Knitting Cybrarian

Greetings from Thailand!

Arrived in Bangkok around 10:30pm last night. Flights were uneventful, although on both flight transfers (Minneaplis and Tokyo/Narita), boarding was occurring when I got to the gate!  Thankfully my one huge bag arrived with my flight.  Customs did not take very long, and I went ahead and exchanged money at the airport.  Met my party at the designated meeting point-- there IS such a thing!  Was also met with sultry air outside -- probably 85-88F and 90% humidity outside.

Took some Advil PM to conk out, and woke up around 9am.  Took my time unpacking, checking e-mail and waking up.  Was met by Joe Bowman of the Mahidol University College of Music (COM) at 11:30am, and got a tour of the COM campus.  It's so lovely with lots of thought put into the art and land/waterscaping. Had a delightful lunch at Music Square -- went back there this afternoon for Thai iced coffee.  I needed a mid-afternoon pick me up.  

Spent most of my afternoon in the Music Library today, making notes and watching students. People take off their shoes before entering the library, and there's a long set of shelves by the library entrance for the shoes.  Why do you remove your shoes?  Because learning happens in the library, and there's a reverence for it.  At least that's how it was explained to me.  I didn't check to see where the staplers were -- but I don't see any corkboards, so there are no loose tacks on the floor!
The majority of the students wear uniforms.  Black pants or skirts with white blouses.  Black ties for some of the young men.  There's also a pin many students wear on the right side of their shirt, between the shoulder and chest midpoint.  
Even though these students and faculty don't (yet) know who I am, I have been greeted with many wais already, or a purposeful head nod.  It's a lovely gesture of respect and status (that I am a faculty member and teacher).  

Fun moment: we were joined at lunch by my colleage Lindsey Williams who's here for the summer.  My former bibliography student (and well known composer) Narong Prangchoren walked into Music Square, waved at Lindsey and then looked at me, his mouth falling open.  The look on his face was priceless.  

Had dinner with my colleague Lindsey and his 4 year old son at a lovely place called Anya's.  I had beef curry which was just wonderful.  I couldn't eat all of it-- probably my body saying "enough with the changes for one night!!!"

The time zone difference between Thailand and Kansas City is 12 hours.  Let that sink in for a moment.  Think about what you do at 7am and then consider doing that at 7pm instead.  Or better yet, what are you usually doing at 11pm?  I had to resist that urge at 11am this morning, given I was meeting someone at 11:30am!  I was told the best ways to help manage the time zone change was to: eat at your new timezone meal times and stay up as late as you can (within reason) in your new time zone-- if you can go to bed at what would be your usual bedtime (say, 9:30pm) in the new timezone (9:30pm Bangkok time), your body should be on the express route for transition.  I'm also leaving my drapes partly open when I go to bed so the sun wakes me (or helps me).

Time will tell on this one -- look for a follow up in the next installment!

More travel

I'm most of the way through my first trip as Assistant Convention Manager for MLA.  The outgoing Convention Manager, the former Assistant-now-Convention Manager, and the incoming Assistant CM (moi) converged in San Jose for a combination transition meeting and site visit.

What can I tell you at this point?  Are you treated well by the hotel staff and the city's Convention and Visitor's Bureau?  ABSOLUTELY!  Wonderful hotel rooms, amenities (e.g., wine and fruit platters waiting in your room), and sometimes special opportunities (we saw a live streaming Jewel concert promoting her new CD, great light dinner, free drinks, and an opportunity to buy her new CD a day early last night).  You see your own name and institution and information about your organization on the event screens for the hotel -- they're all wanting your attention, which is good.  However, I wish most of these had gotten my institution correct (It's University of Missouri--Kansas City, not just University of Missouri).  Details, details.

Is it exhausting?  Yes.  How so?

