How to Avoid Passport, Visa, Suitcase, & Hotel Embarrassment On Holiday - learn from my mistakes

Dear Friends

Lean from my mistakes.

Many taxi drivers before taking you to the airport will ask you, 'Do you have your tickets and your passport?' They must have had lots of panic stricken passengers making them return half way or even on arrival at the airport.

Missing Passports & Visas

Have you ever gone away without your passport or visa? Brexit was good for those without passports. But you still needed them for some countries hotels, and banks for money, drawing it out of your account.

Since Brexit, exit from the no passport system joining the UK to Europe, we have needed passports again. I recall the time before we were in Europe and I forgot my passport.

France, Ferries and Missed Fun

For a day trip on a ferry to France, I was so busy making sandwiches for the journey that I forgot my passport. I was so embarrassed, I did not want to admit it to the organizers of the trip. A colleague went and told them for me. He came back with good news. Fortunately, you could buy a visa for a one day trip, and the ferry terminal had a photo machine for the ID on the document. The only loss was loss of face, and a couple of pounds for the document.

On a later occasion, to be sure of not going off without a passport, I left my passport in my big suitcase to be sure of not going off without it. When I went to pack for a brief three day trip, taking a small wheel on suitcase, I could not find my passport in any drawer in the house or any handbag. I missed a trip to the opening of a theme park in France.

On another trip to France, I had my passport okay. We stayed overnight in northern France. We planned a diversion to Italy. When we got to the border to Italy, we had to turn back. I had left my passport on a lanyard over the back of a dining chair at breakfast.

These incidents were all my fault. What are the solutions? Have one place for the passport. It's always there. No frantic hunt. Now I look for it a week before the

Visa And Passport Renewal

Better still, allowing enough time for the passport renewal. My son's father-in-law discovered his passport had less than 6 months and needed renewing. 

Safe Storage Of Passports

On my later trip, I forgot my passport again, and realised twenty minutes down the road. I phoned home. My husband found it in its usual place. He drove towards us so instead of losing twenty minutes going back and hunting for it, we lost only ten minutes.

 I have also read stories of people who left their passports on planes. One couple put their passports in the back pockets of the seat in front. I always check the back pockets, and under the seat. I always keep my passport on me, or in a small cross body bag.

Stolen Passports & Bags In Spain

However, even that can't help if somebody steals the whole bag whilst it is still on you. In Spain a car drove up behind us when we were unloading the car on arrival at our hotel. A Swiss army knife was used to slash the strap of my large shoulder bag and the car sped off with the entire bag. 

If your passport expires or is stolen, mine was stolen in Singapore, the British embassy will give you a replacement to get you home. But it costs about a hundred pounds.

It requires photos signed by somebody who has known you more than three years, such as a doctor or lawyer in a foreign country. They might charge twenty pounds or dollars to sign.

It was a temporary passport without pages for visas and was valid only for a week.

Back in London I had to go through all that cost, and supplying for authenticated photos again to get a new passport.

Expired Passports

Each year check when your passport and credit cards expire? And how long it takes to receive a replacement.  My daughter-in-law was going on a cruise with her family. She discovered that her passport was going to run out. Many countries won't let you in. 

Left On The Plane

The plane seated us separately. Our luggage was on opposite sides of the plane. The duty free chocolates I had bought for his parents were left behind in the overhead locker, along with my hat and umbrella. I now take a folding hat and umbrella and keep them in my handbag. Any duty free goods go into my wheel on bag or are attached with a belt or knot.

Left In Hotel Rooms

My relationship with a partner broke up, because I checked out of the hotel when he rushed off to work. I left behind his silk dressing gown on the back of the bathroom door. 

The only thing you hang on the back of the bathroom door is the hotel bathrobe.

Before leaving a hotel, photograph the minibar with all the contents, or none, so you can show reception downstairs as you settle the bill. Pay the night before for a quick exit if you oversleep or the taxi arrives early and starts charging you for waiting time.

Before going on holiday

I lave the family my itinerary, transport, hotels, any foreign phone's numbers. And my insurance company hotline.

Suitcases Safety

Suitcase Exterior

I like to check suitcases early in the week before travelling. What have I found wrong? Cases which needed cleaning. Missing or wonky wheels. Handles which would not pull up, or down. Combination locks I could not undo. 

Suitcase Contents

Suitcases filled with off-season clothes which created a mess when I emptied the suitcase. Mouldy food. Once a mouldy swimsuit which had been wet a fortnight before. Four washes in the washing machine.

The last thing I photograph is my luggage. It it is missing I can show the photo, or fill out a form giving the brand name and colours.

Suitcase Covers

In Japan you can buy a suitcase cover to protect it. I bought a cover in Singapore from a budget shop. A cheap alternative is on old tee-shirt with sleeves folded inside. You might wish to add a strap or ribbon to the hem.

Your Hotel Identity

Print the hotel name to show the taxi driver, and the nearest landmark, such as the nearby, church, square, shopping mall, beach. Note any other hotel with similar names. And cities with similar names.

USA Phoenix Holiday Inn

 And how many branches of that hotel are in the city. We tried to convince a suspicious hotel receptionist in Phoenix, Arizona, that we had a booking at the Holiday Inn, she she denied. When we produced our booking confirmation letter, she saw immediately that we were booked into a different holiday inn five miles away.

Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife - Melia Hotel

In the Canary Islands this year, July 2026, we stayed at a Melia Hotel. It had a long name. I just remembered the word Melia. Melia is a group. they had three Melia hotels in our destination. The taxi driver kept querying which Melia hotel. Luckily we knew it was near the beach.

If you can get your hotel to send a car to meet you at the airport, you can be sure of going to the right hotel.

