Living Abroad

Over the last few month I have been asked on a growing number of occasions "What's in the bag man?"
So I am going to share with you how I do it and what the hell I have been carting around on my back for the last few years.

WHAT"S IN IT!

Backpack

I have to say the backpack I have has been so good to me and perfect for what I need. Some said before I left to get a cheap and nasty one but when you look at how these things work if one buckle or strap breaks you screwed until it can be fixed.
I've got an Osprey Crescent backpack with a 75 litre capacity. Some say that a bit big but no matter how much I put in it I can't seem to fit more than 20kg which is a crucial number when you want to avoid excess baggage costs with a growing number of airlines. The size is just right too. Not too big to squeeze onto crowded public transport or fit into small buses or luggage lockers.

- Top Compartment

• Harmonica - Still yet to master or even play this instrument
  
• Additional Straps - For attaching item to the outside of pack
  
• Collected tickets and memorabilia + coin collection
  
• Hidden compartment containing passport / insurance photocopies & US$200 cash in small notes
  

- Main Compartment

• Compact sleeping bag
  
• Quick drying towel
  
• 2 x Stuff bags for clothes
  #1 - Couple pairs socks & underwear + 5 T-Shirts
  #2 - Shorts, jeans and a pair of pants + board shorts (swimming shorts)
  
• 2 person tent
  
• Hat
  
• Winter Kit (Dark Green bag standing next to the backpack in the pic above)
  - One really warm jacket, One not so warm jacket, gloves & a beanie (woolen hat)
  
• Toiletry Bag
  - Toothbrush, toothpaste, moisturizer, deodorant, shampoo, body wash, sunscreen,
  shaving stuff, hair gel, tweezers & nail clippers
  
• Medical Bag
  - Load of medication from heartburn to diarrhea stoppers and starters + bandages,
  hypodermic needles, gauze pads, iodine etc. & condoms
  

- Bottom Compartment

• Trekking shoes
  
• Thongs/Flip-Flops/Jandals
  
• 'Dressy' shoes
  
• Sleeping kit with eye patch, neck pillow & soft ear plugs
  
• Medical book - For how to use all the medication above
  
• Backpack bag - Fits entire backpack in & fully lockable
  
• Stuff Sack 1 - Yellow
  - Mini calculator, bottle opener, torch, sunglasses strap, mobile phone,
  GPS unit (used for mapping & GeoCaching http://geocaching.com), universal power adaptor & Buff head-wear
  
• Stuff Sack 2 - Blue
  - Sleeping sheet, universal bath plug, clothes line, pack of cards, multi-tool, spare SD memory card,
  steel wire & padlocks, battery charger and 4 x long life batteries, custom molded ear plugs
  

Daypack

• Sunglasses
  
• Cigarettes & lighter
  
• USB stick
  
• Digital Camera
  
• Tissues
  
• Document wallet
  
• Music 'pod'
  - iPod Nano, headphones, USB power adapter & cable + stereo jack cable
  

CONNECTION WITH THE WORLD

Well of course there is email, what person from my surrounding generations doesn't have an email address they can access anywhere in the world. My personal one isn't the most professional (or related to my talents!) but it is memorable, so when meeting people for just a minute amount of time you can drop the address in the conversation and chances are you'll hear from them again.
Then there are the 4 main websites I use to communicate and share my experiences through.
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Jason.W.S - This site has really changed the way I can stay in contact with people and also see what everyone else is up to when I don't have so much time to send individual emails.
Travellerspoint http://www.travellerspoint.com/member_profile.cfm?user=RedMonkey - Besides the blog it has a fantastic mapping feature which I keep regularly updated so not only others can see where I have been but for me to be able to pinpoint a specific date and know where I was.
CouchSurfing http://www.couchsurfing.org/redmonkey - Have been quite active on here recently and it provides both places to sleep and access to people everywhere who you can pick there brains for local knowledge and ideas.
SmugMug http://redmonkey.smugmug.com - Online photo storage at its best. Love it!

Then of course there is Skype which is a fantastic idea, but trying to find computers that are fast enough or have the equipment to make a call can be a challenge.

Online privacy is also a big issue there days with potential employers, embassies and who knows who else trying to search for dirt on you, which is why I use the alias of 'RedMonkey' to keep those unwanted eyes away from my online presence.

