Huzzah for Vaccinations

[nano_moose]

I HAVE DEAD DISEASE CELLS IN MY BLOOD :D :D :D

Also, today we got our passports, and I got my replacement PINumber. Now all we need are our visas and my new debit card, then we can go to Vietnam/get my learner's permit! HORRAY. Our long war with bureaucracy is almost over!

But my left arm is feeling all achy from the needle. Owwww.

Anyway my dad told me that I should probably ask you lot for advice about traveling overseas. We're going to Vietnam with a stopover in Kwa - Kalal - France Kuala Lumpur, and visiting most of the nice touristy places. I haven't been on a plane since I was a tiny little person, nor have I ever been out of the country.

I promise I'll take pictures for you all, and attempt not to get involved in any drug running or terrorism. Advice? Please?

Comments

[kadrin.livejournal.com]

NEVER EVER EVER LOSE YOUR PASSPORT FOR ANY REASON AT ALL. CONSIDER SEWING YOUR PASSPORT TO YOUR HIP, OR HAVING IT TATTOOED ONTO YOUR BACK.

...sorry, that's rather a hobbyhorse of mine. Seriously, though, if you don't have the ID for a replacement passport already on you - that's a birth certificate and two forms of photo ID, and they're very restrictive about what they accept - it's very difficult to get them without, you know, having your passport. I've done it twice now. Neither time was it fun. ...Well, once I ended up in England for a month, and tooled around London and Liverpool and Birmingham and the like, and that was pretty fun. Still, I'd rather have spent my time tooling around London and Liverpool and Birmingham without having to fight with every overseas agency known to humankind.

If you've got tiny little ear canals, consider getting butterscotch or another kind of hard lolly for the flight. The sucking action reduces the pain of ear-popping. That said, I apparently have tiny little ear canals, and my ears popping have only hurt twice in my glamorous jet-setter lifestyle.

Several books. Seriously. Even to Kuala Lumpur it's too damn long for one book. A portable music player or games system is also good, and make sure to get them out of your carry-on before, I cannot stress this enough, before stowing it safely in the overhead locker. ...Or I suppose you could talk to your family. Still, books are good.

If there's a problem with your passport, or you get called out to have your baggage searched, don't actually scream at the top of your lungs, fall into the foetal position, and weep while beating the floor with your fists and wailing that, again, fortune has forsaken you - as was my wont. The employees, while working what must be a quite unpleasant job, are actually pretty good at what they do. At one point I had my baggage searched and the first thing they saw was a game with a gigantic picture of a gun on it. The searcher nodded, and said "So, you're a gamer, huh? My son's into that sort of thing." INCARCERATION: AVERTED.

That said, never try to cross from Canada into the United States of America in a car filled with five teenagers and twenty-somethings. The border agents will kill you on principle. I know this from experience. (avenge me. aveeeeeeeeeeeenge meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.)

During takeoff, I sincerely recommend waving your arms and shouting "whoo".

If you've got one of those planes where even in the cheap seats you can choose your own movies - or if you're in a non-cheap seat - don't pick anything over PG, as the cutting will only make you suffer. My last trip on Malaysian Airlines, I just watched The Lion King three times over (once in Japanese, just to hear the character voices - it was kind of awesome, though the English voices are better), and it was far more rewarding.

Don't spend the day before you travel listening to songs about the destruction of the place to which you're travelling. I once landed in Toronto Airport with my brain singing:

Oh, I wish I was blowing up Prince Edward Island,
And going on to bomb Ontario!
The destruction of Canada and all of its culture,
Is by far my fav-ou-rite scenario!

Which made going through Customs an exercise in non-singing will.

Guidebooks can actually be pretty useful, if only to say "hey, look at this stuff you can do". I like the Lonely Planet ones, but it's personal taste. Phrasebooks are not so useful, but have their place.

...I believe that is all I can think of!

[squeemu.livejournal.com]

That said, never try to cross from Canada into the United States of America in a car filled with five teenagers and twenty-somethings.

AHAHAHAHA. Especially do not attempt this if you happen to be a citizen of both Britain AND Australia! The custom agents will hate you, possibly because they think the Queen is trying to invade again, with all her anti-gun laws.

P.S. ROFLROFL. Patrick, has anyone told you lately that your levels of hilarity defy the natural laws of the universe? Because they do.

P.P.S. I am sorry I invaded your conversation.

[nano_moose]

I will mark well your words, good sir! We actually have to present our passports to every hotel we stay at, so losing it would be beyond disastrous. I have plans to encode a simple artificial intelligence into the microchip so that it will be able to follow me around, or possibly turn it into a sinister magical artefact, so that whenever I open my bag, there it will be, even if I try to get rid of it.

I am almost never without horrible sugary things, so that should be taken care of. I'll just have to buy hard lollies instead of the usual skittles. They're cheaper, so yay!

