25 Tips to Help Make Your Flight Better

by Adrienne Wilson on

James Wysong seems to constantly be searching for more ways to make a more comfortable situation when cruising 35,000 feet in the air. Last year he posted a list of 12 tips for a better flight, but he’s back again this year with 25 tips! After polling the masses he came up with a list of general travel advice like wearing comfy clothing and making notes of important info like where you parked the car. Other parts of the list include some very uncommon methods to helping stay happy while in flight. For example, one suggestion to handling the whiny, non-stop, crying baby or bratty kid situation is to hand them a sick bag and some crayons (because everyone knows to pack crayons) and tell them to make a puppet. Not too sure how to feel about that one. I don’t have children, but I don’t know if I’d want some stranger handing them items to make a puppet. I wonder how often that works.

Another person suggested bringing your favorite hot sauce with you to help make a culinary delight out of boring in-flight food and airport food. Now that one was obviously written before the whole liquid ban because hot sauce isn’t going to fly – not with you and not in America at least. Under mental health they follow the do unto others type of rule by stating: ‘Be the person you would most like to fly with.’ And in humor they suggest the ladies with battery operated massage devices take the batteries out before the screening process or it could end up very embarrassing. Hmm…

via MSNBC

World AIDS Day

by Adrienne Wilson on

December 1st is recognized as World AIDS Day and as a traveler of this great big planet I saw it fit to post a short something on the deadly epidemic which has killed 25 million people to date according to the United Nations. Yahoo News has an article that summarizes the very basics on areas with high HIV numbers, how you can lend a in helping eliminate AIDS or find a cure. Fighting the battle against HIV/AIDS doesn’t have to involve a coach class flight into Africa to help and teach orphans or teens about the disease, you can start right here, right now, where ever you are. I think many Americans are starting to discover AIDS is hitting a lot closer to home than they previously thought. Wake up and be smart folks. That’s my word and now I’m off to the Red Hot & Riot show at Brooklyn Academy of Music.

US Worst in Travel Headaches

by Erik Olsen on

It’s such a bummer that America’s image in the world has suffered lately. I’m constantly meeting people who tell me that while they once had nothing but admiration for America, their esteem has declined significantly since, well, you know. Recently, I’ve heard an earful from people who came here merely for tourism, who were brought nearly to tears describing the hassles they had to go through just to visit and see the country. One of my friends came with his family, and their top priority was to see Disneyland. They made the visit, but said the whole experience was soured by how hard it was to get through security. Turns out these problems were not isolated to them.

According to a new study of international travelers by a tourism business lobby, the United States visa and immigration entry system was rated the “world’s worst.” Interviews with 2,011 non-US. residents who had traveled outside their home continents over the last 18 months. So what are people all huffy about? Well, the rating was based on the ease of obtaining travel documents and the “respectfulness” of immigration officials. Rather sad and certainly interesting. But in regards to the later issue, I do have to wonder whether many of these folks just happened to come through New York, in which case immigration officials have pretty much always been that way.

Word for the Travel Wise (11/30/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

It’s been a moment since I’ve provided you with a word from Tajikistan. During the three weeks I spent in the country this past September I found this one word to be quite helpful in many situations. If someone was hounding me on the streets or pouring too much tea I let this one roll off my tongue…

Today’s word is a Tajik word used in Tajikistan:

bas – enough

Tajik is the official language of the country and is closely related to the Persian (Farsi) language spoken in Iran. According to Wiki the most important Tajik-speaking cities of Central Asia are Samarkand and Bukhara which are located in present-day Uzbekistan. In addition to giving interested language learners a taste at some commonly used words and phrases, the Great Game Travel Company has excellent info and short trips for touring the city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Be sure to check out the list of words first. If you’re near the University of Washington look into their Near Eastern Language Programs. Lonely Planet has a pocket-sized phrasebook on Central Asian lingos worth packing along and several other book picks can be found by clicking here.

Past Tajik/Wakhi words: rohi safed, mailesh, rahmat / tashakkur, samolyot, dishma

Photo of the Day (11/29/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on


Look at that face!! Is it just me or is there something about this guy that makes you want to pinch those make-up covered cheeks? Okay, well maybe the face is even a little strange and scary. I know someone out there is freaked out by the happy looking performer’s odd smile. According to lecerle’s notes this particular theater artist is playing Hanuman at the Ram Leela at Cross Maiden, Mumbai. Not exactly sure what that whole event is about, but the photo is definitely cool. Good people shot!

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