The Man Purse

When we officially decided to move to Japan I found myself concerned with a series of new issues.

"I don't know the language. How will I survive!?"

"Exactly what, and to whom, will I be teaching?"

"Man of Steel doesn't come out till mid August there!"

"Is Chick-filla a globalized franchise?"

And finally, the topic of today's post:

"What item will I practically and fashionably store all of my everyday crap in?"

If this post was a Seinfeld episode it'd be called "The Man Purse" because to some of you, this is a blog post about nothing -but to me, this is about my absolute favorite EDC bag.

"What's the deal with those Carry-on's?"

EDC?

Every Day Carry. If you didn't know that simple acronym then more than likely you're not a bag enthusiast like myself and the millions of others suffering from OCD- obsessive carrying disorder.

5 months ago I was looking for the perfect bag, and after much Internet research, review reading and company comparisons, I placed an order for Tom Bihn's messenger bag briefcase hybrid, the Co-Pilot.





Completely happy with my purchase, I wanted to review it the moment I got it; however, I've waited a few months to review it in hopes of a more honest evaluation than one of those "unboxing" videos that people seem to love.

"It feels slightly heavier than the last one..." 

When I was looking for my perfect bag I had two things in mind.


First, I always like having an assortment of different nick-knacks and so organization and compartments were a must.


Second, I wanted a bag big enough to carry my iPad and maybe a few books but small enough to carry anywhere without being a hassle.

The Co-Pilot is that bag. 

I've now had my Co-Pilot at my side for just over 4 months now and in that short time span I've used it practically everyday and taken it everywhere. It's innards are usually comprised of the following:

• iPad, 
• stationary
• pens and pencils
• Hanko
• iPhone 5
• water bottle or mini umbrella. 
• money pouch 
• wallet / I.D. 
• schedule/planner
• keys 
• small health related pouch (Tylenol, inhalent, chaptick)
• passport
• Swiss knife 
• compass 
• Occasionally, my mirrorless camera system, lens and charger. 

My Review

In short, I love this bag. As desired, it has enough compartments and organization options for me to always know where somethings at, and it is small enough for me to throw over my shoulder and carry along in any situation.

Aesthetically, it's a very versatile bag. Being an English teacher at an elementary school, most of the time (in the summer season at least) I'm in slacks and a polo. The Co-Pilot has no problem fitting in. 

When I need to be more dressed up and ready for a meeting at my City's Board of Education... fine. The Co-Pilot has an appearance that works well with a suit and tie that doesn't try and draw attention to itself.

Quality

The bag is made with the strongest materials. 1050 Denier Ballistic Nylon means the bag will be way more resilient towards the typical ware and tare bags are put through.






I've had mine for 4 months now and I can't find any suggestions the fabric is giving out, torn or cut. It's solid stuff.

I might have sat it in some gum on the street once. 

The inside of the bag is lined with Japanese Ripstop material. It's strong, light-weight and offers a larger variety of colors. I ordered the black/wasabi edition.

The zippers are #8 YKK Aquaguard water-repellent coil zippers. As the name suggests, these bad boys give this bag an added advantage of dryness during the rainy season. The bag comes with medal pulls attached, or you could cut those off and replace them with provided cord zip pulls. Cutting off the metal pulls sounds way too permanent for me so I opted to put both on.




As you'd expect, I've noticed a bit of ware on the zippers.

Design

One great design feature is that, unlike most bags, there is a dedicated place to store a drink right in the center of the bag. This way, you're not constantly having to counteract the awkward weight a drink might give you if it were located at the ends of the bag. You might have also noticed a small hole in the bottom of the bag in a picture above. No worries, it's there to allow wet umbrellas or sweating water bottles to drain out. Very cool.

It's also the perfect size for my lens case.

In every compartment on the bag there are dedicated "O-Rings" for you to attach whatever you desire. The guys over at Tom Bihn have a plethora of accessories like storage pouches, lights, straps, smaller bags, etc, for you to add on should you have the desire.

