How To Keep Track Of Your Travels, and Vaccines, and why

 I have been doing some houuse clearance and have to decide what to do with old diaries, maps, and plane tickets. Before throwing anything away I shall take a photo, and make a list. 

Why does it matter? I shall first show you why it matters, then how to keep track.

Serious Reasons

1 You might want to fill in a residency  or nationality application and want to show when you first entered the country to live there.

2 You might want to know exactly which year you visited a country to seems precise when answering questions in a job interivew.

3 You might wish to show how long ago you first did something to prove your professional status and experience (such as how long, how many years, you have been a travel writer, speaker, or stand up comic) in order to qualify for membership of a society which offers free goods for review and is for professionals and tries to exclude newcomers and amateurs.  

4 To establish how long ago you contracted some deadly disease rife in a foreign country.

5 To check when you last had a flu vaccine, Covid. Other vaccines. 

d jab, or anti rabies jab . (I had anti-radies after I hurt myself getting out of a taxi in Cyprus I needed to check later which year it was to not have two jabs too close toegether, and to restore immunity which gradualy fades. I needed Covid before being let back into Singapore after returning from our sons' wedding in the UK. Which year was that? Which month? My air ticket will tell me.)

5 To check on X-rays. I also wanted to know which year I had had the all clear verdict of a TB chest x-ray which was obligatory before I started teaching in Singapore.

6 At a funeral, my ex-boss's son had placed medals from the Korean war on the coffin. The niece of the deceased demanded angrily that the medals were removed, and the eulogy was amended deleting any claim that the deceased had been in Korea in the armed services in wartime. She claimed that her father had received medals for serving in the Korean war. But her uncle had been merely been in the merchant navy visiting Korea at another date. 

Fun Reasons

1 It is nice to know

2 You might wish to give a speech on your birthday or another family member's of friends' birthday, showing how well travelled you are.

3 You might wish to show friends and descendants that you really did visit certain countries, to back up the veracity your amusing travel tales.

4 You might wish to do a fun XXmas or holiday quiz on guess how many times you or another person visited a certain country, or who has travelled most.

5 To fill in an online quiz.

1 Summarise travels on the back page of your diary.

2 Keep on ongoing excel list.

Photograph on tickets and keep a folder on your laptop or phone.

Write a blog and update it.

You can buy a downloadable vaccine record sheet from Etsy. Vaccine passport books are sold on Amazon.

You might wish to print a record of all your vaccinations and dates, flu, Covid, TB, tetanus. Also x-rays if you don't want too many from different hospitals and dentists.

Covid Record Cards

Useful Websites

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vaccination-Passport-Certificates-Perfect-Softcover/dp/1729771319

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/COVID-19_Vaccination_Record_Card

Multi-country birthday Celebrations

 At a toastmasters international meeting of Singapore International Dynamic Club the Vice President of education organized a zoom meeting during Covid travel restriction for the President of the online club. She sent him a chocolate birthday cake and asked us all to get ourselves a piece of chocolate birthday cake and a candle to light. We also had a birthday congratulations back ground.

At the online Zoom meeting interval, the birthday boy, (a man) was asked to light his cake and we all showed our backgrounds and sang happy birthday online. We ate our piece of cake whilst he had a piece of his cake.

The well-organized event was original and amusing. It made him feel special, made us feel privileged and excited by the novelty and camaraderie.

You could do the same or something similar for a birthday party which is all or partly online. At least go online or share pictures for the cake cutting.

No Blowing Out Candles

Nowadays, for health reasons we no longer blow out candles, or at least not over cakes. No breathing on cakes which others will eat. Maybe not even over something you are going to eat.

Instead, you can have a visual blowing out of candles. AI can do that for you. Be inventive.

Photo Montage Or Videos

A picture of previous birthdays could be good. For example, all the previous birthdays of a five year old child. And even the birth! The newborn! You can also show a video, as is done at many weddings, when you have three ceremonies, one at the country were the couple are living, one for her parents, one for his. 

