Random thoughts on a Monday

I'm sitting here in my hotel room in Monte Carlo, thinking how lucky we are to have international travel at our fingertips in today's day and age. 

It could be the wine talking, but I wonder my ancestors would think of the fact that I was in Japan on Thursday, France on Friday, the UK on Saturday and Monaco on Sunday.  I'm even having a hard time wrapping my head around how crazy it sounds. 

Though sometimes when I travel, each place is so different and the days are so busy that the previous trip seems ages ago already, even if it was just the other day...

Anatomy of a Japanese hotel room

You've probably heard before just how teeny Japanese hotel rooms are (read: even smaller than Paris hotel rooms), but I thought it'd be interesting to post about some of the differences I've noticed. This hotel was nice because there was actually a bit of room at the end of the bed where I could full open my suitcase.  Many places don't even have that and it ends up being a little like Jenga to move around the room.

Earthquakes are a fairly regular occurrence here, so there's always a flashlight and very detailed instructions on what to do in case of an emergency.

You'll also almost always find a pair of pyjamas - I tried them on once and looked quite ridiculous, so you won't find me wearing them nightly lol.

And of course, the famous Japanese toilets.  I always get worried I'll accidentally press the wrong button and get a 'surprise', but eventually you learn what the different symbols mean and some luckily have English translations. I am definitely getting onboard with the heated toilet seats though.  (Also, it's pretty ironic given the advanced technology of these toilets, but there are a surprising number of Turkish toilets still in use in businesses/restaurants/bars/etc around the country).

One fairly new trend I think is having a particular floor or wing dedicated to female travelers only.  I don't remember seeing anything like this during my last visit (or maybe my male colleague didn't know they existed).   I'm not really sure why they exist, because I tend to think of Japan as a pretty safe country for a solo female traveler, but I also know there are a rising number of women-only train cars, taxis, etc here, so there must be some sort of concern somewhere.

But a nice benefit of these women-only rooms are the added amenities.  Almost all hotels will have tea/coffee, sandals, a hair dryer etc, but the female-only rooms also have very nice bathroom products - usually Shiseido face creams/shampoo/conditioner.

They also usually have a selection of skin care products - here we have face oil, cleansing milk and a face lotion, along with a hair clip, a head band, relaxing bath salts and some strange relaxing foot pads.

Most have also had a humidifier in room, and my last hotel even had a facial steamer! I couldn't figure out how to use it, but here is what it looked like:

So even though the rooms are small, there are a few nice touches that make them more comfortable.  Voila - now you know what to expect if you ever visit Japan. :)

Is AirBnB the new Tinder?

I've been busy preparing for my trip to Australia these past few days, including booking accommodation.  I'll have a weekend in Sydney, and because the hotels are mega expensive and I'd like to be within walking distance of most things, I decided to save my company some money and go the AirBnB route instead.  I booked a room in the heart of Sydney with a friendly American who had excellent reviews.


We exchanged a few messages through the site, and then he asked if I had Whatsapp.  I do, and I thought "Oh yeah, that could be useful if I have any trouble getting from the airport to his place", so I sent him a message.  That message has now turned into daily messages from him, and I'm starting to get a little bit nervous.

His texts have been really flirty, asking what I plan to do for fun in Sydney, if I like to go out, do I want to do a wine tasting with him, etc. I've been trying to emphasize I'm coming for work and will need to detox over the weekend, so no partying etc, but he just won't give up. Yesterday morning's message was "I know all the best hikes in the area with wine tastings at the end".

So today I went back into his AirBnB profile to read a bit further.  I'd already read the first few pages of reviews before booking, and they were overwhelmingly positive. A lot of them mentioned things like dinners out or having breakfast with him on his balcony.  Then I went back and read his profile again, and saw at the bottom that he says he's a Tinder expert (so much so that he has even written a book on it!).  And 90% of the reviews on his page were left by women, which is also odd - you normally don't see many women staying with a solo man on AirBnB.

All of that plus the messages he has been sending me has me now wondering - are the kids nowadays using AirBnB to hookup?  Are there secret clues in his profile I should have been aware of?  I mean, I guess I can definitely see the appeal for the hosts - you meet people from all around the world, have sex AND get paid.

Or I'm reading too much into this, and he's just bored and being a nice guy, which is why he has such good reviews.  What do you guys think?

A mon avis....

You are reading WAY too much into this.

This guy sounds sketchy, watch out for roofies.

Girl, it's not your money - you should be staying at a hotel!

Sage Quotes

Either way, I wasn't planning on bringing the pocket taser I bought for India to Australia, but maybe I will just in case lol.

Discover Egypt

I mentioned in a previous post that I was feeling slightly nervous about having to travel to Egypt alone for work. C & I had gone on a cruise down the Nile back in 2010 and loved the scenery and the history, but not the constant harassment. And obviously now things have changed with the current political context and all the unrest going on in various parts of the world...let's just say I wasn't feeling super reassured about driving out into the desert with some men I had just met.  But I also very strongly feel that continuing to travel and learn about other cultures is what will bring us all together in the end, so off I went. 

I had three full days of work planned, and had left a fourth day free "just in case".  Things usually don't go as planned in developing nations.  Meetings get pushed back or rescheduled, the car breaks down, etc, so you always have to leave a bit of wiggle room in your itinerary.

Sunset on the Nile

This time however, things went smoothly and I found myself with a free day before flying home. I had looked at the possibility of getting a private guide before leaving, but they all wanted horrendous amounts of money, so I figured if I did end up having time for touristy stuff, either my client or the hotel could recommend someone cheaper (and hopefully trustworthy).

I had booked a room at a small hotel just across from the Pyramids for my last night, figuring if nothing else, I could at least see them from afar before I left.  I lucked out and got a room with this view:

Don't look down. ;)

Luckily however, when our future customer realized I'd be staying an extra, he offered to help organize someone to show me around.  In the end, he ended up having his wife take a day off of work to give me a private tour, along with his sister, their driver and a body guard so we'd be tranquil while looking around.  

I know, right??

So they picked me up at my hotel and we drove down the block to the entrance.  The first thing that surprised me was how empty the whole site was. Granted, it was the middle of the week, but there were literally more vendors than tourists. The only other tourists I saw the whole time there was a small group of Chinese.

