March is a good month to be in Ireland. Winter begins its slow retreat, and on the 17th the whole Western world seems to join us to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. At a time when it feels like everyone wants to be Irish, we like to think there’s no better place to be than in Ireland itself.
Photo Caption: Streets of Galway. Photo by Michael McLaughlin
That wasn’t always the case. I grew up in Galway in the 1980s. The city is now regarded as Ireland’s cultural capital, but back then it dredged up a rather dismal display of patriotism on St. Patrick’s Day. I have memories of shivering, sallow-skinned girls in starched Irish-dancing dresses and tightly coiled ringlets skipping discordantly down the street. In the rain.
Then in the '90s the Irish economy erupted so suddenly and fiercely that it was christened the Celtic Tiger. It’s sadly endangered now, but in those halcyon days it bolstered the country with newfound optimism. It was decided that Ireland, and specifically Dublin, should celebrate its national day with as much fanfare as the other great cities of the world. In March 1996, Dublin inaugurated its first St. Patrick’s Festival, rather than St. Patrick’s Day parade, and the event has grown into an extended celebration of all things Irish.
Nowadays, St. Patrick’s Day parades throughout the country are increasingly enveloped by a bustle of cultural pursuits and other off-kilter distractions. This year Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish-Language Week) promotes our indigenous language; mixed-media installations will be projected onto Galway’s medieval facades, and the Viking town of Wexford will be illuminated by Skyfest, a humongous, cacophonous fireworks display.
Some things remain the same, however, and there’s no harm in that. In the evening, drinking dens all over the country will welcome droves of revellers. Serving creamy Guinness in abundance, pubs will resound with traditional music and the hum of chatter. The Irish love to talk and while there’ll be plenty of searing wisecracks directed at the country’s lambasted politicians, tourists needn’t worry. On this proudest of days, the green carpet is rolled out for everyone.
St Patrick’s Day Around the World
Ireland’s the obvious place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day but what if you can’t make it there this year? Ireland’s extensive diaspora have ensured the day is celebrated throughout the world.
New York
New York’s links with Ireland are well-established, but it’s perhaps less well known that it was New York, not Ireland, that held the first St. Patrick’s Day parade. On 17 March 1762, Irish soldiers in the British army marched through the city to celebrate the feast day of their patron saint. To this day the parade remains the biggest in the world – an accolade Dublin hopes to usurp one day – with some 200,000 participants taking part and around 2 million people thronging the streets to watch them.
Montserrat
The only other country to designate St. Patrick’s Day a national holiday, the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat seems an unlikely place for Celtic-style celebrations. In the 17th century, Irish Catholics who had been servants on the British West Indian islands were allowed to stay on. Traces of their influence can be seen to this day, with the harp emblazoned on the nation’s flag, Irish surnames common and even the Montserrat accent softly infused with an Irish brogue. The island’s St Patrick’s Day festivities last for over a week and are unique for their fascinating fusion of local and European celebrations. Most distinctive are the Masqueraders (masked street dancers, armed with whips and brightly dressed in traditional costumes) who jostle to the beat of fife and drum, but there’s also a cross-island pub crawl, a tradition Montserrat’s original Irish settlers would undoubtedly approve of.
Dubai
Transposed from the flourishing valleys of Ireland to the arid plains of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai’s small Irish community is a long way from home, geographically and culturally. Perhaps that’s why its members celebrate Ireland’s national day in such a traditional way. The day itself is preceded by games of Gaelic football and hurling at the Gulf Gaelic Games, with the Dubai Irish Society hosting a St. Patrick’s Ball around the time of the saint’s day. It all concludes with a special St. Patrick’s mass, in contrast to the increasingly secular celebrations held in cities throughout Ireland.
Sydney
The lilting Irish accents around George Street during the St. Patrick’s Day parade are unmistakable, but the blazing sunshine and impressive sunburns are a giveaway that this isn’t Dublin. Much like celebrations in Ireland, the parade welcomes local clubs and societies and ends in the city’s Irish pubs. There’s likely to be a ting of poignancy to this year’s event. Ireland’s extreme economic difficulties have forced a new generation to seek opportunity elsewhere, and for the displaced Irish who now find themselves on the other side of the world, it’s a bittersweet reminder of the homeland they left behind.