So, learn from my mistakes. Happy travelling.

Book of anecdotes by Angela Lansbury.

Packing List for business and holiday trips

 

Here is a generic packing list you can adapt

Shopping list

Checks in advance

Passport checks 

Check for the expiry date, and the expiry date allowed by destinations. Some countries require 6 months, in case you overstay.

Check your passport has no rips or tears or the airline might deny you boarding

Check enough blank pages are left for visas.

Visas - check requirements for all family and colleagues including spouse, children, nanny, granny, driver, guide, family members who are different nationality.

Allow time for visa issue, or you have to pay extra for fast delivery or courier if you don't have time to go to the embassy, even if sending it remotely is allowed

If you need a new passport you may need to reapply for visas in the new passport. You might have to send back your old passport. In that case copy it so you have a permanent record of your travels for your diary and family history. Records of travels can prove you meet residency requirements, and remind you to not exceed them. In addition, evidence of travel might prove you could not have committed a parking offence or serious crime because you were overseas.

Car

Car tax

MOT (car road worthiness)

Tyre pressure

Petrol (gas) - fill up, note or dated photograph amount in car, in case of petrol theft

Car numberplate noted

car insurance, check expiry date

Car insurance number 

car insurance helpline

Compare car hire costs and book car hire

Note location of car hire office

Note location of meet and greet at airport, or parking or valet parking, which side of building, which side of road

Suitcase

Check suitcase is regulation size and weight, 

fits in boot (trunk) of car, 

is not too heavy to carry

leave space for souvenirs, gifts from family, hotels, restaurants, conference bags and literature, guidebooks bought at destination, maps and brochures

Check suitcase wheels work and are clean

pack luggage trolley, strap, string, labels, scissors with blades less than the regulation, which could be a maximum of six inches from a certain point on the scissors or knife blade

Photograph luggage and note colour and brand in case you need to report loss, or speak to those whose language is not English

add identifying colour or sticker to black suitcases and all suitcases and bags, umbrellas, walking sticks

Note hiking sticks with points might not be allowed, as carry on, also sports equipment such as cricket bats, surf boards, tennis rackets, so these must be packed in checked in luggage or sent separately as oversize luggage

Clingfilm or luggage protector might be useful to protect luggage from scratches and dirt

LANGUAGE

Print vital words of foreign language of destination (from Wikitravel phrasebook of the country or countries of your travel tip)

Learn the word for help

(I was able to shout AYUDA, Spanish for aid or help, when I fell downstairs in a Spanish parador hotel in La Palma, in the Canary Islands)

Print the word for allergy and the type of allergy for a restaurant or doctor or pharmacy

Travel insurance

 patient number, eg UK  NHS number 

helpline number

Destination

Destination and contact details and names for family, neighbours or colleagues

Hotel

Book room upgrades

Airline

Book airline upgrades such as leg room, exit seat, 

check in online at correct time, being sure not to pay extra on budget airline for printing boarding pass, ate or early check in

Holiday booking location and date confirmation

copy of passport left at home with passport number

First night hotel reservation

Location of destination hospital or doctor

Before leaving home

Inform work or club of duties others must do whilst you are away

Inform work or club of dates you are not available. For security do not tell media nor allow others to broadcast the fact that you are out of the office, your home, or your country. Simply say you are unavailable, or away from desk, or unable to take calls.

Cancel gardeners or window cleaners, or leave their payment with others, or book them for your return.

Leave a set of door keys and credit cards at home in case they are lost or stolen from you whilst away

Turn off gas, electricity, water, heating, air con, or leave it on low, according to length of stay and weather forecast and safety requirements

Check for items left in dishwasher or microwave or fridge which might go rancid

PETS

Arrange pet sitter.

Get pet acquainted with pet sitter or pet holiday location. 

Put chip and tags on pet. Leave pet toys and food and instructions. Check pet insurance and where pet sitter should take pet, and instruct pet sitter on insurance, pet hospital or vet location and whether pet should be saved at all costs if injured or ill. 

Check if pet is allowed in cabin of aircraft and what leash or bedding or pet food must be provided.

AIRLINE

Book special seat, window for photos, aisle for claustrophobic, near toilet, away from noisy galley and babies, quietest part of plane, upgrade, seats of family together, near exit if in transit,

Available airmiles

HOTEL OR CONFERENCE CENTRE

Find out if there is a group or delegate or longstay discount

Join hotel loyalty scheme to get upgrades, freebies, better toiletries.

Book junior  suite or sea view.

Note which side of hotel is on busy road.

Book ground floor if afraid of heights. Book higher floor if afraid of intruders through doors and windows.

Book room near fire escape, or away from left noise, or near lift or conference room or restaurant or swimming pool if likely to be in a rush.

Book rooms near other members of family or group.

Book rooms near lift if you have mobility problems.

Check hotel has a lift or porter for luggage if you cannot carry luggage or have many bags.

Ensure suitcases are locked, and keep valuables and laptops with you because the luggage trolley may go in another lift.

Keep swimsuit handy in travel bag, wheel on gab or top of suitcase, in case pool closes at 5 pm or just after your arrival. You could even travel in a swimsuit to be sure of using the pool if you are only staying one night.

Check pool closing times (5 pm at some SPANISH parador hotels in the Canary islands of La Palma and Tenerife).

Tell restaurant in advance it is your birthday, allergies. 

Arrive early and check room before accepting it.

Compare with rooms of others in your group. 

Swapping Bedrooms For A Bidet Story June 2026

My bedroom in the Parador Teide on Tenerife had a bidet but the next Parador on La Palma gave me a room with no bidet. I thought it was just a lower grade or older hotel. I asked to see a friend's ground floor room and discovered they had a bidet. 

