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bravo charlie club episode 054
5 Plays1 month ago
In this week's podcast
Fully Awake Project
- Friends are awesome. Ben & Richard talk about friending.
Travel tip of the week
- Travel laundry & CE writes in.
- Rolling vs folding clothes.
Listener feedback
- LH writes in : Why does Ben carry US dollars for tipping?
Conundrum of the week
- Washing by colours : Hell yes or no?
Thanks for listening.
Contact
hello@bravocharlie.club
https://www.bravocharlie.club
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAxzYk4tRrk1rfYcT3I
Recommended
Transcript
Podcast Introduction
00:00:08
Richard
Welcome to the Bravo Charlie Club podcast, making you 12 and a half minutes more awesome each week. He's Ben, I'm Richard. Let's
Celebrating New Listeners
00:00:17
Richard
go. Ben, how are you doing this week?
00:00:19
Ben
Well, mate, I thought you forgot to do the intro then. The music went forever. What was going on there?
00:00:24
Richard
I gave it a little, block I gave it the long play version.
00:00:27
Ben
You did. You did. You were just rolling getting the run up down the hill. I love it. Hey, the new listener country call out this week is Ecuador. So that's Ola.
00:00:37
Richard
Ecuador.
00:00:38
Ben
Yeah, I think we're getting a few Spanish-speaking countries into the yeah into the vibe.
00:00:42
Richard
Nice.
00:00:43
Ben
Yeah, so wow that's good news, good
Stories of Friendship
00:00:46
Ben
news. Hey, listening listening to a recent episode, a past episode recently, gave me a fully awake project topic I wanted to raise with you. since I do listen to past episodes from time to time, it's how I bump up our stats, to be honest. Yeah.
00:01:03
Ben
and
00:01:04
Richard
no Nice.
00:01:05
Ben
Anyway, it reminded me how I met a listener who of of BCC probably 20 years ago because he lent me that book that I mentioned, the Dave Allen book that I was quoting when we're talking about bucket lists and someday maybe lists.
00:01:18
Richard
Yeah.
00:01:20
Ben
And it was random because he was a customer of a cafe that I owned. And I pretty much think that he had it in his hand and he just turned around and said, do you want to borrow it?
00:01:30
Ben
And like i didn't even I don't think i ever knew his name at the time. And here I am.
00:01:34
Richard
That's awesome.
00:01:35
Ben
Yeah, here I am 20 years later. We're still friends. He's a dedicated listener, listens every Thursday when we drop on his walks or as soon as possible afterwards. I know he's up to date.
00:01:47
Ben
And and i was just thinking, you know, it's a funny how friendships can arise in in that way. And I wondered, what's the most unique scenario which you've met someone that you're still in touch with?
00:01:53
Richard
Yeah.
00:02:01
Richard
That I'm still in touch with. So probably, i really like the story of when I met my mate Ross.
00:02:05
Ben
Okay.
00:02:07
Richard
It was the first day of high school so that was grade 8, I think then, in Queensland, back when grade 8 was the first year of high school.
00:02:16
Richard
And ross turns to me and says hi i'm ross what's your name i went Nope, not telling.
00:02:25
Richard
So, he went to write to the roll call until he got my name.
00:02:28
Ben
whistle Was that the start of the friendship or the end of it?
00:02:36
Richard
So, yeah, so that was the start of it. We're great mate, service, and still catch up. Yeah, he lives in the UK now, but he's out here soon, actually.
00:02:40
Ben
Ross,
00:02:44
Richard
So, we'll catch up.
00:02:44
Ben
well ross
00:02:46
Richard
We do a couple of calls a year. Yeah.
00:02:48
Ben
If you're listening, Ross, we'll get in touch and we'll finally let you know Rich's name.
00:02:53
Richard
My social skills have improved since then.
00:02:55
Ben
a Oh, marginally. let Let me be the judge of that.
00:02:59
Richard
Marginally.
00:03:02
Ben
Oh, very
Travel Packing Tips
00:03:02
Ben
good. Well, if Ross is getting on a plane, we better jump into travel tip of the week.
00:03:07
Richard
Oh, nice segue.
00:03:08
Ben
Yeah, listener CE wrote in to us and he recommended that we carry spare shoes so that you have somewhere to stick used underwear and socks so they don't get mixed in with your clean clothes.
00:03:21
Ben
What do you think of that, Richard? juop
00:03:25
Richard
where to start how do I carry spare shoes
00:03:26
Ben
There's a lot to unpack there. Yeah.
00:03:31
Ben
Yeah.
00:03:32
Richard
start I don't know. but But sticking, I don't know. I don't know. So I don't think don't i don't think adding my sweaty sports top after I've done an an hour on the bike at the gym to a a pair of my shoes is going to make either the shoes better or the top.
00:03:49
Ben
Yeah.
