Yesterday was the exact definition of Murphy’s Law: “Anything that could go wrong will go wrong.”

Since I’ve been unemployed, I’ve had the luxury to sleep in until 10AM (almost) every single day. Yesterday was an exception. I woke up at 5:30AM to head to the Chinese Embassy. I left the house at 6:30AM and arrived before 8AM. (Yes, it takes me an hour and a half to trek to NYC’s Chinese Embassy even though I live in the same city!) There was at least 50 people already waiting in line.

At 8:30AM on the dot, the security guards began checking our paperwork to make sure we had the correct documents. When they got to me, I was informed that I filled out the wrong form. The security guard showed me a hard copy of the correct one and I pointed out to him that the form letters and numbers are exactly the same. The only thing missing was the footer. He said they won’t accept it without the footer.

Frustrated that I got woke myself up at the crack of dawn for nothing, I called my mother to tell her that that the form she gave me was incorrect and that the embassy wouldn’t accept it. I then proceeded to call my boyfriend to rant. He suggested I head over to my mom’s office, which is about an hour away via the train, to fill out the correct documents and get all this taken care of today.

When I get off the phone with him, my mom calls me back immediately with the same idea. So I trekked back into Brooklyn, walked 12 blocks under the blazing sun to get to my mom’s office and filled out the correct form. Half an hour later, I retraced those 12 hot blocks to the train station for another one hour trek back to the embassy.

The walking distance from the train station to the Chinese Embassy isn’t a breeze either. It’s about a 20 minutes long. As I endured the sun beating down on me like there was no tomorrow, I thought to myself, “Would I rather do this or be chained to a desk for 10 hours a day?” I still haven’t come to a conclusion. That was a tough one.

By the time I arrived to the embassy again, the line was gone and I walked right in. When my turn came around, I eagerly shoved all my paperwork to the lady behind the counter. For a split second, I felt a tinge of relief. Then she looked up and said, “Do you have your old passport?” I replied that I didn’t. “I sent in my old passport when I applied for a new one.” I thought to myself, “Isn’t this something she should know?”

She flips through the paperwork and then slips a piece of paper through the window slot. “You need to submit this, this, this, this and this because you have a new passport.” Infuriated at the time and energy I wasted, I turned around and walked right back out the door I went in 3 minutes ago.

Bottom line: Do your homework!

By the time you read this, I’ll be on Trek #2 back to the Chinese Embassy. Hopefully everything is in order this time otherwise I will seriously have a conniption.

My dad’s idea of “locking” luggages we checked-in is to hook two of the zipper heads together in a sturdy key chain ring. His rational is that if someone is going to steal our things, the key chain ring would deter them from taking the time to open the suitcase.

Does it really work? So far, yes. Having made at least 10 trips throughout my lifetime to visit my family in China our luggages have never been stolen and none of our items have ever gone missing.It’s a new era now and daddy’s key chain tip looks pretty archaic compared to the world’s first word combination lock. Here are five reasons why the Wordlock luggage lock rocks:

1. Wordlock allows you to use of letters and words to set your combinations.What’s easier to remember – three 1-2 digit numbers on a Master lock or a four-letter word? I’d say the latter. Plus, I never remember which way to turn the knob on my Master lock. Right, left, right? Left, right, left?
2. Wordlock can be re-set. Feeling paranoid that the person next to you just took a peek at your lock combination? No worries. You can set and re-set your Wordlock password as many times as you like.
3. Wordlock comes in easy to spot colors: pink, green, silver, red and…black. Ok, so black isn’t the easiest color to spot but it is available for the more conservative travelers out there.
4. Wordlock can be personalized! It the bright colors aren’t enough to make your luggage stand out, you cna also personlize your Wordlock with your initials.
5. Wordlock is TSA accepted and Travel Sentry approved. Airport security can now inspect your luggage without using bolt cutters. It’s a win-win for everyone.

The opinions expressed in this product review are strictly my own and not influenced in any way. No monetary compensation was received but a sample of the product was provided for my use in order to write a fair and honest review.

Guest post by @tikitravel

All rights reserved by klausdgrio

Before we can understand and deal with culture shock, perhaps we should define it.  Most of us have only a vague idea or understanding of what it is and certainly most of us have never attached any particular significance to the occurrence – it is just considered a mild inconvenience for travelers.  This can be a huge misconception however, as there have been really severe instances of culture shock which can be life changing for one suffering from this malady.

What It Is…

In general, culture shock occurs when a person is suddenly thrust into a society or culture totally foreign and different to his own.  All the cues to social behavior are gone, all the accepted cultural mores have disappeared only to be replaced by completely foreign and distressing ones about which we have no understanding at all.  All the ‘props’ which hold our culture and behaviors in place are suddenly missing – it can be akin to being tossed into a raging current without a life jacket.

How We Can Deal With It In A Positive Way…

In order to survive it, we struggle against the tide for a bit but finally settle down into acceptance of the changes and go with the flow – in so doing, we adjust to the changes and will even come to appreciate the differences in time – except in those rare instances mentioned above where one may never be whole again.

Culture shock might be mild, medium, or severe and ones reaction to it will of course depend on the location, the amount of prior preparation and the timing.  As an example, if you were planning a stay of several years in another country to an area where unknown people groups are thought to reside, you would doubtless spend years in preparation, learning as much as possible about the area and strengthening your resolve to be able to accept a totally foreign way of life.  Anything you can do beforehand to prepare yourself to be able to accept the unexpected will give you just a bit more self confidence and security and make the transition easier.

Few of us ever go to such lengths to live and work among isolated people groups, but all of us have at one time or another gone into places where their customs are completely different to ours, their diet seems strange, their family groups different, their mode of dress strange and their religion seems harsh and difficult to understand.  These differences make for a mild culture shock, usually easy to deal with and recover from with a bit of effort.

