I got a childish kick out of being in any kind of vehicle, particularly one going somewhere fast. Moving from A to B felt like what life itself was all about. Getting there was always an anticlimax.

from The Escapist by James Morris

i hate packing, but someones gotta do it

Things every frequent traveler (the house packer variety) must have:
Duct tape
Lots of good sturdy little locks
Masking tape
Lots of plastic bags and newspaper
At least one big hard piece of luggage
Extra large plastic bag
Plastic Rope (optional)
All bags must have wheels
Weighing machine (actually not required if you can guess the weight of a bag with a margin of error of two kgs like I can, but years of practice needed for said ability to evolve)

This list is particularly for when you’re traveling by plane (I think that point was already understood, but I thought I’d clarify it anyway).

Most of the stuff on the list might sound unnecessary, and maybe for some people it is, I obviously don’t speak for everyone, but it’s always worked for us. Let me elaborate:

Duct tape: Sometimes your bag might be on its last leg and you’re taking it for one final trip, or maybe you’ve just overstuffed it and you’re not too sure if it’ll stay shut by the time you get it back. Strategically placed duct tape helps. If nothing you feel reassured about the safety of your stuff. It actually helped us this one time when a bag of ours (brand new I might add) kinda-sorta fell apart in the end; the duct tape helped hold it together. But please please don’t overload on the tape. You don’t want it to look like you’ve bandaged your bag for a trip to the hospital. One tip to avoid spoiling the bag though, take all the tape off when you’re home. Leave it on long enough and the glue will stay behind. No further explanations necessary. But it doesn’t stick particularly well on certain synthetic-fabricky bags.

Little locks: to uh, lock all your bags (attach it to the zips). The combination lock isn’t always enough.

Masking tape, plastic bags and newspaper: to pack away Each and Every bottle/tube/jar of liquid/cream/whatever. To avoid messy spills in your bags. And the layers of paper and even plastic bags are good for padding the easily breakables (you can’t bubble wrap every damn thing)

Hard luggage: again, to protect the easily damaged stuff.

Extra large plastic bag: tucked away somewhere accessible (incase of excess baggage).

Plastic rope: extra useful to hold bags/cartons/lumpy-clumpy-questionably-shaped luggage together. Not for the faint of heart. It really doesn’t look so good. Buts it does the job better then duct tape. Tying your stuff together with these florescent ropes is an art form, and doing it correctly is definitely a skill.

Weighing machine: to be aware of how much weight you’re carrying. And to see if it’s possible to stuff more stuff in ;)

Ok I can’t think of anything else. So until the next post…happy packing (?)

of journals and blogs

This is only my second blog ever(i abandoned my first because i was in this place for 3 months where that particular website was banned...the link snapped...the interest waned). So i obviously havent been doing this for long. But i have to say this, maintaining a blog is tough stuff.

I've had a journal (Dear Diary) since i was 8 yrs old...or was i 9, i dont remember. When i read them now i have a smile on my face from start to finish. intially, i used to have a golden rule of not exceeding one page, so i'd try to squeeze everything possible into next to no space (it was a small book). and the day i exceeded one was a momentous occassion. My first 'proper' journal (ok ok diary...there i said it) had mickey mouse on the cover, and even after all these years it still smells like some sort of flower(synthetic ofcourse).

And my latest journal is filled with some juicy gossip, my tales of woe, all my angry thoughts, some of my escapades and some of my crazy weird thoughts that make me sound seriously insane...but somehow its just to personal to write most of it online,and besides i'd have a hard time fictionalising (is this a word) all the names,places and other misc details that i usually dont have to bother with(my journals go with me to my grave).

Lets see how long i can maintain this thing...especially when the call of real ink and paper is so hard to resist.

Remember by Christina Rossetti

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.