiday, which sees Iris (played by Kate Winless) swapping her cozy English cottage for Amanda’s (played by Cameron Diaz) L.A. mansion, has probably had this idea on the brain ever since. Thanks to the websites like HouseCarters, HomeLink and LovehomeSwap a home exchange is becoming real.

Caroline Connolly, co-ordinator for HomeLink has been helping like-minded families exchange homes all around the world. “Sharing your home with another family and staying in their home gives a real insight into how that family lives. Many members remain life-long friends with their exchangers,” says Caroline.

House swapping means more than saving more, it adds an extra dimension when you exchange your house.

WWOOF it up

In return for your voluntary help, WWOOF hosts offer room and board and a priceless experience. This worldwide community spreads awareness of organic farms and give people an opportunity to become friends with individuals all over the globe. You don’t need to have any experience with farming as WWOOF is as much sustaining travel and learning as it is about farm work.

Victoria Duggan, who call herself an adventure seeker and a rich non-gmo foods freak, started her WWOOFing experience last June, travelling to Italy and Turkey. “WWOOFing is so much more than just free accommodation, it is a complete cultural exchange. You become part of a family from a foreign country with different habits, traditions, and often language than your own,” reveals Victoria. “The best part is you are not in touristic areas of these countries, it is the real deal”.

Win it!

We all know the old adage that the best things in life are always free. This may sound like a long shot, but to get yourself on a road you need to be willing to take a risk. You will be amazed at how many opportunities there are to travel on an empty wallet. Just google “travel competitions” and there are plenty of options to choose from.

Wojtek, 15, from Poland entered the promotional competition of a popular soft drink and won a holiday to Disneyland for his family. “We had an amazing time, probably one of the best vacations ever,” says Wojtek.  So a little time and energy invested might get you out of here sooner than you think.

So if you have been making excuses that you want to travel but can’t because of $$$, then you don’t need to any more. Travelling for free is now a reality.

Although the past year has been tough for world peace, there were silver linings in 2014. Colombia’s peace process looks promising. A historic peace deal was signed between the Philippines and Bangsamoro. Afghanistan now has a government of national unity. But at the same time, more than 10 conflicts have arisen in the last year. Today’s wars kill and displace more people, and have more influence on everyone.

 “In a global sense, the world is becoming less controlled and less predictable because of the increasing geopolitical competition, for the moment at least,” says Karen Niles, international strategist from GSA company.

This is obvious when looking at the relationship between Russia and the West. Russia’s policy in its neighborhood shows a real challenge, and its relationship with the United States and China has become tense. The United States, Russia, and China are all trying to get dominance over high-altitude satellites, which control all the guidance and communications systems for the conduct of warfare.

Admit it or not, many ongoing conflicts can now be tackled on their own merits. In the meantime however, we do have to acknowledge that a peaceful 2015 will depend on working with a much broader array of countries than in the past.

For travellers

War and travel seem to be two irrelevant topics. Though conflict is again on the rise in some areas, it cannot stop people who crave adventure and are not afraid of stepping into danger. The uncertainty and the danger of war zones always excite adventurers.

Thus, a knowledge of the ongoing conflicts at present is crucial for all travellers. With that qualification in mind, here is the war map of 2015. With so many crises raging, narrowing it down is hard. We omit some areas that travellers seldom step into.

But always bear in mind to go to your embassy website first before travelling to risky places. The ongoing conflicts are crucial for every country. A safe travel, in the mean time, is crucial for every person.

 ‘Sin City’

Have you ever watched the movie Sin City? That dark, hopeless city, full of evil doers sends out the breath of despair all the time. On the night we arrived in Athens, Sin city was my first impression of the city.

Narrow and interlaced streets sit closely side by side. The buildings are not as high and delicate as we imagined. In Chinese architect, Jiyuan Tang’s words, “the economic downturn makes the whole city seem pretty bleak.”

Along the streets from Monastiraki to our hostel, trees are bare and seem almost dead while there are many cruel-eyed cats strolling around those old and shabby houses. There is a surprisingly amount of graffiti in different colors and styles. Although some of this graffiti is cute and interesting, the majority of it is really scary. It really is like a scene in Sin City.

We met a friend of those graffiti artists, John Lewis Buchan, who told us that some of the artists did the graffiti to express their discontent about the politics and economics of Athens, although the majority of those artists just want their colourful graffiti to add more energy to this holy city.

