flemmings | (no subject)

Entry tags:

china,
rl_06

(no subject)

I swear to god, I've gotten ready to go to Japan for a month with less fuss and carry-on than for this weekend in New York. But the last time I went to Japan (yes, post 2001) I wasn't going to be asked to take my shoes off. Now I *will* be asked which leads to all sorts of logistical round-abouting: 'Well berks are easiest but that means putting both my wedding shoes and my walking shoes in the suitcase where there may not be room, so I could wear the orthopedics which are a pain to undo and lace-up but the real pain is getting my feet into them without a shoehorn but are shoehorns allowed in carry-on baggage? (googling reveals nothing) cause if they aren't and I lose my only remaining shoehorn I'm screwed etc etc'

...to say nothing of having to pack the stuff I normally carry on, so if the airline loses my bags I'm not totally screwed and I can take my lenses out at least. Now I can carry on my lens case with solution if it's in a one quart zip-lock bag to be handed to and x-rayed by security. I'm not sure if breathable asthmatic meds qualify as aerosol or not, but I'm more afraid of security not knowing either. So it's either find a-- one quart? ziplock bag, which you know don't come easy in this metric country of mine; or shove it in the suitcase and pray it doesn't get lost.

No, really, there's a reason I don't want to fly down to New York, really and truly there is.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh dear! There are so many things to think about aren't there. I guess I'd better not plan on going stateside with children anytime soon. I'm thinking it will be logistical nightmare!

I actually would think about wearing the Birkenstocks onto the flight and pack as efficiently as I could. If you line your orthos with a bit of paper and bag them and bag small roll-up-able stuff into little bags you can squeeze them into the orthos. Same for the smart shoes. You may have a little more space that way. And you'll keep the shape of the shoes as well! Of course you'll not be able to bring as amny books as you'd like.

Well I don't think that will be too bad. You'll be busy catching up and stuff anyway you won't have time! Which brings one more question to mind... if bringing on a book...will that have to be zip-locked as well?

Oh dear, there really is a lot to think about.

Anhow are you off today or early tomorrow?

Until things calm down a little, no, I'd stay out of the USofA. But aren't there grandparents in Britain?

Books can go in the backpack, since nothing else can go there. -_- But good New York intentions never pan out. Some day I'll travel down with a box of books to be traded off at Book-off, but not this time either. Books weigh.

No, it's liquids, gels and solid stuff like deodorant that ahve to be ziplocked, in case they could provide materials for making a bomb in mid-air. A little formula here, a little eye solution there, add a dollop of handcream and Bob's your uncle. Books can't blow up planes unless there are explosives inside them, and watch that be the next trick someone tries.

And I leave Friday am. As I say, this is an extended version of the usual day-before 'OK what've I gotta pack?'

Yes the children's grandparents are British. But hubby has a brother who lives and work in San Francisco, and he was talking about going there next year. And now I really don't want to either. But he has two children too and it would be sad that the children can't meet their cousins because of the folly of man! Makes me mad really!

Well as it gets closer to flight time, you'll have to just somehow calm yourself down and just go. Think pretty thoughts! ^__^

It'll be a Chinese Wedding right? If you've not been to one of those before it'll be fun. Being one Stateside as well. It will be interesting culturally too. So you'll have to tell us about it.When you come back I'd love to know how it differs from the Chinese weddings here. Will you be attending the Tea Ceremony?

Yeah go finish packing and enjoy!

How it differs from Chinese weddings in LRD or even Malaysia- if indeed it does- is that the bridegroom is Indian and the bride will be wearing a sari part of the time; and something Chinese I should know the name of and don't part of the time; and a designer-made wedding dress part of the time.

Unless you do that there as well... ^_^

There will be a lot to eat and drink, which I know is a universal even if I've never been to a Chinese wedding before.

Most likely it'll be a 'Qi Pao' or 'Cheongsam'. It could be other's but those two are the only ones I know the name of. Not that I would be able to tell one from the other.

I don't know when it started but for some decades now the SEA wedding has taken to be an excuse to wear as many changes of costume as possible and be photographed in them. Due to the multiculturalism of interacial marriages I assume. To pleas everybody, is probably how it got started. So an Indian groom, a Chinese bride in Amerca...whoa the possibilities are endless.

A fine example is a Malay girl whose mother is Japanese and father Malay and marrying into a French family who have emigrated to Australia? Goes back to that census question of yours when the children arrive! She wore Japanese Kimono, a Western Wedding gown/dress and Malay Traditional dress. And this was for a Malay wedding!

Yes lots to eat and drink! Yumm!

I thought Cheongsam was Cantonese for qipao in Mandarin. I'll have to go look it up!

Aahh! this may explain why I have difficulty in telling them apart! Which is why as non-Chinese I have trouble differentiating which is which. And not just the terms for clothes! ^_^.

Yes, it appears that cheongsam and qipao are different pronunciations of the same hanzi/kanji.

I sympathise muchly.

I always travel in my glasses rather than my contact lenses, because the thought of a contact lens problem mid-trip just gives me the twitches. So my lenses and fluids will be able to travel in my hold luggage. Now I will merely have increased panic about losing my hold luggage.

Bloody bloody stupid regulations.

I dare not be parted from my lenses or even their case, though I too do long trips in my glasses. The lens carrying case and quantum sufficit of saline-or-whatever can go in a ziplock. Though I arrive naked in New York at least I will be able to see; and will *not* have to scour the city for hydrophilic silicon soaking solution.

But yes- lost luggage is bad enough ordinarily. This way it's an all-out disaster. Bloody stupid, as is the whole situation that gave rise to them.

What a nightmare! It's probably a little late now...but is the train an option at all?

Not unless I wish to eat $350 of special air fare and pay $200 more for the train. And miss dinner Friday.

You don't need a quart ziplock. You need a medium sized or 1 litre one.

Your aerosols meds are allowed, especially prescription ones. I'm certainly bringing mine. I don't have glasses, so they will just have to let me carry on my contact lens stuff on board or deal with the medical crisis on the plane later.

I'll throw a shoehorn in my checked bags, just in case they don't let you have one in your carry on. (Not that I can think of why they would object.) It's supposed to rain Friday and Sunday, if that matters to you.

I do hope there are no lost bags. I think I'll dress for Friday dinner before I get on the plane.

You don't need a quart ziplock. You need a medium sized or 1 litre one.

Quart ziplock is what the webpage said. By dint of staring at the milk cartons and tryng to remember what milk looked like 20 years ago ('2 pints 1 quart, 2 quarts 1 gallon' and gallons are the big jugs), and by wondering why Ziplock would make a .946 litre bag unless they already had them in standard imperial sizes repackaged for the metric market, I came to the brilliant conclusion that a litre is just over a quart, which it is. It's smaller than you'd think.

No more than 3 ozs of eye stuff. In a ziplock bag, of course.

Where do you buy shoehorns? The long ones, I mean. I got mine in Asagaya cause I couldn't find them here- except for $90 in snobby men's stores.

Hmm, I don't know if I have a long shoehorn, I'll have to look.

Don't worry about it. Travelling and a job is bad enough. If I have to sit to put my shoes on that's fine.

Ha! A web search indicates long handled shoehorns are to be had from health stores for US$4 and up.

Then I shall hit the health food stores here and see. Thanks!

Not health food stores. Drug store/chemists or medical supplies places.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only