Last week I wrote about my flight suit. Today let’s examine the anatomy of my flight bag, which I affectionately call my Little Buddy because it basically totes my life around for me when I’m on the road. After multiple attempts at trying carry-on bags of different shapes and brands, from hard cases to soft duffel bags to designer totes, I’ve settled on a simple black computer rolling bag with just enough room for my essentials while compact enough to be easily lifted into the overhead bin. Unfortunately it only fits under the seat in first class cabins.
So what are these essentials besides my laptop, phone, ipod, digicam and their respective chargers? An international converter block that’s seen me through 6 continents–best invention ever besides the Internet:
A set of cashmere blanket and eye mask so that I don’t have to use the public ones on the plane; I’ll stick to my own cooties, thank you. This particular set was from the Banana Republic holiday collection a few years ago:
A pair of burnt orange silk and mink-trimmed Prada slippers in their matching case pretty enough to double as a clutch; I got this on a trip out to the Prada outlet mecca just outside of Florence, Italy almost a decade ago! I’ll wear these in my seat (or the hotel room) but put my shoes on to walk around the bacteria pod otherwise known as the airplane:
A change of clothes in case my suitcase gets lost. As there’s not much room, it usually means underpinnings, extra pair of socks, and another black shirt or knit dress that can be neatly rolled up. I’ll also include a floppy hat that’s good for sun and rain (Burberry and Juicy Couture offer great choices). You never know exactly what kind of weather awaits you when you exit the airport.
A Ziploc bag of essentials that pass TSA muster:
As you can see, mostly skin care products and things to battle germs. My favorite item is that single-use toothbrush; awful for the environment but super convenient for me! No makeup concessions except for the lip gloss (my toiletry bag always gets checked in) so I just have to pray my face doesn’t melt by the time I land.
As for entertainment, I already have books and music downloaded to my smart phone. At most I might stash some fashion mags inside the outside pocket of my bag and blow through them on the plane so I can lighten the load by the time I reach my destination.
It’s hard to imagine that my whole life can fit inside my Little Buddy, but basically my work is on my laptop, my memories are in my digicam, and my contact to the outside world is my phone. Everything else is replaceable if my luggage doesn’t make it. And yep, that’s a perfect excuse to go shopping 
.
Tags: Burberry, Juicy Couture, Prada
A reader had recently asked if I had a certain outfit for long flights, and it’s something I’d thought about often when I first started to travel a lot–usually when I was already on the plane and regretting what I’d worn. Trust me, I’ve seen all those photos of Posh Spice (aka Victoria Beckham) leaving the airport with not a hair out of place, dressed to kill, armed with some fantastic bag, and I’m here to tell you, it’s all about having your own plane. Because whether I’m flying first, business, or coach class, it’s going to be hard to look fab after any flight lasting longer than 4 hours. I’d need to book an extra ticket for a makeup artist, hair person, and personal stylist for me to look like that upon landing. Fine, also someone to man the wind machine.
For “short” flights (3-6 hours) you will most likely find me in pants (usually khakis with stretch), sneakers, black shirt (in case of spillage by someone in the seat next to me), and a light-weight cashmere hoodie that’s not bulky in case I also have to wear a coat (layering is important when you can’t control the cabin’s temperature and cashmere can be easily rolled up to fit inside your purse or carry-on bag when you don’t need it).
My uniform is tidy and comfortable but nondescript so that I can blend in almost anywhere. The last thing I want to do when going overseas, or almost any public place involving large crowds, is to stick out like a sore thumb. But I also want to be respectful and not look too sloppy. I also find that, whether it’s fair or not, when I need to curry some favor from the airline’s ground crew, I get more help when I don’t look sloppy. That’s just how the world is. So save the cutoff shorts and muffin tops for a picnic maybe?
I don’t recommend sandals or flip flops–even though they are easier to slip on and off when you go through security–because of the public restrooms in airports and on planes. Closed-toe shoes are critical for this reason alone. Plus I remember getting stranded unexpectedly more than once in cities that had inclement weather, wearing pretty but useless sandals that did not protect my toes from rain and snow. So I repeat, closed-toe shoes are critical. It’s not a crime to kick them off once you’re in your seat.