 ‘Holy City’

However, as we stayed in Athens longer, we found out that it is not a ‘sin city’: the holy city is still holy.

 Ancient architecture stands erect among those modern-day buildings. You cannot only see some of them at a distance but also encounter some of them on a casual corner. It is really an amazing experience to think how ancient people built them and to feel the thousand years’ history of those buildings.

The most famous of ancient architecture, the Acropolis, was built on the mountains thousands of years ago which is now in the centre of Athens. It was the origins of Greece culture. If you stand on the top of the mountain, you can see the whole of southern Athens. It is really gorgeous because all those white and yellow buildings compose a spectacular scene in front of you.

Nowadays, it has been a little bit ramshackle and is being repaired, but it is still standing there telling everybody that Athens has its character and a rich history which should be respected.

Maybe different people will get different impressions of this city, Athens. But no matter what they think, I really love it here.

Yang Liu opened his film camera store—Spring Camera in 2012, which is located in Dongnian lane, Dongcheng District Beijing.

Q1. In this information and digital time, why did you choose to open a film camera store?

A: I am a shutterbug. I think it is cool to make a living by doing things I like. I am a realistic person, so I chose to open a film camera store just because compared to digital cameras, film cameras quite valuable, and in other words, they are a form of investment.

Q2. What are the advantages and glamour of using a film camera compared to using other kinds of cameras?

A: The quality and colour of the pictures from film cameras are really special, speaking in a more abstract way, it contains something of a familiarity.  I guess this feeling contributes to the childhood memory of film cameras. When I was a child, my parents always took photos of me with a film camera. Also, an easily forgotten advantage of film camera is that it can slow down the tempo of life. The process of shooting and printing are time-consuming, so we have more time to think more before pressing the shutter.

Q3. Nowadays, many people put an emphasis on sharing pictures instead of just taking and keeping them, do you think this is bad news for film cameras?

A: In terms of sharing speed, film cameras even digital cameras are not as quick as smartphones.  But there are still some people who are willing to spend a lot time on studying focus techniques and photometry. Therefore, I still believe film camera will have a market.

Q4: Do you prefer to use photo-sharing apps? (Such as Instagram)

A: I seldom use Instagram, because it is a little bit difficult for me to edit every picture into the shape of a foursquare. I love using weibo (Chinese version of Twitter), and post some pictures taken by my film camera. After all, social media is a good platform for me to propagate film cameras.

Q5. Could you please predict the future of film cameras?

A: To be honest, film cameras will be used by fewer and fewer people. I guess, one day, it may become collectable such as the sewing machine and the Walkman rather than a practical tool to take photos. We should face the reality.

Cold is a far greater threat to survival than it appears and it is one of the most difficult survival situations. It decreases your ability to think and weakens your will to do anything except to get warm.

Blizzards can occur even during sunny and clear weather. Here are some basic tips for surviving blizzards.

Outdoors

In a vehicle

Indoors

 1. Old City of Edinburgh

In the old city, there is a lot of ancient architecture. Some of it is gothic and black in colour which makes the city of Edinburgh seem a little scary. In spite of this, the old city is really beautiful.

2. Calton Hill

At the top of Calton Hill, there is some Greek architecture which was built by Scots as a scenic spot to attract tourists. It is now a famous place to go where you can look down over the whole of Edinburgh.

3. Glasgow

In contrast to the ancient architecture of Edinburgh, the modern architecture in Glasgow has made the city famous around the world.

4. Loch Ness

There is a famous movie called Loch Ness Monster which is based on the story of the monster in Loch Ness. But if you go to Loch Ness, you will find the lake is very calm and the views around the lake are very beautiful.

5. Isle of skye

You will get the chance to see the most beautiful clouds in the world here, but will be accompanied by an annoying strong wind. If you are a shutterbug, please do not forget to take your camera as there is lots of beautiful scenery to take photos of here.

6. Railway track to Hogwarts

If you are an enthusiastic fan of Harry Potter, how can you miss to the scenery of the railway journey to Hogwarts? The journey to Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies was set in Scotland and is green in summer which makes it a beautiful sight.

 7. Oban

After visiting all that scenery, why don’t you visit a small town in Scotland to have a rest? Oban should be your choice. It is a small town with peaceful scenery. It is a perfect choice for the end of your Scotland trip. Don’t forget to eat the fresh fish and chips here!