I did

The front section is divided into three separate compartments. The two on the outside are same in shape but the left side features a place to store pens and pencils (or whatever), and the right side has a dedicated smartphone slip.
In the picture above you'll see I keep a pen, mechanical pencil, highlighter, portable screwdriver, my personal Hanko and keys - attached with Bihn's 16 inch key strap. I also purchased a mini clear organizer pouch which holds my USB's and SD cards. Lastly, it's always a good idea to keep a few meds and my inhaler with me just incase.



The opposite compartment is the same size only with a place for your precious touchable electronic device.

The dedicated smartphone slip is lined with ultra-suede so you don't have to worry about scratches.



One of my only complaints is that using the O-Ring in this pocket gets in the way if you plan on using the smartphone slip too. Generally, I just keep my iPhone, coin pouch and headphones in this side.

In Japan, any currency under 1,000 yen is a coin. So if you want to buy something under $10 you have to pillage through your (absolutely necessary) coin pouch. So, I always have my phone and my money right in the same place so it's never a hassle and I'm not keeping up any checkout lines.

Always, always have your money ready.

Probably the most delightful surprise about the bag was how easy it allows me to ride my bike and have fast and easy access to my phone. Everyday, on my way to and from school, I'll have my headphones in, connected to my iPhone, and I can either listen to a playlist or make some Skype calls. You wouldn't think much of it but having a pocket solely for your phone puts my mind at ease as I'm bumping on and off sidewalks and roads.

The largest compartment is accessible through two zippers that extend a quarter of the way down the back of the bag.

The main compartment also includes two large pockets to offer further compartmentalization.

This easily fits my iPad and I can even manage to squeeze in an 8.5 x 11 folder if I wanted. Albeit it's a close fit and you're likely going to have some of the corners of your paper chewed up a bit. If the bag was only an inch longer it would be much more suited for carrying documents. What's worse is that in Japan the common paper sizes are considerably bigger than what we have in the states.
So, if you are planning on doing business in Japan, business that requires you to transport documents, I suggest using one of the Co-Pilot's big brothers. I've read in forums rumors of a "Pilot" that's in the works. Supposedly a reincarnation of this bag but in a larger, perhaps Japan-friendly form. If that ever comes to light I will probably kick and moan till I end up buying it. Till then, I'm content with folding.



On the back side there's an open top pocket which can fit a small book or magazine. The bottom actually zips open in case you want to slide the handles of some rollable luggage through it to keep it secure.

On top of the bag there's a padded PORON foam handle located directly in the middle of the bag. I don't know what PORON is but it sounds very special and makes for a comfortable grip. 

Even with nothing in it, the Co-Pilot won't lose it's shape. 

*Empty

*Full

The Shoulder Strap

No matter how perfect any bag may be, if you have an uncomfortable or weak shoulder strap then all is lost. What's the point of spending X dollars on some fantastic bag that will ultimately ware you out? 

Obviously, I'm an advocate of this bag. But, I'm an even bigger advocate of Tom Bihn's Absolute Shoulder Strap. The bag comes with a strap that looks like your average acceptable shoulder strap ...OR you can shell out an extra $20 and get this baby. 

The Absolute is literally the most comfortable way to carry your gear and the best reviewed shoulder strap I could find online. Bag or no bag, go and buy this thing to replace whatever neck-pinching, shoulder-grinder you have. 

The strap features an ergonomically curved neoprene pad that is soft on one side and non-slip on the other. The pad is curved slightly to fit the shape of your shoulder and it's non-slip side works like a charm. 

The material it's made from allows the padded part to stretch and distribute much of the unpleasant weight that would otherwise be gnawing at your neck and arms. For the longest time I was a huge fan of RedOxx' "claw" strap but this beat it hands down.

Just google "best shoulder straps" and see what happens. 

The Absolute joins the Co-Pilot via it's "matte black snap hooks" and the bags D-rings. The snap hooks feature a lovely USA symbol just in case you forgot where it was made.

