Watch the Walk

  A pen is the international travel equivalent of the Hitchhiker's Guide saying to always have a towel. I mean, having a towel is great, but a pen is even more important. You never know when you'll need to write something down, and opening random pockets in your bags, struggling to locate a pen is just... not ideal. But beyond that, here are a few tips I've acquired in my years of traveling internationally, especially in Africa. 1) Always verify verbally, with a person, what you see with your eyes. If it says "Paris" above the gate, walk up to the person at the gate and ask, "Where's this gate going?"  2) Avoid yes or no questions, because you might get an accidental yes. Don't ask, "Is this going to Paris?" because they might just say yes. Did they hear you properly? Did they understand you? Who knows. Ask a question that requires an answer that demonstrates understanding and accuracy. 3) When in doubt, find other people traveling on y...

Our friend was bringing food to a new mother who was recovering in the hospital after a c-section.  The new mother happened to be an illegal, from another country, under guard by the gendarmerie. Our friend was from the same country, but here legally. Upon trying to enter the room, our friend found it locked. She asked the guards what happened to the new mother in the room. "Oh, you know her?" And suddenly she found herself under arrest. The guards hadn't known that the woman escaped. Or so they say. And obviously someone who would bring food to a new foreign mother must have been complicit in her escape. So our friend was arrested. Questioned. Kept overnight. The next day, after intervention, she was released, but forced to pay a fine. 200 euros for what? For being at the wrong place, at the wrong time, without the right people to plead her cause. "That's just the way it is for people from that country who live here." Was a comment I heard from another frie...