00:03:49
Richard
I think, yeah, I don't know. I think probably just use a plastic bag. like
00:03:56
Ben
Yeah. Well, for you, mate, dirty laundry for me, I just use a laundry bag. Like I'm – the idea of carrying a spare set of shoes, because I only travel with one pair of shoes.
00:04:07
Richard
Same.
00:04:08
Ben
Yeah. And so even carrying a spare pair of shoes is already off, you know, off piste for me. i i did trial rolling used items into themselves, you know, so at the end of the day, you've got your your polo, your your underwear and socks and rolling them into one so that, you know, you don't pick it up again.
00:04:29
Ben
I'm a big fan of rolling when I'm packing. Yeah.
00:04:32
Richard
Rolling's awesome. Rolling's the go, yeah.
00:04:33
Ben
Yeah. that That works. That works for certainly for like, you three or four night trips. That's easy. But I do carry a laundry bag on longer trips because you're probably finding a, you know somewhere to wash at one point.
00:04:46
Ben
So, yeah, there you go. Interesting.
00:04:47
Richard
And so what's the makeup of the laundry bag?
00:04:47
Ben
Well, thanks. Go on.
00:04:50
Richard
Is that is that like a sort of like a mesh bag or is it like like a linen bag? Is it like to breathable or?
00:04:57
Ben
It's. but Yeah, both. It's probably something I've borrowed from a hotel that I'm yet to return. Is that the right way of saying stolen?
00:05:05
Richard
I'll give back when I go back there, promise.
00:05:06
Ben
Yeah.
00:05:07
Richard
Yeah.
00:05:09
Ben
I've got some really good quality laundry bags. But i've yeah I've probably got three or four and and generally they're very lightweight, sometimes mesh or linen, washable themselves. So I throw the laundry bag in with the laundry when I come home.
00:05:25
Ben
So, yeah, yeah, I think they're sort of recycled plastic or something they're made of, but it's actually feels like it's a, you know, those materials that feel like they're cloth, but it's actually like a recycled plastic.
00:05:26
Richard
yeah, got it.
00:05:39
Ben
Yeah, it's that i kind of thing.
00:05:39
Richard
Yeah, yeah, yep. I think you stay in flasher hotels than me, Ben.
00:05:41
Ben
Yeah.
00:05:43
Richard
I think the laundry bags in my hotels are black like plastic bags. Yeah.
00:05:49
Ben
Well, we can talk about how to use points for upgrades and and getting the best deals around. I don't think I spend a lot more than what I think you and I have discussed as your budget, but we can we can take that one off air.
00:05:55
Richard
There
00:06:01
Ben
It's interesting. Yeah, I certainly don't stay in the very top tiers and, you know, wouldn't – in fact, I'm well under budget when I travel with my company. I don't see – I'm just looking for a comfortable place to sleep.
00:06:12
Ben
But – Yeah, I do seem to have access to good laundry bags, so maybe maybe that's the differentiator.
00:06:18
Richard
you go.
00:06:19
Ben
i mean I don't see it on the drop-down menu when I'm looking at at the hotel selection.
00:06:24
Richard
No.
00:06:25
Ben
you know Do they provide good
00:06:26
Richard
Booking.com doesn't have laundry bag materials selection filter.
00:06:30
Ben
They should. There's an idea.
Currency and Tipping Habits
00:06:33
Ben
Hey, yeah listener LH asked, why do I carry US dollars for tipping? And it's a really interesting question, actually. i't I must have mentioned it at some point in one of our episodes. And I think it's mainly because Australian money looks like fake monopoly clown money to anyone who isn't is not Australian.
00:06:54
Ben
Like, you know, it's multiple colours, right? It's greens and oranges and blues and pink.
00:06:59
Richard
It is. got a bit of pop.
00:07:00
Ben
Like, it's pretty crazy.
00:07:00
Richard
Yep.
00:07:02
Ben
And the US, I think, is just widely recognised, acceptable and convertible, especially if you're giving it to... you know, someone in Indonesia or an Asian country where I seem to find myself, they can convert it easily and without, you know, without challenge.
00:07:19
Ben
So there you go. There's the, there's a version.
00:07:21
Richard
The universal currency.
00:07:21
Ben
to you Do you carry, alter i know you've got the Jason Bourne theme happening.
00:07:23
Richard
Yep.
00:07:26
Ben
Like when you show up at the airport, have you got 16 currencies in your money belt or how does it all work?
00:07:33
Richard
I, I'll only take the, uh, the Jason Bourne Ziploc cash bag for the countries that I'm visiting on the trip.
00:07:40
Ben
Yep. Gotcha. Okay.
00:07:42
Richard
Uh, and I'll, uh, I'll take that out, spend it. I'll, uh, maybe, you know, withdraw some from an ATM or something like that in the local currency where I am and what I don't spend goes back into the bag.
00:07:56
Richard
So Jason Bourne bag.
00:07:57
Ben
Into the Jason Bourne bag. Nice. Okay.
00:08:00
Richard
Yep.
00:08:00
Ben
Whereas i yeah I rarely even carry currency these days.
