minus 9 days: meet samuel

Samuel will be the eyes of this blog. He will go whereever I go in Europe. He will capture scenaries I cannot describe, record old architectures that I might not know names of, and report back if I have been up to no good.

So count on him to be there!

I first met him at MS Colour and having met his relatives and friends - who were mostly fatter or bigger than him - I knew he was the one for me. I brought him home that same night, with an additional battery and an eight gigabyte SD card.

Though I am $408 Singapore dollars poorer, I know I will enjoy his presence in Europe. And I know you will too!

minus 39 days: blog on the go

Ananias, my Asus Eee PC net book weighs 1.2 kilograms. It is light. But lugging it around on a walking trip builds excessive shoulder muscle. And worrying about its safety pains my brain.

So here is Caleb, my iPhone to the rescue.

But can Caleb really handle all the stuff I need to do?

What I can do on Caleb just as well as (or sometimes better than) on Ananias:

• Email mommy to tell her I'm still alive
• Add new friends on facebook
• Tweet about the amazing hot chocolate I just had in the french cafe
• Book my next hostel stay
• Upload photos on facebook

What I cannot do as well on Caleb

• Research online on my next destination, especially if I will surf more than 5 minutes
• Surf around for the best hostel
• Update this blog!

I found out that mobile blogging is not as easy as I thought. By right, I could easily send an email to a designated address which could either publish or save it as a draft post. But - yes, and it's a pretty big but - I realised that there is some bug with sending emails with photos and text using the iPhone (don't be sad Caleb, it's not your fault). It is a known issue, but seems like there is no solution as yet. So, looks like, I'll need to blog using the desktops at the hostel or an internet cafe.

Whatever the case is, Ananias, you are grounded.

minus 62 days: eight reasons why you need an iphone in europe

After spending two hours at M1 and 608 Singapore dollars this morning, I walked home a happy girl.

Not that you ever need more reasons to get an iPhone. But going to Europe for 37 days is certainly a good one to drive it up your priority list.

Here are eight reasons why the iPhone is as crucial as your passport. Carry your iPhone around because:

1. It is always good to have something in common to start a conversation - 42.5 million people worldwide use the iPhone.
2. Travel applications make sure you know where you are going.
3. You can check if your hair is in place using its reflective surface if you spot anyone cute.
4. Or you can use that reflective surface to spy on that cutie.
5. Take advantage of the free wifi at your hostel without having to drag your laptop around.
6. Unparalleled 32gb of storage means you can snap or record away carelessly.
7. Show off your mobilised blog (buzzcity.mobi/europein37days) to anyone and everyone.
8. Tweet excessively about where you are and what you are having for lunch until people start unfollowing you.
   

minus 67 days: get your friends involved

Planning for a month long trip can be tiring. When things get overwhelming, I outsource parts of it.

Gek Kia, my ex-colleague from Singapore Airlines, has been wanting to show me a cool digital luggage scale which I could easily carry to Europe. So I told him that we should meet up for coffee!

He was all ready for a laid-back afternoon at The Coffee Connoisseur in Changi Airport Terminal Three. Little did he know that I had something else in mind. *evil chuckle*

Once the Latte and potato wedges arrived, I knew I got him captive. So it was time to rope him in to help out with some research!

Question we needed to answer: Should I get a Eurail pass?