Something I've come to appreciate about this bag is that it's quiet. Most other bags with great hardware seem to clank around. The D-Rings on the bag are NOT metal but rather some type of strong plastic or something. The result is that you don't have to listen to clinks and clanks all day as you shuffle about.

A Me Ri Ka!

The Co-Pilot

Con's

• It's not the most ideal bag to carry documents in, especially if you live in Japan where the paper size is abnormally large. 
• Limited padding. 

Pro's

• Highest quality craftsmanship. 
• Plenty of organization options. 
• Small yet efficiently compacted. 
• At $110 you get a bag that is made to last. 
• Aesthetically pleasing. 
• Variety of colors to choose from. 
• American made. 
• Great customer support. 

Let's Catch Up...

Carmon here! 
As any friends, family, or other interested parties may have noticed, Mason and I haven't blogged in a while. We aren't doing as good of a job at it as we had intended. Since our awesome trip to Tokyo, Mason and I have had multiple experiences. I haven't blogged yet, because I've had a pretty difficult time getting settled in here. The culture stress is FAR more real than I can explain, and it creeps up on you like the charlie horse cramp that kills your right calf. However, I'm in a really good place right now. I'm feeling a confidence that I haven't found until recently, and I'm feeling really good about where we are now.

A few of the highlights: 

• June 6th, Mason's teachers were SO sweet to hook him up with the local jazz club and get him behind a drum set for the first time since we've left America. It was great to watch him from the crowd. Usually, he doesn't smile too often behind a set due to his intense concentration, but that night he couldn't hold it back. He was SO happy to be drumming again. The folks that ran the club asked him to return on the 4th of July. I think he is planning to go. 

• Also on the 6th, Interactive Forum practice began for my junior high students. This is an English conversation competition. Two ninth graders and two eighth graders are chosen from each school to compete in English conversation. The challenge is to stay on a given topic for five minutes, and to do their best at keeping a natural conversation. My kids are great!!! I've been having so much fun interacting personally with them and the head English teacher to get them prepared. I have gone in on two Saturday mornings to spend extra time working with them. Not only am I enjoying this, but it's also showing my teachers how much I care about the success of the students. All around, this has been an awesome experience. The competition is July 11th. I'll keep you posted on how my kids do! 

• June 28-29th, Mason took me on a surprise trip to Nikko. A town located on Japan's "romantic road" and known for its temples and beautiful fall colors. The original "See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil" monkey carvings are here at the Toshogu Shrine. Did you know that they are actually part of a set of monkey carvings that tell the story of mans' life cycle? It had me singing "Circle of Life" for the rest of the weekend. Anyway, Mason picked out the sweetest inn. It was personal, homey, and named Turtle Inn for goodness sake. Totally a fit for his anniversary gift he wrote for me in May. 

Check out our instagram for more pics!

Other things to share: 

• I had my second onsen experience, but this time I was the one encouraging it. LOL. It wasn't awkward at all. I was in much need of a good massage, and hot bath. Why not do it with 6 other AETs as well?! 

• Our health is good. I don't sneeze as much here, so I haven't been taking any antihistamines at all!! WOOHOO! On the other hand, my eczema has been a nightmare. At first, I thought it was just the stress and the new diet, but I think it is a combination of these things and the awful humidity that comes with Japan. Its unreal. I've never experienced humidity like this. Louisiana doesn't even get this bad. I tried an acupuncturist at first to avoid having to use steroids. I finally gave in and Holly took me to a dermatologist to get some a topical medication. It has helped dramatically, but this is still quite a fight. 

• I recently tried natto. Natto is fermented soy beans that can only be described as having the consistency of spider webs and an incredible odor. Mito is famous for their natto and EVERYONE asks the foreigners living here if they've tried it and if not say, "Please try natto." The other AETs had me so nervous about it. Most despise it. Most foreigners in general, so they say, cannot stand to eat it. Those who like it, seem to be the few that have been around for a long while. Anyway, long story short, I didn't love it, but it wasn't as bad as everyone had made it out to be. I could stand to eat it and my teachers were amazed. 

