Travel time is useful time for learning landmarks

Problems
How do you learn your way around a city? How do you learn your new commute? How do you entertain yourself while waiting for a bus or train?

Answers
Read advertisements and learn the bus and train stops, names of stops, numbers of stops and street names and landmarks on your regular route. Mark the nearest Mrt Railway station

Stories
Americans, at least the ones I met when I first arrived in Singapore, are good at recalling road names and directions.

Although many of them lived in the central district 1 around the American club near Orchard MRT, they knew the road out of the city towards the hill of Bukit in Malay, was the Bukit Timah road. They also knew that the road the other side of the barrier, coming back, was named the Dunearn Road.

Now when I sit on a bus I pretend I am a travel guide helping a newcomer to the city. I say to myself: 'Notice that the road from the Eunos MRT is called the Changi Road. We are near Changi airport. See the Esso station on the right as we are getting near to the stop outside the Great Eastern Insurance company building.'

The next week, next month, next year, or next time I am giving directions, I can remember. I can also use these memory aids to check directions and ask, 'Is your building before or after the Esso garage?'

I keep the agendas or programme sheets of Toastmasters international speakers clubs I visit and write on the agenda or attach Post its of the nearest railway station.

I keep the agendas in alphabetical order. Then when I revisit club I can quickly find the travel directions, names of Vip members and handy phone numbers when I reach my destination.

Tip
If you have time, in advance of a trip, you can print off a city map. Mark your hotel. Circle or underline in highlighter museums or offices of business contacts. I check bus routes, journey times and nearby restaurants. Add museums. Look for closing days of museums and restaurants. 

I took a photo of this poster about reading - in order to read it later! I wasn't even using this bus stop, just walking past.

Author
Angela Lansbury,  travel writer and photographer.

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