I went back to reception and asked if they had a room with a bidet at the same price. They did. I requested a swap. 

My husband was already asleep on the bed. However, I wheeled out the suitcases and left him a note of the new room number. 

After installing everything in the other room, I went back and found he was awake and astonished that all the suitcases and bags had been moved in the dark without disturbing him.

   

Travel ITEMS

Clothes

Travel Documents

Travel Bag

Before Returning Home

Before Leaving Hotel

Before Leaving Hotel Bedroom

During and after accident

Photo of location for insurance

FORWARD A COPY TO another family member

Photo of injury for doctor/insurance claim

Details of vehicle or condition of place of injusry (eg broken step, wet floor)

Hospital x-ray and report and translation for continuing care at home on return

Make report to insurance within the required time frame

MEDICATION

Daily pills 

Painkillers eg aspirin or if allergic to aspirin, panadol/paracetamol - know the local generic name to buy cheaper than branded products eg in the Philippines

Travel pills

 sea sickness 

sleeping pills

Insect repellent

Insect spray )if travelling by car, not a pressurised can if on aircraft_

Stingose or other bite cream.

Medication for mouth ulcers, athletes foot, dandruff.

Special Trips 

Equipment

Clothes

Sports

Swimming = swimming costume, hat, beach shoes, beach bag or towel, sunhat, sun cream, wqterproof keyholder, waterproof watch, cover for phone. Buckets and spades for children. Information on tsunamis, beach flag warnings/

City and hotel Precautions

Earthquake shelters, fire escape. 

Check in

Check out

Day before departure

Pack all except travel clothes and food. have address inside suitcase.

ALARMS

set alarms on hotel clock, mobile phone or watch

Order early picnic breakfast if needed, vegetarian if needed, request compact packing if travelling on airline with luggage restrictions. remember to ask for vegetarian or fish alternative such as salmon if you don't like beef, pork, processed meat, cheese, egg, tuna (our three star parador de las Canadas del Teide on Tenerife gave us salmon and egg instead of ham and cheese, but the grander five star Taoro hotel said they only did regular and vegetarian, gave us thick white bread, and when we changed one item to vegetarian and said one vegetarian, for me, we got one breakfast instead of two, so the other made in a hurry had to be rushed up the car park to us after we had checked out.

Skiing

Ski boots, poles if practical and preferred rather than hiring, trousers (pants) thermal underclothes, gloves, hat, goggles, padded jacket with interior and exterior pockets, lift pass lanyard and identity photos.

Hiking

Wine events

Pack bottle stoppers, Champagne stoppers, Platypus flat screw top drink containers, water bottles filled with water, wafers or savoury biscuits, tee shirts with wine logos, ear-rings with wine symbols, names of delegates, good year charts, colour identity charts, books on wines, business address cards, passport or identity card to prove you are over 18, hard shell suitcase to support wine, protective plastic bottle covers, gift tags and bottle bags for gifts to VIP speakers, or helpers 

Conference

Learn the names of the VIP speakers, your colleagues overseas, the organizers. Look up their photos on Facebook or LinkedIn in order to recognize them.

Check if any of your group of old or new friends or colleagues are travelling back the same way. You might car share, sit together, swap advice, share alternative car hire if the airline cancels the flight.

Before boarding plane home

Pack computer or laptop if on airline with luggage restriction, pack

Leave room for computer, umbrella, folding walking sticks if travelling on airline with luggage restrictions.

Thank organizers.

Note hotel names in your diary and write reviews whilst you have time at the airport and it is fresh in your memory.

For some repeat events you might wish to book the hotel again for next year, especially for annual events such as the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland in August.

SIMPLE PACKING LIST

Dress / Suit for travel, underwear (bra, vest, underpants) socks, sandals, bag for documents, spare clothes, night dress / pyjamas Optional swimsuit. Scarf, belt, jewellery for evening. Sunhat. Jacket, Raincoat.

Toothbrush and paste, comb, lipstick.

Notebook and pen.

Diary.

Travel documents - passport, visa, airline ticket on phone, car park ticket, driving license, hotel reservation letter, mobile phone and charger, and sockets, laptop and powerpoint, mouse and cover. Additional camera for conference calls.

Packing Clothes

Day dresses and suits (numbers of days of stay, maximum 7, wash and wear repeat for second week.

Sandals, spare pair, waterproof or beach shoes, evening shoes, hiking boots or walking shoes.

Socks.

Evening blouses and skirt, 

best dress or suit, 

jewellery to match,

 necklace, bracelet, rings, brooch, scarf slip, safety pins and sewing kit with needles threaded with black and white cotton or self threading needle, or needle threader. Optional spare spools of black and white thread for shortening hems and dresses or repairing tears.

Packing Medication / cosmetics

Toothebrush or elecgric toothebrush and charger

Toothepaste

Tweezers and nail file or  manicure set

Hair conditioner and shampoo

insect spray for car and bedroom

insect repellent for body in day, evening and night

warm evening jacket for air conditioning

Shorts and sleeveless top for sunny spells

Warm jumper, sweatshirt and jacket for cold mountains, sea breezes, mountain hikes, evenings, bike and boat rides.

Paxkable umbrella, kept handy for travelling. 

(Some gym bags have a waterproof zip compartment underneath for wet swimsuits, sweaty gym outfits, laundry, or wet umbrellas).

For travelling I have bought a bag with a horizontal strap to fix the bag on top of a wheelie bag. You can also buy computer cases with a strap.

Soap and or shaving cream and razor

Packing List  - take it with you to check you have brought back everything you set out with, nothing left behind.

Hotel Bedroom Check

Two or more people should do the bedroom check.

