Spot the American!

Click on the photo to enlarge. Yes, the Little Mermaid is *really* that little...

Whether it's your first time outside the country or your 20th trip through Tokyo, whether you're on vacation or making a business presentation, dressing appropriately for international travel seems to be a particular challenge for us Americans.


I took this photo a couple weeks ago in Copenhagen at the Little Mermaid statue. The cruise ships were in town with tourists from all over, and there were also package tour groups in the city that day from Korea and Hong Kong.


Not that everyone was dressed as fashionably as the Scandinavians in this photo, but I think you can tell which person was the American.


And if you can see the difference, so can a pickpocket, or a beggar, or someone with an axe to grind, or a security officer who wants to impress his superiors. The point isn't to look Asian when you're in Asia - although wearing clothing that works with the climate is important - the point is to NOT look like a negative stereotype.


If you're traveling to adopt a child - or on a sales call - or just there to sightsee - remember that the quality of your experience overseas often depends on how others see you. You could be treated like a country bumpkin, or you could be treated with respect. You don't need to look like a fashion model; you do need to wear clothes that fit you well. Try your outfits on before you go, and look at yourself in the mirror.


Saggy pants and shirts that don't cover your belly? Clothes that are too big? Baseball caps? Leave them at home. 


Some entries on weninchina.com that may help include -

• Dealing with Heat and Humidity
• Physical Preparation for the Trip
• Packing Checklist

Hong Kong Stopover Guide - now published!

My wife, daughter, and I spent Thanksgiving week 2010 in wonderful Hong Kong, and we would happily go back in a heartbeat. The people are so genuinely nice, the food is so scrumptiously good, and there are so many fun things to do. And even having spent a week there, we could easily come up with another week's worth of activities!

We've posted an overview of the city to familiarize you with its neighborhoods, what things cost, how to get around, and access to the airport. And you can link to the videos we've recently published from there, too!

Video - Hong Kong Victoria Harbour

Day or night the narrow strait separating mainland Kowloon from Hong Kong Island is abuzz with activity that kids of all ages will find fascinating. There are many family-friendly museums on the waterfront, and shopping malls and hundreds of food vendors are in easy walking distance. The Star Ferry is the traditional way to cross the harbor and only takes a couple minutes. At 8:00 every night, the city puts on a massive light, music, and laser show, using most of the skyscrapers on both sides of the harbor. Tourists and locals line up along the water for the spectacle, and everyone leaves with smiles.

This is our third Hong Kong video, and I think we may have good footage from our trip there last November for one or two more. Visit our YouTube channel to see them all!

3 new Airport Guides - Dallas, Detroit, Atlanta

On Saturday, May 28, I spent the entire day in the skies and on the concourses of three of the biggest connecting airports for family travel: Detroit, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Atlanta, investigating the features that matter most when taking your children along - places to play and cool off, restrooms, ease of getting around, choices of food and shopping.

Finally got back home to Minneapolis at 11:30 pm, and slept like a rock when I made it to bed...

I took hundreds of photos and pages of notes - and have spent the rest of the Memorial Day weekend putting them into order - to create three new pages on weninchina.com:

Detroit: http://www.weninchina.com/Airports/Detroit.html

Dallas/Ft. Worth: http://www.weninchina.com/Airports/Dallas_DFW.html

Atlanta: http://www.weninchina.com/Airports/Atlanta.html

Video - Tram Ride from Central to Kennedy Town

Here's another video we've just edited based on footage from our Hong Kong trip last November.

Hong Kong is a vibrant, multi-layered city with something unique and interesting in every neighborhood. A great way to get to know the place better - for very little money - is to hop on one of the iconic double-decker trams that run across the north side of Hong Kong Island. They're not fast, but that's not the point: the view of everyday street life can't be beat. You can see every class of citizen, every kind of shop, the glossy to the mundane, all from your open window seat.

The trams are crowded in the financial districts but loosen up as you get further away from Central. By the time we reached the end of the line at Kennedy Town, we had the whole upper deck to ourselves. It's a great way to spend a few mid-day hours; you can hop on and hop off if you see something interesting - your Octopus transit card is happily accepted, and there are trams every few minutes.

This Saturday - the Day of Flying

I'll be in the skies all day this Saturday, May 28, scoping out the family-friendly amenities and hidden quiet places of three more Transpacific gateway airports: Detroit, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Atlanta.

My day will begin in Minneapolis/St. Paul at 6:35 am, where I'll be boarding Delta flight 2240 for Detroit. I'll be at DTW's McNamara Terminal from 9:20 through 12:30, when I'll board Delta 5762 bound for Dallas.

At DFW, I'll be arriving at 2:30 and checking out the new Terminal D, as well as C and E, then boarding Delta 2212 for Atlanta.

At ATL, I'll be arriving at 7:05 and departing at 9:55 back home to MSP on Delta 300, where I'll be landing about 11:30 pm.

If you have suggestions on play areas, restaurants, shopping, good restrooms, and spaces to chill out in, please send a reply here at Blogspot, or through my Twitter feed, @weninchina.

Am I a little nuts? Perhaps, but the fare was amazingly good and I need the segments :)

Video - Hong Kong Stanley Harbour

One of my most favorite places in the entire world - the easygoing town of Stanley, on the southeast tip of Hong Kong Island. A quick and inexpensive bus ride from Central puts you right in the heart of this former fishing village turned artists' colony / shopping center / upscale retreat. Lots of dining choices, plenty of spaces to sit down and watch the world go by, and even playgrounds for the kids - you could easily spend the day here breathing the clean ocean air and listening to the waves.