Is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated where you live? How do you mark the day – if at all – and what happens on your national day?
Who says the federal government doesn't do anything right? The Federal Citizen Information Center has made up a check list of things to do when you lose your wallet, while traveling, or just out shopping. You can mark these 8 things down and save them (but not in your wallet) so that when the worst happens, you can get the list out of your desk drawer and get busy.
Before you do anything else, make a list of what you have in your wallet. Personally, I photocopy everything of importance like licenses, credit cards, etc. Do this before losing your wallet, of course.
After losing your wallet, cancel all your credit and debit cards and let your primary bank know your wallet has been stolen or lost. Get new copies of the credit and debit cards, with a new account number.
If the wallet was stolen, file a police report so there is an official record. (I lost my credit cards in their special holder, reported them lost to the police and credit card registry, and the next week they were found by my cousin's housekeeper under my cousin's sofa. The New York City police not only accepted my lost report without flinching, but notified other city agencies of the fact as well.)
Report a missing driver's license to your state's department of motor vehicles and request a new copy. Alert the fraud departments of the three major credit reporting companies. They will place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number, and you can request that they alert you before opening any new line of credit in your name. (Equifax: 1-800/525-6285; Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888/397-3742; Trans-Union: 1-800/680-7289.)
Request a replacement Social Security card and consider not carrying it in your wallet in the future. (I certainly don't.)
Contact with either your company HR department or your health insurance provider directly to get a replacement insurance card. If you have lost a Medicare card, contact the Social Security Administration to get a replacement.
For other club membership, video rental and bonus club cards, you should contact each company individually. Use the directory on www.consumeraction.gov to get a direct line to consumer affairs or member relations departments.
Note: I blog here exclusively on travel health and safety, backed by my work as pro bono vice president of the not-for-profit charity, the International Association for Medical Assistance toTravellers, www.iamat.org.
There may be a bad economy for many of us, but apparently, some people have plenty of cash to lug around, if the news about TSA employees stealing said cash can be credited. According to www.AirSafe.com, that valuable source for news about air travel, two employees at JFK airport in New York were arrested after allegedly stealing about $40,000 from a passenger's checked bag. The bag had contained about $170,000, but only the smaller amount was stolen. One employee marked the bag during X-raying and the second actually lifted the money from the suitcase, presumably down in the bowels of the airport where nobody would notice.
Meanwhile, over at Newark Airport, a TSA supervisor was charged with allowing a worker under his supervision to steal between $10,000 and $30,000 in cash from travelers' bags during a 13 month period, and later also taking bribes related to the thefts. The supervisior also admitted that he regularly stole from passengers traveling through his checkpoint.
I have put my small wad of bills, usually less than $100, in my shoe when passing through security, and have always got it back at the other end of the X-ray machine. I guess it wasn't worth stealing. On the other hand, I was smart enough not to put my cash in my checked bag. I certainly wouldn't do so if it were $170,000. The usual question: what were they (the passengers who put cash in checked bags) thinking?
Note: I blog here exclusively on travel health and safety, backed by my work as pro bono vice president of the not-for-profit charity, the International Association for Medical Assistance toTravellers, www.iamat.org.
Awhile ago, I wrote here about the snacks for sale on American Airlines in coach class. Having just completed a cross-country round trip on Delta, I want to mention what that airline is offering back in steerage. Surprisingly, it's a relatively healthy-sounding choice, though I haven't a test kitchen to analyze the calorie counts and other data about their wares.
For $3, they offer a small can of Pringle's potato chips, not very healthy, or you can get a $2 bag of M&Ms, also nowhere near the healthy category.
But if you're willing to spring $5 for one of their two packages that are intended to replace a lunch or dinner, the choices sound like they might be healthier. The "Travel Treats" include a Bumble Bee chicken salad with cranberries, some Pepperidge Farm wheat crisps, Rondee peppercorn parmisan cheese spread to go on the crisps, some Sun-Maid raisins in a tiny box, and for dessert, a Walkers chocolate chip shortbread cookie (the latter is definitely unhealthy, however delicious).
