Tag: postaday

Traveler’s Notebook

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"Traveler's Notebook (Passport)" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 35mm, f/2.4, 1/1500 sec, ISO640
 “Traveler’s Notebook (Passport)” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today my brand new Traveler’s Notebook (passport size) arrived on my doorstep. I’ve been looking at these notebooks (formerly named Midori) for a while now, and after watching numerous YouTube videos and reading reviews, I finally pulled the trigger and ordered mine.

I went with the “camel” color leather, which not only looks great but smells nice too. If you aren’t familiar with a Traveler’s Notebook, it’s basically a plain leather cover, with inserts that are held in place with elastic bands. There are two sizes: the regular size and the smaller passport-sized version, which is the one I went with.

The most common inserts are notepads (lined, graph, or blank), monthly planner, weekly planner, and daily planner. In addition, there are craft folder sleeves, plastic zipper pocket, and plastic sticker pockets.

My starter set came with a blank notebook and two extra elastic bands. I ordered a craft sleeve and zipper pocket separately, and these three inserts are a nice start. It’s not too bulky, so I think I can add one more notebook (probably a lined version) and it will be perfect. I also attached a couple of small binder clips to the craft sleeve which acts as a little loop for me to attach my pen.

What’s great about the Traveler’s Notebook system (and there are many cheaper clones available) is that when you fill up one insert, you can just pop in another one. It’s super versatile!

If you do a YouTube search for Traveler’s Notebooks or Midori Notebooks, you’ll see that many people love to use them for artistic journaling. Some of the examples are pretty amazing, especially the sketchbook notebooks. Just check out this Flickr group to see some awesome sketches.

I’m using mine to do some little sketches, practice writing hiragana/katakana, and take notes. I’m also using it to replace my wallet – to hold a couple credit cards, blank checks, and some cash. And of course a couple Instax prints of the family.

I’m really happy with my Traveler’s Notebook and can see myself using it for a long, long time. 😄

"Traveler's Notebook (Passport)" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/100 sec, ISO2000
 “Traveler’s Notebook (Passport)” Cedar Park, 2017

Not 100 Percent

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"Cool Designs" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/40 sec, ISO6400
 “Cool Designs” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Last week a small cough started visiting me, and then stayed with me during the weekend. I thought it might be allergies, but then yesterday I started getting the chills and my whole body was sore. I felt like I had the flu. So, I went to bed at around 20:00 and when I woke up this morning, I felt a lot better. I’d say I am back to 80%. Anyways, I guess I am happy that I didn’t get sick during vacation and that it held off until I was back home. ☺️

Today’s photo is of some pottery pieces that Mariko bought in Morocco. I love the designs. And there’s a cat in the photo too. 🐱

I hope you had a nice day, and happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans! 🇺🇸

Morocco and Spain Trip Recap

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"Travel Loot" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 35mm, f/4, 1/20 sec, ISO640
 “Travel Loot” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Well, I finally finished up with all my back posts of our trip! The photo above shows a few pieces of the loot haul, and in the dish is a small stone that I picked up from the water at Barceloneta beach. I don’t even know if it is imported or not, but the authenticity isn’t important. It’s the memory that it represents that gives it value. One of my favorite movie scenes explains what I mean.

Anyways, here are a couple lists I made about the trip.

Total miles traveled: 12,905

  • Plane: 11,273
  • Train: 921
  • Boat: 29
  • Bus/Taxi: 682

Highlights/Bucket List

  • First trip to Africa – That makes it four continents for me!
  • Crossing from Africa to Europe by ferry – The so-called Strait of Gibraltar have been one of those mythical things since I was a little kid
  • Touching the Mediterranean – Again, like something out of a dream. Isn’t this where the Greek gods/heroes used to play?

Top Food

  • Boquerones tapas (fried sardines)
  • Tagine
  • Papas bravas
  • Almejas tapas (clams)
  • Jamón bocadillos

Post Index

Since I posted my trip entries after-the-fact, here’s a list you can use to easily access each one:

Handy Notes

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"Notes" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO1600
 “Notes” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。

Today’s photo is of a little notebook that proved to be very handy during our trip. There were a few times in Morocco where I wasn’t able to communicate clearly when it really mattered. The most notable time was when we were trying to buy train tickets. It’s actually a fairly easy process to buy tickets in Morocco, but during Ramadan, the schedule is a little different and also I didn’t understand if there was a change of trains at some point.