We received proposals from three different hotels for our conference.  We spent two nights in the first hotel, and one each in the next two.  We walk all over the hotels in these sites twice.  Once on our own, checking out meeting spaces, and then once with the hotel staff.  There's a good reason for this-- when you're on your own, you see things with your own filter and can have questions ready for the hotel staff about the needs of your group and how that may or may not work with the hotel layout.  Sometimes events or meetings are in the space during this time, and that's a great opportunity to see the hotel staff at work without it being obvious you're a potential customer.

We also scout out the fitness center and pools where available.  And other services--for example, one hotel had a guest laundry facility -- a coin operated laundromat.  Great if you find you spilled food on an outfit and you need to wash something rather than send it to an expensive dry cleaner.  We check out prices at the hotel's bar and restaurants, and usually eat at least one meal on our own at the hotel to see what it's like.  The hotel staff usually have a meal meeting to kick things off, but it's good to try the food again on your own if you can.

We do a lot of walking in the blocks surrounding the hotel, scouting out places where our membership can grab a quick meal, coffee, or have a more leisurely meal.  I do a quick comparison of the costs of hotel coffee versus a cafe just outside the hotel (this morning's site had a $1.40 difference).  We also look for other things -- museums and concert venues in case members want to explore the host city a little, and how close/far these are from potential hotel sites.

How did I prepare for this trip?  Just like my San Diego trip, I packed a carry on bag (my Tom Bihn Aeronaut).  I wanted to use my Tri-Star, but because of the longer trip duration and various goods (electronic files in CD format), I went for the Aeronaut.  I'm very glad I did -- my colleague who was flying on the same airline (but not same flights) had her luggage catch up with her a day later.  Not a happy thing when you've staying in 3 different hotels for a trip.

The NYTimes had a great article "Packing Tips from Travel Pros" in May 2010 that I recommend highly. One of my colleagues tried her tips and was amazed at how much more she got in her suitcase.  I used packing cubes again, but I think I'm going to try just rolling everything for the next trip and use a cube for underwear. 

Wardrobe planning is essential.  Before every trip, I lay out what I plan to wear every day and generally stick to that plan.  If I have any doubts about something fitting, I try it on before I lay it out -- and yes, I do lay the clothing out in the day order I plan to wear it and check it against the list of events for the trip. 

COMFORTABLE SHOES!!!!  Really.  This is not the time to test out those cute new heels.  Check the weather forecast before you lay out your clothing and shoe choices.  COMFORTABLE SHOES!!!  

Toiletries:  I've said it before -- hotel soap and shampoo are usually good quality.  I bring small amounts of hair gel and hair spray.  I bring a small sized comb-- got one just for travel.  I wear very little makeup, so I bring small amounts of my favorite facial products, and just use the same color of eyeliner and mascara for the entire trip.  I go through my wet and try toiletries before the trip to make sure I bring only what I need and one or two backups (a bandage or two is good).  The wet toiletries are the 3 oz or less size.  I use Tom Bihn products to store these, and they are great.

I brought a hat with me for our longer walks on Sunday -- I have a Tilley hat, which is crushable and washable. It takes up next to no space in my bag and is great protection for my oh-so-fair skin.  I also bring 2-3 all cotton men's handkerchiefs. Again, takes up little space, but quite versatile and can be washed out and hung up to dry overnight if needed.

Part of this post sounds like a Tom Bihn commercial, and here's part of the reason why:

 
My first flight on Saturday was full, and by the time I boarded, the luggage bin looked pretty full.  I moved the bags a little to the right and my Aeronaut slid right in without a problem and without squishing other people's bags.  When I deplaned, I quickly deployed a backpack strap and I was on my way.

My connecting flight was on a Canadianair 700 and this flight was packed too.  The luggage bins are pretty shallow, and at first I was afraid my bag wouldn't fit.  But I pushed down a little, and it slid right in with a little room to spare.

 
I'm also a big fan of the 3D Organizer Cube for my wet toiletries.  I slip this in one of the end pockets and pull it out for a quick trip through security.  