The Delta "Flight Delight" consists of a package of Stacy's Simply Naked pita chips, a Wild Garden hummus cup, and a couple of desserts, a few Chocobillys chocolate chunk cookies (not healthy), some dried apricots (not very healthy), and a package of Sahale glazed almonds with cranberries (the jury is out on this one).
You can wash any of this down with $7 cocktails (definitely unhealthy), or wines and spirits (ditto), maybe even $5 beers (ditto).
Note: I blog here exclusively on travel health and safety, backed by my work as pro bono vice president of the not-for-profit charity, the International Association for Medical Assistance toTravellers, www.iamat.org.
Looking for something to do on a winter weekend? Bundle up and head to Southampton for a peaceful getaway that’s a far cry from the sweaty throngs of summer.The quiet downtown, still festively lit after dark, offers upscale shops (where luxury goods are often steeply discounted), warm baked goods, fresh seafood, and even a museum or two.
The Southampton Inn (www.southamptoninn.com), a Hamptons mainstay that offers lodging all year round, welcomes offseason guests with open arms. This private, cozy choice for a weekend stay is set on 5 and a half acres of snow-covered grounds. Though the 90-room Inn is located a 5-minute walk from downtown, it feels more like a country estate. Rooms are big and comfortable, with many family- or group-friendly options, including pull-out couches and adjoining rooms. After you’ve settled in, venture out for a bite at one of Southampton’s surprisingly varied dining options.If you want to take advantage of your proximity to the ocean, try Shippy’s Pumpernickle Restaurant (www.shippyspumpernickels.com)for German classics and fresh seafood. 75 Main (www.75main.com), a relatively new establishment that was packed when I stopped by in January, offers upscale dining, a well-stocked bar, and live music.For burgers and other comfort food, try Barristers (www.barristersouthampton.com).
I recommend starting your first day in Southampton with a walk to Cooper Beach, about a mile and a half from the Southampton Inn. Put on your warmest clothes and stroll down a wide, quiet street, lined with the beautiful, historic houses Southampton is famous for. Bear right on Dune Road, and you’ll eventually reach the empty parking lot, and finally, the beach itself. On a sunny morning in January the water was impossibly bright and beautiful, and I walked along the clean expanse of semi-frozen sand for awhile without seeing another soul.
After you warm up by the fire in the Southampton Inn’s lobby, head downtown. Your first stop should be the Parrish Art Museum (www.parrishart.org), a short walk from the inn. This space, set in a building that dates from 1898, is breezy and modern. When I visited, the museum’s annual Student Art Exhibition was underway—an impressive conglomeration of colorful, textured pieces in many mediums made by area youths, ages 5-18. The museum’s permanent collection is comprised of American art from the 19th century to the present, including works by artists such as Jackson Pollock and Chuck Close. Check the website for current and upcoming exhibitions.
In addition to drawing the exclusive and the wealthy, Southampton has a rich and well-preserved history. During the 19th century, it was a busy port town, accommodating sailors and whaling ships. Head to the Southampton Historical Museum (www.southamptonhistoricalmuseum.org), which is housed in the stately Rogers Mansion. You can wander the rooms at your own pace, among period pieces and family heirlooms. If there’s not too much snow, you can check out the grounds as well—the museum maintains historical outbuildings and a few larger relics, including a huge kettle used to boil whale blubber aboard whaling ships. If you’re hungry for more history, stop in at the Southampton chamber of commerce and pick up the self-guided historical walking tour there. Points of interest include the Old Post Office, circa early 17th century, and a Presbyterian church that dates back to 1843.
It’s February, and you’ve been walking around all day. Try the clam soup with homemade cornbread at the local favorite Golden Pear Café (www.goldenpear.com), or sample the loaves and enormous chocolate chip cookies at the Blue Duck Bakery (www.blueduckbakerycafe.com).
