“How have your overseas travels affected your day-to-day living?

It’s time to SHARE! Today’s question is “How have your overseas travels affected your day-to-day living?”

For example, are you a tea drinker? There are people who order tea made in China, India, Japan, Nepal, Sri Lanka or Taiwan from Upton Tea Imports of Holliston, MA; 800/234-8327. Upton has 420 varieties of tea. (That’s just a mention, not a plug. I don’t know anyone there.)

There are those who order their smoked salmon from Iceland. And many people have their coffee shipped to them directly from Costa Rica.

Do you buy men’s suits when you are in London? How about the great fashions for women in Italy? Have you used the tailors in Hong Kong? Earrings? Neckties? Shoes?

Do you have a favorite rare-book dealer? Do you get recordings of the Berlin Philharmonic when you are in Germany? CDs of operas in Italy? I know one man who diligently searches in foreign lands for exotic chess sets. How about décor for your home? Are you a “collector” in a particular field?

Tell ITN about your favorite overseas vendors and we’ll pass the word along to others who might wish to avail themselves of those particular services. They’ll be grateful for your effort.

Another topic of interest to your fellow ITN readers is (for lack of a better word) gadgets. What is your experience with noise-canceling headphones? Do they make the flight a bit more pleasurable by attenuating the constant engine whine? On flights, have you worn the device that blows purified air at you? How about a handheld language translator? SHARE!

Now, don’t forget our most recent game (with prizes). Give us the name of your all-time, most-favorite country. (One way to look at it — if you were to retire in a foreign country, which one would it be?) Oh, if you are racked with indecision, you may split your vote with one-half going to each country (but no more than two countries, please).

Then, new this year, give us your “revenge” vote. That is, in your opinion, which is the worst country you’ve ever visited? The “yuk!” country. Also known as “I wouldn’t go back there if the trip were free.” Let ’er rip. Save a fellow ITN reader from a “less than wonderful” experience.

The deadline for this game is September 30, 2011. You may enter by writing to Favorite Country, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818-1910. Or, if you prefer, e-mail armond@intltravelnews.com.

Now, there may be a few out there who are leery of sending e-mails because they fear that their e-mail address will end up in the hands of Nigerian fraudsters promising millions of dollars or some such.

Please, have no fear. We don’t send anyone’s e-mail address anywhere. We do NOT sell any subscriber’s data to anyone. We’ve turned down every offer. And we’ll always do so.

While I seem to be doing “housekeeping” announcements, let me, again, for the folks who have joined us more recently, relate that ITN does things a lot different than other magazines, with their staffs of self-appointed “experts.” Here, YOU are the guiding lights.

In a recent book by J. Peterman, he wrote, “Remember that Ice Cubes are water, Too.”