  

  NANDE!?!?

  They make a lot of comments about me being "so Japanese." Which I take to heart. They are very proud of their culture, to say that I'm anything similar to it is a great compliment, I think. Mori Sensei (the school nurse), Kominami-san (school secretary), and Kyoto Sensei (the viceprincipal) are my typical lunch buddies. We were all together that day and it was so funny to have them watch me eat that sticky stuff and coach me on how to keep the strings of soy from coming out of my mouth. Ewww. 

• since I mentioned teachers, I recently had dinner with one of my English teachers. I was super nervous about it, but it turned out to be AWESOME. She is young and so funny. We have a lot of fun together in class and it turns out, also at dinner. It encouraged me so much to have a teacher ask me to hang out and show me that establishing true friendships is underway. (I was also FINALLY asked to go to an enkai after being described as "a good fit in the group" and "a true member". Finally, a tangible level of acceptance. I can't explain how great that felt.)

• Mason has been attending Japanese language classes. He has also begun a small devotion with a couple guys.  I am enrolled in Japanese classes too, but my teacher has been sick. Please pray for her health.  

• God is opening doors. My teachers know my beliefs, and a couple of them bring it up every now and then. I'm hoping more conversations develop. Mason has also had similar situations, had the opportunity to help a homeless individual, and a student opened up to him about some very spiritual and personal things that we can only pray about. PLEASE continue to have these things in your prayers. Our relationships with teachers and other Japanese people in our community are finally beginning to take shape. I have recently been filled with such joy and hope in what I can see God doing. Please pray that we continue to be encouraged, but also be disciplined. It is easy to get distracted by the things that are exciting and the things that make living here difficult. Our purpose and hope is to serve the kingdom of God, and we welcome all prayers to strengthen that resolve. 

EWWW!

Our weekend in Tokyo -Pictures!

 It's been two weeks since the last post, and if you remember, Carmon and I were celebrating our first year of marriage at the time and we did more than just draw pictures of turtles! We actually took a weekend trip to Tokyo and had a blast.
So for today's post, instead of witty banter, I've decided to just pick out a handful of photos that I thought might help me show some of our past two weeks together.

Not two weeks ago. Yesterday.
And maybe the day before that, too.

Anniversary week in Tokyo

We really didn't have all that much on our agenda except to find our hotel and go to the Blue Note Jazz Club. We managed both. 

Our hotel was located in the Shibuya District which hosts the worlds most famous - and busiest- intersection.  

It's a hodgepodge of pedestrians, sounds, smells, noise, advertisements, and at least 6 intersecting lanes. It's a wild site to see, like a PF Chang-themed Time Square. 

Our Hotel

From the intersection our hotel was about a 15 minute walk. The APA Hotel...about $130 a night for a higher-middle class hotel.

It wasn't a bad hotel. It wasn't the best I've ever been at either. The room was... small. It was super small. I guess in Tokyo they don't have the luxury of offering human sized bedding. No worries, it was clean, it was at a great location and we were even lucky enough to get room 911.  Nothing more comforting than being in room 911 in a tall building in a foreign city and in a country thats on red-alert from neighboring nuclear threats. But hey! It's our Anniversary, and 911 is really just one of my best friends birthdays. So yay! 

Also, interesting fact about Japan. When you get in trouble and need the police or ambulance or fire department or whatever, you don't call 911, you call 119. Seriously. 

  AND there was Complimentary Origami Cranes!

So the next day the two of us got up early and, upon the suggestions of friends, made our way towards Yoyogi Park. At first I was kind of unexcited about the idea of going to a park IN TOKYO. I mean, it's like, "Come on! Let's check out the city!" But, it proved to be an awesome experience and if you ever get to go to Tokyo go check it out. 

It was about an hour walk so we stopped a few places for breakfast and coffee. 

...would still rather have Daylight. 

...would still rather have StarBucks. 