And finally: you shouldn’t leave Southampton without doing a bit of shopping. You’ll notice that a few of the storefronts say "See you in April!", but others advertise hefty discounts. Take advantage! My favorites were Bookhampton South (www.bookhampton.com), a genuinely local spot with a great selection, Little Lucy’s Canine Couture (a collar bedecked with freshwater pearls, anyone?) and the Village Gourmet Cheese Shoppe (www.villagecheeseshoppe.com), which offers sandwiches and gourmet coffee in addition to aged Gouda and Taleggio. You’ll hop on the train in the evening restored, full of fresh food and fresh air.
Photo Caption: The Southampton Inn. Photo courtesy of www.southamptoninn.com.
A big national magazine recently listed a few websites it said were good places to look up issues concerning travel safety, so I checked them out. To my surprise, something seems to have gone wrong with the magazine's research, as I could locate only two of the five listed, one for our own State Department, and another called Ipresscenter.com. The US government site was, as always, fine (www.travel.state.gov). The Ipresscenter site, however, had on its front page a grouping of new items dated in May of 2010, thus being at least nine months out of date. I also couldn't locate any info about who owns or runs the site.
I believe readers here already have learned of a few sites about travel safety, the best being the State Department one mentioned above. You can also find good stuff on the site of the Transportation Security Agency, www.tsa.gov, of course, and if you're interested in security in Britain, check out www.direct.gov.uk.
I was intrigued by a commercial website, www.thesecuritywebsite.com, though it was very difficult to read, appearing on a black background in light green ink. I also couldn't locate who its owners are, though it is apparently British, and headquartered (probably for tax reasons) in the Channel Islands and in Switzerland. You may be amused to learn on this site that you can take a course in counterterrorism, online, offered by the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland, where Prince William and Kate Middleton carried out their studies and romance. It's offered in conjunction with another amorphous learning online center, Informa, a scary name if ever there were one. Check the course out at www.informaglobalevents.com.
Note: I blog here exclusively on travel health and safety, backed by my work as pro bono vice president of the not-for-profit charity, the International Association for Medical Assistance toTravellers, www.iamat.org.
On 3 March, the UK celebrates World Book Day with debates, author talks and storytelling sessions in the nation’s schools, libraries and bookshops. (In case you were wondering, the British date has moved from the traditional 23 April to accommodate our public holidays this year). For the first time ever, there’ll also be World Book Night on 5 March, when book lovers volunteer to take to the streets, wax lyrical about their favourite novels and give away hundreds of free copies to passersby.
So, in the spirit of sharing well-loved literature with the world, I scoured my bookshelves of dog-eared paperbacks and chose three that inspire travel. For these novels and memoirs, the setting is just as important as the characters and plot.
The pages conjure up foreign lands through their evocative descriptions and storytelling - particularly appealing on a dreary midweek day in London. Usually my urge to read stories like these is strongest when I step on the London Underground for my daily commute. I’m squashed into a corner and standing under a stranger’s armpit. “This train is being held here temporarily…” crackles over the sound system. Right, time to get reading…
1. The Island by Victoria Hislop Where in the world? The northern coast of Greek island Crete. More specifically, the sleepy fishing village of Plaka and the tiny outlying island of Spinalonga.
What’s it about? On holiday in Crete, 25-year-old Alexis bypasses the island’s touristy spots and heads to her mother’s childhood village of Plaka. Alexis knows little about her family history, so like the archeology graduate she is, decides to dig up the buried stories of her past. Her research leads her to the island of Spinalonga. As the narrative switches to the 1940s, we learn how the isle served as Greece’s leper colony for the first half of the 20th century. When locals discovered the tell-tale marks of leprosy on their skin, they were cruelly separated from their loved ones and banished to Spinalonga, where they formed a tight-knit community.
Make the trip: Once in Crete, head to the northern village of Elounda or the larger town of Agios Nikolaos, then hop aboard an organized boat tour to the island of Spinalonga. When you arrive, you have to pay a small entrance fee to pass through the long concrete fortress that encases the now-deserted streets within the walled island. Or recreate scenes from the book and make the crossing in a rowboat from Plaka.
Alexis’ first impressions of Spinalonga: “A profound, eerie silence hung over it all. In the downstairs rooms of the houses clumps of bright wild flowers grew in abundance, and on the upper storeys wallflowers peeped out from cracks in the plaster. Many of the house numbers were still visible, the fading figures – 11, 18, 29 – focusing Alexis’ imagination on the fact that behind each of these front doors real lives had lived.”