Check every room and every cupboard, behind every door (hook on the back of the bathroom door for your own bathrobe or night dress or swimsuit or underwear_

Check in cupboards (even if not used by you - our toddler put a toy in a hotel cupboard)

Check under beds for pens and slippers.

Check under pillows for night clothes and contraceptives. 

Check wastebins for items which have fallen off tables.

Check the minibar for your pills as well as food and drink, alcohol, birthday cake, chocolates and cheese and milk.

Photograph the minibar when you arrive and leave to prove to yourself and the hotel whether you took any goods.

Check bathroom for toothbrush left for you to clean teeth after breakfast.

Check balcony for shoes and swimsuits and underwear and night clothes left to dry.

Check pockets of all discarded items. To get onto a Ryanair flight without paying fifty pounds for excess baggage, after we had already paid for three bags, my husband put my laptop in a suitcase and threw away the case. I check the padded pockets and found my power brick and mouse.

Car check

Check car boot, glove box, door pockets, pockets on the back of the front seats, under the front seats.

On the end of your packing list write reminders for next trip.

My reminders are

1 Keep a coin handy for a luggage trolley at Stansted airport in the Uk.

2 The collection point for cars is by the valet direction upstairs, not back down at meet and greet where you left your car.

3 Pack Nespresso or Lidl coffee capsules if going to the Canary islands. We did not like the coffee capsules given free with the coffee making machines in four different hotels.

Happy holidays!

Useful Websites

Visas

See embassy websites.

Suitcases

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING

Have a standard place for everything. For example, business cards on the left, toothbrush and cosmetics on the right. Swimsuit top left. Swimsuit and underwear top right. Day clothes on top. Evening clothes at the bottom. Or day clothes on one side. Evening clothes on the other side. Always lay the suitcase down the same way. For example, pull up handle on the right. 

If two of you have a suitcase each and both need an x shape folding suitcase support. One hotel reception told me they have a room full of them to supply to guests on request.

Check ebay and amazon and other specialist luggage shops and brands. You might look for hard shell cases to protect fragile items and bottles. I like expanding suitcases, which have double zips.

Suitcases with double dividers allow you to open one half without the contents of the other half spilling everywhere. Another solution is packing cubes. Or pack flat and secure with inner straps.

As for scissors, no blades longer than 6 cm measured from the fulcrum.

Useful Websites

What you cannot take on Ryanair

https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-gb

Easy and useful Spanish words

Flag of Spain

Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn if you speak English. (Or if you speak Italian or Portuguese.)

Many countries speak Spanish, so you can start using it there, picking up the accent. Or use it there to improve your Spanish and make use of what you already know and practice it.

 Spanish is spoken in Spain in Europe, as well as in Gibraltar and Andorra. Offshore are the inhabited islands of Mallorca,, Minorca, and the Canaries - Grand Canaria and Tenerife.

Spanish is spoken in most countries in South America, such as Venezuela, with the exception of Brazil where Portuguese is spoken.

 In the USA Spanish appears on signs and is widely spoken as a first or second language. It is also spoken in Mexico, Cuba, and several Caribbean countries such as Puerto Rico, and central American countries such as Belize. 

Flag map of Brazil 

The written accents are easier than French. You have only one accent. It indicates that you stress the syllable. The accent goes diagonally upwards.

 Spanish - English

aeropuerto - airort

(Los) Angeles - (the) angels

blusa - blouse

castillo - castle

diario - diary

el - the (masculine, no accent)

Él - he (the accent on el shows a VIP, a person, rather than a thing)

en - in

familias - families

famoso - famous

grupo - group

Información y Comunicación - information and communication 

introducción - introduction

isla/islas - island/islands

museo - museum

o - or 

(Los) paraportes - (the) passports

no - no

proximo - next (like approximate, near or close)

puerto - port

Puerto Rico - rich port, a Caribbean country. Notice that in Spanish the adjective is after the noun or name.

rico - rich

san (short for santo) - saint / holy

San Francisco - Saint Francis

(el) taxi - (the) taxi

tren - train

(las) vacaciones - (the) vacations (USA) / holidays (UK)

visitar - to visit

English - Spanish

airport - aeropuerto

blouse - blusa

castle - castillo

(the) angels - los angeles

diary - diario

east - este

families - familias

famous - famoso

group - grupo

holidays - vacaciones

in - en

introduction - introducción

information and communication - Información y Comunicación 

island/islands - isla/islas

museum - museo

next - proximo

no - no

or - o

(the) passports - los pasaportes

port - puerto

rich - ricco

saint - san

Saint Francis - San Francisco

(the) taxi - el taxi - (the) taxi

train - tren

the - el (masculine) - la (feminine) 

visit - visitar

Useful Websites

duolingo.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_language

wikivoyage phrasebook Spanish

https://www.berlitz.com/blog/50-spanish-words-and-phrases-to-start-learning-spanish

https://www.berlitz.com/blog/goodbye-in-spanish

If you want to practise your Spanish, several Toastmasters International club are Spanish speaking, and you can attend online meetings and read their announcements and information on the web.

I have several posts on learning Spanish. Please follow my blogs and share links to your favourite posts.

Fifth set of handy Albanian words

 

Some more handy word for you to look up and memorize

FAMILY - familja English - Albanian 

this - kjo

this is  - kjo është (you can copy the e with the accent from a word in Wikipediat and add it to all the words in the list which need an e with an accent)

my husband - burri im (notice that my comes after the word it describes, noun then adjective, like the French phrase moulin rouge, red windmill, and Spanish casa mia, my house)

my wife - gruaja imi

My child - femija im

my grandchild - nipi im

baby - bebe

Albanian English

Familja - family

Property and Travel - Prona dhe Udhëtimi

my passport - pasaporta ime

my reservation - reservimin tim

my ticket - bileta ime

my destination - destinacioni im

my suitcase - valixhem time (like the French word valise)

my plane - avioni im (like the French par avion)

my bus - autobusi im

.....................