 

And because there were no tourists, everything was being sold at rock-bottom prices.  I didn't really have a strong desire to ride another camel, but it was over 100°F and the guy was offering 5€ for one hour, so why not?

  

As it turned out, the two women accompanying me had never been inside the Pyramids, so when they asked if I wanted to go in - Um Yes! - they sent the driver off to buy tickets and in we went.

  

It was pretty incredible, and totally fulfilled one of my childhood dreams.  We crawled through crazy tunnels:

And climbed up hella long flights of stairs:

It was magical and amazing and every other adjective I can think of right now. It was an experience that was so much more than I ever could have imagined or hoped for thanks to my gracious hosts.

Then it was off to the Egyptian Museum - which is currently across town, but an absolutely gigantic new museum is being built right nearby the Pyramids.  That thing is going to be amazing once it's open!

The current one is fairly run-down, but it also contains some pretty amazing artifacts, many of which you can get right up close and personal to. The mummy room was also neat and definitely worth the extra entry fee.

I really enjoyed my time in Egypt, and I am looking forward to going back in a few months. The people I met were all so kind and generous, and they are really wanting the tourists to come back. I heard so many sad stories of people barely making ends meet now due to no foreigners coming. For instance, the guy who picked me up at the airport used to own a whole cruise boat with hundreds of employees and guides, three homes, etc, and spoke English, French and Flemish fluently. But he lost it all after the Arab Spring and now had no choice but to earn what he could as a taxi driver.

I definitely felt safe there - compared to most of the other countries I travel to, most people barely blinked an eye at me, even though I'm sure I stuck out like a sore thumb given the lack of tourists.  If you're wondering, most women wore a head scarf, but I felt no pressure to wear one, even in the countryside*.

Prices were low - my hotel right across from the Pyramids cost $50 a night including breakfast, and both food and other tourist attractions also offered rock bottom prices (especially if you negotiate).  The water was clean and the restaurant hygiene was top-quality, at least in the restaurants we ate at.


All in all, I think now is a good time to visit Eypt, though if it's your first time, I would still probably recommend going with an organized tour, or at least hiring a guide.  Things are not very well sign-marked and you'll probably enjoy your time more if you've got someone to show you the ropes.  It's also not always super clear online, but you can buy a visa on arrival at the major airports - it costs $25 and they prefer if you pay in USD (cash). I also heard that a few of the tourist ports have waived the visa fee if you are just staying within their resort areas - Sharm El Sheik, etc.

*In case anyone was curious, as far as clothes went, most women were wearing long-sleeve tops and full-length pants or skirts.  I didn't think I could handle full-on winter clothes since I'm not used to the heat, so I packed long skirts, cropped pants and three-quarter length cotton tops and felt just fine.  I think as long as you're not wearing tank-tops or booty shorts (outside of the beach resort areas anyways), it would be fine.  And also, pack comfortable walking shoes that you don't mind getting dirty - pretty much everything is gravel or sand, and beige colored shoes would fare much better than black or white ones.

The Ultimate Travel Jacket?

A while back, I blogged about some cool travel items, including the Baubax travel jacket. I ended up seeing it on sale on one of my favorite luggage sites, and decided to do some more research before purchasing it, and I came across their competitor - Scottevest.

I couldn't decide between which one I wanted, and they both had certain features the other didn't (and both were on sale), so I decided to purchase them both and see which one I like best. 

Baubax travel jacket:  The main idea of the Baubax jacket is that it has a million pockets so that you can stuff everything you'd need on the plane into it, which makes going through security easy since you just place the jacket & everything in it into the bin.  It can also be handy for flights where carry-ons aren't free.

Positives:

• Integrated eye mask - this was one of the major selling points for me
• Zipper includes a hidden pen for filling out customs forms
• The sleeves were extra-long with half-gloves - great for staying warm on the plane

Negatives:

• There are only 4 styles on-line and all are quite casual, except for the blazer - but the women's blazer had poor reviews.
• All comments on line bring up sizing issues, and it was really stressful to figure out which size to order. I normally wear a size S or M in the US, but commenters online recommended buying an L or XL due to the China sizing.  I ended up getting an XL, thinking I would need the extra room if I filled up the pockets, but the jacket is actually much too big and exchanging it was a pain, so I'm stuck with the bigger size.
• The look of the jacket is a little bit more 'sporty' than I would have liked - I'll probably literally only end up wearing it on the plane. 
• The pockets seem a bit flimsy and like items would fall out if you bent over.
• The free travel neck pillow is completely worthless. 
• I was looking for a light-weight jacket I could wear in Asia when I didn't want to carry a purse, but this one would be too warm.

Scottevest Molly Jacket

Positives:

• A lot more stylish than the Baubax jacket (plus many other style options are available)
• Pockets are labeled and sturdy
• Seems like a high-quality jacket

Negatives:

• The integrated headphone holders won't fit my Bose headphone cable
• There is no hood (and no eye mask!)
• Also too hot for wearing in Asia

In the end, I decided to keep both jackets - the Baubax jacket eye mask has definitely helped me sleep better on long-haul flights, but it isn't one that I would wear around town.  The Scottevest jacket is on trend right now and one I have felt comfortable wearing around Paris. It also has enough pockets that I can get by without needing my purse, which is great for safety.

As far as price goes, the Baubax jackets range from $149-199 full price, which I think is a bit much. The Scottevest I purchased is normally $160 full price, but is currently on clearance for $72.00 - which is totally worth it in my opinion. (It also comes in black, but pretty much all of my jackets are black, so I went with the khaki).   I'm also really interested in their trench coats, and will probably check out their black Friday specials this fall...

**Both of these brands also have multiple men's versions available.
***This is not a sponsored post, I paid for both of these jackets with my hard-earned moola. :)

C and I are back from two weeks in the US. It was a total whirlwind for me, and a lovely, relaxing vacation for him (at least one of us is doing it right lol).  Between work, after-work activities and family, there are never enough hours in the day and I always come back more tired than before I left, but I know I'm lucky to have all of these basically free voyages to the US. Or at least they would be free if I could stop myself from doing all that pre-US online shopping...

My birthday was pretty low-key this year since on the same day, C & I became godparents to my cousin's baby girl.  Why she chose the two France-living, childless, non-church goers of the family to be godparents is still not exactly clear to me, but I'm touched we were chosen and I hope we can live up to her expectations of us.

