On my way home from Singapore, I considered buying a souvenir at Changi Airport tied to the country’s national flower: the orchid.

But I gravitated instead to the many displays of Tiger Balm in the airport pharmacies and gift shops.

Tiger Balm, made by the Haw Par Corporation of Singapore, is a pungent ointment made with menthol, camphor, clove oil, cajuput oil and mint oil, and is said to be able to cure everything from headaches, migraines and colds to arthritic pains, muscle strains and, according to one sign I saw at the airport, flatulence.

I was ready to buy a few Tiger Balm tins when a saleswoman sidled up to me and suggested I take a look at the tins filled with Electric Balm, which were stacked nearby.

“This product is also made in Singapore,” she told me, “But it’s less expensive and smells better.”

A box of 16 menthol-scented tins was 20 Singapore dollars, about US$16.

Sold. And this week’s pick for Souvenir Sunday.

Next time you’re stuck at the airport, take a moment to check out the stores. If you find something that’s fun, inexpensive and ‘of’ the city or region, please snap a photo and send it along. If your souvenir is featured on Stuck at The Airport, I’ll send you a special airport-related souvenir.

Categories: Shopping, Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirs
No Comments »

A few of my favorite souvenirs at Singapore’s Changi Airport:

An inexpensive and easy to carry dragon stamp, to celebrate the Chinese New Year:

And these cool iPhone covers:

I’ve got some Singapore dollars left over… so planning a return trip soon. At least to the airport…

Categories: Souvenirs
No Comments »

Sure, we’re all high-tech these days. But don’t you still like getting an old-fashioned paper postcard in the mail once in while?

For a while, it seemed that digital cameras and camera-equipped mobile devices were making carrier-delivered postcards obsolete. But, for msnbc.com’s Overhead Bin, I found some apps that make it easy — and fun — to turn digital images into high-quality, personalized, and in some cases, scented postcards that arrive in the mail.

Cartolina Postale

Cartolina is predominantly a paper greeting card company with an app that allows users to send text and e-mail messages with vintage imagery, but last month the company rolled out the Cartolina Postale app that allows users to mail postcards that mix the company’s signature designs with their own pictures.

Postagram

Launched in April 2011 by Sincerely, Inc., Postagram allows users to turn a digital photo into a mailed postcard with a pop-out picture.

And then there’s Postcard on the Run.
In addition to a feature that lets you ‘sign’ the postcard with your finger, the company offers the option of sending Smell Mail.

Users can add a scratch ‘n smell coating in one of 11 different scents, including baby powder, chocolate, popcorn, bubble gum, holiday spice and Teen Spirit.

Those were just a few of the apps I found for the story. Other options for sending paper postcards via your smartphone include Touchnote, Postcardly and Halftone, which turn photos into vintage comic postcards.

Categories: Souvenirs
No Comments »

I’m a big fan of free Wi-Fi at airports. And with a three hour layover at Copenhagen International Airport recently, I was delighted to discover that free Wi-Fi had been rolled out there just that week.

Even before the arrival of free Wi-Fi, the Copenhagen Airport (CPH) was delivering something travelers crave for: power to charge gadgets.

And not just power. Wireless power.

CPH is one of a handful of airports where travelers can recharge gadgets wirelessly via the PowerKiss system.

Passengers who have a PowerKiss ring – or who borrow one from one of the cafes or restaurants at the airport – just need to plug it into their device and then place that device on a recharge spot attached to a table or other piece of furniture at the airport.

It’s a great idea. Let’s hope it spreads.

Categories: Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirs, Wi-Fi
No Comments »

Each Sunday at StuckatTheAirport.com is Souvenir Sunday – a day to take a look at some of the inexpensive and offbeat things you might find yourself buying – or thinking of buying – when you’re hanging around the airport.

This week’s treats come from Copenhagen International Airport, which began offering free Wi-Fi to travelers the first week in December (yay!) and where I found almost too many tempting and offbeat things to buy.

Here’s just a sampling:

In addition to jars of herring and what seemed liked a dozen varieties of black licorice, the gourmet food store at the airport sells packages of Danish-style hollowed-out-in-the-center hot dog rolls.

Viking statuettes are quite popular -

But, of course, so is candy. And in amongst the choices in the duty free shop was this Haribo offering of candy larvae.

Even though the package says “Kids and grown-ups love it so,” I left the larvae behind and instead chose to bring home this Lego airplane.

Categories: Airport shops, Shopping, Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirs
No Comments »