Packing for a working and business trip is really different from packing for a vacation. Specifically, the kind of clothes that go into luggage on a business trip aren’t the same as what I’d wear if I was going just to have fun i.e. I’ll just dress as I please, and usually with no dress sense. I’m pretty certain I’ll look really like a sloppy Singaporean, especially when friends like Ann remark about how the Japanese are in general very well-dressed with good fashion sense.
If the amount of clothes weren’t itself a consideration, my luggage’s packed now also with reference books and lecturing materials and accessories e.g. slides, projection pointers, VGA adapters, mice, thumbdrives, portable hard disk drives, and no certainly not stuff I carried with me when I was in San Francisco, Bali or Phuket. Obviously, something else had to make way: and unfortunately, it was camera equipment.
This time round, the only lens I’m bringing is the light weight 18-55mm, the vertical handgrip, the Gorillapod and ballhead and a single CPL filter. Quite unlike the previous trips when about 3-4 lenses, half a dozen filters, flash guns and the Manfrotto CF tripod would usually accompany me on a trip. This will be my first time putting the ‘pod and the new Lowepro Fastpack 250 to field use too.
It’s just as well that I’m not going heavy with optical equipment since from Wikitravel, Kumamoto itself isn’t exactly a touris-y city (you’d have to travel well beyond the city limits for the sights) though there’s still one or maybe two spots I’d like to take a look if I can find the time.
Oh yeah: Ling has reminded me this three times already:
“Dear, when you’re in Japan, don’t eat McDonalds every day OK? Must try the Japanese food!”
And that’s on account of that during the San Fran trip, I dined on fastfood everyday LOL.
In any case, the flight’s about six hours (I think), the bus trip between airport and city center another 2 hours, and another short cab ride between the city center and my hotel proper. I should be properly settled into the hotel at 1 pm on Saturday afternoon – hopefully – after which assuming that I get ready Internet access, my next blog post on arrival should appear.:)
I expect it’s easier to find quality dining in Japan, whereas in the US you’re practically stuck with fast-food chains unless you’ve done extensive homework and don’t mind traveling well out of your way.
oh man CY!!!! jap food is soooooooo good la!!! eat ramen, sashimi, sushi, hotpot, tempura, yakitori etc etc etc… MUST EAT JAP FOOD IN JAPAN!!!!!! aaahhhhh!!!!!! cannot eat Mac… ok maybe try once….
but then i’m not sure what’s nice in kumamoto… if you can find berkshire pork (specialty of kagoshima which is also in kyushu… the fatty pork we brought for steamboat that time neh), do try it… tonkatsu (deep fried pork cutlet) and shabu shabu (steamboat). WA!!!!
you’ve checked out jnto site? http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/kumamoto/kumamotoshi.html
got maps and link to official kumamoto site.
eh… your cab ride to hotel how long? can claim right? jap taxis r v expensive >.<
oh one more thing… in kyushu, the people are not as well-dressed as in tokyo and kyoto =)
Yep I’ve seen that site before.:)