Neal’s surprise “Wake up Room” button! Image from Neal Price.
Travel to foreign lands brings with it unique experiences and funny anecdotes you just couldn’t pick up any other way. The language barrier is an obvious and endless source of amusement, but each country has its own culture which manifests in fashion, food, how people interact, even technology. Naturally, the Planet Depos International Department has traveled extensively and collected a myriad of stories from their journeys!
From International Scheduling Manager Neal Price: “I had prepared for my trip to Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore for weeks. I was ready to conquer the countries and whatever I might encounter. I arrived in my hotel room in Hong Kong after a harrowing 24+-hour journey and freshened up before heading to dinner with my colleagues. The only problem was I couldn’t get any of the lights to turn on in the room. The TV worked, so I knew I had power, but no lights would work. I was just about to call the front desk to complain after about five minutes of trying to solve the mystery on my own when I happened to see a card-sized slit with a button that read “WAKE UP ROOM.” I decided to give it a shot. I stuck my room key in the slot and hit the button to wake up the room, and BOOM! My room lit up like the noon-day sun. After doing a happy dance and then feeling like a moron, I reluctantly turned off most of the lights in the room, afraid that they wouldn’t come back on. HA!”
Shinto Shrine in Kyoto, Japan. Image from Neal Price.
International travel means new adventures, lessons, and some surprises along the way. It is best to be fully prepared, with proper visas, vaccinations, flexibility for flight delays, etc. When traveling internationally for depositions, of course, those preparations should include reserving a qualified court reporting team, ideally local to the deposition city or at least living in a nearby country. The easiest and most efficient way to do this is to work with a global court reporting company with reporters, videographers, and interpreters living on several major continents. Such an agency has first-hand knowledge of and experience dealing with any unusual requirements (Japan, for example), and can guide you seamlessly through the process, from scheduling to delivery of the final transcripts and videos.
As indicated in the above anecdote from Neal, they can also provide unique insight when it comes to travelling internationally. Now you know how the lights work in Hong Kong and most countries outside the U.S.! The International team will be happy to share tips with you as you prepare to depart for your depositions across the globe. In addition, an on-the-ground reporting team can provide restaurant, entertainment and shopping recommendations, as well as other practical day-to-day suggestions to make your stay comfortable, as well as successful.
For more information on scheduling internationally, or to go ahead and schedule, contact Planet Depos International Scheduling at 888.433.3767 or international@planetdepos.com. And check back for further blogs on foreign adventures from the Planet Depos International Department!
By Neal Price and Suzanne Quinson