You can do the same with parties for children, with adults online from overseas. Or two parties online one for children, online guests sent small toys like going home gifts.\

Useful Websites

https://www.temu.com/ul/kuiper/un9.html?subj=goods-un&_bg_fs=1&_p_jump_id=894&_x_vst_scene=adg&goods_id=601099546469247&sku_id=17592344037912&adg_ctx=a-5

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Find First Class Friendly Service And Experience On Airlines - or copy and create it

Heathrow goodbye. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Your Memorable Names

When I was a frequent flyer, before Covid, I used to get welcomed aboard by staff who said my name.

A polite way to ask somebody's name is to ask, "How may I address you?" 

If the person beside you does not speak good English, you could show them your name on a conference badge, or give them a shortened nickname. If they look doubtful, puzzled, repeat your name.

Crease-free Clothes

When I reached my seat, the chief steward or other nearby member of staff asked if I wanted to take off my jacket. They offered to hang up my jacket. Sometimes you can ask staff to hang up your jacket. The put your boarding pass in the jacket pocket or on the hanger so that when they want to return it, they can find you.

Stowing Luggage

They helped stow my luggage in the overhead compartment. 

They offered me a pillow, and a blankets.

I remember a line from a film (Americans say movie) Gosfroth Park, which I watched on a flight. The chief housekeeper said, "My job is to prepare what the visitors may need or want, even before they have thought of it themselves." 

They always had a pen and paper to lend or give me when I needed one. When asked, they could point to the nearest exit to my row of seats, and the locations of toilets in front of and behind my row.

Chocolates

My husband travels with a couple of chocolates in his luggage. After a meal he finds me, if the seating has separated us, and gives me a chocolate. A wrapped chocolate? Less likely to melt over your hands and pocket. More likely to be saved and eaten discreetly so as not to excite desire or jealousy in others. But 

If you eat very quietly when others are asleep, they are less likely to notice. Rattling paper might annoy them.

If you have lots of food, in small pieces, it might be polite to share. The other person might decline. They might be vegetarian, or not hungry, or paranoid about being poisoned, or not want to eat your food and deprive you of it. I always think offering shows goodwill. You stop wondering if the other person is sitting there wanting it. If they say, "Thanks, but I don't eat ...," I feel that I have established goodwill, started a friendly conversation. I can relax. They can convince themselves that they don't need my food.

What can you do to help yourself on a flight? Or to help others.  

 If you are in an economy seat, never mind. That means you have people next to you to help you, or people you can help.

I have just ordered a tee-shirt which says, 'I am an author, ask me about my books'. I like souvenirs of what I enjoyed about the journey, and try to copy it. I used to be a higher grade of frequent flyer, before Covid. The staff on the airline would welcome me aboard, using my name. After you have smiled and said hello to the people next to you, you will feel less awkward about asking them to stand up. When they go to the toilet, I go after them. 

If you are in an economy seat, never mind. That means you have people next to you to help you, or people you can help.

I have just ordered a tee-shirt which says, 'I am an author, ask me about my books'. I like souvenirs of what I enjoyed about the journey, and try to copy it. I used to be a higher grade of frequent flyer, before Covid. The staff on the airline would welcome me aboard, using my name. After you have smiled and said hello to the people next to you, you will feel less awkward about asking them to stand up. When they go to the toilet, I go after them. 

If I am in first, and put some items on the middle seat, I say, "This is our seat to share. Shall I move my things back to my half so you can use your half?"

Usually, they smile and say, "No, that's fine, leave your stuff there. I don't need it.

To help getting out, you can lift up the armrest on the aisle seat. There is a button hidden under the arm rest somewhere. If you cannot feel it, squat in the aisle when nobody is using the aisle and look for the button, convex, bulging out. On my last flight the button was not underneath. Neither I nor the person across the aisle from me could find it. Then I had a look. It was right at the back, where the underneath of the arm curves upwards. Sorted!

If you chat at the start, but want to sleep, you can inform the other person and still seem friendly. For example, on my last flight, the passenger in the window seat told me, "As soon as we are allowed to, I shall put my seat back and try to sleep. This is my second flight. I started in Australia. We've already been travelling seven hours!"

