Betsy Devine: Funny ha-ha and/or funny peculiar

Flying (two segments) from Kentucky back to Boston, I rampaged through Eurasia with help from Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. But, just in case my diet of mare’s milk went sour, my backpack contained a back-up paperback mystery. (Say that three times, fast!)

Even on long flights with many, many movies, a good book is more absorbing for longer times.

I remember one rocky flight from Chile, with a jolting emergency stop in Ecuador because one of the passengers had a health emergency, when I was completely absorbed by The Perpetual Orgy, a wonderful book of essays about Flaubert that I could have included in my blogpost about books with embarassing titles. (But that book was hardcover, an exception to my rule.)

Here’s a new challenge for Amazon’s API: create a mathematical formula that minimizes book weight and maximizes the number of 5-star reviews for two very different paperbacks. That’s a formula I’d use for picking my airplane-book-pairs.

Won’t you join me in a new blog category? Welcome to Useful. What task-related URLs are keeping you sane and productive? Hey, I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours!

1. If I need to be there by October 5, 2006, can I avoid flying on a weekend?

World clocks and calendars for many countries and multiple years.

2. How many sweaters do I need to pack?

World Climate: Weather rainfall and temperature data.

3. What kind of electric plugs do I need?

Electricity around the world: everything about plugs, sockets, voltages, convertors, etc.

4. If a hotel room costs 800 Swedish Kronor, what is that in dollars?

Universal currency converter.

5. Give me a quick overview of the sights of Boston/Barcelona/Barbados, etc.

Fodor’s miniguides to many destinations

6. What do some real people think about the hotels there?

Virtual Tourist’s amateur reviews of hotels.

7. Where can I ask some random travel questions?

Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree travel forum.

8. Last minute forecasts: Am I flying into a hurricane or a heat wave?

CNN weather, scroll down for clickable world map.

Last minute–wear or carry!
Passport, visas, driver’s license, etc.
Tickets
Enough money, credit–travelers checks?
Layered, loose comfortable clothing, inc. shoes.
Earplugs or earphones and inflatable neck pillow

General travel supplies to have ready beforehand
Itinerary list printed out by home computer.
presents for people you’ll visit
camera, maybe binoculars?
guidebooks and maps
notebook and pens
Credit cards and ATM card–check with your bank about fees when you use these abroad.
extra plastic bags for laundry, wet bathing suit, etc.

Clothing–general considerations
How long is the trip?  Or, how long is the interval between being able to wash clothes?
How will clothes be washed — Laundromat, hotel valet, hotel sink, friends’ washing machine?
Special occasions to pack for–Dress-up?  Hiking?  Old clothes?   Shoes for these, too!

Clothing–generic list
walking shoes, dress shoes
trousers with shirts to match
dresses–(simpler and more comfortable than skirts)
sweaters and jackets
underwear including socks and stockings–and long-johns if needed!
outerwear, inc. coat, gloves, boots, etc. if appropriate
bathing suit

Toiletries and meds — generic
If 1) you might need it on board or 2) you can’t replace it easily, pack it as carry-on.
Any prescription (enough for trip), plus Advil, Sudafed, Immodium, Dramamine
pkg. Kleenex, pack 10 Q-tips inside to keep them tidy.
small shampoo, toothpaste, and toothbrush, all tied up in plastic bag to prevent leaks
2 bandaids, tube Lanabiotic ointment, and cough drops to fill up the rest of bandaid box
Don’t bring too much–there are probably drugstores at your destination.

Pack more stuff!
Bring some Cheerios, nuts, dried fruit, etc.
Bring logic puzzles to help you fall asleep.
When these are used up, you have extra space in your luggage to take new things home.

“Language Emergency Kit”–ten rock-bottom minimum sentences for any trip:

1. Where’s the bathroom? (vahr air too-a-lett’-en?)
2. Thank you very much. (tuck saw mewcket)
3. Please. (var so good)
4. Yes. (yah.)
5. No. (nay.)
6. No, thank you. (nay, tuck)
7. I’m sorry. (fur-lawt’ may).
8. My husband is vegetarian. (min man air vegetaree-ansk’.)
9. Without meat? (eutan churt?)
10. Where can I access the Internet? (vahr kun yahg komma in paw internet?)

Two bonus sentences, in case you don’t have a vegetarian husband:

“Can we sit in a non-smoking area?” (kun vee sitta veed boord fur ickeh-rurkareh?)
“That’s beautiful.” (den air vack’-er)