[(Clockwise: A whistle, thermometer, and compass rolled into one, on top of a book titled A Week At The Airport by Alain De Botton, binocular and compass which were part of this cool invite, a pair of slippers, and flip video (especially helpful in discreet recording)].
By the time this post gets published, I am already on the second of my nine-day trip. And it’s either I’ve sticked with the plan to do a rainforest-y thing on 31st of July or was tempted to prioritize Lee Min Ho’s (Jun Pyo of Boys Over Flowers) tour instead. What a coincidence that the tour venue is only steps away from our chosen hotel eh? I don’t have to go to South Korea anymore. Ha ha ha. But to be frank, it is not even tempting me right now. I am more interested in embracing the nature. (Wow, what a progress from my Boys Over Flowers and Twilight Saga addiction.) But let’s see when I get there.
This turned out to be an urong sulong (back and forth) trip due to work commitments. It was originally scheduled in April, moved to September, and advanced to (overlapping) July and August. I leave to your imagination the involved modification of some arrangements; thanks to the fact that 80% of the wandering shall be done in a Do It Yourself (DIY) manner. Right now, I’m doing an inventory of the must-haves with the objective of utilizing only two bags: the regular sized trolley and carry-on bags. I maintain a “running” travel list which was inspired by this helpful site, The Art and Science of Traveling Light. While I do not bring everything from the suggested list and actually do customize it, it really helps to have a list to consult before (and even after, to account missing items) traveling. Aside from the obvious must-brings, I am carrying with me the following for this particular trip:
* prayer book, umbrella, swimwear
* 1 pair each of dressy shoes, walking shoes and flip-flops
* 1 travel pack or foldable all-around yet fashionable bag
* spare luggage lock, flashlight, multipurpose tool
* chopsticks, compass, whistle, safety pins, plastic bags, viscose towel
* detergent, toilet paper, antibacterial wipes, paracetamol, insect repellent
* sunscreen, lip balm, tweezer, menstrual supplies, water bottle
* 2 sunglasses, pen, notebook, post-it notes, map, food/restaurant list (pre-decided, though not limiting my choices), telephone access numbers
* business card, envelope, passport, residence visa, UAE National Identity Card, health insurance documents
* cash (bring at least 3 relevant currencies), ATM and credit cards (though not intending to use it, just for verification of arrangements related to travel and other required usage; I don’t like the credit card conversion fees so as much as possible avoid using it), security pouch (worn under clothes)
* dSLR, point and shoot camera, extra batteries and memory cards, charger, universal adapter (and would you believe that until now I do not have a tripod; not that fond of using it yet)
* dual-sim cellular phone, business phone, iTouch (loaded with necessary playlists), iPad (loaded with LOTS of stuff, ha ha ha) with its 10-hour battery life (yay, and it’s so light, I’m not bringing a laptop!)
Say hello in case we coincidentally bump into each other. I shall check my mails regularly, but I am going to catch up on bloghopping when I’m back. Another scheduled post is coming few days after this.
Live a good life, everyone! ?
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