MY ONLINE COMPUTER

Not travelling with a laptop is seem by some as a crime in this digital world and if I was to add up the amount of money I have spent in Internet cafes I might just change that decision. I have no need for a laptop while I'm on the move as everything is already online and readily accessible. Gone are the days of having to delete emails as your inbox is bursting with messages and so is full of information, files, photos, contacts etc. I use a service called Box http://www.box.net which is basically a online hard drive you can arrange just like on a normal computer plus give access rights to whoever you like to view and edit. Here lives all sorts of files from resumes, job applications, scanned images, insurance and passport documents, random writings and anything that's worth keeping.
Another service which I just love is MP3Locker http://www.mp3tunes.com and as the names suggests it has all my music from my laptop online and synced up, allowing me to play and download anywhere in the world my music library just as if my laptop was in front of me.

MONEY MATTERS

Every traveller has a different way they deal with there money. Here is mine and I love it because it works so well for me and have yet to get into a real sticky situation of not been able to access my funds....unless of course there are none actually there!
In the age of Internet any bank that want to do serious business has some kind of Internet banking which makes it all too easy to keep a track of everything from transferring money to making domestic and international payments.
I travel with two credit cards, not because I'm greedy for cash but for the simple fact that I only have one on me at a time, so if I get mugged; no worries just dig out the other and where off again. The other and probably more important reason is that one is a MasterCard and the other a Visa as despite what there marketing would have you believe, either or are not accepted everywhere and with some countries only accepting Visa and vice verse.
Another method I have been using this year is that of a pre-paid credit card which is basically the same as a normal one except you load it with funds yourself and can't spend over that amount. Around every month I will load it with my monthly budget and use this card for all my spending, so when the ATM doesn't want to give me any cash I know I have maxed out on the budget and its time to hit the bread and water! The other advantage is that as it has no credit limit if someone was to steal this card and access it or 'double swipe' it the only money they can get is what you have put on there. In other words not so much compared to some of the credit limits banks are giving out these days.
On top of all of this I have some investment in shares and this acts as my 'emergency fund'. So if everything goes tits up I can just sell out and cash up giving me instant fund for a flight home or somewhere safe after being transferred the funds through a service such as Western Union. Plus while its waiting to be used it's hopefully making money on itself!

That's pretty much how my life is sorted out and with the daily onslaughts of bus timetables, visa applications, exchange rates, local customs, languages, currency and jumping through hoops of bureaucracy once and a while it certainly keeps me on my toes and seems to be working alright.

My Backpack, My Life, Our World

25 years of life on this earth. 25 years of breathing, learning, evolving......living!

It seems that every half decade is a milestone as such when past the teen numbers. 22,24,23 bear no significance like that of 20,25,30 etc. Moments in time where it seems reasonable to look back and remember the past. To what has been achieved, goals reached and lessons learnt. Something which I rarely do but what time time than my 25th birthday and thought I would share.

I can only think back about 5 years or so, anything before that seems to be quite a blur.
So here are the weeks surrounding July 16th for past years gone.

2005
"Fresh off the plan & not so fresh out of Glastonbury"

My arrival date to England was set in concrete, all travels had to end by this date as the excitement for this one event had been building for months. Glastonbury Festival, the biggest performing arts festival in the world and my only chance to taste the goodness as by the time it returned in 2007 my visa would have all but run out.
Coming fresh of the plane from Amsterdam I can still remember the very words the customs official pronounced at Bristol airport.
"Sir, you need to realise that drugs are not tolerated here as in The Netherlands and any misuse of the law will result in your deportation. Have a pleasant working holiday sir."
Arriving in Bristol with no camping gear whatsoever, an effort was made to rectify this problem. Not so much the camping side but more the drinking side of things, although this did not have a favourable outcome.
Standing at the festival gates I knew I had to find somewhere to stay; surly all these tents people are bringing won't be filled with bodies. And they weren't. I managed to find my spot inside a ti-pi tent with Jen, Joe, Catherine and numerous others and we all enjoyed the mid and music together.
It's weird as I don't think I could do that again; just turning up and finding people to stay with at the drop of a hat.
I managed to stay on at the festival as a litter picker, my first job in England and definitely not my last. Being out of contact with the world in the middle of Worthy Farm meant that the unfortunate events that rocked London were not known until days after and thus decided to stay in Bristol until things settled down.
I had found a place to live in what would be my new home for the years to come. London. Arriving to a house in the eastern suburbs which everyone had previously told me to avoid, but the price was still out of my budget and had no choice but to take it. And so was living in E10 - Leyton with a bunch of South Africans.
I don't think I was working at the time, but I do remember marking my birthday with a drink at the local pub.
For those that don't know any South Africans it might be hard to understand but they have, well a way about them. Words were said to another group and before I knew it everyone was running out of the pub sprinting down the street as a car roared after us and the group that was also previously in the pub jump out with cricket and baseball bats. One concussion latter and a few scrapes, brad (nursing his black eye) and I were off to celebrate the proper way at GlobalGathering Festival just north of Shakespeare's old joint.

