It started when a Chinese-American friend posted this escalatingly funny Japanese video with chopsticks instruction.

This sent me searching for others in the “Japanese Tradition” series. I’ve learned so much today about:

• The Japanese Tradition–apologizing
  “Ojigi: The rudimentary apology for upstanding citizens. . .  back bent to 45 degrees. Common mistake: 35 degrees is a greeting.”
• The Japanese Tradition–origami
  “A showdown between rival masters is traditionally called a ‘fold-off.’ . . . [When there is a tie], this is called “folding the match.’”
• The Japanese Tradition–sushi
  “Sushi is served on Japanese sandals called ‘geta.’ The geta is sterilized first so it safe to eat from. Some people then wear them home.”

Hmmm. I’m thinking I’ll need additional lessons before I decide to go to Japan again.

How about it, Japanese friends and those who’ve been there? Anything to add?

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We included a few slides of then-and-now photos– shots we took trying to duplicate pictures in Esther Nelson’s albums, 1924-1951.

Afterward, one Chinese student asked if we could show more of those. I promised him I’d post some. For today, I’ve gather some shots of children.

In the early 1930s, Esther wrote home asking if someone could send designs for a kiddie car that she could give a local woodworker. In December 1936, she wrote: I do have so much enjoyment at Christmas time in making things and giving to the children. I knit a couple of suits for two children, had two kiddie cars made for others . . . 

Here are a couple of kiddie cars in 2012:

In Esther’s day, baskets carried many things, including babies. Today too.

Baskets also weren’t and aren’t bad for keeping tabs on baby on the ground too.

Little boys in every generation seem to be unsmiling about dressing up.

1940s. Photo by George Cole, colleague of Esther Nelson

2012

In cold weather, you still can see toddlers dressed in thick quilted clothes, chin to toe. And that’s indoors too where it may be as cold as outdoors. At this point, I’m going to mention something that will seem perfectly normal to most of my Chinese readers, and quite the opposite to most of the rest of you. Look at the red pants of the modern-day little girl. There’s a gap in the middle. She’s in church, so there’s cloth (the white center section) wadded in there, but otherwise, there’d be nothing–just an open middle from front waist to back waist, as you can see in last photo, taken last year.

Well, that’s all there is for today, so I guess there’s just one thing left to say:

The End.

In St. Thomas’ Hospital is the Florence Nightingale Museum. Appropriate place, because St. Thomas’ was where Miss Nightingale worked, struggling for reformation in nursing care, after her return from the Crimea.

Big churches and fine buildings have their places, but we were tired of them at the moment, so we turned our backs on Westminster Abbey and the tower of Big Ben to stroll across the Westminster Bridge. Couldn’t help noticing the rosy red cheeks of the little children, but none of the bobbies were on bicycles two by two. (Sorry, Roger Miller, I got carried away.)

Anyway, just on the other side of the Thames was the museum. It was the kind of place I can really enjoy. I wouldn’t have come to London just to visit the Florence Nightingale museum, but it was a small treasure worth seeing while I was there already.

Since then, it’s been renovated and what I read about it looks wonderful. Here’s a description of what you’ll find there now–better organization of exhibits, interactive experiences for both adults and children, digital opportunities to pursue topics more deeply, and the museum is physically accessible.

If you have the London Pass, the museum’s entrance fee is covered. Visit the museum’s website for closest public transportation.

Now, unless you’re in London at the moment, it’ll be a while before you go to the museum. So in the meantime, you can get a biography of Florence Nightingale (vol. 1 and vol. 2) and Notes on Nursing, What It Is, and What It Is Not, by Miss Nightingale, all free for Kindle.

One more thing. At the Florence Nightingale Museum I made a discovery that’s relevant this month, Black History month. You can read about it at my general blog, NoelPiper.com.

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So since then, I’ve limped along with the Kindle app on my phone–until our anniversary when my husband blessed me with a Kindle Fire.

