Flats, football, fannies and double-fisting: Speaking American vs. English

Woman double-fisting and wearing a football jersey.
Well, the American way at least…American English and British English can sometimes be very different. Avoiding embarrassment abroad can often mean changing one’s vocabulary (you don’t have to do the accent though).

In the States we’d refer to a ‘flat’ as a tire that’s lost air, but to those speaking British English (the rest of the world), it means an ‘apartment’.

And our ‘soccer’ is their ‘football’.

Okay, those are easy ones.

So what happens when something said perfectly innocently from an American’s point of view turns out to be hilariously or offensively foul to a British English listener?

Let me tell you a little story about a friend of mine. She is a brilliant and funny young woman who’d just finished grad school at a prestigious Ivy League university in the States before landing a job at a top notch financial firm in London. Let’s call her Sarah for the sake of anonymity.

Everyone in the office already knew each other. Most of them were men, and somewhat sexist at that, so she had her work cut out for her to fit in. Each Friday

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Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday Top 10 Tips

Photo by by Loren JavierIt’s Mardi Gras! If you’ve ever been to the Big Easy, you know the next few days are dedicated to beads and booze. Fun, colorful, lively: Mardi Gras is an experience topping many bucket lists. And rightly so: it’s unforgettable. That’s no excuse, though, to drop all sense of, well, sense. The streets are crowded and rowdy, and though inebriation is the name of the game, it’s as important as ever to be mindful of your surrounding. Here are some of our top tips for navigating Bourbon Street:

1. The Buddy System is your best friend. Bring along your favorite wingwoman. Watch each other’s back. Have fun, make memories. Repeat.

2. Cooperate with the police. They’re there to keep you safe. Whether it’s breaking up fights or locking up the extra pervy guys, the cops are not there to harsh anyone’s good time by making sure no one gets hurt.

3. Pace yourself. You want to enjoy all that Mardi Gras has to offer, so don’t hit the bottle hard your first night, only to nurse a splitting headache the next day. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on the magic (beignets!).

4. Watch what you carry. You don’t need a carry-on bag as you walk through the French Quarter. Leave your purse or backpack wherever you’re staying. All you need is your ID and some cash, stashed in your pockets. If you want to keep what you catch, feel free to bring a tote. Just don’t burden yourself. Don’t forget your keys!

5. Stay off quiet, secluded streets at night. This goes without saying: You may not like crowds but always remain aware of your surroundings. Stick to the French Quarter or Bourbon street at night.

6. Dress up! It’s Mardi Gras! Let your hair down, wear a wig, throw on some color! Make sure to keep the costume fairly minimal (no props, if you can help it), so you won’t be that obnoxious parade goer with the staff knocking people over.

7. Mardi Gras is a party, but that doesn’t mean you should be a frat boy. Open consumption of beer is allowed in cans or cups but bottles are prohibited, for obvious reasons. Watch your liquor intake. New Orleans and Mardi Gras is for both tourists and locals, so respect those boundaries.

8. Bring wet wipes or Purell. You’ll be throwing and catching beads, spilling liquids, touching strangers… It’d be wise to bring along some antibacterial products before you eat. It’s always nice feeling fresh.

9. Designate a meeting place if you get separated. Carry your hotel address with you, or pick a neighborhood food joint to meet if you’re ever split up from your friends.

10. Take it easy! They don’t call it the Big Easy for nothing. Take in the sights, sounds and smells of the countless parades and characters. There’s more to Mardi Gras than being a dedicated beer fest; according to some New Orleans natives, flashing is not a tradition. Don’t feel pressure, just have fun. That’s what you’re there for anyway, right?

Travel Tips: Combine Tech and Old School

I love my iPhone. It’s fantastic. I use it to get from point A to point B all the time and it (hardly) ever fails me. But technology is not foolproof and there are countless examples when technology is not always the solution to finding your proverbial way in the great beyond….or whatever.

