• MISC

    Things You Don’t Need to Pack Before Traveling

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    Travelers are often so worried about under-packing that they wind up over-packing. Truthfully, though, have you ever gone on a trip and used every single thing you stashed in your suitcase? Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wish I brought more clothes!” Probably not. Leave the following items at home. You won’t need them and they’ll save you both time and weight.

    1. Neck Pillow
    First of all, the airline will give you a neck pillow if you ask for it. Even if they won’t, they may give you a regular pillow or a blanket, which you can then use as a neck support. Second of all, neck pillows can be heavy and they can take up a lot of room in your luggage.

    2. Detergent
    Unless you know for sure that you’re going to a hotel that doesn’t have any type of laundry service, leave the detergent at home. If you’re only going away for a week, you can probably pack enough clothing to get you through without having to do laundry at all. Either way, there’s really no need for detergent unless you’re going to have to hand wash clothing during a month-long trip. Find the best deals for staying in Orlando and ask the hotels if they have self-service laundry areas.

    3. Money Belt
    Okay, if you’re traveling to a risky part of the world, you may want to use a money belt just in case you get robbed. However, pulling $3 out of your money belt to pay for a cup of coffee actually makes you more of a target. If you’re traveling in the U.S., don’t bother with a money belt at all. The same goes for theft-proof pants, which have hidden pockets.

    4. Travel Wallet
    This is some clever marketing, since a travel wallet is pretty much the same thing as a normal wallet. Travel wallets are a little bigger so that they can hold all of your documents. However, they’re really not that convenient and they’re pretty cumbersome. Plus, today you can store most of your important documents online and then just keep a backup tucked in your luggage.

    5. Seat Enhancer
    Yes, air travel can be uncomfortable. Bulky equipment, though, is going to be more of a nuisance than a help. For example, you can get a gadget that fits between the seats to create a platform to put your arm on. This seems needless, especially when you’re talking about taking up extra space in your luggage. Also, you’ll probably annoy your seat mate. There’s also something called a Knee Defender, which locks the seat in front of you so that they can’t recline. This is pretty rude, since your fellow traveler paid the same amount of money you did for their seat and they should be able to recline as they please. Plus, knee defenders are banned on a lot of major airlines.

    10723731_808639142533836_1116653415_nYes, there are some travel accessories that are totally worth bringing along. The rest of them, though, can stay safely at home while you’re toting around your light-as-a-feather luggage.

    This article was contributed by Fiona Moriarty of Hipmunk, a travel website that offers customers a fast and easy way to find the best travel deals.

  • CHILDREN'S LITERATURE,  Picbook Review

    The Story Blanket: Heart-warming tale of generosity and love

    TSB

    Written by by Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz, The Story Blanket tells a story about a storyteller, Babba Zarrah, who lives in a tiny village in the snow-covered mountains.

    Children love to visit her and settle down on her big, old story blanket and listen to her stories. One day Babba Zarrah notices that Nikolai needs new socks, but she has no yarn but after thinking hard while having tea, she knew what to do; she just has to unravels part of her story blanket and knits him some nice warm socks.

    Soon after, the postman found a scarf wrapped around his mailbag. Then the schoolmaster was surprised to find a pair of mittens on the woodpile when he brought in wood for the school stove. Before long, the grocer mysteriously receives a shawl to keep her warm. Meanwhile, the children had to sit closer on the blanket when they came for a story. The blanket became tinier and then one day, there was no blanket left to sit on.

    TSB2

    The villagers discover Babba Zarrah’s secret and decide to give her a surprise: wools in so many colours. She knitted a new story blanket and the children sit happily and comfortably while listening to her telling stories.

    But then she noticed a hole in a boy’s sweater. She smiled and knew what to do.

    The Story Blanket is a beautiful book not only for children but also adults. We are never too old to learn the beauty of sharing and to respect the wisdom of our elders and that each member of a community is of equal value.

    Illustrated by Elena Odriozola, The Story Blanket is one of the best illustrated picture books in which the story, illustrations, page layout, and design all come together to offer a great reading experience.

    The Story Blanket
    Hardcover – September 1, 2008
    by Ferida Wolff (Author), Harriet May Savitz (Author), Elena Odriozola (Illustrator)
    Age Range: 4 and up
    32 pages
    Publisher: Peachtree Publishers (September 1, 2008)
    Language: English
    ISBN-13: 978-1561454662

    Photo credit: ELENA ODRIOZOLA

  • MISC

    Fallen leaves

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    Dried leaves whirling down
    kissing the rainforest floor,
    Decaying and die.

    They become humus,
    Provide to the ground and soil,
    and the rainforest.
    —And the nature.
    —And the living.
    —And the earth.

    They give back. Have we?

    -Em, 290315, Permai Rainforest.