Useful Websites

Duolingo

translate Google

Wikipedia

Wikitravel phrasebook

How To Pack A Suitcase or Rucksack Efficiently - by Angela Lansbury and Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin monument, USA.

Emergency Exit Suitcase

In earthquake-prone Japan, the Japanese, with experience and foresight, keep an emergency bag by the front door to grab in the event of a quick evacuation. 

If the taxi to the airport arrives early (which it should, in case you have a last minute hunt for your passport and tickets) you are ready to go. (The Americans like to say, alliteratively, good to go.)

'A place for everything and everything in its place,' said a well organized and much travelled American, Benjamin Franklin. Another daying I like is: Don't put it down. Put it away.

Smaller seal-tight boxes can be used in suitcases or backpacks when packing for trips. On the outward journey to keep all your underwear or your swimsuit and swimming hat and goggles in one place. Or your night clothes quick to find when you land in the middle of the night. To protect clothes from rain when your suitcase is sitting in a pile on the runway waiting to be loaded.

For bringing home dirty laundry. Wet swimsuits. Washed items not quite dry. And things you need in a hurry which would be hard to locate in a suitcase, such as a sewing kit or toothbrush, face flannel, or small towel. Ideally packed in the inside pocket of the suitcase, far right. If there's no inner pocket in the suitcase, 

When I was a busy traveller and travel writer, before Covid-19, I often kept one small suitcase ready packed with a swimsuit and night dress and spare underwear and shoes and a reversible dress, ready to go in a hurry. Or ready to tell an impatient panicky spouse, "I have already packed!"

The secret to quick packing is to know where everything is. Your packing list can be pasted inside your door to the wardrobe or clothes closet. A second copy to pack so you pack quickly for the return journey and don't leave behind the slippers under the bed, the bathrobe behind the door, the hat in the top of the hotel bedroom wardrobe, the contraceptives under the pillow, the child's toy in the cot or in the empty drawer, your jewellery on the bedroom basin when you washed your hands, your jacket on the chair of the breakfast room in the hotel, your umbrella in the boot (Americans say trunk) of the taxi (whose lost and found number is on your packing list). Your valuables in the hotel bedroom safe, or at reception. Photos of all your suitcases to show the hotel porter (bellhop in the USA) or airport staff when you are hunting for the missing item, looking around the carousel for the fourth suitcase, or making an insurance claim, or showing that the item was not damaged before check-in.

The passport and tickets should be in a set place, always.

Your night dress and slippers, maybe a short light robe. Swimsuit and swimming hat (plus goggles and a tiny towel). Spare shoes or evening shoes or walking shoes or beach shoes. cosmetic kit. Medicine or prescription. Spare reading glasses.   

  Today I sorted a drawer. Underwear. First thing in the morning, when I have energy. And need to select underwear. 

If I sort one drawer a day, by the end of the week I shall have done 7. By the end of the month, one room will be completely sorted.

 If I did one drawer in each room each day, the whole house would be done by the end of the month. Make that, the end of three months or a year. 

Since I need to stand up from the computer, it's a welcome break. Instead of eating, I shall do sorting.

Sorting Underwear

I used to lay everything flat. I thought that saved space. When packing a suitcase. So the same applies to drawers.

But each time I pulled out an item, the whole lot got jumbled and would not fit back in the drawer. Urgh!

Then I saw Marie Kondo, folding things into a drawer on video, on Youtube. She rolls everything or folds it, folds it again, and again, and stands it vertically. Then you can see the colours. Her method looks neat.

Bought dividers - advantages and disadvantages

Dividers are the best thing. Many of them come flat packed and slot together. In theory, after buying a set, if it fits, or doesn't, you can copy the design on card. 

Where do you find card? Inside and behind a new shirt packaging. The reinforcement at the base of a paper tote bag which is falling apart and will be thrown away or used as a carrier for recycling.

But sometimes bought dividers are too small. Not everything fits into a tiny space. Oblongs or honeycomb, all the same size. 

Any divider is better than none. You can start with an empty Kleenex tissue box. Cut diagonally with scissors towards the four top corners. Fold down the four flaps. They reinforce the edge of the box. You now have easy access. You can see the contents better.

How To Cut Down A Box

If necessary, if your drawer is shallow, you can cut down the vertical seems an inch or two, and fold the flaps lower. You might want to measure the height of the drawer, mark the height, less a centimeter, on the box. Use a metal ruler to score a line with the tip of the scissors and make a neat horizontal crease in the cardboard, holding the metal ruler to keep your edge straight and prevent jagged tearing.

Advantages of dividers are that you see each item. You do not move anything else when you empty an item. 

You can sort by colours. Your favourite on the right. Unless you are left handed. 

So either black goes on the right, or red, or white. If black is on the far right, white is on the far left. Or vice versa. Intermediate colours go in the middle. If bright red is your favourite, and dull brown your least favourite, put the red on the right, the brown on the left. On the other hand, if you favour earth colours, put brown on the right, with orange and green for autumn, the luminous yellow and turquoise and summer colours on the left.

You can also sort from front to back by size. Thin and small thongs at the front, thicker and bigger granny knickers, corsets or pantaloons at the back, or vice versa.  

Seasonally - winter stuff goes at the back in summer. It moves to the front in winter. Or maybe an opportunity to put items into storage, on the top shelf, labelled in a suitcase, with an email to yourself in a folder labelled storage, or in the attic. 