The following weekend (the weekend of the 4th), we had gathered 25 family members to have a gender-reveal party for another cousin, but she very sadly miscarried at 22 weeks the day before the party.  It sent everything into a huge topsy-turvy and our plans were up in the air for a while, but in the end, we all still came together at the lake and spent a family-filled weekend together. It was also a bit awkward for my Paris bff, who is currently doing an internship in NYC and who had flown to MN to join us for the holiday, but I've been missing her terribly and it was so great to catch up in the sun.

On the way back, I ended up losing my French passport. The Delta check-in agent had trouble understanding how I could have two passports and it took a lot of back and forth for her to get it (and this was at the priority counter).  We finally got checked-in, but I realized much too late (ie just after boarding), that she had never given back my French passport.  I informed one of the flight attendants, and she walked me off the plane and back up to the gate so we could see if I could get it back.

The gate agents also had trouble understanding how I could have two passports and started frantically typing in their computer and insisting I couldn't fly and that they were going to take my luggage off the plane.  I was like "Wait a minute. Please just STOP and listen to me before continuing. 1) My husband is still on the plane and I can't just leave without telling him and 2) I can still enter France on my US passport, so everything is OKAY. There is no need to freak out". (Even if it's not technically legal for a French citizen to enter France with a US passport, I sure wasn't going to tell them that!).  We finally got it sorted out and I was allowed to reboard, but my Fr passport was never found. I was a bit nervous throughout the whole flight since we were transiting through Amsterdam and they always ask so many more questions then French customs, but luckily the guy waved me on through without asking why I didn't have a visa nor a return ticket.

I'm flying to Egypt in a few weeks (eep!), and given the current political tensions, I would rather go on my French passport than my US one, so that meant I had to go get a new passport asap. The fonctionnaire I dealt with was a complete tool. He didn't like that I had used a paper clip to avoid losing my ID photo and spent two full minutes examining my pic for the tiniest of scratches or creases.  And then he almost made me redo my ID photos anyways because 25% of my ears were covered by my hair. WTF??  He was upset I had not signed the 'lost passport' declaration form before coming - but sometimes you have to sign those sorts of things in person, so I figured it was better to wait. Then I almost had to redo my application too because I didn't have accents on the letters. But the instructions specifically stated it had to be done on the computer, in all caps - and the majuscule letters don't come with accents, so I would have had to go in and manually insert them one by one.  I was like come on dude - stop looking for any excuse to refuse my application and just process the darn thing. Anyways, in the end I got it done and I'm crossing my fingers it will show up here sometime in the next two weeks.

As a side note, I also learned that you can now buy timbres fiscaux on line here, which I think is a great leap forward.  That was the one step I was dreading in the application process, and I was happy to learn there will be no more of having to go to five different tabacs in order to find one that finally has enough in stock to purchase.

Back before you know it

It's not often you get to say "So this week I went to China for four days".  I was told a few weeks ago that the trip was canceled, and then all of the sudden last Friday, they were like "Actually, can you leave on Sunday?".  All of this mega travel must have really changed me, because instead of freaking out about having to literally go to the other side of the world in two days, I just sighed and said "Let me check out some flights".

I ended up finding an excellently priced ticket on Finnair, an airline that I used to fly all the time when we would go visit our family in Finland, but it's been probably 20 years since the last time I used them. I wasn't super excited about having a connecting flight, since I've got a pretty good routine going on those 12h flights now that helps me avoid jet lag, but I was looking forward to picking up a few Finnish items for my family there.

It was actually really enjoyable to fly Finnair - I loved the blueberry juice they served and the Marimekko blankets and pillows.  The flight attendants were super nice, and extremely patient with my attempts to speak to them in Finnish. It actually ended up making me feel really nostalgic for my Finnish-speaking days, and I loved letting the conversations of fellow passengers roll over me.  For some reason, my last trip to Finland didn't jog my memory as much, but this time, I had memories and Finnish words popping up left and right. I understood much of what was said, and was able to order my food and have brief conversations, and it was lovely.

It made up for the rather difficult trip to China - I spent a LOT of time speeding down terrible roads in cars with no seat belts. This actually represents a sort of moral issue for me.  My father passed away in a car accident because he was not wearing his seat belt. It was all a big mystery to us because he always wore a seat belt, and always insisted that we do as well.  So why not that day? Needless to say, buckling up in a car is kind of a big deal to me, and I'm pretty principled about it, ie I won't let someone ride with me if they don't strap in.  But what do you do when there is no other option?  Taxis didn't have them, most of our customer's vehicles didn't have them, and I couldn't exactly refuse to get in when we had a three hour drive in front of us... It all left me feeling vaguely uncomfortable and ill at ease.

The food was also difficult this time around. One lunch consisted of boiled cow stomach, larynx and spine. I'm all for trying new foods at least once, but I must admit that organs are the most difficult for me to swallow, both literally and figuratively.  There were no other options, and I didn't want to be rude, so I just had to suck it up, even though the sight of them was making me gag.  I tried to psyche myself up like I did in Japan when I had to it raw egg over cold rice by saying "Look, they eat this stuff all the time. They must know how to cook it to make it tasty, or they wouldn't eat it".  Boy was I wrong - it must be one of those acquired taste things. The stomach was like rubber and I could feel every single one of the villi as I chewed. And chewed and chewed. The larynx was even worse. And I could barely swallow the fatty/cartilageous spine. I'm telling you, it was rough, and I'm getting a bit green just thinking about it again.

Luckily not all of the meals were that bad, but those were a long four days, and I sure am happy to be back home in Paris, strikes and all. Summer appears to be in full swing at last, and we've got an action-packed ten days before we take off to the US.

48h in Hong Kong

I returned back to Paris this weekend, after two weeks in China.  It was a crazy trip, and left me fairly exhausted. I do okay when I travel by myself, but when I travel with my boss and/or co-workers, we tend to all enable each other into too much food and booze, and not enough sleep and exercise.  Plus, I'm fairly introverted, so things like trade shows really take a lot out of me.  Having to be smiley and friendly all day long is hard work for this girl. ;)

I traveled to two different parts of China, and had a free weekend between the two weeks, so I decided to take the train to Hong Kong.  I didn't really want to hang around where I was nor go back to Shanghai, plus Oneika was back in town for an extended stay, so I figured why not?

