A gold star goes to Nanaimo's Painted Turtle Guesthouse for the foosball game next to the kitchen, handy for deciding who has to do dishes.

A mildewed dishrag gets thrown at the fellow hostel guest wearing American flag pajama bottoms (in a size that would accommodate several more states) and parading about the guest lounge in them while talking loudly on his cellphone.

Adrian, left, and Mary Stone of Wales play foosball at the Nanaimo hostel.

A gold star to the inventors of those plug-in kettles, found in every hostel, that boil water in a flash when you really need a cup of hot tea after an exhausting day of tourism (though one does yearn for the higher voltage of the U.K., where water boils faster than you can say "pip pip and gorblimey").

Lilli throws a mildewed dishrag at hostel bunkbed designers who provide no safe or easy way to get into the top bunk -- and fires special evil death rays at the creator of the ladder with narrow metal rungs that disfigure your feet every time you climb up to bed.

A gold star to the local busker violinist who plays Vivaldi and other favorites each evening within earshot of our open window in Nanaimo.

Readers: Got any to add to the list?