Moths and Mould

You also want to add moth balls, and/or take things out and shake them out regularly.

Don't put clothes in the garage. They are likely to get dirty or mouldy. 

See-through Dividers

You might have see-through dividers or boxes sitting taking up space in your kitchen drawers. They can be moved to divide drawers.

Whilst travelling, you might like to see the memorials to Benjamin Franklin in Washington DC, Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; and Craven Street, London WC2, England, UK.

Finally, pack a list of Americanisms and British English.

UK - USA

autumn - Fall

bonnet (car) - hood (automobile)

boot - trunk

car - automobile

chemist - pharmacy

garage - gas station

high street - main street

lorry - truck

luggage - baggage

momentarily - briefly

motorway - autoroute

pants - underpants

porter (in a hotel) - bellhop

tap - faucet

trousers - pants

turn right - make a right

windscreen - windshield

Useful Websites (more will be added shortly)

www.fi.edu/exhibit/benjamin-franklin-memorial

Philadelphia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin_National_Memorial

Washington DC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Benjamin_Franklin_(Washington,_D.C.)

Read more posts by Angela Lansbury, travel writer, English teacher, tutor and trainer, fashionista. Everything you wanted to know and need to know for your fun trips. Read posts on destinations, travel clothes, packing, preparing to learn languages and famous authors' statues, travellers' homes, trails, museums, historical houses - plus fun food, and bargain shopping.

Please bookmark and share links to your favourite posts with your favourite friends.

TESTING, TESTING - Double Vaccinated, tested three times, And Back Through Changi Airport, Singapore 2021, contrasted with UK 2020

 How has travel changed in a year? My last big round trip was travelling from the UK to Singapore (travel to UK for our son's wedding - after months of rearranging venues and numbers of guests and renewing paperwork)

FIRST Round Trip UK UGUST 2020 

Last year, in August, at the Writer's Summer School in Swanwick, Derbyshire, one of the teachers was wearing a lanyard saying that she was exempt. Fine for her. But I just had to hope that everybody else was safe.

On the first night I sat at a circular table of six. The next night my position was usurped by a late arriving pair of guests. I felt a second class friend. 

However, later, when I learned that one of the group had contracted the virus, I felt that the situation had worked in my favour. I did understand the point of all the testing and precautions.

Singapore Quarantine

Back in Singapore, on arrival, in 2020, I had to quarantine in a four star hotel for two weeks. At great expense. 

Meals arrived on the room doorstep like airline meals. Included in the cost. 

Plus the cost of the tests to be released from the hotel.  In addition to the cost, the test needed to be released was nasty. The masked lady jabbed up my nostril four times and I jumped and screamed. Eventually my husband came over. I asked them to try the other nostril and another assistant. My husband held my hand and kept saying. "It's ok. Just keep still."

I dreaded the repeat.

2021 London, UK - LESS QUARANTINE BUT MORE TESTS

However, my next round trip in 2021 was easier. My experiences before departure from Singapore consisted of a test. The only hiccup was going home to get our passport for the paperwork. 

Then after we paid IN ADVANCE yet again, we found the test had been posted to us, so we did the test in a kit on arrival in London. It went into a special postbox for fast collection, round the clock.

Postal Test In UK

In London after arriving we self quarantined at home. We had received postal tests. These tests which require you to dab your throat and then your nose. 

The third test, to depart from the UK to Singapore, was another cost, but no physical stress. We had a test nearby, in a room behind the local chemist - what Americans call pharmacy).

Fourthly, the test on my return to Singapore was much easier.

Priority Designated Post Boxes

Post in a designated postbox. Presumably with frequent collection times. We managed that. The box outside the post office was a designated box.

Food Shopping

For a couple of days we lived on food we had brought with us in a Cool Box from Singapore. Then we got negative test results so we could go out shopping. And take trains.

Train Travel

In London Underground signs said everybody had to wear masks on London transport. About half to two thirds of passengers did so. 

Private Wine Lunch - Sanitizer

When my husband arranged a wine tasting lunch, we asked for a sanitizer at the door to the private room. We had arrived early to allow for any extra arrangements - or travel delays.

No Double Dipping

 We did not allow people to dip their hands in the bowls of almonds and cashew nuts. We asked for bowls for the nuts, then for spoons. 

I went around, masked, doling out 4 to six nuts slightly above into cupped hands without letting the spoon touch anybody's hands. 

London and Heathrow 2021 October

The third test, to depart from the UK to Singapore, was another cost, but no physical stress. We had a test nearby, in a room behind the local chemist - what Americans call pharmacy).

Singapore

Fourthly, the test on my return to Singapore was much easier.

We booked tests at the pharmacy near our home which was a blessing. Because we arrived to find we needed our passports. We had to send one person home to fetch them. (The same thing had happened in Singapore, you may recall I mentioned earlier. We should have remembered.)

We had to show our paperwork for the previous test, the booked flight, the passports.

Singapore 2021 - Changi Airport

Back in Changi, our flight passengers on arrival were kept separately through passport checks, collected luggage from our flight's carousel, then on a marked route to a linked area.

It was like a hospital, but also the entrance to a Disney area, with up and down barriers. The passengers were almost outnumbered by the numbers of masked marshalls in blue protective overalls.

1 We had to show forms that we had registered for our tests. 

2 Then to pay for the tests. 

3 Then to have the test. PCR test.

PCR Test

PCR is polymerase chain reaction.

I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't like the tongue presser used to keep my tongue out of the way before the throat swab. I immediately gagged and said, 'Oh, dear, now you have to do it again.' 

'I've already done it.'

The nose swab was equally quick.