2006
"Monsters, Bulls, Tents & Trucks"

A full on few weeks, after a bit of organising it was time to start the first leg and off to Scotland it was. Spending 3 days honing around seeing anything that was anything from our little yellow bus, we managed to cover a lot of ground; as far north as the Isle of Skye and back across to Aberdeen glimpsing at numerous lochs and mountains as they whizzed by and what any tour would not be complete without a visit to Loch Ness for a bit of monster spotting. Before long it was back to Edinburgh to meet up with Anna; who I was travelling with in Russia, a few more days in Scotland and then down to Spain to start my new and very brief job.
San Fermin festival was fast approaching and thousands of people were about to decent on the Spanish town of Pamplona and hundreds of which would be camping at the camp site I was now employed; well if we got the tents up in time. The details are vague but the memories rich. Jo, Emma, Jacquie all making it worth wild as it was shit work. The memory of a rather large lady squawking orders, picking used condoms from the tents of last season, melting in the 35 degree Spanish summer and being given detention for a reason I can't remember but having to cook dinner for a bus of new arrivals at 3am, and finally enjoying the benefits of what a security uniform and Mag torch can bring. But we were here for one reason, to be chased round the narrow streets of Pamplona whilst intoxicated and covered in red wine with a pack of seathing angry bulls at your heels.
A quick stopover back in London for some last minute preparations and it was back in the air; this time to Berlin.
Not being the first time in the German capital this time I was here for one reason. Love Parade 2007 and what would be the last parade held in Berlin. This single event has to be the greatest and most amazing birthday experience I have has to date. Being granted passes from my recent bar job I picked up at Ministry of Sound in London, myself and Tara were granted access to ride on the MoS float through the swarm of international revelers for hours on end. Such an unbelievable experience and one that won't be forgotten anytime soon!

2007
"Ibiza Ibiza"

What an interesting summer 2007 was. Big highs, big lows, penniless and an illegal alien. The stress of Ibiza was at its height in July. The midway mark from the day I arrived and the point where something had to give. Living in a one bedroom apartment with at that time 7 others was the start of the fracture.
Money issues were starting to become a serious problem and paying the rent a struggle but still we slogged on. An unsuccessful attempt to get my passport re-stamped in Switzerland to allow another 3 month stay proved a waste of time but provided some valuable alone time which was quite a rarity on the island. Upon my return it was this alone time I began to cherish and decided to leave the party capitals for a view on a more realistic lifestyle waiting on the other side. It was here I spent the 16th. Basking in the sun and riding the surf of the clear blue waters and capping it off watching the sun set with the rhythmic percussion of drums in the background. A true escape from paradise.

2008
"Sleepless in Seattle"

Having just arrived in Seattle after too many days at sea steaming from San Francisco, the last thing I wanted to do was spend it with my fellow crew members. So after finishing off the awesome cake shaped like a guitar (strings & all!!) made by the on board chef, I strolled into town looking for something to do. Preferably with music and definitely with alcohol.
Well things just happened to fall into place and whilst having a bite to eat under the shadow of the Space Needle friends were made and a long night ensued, American style. To think that a year before I couldn't even afford to buy food to rewarding myself with a massive juicy steak and gallons of beer; it was a start of a new beginning.
Being the beginning, money had to be made; so it was back to work the next morning after an hour or so of sleep to wash down the boat yet again in the freezing Seattle summer.