Positive or Negative Reactions?

Whether you react to culture shock in a positive or negative way is mostly determined by how prepared you were for the event.  It’s just common sense to try to learn everything you can before visiting a foreign country – and this should include some common phrases you might need to know as well as a dictionary.  The more you understand about your host country before you get there, the simpler your transition will be.  Several tips to help you ease into the cultural scene of your host country are…

• Try to establish a friendship and cultivate social interaction with the natives. They will know where to find the best food at the best prices, and will show you which places to avoid.
• Pay attention to habits, dress and mannerisms of the natives.  If you can in all good conscious adopt some of these habits, do so.  If not, try to avoid situations where you will be conspicuous.
• Learn the language.  Please note I didn’t say ‘try to learn the language‘, I said ‘learn the language’.  This is perhaps the most important factor in easing your fears and making you comfortable in your new environment.  Certainly you won’t learn it overnight, but the more you study and try to use it, the more comfortable you will become with it.
• Learn local history.  Your hosts will appreciate that you are interested in what makes them who they are.

Returning Home…

Whether returning home from an overseas work assignment or an Ex-Pat moving back to your native country, it is likely you will again suffer a bit of angst over what may have changed back home in your absence.  This will pass as you rekindle old friendships and make new friends.  But whether you know it or not, you will have changed so expect a bit of good natured ribbing from your family and friends.

The greatest thing about foreign travel is the opportunity to grow – grow in knowledge, grow in understanding, and hopefully grow in humanity.  Consider yourself lucky to have had the opportunity.

If you’re interested in becoming a contributor or guest blogging for A Pair of Panties & Boxers, please feel free to contact me.

Kimberly Juchnowski

Kimberly Juchnowski is a 27 year old woman who is passionate about travel. She never hesitates to just grab her backpack and go explore a new Country. She shares her knowledge about travel on her site, Tikikiki.com. With her site focused on Southeast Asia you will find articles on her site like; what Thai girls are really about, or how to embrace a new culture by taking the time to prepare for your visit to Thailand by taking some time to learn Thai.

Some rights reserved by Soon.

Get an aisle seat

If I can’t get a seat in the emergency row, I always opt for an aisle seat. Even though I’m only 5’1’’, the extra room allows me to stretch my legs diagonally. So what if the food cart chops off a foot or two. I’ll only be an inch shorter. The only drawback about sitting in the aisle seat is if you’re seatmate has an abnormally small bladder.

All rights reserved by xlungex

Go vegan or vegetarian

Do you turn into The Hulk when you’re hungry? Inform your airline that you’re a vegan or vegetarian. Those who request vegan/vegetarian meals are usually the first to be served on a flight. While everyone is enviously eying your plate of food, remember to politely inhale your meal. Just be warned, the vegan meals don’t come with dessert.

All rights reserved by mbettik

Support your lower back

I never understood why the back seats on airplanes always concave in. The lack of back support can sometimes be unbearable, especially if I have a long flight. To remedy this, place an unopened water bottle between your lower back and the back of your seat. It will help give the support your need for a much more pleasant flight.

Some rights reserved by Darrren Hester

Conquer motion sickness

Lemon does the trick! When you start feeling that queasiness in your belly, take out your sliced lemons and suck on it. The acidity in the citric acid will help settle your stomach.

Do you have any tips for a more pleasant flight?

This was originally posted on Twenty-Something Travel. It’s one of my favorite guest posts so I’d like to share it with you again in case you missed it.

I’m pretty low maintenance when I travel. No jewelry. No makeup. No comb. That’s right – no comb. I haven’t brushed my hair since junior high. No, that’s not nasty. I’m just lucky enough to have good hair. (Thanks Ma!) I also prefer tights, tunics and my slip on TOMS but there are a few things I always pack to stash my cash.

For the ladies, I’d recommend the following:

#1 Hair Roller

One hair roller kills two birds with one stone. To get rid of that dull, flat airplane hair, I slip a thin roller in the crown of my head under my hair, just like that ‘Bump It’ commercial. Make sure the roller isn’t too big otherwise you’ll pull a Snooki and turn it from classy to tacky. The hair roller also doubles as the perfect place to hide my money. I roll up a few large bills and use a bobby pin to clip it to the inside of the roller. Now, unless someone decides to clock you over the head, who’s going to think to rob you there?

#2 Padded Bras

I like a little umph in my hair but not always in my lady lumps. However, if I were going to put some umph in it, I’d umph it up with cash. Keep the important stuff close by removing the extra padding and replacing it with money. Try not to overstuff or you’ll attract unwanted attention.

#3 Pads

Whether or not Tom (Time of Month) drops in on you while you’re traveling, pads make the best dummy wallets. I prefer the ones with brightly covered wrappers. Open up the pad, slip in your cash, and reseal it with double sided tape – and wala! I don’t think any guy is going to want go anywhere near a neon pink pad.

For the gents, I’d recommend the following:

#4 Thermos

Buy a thermos that’s about the size of an average water bottle and tape your cash to the inside of it. Drop the water bottle in the middle and you’re pretty much set. Hand over your dummy wallet and hope the robber is stupid enough to just walk away.

#5 Guide book

Now, this is a dead giveaway that you’re from out of town but if you’re using a guide book you might as well just stash your cash in there. Tape it carefully to the inside back cover. You’ll always have it in your hands so you’ll always know where your money is. Just don’t be careless and leave it on a bench while you’re taking a break.

#6 Boxers

Hide your cash in your boxers but not just any regular boxers. These are boxers with a pocket sewed on the inside over the crotch area. Depending on how much cash you’re planning to stash in there, these stash boxers are available in small, medium, large and x-large.

What are other creative ways you use to stash your cash?