All over in a few seconds. Nothing like as bad as previously.

The longest delay was waiting for an oversize cab to transport my husband's bicycle.

Good thing I had not worried, unnecessarily about the jab. I had decided not to worry. I had recalled reading that worrying does not help.

To our surprise and delight, only four hours later the results came through. Negative. We could send one person out shopping for food.

At the mall you needed your phone to show your negative test. First at the mall entrance. Then at every shop you entered. You need your mask, and your local money. Don't dash out without your phone.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerase_chain_reaction

About the Author

BIOGRAPHY

Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5 
The Author of several books including  Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.

Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President

Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time on bha.learncool.sg  

Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;

Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;

Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.

More details from Toastmasters International find a club.

Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.

Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.

Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.

Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.

Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.

Language and speech workshops in Singapore.

Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.

Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.

Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.

Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.

 

Please share links to your favourite posts. 

Small World - How Many Countries Are You Connected To? How Many States Do You Know?

 How many countries are you connected to? Statistics may surprise you? How many places are on your list for been there, done that? How many are on your wish list. 

1 Which Country Are You In Now?

The first country you learn to identify as a child is your own. Then the capital city. Or the biggest city.  Or the most important city. If you are in the travel trade you know the most historic city or the one visitors should take a trip to see. Or the landmark. And the flag. Then the summer city for escape from your city to a beach or mountain top. 

For example, if you live in the USA you learn that Washington DC is the capital. New York is the magnet. 

You might wish to tell the world. You may prefer to keep it a secret. Just make a mental note. I am in such and such a country and such and such a city. Plan your elevator speech, what you would say in an elevator for two minutes, as if you were a tourist board representative meeting a foreign visitor in an elevator (in the UK we say a lift). 

Where do you live now? 

Which cities or tourist sights have you seen in the past year? Google is tracking you and advertisements will tell you. Your websites will be adapted to where you and your computer and mobile phone are or were

2 Where have you travelled? 

Your passports, identity cards and visas and bus and train tickets can tell you your story. Stickers on your luggage, and luggage labels, may act as reminders. 

3 Have you lived overseas? 

Are you an expat? 

I am. I live in the UK and Singapore. But I also lived in the USA. I lived in Maryland near Washington DC and travelled all over the USA at weekends and on travel press trips.

If you are in the USA, or have visited the USA, add the states. 

That might keep you busy for a while. Some people do scrapbooking and keep an album, a picture book of their travels with photos, stickers, flyers, printouts, Italic writing for headings and pretty borders and national flags and colours. 

4 Holiday Lists

Count up every country you have visited on holiday. Add the stopovers. Maybe another list or another colour. 

5 Ancestors

Add the places your ancestry or

Add anywhere you have

Then list every country where your parents, grandparents, and great grandparents lived or were born.

6 Planned Trips and Wishlists  

Useful Websites

Free map creation

https://traveltip.org/countries_visited

123 Ancestry (Currently 59 US dollars plus extra for postage)

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/dna

About the Author

Angela Lansbury was born and bred in Britain, and has lived in the USA and Singapore. Her family have worked in or lived in Spain and Switzerland. She is a member of Toastmasters Clubs meeting on Zoom with visitors from the UK and USA, India, Sri Lanka, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Through the Toastmasters mentoring program Angela has connected with individuals in Vietnam and Romania, a different connection each month. Please come to the next BHA Toastmasters meeting on the 3rd Saturday afternoon every month. 

How To Record Your Travels In Notebooks and Online

 

It is useful to record all your travels. You can do this in a physical book such as your family history books. Or a five year diary, with your own index at the back or flyleaf.

Microsoft Excel

Also keep a spreadsheet. Use Microsoft Excel. For anybody who doesn't know excel, don't be put off by the technical sounding title. Its just a grid like a chessboard. You have columns and can write names or numbers down the side or across the top.

It will probably be loaded on your computer as part of the software provided. Look down the left hand column on your screen or do a search for it.

For example, you could have separate pages for different aspects. If you are not confident about excel, just make bulleted or numbered lists of years down the left margin. Countries visited alongside each year.

Have you forgotten when you went where? What can you use to fill in dates? 

1 Your diary notes.

2 Passport stamps and visas.

3 Employment dates.

4 Maps and guidebooks often have printing dates showing the year printed or dated advertising offers. 

5 Letters and postcards with date cancellations on the stamps.

6 Financial records such as payments for airfares.

7 Old emails from hotels and restaurants confirming bookings or offering discounts.

FAMILY HISTORY

These records can also be used to write up the history of your ancestors and parents, uncles, aunts, grand-parents. My late uncle had told me about his trips to the USA. I wondered whether had had made them up, or forgotten. Then I found the dates in his passport. I knew the year, the month, even the day he arrived and left. And which city.

8 Census records

9 Blogs

10 Facebook photos

11 Bus tickets. Parking tickets. Traffic fines. Official notes.

Details to add

I like to know the names of places visited, not just the countries. I like to know the cities, towns or villages or scenic spots. I add hotels, restaurants, museums.

You might add people, your friends and family. Restaurant owner, or anybody in your photos. 

I label photos as soon as I can, on the day or when  I get home.

At very least you can settle arguments. Did we ever visit such and such a place? Which year. What was the name of the restaurant I can recommend to my friend? Is it still there?

Useful Websites

Look inside. Starts with your personal details, then a packing list. Journal for a particular trip:

https://www.amazon.com/Travel-Record-Book-Log/dp/1521863407?asin=1521863407&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1

https://www.wordtemplatesonline.net/travel-log-template/

https://www.bulletjournaladdict.com/planning/21-best-bullet-journal-year-at-a-glance-spreads/

https://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/life-weeks.html

ttps://4kweeks.com/products/poster

About 60 dollars (plus postage)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tips_for_road_trips#Q6739884

https://www.bulletjournaladdict.com/planning/21-best-bullet-journal-year-at-a-glance-spreads/

About the author

About Angela The Author

The Author - Quick Quotations

Angela Lansbury B A Hons  is the author of ten books by regular publishers plus another ten self-published books. 