Either i just can't find any photos or it was just so un-eventfull I just didn't take any!!

2009
"From Europe with Love"

Predicting a year of change earlier in the year, it certainly hasn't disappointed. The mind maturing, the ideas changing, the goal posts moved. The past few weeks have been that of excitement. Having just left Belarus after 2 weeks of an extraordinary cultural experience and plant in motion for a 2 month trip through Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran; the gloom of the months before seems to have past as realisations are brought into the daylight.
I have a feeling that 25 is a milestone for me. The year my eyes opened to things once closed. The year where money is no longer a problem and the year were I become proud of what has been achieved for the first time.
To celebrate this special year it needed to be marked somehow; a permanent reminder to look back on and not forget the achievement.
A few months ago Roderigo and myself came up with a tattoo idea. This idea is now a permanent symbol on my inner wrist to never be forgotten and to give energy when called upon.

I can't help but wonder and be filled with excitement for what the next 5 years will bring, as so far my life on this earth has been lived with no regrets and I plan on keeping it that way.

Peace xx

I've had many ideas in the past, some of which I have acted on; others simply dissipate back into the cells that created them. But the majority seem to originate whilst riding some form of transport, in particular buses.

There seems to be no logic, direction or focus on any particular subject just random glitches in the brainwaves triggering a series of events. Past glitches have included numerous web based sites ranging from Worldwide Walking Styles to one focused on young Europeans and "Capturing the Flag" and to the creation of new devices and sporting events. But the one thing that makes an idea great is it implementation, evolving from the idea of creation to creating the idea.

On a trip in the last few days through rural Belarus one such idea was born. Perhaps the conditions were just right for such a creation.
taking the normally4.5 hour trip from Brest to Grodno I took my seat in what can only be assumed as a 1980s Russian "bus". Unlike its European cousins it is minus a few of the things that seem to be taken for granted on an intercity bus. Shock absorbers, padded seats, air conditioning and a fully working engine have not yet made it to this part of Belarus yet it seems. At first the air conditioning was noted as non existent; as the temperature outside hovered around the 30s and the humidity off the chart, but luckily this model had working windows available.
We set out from Brest at our top seep of 70 Km/h along what I am reluctant to call roads. Arching up and down like a bucking bull as the driver tried to avoid any hole bigger than his tyres. The roads here are terrible, not the worst I have come across but when your sweating uncontrollably and hovering 2 inches above your seat it doesn't make for a pleasant ride. The Belorussians have also created a novel idea to traffic control. Upon entering a village and to reduce the speed of the traffic they have taken the simple hump and multiplied it! Just in case the first one didn't slow you down there are four more in front of it to really get you down to a snails pace. Although it seems that our driver is either partially blind or has already lost all sensation in his body as he didn't appear to slow down at all, instead his human cargo were flung around in the sweat filled interior as he continued on his way.

Well we pass through many villages but it was one that finally managed to bring up to a halt, Two things happened as we hurtled over the last in a series of humps.
One, the bus finally gave in and sputtered to a stop with a wisp of smoke chocking its passengers.
Second, it set of a chain reaction of brain waves. Arking and sparking and giving birth to an idea.
Naturally I can't give too many details as it is well...the Internet, but am in the process of registering a domain name. I'm not sure what exactly I'll do with it but gives it some sort of starting point.

The idea of spontaneous, totally unplanned travel by using only what you know and your skills to get from a specific destination by whatever means. Uncomfortable travel as such it not only pushes, grows and evolves a person it creates an environment where you meet and interact with local people thus gaining a true insight to a specific country. "Drop Me Off Here" creates an environment where the human spirit of survival, achievement and determination are binded together for the ultimate satisfaction.
As the idea stands at the moment I see a series of web based documentaries supported by online diary entries whereby upon entering a country the team of two is met by a pre-organised person with local experience and taken hours, days or weeks to a unknown destination and "dropped off". The complexities begin right from the start as only knowing what country your in and not having a map, guidebook, phrasebook or any traditional travel tools; just working out where you are to non-English speaking locals and how to get away is the first of many challenges.
The idea can also be done in cities such as New York, Mumbai, Tokyo and even London. Trying to find a destination armed with just an address and no access to a map or tourist information.

