View from the plane window. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
When travelling, always speak positively about your homeland and your destination. You lift everybody else so they are more helpful and you lift your own mood. Don't get off the plane grumpy. If you meet somebody at an airport or a plane, what have you to say about the USA, the top three UK, tourist attractions and successful people?
Dee-Ann Ferguson-Rogers has won Miss Universe GB, I read on the BBC news July 18 2018. Interesting that as an ambassador for Britain she has to speak well, inspire and encourage, in addition to looking good.
I have no chance of being an ambassador, nor of winning a Miss World or Miss Universe competition.
However, when I leave London, I am aware that everywhere go, I am an ambassador for Britain and England and London.
Angela Lansbury, behind a model of the Queen of England, at a shop in the Departures area, at Heathrow airport, London. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
I can visit Toastmasters International clubs worldwide, and I am always an ambassador for Britain, my destination, and any other country I chose to describe.
It's really handy to keep a diary in your pocket and note the names of hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions. This month at a Toastmasters meeting I was asked to speak to the person sitting beside me and tell them what you did last weekend?
I had completely forgotten last weekend. I was so focused on yesterday's problem, which was all day cleaning a flat to rent, and the problems. It was all tense and negative.
After I finished speaking, I remembered I had visited the wonderful free Horniman Museum. The museum had loads of kiddie activities which would interest the person I was speaking to who had a daughter. I should have reached in my pocket for my diary, and read up my last weekend.
TOASTMASTERS
In Toastmasters International's clubs worldwide I meet local people. If you are asked about yourself, what you are doing in the country, or what you like, to get smiles all around, say how much you love travelling and seeing their wonderful country. Be specific, name a tourist attraction or landmark everybody knows, also one most people might not know. That makes a good conversation opener in the break.
Frequent questions in the table topics or impromptu speech will be:
Which country would you most like to visit and why?
What is your favourite film. (Pick one including landmarks of the host city or your homeland. Remember the title, name of director and star or starlet.)
If you are asked your ambition or hope for the future, you could name an attraction you have yet to visit. If you are asked what you don't like, say the weather. Nobody can take offense at that.
Toastmasters started in the USA and has more than 200 clubs in Singapore, of which I have visited more than 50. We learn how to speak well, mostly entertainly, occasionally seriously or sadly. We get evaluated.
DRESS TO IMPRESS
However, we are rarely advised how we should dress. I think we should be watching all aspects of presentation, including clothes.
If you speak on TV, you are advised in advance on suitable clothing. For example, no low necklines on a TV panel show with close-ups because you look naked. That sounds amusing, but it distracts the viewers from what you are saying. On the day, the show's make-up artist has five minutes to adjust your hair and make-up.
Well, you may say, mostly I am just travelling and not a VIP on TV. My main concern when travelling is dressing comfortably for the weather at the destination. I'm also worried about not having too many clothes so I don't lose a jacket or scarf at security. I want to sleep on the plane, not promote a business or listen to somebody else doing a sales pitch.
AMERICAN INTEROGATION BY A TAXI DRIVER
However, every time you travel, you are an ambassador for your country. I remember getting off a plane from England in New York and Washington DC and being questioned by taxi drivers about the UK. The weather, did it always rain, which months? I scrambled my brain to recall whether April or May or June was the wettest month.
The President
What about politics, what are your views on the President of the USA?
How about the present government in the UK. You had an election recently, didn't you? In what way is the new Prime minister better than the old one?
I was jet-lagged. I had been up all night watching two and a half films (movies to him) on the plane. What were the names of the prime minister, the government cabinet, teh foreign minister, the ambassador to the US?
What was the cost of living? What was dearer or cheaper in London? I recently read a survey. But I couldn't remember a thing. It took a while to gather my thoughts. What do I like about living in America? Large rooms and huge walk-in closets (in London we have built-in wardorbes).
What did I like about living in London. Where would I recommend to visit?
Anything free. Ah yes, the musuem in south London - what's its name? (I'll tell you later.) Had London changed over the last twenty years since the taxi driver had been there?
CONVERSATION IN LONDON
When I got off the plane from Heathrow I took a hire car and home would go straight to the neighbours in London. Had the indoor pot plants which they watered for me survived? I collected the post. They asked, 'What was it like living in America?' What did I think of the President? Was the price of a cup of coffee in Starbucks cheaper or dearer in the USA than at home?