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson Where in the world? Stockholm in Sweden. Also the small (fictional) town of Hedestad and neighbouring island of Hedeby, assumed to be just over one hour north of Gävle city in Norrland. What’s it about? This is the first installment in the hugely successful Millennium trilogy. Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is hired by Henrik Vagner to investigate his niece’s mysterious disappearance decades ago. In the bitter depths of winter, Blomkvist heads to Hedestad and Hedeby and meets the Vagner clan. Later, the computer-hacking, fearless ‘Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ Lisbeth Salander joins him in his quest. Throughout the novel, Larsson’s staccato sentences and to-the-point language enhances the eerie, desolate atmosphere that hangs over Hedestad.
Make the trip: Hedestad may not exist, but you can still get ‘inside the novel’ on a Millennium Tour, organised by the Stockholm City Museum. Tickets are available directly from the museum, the Stockholm Tourist Centre and online. The itinerary takes you to the addresses of Lisbeth’s and Blomkvist’s apartments and the offices of Millennium magazine where he works.
Blomkvist’s first impressions of Hedestad: “On Christmas night there had been a big snowstorm, but the skies had now cleared and the air was ice-cold when Blomkvist alighted at Hedestad. He realized at once that he wasn’t wearing enough clothes for winter in Norrland… In the centre of Hedestad, snow-clearing was in full swing, and Frode wove his careful way through the narrow streets. High banks of snow presented a picturesque contrast to Stockholm. ”
3. Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart Where in the world? Heard of Órgiva? Didn’t think so. It’s a tiny village in the rural region of Las Alpujarras, situated south of Granada in Spain. It’s also near the spot where Englishman Chris Stewart decided to buy a farm, build a life and share his anecdotes with the world through a series of books.
What’s it about? In this true story, ex-Genesis drummer Chris Stewart buys El Valero farm for a mere £25,000. Cue amusing anecdotes of him and his wife adapting to Spanish rural life - living off the fat of the land, rearing sheep, forming a strong friendship with their ever-reliable neighbour Domingo and bringing up their daughter.
Make the trip: The best way to explore Las Alpujarras is by car. Arrive at Malaga airport, hire some wheels and head inland, away from the built up coastal resorts. You can also get there from Granada airport. Wind your way through the hills on quiet roads, driving between the spaced out whitewashed villages. And when you find fallen lemons strewn across your path – drive over them!
Chris’ first impressions of Las Alpujarras: "We climbed up a bank by eucalyptus trees and across a field, and from there followed a narrow path through terraces shot with flowers and shaded by oranges, lemons and olives. Clear runnels of water flowed here and there, tumbling down stony falls and spreading to water terraces of fruit trees and vegetables. The path stepped across a stream and curled up through a grove of blossoming almonds. Georgina turned and smiled at me. … ‘Here’s the house.’ ‘House?! It looks like a whole village. I can’t buy a whole village.'"
Women are better at multi-tasking,” says Phil Keoghan, but he seems to be doing all right: since the phone interview began, he’s taken a taxi from the airport, checked into a hotel, taken his luggage up to the room…except it doesn’t seem to be the right room. Or the right floor. Or the right hotel. “I was in NYC this morning, now I’m in Boston, it’s Dallas tomorrow, and then the redeye to NYC for screening on Friday. I think this is the room key from Philadelphia.”
“I thought, here I am, was approaching 40, thinking about what I was going to do as a life challenge,” he recalled. “I thought I would take on the biggest physical and mental challenge of my life.”
And, Keoghan added, whatever he did had to be for a good cause. He has worked with the National MS Society for several years, and approached them with the idea of a cross-country bike ride. CBS (the network that airs “The Amazing Race”) got on board, and Team Keoghan started from Los Angeles on March 28, averaging 100 miles a day on their bikes, and had raised $500,000 by the time they hit New York City on May 9.
Keoghan and his team filmed their journey, posting videos from the road on the Internet, and decided to continue their fundraising efforts with a documentary.