For longer flights, especially the ones involving sleeping on the plane, I have mixed feelings. I have tried wearing dresses–anything with a stretch and that doesn’t wrinkle, and in fabrics appropriate for the weather. The only problem is that some dresses can flag you for an extra round of security check (note to self: TSA does not like maxi dresses), even though it is easy to look smart in a slim black dress even after 12 hours on the plane. So sometimes I’m in my black dress uniform and other times I’m in the look from above. But that black gauze cotton dress I picked up from Target last week…I think I might give it a go on my next flight this summer. I could wear it with the closed-toe espadrilles on the plane and then the peep-toe heels when I go out to dinner that same night:
I now dress for travel while adhering to the Boy Scout motto: be prepared. I always ask myself if, God forbid, there were some emergency, would I be able to run or jump or help someone in my outfit? Therefore, gone are the days of wearing stilettos on the plane–unless I really have no time to change out of a business suit and Louboutins before catching a plane after a meeting. I save those for when I reach the destination. Though I must say, the extra 4 inches from the heels go a long way in reaching overhead bins!
But utility is no fun, am I right? Where’s the joy in dressing like a boy scout when you can look like Victoria Beckham? Well, I’ll concede that vanity and practicality are not mutually exclusive, so I like to accessorize my flight uniform with a fantastic bag or some key personal item (like a watch or Hermes muffler) that I will need when I land anyway. The plane ride is just the means to an end, and comfort is a top priority. Perhaps I won’t look like Posh Spice when I land, but at least I won’t resemble Scary Spice either. Uh, not that there’s anything wrong with looking like that.
In the next entry we’ll look at what’s always inside my carry-on bag.
PS: this is the Chanel mule I featured yesterday. Another reader had asked for a shot of the heel and I’m always happy to comply with gratuitous eye candy!
Tags: cashmere, Chanel, Louboutins, Posh Spice, Scary Spice, Victoria Beckham
The Vancouver winter Olympics this year is practically in my backyard (well, it’s on the west coast) but NBC is still doing tape delay in my time zone. So it’s been tough to stay off the internet in order to watch the events before the results are released everywhere. What’s tougher is watching some of the events start after 10pm on TV when I know they have already finished in real time. It’s frustrating to not be able to watch a sporting event live, but no doubt I am fixated on all of the skating events, from short track to figure skating.
Ice skating has traditionally been fueled with politics, and the recently revised scoring system doesn’t seem to have tempered the tension at all. From the old battles of the cold war to the fighting words of the new war between the two camps, whether you are Team Lysacek or Team Plushenko, the world of figure skating has not changed much. But that’s part of the hassle of watching this great sport. So many drama kings and queens in the mix…and I’m just talking about the commentators, coaches, and judges. As a fan I have to filter out all the noise and just enjoy the skating because, all trash talking aside, there’s been some fantastic skating so far.The focus should just be on the athletes. I can’t wait to watch the next few ice dancing competitions. Imagine all the drama, fashion, and tension that have to unfold on top of the ballroom dancing on ice blades. What’s more entertaining than that!
If I could be anyone for one day it might be designer Vera Wang. I’d offer my services to outfit all of the Olympian skaters and not just Lysacek. BTW, did anyone notice the encrusted snakes on Lysacek’s costume in his long program? She had released that same wrap-around snake as a necklace a season or two ago, which I wasn’t able to score. So if I were Vera for a day I could snag that necklace for myself and crank out a couple of outfits for the pairs teams as well!
Well, I’m going back to the Tivo to see what else NBC aired around 2am…most likely the medal ceremonies. Is it just me or do you also wish the athletes knew the words to their national anthems? I think if I were on the podium I’d be bawling while howling the anthem. It’s probably a good thing I’m not an Olympian. Anyway, I think the best way to see the Olympics is to brush out the old passport. Sochi, see you in 2014.
Tags: figure skating, Lysacek, Plushenko, Sochi, Vancouver, Vera Wang, Winter Olympics
By the time you read this the Year of the Tiger has already begun in Asia. Here in LA, it is just the eve of Tết (Vietnamese lunar new year) so I’ll take a quick break from the FIMTSO series to blog about one of our new year traditions: the bánh chưng, a salty cake made of glutinous rice stuffed with pork and mungbean…
and wrapped in lá dong (leaves), which are sometimes substituted with banana leaves.