Imagine my surprise to discover that a Kindle isn’t necessarily a Kindle. I still love Kindle, but only the ones that suit my needs.

You can read about it at my other blog, NoelPiper.com, especially if you’re considering a Kindle purchase.

It took me decades of Where’s-my-_____? before it sunk in that I need to be more attached to my possessions.

I realize my husband preaches against attachment to worldly goods, but I’ll justify myself this way: If I physically attach myself to whatever gets lost most frequently, then I don’t have to think about the phone, the keys, the eyeglasses, so therefore I’m not letting myself be overly attached to them, not letting them monopolize my mind and attention.

Therefore, when I’m traveling or at an event, I wear my camera around my neck like an accessory. For security, I like the Canon Neck Strap that’s a metal chain enclosed in clear plastic. I tell myself it’s like I’m wearing a silver necklace.

I’ve worked to make a habit of hanging my keys on a carabiner and hanging the carabiner on a handy loop on my purse, a shoulder bag, so that too hangs on me.  ( I always use the same purse with just the right arrangement of pockets, so I can reach in without looking and grab what I want. Phooey on fashion–changing purses is a surefire way to leave behind something I’ll need.)

As I’ve mentioned before, I usually wear my glasses hanging around my neck if they’re not on my face. After a year and a half, they’re hardly scratched and I usually know where they are.

What’s the item that’s most often lost, whether on the road or at home? My phone. Too many women’s clothes don’t have pockets, so I can’t keep it on me that way. I always have my neck with me, so that’s where the phone needs to hang. Up till now I’ve made do by stringing a lanyard through some opening on a regular case, but even if it sort of works, still the phone is hanging from just one point, and therefore is rotating free when I lean forward.

If you’re wanting the same thing, I hope my hours of searching online can serve for you too. Yesterday my Lanskin Case arrived. Yes! It’s all I’d been hoping for. The case is soft, but not the mushy kind of soft that stretches out in a few weeks. The surface is not slippery. The adjustable lanyard is of the same material and is built into the case, projecting from either side of the bottom of the case, so the phone hangs upside down. That way, you don’t have to flip it around to see it right side up. I wouldn’t mind if it came in purple, but the basic black (or white) is great. It’s available for iPhone and iPod.

If you’d rather have colors for iphone 4 or 4S, here’s one that looks really good. I was really tempted, but in the end preferred not to have the metal clips. But purple . . .   You can follow on FaceBook to know when the Liberty Case colors and/0r bling are out for iPhone 5.

I wish I could say I never lose anything anymore–that’s why mostly is in the title. But it’s lots better these days.

Related Posts:

Stocking Stuffers for the ADDer You Love

More ADD Gift Ideas

Gift Ideas for the Traveler You Love

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Quart-sized zipper bag (with travel bottles). I write bottles in parenthesis because it’s not them I use. The bag might seem expensive, but it’s worth it. I keep my liquids packed, ready to go anytime. This bag is sturdy plastic with a real zipper, so it can be closed on more items the quart-size from the kitchen cabinet, and it won’t pop open under pressure. This is especially good because as Mom, I’m the one with the extra stuff, like itch medicine and first aid cream.

First Class sleeper cushion. I felt really self-conscious the first time I slid this behind me and inflated it. But after using it one time . . . who cares what anybody else thinks? Now I don’t ever want to fly a long flight without this. Used as directed, it has the effect of letting you stretch out like flat in bed, even though you’re diagonal. It puts me in a position for my legs to be straight with my feet under the seat in front, without bumping my knees of the seat in front of me, so while I’m trying to sleep it doesn’t matter how much the seat in front of me is reclined. If I inflate it less, I can fold it in half for a lower back cushion.

No Jet Lag. This is another must when I’m crossing more than 2 time zones. Chew one pill (pleasantly sweet) taking off, then every 2 hours, and when landing. I admit that even without No Jet Lag, I don’t get hit as hard as some by the effects of jet lag. But with the pills, it’s even less.

