As I stood at the Malaysia Airlines service desk at Sydney International Airport, a gentleman approached the counter and began apologising to the staff. The staff member he was addressing was clearly was not interested. She said: “Please take a seat Mr Jones -we will be done in a few minutes” As he walked away she giggled and said to the woman serving me and myself: “Jesus must have spoken to him“. The context : ten minutes before he had been told there was a problem with his ticket and the staff would need a…
US Tornado App
The American Red Cross has a free tornado app which may be useful for people living in or visiting a US tornado area: Southern states’ tornado season is typically from March to May In the Southern Plains, it is May and early June On the Gulf Coast, tornadoes occur most often during the spring. Northern Plains, Northern states and upper Midwest, peak season is June or July Tornado Alley which covers the northern region of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, the eastern edge of Colorado, southwest tip of South Dakota and the southern edge of Minnesota have tornadoes…
Don’t be an introvert
As we waited for the shuttle to depart from the airport, I said “hello” to the person sitting next to me. He said to me “I don’t speak English” and turned his back on me. My biggest disappointment are the people who do not try to connect with others, especially overseas. One of the benefits of travel is connecting with new people from different backgrounds. Moving out of your comfort zone can be extremely enlightening. Other travellers can give advice, tips or help. This guy may have been surprised to learn I spoke his language and I could…
Stealing from the Buffet
I was bemused while eating breakfast at a Phuket Hotel breakfast bar to observe a woman stuffing food into two bags. On her lap was a plastic bag. Into that bag she was placing fruit-both whole and pieces. On the table next to her was a paper bag into which she was shoving bread, croissants and dim sim. Have you ever taken food from a breakfast buffet for later? At what point should one finish? Is one piece of fruit okay-and a plastic bag unacceptable? Or is it all okay?/not okay? I have seen signs at…
Don’t Be a Tourist Target!
The gentleman strolled past me, as I entered the Sky Train Siam station in Bangkok, Thailand. In his left hand he clutched a detailed city map, a free overview city map and the transit system map. In his right, was the Bangkok Lonely Planet guidebook. His face was an expression of panic. Nothing screamed louder than lost tourist! I have a problem with looking so obvious! There are some advantages! You may meet interesting and well travelled locals who understand and sympathise. Others will pretend they cannot see you, fearing a long complicated interaction over obscure…
Hip Hua Hin – Place Report
Few tourists to Thailand include Hua Hin on their agenda which is a shame. At the risk of spoiling the town with a sudden over run of tourists, this beautiful relaxing town 200 km (120 miles) south of Bangkok is well worth at least a couple of days. Far from the “excitement” of Phuek nightlife and Bangkok, Hua Hin has been enjoyed by generations of Thais for weekends and vacations. Originally known as Samore Riang or “rows of rocks”, it was adopted by the Royal Family as their seaside resort in the 1920s. Today, it is very popular amongst Thais who come…
Bangkok Airport- Are people this stupid?
Continuing with my Thailand theme, I found the new program Bangkok Airport to be both compelling and repelling! Here is the trailer: A BBC TV series, this show seems to find the dumbest people who have ever travelled and matched them with the most horrifically funny airport staff. I could not work out whether to cringe, laugh or cry. Sadly, having been through Bangkok airport 37 times, some of the passengers exhibit behaviours I fear I have seen!\ This is the second reality TV show which is focussing on Thailand. The other was Embassy which focussed on Australians in…
Not Smiling with Thai Smile
Thailand has a number of low cost carriers (Orient Thai, Lion Air, Air Asia) plus two popular “Premium Low Cost” airlines: Bangkok Airways and Nok Air, both of whom I have flown in the last year. In 2011, THAI Airways board began THAI Smile to compete in this market. The name came from a competition with 2,229 entries. For this flight, I was keen to discover the distinguishing marks of Thai Smile? Is the brand distinctive? Booking: 8/10 THAI Smile flies to about 13 domestic and one international destinations and is reportedly planning to expand international services. Confusingly THAI Smile use both…
Don’t be an A### hole
Spent a couple of weeks on the road, perturbed at the behaviours of some of my fellow travellers. If you want to be a jerk, stay home. Seriously, it should not be that hard to be respectful: of the country you are visiting- yes the coffee may be better back home, or the showers are hotter or the internet is faster but telling people ad nauseum will not earn you a welcome. I was in a store in Sydney, Australia, when a tourist wandered in, pointed to a camera and said “how much“. when told, he…
If Zappos ran an Airline
The CEO of Nevada based online retailer Zappos has reiterated that he has flirted with the idea of running an airline following customer requests. For those who do not know, Zappos started as a shoe retailer and grew annual sales from one million to one billion dollars in eight years. Zappos is known for their obsession with customer service and their desire to blur the line between work and play: We seek to WOW our customers, our co-workers, our vendors, our partners, and in the long run, our investors. The company recruits new staff based on how…
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