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Point and Shoot

12/16/2014

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PictureSunrise on Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Having forgotten to close the blinds on my east-facing window, I awakened one recent morning to the pinkish-orange streaks of a sunrise, an ethereal backdrop for the palms and leafy trees outside my home. I popped out of bed, scurried into the den and grabbed a camera. But I was foiled. In the few short moments this had taken, the brilliant hues had turned to a pastel remnant of their previous brilliance. The photos were unimpressive.

The same thing had happened to me earlier this year—in Vietnam when, touring Ha Long Bay on an ancient Vietnamese junk, I glanced through the chin-level bathroom window to see a “to die for” sunrise behind the stark karst formations. That time, with my camera near at hand, I scrambled on deck (yes, in my pajamas), the sunrise in full bloom. But I was foiled then too—this time, by my failure to realize that emerging from a room super-cooled by an erratic air conditioner into the steamy outdoor air would so cloud my lens that a clear photo would be a pipe dream. In the seconds between clearing the lens with a cloth and lifting the camera to eye level for the shot, the lens hazed over again and again. The best I got was a photo hazy around the edges after the most intense colors had faded.

We used to make a distinction between “good” cameras—those 35 mm creations that allowed, nay demanded, that you manually set shutter speed and aperture—and those cheaper numbers we called “point and shoot” that didn’t expect you to do anything, but push the button in return for photos that were passable, but usually far below professional standards.

Now, once you’ve selected the appropriate setting (landscape? night? indoor?), a “good” camera can pretty much function as a point and shoot. Taking a good photo is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time—being aware of the moment, keeping a camera close at hand, and going for the shot, all in all, a pretty good metaphor for life. I’ll try to remember that.   



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Getting Organized

12/6/2014

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Picture
A few years ago, one of my nearest and dearest who shall remain nameless tossed his apartment keys into his checked luggage as he hastily packed for a flight home. He arrived about midnight, but his luggage didn’t. You can imagine the rest. … There’s no way to get into a 10th-flour apartment through a window, and Manhattan locksmiths don’t work cheap in the middle of the night. Luckily, the hapless traveler hadn’t packed his credit cards.

He wouldn’t have been saved by any packing list in the world, but his story highlights the fact that advance planning—and early packing can sometimes save us from folly.

As the holidays approach, travel sites are full of advice on how to pack. Almost universally, they include depressingly detailed lists. (Tweezers, dental floss, moisturizer? Really?) I use a listless method myself. Long before I began traveling as much as I do today, I bought a toiletries bag that I packed once and haven’t unpacked since. It holds make-up, hair stuff, dental stuff, eyeglass cleaner, hand sanitizer—in other words all the things I’ll need, no matter where I’m going. When I return from a trip, I replenish whatever I’ve used and put the bag on the travel shelf ‘til I’m ready to go again. No list necessary.

Sitting on the shelf beside the toiletry bag is a banker’s box holding medication containers, a jewelry case, and small zippered packs for cords, chargers, batteries and plug adapters—stuff that can be easily packed in advance, with a minimum of decision-making required. Again, no need for a list. The containers serve as reminders. Also in the box are an umbrella, sunscreen, insect spray, and other items I need on some trips but not on others. Again, their presence in the box are my reminders.

Having all that stuff on the travel shelf means I’m half-packed before I start. The hard part, deciding what clothes to take, is a little less formidable with the detail stuff done.

One more tip: Do your liquids sometimes leak during flight? I used to seal bottles of mouthwash or hair spray or other necessary fluids in zip-type plastic bags and hope for the best—which usually meant a damp messy bag when I unpacked later. There’s a better way. After screwing on the cap, wrap scotch tape tightly around the joint where cap meets bottle—and take the tape with you so you can do the same thing for the trip home. Okay … I still put the container in a plastic bag (extra insurance, so to speak), but so far I’ve had no more wet bags to contend with.

Happy traveling!


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