Dual-voltage beverage heater. Dual voltage means I can use it in the US and internationally where the voltage is 220. I pack this with a non-breakable mug from home and whatever hot beverage mix we’ll want.

Collapsible water bottle. When it’s empty, it rolls up small. After I go through security in places where water is safe to drink, I fill it at a water fountain–lots less expensive than buying bottled water. When I’m in countries where water needs to be filtered. I might need to go ahead and buy bottled, but sometimes there’ll be a large filter container I can use to fill the bottle.

Headlamp. I can’t say enough good things about my headlamp. In places where there often are blackouts, I wear it like a necklace after dark, so I have it ready immediately with my hands totally free for serving, eating, mending, etc. On Joni and Friends wheelchair missions, our mechanics used headlamps regularly in the low lighting of the hall where we worked. For a long time I’ve kept a flashlight in my purse, even at home. Now I just keep my headlamp there instead.

Bandannas. Even when I’m not traveling, I always have a bandanna folded up in my purse (unless I forget to replace one that’s in the laundry). When I’m on the road, I have several. They’re one of my best multi-purpose tools. Napkin. Hand towel. Mop up spills. Sweat wiper. Neck sun protection. Washcloth (and even bath towel in a pinch). Cooler (saturate and wear around neck). Impromptu kid’s game (bandit mask, pirate headgear, cowboy kerchief , peekaboo with a baby . .).

 Kindle. I never have to wonder which books to pack or whether I have enough baggage weight allowance. On my Kindle, I  have hundreds of books with me, including sometimes tour guides for the place I’m visiting.

Flash drive (with more memory than you think you’ll need). I often need one of these, especially for transferring files to someone else’s computer–maybe for printing a document or giving the other person photos I’ve taken of them. The one that’s pictured isn’t one I have, but I like that there’s no cap to lose and that there’s a ring so I can fasten it to my bag (one less thing to wonder where it is.)

Three-prong adaptor. You never know when you’ll run into a socket that only takes 2 prongs. Then what do you do about recharging your laptop? I keep one of these in my everyday computer bag as well as in my travel electronics bag.

Extension cord. This is another way to add spaces to plug at least 3 more electric items. And often, even in nice places, the closest socket is across the room, so the extension cord brings electricity to where you need it.

Dual voltage power strip. This is the kind I have. There’s space enough between the sockets to allow for those bulky boxes on some of my electronics. Don’t assume that just any power strip you have at home will work internationally. I embarrassed myself by blowing the fuse twice in a guesthouse in Germany before I figured out that it mattered.

But I just saw this other travel power strip and I love it that it accommodates almost all the different international plugs.

 International plug adaptors. Even with a cool power strip like the one above, I’d want to take plug adaptors for plugging something in on the other side of the room, for example.

Electronics bag. At first glance, you might think this is a cosmetics or jewelry case, but you’d be wrong–at least about mine. Each little compartments is labeled with the electronic device or charger that goes into it, so I know at a glance if anything’s missing before I finish packing.

Packing cubes. I used to think these would be a waste of money, till I traveled with someone who used them. Then I was sold. I love the way they fill up the suitcase to the corners and compact stuff just enough so it’s not overflowing the edges of the case. And when I arrive, I pull out all the blouses at one time, or all the trousers, or whatever. It’s a time saver, and I don’t arrive home and say when I’m unpacking, “Oh there’s that scarf. I thought it was in there somewhere!”

Mini camera tripod. This is another of those items that’s in my purse at home as well as with me when I’m traveling. With the flexible legs, it can adapt to uneven surfaces or wrap around a tree branch. My most common times for using the tripod are when I’m setting up for a self-timed photo or for a video.

What are other things you must have when you’re traveling?

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What will I be offering?

1. Some of you may remember when I wrote about succumbing to wearing eyeglass “necklaces.” Since then I’ve gone more than a year with unscratched lenses and far fewer where-are-my-glasses moments. My mother loves hers too.

