OK. Still not Norway, but I should get out a few things while I remember them. For no better reason than I’ve been meaning to.
- If the plane you’re getting onto has stairs at the back, use them. At least 80% of passengers will sheepily head straight for the front. On cheapo airlines that don’t allocate seats, those at the back will get seats where they want.
- Move out of the aisle to put your bags in the overhead locker. Please. You are annoying an entire plane for no reason.
- Lonely Planet can lead you astray. Not all trails noted as “well marked” are so marked, and not all maps noted “excellent” are thus. Use your nose, and carry a compass.
- iPods are great for long, boring plane/bus/train trips, plus any public transport. If you can afford it, get one and extra travel insurance.
- If you have an iPod and a digital camera, buy an iPod Media Reader. You can offload photos from full media cards and use them again. Never run out of space. (Oh, always buy media cards on the internet. High street stores rip you off in every way.)
- If you’ve got a camcorder, buy a polarising filter. It’ll make a huge difference to any subject with skies or water.
- Watch your tapes back. A dud camcorder can record tapes that won’t play back, or play back poorly. This is bad.
- Getting a little away from travel now, aren’t I? When in Photoshop, never view a photo at anything but 25%, 50%, or x00%. If you view in other ratios (ie. you drag over an area with the magnifying glass) then the on-screen image will be distorted in important ways. It’s impossible to judge noise or sharpness in an image like that, so don’t try.
- Please, Londoners. Look for yourself before you cross the road. So the person ahead of you crossed. Great. You’re both going to die.
- And for god’s sake, get off your bloody mobile phones while you’re doing it. Your driving/walking/mobility IQ dropped by half when you plugged that phone to your head.
- Norway, please don’t be so paranoid about alcohol. (It didn’t work for Chicago.) But the kid-friendly stuff is great.
- Those fresh Norwegian prawns were pretty good, and I don’t even like prawns.
- I should have stopped already.
- Now that “I Power Blogger”, should I feel warm and fuzzy?
Sleep calls.