The lore behind this cake is that King Hùng Vương had a competition for all of his sons to determine who could create the most delicious dish to be offered to the ancestors at the altar. The reward for first place was the throne to the land. Legend had it that the bánh chưng was created by the king’s poorest son who had no money to buy expensive ingredients like his brothers did. Instead, he wrapped the common ingredients of pork and mungbean inside rice flour, in the shape of a green-leafed square to represent the earth…
The bánh chưng was accompanied by the bánh giày, a plain cake of glutinous flour in a round shape to represent the sky. King Hùng Vương was so moved by the delicious concoction made of simple, every day ingredients, presented in way so respectful of the universe and ancestors that he deemed this dish a national dish, and our pauper prince Lang Liêu won the throne.
So to this day, the bánh chưng is associated with Tết and you will find it on most if not all Vietnamese altars and dining tables. But these days you can buy it year-round at Vietnamese stores. For a few Vietnamese churches and temples it is a big fundraising event around the lunar new year. At my parents’ church in Texas earlier this month (where these pictures were taken) I was lucky enough to volunteer a few hours one afternoon with the parishioners whose assembly line has been perfected after all these years. In a meeting room, tables are set up as stations. Volunteers are assigned to cutting leaves, cleaning leaves, preparing the ingredients, forming the cakes, wrapping the cakes, and tying the wrapped cakes. As a newbie I was only allowed to clean the leaves but next time, I’ve got my eye on building the cake inside the bamboo molds.
Their bánh chưng has been (mail) ordered by families around the country and even shipped across the continents to sons and daughters serving in Iraq and unable to celebrate Tết at home. I didn’t go through the proper channels to get permission this time so I can’t identify this church. But next year I will so that I can plug them a little bit more here…not that they need my help. Their wait list is a mile long.
The bánh chưng is literally cooked to death for 14 hours, and if you are lucky enough to eat it fresh, steaming warm, then it’s moist and sticky to the taste. You can freeze the leftover and re-steam it after a year without losing any flavor. But my favorite way is to flatten then pan-fry it till it is crispy:
My mom has special ordered a vegetarian one for me and I’ll get that in a couple of weeks when she comes out here. My mouth is already watering thinking about it. There is a cool way to open this cake and I’ll blog about it later.
At the risk of identifying a few faces here, I thought I’d post this video showing the last step of tying the bánh chưng so you can get a glimpse of this wonderful tradition:
Happy New Year everyone!
Tags: bánh chưng, bánh giày, Hùng Vương, Lang Liêu, Tết, year of the tiger
Coming home after 5 weeks abroad is a bit unsettling. I wouldn’t call it jet lag but rather brain lag, as in trouble remembering passwords. And how to drive. But give me 24 hours to sort through a box full of mail, lots of packages (!), and some of that famous LA sunshine and I’ll snap back to my life away from the road. But as it turns out, there’s been nothing but serious rain here–though the sun is peeking out today–and I’ve come home to one surly furkid on strike…
jury duty (which happens to be an attempted murder case and I’m both fortunately and unfortunately dismissed from the panel), and the stray who’s NOT on strike:
Does he look like he hasn’t grown all that much since I last blogged about him? I was going to take him to the animal shelter with the heavy rains and all, but then one day he showed up with 3 more cats in tow, all different breeds of various ages. I don’t think they were his posse or entourage since he was growling at them to defend his food. That same night an overfed raccoon made an appearance on my patio so now I can’t leave food outside for him anymore.
But where was I? So yes, back in LA, this weekend has been all about sports. We have two NBA teams here, the beloved Lakers and the stepchildren Clippers. It doesn’t really matter to me who’s playing for LA, though, because I’m all about the San Antonio Spurs. See number 20 on my back in today’s first pic? This is the real number 20:
And this is the court inside the Staples Center where the Clippers and the Lakers play:
But up there in the rafters, it’s all purple and gold, hence the stepchildren reference to the Clippers:
But I have to say, if the Clippers were another winning team it’d be much harder to score good seats at the very last minute to see my Spurs. And in these seats at the premier level–where you can opt to dine in the San Manuel Club (food is actually pretty good) or be served in-seat–
it’s the best way to get over that brain lag. The Lakers are hosting the Spurs tonight–will see if my Ginobilli jersey gets to go out again today.
On a last sports note, did anyone notice that the New Orleans Saints’ owner’s wife was wearing a CHANEL jacket from the 09P season? I know they were hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy and all but I just wanted to see her jacket in high-def. Now that’s a Super Bowl moment for me!
Tags: Clippers, LA, Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, San Manuel Club, Staples Center, Super Bowl