Here's the Kit I use for "dry" toiletries: 
The Snake Charmer keeps my chargers, etc. corralled:

 
And a large organizer pouch keeps the paper stuff organized and flat:

 
 And yes, these photos were taken in a hotel.  I do not have lovely marble counters at home, as much as I'd love it!

 I carry a Ristretto as my purse and have my Dell Mini 10 in it.  Again, the ease of pulling out my Mini makes for a quick trip through security.

One more hotel night and then back home.  And the Aeronaut, along with careful packing has helped accommodate the addition things I've picked up this trip -- files, etc.  I plan to mail them home tomorrow, but I still need to get them to the next hotel -- they'll have more paperwork, etc. for us.

Follow up on my Tom Bihn adventure

I returned from my trip last night, and am glad to say that my Tom Bihn bags really made life easier in a number of ways.  BTW, LOTS of fellow travelers asked me about my bags.  So, Tom and Darcy, if you seen an uptick in Aeronaut orders, well, I've been spreading the word!

So, what was so great?  For starters, I carried less than in the past.  I wore everything I brought except the swimsuit and my leather dress shoes.  So I had less "stuff" to deal with, which is wonderful when traveling.  No worries about forgetting anything, and given how the flights got messed up yesterday because of weather, I knew that if I had to spend the night in Chicago, I had my minimal toiletries, clean underwear, etc. 

Some photos...

Yes, that's one full bag. And I did carry it as a backpack through the airport, which wasn't too bad. Success! I'm hooked and I hope I can successfully manage the one bag bit for future travels. I was appointed Assistant Convention Manager for the Music Library Association, so there's more travel in my future!

Traveling light update

I've been in San Diego for 4 days, and I can honestly say that doing the one bag bit is possible.  It doesn't hurt that I don't have to deal with a winter jacket or heavy sweaters for this trip, but it's been great.

Changing flights in DFW was a snap.  I got lucky that my gate was just 4 away from where I came in, but I was ready for a long walk with my Aeronaut on my back.  I've not used a backpack in years, but I was delightfully surprised at how easy the Aeronaut converted into a backpack, and then it was fairly easy to carry.  The load was distributed fairly comfortably, and I could have hiked a fair ways.

I'm glad I invested in a few other accessories for my trip.  I decided to get a Kit to use for my cosmetic bag instead of the bag I had gotten with purchase from Aveda a few years back.  I thought the Kit sounded a little big when I read the description, but when I got it and compared it to what I had been using, I realized it was smaller, and would take up less space in my carry on.  And if your container is smaller, you'll carefully plan what to put in it.  I found myself being thoughtful about what needed to go on the trip, rather than pack for "just in case."  Ditto for the liquids and gels.  I have the 3D clear organizer cube, which was great.  Remember, the hotels in the US consistently provide soap and shampoo, so unless you have specific skin and/or scalp issues, it will work.  I do have a LUSH shampoo bar just in case.  

I carry electronics with me, and I purchased a padded organizer pouch for my USB modem, thumb drive, and any other small necessities.  It's worked out well so far.

I've gotten comments from my colleagues about the Ristretto, and when I show off the padded pocket for my Dell Mini, they want to know more.  

So what did I fit in the Aeronaut for this trip?

• 6 pairs of undies, bra
• 3 pairs of dress pants
• 1 tank top
• 1 dressy knit jacket
• 3 dressy lightweight tops
• 3 pairs of shoes (2 are sandals, ok?)
• 1 Kit with cosmetics, assorted toiletry items (not filled all the way)
• 1 nightgown (I want to find a lighter one for travel)
• 1 slim leather cosmetic bag with medicines
• 1 1/2" 3 ring binder (music for my piano gig here)
• gifts for friends (chocolates, other goodies)
• 3d clear organizer cube (filled)
• 5 Odwalla protein bars
• 4 quart-sized ziploc bags
• Snake charmer with assorted necessary cords and a Monster Outlets to go-4.
• swimsuit, pareo, goggles, swim cap
• various other small necessities (handkerchief, silk scarf, knee highs which aren't needed here)

I'm a big girl, and was worried about how few changes of clothing I would be able to pack for this trip (larger sized clothes take up more room -- it just makes sense).  It's worked out so far.  The other bit of information worth noting is that I almost always ship a box of stuff from this conference, so it's not like I'm changing those habits by going with one carry on bag.  I did buy a few books and other things that will get shipped Thursday morning.  

