And So I Don't Forget...

The Peak

I arrived in Hong Kong about 11am yesterday and by mid-afternoon there was an amber rainstorm warning in effect.

It was raining, a lot.

But not, apparently, as bad as it can get because there are also red and black warnings. At amber level kindergartens might be cancelled but life generally continues as normal. By black level people are instructed to get inside somewhere safe and stay there. I simply cannot imagine that level of rain. It was pouring yesterday afternoon, bucketing down, but it only warranted amber. Can't imagine it.

Now by this point my Mum might be getting somewhat concerned so let me reassure you that today is overcast but dry. So far. :)

Actually it had cleared up yesterday evening so I headed down to the waterfront for my first look at the famour Hong Kong harbour, arriving just in time for the nightly 8pm light show. By the time I made it back to my hotel room I had decided I might actually prefer the weather here when it's raining. (Although not amber warning raining.) It is stinking, sticky hot. Even at 9pm at night. I think this is the first place I have noticed that the condensation forms on the outside of the window.

I have tried out a few forms of public transport so far - buses, the metro, the Star Ferry and the Peak tram. I'm actually up the top of the Peak right now. (Got to love coffee shops with free internet access.) If I turn around I would be looking out over an incredible view. Skyscraper after skyscraper down to the harbour then skyscrapers again on the other side. (I will admit, wish it wasn't overcast as it has dimmed the colours, otherwise it would be absolutely stunning.)

Anyway, I suddenly can't think of much more else to say. Off to look at that view some more. Until the next time I discover free internet access. (Or need to escape from the weather!)

A Gratuitous Holiday

In a few days I head away on holiday. It seems like only a few months since I got back from my last trip and I can't believe I'm going overseas again so soon. So gratuitous and excessive. Can't help loving that!

My climbing buddies are over in Africa at the moment, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. They decided to stop in Thailand on the way home and invited me to join them. (Well, they invited me, then I invited myself and they invited me again.) Leaving a Melbourne winter for a week on the beach in Thailand? I couldn't say no.

Given my penchant for stopovers, I decided to have a few days in HongKong on the way. One of the main things I'm looking forward to doing there is taking photos. From viewing photos online I know there is some gorgeous scenes to be captured and I've even bought myself a little tripod to take.

Photography has really become a focus for me this year and I'm learning more and more about the technical aspects as I attempt to move into manual mode. (Bryan Peterson's book, Understanding Exposure, has made a lot of sense.) I am concerned, however, that my aspirations for this trip might outweigh my actual abilities! I do take some photos that I'm really pleased with but there are many duds mixed in. I also need to find the right balance for me between seeing and doing, and photographing. 

When I meet up with the guys in Thailand, we're going climbing. Yep, I'm going to attempt to climb an actual cliff face or two. It's hard to describe how I feel about that - probably some combination of proud, amazed and freaked out! Where we are heading there is beautiful beaches backed with limestone cliffs so I can climb a little and then relax and swim. It's the best of both worlds. Although, I do want to remember it isn't like back at the climbing gym here at home - I can't come back next week and try harder. Climbing in Thailand might be a once in a lifetime opportunity and I want to know I gave it everything I've got. There is also going to be cocktails. :)

So that's my gratuitous, extravagent holiday. My little getaway from the Melbourne winter. Only a few days now and I can't wait!

 Maria La Gorda, Cuba

Movie 3: Source Code

I'm not sure if it was Dad or my sister that suggested we go see this movie but it was definitely not what I expected.(I think I had it confused with another movie.)

Synopsis: An action thriller centered on a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.

Although described as an action movie and having a sci-fi premise, Source Code really centres around the characters and the interaction between them. By the end of the movie I found myself crossing my fingers, wishing for the soldier, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, to be right. It feels like not a whole lot actually happens in this movie but it sucked me in and I very much enjoyed it.

Travel Bug Tuesday: Nitty-Gritty Details

One of my favourite moments of a trip is when I settle into my airplane seat and buckle my seatbelt. Why, when I have a long (probably boring and uncomfortable) flight ahead of me? It means the hassle is over; that everything I need to do – all the planning, packing and organising – is done. All that is left to do is enjoy.

When I decide on a destination, one of the first things I do is buy the Lonely Planet guide. I love flicking through the info, finding things to do, places I want to see. But sorting out the nitty-gritty details of a trip – flight, hotel, travel insurance, visas – isn’t my idea of fun. In fact, it seems a lot like homework!

In the past you generally went to a travel agent who, needing only a couple hours of your time, organised your trip for you. Now, more and more, people are booking trips online themselves. Even if they do go to a travel agent, I'd be surprised if they didn't browse the deals online too.

Without a doubt, the internet has changed how we travel, and particularly how we organise and plan our trips. There are so many resources available on the internet - researching and booking your own trip has never been easier.

Flights and hotels can be booked online through:

• Airline and hotel websites directly;
• Local travel agents with online bookings; or
• Web-based travel agents such as Webjet, Expedia and Travelocity.

Simple, right? Booking actually is incredibly easy, it's the deciding that's the difficult part!

For my upcoming trip I spent hours umming and ahhing as I looked for flights online.  I considered different stopovers, different airlines, different travel days, different websites - all to find a better deal. I had so many internet pages open, flicking between them as I tried this date here, that airline then. It was nuts. And booking a hotel can be even worse.

 Our accomodation in Camaguey, Cuba.Which involved carrying out backpacks up and down this staircase. It was tight. 
 