I didn't really know much about Hong Kong besides that it was a major financial center full of expats, but the more research I did, the more I was looking forward to going. In the end, I actually had a hard time trying to fit everything I wanted to do in the two short days I had there.

And unfortunately my two short days became even shorter after a 3h+ train delay.  About 30 min after leaving the station, my train stopped in the middle of nowhere. Shortly after, several men with shields, guns and batons started surrounding our train. Announcements were made in Chinese, but I couldn't understand a word they were saying, and no one around appeared able to translate.

As time went on, the train turned into one hot, sweaty mess and other passengers became quite agitated. People were banging on the windows and the doors, and being very aggressive with the train employees. One hour became two hours, and then two hours nearly three hours, and I was getting progressively more and more anxious. I had no water, no money and no clue what was happening.  I finally had the bright idea to send a message to one of my Chinese colleagues, and he was able to talk to one of the train employees for me.  The train was broken, they would not be sending a new train, and we would sit there on the tracks until it was repaired.  The guards were there so that no one would try to escape off the train.  Whew, finally some information.  And luckily not too long after that, the train started up, the A/C came back on, and we continued on our way.

I lost no time after arrival, quickly dropping my bags off at my AirBnB, and then heading up to The Peak for some 360° views of the city. 

I meandered back down, took a quick shower (HK is hot, hot, hot!), and then headed out for a night out on the town. I was lucky enough to be invited to a bachelorette party and experienced the best of the city's nightlife.  So. Much. Fun.

The next day, I rolled myself out of bed at an ungodly hour and made the long trek out to see the Big Buddha.  I climbed the 260 steps up to see him and to enjoy the aerial views.

And then I headed back down to do some hiking. It turns out that Hong Kong is mix of islands, city and scenery, and I only got a short taste of it all during my stay. 

After following the wisdom path, I looped back around to check out the Po Lin Monastery. The lunch there came highly recommended.  My opinion?  If you're with a large group, it's worth it because you get to try 8 dishes, but if you're alone or with a small group, you only get 4 dishes and you pay the exact same price...  The food was good, but I could have gotten pretty much the same thing for 1/4 of the price from the vendors just outside of the restaurant (with a lot less waiting).

Those of you that know me know that my travel style is pretty thrifty, but I also like to splurge every once in a while. So for example, C & I may get a super fancy hotel and then have a romantic picnic for dinner. To get up to the Big Buddha, most people take the cable car there and back (at a cost of around 29€/$33).  That seemed a little pricey for me, and thanks to Google, I found out there was a bus that went up there for 1.90€/$2.10. The bus ended up providing some great scenery, and also let me enjoy guilt-free the 360° crystal cabin ride on the way back down (19€/$23).

Once back on hard ground, I checked out several markets. My verdict - meh. Cheap shopping is definitely better in China or Thailand.

I meant to watch the city scape light show before heading home, but Oneika talked me into a foot massage instead.  :)

It was a quick ferry ride back to Central, and then I had to take the longest escalators in the world back to my AirBnB.

I ended up having an unexpectedly great time in Hong Kong, and I would definitely like to go back for a longer stay in the future. From the little I saw, there are a lot of other islands, beaches and trails still to be explored, as well as several other cultural sites in the city that I didn't get to see.  Public transportation was great and easy to use, most people spoke decent English, I felt very safe walking around alone, and the food options are plentiful.  The only downside is that it's a fairly expensive place to visit, but it can be done for a reasonable price if you use options like AirBnB and eat locally. It would be a great place to spend 3-4 days before heading out on an Asian Cruise for example!

Top Ten Mistakes to Avoid when Renewing a US Passport!

One of the biggest frustrations when renewing your passport is receiving your application back in the mail because of a mistake.  This is frustrating 1) because you've wasted precious renewal time and 2) you've wasted your precious argent on that darn Chronopost envelope.

So here is my list of the Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid when renewing your US passport:

1. Don't use the same photo as last time - your passport photo must be different from that of your last passport, and recent. 
2. Along the same lines, don't use a French size passport photo - it must be 2x2" or 5x5cm with a white (not grey) background. You can read more about the photo requirements here. As of today, there is only one official photographer approved by the US Embassy. It is Photo Madeleine, and they are located at 41 rue Boissy d'Anglas 75008 Paris. The current cost for US passport photos is 10€.
3. Your passport application should be filled out on the computer.  Filling it out entirely by hand will mean a longer processing time. Do not forget to sign and date your application by hand however!
4. Wildly different signatures. It's true that if you got your last passport at 16 and then another one at 26, your handwriting may have changed (no more hearts over your i's for example...).  But if your current signature looks too different from the signature on your previous passport (or you never signed your previous passport), your application could be refused.
5. French or American checks are not accepted. Applications sent by mail must be paid with a chèque de banque (mandat cash are no longer accepted!); applications done in person can be paid in dollars, euros or by credit card.  
6. Don't purchase your chèque de banque a long time in advance before you send in your application.  This is a little known fact, but the passport price in Euros is changed every few months due to exchange rate fluctuations. And if your chèque de banque does not match the current amount (even if it is for more), your application will be returned.  So you're better off checking the website for the current rate on the same day you send your passport (more instructions can be found here). 
7. There are different prices for payment in dollars or euros, so be sure your chèque de banque is also for the euro amount. 
8. There is no need to send your passport application via Chronopost. You can save yourself 27€ by using a normal letter (if you trust La Poste!), or a registered letter. 
9. Don't try to get away with including a registered letter for the return however - your application will be sent back with a request to include a pre-paid, self-addressed Chronopost*.
10. This last piece of advice is one of the most important ones - be sure to write down your Chronopost tracking number before you send off your application, and set a reminder on your phone to check it once a week (or sign-up for delivery notifications if possible).  A phenomenal amount of passport applications are returned to the Embassy each day because the Chronopost envelope was not picked up within the two week time frame.  This is (mainly) through no fault of the American - it's most often the Chronopost deliveryman who never leaves a delivery attempt note - but it means that your passport could be sitting at the Post Office without your knowledge. And then you will need to send the Embassy another Chronopost letter in order to get it back!  So keep that tracking number and check it regularly online. 