So, before I headed to the ticket counter (there are also automated ticket machines), I wrote down the desired destination, date, number of tickets, and 1st class. I could just show that to the ticket agent and he wrote down the available trains that day. It was so much easier than trying to verbally communicate.

Google translate is amazing, but in cases like these, pencil and paper win the day!

I hope you had a nice Sunday!

またね～

Water Bottle

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"Stickers" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/250 sec, ISO1000
 “Stickers” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。

Today’s photo is of my Liberty Water Bottle, which I got a couple years ago. I like it because it isn’t too big and is great quality. I bought a 16 oz. black one which has a ninja/motorcycle helmet kind of design (with a poor attempt at the kanji for “mizu”), but it looks kind of suspicious since it is all-black. I guess I am just a bit paranoid about it, so I slapped some stickers on it to make it a little more conspicuous.

"Kanji?" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/80 sec, ISO6400
 “Kanji?” Cedar Park, 2017

Even though my Liberty bottle is relatively small, it’s still just a tad too wide to fit comfortably in the water bottle holder on my Patagonia Minimass bag. It’s a really tight fit, and since I keep my Anker battery in the interior pocket on the other side of the holder, it has even less room and doesn’t slide in easily. So, I left the Liberty at home while I was traveling in Morocco, and I just re-used a small plastic water bottle that I picked up at the store. It made me a bit sad to use the environmentally unfriendly bottle, so I think I’d like to find a slim eco-bottle soon.

The Patagonia bag is pretty great, but the only downside is the single small water bottle pouch. If only it were a little wider! Perhaps a little DIY project is in order to remedy it. Or if there is an add-on holder that I could latch on somehow, that might work. Must look into this!

******************

Update: After fiddling around a bit, I moved the large battery back to the other side of the interior to make room for the water bottle. I think it will work!

"Bottle and Bag" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO6400
 “Bottle and Bag” Cedar Park, 2017

Catching Up or Not

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"The Cloud" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/16, 1/250 sec, ISO200
 “The Cloud” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Well, the two week vacation has altered my schedule a bit, as I try to play catch-up with my blog. I usually like to post something every day but while on vacation I didn’t have the time, nor energy, to do that. I did write outlines for each day, though, and have edited the photos so now I just need to fill the posts out. It’s fun, but takes time.

Progress has been made and I have finished up with my Morocco posts and am currently working on Spain. Besides the post-a-day blogging, I also have been posting to my 365 project, where I take a photo every day. Taking the photo is actually not a problem. But posting it to the Flickr group is something that I’ll need to do.

I guess I have something to keep myself busy with this weekend!

Today’s photo is of a cool cloud that was hovering over our house this afternoon.

I hope you had a nice Friday!

おやすみ

Birkenstock Sandals

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"Mocha Birkenstocks" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/150 sec, ISO200
 “Mocha Birkenstocks” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Behold, my new Birkenstock sandals! Yes, I finally bought a pair of hippie Jesus sandals. They are the common “Arizona” two-strap design, in suede Mocha. I really like them!

While traveling, I often wore my plain rubber flip-flops, but I wanted something with a little more style, even if that style is somewhat polarizing. 😛 In Morocco, I saw a few people wearing leather sandals, and they looked comfy, but I didn’t really shop for any… however, I have wanted Birkenstocks for a while now so I kind of had my heart set on a pair.

Back in Austin, I went to the InStep store and checked out all the colors and got fitted with a pair of size 39 regulars. The people who work at InStep are extremely knowledgeable (almost fanatical) about Birkenstocks, so the service was amazing. After I bought my sandals, the salesperson even said, “Welcome to Birkenstock”. So funny!

You aren’t supposed to wear these sandals for more than a couple hours a day after you first get them so that your feet get used to them (there’s even a warning sticker in the box), but apparently, after a couple weeks, they will turn into “the most comfortable shoes you ever owned”. We’ll see!

I hope you had a nice Thursday!

またね～