About The Country Club

The Country Club exists to divert its members by recording and comparing members’ travels. There are 195 UN Member States/Official Observor, and we are trying to visit them all. Check our progress on the Club Ladder, to the right, or by clicking the link for the List of Countries Visited below that. Curious how we count? Click The Country Club By-Laws link.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Rock Bottom?






Mr Secretary,

Since my induction as the 18th member of The Country Club in February 2010, I have planned with little success to visit a new country. Most recently, a December snow storm thwarted my plans to spend my 50th birthday with Mr Earle in Livingstone, Zambia (and neighboring Zimbabwe which would increase my country scorecard by two). See first attached photo - doesn't Mr Earle look a bit off?.

Finally, in early March, I had the opportunity to visit New Delhi, India for the first time. I was surprised by the many green spaces in Delhi - tree lined boulevards, parks and gardens. The second photo was taken at the Imperial Hotel with my UNDP colleague Andrea P. who then dragged me off to our real destination [See email for the rest of the story!]

Sincerely yours from the rock bottom rung,

Ms Ridley

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Mr W Suggests a Competition

As you know, the world will welcome its newest country in July when Sudan splits in two. I request a clarification re how the Club will treat this split. Will those who have visited Sudan receive credit for North Sudan, and will South Sudan be the new country? Or have you and the Governors made other provisions? However you plan to approach it, I suggest we launch a contest to challenge our members to see who will be the first to visit the new country. A prize should be offered. I have suggestions. [Sec'y's note. Students of the By-Laws of our fine Club will cite Chapter 3 "Definition of a Country Visited" and Article 3.4, which states "A Visited Country that, subsequent to the qualifying visit, splits into two or more countries, can only be counted as a single Visited Country. The Member will elect which of the issuing countries shall be recorded as a Visited Country."].

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Shaken but Not Stirred

Mr Sempliner writes:

I was waiting in the lounge here at Narita Airport (Tokyo) yesterday afternoon for my connecting flight to San Francisco when the earth literally moved, windows swayed and things began to drop from the ceiling. Women began crying, lights flickered and it was like being in a bad movie. All pretty dramatic and the worst earthquake I've ever experienced. Needless to say my flight, in fact all flights, were cancelled as we continued to have aftershocks all afternoon. At first we were asked to leave the terminal for a few hours on the tarmac. Once back inside disorder reigned... well, as much as it is going to in Japan, and I slept on an airport bench for the first time in years.

This morning I found that the office had re-booked me on today’s flight. A good thing too, people (foreigners really) are beginning to get petulant. On reflection I’m glad I was in Japan when this happened. If this sort of thing had happened in New York or LA it would have been even more of a nightmare.

Shaken but not stirred,

Sandy

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Our Beloved Founder Comes to Dinner

Ms v/H cooked, our Founder regaled, and yours truly took a picture. :)