00:08:00
Richard
Hmm.
00:08:04
Ben
there's there's play at Some places, we've discussed this, we don't need to go back onto it. But yeah, I'm the same. Just carry the destination currency and some US bills for the for the tipping if it's needed.
00:08:16
Ben
Hey, another segue for you we were talking about what you do with laundry.
Laundry Practices Debate
00:08:21
Ben
You were recently talking about drying sheets and other clothes.
00:08:27
Richard
A good drive day, yeah.
00:08:32
Ben
The question I have for you, though, do you separate washing, like the lights and darks, or really?
00:08:38
Richard
You got it.
00:08:39
Ben
Why? really why
00:08:41
Richard
Yeah, because the is despite the fact that everyone claims that their clothes are colourfast, I'm sure like after, you know, five or ten washes, you can wash a red thing with your your whites and something stuff will still come out pink.
00:08:58
Richard
So like you got to, got to separate it.
00:08:58
Ben
Yeah, okay.
00:09:02
Richard
You got to separate out the colors. Yeah. Well, whites in particular, like I'll wash, I'll wash, wash kind of like it i'll I'll do mixed colors.
00:09:05
Ben
Interesting.
00:09:11
Ben
Hmm.
00:09:12
Richard
although reds, I've got, I've got a bit of I've got the eye twitch and the, the, the, the sch shoulder twitch from, from, from reds.
00:09:17
Ben
Yeah, okay
00:09:19
Richard
So I had a
00:09:20
Ben
okay. Pink shirts in the closet, haven't you?
00:09:21
Richard
a pristine white shirt once that was just like, it was just decimated with the, uh, with like an Andy Warhol tomato black mark from being commingled with a red thing in the wash.
00:09:23
Ben
Yeah.
00:09:33
Richard
It was just like, i was, so I was sad.
00:09:34
Ben
Interesting.
00:09:35
Richard
I was sad panda there.
00:09:35
Ben
Look, mean
00:09:37
Richard
Yeah.
00:09:38
Ben
I'm on the opposite side of the coin. There are many, many, many, many things I love about my wife. But one of the the top hundred is the fact that she doesn't separate washing.
00:09:51
Ben
So it makes my job for putting laundry into the basket very simple because there's no guilt about having to search through it. Just piles it into the the washing machine and turns it on.
00:10:05
Richard
When you say piles it in, is it is it filled to the absolute brim or do you only ever fill three quarters?
00:10:05
Ben
I hear you. Yeah.
00:10:11
Richard
Front loader or top loader?
00:10:14
Ben
front loader, and if you can if you can fit your fist in it, there's still room for more.
00:10:14
Richard
Let's get the detail. Front loader.
00:10:20
Richard
No.
00:10:21
Ben
Like we just, yeah, yeah.
00:10:21
Richard
Oh, my God. No. that
00:10:24
Ben
not
00:10:24
Richard
You can't do that. They need space, Ben.
00:10:26
Ben
Yeah.
00:10:27
Richard
They need space to sort of like to tumble around.
00:10:27
Ben
To do what? They're not having a party in there. You're washing You see, the agitator, you've you've got a top loader clearly because that's the way they're
00:10:31
Richard
They are. To agitate. They've got to get clean through agitation, Ben.
00:10:41
Richard
No, no, front loader, front loader.
00:10:42
Ben
Well, there's no agitation in front-loading. It's a spin. That's like...
00:10:46
Richard
Oh, yeah, but they've got to be able to tumble and drop.
00:10:46
Ben
we begin
00:10:49
Richard
Like it's the it's the whole, if you' if they're if they're overloaded, then, you know, they just basically sit where you chuck them in and get wet. Might as well just put hang them up on the line and hose them down.
00:10:56
Ben
But don't you find if you've...
00:11:00
Ben
Well, there's a good idea. It seems like a time saver.
00:11:03
Richard
It's not bad idea, actually, now that I think about it.
00:11:05
Ben
always always find no matter how much I stuff it in there, by the time it comes to pull it out after it's finished the cycle, there's still loads and loads of room.
00:11:16
Ben
that it's that it's had. So there's clearly a physics explanation for all of that.
00:11:18
Richard
Mm-hmm.
00:11:22
Ben
I don't know what it is. We'll get a scientist to write in and share with us their answer and and we'll give it give our listeners the update when that comes.
00:11:32
Ben
Hey, that's it,
Conclusion and Teaser
00:11:33
Ben
Richard. Listeners have been BCC'd on our week. To the listeners, thanks for joining, especially for those who listen to the the Japanese deep dive podcast.
00:11:53
Ben
Get in touch with us. The links are always in the show notes.
00:11:55
Richard
I don't know that shape.
00:11:55
Ben
and next yeah In next week's show, we are going to ask when it to become okay to be flicking emails. See you next week.
00:12:07
Ben
Bravo, Charlie Club, out.
00:12:10
Richard
And that's the pod.
00:12:12
Ben
Yeah.