Andre

I thought I had it all finally figured out with non-EU tourists visiting Europe but it was all wrong that I was told by officials. At least that is according to the German border control at Frankfurt/Main International Airport (FRA).

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Europe comes in many confusing forms and in particular so when it is about its members’ borders. While Europeans enjoy border-free traveling, that is tourist traveling for under 3 months or the paper work starts as well if someone would actually bother about it, the situation changes dramatically for all outsiders – read non-Europeans as in “not passport holder of a country that joined the European Union”.

When it comes to the term “Europe”, a traveler has to deal with 4 different forms:

• geographical Europe,
• European Union,
• Schengen Visa countries,
• Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Welcome to the Traveler’s Hell of European Borders.

Updated with corrected details. continue reading…

I documented my trip to Malaysia by using Twitter about once a day.

• Hong Kong, 6am: have not been up this early since my last morning run in winter. Waiting for the 1st MTR train to arrive. Station still hot.
  6:02 AM Sep 20th
• This will be the 1st time (a week!) since I joined that I won’t monitor Twitter around the clock. I’ll only be tweeting & replying. Strange.
  6:05 AM Sep 20th
• For all Hong Kong arctic office environment fans, the MTR isn’t a place to be in the very early morning. Feels same like outside – humidity.
  6:08 AM Sep 20th
• Leaving the Airport Express and being greeted by a row of trolleys makes me happy each time. Efficiency and service at its best.
  6:51 AM Sep 20th
• Can I throw myself to the floor screaming “this is not human” because HKIA stil does not do boarding by seat rows? The one thing I complain.
  7:14 AM Sep 20th
• 88 2G, hello SMS.
  7:15 AM Sep 20th
• Just when I mention it, Singapore Airlines at opposite gate blares through speakers “boarding by seat rows”. It’s only my airlines’ problem?
  7:19 AM Sep 20th
• Arrived in Kota Kinabalu. Airport field: ehem. Building: oh ho. Weather: cloudy (yeah, no burning), hot and *dry* (so much better than HK).
  11:47 AM Sep 20th
• What a different, opposite to HK but also to Lux, lifestyle here is. So relaxed but friendly, feels like I’ve been here for yrs (it’s good).
  11:51 PM Sep 20th
• And on the first day of my trip, the troubled tooth has become a lot more touch sensitive again. Let’s see how that will develop (hope not).
  11:59 PM Sep 20th continue reading…