I wonder if others would like to accessorize like that. I hope so, because I’ll have dozens of eyeglass necklaces at the boutique, some with matching earrings.

2. Last year, a favorite item at my table was the knitted cotton dishcloths. They’re back again this year.

Visitors to my table last time stacked up cloths for Christmas and hostess gifts. To make this easier, there’ll be a lower per-piece price for the purchase of 2 or more.

3. Several years ago on vacation I made a pile of paper beads and never figured out what I wanted to do with them. I’ve used them all now to make Christmas stars for the boutique.

You may wonder why I choose to write about the boutique on my travel blog. What does this have to do with travel? Whatever my handwork earns goes into my travel fund. So if you buy something, later when you’re reading here about a ministry or research trip, you’ll know that your purchase helped make it happen.

If you’re in the Twin Cities area, I hope you can come to the boutique. Please stop and say hello!

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If you make a purchase after you click on some of the product links in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I had.
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The conference organizers hit a homerun when they housed a bunch of us at Homewood Suites in Lawrenceville, just across the line from Duluth.

The first impressions kept piling up. Yes, there can indeed be a bunch of first impressions—first of front desk, first of room, first of food . . .

Hotel staff.
When I arrived, I needed to sort out some room details for my 2 roommates and me. Heidy at the desk went above and beyond to rearrange things to make sure we had what we needed, even though the hotel was almost fully booked. An important part of the above-and-beyond is how courteous and solicitous she was. It’s too easy in too many settings for staff to do precisely the right things, but curtly, so you’re left feeling guilty for asking for help. Not here. And that proved true of all the others I interacted with.

Amenities.
Free WiFi. Free breakfast buffet. Free light supper Monday-Thursday. Pool. Exercise room. Kitchenette in each room or suite—full-sized fridge, microwave, dishwasher, coffee maker, dishes, flatware, etc.

Rooms.
Kitchenette, comfy sofa and ottoman/coffee table, desk, table for eating.

Food.
The breakfast included 3 hot items, for example: grits and scrambled eggs and sausage or oatmeal and eggs and something else. Then there were an assortment of breads, a DIY waffle maker, fruit, yogurt and I don’t remember what all else.

I was there for only one of the supper buffets (same place as breakfast)—hot dogs in buns and go-withs. A calendar of menus is magneted to the fridge in each room. I was using that day to think and prepare for speaking, so I appreciated not having to go anywhere or even think about where to go and how to get there.

By the way, the scones they served one morning were wonderful. I’ve eaten–or tried to eat–scones that range from brick-like to being too soft and more like just sweetish bread–even in England. And you usually can’t judge by looking. These would have pleased baby bear–ju-u-ust right.

Extra.
I’m not a housekeeperly type, so I was pretty impressed to find narrow vacuum tracks on the couch cushions.

What I wish.
I wish supper were available served every night. But that’s a small thing.

Next?
I’m going to be looking for Homewood Suites when I’m choosing a hotel!

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What is the criteria (denominational, doctrinal, etc). Compassion uses for selecting which local churches they will work with?

That’s an important question, and here’s the answer.

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If you make a purchase after you click on some of the product links in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I had.
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You can tell by its name, Tell Me When to Pack, that this is my travel blog. I’ve been writing here about the Compassion Sponsor Tour Talitha and I took to Guatemala, because that was definitely a trip.

But we’re home now and as I’ve said before here and here, the ministry of Compassion International is intertwined with other special interests of mine. Adoption, disabilities, and poverty are not limited to places one must travel to, so I’m shifting to NoelPiper.com to write my remaining thoughts and observations from Compassion and Guatemala.

Today, I’m thinking about Compassion’s Child Development Centers. Before we traveled, I was fuzzy about how Compassion relates to an individual child. One of the days of our tour was spent at a Center. Here’s some of what I learned . . .

Please read the rest and comment to ask any questions you have about Compassion. You’ll also find the link to photos from the Compassion Center we visited.

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If you make a purchase after you click on some of the product links in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I had.
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