*The US Embassy used to accept pre-paid registered mail envelopes for return, but so many of them got lost and/or stolen on top of the fact that delivery notifications were rarely given out, that they eventually decided to go with the Chronopost. So even though the Chronopost is more expensive and there is still the issue of delivery notifications sometimes not being given, they have at least greatly reduced the possibility of your passport being stolen along the way.

Here's one last bonus DON'T - US Passport applications are country-specific, so do not waste your time looking at the US Passport site or the US Embassy websites for other countries. Requirements differ according to the country, and you'll only end up getting even more confused!

Renewing your US passport in France

I've been seeing a lot of expats in France on social media lately expressing frustration regarding their US Passport renewal process, so I thought I'd break it down step by step for any future renewers.

Major caveat here - this information is valid as of today, May 5, 2016. Things can change, so please verify the US Embassy in Paris website before sending in your application.

All normal adult renewal applications should be done by mail. If your application is not a normal renewal, it will have to be done in person (see the lost or stolen passport section below). 

Adult renewals
Adults who already have a US passport in their possession that was issued fewer than 15 years ago and after the age of 16, will need to send:

• Your most recent US passport (don't worry, it will systematically be returned!)
• 1 recent passport photo (2x2" or 5x5cm) with a white background
• 1 self-addressed Chronopost envelope (1 per family)
• The payment in the form of a chèque de banque (mandat cash are no longer accepted!)
• Form DS-82, filled out on the computer, and signed and dated by hand

Lost or stolen passports
If your passport was lost, stolen, or issued more than 15 years ago, you'll need to appear in person at the US Embassy either in Paris or Marseille. You'll have to make an appointment online, and be sure to bring everything on the list above, plus the following:

• Form DS-11 (filled out on the computer, not signed - you'll sign it at the Embassy) 
• Birth certificate (or report of birth, naturalization or citizenship certificate)
• Recent valid ID (original plus photocopy)
• If your passport was lost or stolen, Form DS-64 (filled out on a computer and signed)
• If your passport was lost or stolen, provide any photocopies you have of it
• If your passport was lost or stolen, provide the original of the Police Report declaration
• Payment can be made at the Embassy in dollars, euros or by credit card (no US or FR checks allowed)

Passports for Children
Children aged 15 or under have to follow a different process.  All applications, be it their first passport or a renewal, must be done in person, either at the US Embassy in Paris or at the Consulate General in Marseille.  An appointment is needed, and can be made online at the website.

For a child passport application, parents must submit the following documents. If you are applying for multiple children at the same time, you will need to provide the originals and photocopies listed below for each of the applications.

• Form DS-11 (filled out on the computer, not signed - you'll sign it at the Embassy)
• Child's birth certificate, or report of birth or naturalization or citizenship certificate (original + photocopy)
• Both Parent's passports or IDs (originals + photocopies)
• Notarized consent of Form DS-3053, if one of the parents cannot appear in person
• The most recent US passport if the child already has one
• 1 recent passport photo (2x2" or 5x5cm) with a white background
• 1 self-addressed Chronopost envelope (1 per family)
• Payment can be made at the Embassy in dollars, euros or by credit card (no US or FR checks allowed)

As a side note, for children's passports, the US Embassy staff understands it can be difficult for both parents to take a day off of work and travel to Paris, so they sometimes spend a day or two at the various American Presence Posts around France to allow parents to apply directly there. The APP offices are located in Rennes, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon and Strasbourg.  If you are interested in being informed of the next renewal day in your region, you can sign up for the Smart Travelers Enrollment Program (STEP) and APP-specific dates will be sent out to those living in that region roughly a month before they occur.

 *The official payment amount can be found at the bottom of this page. If you are applying for multiple family members at the same time, you can send in one mandat cash for the total amount.

Check back tomorrow, when I'll be posting about the top ten mistakes to avoid when sending in your passport application.  I'll also explain why Chronopost envelopes are needed, since that is another sore point for many fellow Americans.

Russia

I spent all of last week in Russia, mostly in Moscow, but there was also a jaunt out into the countryside for a day or two.  I didn't really have any expectations for the week - coming after the UK, US, India, Poland, etc, it was just one more trip abroad amongst many. 

I actually ended up really enjoying Moscow.  The people we met with were overall much friendlier than I was expecting, and the hotel receptionists rivaled the Thais in niceness.  It may have helped too that I blended in much more than some of the other places I've been lately, so I could just go about my daily business without people giving me some serious side-eye.  I often even had people trying to speak to me in Russian, even though my vocabulary is limited to four words: hello, thank you, goodbye and cheers.  One day, I should count how many languages I can say those four words in now...

As far as English goes, it was pretty much all or nothing - people either spoke fantastic English or not a word. A lot of restaurants didn't have English menus, so we (tried) to rely on my phone for translations, with some pretty hilarious results. I put a few of them on Facebook, and they still make me crack up:

The city itself is beautiful - extremely clean and well-maintained, with lots of lovely pastel-colored buildings. 

The sheer size of some of them was also impressive - this is one of "Seven Sisters", or one of the seven absolutely massive buildings dotted across the city:

I found the food delicious as well - it's probably the only place I've been to outside of the US (and Bulgaria) where I could easily eat my normal diet - lots of soups and fresh veggies. Most of the hotels had gyms too, which was useful for helping work off the vodka calories. ;)

And of course there's the famous Red Square - something I never thought I'd see again:

You see, I've actually been to Russia before. 16 years ago when I was living in Finland, a fellow student organized a bus trip to St Petersburg and Moscow, and I thought "Why the hell not?  When will I ever have a chance to go to Russia gain?".  Little did I know....

The dollar was king back then, and it was a great trip, though a lot of my memories are seen through a vodka-induced haze. It was also only a few short months after my father died, and I think a lot of my memories from that time have been made cloudy by grief.  I do remember snippets here and there though, and last week's trip has amazingly brought some of the back.  I'd see a building, or a familiar monument, and all of the sudden a memory would break through the fog.  Like "Hey!  That's where we got chased out of the Russian biker bar".

It's funny though how much things have changed in such a short time.  Back then (at least in Minnesota), besides those who made one-off 'pilgrimages' to Scandinavia to see where their family came from, I didn't really know anyone who traveled abroad, and I was a bit of an odd-duck going to all these far-off places at such a young age.  Nowadays, it seems to be quite common for young-uns to travel to Europe or elsewhere even in high school.  I've been a bit disgusted as of late to see how so many countries (US, UK, France, etc) seem to be turning inwards, and I can only hope that the early exposure to other cultures will turn the tide in future generations.

