Monday, March 26, 2001
Well, it's pretty damned amazing how much stuff you have to buy in order
to pack light. (Luckily, I never really spend money on
anything—definitely not clothing—except books, beer, and my
exorbitant-by-any-standard-but-the-Bay-Area rent.)
Happily, I've completed the arduous process. And, man,
am I ready!
First I concluded
that none of my existing pants were qualified to be my one pair of pants
for the trip. I hit Eddie Bauer, Banana Republic, but didn't find anything
suitable. I gave up, and swung by the Expensive Travel Stuff
StoreTM, just for a decent luggage tag (and, if
history is any precedent, another $75 worth of novel travel accessories).
So, I was buying my luggage tag, when I spotted something behind the
counter. "Hey! Are those pants?" The mere fact that the ETSS carries
pants was my clue that pants are actually a pretty big issue in travel.
So now I've got a pair that weight about a pound, are unwrinklable,
unstainable, and have cargo pockets. They look enough like real pants
that I will be able to, you know, wear them to the Vienna opera. But
they feel . . . how shall I put this? Call to mind the best pair of
pajama bottoms you've ever owned. Then loosen up the fit a little, so
they uncomplainingly accomodate every possible contortion; and then
make them about 60% more comfortable. And there you are.
I also decided (absalom!) that NONE of my existing jackets was suitable.
Luckily, I was able to thrift an ass-kicking, oversize, slate-grey,
button-up fleece thing. It's like being hugged by a lifesize teddy bear.
I'm afraid I'm going to fall asleep standing up in museums.
In other news, recently I've been fortunate enough to be a participant
in a round-robin e-mail discussion—based loosely on Robert
Wright's The Moral Animal—with some of the smartest, and
most thoughtful and insightful, people I've ever even heard about it.
(Being happily diverted by this is the main reason ya'll haven't heard
from me in a while . . .)
It turns out that fellow web traveloguer and pal Scott Christensen has
read Wright—and
closer-to-home friends Jeremy Kassis and Chad Poplawski are reading him
now. We started going back and forth on topics including, but not
limited to: the meaning of life, evolutionary psychology (in general),
consciousness as an adaptation in a fluctuating ancestral environment
(in particular), memetics, morality as negotiation, the physical
location of the soul, strict determinism, satori, extropianism, the
beauty of genetic imperatives, the "happiness treadmill," and expanding
circles of compassion. It is, I can say confidently, the highest
quality of discussion I've enjoyed in some time (and I'm always
trying); so much so, that I've archived the whole thing (so far):
http://www.michaelfuchs.org/life/words/moral/
I'm not sure who or how many people out there will have any
inclination to read how much of this. But, for instance, if you've ever
spent time on Slate.com's "Dialogues" feature, this format will be
familiar—and, with all due modesty, the quality here is comparable
or better. Finally, for anyone who does check it out: if you are
inclined to chime in, by all means! Just cc: the group.
In other other news, this monster NTT project I've been on for a month
is finally dead! About five seconds before the beginning of my sabbatical!
Boy, is this a great feeling. I'm packed. I'm all reserved. I'm
relatively informed about sights and destinations, and (sort of)
multilingual. I'm reasonably thin (again, for the first time in a
while). I'm reminded of an offhand comment by a fellow undergrad, right
before the final exam at the end of a hellish semester of studying Japanese:
"Dude, we are so out of here."
Michael
P.S. A new addition to the site is a fairly detailed itinerary,
which is what we're actually using to do distributed planning from Rome on.