I may give another report later on in the week, and I hope to post a photo or two of me with my TB gear, ready to go!

Traveling Light

Long time, no blog.  Really.

Tomorrow I'm heading to my professional org's meeting in lovely San Diego, CA.  I'm traveling light after last year's fiasco of hauling a 55 lb hardside suitcase (on wheels, granted) up 1.5 flights from the subway.  BTW, the security and luggage staff at KCI call it "R2D2."  Quite descriptive.

How light?  I'm carrying a Tom Bihn Aeronaut, using eBags packing cubes, also using a Tom Bihn Kit, Snake Charmer, and 3D Clear Organizer Cube to keep things organized in it.  I'm also carrying a Tom Bihn Ristretto (as a purse; holds my Dell 10" mini) with the clear wallet, several organizer pouches, and the Guardian light.

I revised my clothing plan twice, and if you're at MLA and don't like what I'm wearing, well... hey, I don't have to wait for my bags at the airport and I don't have to worry about it getting lost.  And I can carry it easily, with the Absolute shoulder strap or using the included backpack straps.

I'd better lose quite a bit of weight before the meeting in Philly next year, though.  Winter clothing takes up more space!

Adventures in Travel

Or why I love the northeast.  Today I flew to Boston, MA.  Took the Silver Line Bus ($2) to South Station, where I bought a ticket on the Bonanza Bus Line for Newport RI. 

While I walked quite a bit (including schlepping luggage, as were a few other hardy souls), I marveled at how easy it is to get around in Boston, and then to Newport.  My first visit to Boston was in 1988, my first big solo trip to a really large city.  I took Amtrak from Charlottesville and used the T to get around.  I was amazed at the efficient system of trains and buses.  And today, I was reminded of that again. 

The Bonanza Bus passed through several lovely towns.  I marveled at the stone walls that lined the road the last miles of my trip.  Many of the mills in towns like Bedford Falls are being renovated for other uses.  These stone buildings were beautiful, but if I were a mill worker in the 19th century, I'm sure I would not have found them so beautiful.

My hotel room overlooks the spit of water separating Goat Island from Newport.  I hope to have a few hours to wander tomorrow morning.  More then!

In brief

I'm back in KC.  Am tired, physically and mentally. 

Will probably need to go back to VA in the next week or so.

The hubster and Portia missed me.  It's good to be home, but it was good to be in Virginia too (which I also call home!).

I go out of town WHEN?

I leave for a conference on Wednesday morning.  Early.  While a number of things were accomplished today, things left to do include:

• finalizing the presentation (EGAD!)
• printing enough copies of the skit for all participants
• replacing zipper in favorite pants
• washing favorite pants
• figuring out wardrobe
• assembling new pieces in my Big Band book -- and putting my book in a larger binder
• practicing the new pieces
• packing appropriate knitting for the trip
• preparing agenda for committee meeting
• ....

you get the idea.  No wonder I'm still pumped with adrenaline -- unusual after today's allergy shot!

Back in KC

I'm baaaack.  And today is my final day of vacation (much like Suzanne!).  The heating/cooling fella was just here to do the winter check/clean on our system (and all's fine).  The pest control guy will be here later. 

I flew back Saturday evening with a layover in Charlotte.  I didn't sit in one of their lovely rocking chairs, but splurged on some fudge and white chocolate cocoa mix at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  I managed to avoid buying the lovely looking caramel or chocolate coated apples.  Here's the deal.  You walk off the plane into the airport.  You're a little tired, a little hungry because you get no food on airplanes anymore and this aroma hits you -- actually it tickles your nose, says to your brain "home... home... yummy" and drags you into the chocolate store.  It's the aroma of melted butter and sugar with cocoa mixed in.  Having made lots of brownies, I know that aroma all too well.  Funny that there were only women in the store when I was there.  A man stepped in as I was leaving.  I said to the salesperson, "my husband will complain that I shouldn't have spent the money and then devour it."  And that's exactly what happened.  Although Joel didn't devour it all, but he certainly tucked into it!