I recently went to London and was welcomed to my hotel with a packet from VisitBritain.com. Inside were several maps, guidebooks, an Oyster card and a London Pass. Of the contents, the map and the Oyster card made my trip incredibly pleasurable. But it was the combination of the proper tools and good old fashioned people that really made it a blast.

Usually when I travel, my itinerary is planned down to the minute either because of conferences, video schedules or simply because there are never enough hours in the day, but in this case I had the opportunity to do something I almost never do. Sit down and plan a day of activities.

First up? Get the gear to support my gear. I grabbed an iPhone charger for the proper voltage (which was WAY cheaper in England at a drugstore than here in the States), stuffed the map and guidebook of London in my (large) purse and asked the saleswoman to direct me to a quiet pub with good food, preferably with potatoes involved. I was thrilled with her suggestion of Giraffe and was only slightly miffed when my “authentic experience” was marred by the similarly themed Giraffe restuarant at the airport. But that night, the food was good, the table was big, the cider was strong and I had plenty of time and peace to plan out my route through London.

Here are my top (rather obvious) tips:

1) Don’t be afraid to ask real people. Rather than be guided by the cold glow of a computer screen, I asked around and some people stopped to give me directions. It’s tried and true: locals know where to go, what to do and often will go out of their way to help you. Police officers, transit officials and store owners are particularly helpful.

2) Grab a map, any map. I loved having both a large, detailed map (that I wrote all over) and a smaller subway map. I spent lots of time studying both and trying figure out exactly how the city was laid out. It’s my experience that too few people do this in a new location to them, instead relying on a GPS. With some planning, you won’t have to stare at your screen but can actually take in the sights, sounds and smells of where you are.

3) Use your smartphone if you need to but beware that it might be wrong. I like to double check before grabbing a subway in the wrong direction or paying for expensive cab fare that I have the exact right address or by asking people in the area if they know of the location. Google Maps is not inflallible. And if you are going to use your smartphone, ensure that you don’t spend the entire time staring down at your phone.

4) Got a compass? Use it. Honestly, knowing which way is East or West has saved me lots of times when I couldn’t see a landmark that was totally second nature to locals. “It’s along the river” or “It follows the main line.” These don’t help me unless I spend some time orienting myself to them before I leave the hotel.

5) Retrace your steps. One of the most useful things I did while traveling was get a little lost and then retrace my steps later in the day, using a map.

6) Use the tools at your disposal. Rent a scooter in Rome, grab a bike while in Copenhagen and run down the stairs in London. Immerse yourself in the local modes of transport and you’ll get a real sense of how the place functions and its inhabitants live. Have fun!

Things to Consider When Going to Europe

I’d love to be able to say my frist trip to Europe went swimmingly, but alas, I can only pass on the pearls of wisdom I gained from that fated trip. For those of your seasoned travelers, this is a 100 level course.

Even with the best laid plans (calling the bank with a travel itinerary, skillfully packing everything in two carry-ons, exchanging currency and setting up a international phone plan), I still had the worst luck. Ever.

Lessons Learned:

1) Travelers need major banks and major credit cards behind them when abroad. Your neighborhood bank won’t do the trick. After finding that my card wasn’t working in Europe, I called the Bank of the West help line which was anything but. The best advice I got was to “borrow money from a friend”. If you don’t already have a bank you can depend on, do your research and find one that fits your lifestyle. Ask questions about international usage, currency exchange, theft protection and if you don’t get the answers you need, walk away.

-Since walking away from my old bank, I have started banking with Wells Fargo who just had a merger with Wakovia. I’m very happy with my personal banker, their customer care policies and the fab app they have, letting you check your balance, tranfer funds and tons more from your phone.

2) Board as soon as possible and NEVER give up your personal bag. I used to roll my eyes at that rush of people standing around, holding their bags and waiting to board. I like to just sit, relax and wait ‘til the line dies down. I walked onto the plane and was immediately told that I had to gate check both of my bags as there was no more room in the overheads. As the self-proclaimed carry-on queen, I never wait at baggage claim and I never have to worry about lost luggage. But I sadly turned over my bags to the flight attendant. After landing and waiting around baggage claim for an hour, I realized my bags weren’t coming. I should have never given up my personal bag. You don’t have to cause a scene, but you do need to stand up for your needs. I was in Europe without a wallet, camera, make-up, adaptor and so much more all because I wanted to sit a little longer and not be rude to the flight attendant.

