10 Seasonal Gifts for Keen Travellers

Following the popularity of last year’s recommendations, here is my seasonal gift list with a travel theme. We linguists generally have the travel bug. Many of us also have friends and family overseas.

No list would be complete without a charity recommendation. I remember how we used to enjoy preparing shoe boxes of small gifts when my children were in primary school. It was a great way to teach a young child the value of giving.

I’ve had fun compiling this list. I hope you will enjoy giving these gifts, stocking fillers or the other ideas you discover for yourself along the way.

1. Teach someone to read
A great CAFOD gift initiative. Just £10 could help a child to read. The gift of literacy will enable self-sufficiency and go on giving for a lifetime.


2. The goat that gives
Another great CAFOD gift initiative. It gives an Ethiopian family a regular milk supply – plus a few other side benefits for your £28.

3. Cross Stitch Maps
Maps and the 20th Century: Drawing the Line, the latest exhibition at the British Library, inspired me to write this blog. As well as the exhibition guide, the online shop has a series of map-related gifts for all budgets with UK and international delivery.

For those gifted with a needle and thread, you can create and personalise your own Cross Stitch Map of the World. Cost £25. 

4. Very British Problems Board Game
The Brits seems to have baffled Europe and the world with Brexit. Try this game to maybe gain an insight into British mentality? Or if you are British, have a good laugh at yourself. Seen for £18 on John Lewis website from above link. International delivery available.

You can also find more information about the TV origins along with books, greeting cards, t-shirts, etc on the main website.

5. Every charger in the universe (except the one you want*) bag
I love the quirky humour of this bag. These days we seem to need so many cables, chargers and adaptors when we are on our travels. Currently discounted on Campus Gifts at £7.46.

6. Day Dream Travel Wallet
Always dreaming of your next trip abroad? Have everything ready in one wallet. Seen at £29.99 on Totally Funky website.

7. Personalised Travel Diary
How about getting a travel diary personalised for your keen traveller friend or relative? Names can appear on the cover. The same company, Getting Personal.co.uk offers a range of personalised gifts.

8. Passport Holders
That well-worn passport could do with some protection. Take a look at the range of options on Not on the High Street.com’s website. In fact the company has quite a large range of gifts for the frequent traveller.

9. Go Away I’m Reading Badge
If like me you like to immerse yourself in a good book while on holiday, this little stocking filler might come in handy at £2.12. A silent warning that it is not a good time to disturb you.








10. Go Away I’m Tweeting, Go Away I’m Editing, Go Away I’m Writing 
There are also mugs at £11.95 each in the same range.

We just need Translating and Interpreting versions now!

Two Book Gift Reviews

Two books caught my eye in the Tate Modern’s gift shop on my recent visit. Firstly, I was delighted to find a book about translation within the vast range of books available. Nearby was a book that made me chuckle. It reminded me of my ending in How does a translator get geekier? 

Lost in Translation by Ella Frances Sanders

Lost in Translation is a delightful little book subtitled An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World. Other translators have already recommended this book. I wanted to stress the significance of finding such a delight outside our domain. The book was chosen to sit in that prime site near the tills at Christmas. It has great visual appeal. It made me think that translation has arrived.

Lost in Translation by Ella Frances Sanders

So many books about translation written by translators are text-heavy and barely contain any pictures. This simple little book restricts its choice of untranslatable words. The written explanations are brief. The pictures jump out at you. It makes translation a fascinating visual subject for the outsider.

My favourite word is the Japanese noun tsundoku. This describes leaving a book unread after buying it, typically piled up together with other unread books. An ideal word choice at the year’s end as I contemplate my pile of unread books to catch up on over the Christmas/New Year break.

Santa Claus and Reindeer

As this is Christmas Eve, I cannot fail to mention poronkusema. It means the distance a reindeer can comfortably travel before taking a break. Apparently, this is around 4.7 miles or 7.5 kilometres. Luckily, Santa Claus’s reindeer are magic and don’t need such frequent rests. Otherwise, there might be a lot of disappointed children around the world tomorrow morning.

As in past years, Norad is currently tracking the progress of Santa and his reindeer around the world. Google is also tracking Santa, but beware of the very irritating music. You can even find Santa on Twitter. See @OfficialSanta. I wonder if British astronaut Tim Peake has spotted him yet?

Star Wars: A Scanimation Book by Rufus Butler Seder

If you do not know that there is a new Star Wars film out, you must have been on another planet. 

Close to the Lost in Translation book, I discovered a children’s Scanimation book. It goes beyond illustrations. Encouraging children, especially boys, to read in this digital age is not always easy. This little book takes some famous scenes from the previous films and animates them. There is not a lot of text, but the movement and familiar characters draw you in.

It is a positive sign to find a translation book alongside one on Star Wars. We are succeeding in making our profession more visible. I wonder if we could persuade Rufus Butler Seder to animate translation next? If interested, you can find further information on Scanimation on YouTube.

Happy reading! Enjoy the Christmas and New Year break. I hope you enjoyed the change of tone in my light-hearted seasonal blog.