I sat next to a delightful young man on the flight from Charlotte to Kansas City.  The flight sped by as we took turns reading and chatting.  He hugged me and kissed me goodbye on the cheek at baggage claim.  I have to admit I was touched.  I wish him well!

Yesterday morning I went to church and the truck cooperated.  A little sluggish, but still cooperated.  Yes, I still need to get the tranny checked out.

I also took a loooong nap yesterday and did no knitting.  But I did print out a new copy of the Colinette AbFab chart after I discovered a mistake in it Friday or Saturday (needed one more repeat put in the chart).  Portia is quite happy I'm home and have put away the suitcase.  Saturday night she sat by my suitcase, making sure I took EVERYTHING out.  I think she was making sure that the big black thing was going away and that I wasn't leaving again soon.  Last night she slept on the bed between us -- but not at our feet, near our heads.  Unusual behavior for her.  I loved having her close enough to stroke and pet as I was falling asleep.

Unlke Suzanne, I've made a task list for today and hope to get it all accomplished.   It's a beautiful and cool fall day.  Sunny, with a cloudless blue sky and the maple out front is a brilliant yellow.   I hope to enjoy these days and get the most out of them before the winter gloom hits.

Work returns all too quickly.  I realize I could have used another week off -- I won't wait so long to schedule my next vacation days!

Virginia visit coming to an end...

Sadly, my week in Virginia is almost over. I feel mostly rested, although I’ve spent more time on e-mail this morning than any other time this week with the exception of my two hour focused stint at McDonald’s Monday. That’s good and bad. But there were days when I didn’t turn on the laptop at all, and that’s good.

I spent quite a bit of time knitting on the AbFab throw (photos after I return) and I knitted a gift scarf. Mom and I’ve mostly relaxed this week, although she’s worked some too. She cleans houses for a few people, including one person she also takes to the grocery, the drug store, etc. But I’ve run up and down steps for her here at the house, done a little cleaning and waited on her, which has been a needed break, I think. It’s always nice when someone brings you your coffee, a drink or a snack.

I’m bringing home a few things that were my Dad’s – and others will be mailed home. The list will sound strange to some of my friends, but to others it’ll make sense. Among these items are Dad’s Army patches and pins (he was in SCARWAF during the Korean War), his first knife and a few other knives, two of his old-fashioned lighters (to be mailed!), and some books given to him as a child. I’ve also run across some family things I had forgotten about or that were in dim recesses of my gray matter – the rocking chair pin cushion/thread holder Grandma Green used, her sewing machine (and accessories), and some things I had forgotten I had given to Mom and Dad.

Unfortunately when I opened one of the knives it stuck open. I can’t get it shut and it’s a very sharp knife, so I need to be especially careful. I’ve put some WD-40 on the hinge mechanism and will let it sit. Hopefully it’ll shut in a few hours. I’ve put it up away from the cats.

I had forgotten about the speech patterns here. Things and events are described in metaphors – comparisons all over the place. Dipthongs have dipthongs! Everyone is “honey,” “sweetie.” Makes me feel better, since I use those words myself and occassionally get strange looks. And I realize how very flat my speech sounds. I’ve lost some of the cadence and the rise and fall that I used to have. Speech is musical here, so no wonder it’s obvious to folks I’ve not seen in a while that I’ve moved far, far away.

Well, must sign off soon. Hope to upload this and then move along for the day. We’re having some family over for supper tonight and there are errands to run today.

This visit has reminded me how very much I find myself walking between worlds. Not belonging completely in either one, yet not a complete stranger or outcast either.