And now I'm off to pack for my trip to Italy tomorrow...

Avoiding Dehli Belly

I mentioned food poisoning in my last post, and I'd be curious to hear what everyone else's take on food poisoning risks and travel.  I talked about it a lot with my boss and co-worker during our trip - they are both very daring and will eat pretty much anything, anywhere. They have estimated that they get sick about 1 in 10 times on work trips, so for them, they'd rather take the risk and eat something delicious.  I don't know - maybe I'm overly cautious, but hearing the details of how sick they were (ie coming out of a sketchy bathroom in the middle of nowhere with just one sock) makes me cringe.  What do you think dear readers?  Go ahead and vote in the poll here: http://poll.pollcode.com/63315626

What kind of Traveler are you?

I eat it all! #GetInMyBelly

I try most things

I'm usually very careful

I avoid places that require these kinds of precautions

pollcode.com free polls

I don't know about you, but I would be completely mortified if I had to call up current or future clients who I had flown around the world to see and say "Sorry, I've got to cancel my meetings for the next three days because I have explosive diarrhea". Funnily enough, I am actually more likely to be adventurous when on vacation because I know if I'm sick, I can just hang out and be miserable in the hotel.  But if The Company paid a ton of money to fly me around the world and I had all kinds of meetings set up that I had to miss...   I guess some people probably wouldn't care about that, but I would end up feeling extremely guilty. 

As such, I've got a pretty good list of tactics that I have used to so far, *knock on wood*, not fall sick while traveling.  This can also be more or less strict depending on the country, if I'm in the capital or out in the countryside, etc.

In general, I tend to follow these rules in most places, at least when I travel for work:

• Only drink bottled water, and make sure the cap is still on when it arrives (though this is not 100% full-proof, there are some countries where they refill the bottles and superglue the cap back on)
• Forgo any ice in your drinks, as you don't know how it was made or where it was stored
• Always wash your hands before eating
• I know they are super tempting, but try to avoid any fresh fruits or juices unless you are able to peel or prepare them yourself 
• Be cautious of street food, especially if you have a weak stomach.  If you absolutely want to try some, either pick a place with good recommendations online, or where there are lots of families/children eating
• If you eat meat or seafood, make sure it is fully cooked - it's just not worth the risk
• Same goes for vegetables - this is one of the hardest ones for me to follow since I mainly eat raw veggies at home, but I avoid all salads and raw vegetables, and only eat ones that have been cooked
• If someone invites you over, also be cautious about what you consume at their home - their stomachs are used to the local water and bacteria in a way that yours might not be 
• Stay away from buffets, because you can never be sure how long the food has been sitting out and at what temperature
• Ice cream can be tricky too in places that experience frequent power outages or brown-outs
• I'm not big into hand sanitizers, but if I remember, I do try to use an alcohol wipe on the two dirtiest items for travelers - the tray tables in airplanes and the TV remotes in hotel rooms

 And if I'm in a rural area or a place I'm really nervous about:

• Use only bottle watered to brush your teeth and wash your face.  Also keep your mouth closed in the shower.
• If you're in a place that uses silverware, try to wipe it down with a napkin before using it
• Be careful with straws that arrive unwrapped
• I always travel with emergency meals - protein bars, oatmeal and dried soups are good substitutes in cases where restaurants are rare or you just don't want to risk it
• I also try to eat some sort of yogurt every day, just to be sure I've got good bacteria to fight off any bad that gets in

For non-food related action items, I try to make sure I have all the recommended vaccines for each country I visit, and I have my doctor write me a prescription for antibiotics, immodium and other 'stronger' stomach medicines.  Charcoal tablets are also a good back-up.

Lastly - and this isn't food related either, but it's so important - the number one thing I do when I enter any hotel room around the world - no matter how fancy or which country I'm in - is pull up the sheets from all four corners of the mattress and check for bed bugs. Better safe than sorry, and those are definitely critters you don't want to bring home with you!

India, take 1

When the opportunity came up for me to go to India for work, I was divided. Half of me wanted to go, to see a new country, and especially one where one of our dearest friends hails from. The other half of me was annoyed with the six months it took to get a visa (and the bureaucracy that makes France look like child's play), and I was also worried about food poisoning since almost everyone I know has gotten sick there.  As a side note, getting food poisoning in the middle of a business meeting or during a long drive where no bathrooms are available pretty much sums of two of my worst work-related nightmares...

In the end, I was slightly underwhelmed.  Before I left, everyone kept saying "It will be like nothing you have ever seen!", and I suppose that never helps expectations.  The best way I can describe it is that it reminded me of a mix of many of the places I visited last year - the temples and tuk tuks of Thailand, the traffic of Manila, the honking (oh the honking! dear lord the honking!) from China, the simultaneous colorfulness and dustiness of North Africa.  But the friendliness I was expecting was not really there, at least not during this trip - one shop owner even called me an asshole when I negotiated a discount on a silk rug for my boss. 

I imagine the staring can be jarring for some people too, but I've grown used to it during my travels, so it doesn't really bother me.  But what I didn't anticipate was the difference in the staring.  Some folks would stare in the normal way because I am blonde, but the young 'rich' men with popped collars would stare very lasciviously, no matter where we were or who I was with. I'm talking up-and-down, full-on, shameless ogling that gives you the heebie jeebies. And then on the other hand, I'd have the older men that we met with in business meetings who wouldn't look at me at all - they would look around me or near me, but never directly at me, which was equally disconcerting.

I also wasn't expecting to eat so much meat.  Meat meat meat.  It never ended. I didn't eat a single vegetable until the 4th day in, and that was only because I very strongly insisted we order at least one plate of vegetables.  I normally eat meat 1-2x per week, so it was definitely an overload for me. My boss and co-worker loved it though.

The pressure of being appropriately dressed was also a stress for me. Luckily our friends were able to help me choose some outfits that were both respectful and modest enough for business meetings yet also breathable for the hot temperatures.  But it also made me slightly angry that I had to adapt my attire so much as a woman, whereas my boss and co-worker could just wear what ever they wanted and no one would blink an eye. 