Books. Okay. Apparently the airline we're going on is pretty spiffy about supplying entertainment, but I'll take a few just in case. My dad has forbidden me from taking my iPod, though. (LOL Talking to my family.)

Note to self: avoid theatrics. Since I've been known to jump up and down in fury in government buildings, that's, er, probably a legitimate warning. I'm pretty sure I don't look like a smuggler, and I'm almost pathetically polite to everyone unless really tired or really annoyed, but it always pays to be prepared.

I can't say anything to the next paragraph except ROFL, and possibly a vow of bloody vengeance. I'm pretty much the only one in our group that fits the category, so no need to worry about that. I will keep it in mind when I visit Americaland.

See, that is why it was a totally brilliant idea to ask here. You know exactly what's important.

...All right, the cutting thing just sounds annoying. Duly noted.

Hee! Luckily I don't know any songs about blowing up Vietnam, but now I'm probably going to spend the entire time with 'I Was Only Nineteen' stuck in my head. And can you tell me, Doctor, why I still can't get to sleep... It's not even slightly appropriate because I'm not nineteen. Oh well. Will attempt not to sing.

My dad has a huge pile of guidebooks, and is teaching me Vietnamese swearwords. I deem this adequate preparation.

Thank you very much! I will keep all your advice in mind.

[squeemu.livejournal.com]

I am picturing you going to Vietnam to get your learner's permit, now. I'M SURE THE AUSTRALIAN AUTHORITIES WILL NEVER NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE. And wait, you need to get your passport before you get a learner's permit?

When're you leaving? Why are you going? MAY I ASK THESE QUESTIONS, I AM HORRIBLY NOSY.

I am picturing Oompa Loompas living in Kuala Lumpa, except they have koala heads instead of human heads. I am a horrible person.

I've only been overseas once, and that involved a trip to Egypt with a crossover in London. Overseas flights = very, very long. You get very seat-sore by the time it's over, or at least, I did. You could try being incredibly sleep deprived, so you fall asleep during the flight and don't suffer the horrible horrible boredom, or, uh. You could make sure you take along entertainment.

Like kadrin said, bring along some hard candy or some chewing gum or something for the take off and landing. Swallowing helps regulate the pressure in the ears so they don't pop.

Er... don't piss anybody off? And don't play Silent Hill before leaving, because then you will just be staring at everything and going, OH MY GOSH DID YOU SEE THAT BOILER ROOM IT IS JUST LIKE IN SILENT HILL AND OH GOD WHY DOES MY HOTEL HAVE THE SAME DOUBLE DOORS?!

Don't play MGS3, either, or you will be tempted to eat everything in the hopes that it will recharge your batteries.

Make sure you drink bottled water! And yeah, I would recommend making sure you have a safe place to keep your passport. DO NOT LOSE IT. But make sure you admire all the pretty stamps you collect from customs. :D

MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL: Do not spend so much time worrying about things that you forget to enjoy the trip!

ALSO ALSO TAKE NOTES SO YOU CAN POST ABOUT YOUR ADVENTURES! And DUDE, PICTURES! YAY! :D :D :D

[nano_moose]

Hee! Nah, you can't drive in Vietnam, there's too many bikes. And no! They are just two things I tried to procure from the government at the same time, with infuriating results. It'll be all I can do not to punch the Customs official in the face, or attempt to tackle any suspicious terrorist-type individuals for making me go through all the forms.

We are leaving in March. My dad is a Vietnam veteran and now that he's retired he wants to visit the place again. Sort of a 'no hard feelings' thing. He already took my brothers through the old battlegrounds and stuff, now he wants to take me and my sister and mother through the touristy bits.

Ow, ow, my brain! By which I mean HAHAHAHAH

The airline provides nice things and this is why I can't have nice things so it shouldn't be a problem. I will bring books! Lots of books. It can't be any more boring than having to spend eight hours in a car, and I've done that lots, so it shouldn't be too bad.

I live in a high place, so I actually know that! And I'll be buying large bags of candy.

You know, the last fight my country had with their country was totally your country's fault! Hee, I do that anyway in my own town IT GETS REALLY FOGGY HERE IN WINTER OH GOD.

HAH HAH HAH Okay, I'll be careful. My camera's rechargeable, though. Just...not with mushrooms.

My dad told me all about the water. He says that there are bugs in every country's water, but since I've lived all my life in this one, I've built up immunity. I'm sure there's a metaphor of human existence in there, but damned if I can tease it out. And I will. I've already flicked through my passport and admired the shiny holographic anti-forgery bits. My photo looks like I'm contemplating eating the viewer's face.

I will try not to!

That's why I put up those other ones, so I could practice! And I will try. I'll either have to convince my dad to let me bring my laptop or buy a few notebooks and lots of pens. Thank you for the advice!