This weekend we left our safe inner city neighbourhood and made a trip into the ‘hood (Millwoods). Actually, anyone who knows the city knows that there really isn’t one area that’s safer than another. Sure, there may be areas with newer homes and fancier cars, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t crime in those locations.

So, what was I doing visiting the ‘hood on a non-working day? I was shopping for clothes for my trip of course.

I managed to find 3 salwar kameez that I quite liked on Sunday. Two were fine as they were, but I needed sleeves put on the third so I’ll be driving back out to the store on Wednesday to pick it up. Add these to what I already have and I should be able to survive the expected sweltering heat in relative comfort and socially acceptable outfits. Besides, buying new salwars gives me something nice to wear when the weather warms up here. I love that everything co-ordinates – pants, top, dupati – I’m terrible at dressing myself and can use all the help I can get.

After checking get new salwars off the shopping list, it was onto the next item. I learned from experience last time I was in India that I don’t want to be carting around a bazillion bags with me. I also learned that if the bag isn’t in perfect condition and might need replacing during your travels – it’s better to get a new bag in Canada than it is to pay the exorbitant prices in India for a replacement to a broken suitcase.

Knowing that I:

1. don’t want to be carrying a large number of bags,
2. need a large, lightweight bag to fit all my stuff (the things I purchase on my travels to bring back as gifts),
3. need a bag made of sturdy stuff with in top condition, and
4. have to bring a laptop bag as my carry-on.

I settled on the supreme travel accessory for all Canadians – the wheeled hockey bag. It’s lightweight and sturdy, will easily take a beating, provides lots of room for packing goodies and presents to take both to and from India and the Philippines, and meets my one checked bag requirement. Sure, I’ll still need to weigh it to make sure I don’t go overboard when packing (clothes and shoes are heavy, who knew?) but at least I shouldn’t run out of space.

Now, if only my passport would arrive from the Consulate. 7 business days left before I leave and my passport isn’t yet in my hot little hands… Can you guess who’ll be calling and making a nuisance of herself today?

Technorati Tags: salwar kameez, India, shopping, suitcase, hockey, passport

Welcome to the 13th edition of the screaming pages Thursday Thirteen.

I know I’ve briefly mentioned this over the past few weeks, but it’s official – I’m heading to India from Jan 24th (landing Jan 25th) through Feb 22nd. I’ll then fly off to Manila from Feb 22nd through March 8th. Now the fun begins as I madly dash through all the preparations for the trip. Tickets have been purchased, travel visa’s have been applied for and the days before departure are flying by.

This week’s Thursday Thirteen outlines things I need to do before I can step foot on a plane.

Technorati Tags: thursday thirteen, t13, meme, travel, India, Philippines

Waking up this morning, we had a brief glimpse of snow. I didn’t have a chance to get too excited about it as it stopped snowing after dropping a very light dusting on the ground.

Mom heads back to New Brunswick next week and we’ve only a few more days to spend together before we all return to our “normal” lives.

My business visa application has been submitted to the consulate and now I wait for the return of my passport. I head to India on the 24th of the month and am looking forward to seeing a different section of the country than I had visited in 2003. This most recent trip to India includes stops in Gurgaon, Pune, Mumbai, and Bangalore.

I do intend to blog from India while I’m there, but it may be a bit more sporadic than when I’m blogging from Manila. Thanks to Luna over at LunaStone Designs, you’ll be able to keep track of where I am in the world during my travels. She’s created new India and Philippines themed headers for my blog that will appear once the travel has begun.

Technorati Tags: snow, travel, India, Philippines

There’s a good chance I’ll be travelling to India and the Philippines again in the new year and I’m currently running through the pre-trip preparation hoops – travel visa applications, visits to heath centres for shots and medications, investigating plane tickets and hotels…it’s been a busy few days.

I loved visiting Bangalore in 2003 and have been desperate to return to India ever since. This upcoming trip will be more of a whirlwind visit – spending approximately a week (each) in Gurgaon and Mumbai and a few days in both Pune and Bangalore.

After our tour of India, the plan is to head to Manila for about a week and a half. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to meet up with Eula, Pau and Paul when I hit the ground in Manila. I can’t imagine a trip to Manila without spending hours gabbing away with Eula. We’ve spent so many days and nights talking and sharing our impressions of the world around us that the conversation is as welcome as the escape from the Canadian winter.

Stay tuned for more details. As usual, I’ll do my best to blog during my travels, but will need to learn more about the available internet connections (I paid for access on a per day basis back in 2003) before I can promise daily updates while in India. Daily updates shouldn’t be an issue in Manila, as internet connectivity hasn’t been an issue in the hotels in the past.Â

Technorati Tags: Travel, India, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Pune, Philippines, Manila

I love to travel and I always thought I’d spent a decent amount of time traveling the world. Apparently I have a lot more traveling to do in order to really experience the world around me.

I’ve heard the NWT and Yukon are beautiful but at this time of year I have no motivation to visit these northern climes. I’m sure my time spent in Winnipeg should make up for missing the tip of the country.

Create your own personalized map of Canada or check out our Vancouver travel guide.

I always thought I’d seen more of the US than I had of Canada. Apparently I’ve missed an entire section of the US that I need to explore:

Create your own personalized map of the USA or check out our California travel guide.

As you can see, there are so many places I still need to go:

Create your own visited country map or check our Venice travel guide.

Technorati Tags: travel, maps, world