And maybe that's what's clouding my view overall - this is the first time in the nearly ten years I have been working for The Company where I have attended business meetings with my boss, and I was really hoping to shine and show off my skills, but the general deference toward men throughout the whole trip didn't really give me an opportunity to do so, leaving me feeling slightly defeated.  He even mentioned after a few drinks that he was disappointed that I hadn't been more forward.  I tried my best to explain that it's such a fine line as a woman some times - 90% of the time I work with men of a certain age, and it can be really difficult (for me anyways) to find the balance between being assertive while also trying to respect cultural differences, especially when it's a country I don't know very well yet.  At the end of the day, I just wanted to reflect a positive image of my company, and I erred on the side of caution instead of 'in their face'.  It's frustrating at times - sort of damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Anyways.  I'm probably just tired after the 3am departure, the 10h flight and the strange 4.5 hour time difference.  Our meetings did go well overall, so if things keep moving along, I will likely go back 2-3 more times this year.  At least now having been there once accompanied, I'll feel safe going back alone (however I was surprised that the presence of my boss and co-worker did not stop people from touching my butt in public).  And who knows - I may be treated completely different by everyone the day they will be forced to deal with just me instead of my male colleagues.

Travel hacks

Because of all my travel, I'm constantly on the lookout for the latest travel hacks to help make flying  easier or less stressful/more restful. I've mentioned before that I'm a big fan of the Travelrest pillow, but I was intrigued by a new pillow called the Trtl, which claimed to be "The Travel Pillow. Reinvented".

I decided to buy one on Amazon over the Christmas break ($29 on Amazon US or 29€ on Amazon FR) and tried it out at home.  It wasn't a great sign that the people I was staying with immediately laughed at it and said it looked like I had been in a car accident.  (It's true, it did look more like a neck brace than I'd expected).  The fabric was really soft, but the inner support system was just not strong enough to fully support my head, so I ended up sending it back and sticking with my Travelrest for the flight home.  There are some positive reviews for it online though, and I have to say that their Customer Service was great.

There are two other cool new crowd-funded products that I would also love to try out - the first is the BlueSmart Suitcase, which promises to be the first Smart luggage.  It sounds really fun - it's got an internal tracking system, so you always know where it is; you can unlock and lock the case via your smartphone; it's got a built-in luggage scale; and it can even charge your smartphone or tablet, which is great for all of those airports out there that are stingy with their power outlets.  But it's also only available in the carry-on size for now, and after reading some of the reviews of the first model, I couldn't really justify the $399 expense.  Their customer service has also been criticized, and I have to admit that I wrote to them with a few questions about the product, and never got an answer back...

The second product is the Baubax Jacket, which claims to have 15 travel hacks in one jacket:

I actually think this is something that would be really handy for going through security - almost all of those things listed in the picture above are in my purse or pockets when I travel, so it'd be really practical to have them all in one place.

Because of my frequent flier status, I am often in the front row of economy class (unfortunately no business class for me!), which equals great leg room but also means I have to store all of my belongings in the overhead compartment during take-off and landing. So I think this jacket would also be useful for in-flight entertainment during those times since it can store both my tablet, water bottle and headphones. Plus no more digging around for my passport and a pen when it's time to fill out the customs forms. It also comes with a built-in neck pillow, blanket, 3/4 gloves and a hood with an eye mask.

And I like that it exists in several styles, since I at least *try* to look somewhat presentable on the plane (in the hopes that my magical unicorn first class upgrade will one day appear).

Prices are between $149-189 depending on which style you choose, so it's not exactly cheap, but at least for me, it's something that I would use enough to justify the cost.  It's only been recently released, so I'm going to keep googling reviews of the jacket over the next few months to see what users think, but I'm pretty sure this one will be going on my birthday wish list.

Same thing, different country

Sometimes life is crazy.  One minute you're planning a quiet weekend in the Pas de Calais with your in-laws, and the next, your boss is like "Can you go to South Korea?".   And thus began the scramble to plan a last minute trip half-way around the world.  Such is my life these days. 

I have quite a complicated itinerary to get to where I need to go in Korea and I was feeling a bit nervous about it, but eventually I realized that it was basically the same thing I did when I first moved to France:  Arrive in the capital, take a commuter train to a main train station, and then a high speed train 3 hours into the countryside.   And then all of the sudden it seemed easier - like 'You've done this before, no big deal'.  It's all relative, I guess.

J'ai testé pour vous...

A few days ago, I had to catch a mid-week flight and instead of taking the RER or the Air France bus as I normally would, I decided to try out the new EasyBus service offered by EasyJet from the Louvre to CDG, at the low, low price of 2.99€. (As a side note, you do not need to fly EasyJet to book a seat on this bus, it is open to all travelers).

C also had to head out to the airport for other reasons, so we booked our tickets and off we went to the Louvre. The pick-up site was listed on the address as 2, place André Malraux, so we used handy google maps to locate the big ol' number 2 in front of a pharmacy.  Except the instructions also said that the pick-up site was in front of HSBC...which was all the way across a busy intersection at 3, place André Malraux. So we weren't quite sure where to wait, but we decided to camp out in front of the HSBC.  I noticed another French woman though who was obviously confused by the instructions as well, because she spent 20 minutes nervously pacing back and forth between the two sites.

The bus was supposed to arrive 10 minutes before the pick-up time, but our allotted time came and went...and then so did 5 minutes, 10 minutes and 15 minutes.  At that point, I was starting to panic a bit, and it was decision time...do we keep waiting it out?  Do we head back to the line 7 and hop on the RER B at Chatelet?  Do we run down to Opéra and try to grab the Roissybus?  Or do we try to grab a taxi?

Since we had luggage, we didn't want to go back into the metro, and a taxi was deemed too expensive in rush hour, so we hoofed it to the Roissybus (which - holy crap - costs 11€ now!).  But luckily we both made it on time in the end, minus a few extra euros of course.

C & I have both emailed them asking for an explanation and a refund, and I have also reached out to them on several of their social media sites, but to no avail.  I also booked them for my flight to Bangkok next week, so I'm currently trying to decide if I should give them another shot or not?  It does say on the ticket that you can take any bus up to an hour before your booked time (assuming they have space), so I may just go early and give it another try, especially since the tickets are non-refundable. Either way, I guess it's just another example of you get what you pay for!  Or otherwise maybe just using them from CDG to the Louvre, since you don't really have the same time constraints...