-After being given the run around about my lost luggage, I was very worried about reimbursment. I asked around, and it turns out a lot of credit cards will insure lost luggage. Check your credit establishment for perks like this. If you MUST give gate check your bags, demand a claim reciept. It is your right and their job to provide one.

3) Wait to exchange your money until you get to Europe (or your destination). ATMs are everywhere, and available in English, while providing a better exchange rate. The less cash you’re carrying, the better. It also enables you to pull out the currency you need rather than losing money when exchanging any remaining cash. There are tons of different currencies in Europe and odds are you won’t be staying in one place. I thought I was thinking ahead and being prepared when I exchanged my moola state-side. The exchanged currency was of no use to me in my lost luggage and I ended up losing a bunch of money turning it back into USD at my bank.

-My Oanda currency exchange app really helped me navigate my shopping through Europe. It gives you minute by minute updates on rates.

4) Pro-rate your international plan and make sure you know the guidelines. Some companies will just tell you the monthly or yearly rates for international plans. Make sure and ask for a pro-rated international plan for just the time that you’re there. This saves a ton of money but they often need you to call and stop the plan when you get back. Don’t just say you understand the plan to get off the phone and on with your packing: Find out how much each minute costs you, incoming and outgoing texts and what overages will set you back. You’ll be happy you did.

The Ripe Traveler

Ripe -adj. -of mature judgment or knowledge: ripe scholars; a ripe mind.

That’s the good kind of traveler to be, but that’s not the kind I’m talking about. I’m talking about the kind of traveler you don’t want to be…the stinky one. Ya know that strange smell on the train, or that lingering scent on your 7 hour plane ride? You don’t want that to be you. It’s easy to gain a “travel funk” when you’re sitting stagnant for hours at a time. Ward off the ubiquitous travel stank with these cheap and easy tricks.

1) Keep it fresh on the fly with baby wipes. They’re a cheap and easy way for a quick wipe down in the restroom. Your mom called it the PTA, and it’s very important, not only for your own hygeine but for that poor person sitting in the seat next to you. You can take them everywhere in a zip lock baggie, they take up virtually no space and come in handy in tons of situations. And now they’ve rolled out (no water needed) facial wipes for a refreshing face wash on the go. They smell good and leave you feeling refreshed!

2) Solid perfumes are great for traveling because you can’t break the bottle, you don’t have to worry about the 4oz. rule or some TSA nazi throwing away your expensive perfume. We found these great solid perfumes by Pacifica at Sephora. All three of these scents were amazing and fresh smelling. The tiny container is a space saver for your carry-on or your purse.

3) Mints and gum are always a must have. When you’re waking up to the speakers welcoming you to your destination and you realize it tastes like the nice Columbian man on the coffee can died in your mouth, you’ll wish you would have stopped at Newport News for a pack of mint gum. Plus, you can snag a piece to avoid the dreaded ear pop!

4) Baby powder in a travel size is simply a life saver to keep you dry and smelling fresh. I don’t think I need to give much explanation here…but it’s especially helpful when you want to kick off your shoes on the long trip without worrying about feeling self conscious. Baby powder is also great in place of dry shampoo when you haven’t had the chance for a shower. Yup, I know it sounds strange but it works really well to turn a greasy mop into manageable thickened hair. Just sprinkle a little into your hands and rub it around your scalp. Cheap, easy and a space saver.

5) Stear clear of stinky foods. Before you reach for that salami sandwich chalked full of onions, ask yourself how are you gonna feel and smell later on. Potent foods often make you potent. Onions, garlic and other strong smells actually come out of your pores and stay on your breath. Ditch the (amazing tasting) Wolfgang Puck’s pizza and opt for the salad or fresh fruit. You’ll feel and smell better on the plane.