Of course for this to work I need a camera person.
So if anyone out there has a few weeks free to travel and some semi-pro video equipment and also not be afraid to "get in it" to get a shot let me know as I would be very interested to see how this pans out and if I would actually be up to the challenge myself.

I wrote a few weeks back a rather sombre post and have decided to throw some spontaneity into my own plans. I've extended my trip here in Belarus as a result of meeting some wonderful people and hearing the replies to my countless questions about their country.
I think perhaps I have become bored of Europe, its not a challenge anymore; its too easy. Travelling in Europe is now inside my comfort zone unlike before, so its time to move the boundaries again.
I'm thinking the The Urals; Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia for a month or so to quench the thirst. We will see.

....all swirling through my head, but the answers seem to be elusive; asking question upon themselves, turning into a riddle of never ending pursuit.
Perhaps the answers to the questions aren't the answers after all.

Since the start of May when the latest adventure begun, the questions had started; a trickle at first and now a raging torrent of mercy unknowns. What has caused this floodgate to open at this very time? Yet another question that gets snagged in the whirlpool of my thoughts.
I could easily take the easy option and connect it with another event that also occurred at the start of May, but I don't think that would solve it; for these questions are far too big to pin on one event, surely? Perhaps the trigger; the seed was planted and now it grows, growing into a tree of uncertainty with a fragrance of excitement.

I think a new mind is sprouting from the soil, once which like its natural counterpart is vulnerable in the beginning but grows into something strong and sturdy. I think the days of disappearing into the unknown for month on end by ones self are drawing to a close. The sanctification and excitement has faded, faded to a point of unexcitment if ever a word existed. Perhaps I have reached the goal that was never clearly set when I first embarked.
Trekking about searching, discovering, celebrating but not sharing has certainly lost its charm. The months, days, hours and minutes of talking and sharing with who? only passers by in a time line moving ever so quickly. Acquaintances of substance; yes. Acquaintances of knowledge; no. Knowledge of who I am and what I believe in, perhaps no one really knows, but there lies yet another question.

The mind is turning into a self destructive entity, evolution? or just a mental appraisal. Questions long since answered brought to the table for evaluation. What am I doing? Where am I going?, Why am I here, where I am? and the more superficial ones of Should I go study? Return home?, Get a real job and start making a like for the future?.
Well spending the majority of the 24 hours in a day with nobody but myself is starting to get a bit tiresome. It's not normally a problem and is actually quite normal for everyone, but when you have so much to share and no one to share it with in that very moment, well it just loses it magic.
So in the theme of self-appraisal, the following cuts have being made. All current travel plans are to be binned, including this very one I have embarked on.
The Balkans & South Eastern Europe - Binned
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia & Thailand - Binned, Binned & Binned
Eastern Island & Chile - Binned
A knee-jerk reactions? possibly. But I see no pint doing these things when there are definite signs that change needs to happen, and what are travel plans; exactly that - plans.

What happens next? Well I'm not so sure, and that's what I want. The last few months have been well not stressful but I guess anxious in a way. The laid back Jason that I know must have got left behind somewhere because I certainly don't feel easy going at the moment. Rushing around from one place to the next, smoking like a chimney, drinking like fish; all warning signs that I guess I'm the only one that's going to see. So something needs to happen...and happen it shall!

The fact that I'm in love with a fairytale is certainly not helping matters and for what I reason is the stem of the questions. The seed was dropped and has grown uncontrollably. The fact that one person, one person can UNKNOWINGLY change ones outlook, goals and there ideals has come as a huge shock to me, but in turn set a powerful message, one I can't ignore or try to bury. What will be the fate of this seed? Time will tell, what ever way is goes the positives will definitely be enriching.
When I think it's all solved in my head, I have merely pushed it to one side before it slams back to center stage demanding attention.
So this is numero uno priority, I need to sort this out before it cripples my mind even more so. One way or the other the answers to the questions needs to be told weather I like the answers or not.

So as predicted earlier in the year, this is a year of change; one that is in full swing and all a bit overwhelming but a year that I will look back on and hopefully be proud.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Seeing as I seem to have an internet access where ever I go, this one of the first in hopefully a continued list of blogs that I will publish that isn't related to the actual travel but the issues surrounding it and that of being a perpetual traveler.

.