Metro News

I'm about half-way through my 3 crazy month travel spree:

• Week 1- near Cholet
• Week 2- Thailand
• Week 3- China
• Week 4- home (woohoo!)
• Week 5- near Cholet
• Week 6- Istanbul
• Week 7&8- Thailand
• Week 9&10- US
• Week 11- Return to France
• Week 12- near Cholet
• Week 13- nothing booked yet, but that's still a ways out...

It's starting to make me regret getting annual passes for the metro, the gym and the cinema...but oh well, too late now.  And I hate using the individual metro tickets anyways, I always end up with a million of them everywhere, and never know if they've been used or not, etc.

But I did actually take the metro yesterday and picked up one of the free newspapers, so I thought I'd share a few interesting articles.

First of all, the Regional Tourism Committee has started renting out these little wifi boxes to tourists in order to give them better mobile access during their vacation.  The box is about the size of a telephone, has a 6h battery span, and allows you to connect up to 10 devices to it.  There are about 100 available, and you can rent them at the information booths at CDG and Galeries Lafayette.  The cost is pretty reasonable too - 7,90€ per day. 

There was a second offer for tourists too - Appart'City is offering a special for the month of June that allows customers to name their price for a hotel room.  The promotion is valid all over France and can be booked online at www.appartcity.com.

And lastly, if you don't like speaking in French on the phone or can never get your doctor to pick up, there is a new website called www.RDVmedicaux.com.  The site has over 2600 general practitioners and specialists (including ophthalmologists) in over 500 cities through France, and basically lets you book a doctor's appointment as you would a train ticket. They will send you a confirmation via SMS, as well as a reminder SMS the day before your appointment.  I can see how something like this would be extremely practical, both in helping you find an available doctor near you and also during les vacances.  I know there have been times in the past where I've had to call as many as 10 doctors before finding one available during the month of August!

One for the ladies

Because of some of the places I've been traveling to lately, I've been a bit leery about purse theft and have been on the look-out for a cross-body travel bag.  I wanted a bag that was large enough to carry everything I need for plane/train travel (wallet, phones + chargers, tablet, bottle of water, umbrella and a sweater/scarf), but yet not one that was too big = heavy.  It also had to be durable and fairly stylish.

I did a lot of googling and read a lot of reviews, and finally settled on the Travelon Anti-theft Signature Crossbody:

It's a bit larger than the purse I normally carry, but still smaller than a messenger bag.  What I love most about it so far though is the amazing number of pockets.  You see, I have been carrying the same raggedy purse around for years now (and even bought the same purse used off of Le Bon Coin) because I love how many pockets it has.  It lets me keep my purse super organized, and you'll never see me digging around the bottom of my purse for my keys/lipstick/etc.

And this bag is the same - as you can see in the photo above, it's got a small travel pocket on the front flap for easy access to things like boarding documents.  There is also a large pocket on the back of the purse.  And inside there is a padded pocket for a tablet, a middle zippered pocket (great for make-up), a large pocket for your wallet, water bottle etc, and then the 2 standard phone pockets.

As an added bonus, one of the phone pockets is also RFID-protected, so it's great for storing your passport & credit cards.  (Read more about RFID protection here).  You'll also notice on the left of the picture that there is a small clip that you can attach to the main zipper when it is closed, preventing thieving little hands from reaching in and stealing your phone or passport. And the last safety feature it has is the main strap is slash-proof, and also has a carabiner that you can undo in order to secure your purse to your chair or table.

I purchased mine in grey, but it also comes in black or purple. It's available on Amazon, but I ended up buying mine from e-bags.com because they had it on sale for $45 (vs Amazon's $79).

**Note - this is not a sponsored post, and I purchased the bag myself.  I just think it's a really good quality, practical product and thought other frequent travelers might be interested in it too. :)

Hello Paris

So I survived my six week traveling spree, and now have a glorious 8 days at home before leaving on another 2 week trip (1 week in France, 1 week in Russia).  I'm so relieved to be back home and sleeping in my own bed that even the grey skies can't keep me down.

A lot of positive stuff came out of my travels, namely some changes in my job functions that will likely mean even more travel abroad and less direct employee supervision, which should take care of most of my late-night meetings.  Having to supervise people who are working in the US and with a 7hr time difference has definitely been one of my biggest headaches over the past few years, so it's a welcome change.

Here are a few pictures to sum up my various trips - what a strange few weeks it has been, going from the "bigger is better" American culture to the middle of nowhere Morocco to discovering Taiwan and Bali.

Also, as a side note, this was my first big long-term challenge of staying fit while on the road since losing all that weight.  Before I left, I was feeling pretty nervous about it, as it meant a month and a half of eating 3 meals a day in hotels and restaurants.  It's still a work in progress, but in the end though, I'm fairly proud of how I did. C & I recently started doing TRX classes at our gym, and I soon realized it was also a workout I could do in my hotel room when no gym was available, so I purchased an inexpensive set of bands to keep in my suitcase.  Between that, 10 min abs, and a few other YouTube workout videos, I managed to maintain my weight for 5 of the 6 weeks.

Things kind of fell to crap the last week in Bali though despite my daily workouts because there was just so much fried food and rice everywhere.  I don't even really like fried food at all, but I was wary of eating some of the fresher stuff/street food due to the fear of spending my week in paradise cooped up in the hotel room with Bali Belly.  I also may have indulged in a few cocktails... So I gained about 1.5kg in the 7 days I was there, but now it's back to the grindstone and the extra weight should fall of quickly.  I guess that's really the moral of the story, isn't it?   Ie. staying on top of it and not letting small setbacks get you down.

PS. I was also nervous about being mega sleep-deprived after traveling through all of those time zones, so I purchased a new travel pillow to help me sleep on the plane.  I did a lot of research on frequent flier travel forums and finally found one that seemed to fit the bill. I didn't want one of those C shaped ones since I feel like they keep my head too far from the seat and don't stop me from falling forward.  The squarer foam ones looked more comfortable but would also take up a good chunk of my carry-on space.  So I settled for this pillow.  It looks a bit silly, but when it's blown up, it's sort of like sleeping on someone's shoulder, and it was nice to be able to wrap my arms around something too.  It honestly helped me get the most sleep I've ever had on any long-haul flights, and as an added bonus, it's easy to pack and even fit in my purse. Something to think about if you fly a lot or have trouble sleeping on planes...