Thursday, June 11, 2015

Stories a Side Pocket Tells


My backpack is 3 years old. It's been a steady companion whenever I travel out of the country. Though I mostly empty its 4 compartments, there's a side pocket that I never bother thinking that what's in there is inconsequential.

But side pockets tell stories. I wondered why my bag was still heavy despite it being practically empty. Lo and behold, I found a variety of coins, some of them starting to corrode or rust. No wonder gravity was pulling it down to the ground.

LEGAL TENDER

What's harder was separating the different local tender. Some of the engravings were in fine print. This was a lot of work, But the coins reminded me of the far off places I have been. The exercise turned into a walk down memory lane. What have I found? Malaysian ringgit, European euros, Singapore dollars, Brunei dollars, Hong Kong dollars, Australian dollars, Peruvian soles, Brazilian rials, and Philippine peso.

Where are the Maldivian rufiyaa and Mongolian tugriks? The coins do not exist presently! Bhutanese ngultrums don't have coins either (at least not in wide circulation).

But why such accumulation? Blame the airports. During transits, you have to place your coins (and anything with metal) inside your bag - so I just drop them at this particular side pocket. Who'd have thought they've grown into quite a King's ransom? :)

Perhaps I shouldn't clear my side pocket for the next 3 or 4 years.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

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