On our way to the park we passed this cool little cloth/sewing/material place. It caught our eye and we have a friend that's super good with crafts so we found some cool Japanese materials to send her way. 

Yoyogi Park

Eventually we made it to the park and got to see a lot of fun things. It was a cool park and featured an  extremely large wooded running trail with a pond in the middle of it. There were also a ton of dance groups, music groups, and toddler-fun groups to observe and snoop on. 

No big deal. I can do that. 

Have I ever mentioned how cute Japanese children are?

Well, they are.

CUTE

DOUBLE CUTE

Ok, moving on. 

Other than cute kids there were plenty of other things to take photos of. Like random musicians playing in the park. 

It was, in fact, a Saturday.

Connected to the park is an old (but renovated?) temple. Not knowing much about it, we followed the crowds of people traveling towards it.

"What do they got in there, King Kong?"

Before we made it all the way down to the temple we found some special garden that looked interesting. It was only $5 so we thought, "why not". I'm glad we did.
Because you had to pay, it wasn't crowded and we were able to see a few cool things. 

 The garden was actually connected with the Temple we'd soon visit- Meiji Temple. There was a small little house in the middle of it all that was primarily for drinking tea. There's probably a Japanese name for all this but I couldn't read the descriptions so I'm giving it my best shot!
We also found this wild Raccoon-Dog. The Japanese call it "Tanuki," and although it's famous for it's mystical powers and good fortune they're actually rarely ever seen outside of zoo's.

                     Lucky us!

Apparently this was some holy water well that does something special. Again, I can't read Japanese, but there was a guard right there by it and people were waiting in line to wash their hands with the water. We followed suit. 

I still don't understand why there was a guard there. Maybe they don't want us drinking the water. It might be too holy, you know, like an Indian Jones movie or something. 

"He chose...poorly."

MEIJI TEMPLE

We arrived just in the nick of time to see a a traditional Japanese Wedding in progress. It was a great opportunity because Carmon's really been wanting to witness one but we had no idea where or how we'd do that. Well, it was a lot easier than we thought. We just walked right in on it. 

After that, we still had the whole afternoon ahead of us before we had to be at the Blue Note.

We pretty much just walked around aimlessly and came across a lot of random and fun things like a parade full of ornamented elderly people dancing and a TGIF that gave me the best burger I've had in Japan so far, PLUS FREE REFILLS! 

After burgers, we ended up walking towards the "Sky Tree". It's the second tallest structure in the world and the tallest tower. We thought that might be cool to check out so we head that way.

It's that tall one in the distance. 

On our way there we came across a little dog that reminded Carmon of her dog (a much younger version) she left back in Oklahoma- Joey. 

The tower about 8 blocks away...

Well it turned out that Carmon and I weren't the only tourist in Tokyo that wanted to see the largest tower in the world, and, despite our love of heights, we didn't really care to wait in line for 3 hours. So we settled for the mall at the base of the tower.

"She's so high..."

...like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite.

After what would have been our Tower visit, we jumped on a train and got all fancied up for our date night at the Blue Note.

Just a bit about the Blue Note Tokyo. If the name sounds familiar that's because its cousin is New York's Blue Note Jazz Club. The Tokyo club was opened up in 1988, seats about 300 people and is considered the best place for live jazz music in the city. The night we were there we had floor seating (in perfect view of the drummer) to watch "the Super Salt Band"- or as the Japanese say, "the su-pa salto ban du".

We had a fantastic, jazz-filled, romantic evening. The perfect way to celebrate our first year together!

After the show, we blew some money on shirts and stuff (sorry dad, they barely had MY size) and explored more of the Shibuya night scene.

The next morning we shopped around, ate some delicious food and took a train back home. All in all, it was a great weekend. Other than the club, we didn't have any plans and that made Tokyo easier to just take in and enjoy.

I feel like this is kind of an anti-climatic and abrupt ending to tonights post so sorry about that. Maybe this will soften it.

Yes, that IS a "cute old couple crossing" sign.