“GNC stepped up as title sponsor for the actual ride but we had no budget to make a film…we never even set out to make a film but when we got back and we realized we had all this incredible footage we decided we needed to make sure it didn’t just collect dust.It was shot by my best friend in the field, and produced by my wife and another colleague back in back in LA.We handed the footage over to an editor that we really trust and now, 18 months later, we have a self-funded feature-length documentary, he said. “The reason it’s all completed because of generosity of a lot of very helpful people.”
The film is available for download on Amazon and iTunes. Keoghan’s on the road now because Regal Cinemas donated 10 of their theaters for screenings, with the box office proceeds going to The MS Society and Hyatt hotels, who provided accommodation in each city. It’s Keoghan’s goal to increase the funds raised to $1,000,000 by the time they conclude. All the screenings (which finish up on Friday, Feb. 18 in New York City), have sold out, and in some cases have had to be moved to larger auditoriums.
“I believe that the more you put out, the more you get back,” said Keoghan. “With this film, it has absolutely been the case. There’s a lot of sweat-equity in it, a lot of people have heard about what this is about and have gone out of their way to help.”
In America, Keoghan observed, he’s found a tremendous generosity of people in general, “They’re very willing to help when they see somebody as trying to do something, it’s just seems to be part of the culture.” Keoghan saw that in a very personal way on his ride. “People were welcoming us into their homes. We had a tracking device on my bicycle, and people would run out of their houses, with refreshments and food.”
“On Easter Sunday, we were all missing our families, and this family knocked on our door, and walked in with lemon meringue pie! They’re bringing in the Lemon Meringue, and we all sit down and watch 'The Amazing Race' together right there in this little motel room.”
After a career that’s taken him all over the world as host, producer and crew of a variety of shows, and an adventurous life, both on and off camera, Keoghan declares that his favorite place is “A place I haven’t been to.”
His longstanding wanderlust made him a perfect choice to host “The Amazing Race” which premiered in 2001 and begins Race 18 this Sunday, February 20.
“I just love seeing something new. It’s infectious. Once you get hooked into the idea…that’s it.” Keoghan said. “I feel very blessed that I get to host the show, for those reasons. It keeps my job fresh, and when you’re working on a show for 10 years, you want to be a part of something that keeps changing.”
This season, 11 teams of 2 people, each of whom participated in previous seasons will compete in a “racearoundtheworld” (as it sounds when Keoghan says it!).Each must figure out how to get from one destination to the next, and complete tasks that relate in some way to the destination, in order to arrive at a “pit stop” in time to avoid elimination. The last team standing takes home $1,000,000 (and some very smelly laundry).
A ratings winner for CBS, the show has spawned international spinoffs in half a dozen countries. While the game remains the same, what draws viewers season after season, is seeing how teams cope with the rest of the world. Outside of their element, in a country not their own, teams have to figure out how to communicate, solve problems, stay focused, and use their wits to keep from being eliminated.
“That’s a huge part of the appeal for me,” said Keoghan. “The other part is just the idea that I am around when the teams get to experience new places, and take on new challenges. That’s a huge part of what my philosophy about. My whole life has been doing adventurous things. I always like the teams that embrace the idea of being in a different place.”
Keoghan often gives speeches or presentations on his philosophy of “No Opportunity Wasted,” (he’s also written a book and hosted a TV show on the topic) and asks his audiences what things they most want to do in their own lives, to make their own “life lists.”
“By getting people to think like that, it gets them to a point of reassessing their lives, and maybe focusing on what’s really important.,” he said. “Why do we do what we do? Why are we not doing what we really want to do? Life is a gift, and it’s important that we embrace that it.”
Fans have embraced “The Amazing Race” for 10 years and this season’s teams were chosen from among the fan favorites over the last several seasons.
“The most captivating characters led us to the best storylines, in terms of teams that came close to winning, but didn’t quite make it, they all have Unfinished Business and we’re giving them a second chance, a chance to get past woulda, coulda, shoulda” Keoghan said.
Along with getting ready to shoot Season 19 later this year, Keoghan will no doubt find himself on the road again, and is hoping that he can do a sequel to the screenings of “The Ride” in more towns. He’d like to see the film shown in Washington DC, where he was presented with an American flag by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), a sponsor of biking legislation. Keoghan would also like to present his film in Knoxville, corporate headquarters for the Regal chain.