If you are in the aisle seat and want to shut eyes, and sleep, you might first ask the person in the middle seat if they need to get out to the toilet. (The British say Toilet. It is also called a rest room, as some Americans might say). 

My extended family's flight packing lists include;

1 Folding walking sticks. Wheels for luggage. Straps to keep a handbag (Americans say purse) fixed on top of a wheel on bag. 

2 Emergency or fun food and drink and containers. A plastic stemmed glass (in a solid cardboard container) for drinking Champagne, Prosecco, other sparkling or chilled white wine, a Platypus for storing wine, or water. 

3 Travel Clothes. A light, large scarf. A waterproof quick zip off jacket with secure pockets inside and out. A pocket large enough for my passport, credit card and money so they stay safely with me when I go to the toilet or if I had to evacuate a plane or building. Quick release sandals for security. (I don't wear heels because they are not suitable for plane travel. If I did wear heels, I would keep flat shoes for the plane, and a bag for my shoes, with a ribbon to attach the shoes to other luggage so the shoes never get left behind.)

4 A colour stick on all six sides of a suitcase, especially if it is black, to identify it quickly from a distance. A photo on my mobile phone of my wheel on bag. (So I can spot it quickly on a carousel 

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Angela Lansbury, travel writer, public speaker, blogger, author.

It is snowing hard in London. London needs ... Singapore needs ... The world needs ... what Canada has and what America and Israel know

 

I spoke to family in North West London. England. UK. It is snowing hard.

They are in lockdown and can go out only for food. We did a video call on mobile phones. It was just like being in the room with them.

I said, "What you need is snow shoes, like in Newfoundland, Canada".

They can go to hospitals for maternity checkups, or giving birth. If they can get there.  What about the family in Singapore? They are enjoying tropical heat. Aren't they?

Singapore

Meanwhile, over in Singapore it has rainy periods on an off in the afternoons. It is pleasantly cool. Not the dreadful humidity and oppressive heat of summer. 

The vaccinations for seniors are scheduled to start mid-February.

Many of the older blocks of flats have a maid's room with a toilet, shower and sink. Some people have converted this into a kitchen, and the kitchen into a larger living area or second living room or dining room. I am wondering if lockdown continues worldwide, will we start converting rooms into study bedrooms to let out. Or turn all bedrooms into study bedrooms. 

If you are over fifty, you can set up separate bedrooms and separate study areas, whilst you are still healthy, so that if one person is sick or isolated, you can have desks in separate rooms and separate sleeping areas.

What does Singapore need/ What does the world need, if people are going to work from home?

Converting Homes

Homes need a balcony so people can have fresh air, get vitamin D from sunlight. and grow fruit and vegetables. 

Corridors need one way systems or dividers.

Store rooms need to be converted into office spaces or meeting rooms, or broadcasting rooms, like one person offices, to protect workers' privacy.

Converting Offices

With so many offices and businesses and shops closing down or having people working from home, will the opposite happen? Offices will have to be converted into dwellings, with kitchens and bathrooms. And a convenience store for food and cleaning materials on the ground floor. Maybe a doctor's office, testing centere and drug dispensary on the ground floor.  Maybe a teacher's room, so the teacher can work online and does not have to reveal her home.

But will Covid go on, where, and for how long? Who is looking at the problem, worldwide?

John Hopkins Univerity in the USA has Covid statistics and forums.

Useful Websites

USA

coronavirus.jhu.edu

SINGAPORE

go.gov.sg/gov.sg-220121

vaccine.gov.sg

ISRAEL

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9179677/Israeli-healthcare-group-says-coronavirus-infections-plunged-vaccinated-60s.html

In Singapore 1800-333-9999

About the Author

Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Member of many toastmasters  speaker training clubs and speaking contest judge.

Angela Lansbury, the author of 20 books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Quick Quotations, has lived in the USA, Spain and Singapore. 

She  has several blogs and writes daily on at least two of the following:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

 Please share links to your favourite posts.