 Hotel rooms are somewhere you come back to day after day; your home away from home where you are meant to be comfortable, safe and happy. Unlike flights where price is my main consideration, when I am booking a hotel I consider cleanliness, ambience, location (particularly to public transport) and inclusions. I am looking for the best hotel I can find, within my price range, but that isn't easy to work out. There are sites that can help, like Trip Advisor, Expedia and Lonely Planet which all have hotel reviews, but the reality is you are trying to decide on a hotel from the other side of the world. All the resources on the internet can't guarantee that you'll choose the perfect hotel.

Having all this information and options is a good thing, but it can be difficult to realise you know enough; to stop searching and decide.

In all probability, you will make mistakes. (I've booked myself a 13 hour stopover my next trip!) Mistakes are a part of traveling, just like exploring and being surprised. Maybe you have a dodgy hotel room but just down the road might be a wonderful café that you stop in for breakfast every morning. When I was in Italy I stayed in a little town just down the coast from Amalfi, in a room that was so small I am convinced they had converted a cupboard. But, when I was searching for the hotel people called out directions to me from balconies and doorways and it felt like it was my town. The hotel certainly wasn't perfect but the experience was wonderful.

By all means, take advantage of the internet for planning and booking your trip. Be a critical consumer, cautious of the information, opinions (a glowing review of a hotel isn't necessarily honest and unbiased) and your credit card details. But don't drive yourself crazy searching endlessly. You aren't going to find perfect (well, not on my budget that's for sure!) but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Just book. Then look forward to settling into your seat,  buckling your seatbelt and everything being done.

Travel Bug Tuesday: sharing my search for those incredible ‘I can’t believe I’m actually here!’ moments.

Scrapbook on the Road: Packed and Ready to Go

With not long before I leave on my trip, my Scrapbook on the Road mini-album (more info here and here) is packed and ready to go.

 
I'm planning to carry the album and three pens - black, blue and a green Sharpie - around with me most days. I've carried a journal around like this in the past. When I have free moments throughout the day I might jot some things down.

 
My other supplies I am keeping in this (badly homemade when I was still in high school) pencil case. It will stay in my hotel room.  

 
I am taking a mini-stapler, hole-punch, scissors, glue runner, a pencil, three black pens and a blue pen.

 
Also inside the pencil case is two rolls of washi tape and a little bag of embellishments.

 
I've collected a range of things that I can add to pages in the album - such as a sheet of Lily-Bee alphabet stickers, punched labels and shapes, journaling spots, 7 Gypsies travel labels and mailing tags. 

 
I have no doubt I've overpacked. I will not use many of these things and I probably have too many pages in the album too. But, this is the first time I've tried a Scrapbook on the Road - excepting my December Daily it's my first ever mini-album even - and I'm not sure what I am going to want. I'm not taking a journal with me traveling like I have in the past and one of my biggest concerns has been that I have enough pages and room to write. Many of the embellishments I am bringing would give me extra places to write, particularly on patterned paper. Given that it all fits in a pencil case, I'm giving myself a pass. :)

I'm Ready for My Close-Up

 
 
 
 

12 on the 12th: June

(I keep wanting to type that it's April's 12 on the 12th. Oih - I think I am a few months behind!)

This month, for the first time since I started these 12ths, I didn't feel like taking photos. Despite it being a Sunday and having every opportunity to pick up the camera and play, I didn't really want to. (I think I have a touch of preformance anxiety.)

Finally a little motivation struck at about 6:30pm, just as I headed out to dinner with friends. They very kindly put up with me as I snapped away before, during and after our meals. (Thanks guys!)   

The photos this month are pretty average (reflecting the effort I put in) but, it is all practice. Noticing, composing, capturing, editing - all skills that I'm hoping to improve.

This photo did appear in my last post (still adoring my album!) but I am really liking that perspective of looking down. I want to take more of these photos, capturing what's on my desk. 
 
 
Every month I want to include some sort of self-portrait (very loosely defined).  
   I like the lines of this one. 
   I played with the editing of this one - love those bright colours. When I'm traveling I hope I remember to capture the little details like this.  
 
 
The second category of photo I want to include every month - something reminiscent of the season. An autumn leaf. 
 
 
 
And there you have it - another 12 on the 12th that isn't my favourite, but it'll do. :)

Scrapbook on the Road: Cover

It's official - I love this travel mini-album! Actually, I'm obsessed. :)

Last time I posted I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the cover and it looked like this: 

 
A few day ago I covered it with orange patterned paper and green cardstock. This afternoon, after experiementing with embellishments and the title, I gave up and ripped it all off. That wasn't my style - I needed something simpler.

 
In the space of about 15 minutes I had come up with this: 
 
and I ADORE it!

I can't wait to use this album.

Scrapbook on the Road

I'm heading away for a few weeks holiday soon, which is great, but the other day I found myself thinking, 'Bugger, this is another thing I need to scrapbook'. :)

Not the right mindset.

So, I decided to Scrapbook on the Road, creating a mini-album that I will take with me, documenting the trip while I travel. I'll add the photos and finishing touches when I get home but much of it will be already done. I'm really excited about the idea - even got started that same evening.

My album is about 7in by 6in and definitely still a work in progress. Not sure what I want to do with the cover - I may add a photo after my trip.

Can you guess where I'm going?  
 
 
 

I've always written in journals when I travel (tried to keep them up at least) but this trip I plan to just take this album so I'm including lots of pages for writing. I've also got envelopes and pockets that I can slip things into. 
 
 
 
 
There is no real plan for this album, no set formula. As I make pages I have ideas of how I might use them - this one for journaling, adding some ephemura here, attaching a photo there - but it's really down to what I find, do and want while traveling.

Have you done something like this before?

On My Desk

 

It's an ongoing battle - keeping my desk clean. With limited desk area (that's the worst thing about my scrapping space) there are often piles on piles, even when I clean up after projects. This is what's on my desk today.