About Angela The Speaker & Trainer

Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Vice President  Public Relations, Immediate Past President.

Former Area Director S3. Club Coach for Nee Soon South Toastmasters Club.

Also Member of: TCA Toastmasters Club; Singapore Online Dynamic; Harrovians UK

The recent meeting of BHA included Garen Tee on using story telling in business, on bha.learncool.sg . Also an educational on using Powerpoint for posters.

Next BHA meetings, (subject to revision)

1 (Saturday, May 15th, was 2 pm Singapore time, postponed because of national speaking contest.) 

After Vesak day and Hari Raya: 

Postponed to Saturday May 29th, 2021, at 2pm. Login to bha.learncool.sg earlier.

Workshop by Sam Chou.

2 Next June meetings 1st Wednesday evening June 2nd at 7 pm Singapore time. 

3 Third Saturday afternoon, June 19th, Singapore time.  Thanks to the old team and Inauguration of New Team. 

Special speech with slides about teamwork in sport and Toastmasters International and life, by the President of West Coast Toastmasters Club who often help BHA with workshops and invite us to give speeches at their club.

Inauguration of new committee by incoming Area Director of S

About Angela The Blogger 

Angela has several blogs on speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

See next post on sculptor Tom Harvey.

Please share links to your favourite posts. 

The information on Toastmasters is updated regularly.

Secrets Of Singapore Airlines Seats - and more plane travel tips

Have you ever lost anything left behind on a plane? My family has. The saddest story I heard was the couple who could not get into the country of their honeymoon because they left their passports behind in the seat pockets. The passports disappeared. What happened? Did the cleaners take the passports or throw them away?

I makes it a policy never to leave passports or phones anywhere except in the pocket of a jacket I am wearing (especially in the last half hour before getting off the plane.
Here are my tips:

1 Get on the plane early. Place your luggage in the locker over your seat, or further towards the direction in which you are exiting so that you don't have to fight the flow of people exiting to reach your overhead case.

2 Keep all your luggage stored in the same compartment, the same side. Use a belt or string to tie the duty free bag to the other suitcase so it does not get forgotten. (A long string - not one which will bring down the second parcel on somebody's head.)

BOARDING - COUNT BAGS & BITS
Count the number of items on entering and leaving the plane. For example eight:

1 One carry on wheeled bag in black or red,
2 One black jacket,
3 One black umbrella,
4 One duty free bag with a bottle of champagne or prosecco or whisky or vodka, (or chocolate, perfume or souvenirs or toys.
5 One handbag/briefcase/backpack
6 One phone in neck bag/overbody bag/belt
7 One black or red scarf.
8 Plane amenity bag with socks and toothbrush.

SEATING - ARMREST RELEASE
To exit, from the aisle seat, check under the armrest for the release button. On my plane there was a semi circular upside down dome under the armrest towards the back. Press the button in and simultaneously pull the end of the arm rest upwards. Your armrest lifts. To replace the armrest, simply push it back down.

I showed this to the person across the aisle who had smiled. He was delighted by the revelation. He enthused, "It's magic!"

Try telling your fellow passengers. You might make a friend.

TOILETS
Go before the meals when the aisle is blocked by a serving trolley. If there is a queue in the middle of the plane, you might find a free toilet or shorter queue (line up) at the back.

Go after meals, especially before breakfast or the last meal, before the plane descends to the airport.

If you have drinking water in a sealed container from the meal, you can use this to clean your teeth, and wash, instead of the water ominously labelled NOT DRINKING WATER.

Use a tissue to wipe the door handle and tissue paper disposal and tap and flush button.

Hold open the door as you dispose of the tissue.

You can hold the door open with your foot to avoid touching it again.

TOILET SEAT COVERS
Look for the wafer thin paper toilet seat covers in the rack in the toilet. It's tricky to pull out one, only one. You need to remove the centre. Otherwise you wet yourself.

LANGUAGE LEARNING ON BOARD
I used the Berlitz language learning to get started and brush up on Greek and Mandarin Chinese.

You can also set your film (movie) to show subtitles in another language. Or watch a foreign language film with English subtitles.

REST & SLEEP
Modern planes have bendable headrests. You pull the two sides forward. This cradles your head so you don't fall sideways. That's handy and comfy for you. And save annoying the others.

How about tilting your seat backwards? Press the button in the arm rest. First look behind to check that the person behind you is not learning forwards and drinking. I hesitated to learn back for five minutes before looking back and finding that the seat behind was empty. I also worried that every time I lifte the tab which held the water glass I might be annoying the person in front. Again, the seat ahead was empty.

STORING SPECTACLES
I wanted to remove my spectacles and wear an eye mask to cut out light when sleeping. I could not wear the eye mask over the glasses because it pressed uncomfortably and started wearing a mark into my nose. I had packed a glasses case. But where was it?

Necessity is the mother of invention. I had a scarf around my neck. I was able to hook the sides of my spectacles over the scarf.

EXIT
If you have a laptop or Ipad you might want to put it back in your wheel on bag or handbag so as not to forget it or knock it or drop it as you exit.

Add a count for anything bought on the plane - ideally placed inside another bag.
Dispose of dirty paper hankies and other items which could be a hazard to others and obscure items left behind.

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, member of Singapore Online Toastmasters International speakers group. Please share links to your favourite posts.