"America was never a travel destination for us"

Magnet #941 - Australian koala

My friend brought this koala bear back for me from her trip down unda. Figured it works for today, being as there's an Australian couple sitting across the aisle from me on my Amtrak train ride down to NC.

I take this train pretty regularly, but this morning, for some reason, I figured I better double-check the departure time - I couldn't remember if it was 7 or 7:15. Either way would have meant leaving the house at 6, getting ready (and packing, of course) at 5.

But what ensued was 35 fresh minutes of hell, when in the quiet of the room, I yelled out, When the hell did the Carolinian start running at 6:15!!?

So as I was repacking my bags that I threw everything into, this lovely Australian couple asked me if I take this train regularly, and which side did I recommend. I told them both sides. I went further and told them I loved this train route, taking this mode of transpo more than I'd ever take the plane, and I warned them that it was a lonnnnng train ride.

Some 12 hours later, with our final destinations still hours away, we're just now pulling out of Rocky Mount, and the Australian couple with the cool Ozzie accents are like, I can't believe you like this way of traveling!

Eh, of course I still do! You just gotta roll with it, even as you're stuck on a hot train, listening to several different conversations about kids and grandkids, and cell phone conversations that loudly start with, "I'm stuck! In Rocky Top! Rocky Mountain? Rockyyyy Mount."

There's a woman from Solvang - hey! I've been there! It's a little Danish community with a windwill over a bakery in California. There's the 91-year-old hub with his young 88-year-old wife who (while they're still young) have finally decided to pack up the house and sell it and move to be close to the kids. There's the loud woman in the back having a conversation with the loud woman up front who takes this train all the time and has never been stuck for this long!

But, it's the Oz Couple who fascinate me. They take a good 3-month break every year to come visit their daughter and grandkids in the States, and for the past few years, they've managed to rack up visits to about 40 US states.

They're doing better than most Americans!

And this is coming from the couple who declared, Oh, America was never a travel destination for us, and yet, here we are.

Stuck on Big Rock Candy Mountain.

Trip the signs fantastic

Magnet #814 - Hong Kong

Now I can't remember if I picked this magnet up, or if someone brought it home for me. Hmmm.

Either way, I totally dig it, because it reminds me of the beginning of Doctor Who's Turn Left episode, where the DoctorDonna are wandering through an Asian market, trying out the local wares, including a tall cup of foamy drink...that of course got cut out in the US/BBC-A version.

Oddly, now that I've gone back to look at that episode, it looks like even that first minute isn't really all that much like this magnet, it's more like it reminds me of the last spine-chilling minute of that episode, instead.

Still, this feels like a pretty accurate picture of Hong Kong - a thousand neon lights, amidst a thousand tall buildings, and a trillion people. It's quite the place to visit, even if only for 15 hours.

I can't even think about it must be to like know what all those signs say - like "Joe's Pub"? "Manicures here" *blink* blink* blink* "Buy one, get one free? BOGO?" "Chinese laundry"? But what's that LA BAMBA over there mean? Hahahaah.

I suppose it's probably akin to seeing all the signs in Times Square. TSQ really has nothing on the lights and signs of Hong Kong, and ours are only concentrated within that 20 block radius, from 41st Street all the way up to about 53th Street. And it's mostly corporate logos, rather than individual stores and establishments in HK. Honestly, it seemed like every street corner we turned down, there were streets and alleys that were lit up - I'd bet you can see it from space!

Very cool magnet, for a very cool town.

Magnets, wherefore art thou?

Magnet #736 - New Smyrna Beach, FL

Ya'll, I've said it before. Unabashedly.

I love trade shows. I admit it. It's kinda silly.

And, it's for a zillion reasons. On the exhibitor side, it's just fascinating to see how each organization lays out their booth, their installation, the furniture, even the shirts the booth reps are forced to wear. I love seeing the activities they come up with to get visitors to drop by and stay awhile, and perhaps give up their personal information to boost an operators' database.

Overall, I love seeing branding carried out in all their materials. Nothing pleases me more at these things than to see a booth operator who knows what they're doing - well designed collateral and booth graphics, reps who are engaging but not imposing. Shoot. Sometimes, even nice carpet in their booth makes me happy.

On the attendee side, I won't lie. I love the tchotkes. I love seeing what various operators are giving away. Who has the best bag - general the one that everyone want and are carrying around the floor. Who has the best pens. Who has the most unique giveaways. Who has the giveaway that doesn't even make sense.

All of which means that I end up leaving any trade show with tons of crap. Mind you, I'm not walking around with the rollies, but sometimes, even as I'm tripping over them in the aisles, I envy those folks...as my own shoulder's dying from carrying my booth booty and my heavy coat.

This weekend's New York Times Travel Show was no exception. I freakin' love the travel show, and vow to go back every year. I feel like I traveled the world today! And my baby photo album, almost proves it.

It's so much fun wandering from region to region and country to country to figure out my next travel destination. I never really have anything in mind, but I love learning about the different countries in their demonstrations - each region has a stage, so it's great to check out activities of interest.

This year, you can learn to dive, you can rock climb, you can learn to salsa, you can learn a quick Filipino dish. And that's just off the top of my head. I had a couple of target countries for other folks - Argentina for a friend (supercute bag), Iceland for my sister (nada), and cruises for a friend who mistakenly thinks I can be convinced to ever go on one (materials so heavy!).

But, I haven't really settled on a new destination for me. Yet. I have a thousand bits of collateral here, so maybe there will be something.

I've gotten to this point where I really pick up from booths that I really am interested in, or that catches my eye with good collateral. I hate wasting the unnecessary paper, or taking their tape measures or other random stuff.

I have only a handful of pens (not anywhere near my record of 40 pens)...so booth exhibitors, please know that the pens are fabulous - because wherever I go, I love having cute pens - the cuter the better. Half the time, I'm using random branded pens, if for no other reason than it's cute. Keep that in mind. Oh! And the bags...stop with the little plastic bags. The recyclable fabric bags, over the shoulder, with a good gusset and supercute branding. Those are what I end up walking down the street with, on my shoulders.

Finally. And pertinent to joy magnetism. Magnets. Wherefore art thou, magnets? It's a travel show! People pick up magnets of places they've been. How about the places they want to go to? Why weren't there any magnets? *stamps foot in askance*

Seriously. How sad is it that I go to a travel show with more than 500 destinations, and only ONE magnet could I find.

Of Florida. Where I'll be spending half my life next month.

Oiy.