Perhaps he’ll take the film to New Zealand, where his parents, John and Beth (a retired music teacher and scientist) welcome guests to their B&B (including Race fans) in Rolleston.
Keoghan is ready for wherever “The Ride” and “The Race” take him. Perhaps one day he’ll write another) book about his adventures.
“Over the years, I’ve told my stories with a television camera,” he said. “I think eventually I will tell some of those stories with another book but I really do enjoy telling stories with pictures; there is nothing like sharing an extraordinary story, with extraordinary people in an extraordinary place: Dinner on an erupting volcano, putting a golf ball across Scotland, I love that stuff!A chance to really meet people. You’re not going to hear those kind of stories unless you put yourself on the ground, and are prepared to dig in at a grass roots level.” Or ride a bike across North America.
Some of us, when flying, like to think the pilot up front is a kind of super human being, a godlike creature who doesn't suffer from any illnesses, has extraordinary vision and hearing, and is immune to merely mortal problems. This, despite having seen Airplane, the movie, several times. Well, some of us are wrong, as pilots are just like the rest of us, subject to all our ills, aches and pains.
But if the pilot has a chronic illness, such as diabetes or heart disease, the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute is closely monitoring him or her. The institute, an arm of the Federal Aviation Administration, also carries out simulated water landings, complete with a swimming pool into which flight attendant trainers jump, clutching seat cushions, inflating rafts and huddling together for warmth. They even practice helping passengers into a basket hanging from a helicopter hoist.
Located at the FAA campus near Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, the Institute uses cabin and cockpit simulators to train flight crews how to overcome spatial disorientation when a plane pitches and rolls, and many other exercises. The Institute says their training is one of the reasons that plane that landed in the Hudson back in 2009 was evacuated so swiftly, with no casualties of any kind.
And while watching the diabetics and others with chronic illness, the Institute has also approved a class of antidepressant medications (SSRIs) for pilot use, an improvement over the days when pilots took antidepressants on their own but didn't dare talk about them, as all were forbidden. "We are progressively allowing more pilots with more difficult medical conditions to fly," the director said recently.
Too bad we don't have super humans to fly our planes, but it's good that the doctors in charge are keeping a close watch on the mere mortals who do.
Note: I blog here exclusively on travel health and safety, backed by my work as pro bono vice president of the not-for-profit charity, the International Association for Medical Assistance toTravellers, www.iamat.org.
Every once in a while, some guy on the plane next to me will grumble when the attendant announces "Please turn off all electronic devices, anything with an off and on switch or battery." "I never heard of a plane crashing because of that," he says, or words to that effect. Well, here is at least one instance in which such a device probably did cause a crash. It's hard to prove this kind of thing, of course, as when a plane crashes and all aboard are dead and there is only a pile of ashes left, who knows whether a device was turned on and screwed up the plane's navigational or other equipment?
In 2003, a charter plane in New Zealand crashed, killing eight people. The pilot had called home on his cellphone and the phone remained connected for the last three minutes of flight. The New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission stated that this cellphone might have caused erroneous indications on a navigational aid. Since 2000, at least ten voluntary reports have been filed with the USA's Aviation Safety Reporting System administered by NASA. How many more instances happened and were not voluntarily reported?
In 2007, a pilot reported that his navigational equipment on a Boeing 737 failed after takeoff. A flight attendant told a passenger to turn off his handheld GPS device and the problem on the flight deck disappeared.
As reported in The New York Times not long ago, one passenger admitted to listening to music on her cellphone when she was not supposed to. "Is my little cellphone going to make that big of a difference?" So, music is more important to her than her own life, and those of other passengers?
I suggest that you be sure your devices are turned off. And if you see a passenger listening to music or playing a game or otherwise endangering your safety, tell him or her to shut the darn thing off, please. If that person refuses, push the call button and get the attendant to make them obey. Your safety, and that of everyone else on board, is at risk.
Note: I blog here exclusively on travel health and safety, backed by my work as pro bono vice president of the not-for-proft charity, the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers, www.iamat.org.
