Bagging It

A guy friend asked me once why I always carry a big bag around wherever I go. Surprised by the question, I looked at my never-been washed dusty blue denim bag and started to wonder myself.

I bought this particular bag in one of the famous ukay-ukays in Baguio -- not because I liked its style or color but because it was big and necessary. You see, overwhelmed by the abundant low-priced cool ukay items there, I kinda lost my head at that time and began buying more things than I could carry. Since my vanity was offended at the thought of carrying plastic bags in a 6-hour bus trip all the way to Manila, the only practical solution for me was to buy this bag. It's big and was priced only at P200. Cool huh?

I am by no means a bag-a-holic like my sis or my good friend Berna. Compared to their gazillion collection, I just have five in my possession -- the blue denim bag (my current fave) , a candy colored knapsack, a purse and a couple of travel bags (one of which isn't even mine -- I stole it from my sis. wahehe). And I change bags only, when, and if they've become so obviously tattered with time that they can't hold my plentiful stuff anymore.

I've gotta admit though that carrying a bag-- and a big one at that -- has become second nature to me. And while most girls change bags to suit their outfit for the day, I have a tendency to change my outfit just so I can use my fave bag.

But what's in a bag? Is it true what that Kate Hudson movie scripted: "a woman's purse is her source of power"? Hmmmm...

Well since I have nothing else better to do on this particular lunch hour, allow me to unload my bag for a moment and see for myself the many reasons why I succumbed to this obsession.

What's in my bag?

1) a 5" x 3" wallet i bought in National bookstore which holds my Beetlerock I.D., atm cards, house keys, black lighter, some bills and coins.

2) my Nokia phone (I dunno the model) and its casing

3) A wide-toothed Goody "sudlay" -- the only thing that can handle my hair

4) 5 small bars of chocolate (the perfect mate to my black coffee later)

5) Mentos Power Sugar-free gum

6) Kleenex tissue

7) Bench hand sanitizer (which Al never fails to call the ultimate girl power every time we eat)

8) Last month's payslip (Why on earth is it still in my bag?!)

9) A black pouch containing items #10-17

10) Body Shop strawberry lip balm

11) Maybelline's dazzling red water shine lip color (since I could no longer afford Body Shop's cheek and lip tint :( To anyone reading, you can always buy me one for Christmas ;) hehehehe)

12) a Johnson and Johnson's small mirror (from the pressed powder compact)

13) Another half-used Kleenex pack

14) Bench's oil remover paper (since I can't use powder or makeup on my face)

15) a Careless panty shield

16) a Modess sanitary napkin (though my period is far away yet)

17) a Whisper sanitary napkin (okay, okay, so I'm O.C. My friends call me the napkin factory. So what? ;p)

18) A yellow stabilo boss highlighter

19) A red hanky which Donna's American hubby Andy terms " a sweat rag" (hehehe)

20) Unused pink post-its

21) My all around sterling notebook

22) My complete set of My Gel colored pens (there are 10 of them)

23) My book for the moment, "Who Moved My Cheese?" (thanks M =)) I carry a book since I absolutely hate moments of waiting with nothing to do.

24) 3 Lipton lemon tea bags

Goshes bugashes! What do these items say about me? Feels like I've gone naked for a moment here.

But you know what-- if you ask me which item I'd opt to leave behind just to lighten my bag-- I've gotta say -- after some really serious consideration-- "Nothing".

What the heck, my dainty shoulders can handle them all anyway. Now that's what I call "gurl power" ;p