Did I find Americans friendly? I struggled to think of three examples of good things to say about America - not because there weren't any, on the contrary, because I had more than three months of memories since I'd last been back to England. Which story should I tell?
Which was most amusing story? Which was shortest, so I didn't take up their time - and mine as I wanted to go in and unpack.
What could I say succinctly about my trip to the gardener and the postman, when they asked, 'Did you like living in America?' I could not delay them twenty minutes with my stories. I had to pick which story, and condense it.
SINGAPORE QUESTIONS
When I got off the plane from Heathrow to Changi in Singapore, I met the same questions about Asia and America and the UK. Taxi drivers were not the only people to ask. A wine and dine at a local restaurant had me sitting next to people from Asia and America. How is Singapore life different from London, and Washington DC?
EUROPEAN QUESTIONS
You can work out what you might be asked about your country by look at the headlines of the newspapers in the departure point and the destination. What do the Italians want to know about the UK? Italian restaurants, English restaurants. If they are not visiting the UK, but staying home, could they visit the UK for a holiday without a visa, or get employed in the UK after BREXIT, and how will Italy be affected?
Over in Umbria, Italy, I was waiting for my turn at the underwater power jets in the swimming pool. The man who was occupying the jets asked about Brexit. Who voted which way? What would likely happen next? How would it affect Europe, and Italy?
PLANE TALK AND PLAIN TALK ABOUT TRANSPORT
If you are stuck waiting for a plane to load on the passengers, or waiting for take-off, instead of being anxious, nervous, impatient, annoyed, you could be thinking of positive things to say about the country you are leaving, or what you plan to do in the country you are visiting.
People from overseas expect you to be an expert on public transport. I was on a plane back to the UK and an American told me he had watched Meghan Markel, (an American!) getting married in Windsor. He asked, "How do I get to Windsor, by public transport?"
Windsor? Where's the train?
I hadn't a clue. I had driven there by car many times. I knew Windsor had a station. I'd seen the station at Windsor and photographed it, with a royal train exhibition.
Windsor castle at the end of the pedestrian street at Christmas. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
I just looked up the journey from London. The travel time is an amazingly short average thirty minutes, stretching to 35, as short as 26 minutes.
You leave from Paddington station. I have loads to say about Paddington station. While there, see the statue of Brunel, seated, wearing his top hat. He designed the station and built the railway from London west across Wales to catch the boats to America.
When I arrive in a country I am always concerned about the cheapest, quickest, safest way to travel to my hotel.
MADEIRA AND TRANSPORT
I recently travelled to Madeira. The person sitting next to me worked for a hotel - not the one where we were staying which was the Pestana. On arrival, while waiting for luggage at the carousel, we asked his advice on getting a taxi to our hotel.
If there's something you need to know, such as the cost of a taxi from the airport, the person next to you on the plane might be the person to ask. Instead of delaying them on arrival at the carousel when you collect your luggage, you could ask them earlier on when you have nothing to do.
NEWSPAPERS - AS QUICK RESOURCES
Before you chuck away the free newspaper, or pass it onto somebody else, you can make a mental or physical note of temperatures at your home and your destination, the curency conversion rate, and the names of VIPs.
HOW TO REMEMBER A NAME - MISS UNIVERSE GB
What was the name of the Miss Universe GB? Next time I am in a conversation about how Britain has changed, or the progress of women, or black women in Britain or worldwide, I might want to mention her.
Her name is Dee-Ann. How will I remember it? ABCD. D-A. Dee - Ann. Ann or An is short for my own name, Angela. I shall identify with her. You might think of reading about Dee-Ann in Angela Lansbury' travel blog. Or relate her name to another Angela you know.
What is the length and spelling of her name? Dee-Ann. Two three-letter names hyphenated. Both names have a double letter ee and nn.
We now have a light, cheerful subject of conversation. You can use the same method with any other topical news story, serious, light-hearted or humorous.
When you leave home, you have a chance to hear about the attractions which others have visited. On your way back, you can tell incoming visitors what others have recommended. However, if I keep a diary or notebook or piece of paper in my pocket, and a page with a paperclip marking the websites, I can tell them instantly. If they don't have a pen or internet connection, they can photograph the page with the details.
TOURIST SITES
I always have my business card in my right hand pocket in case I meet somebody interesting. That way we can keep in touch and they can call me to ask about advice on what to visit if they forget the name of a place I recommended.
Singapore flag.
Next time I travel, I shall note the websites of three tourist destinations
TOP 3 SINGAPORE TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Singapore - I have three top places to recommend:
1 Gardens By The Bay - the giant waterfall in the four-storey high conservatory. Free waterfront walk outdoors around trees and plants from the world with captions.
2 The top of Marina Bay Sands for a view over the city and the infinity pool.
3 The Night Safari, to see animals, uncaged, at night.
The Singapore Flyer (big wheel) is good too , for views and history commentary - but we did say three.
TOP 3 NEW YORK TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
New York
1 Classic Sight: The Guggenheim Art Gallery with its spiral design. Still surprising, still memorable. (9-11 is a modern site, but a bit depressing for a starter. Leave it until later.)
2 Do the hop on hop off bus combined with a Duck tour if possble. Get off at whatever interests you. For me, on a return visit looking for something new, it was the Jewish museum and ...
3 The Sex Museum. Sex and the City has been a long running online promotion for New York. At the Sex Museum I opted to see the extra exhibiton which was on animals. The one thing I remember is the sex life of Flamingoes. Keepers put up mirrors because seeing another pair copulate makes the flamingoes all go at it and breed.
TOP 3 LONDON TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
London
1 The View From The Shard. All London landmarks. Near other attractions. (Cheap, free alternative, the gardens of the free Horniman museum. Just four or five landmarks on an outdoor panel.) See Borough Market.
2 The Victoria and Albert Museum. More museums alongside. Natural History Museum.
3 Tower Bridge. It's London. You must do London. Great views. Take Camera. Go on to the Tower of London and the Museum of London.
The well- known places are Madame Tussauds and Planetarium and the Sherlock Holmes Museum. by Traflagar Square you'll find The National Portrait Gallery and The National Gallery - but we did say three tourist attractions.
See my earlier posts on attractions in the USA, the UK and Singapore. Please share links to your favourite posts.
Useful Websites
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
Weather
https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/ (Current and comparing depature and destination.)
https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Rainfall-Temperature-Sunshine,London,United-Kingdom
Politics
https://www.geni.com/projects/Current-World-Leaders/
https://www.priceoftravel.com (This website has a backpackers' section.)
Money
http://www.convertmymoney.com
BUDGETS
JAPAN
https://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/basic-info/for-budget-travelers/budget-travel-hints.html
vistibritain.org
visitengland.com
visitbritainshop.com
visitlondon.com
visittheusa.co.uk
visititaly.com
umbriatourism.it
MADEIRA
visitmadeira.com
visitsingapore.com
WORLDWIDE
wikitravel.org
wikivoyage.org
tripadvisor.com
wikipedia.org
simple.wikipedia.org
SAFETY
gov.uk.foreign-travel-advice
SINGAPORE TOURIST SITES
Gardens By The Bay
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardens_by_the_Bay
http://www.visitsingapore.com/see-do-singapore/nature-wildlife/parks-gardens/gardens-by-the-bay/
Marina Bay Sands
https://www.marinabaysands.com/sands-skypark/observation-deck.html#uvbvYVfGwkxzGkcR.97
Night Safari
https://www.wrs.com.sg/en/night-safari/
Hop on hop off bus
https://www.topviewnyc.com/
Website offers discounts of up to 23% if you stay on site and book.
Sex And The City Tour
https://onlocationtours.com/tour/sex-and-the-city/
Guggenheim
https://www.newyorkpass.com/new-york-attractions/solomon-r-guggenheim-museum.
Museum of Sex
https://www.museumofsex.com
The Shard
the-shard.com
Tower Bridge
towerbridge.org.uk
Victoria and Albert Museum
https://maps.apple.com/place?address=Cromwell%20Road%2C%20London%2C%20SW7%2C%20Lloegr&auid=5391179260921406078&ll=51.496661121976366%2C-0.17215490341186523&q=Victoria%20and%20Albert%20Museum
Finally, remember to promote yourself or your profession. Most people would find something to ask or say about your work. If you don't like your job, ask about theirs. It's polite.
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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