Sometimes, in the interest of Be(ing) Prepared (which, in case you don't remember, is the Girl Guide motto, and, in case you didn't know, I was totally the most gung-ho Girl Guide ever; I know right: I am just too cool for words), I like to wonder about disaster scenarios, and what I would do in these disaster scenarios. For example, I have put much thought and consideration into what I would do in the event of a fire in my apartment. This way, if there ever IS a fire in my apartment (which is totally possible because I can't cook and Goosey smokes a lot), I'd know immediately what to do and wouldn't have to waste time panicking. If there was a fire in my apartment, I can tell you immediately and without hesitation that my plan is to drag Goosey out by his feet (assuming he has passed out from smoke inhalation, as I have heartier non-asthmatic lungs), grab his asthma inhaler, and strap my two favourite bags onto me (and this is why my handbag is ALWAYS stocked with essentials such as lipbalm, eyeliner and wallet. I am PREPARED).
This post isn't about that particular disaster scenario though. This is about what I would salvage from the burning wreckage of an airplane crash, if I were ever stranded on a desert island.
1. Lipbalm.
I cannot cannot CANNOT function without lipbalm. I literally get fidgety and anxious and paranoid when my lips feel dry. In desperate cases I have put hand cream on my lips. (In retrospect this was probably not safe at all, and I'm lucky I didn't poison myself.) My complete and total reliance on/addiction to lipbalm is also the reason I have emergency lipbalms everywhere: by the bed, on the living room coffee table, in my handbag, on my desk at work, in my walk-in closet. My favourite lipbalm is a Crabtree & Evelyn version that Turkish Airlines gives out on business class long-haul flights (which I've tried looking for at Crabtree & Evelyns, but they don't sell them! So now I hoard lipbalms everytime I fly Turkish Airlines). My next favourite is Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula (easily available at pharmacies everywhere for a mere RM10), which is super moisturizing. And is SPF 15 i.e. pretty much perfect for being stranded on a desert island.2. Liquid pen eyeliner.
I actually use and prefer gel eyeliner on a daily basis, but it seems like too much effort to look for a pot of gel eyeliner and a eyeliner brush in an airplane crash, so my emergency pick would be a liquid pen eyeliner. I actually do have a black Dior one that I use in emergencies i.e. when I look dead after work and have just been informed (usually by Goose) that we have after-work going-out-and-must-look-presentable plans.3. Wet wipes.
SERIOUSLY. Multifunctional and practical. I always have either wet wipes or a small pack of tissues in my handbag. If I have to do my business in the woods on said desert island (even the thought of which gives me the heebie jeebies and is why I would never be able to go camping) (question: is it hortologically possible to have woods in a desert? Must google answers to such questions before writing blog posts and not wonder about them during) then at least I will be able to clean myself after.4. Toothpicks.
Also always have this in my bag. This is more for Goose, because he is addicted to toothpicks, if such a thing is possible. However, I feel like toothpicks could also be useful for other survivor-ish things. Like possibly, theoretically, making fire. Which leads me to my next item.5. A lighter.
I DON'T always have this in my bag, but I totally should. You never know when you will need fire.6. A pashmina.
Actually a towel would be best, like Douglas Adams recommends in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but who the hell travels with a towel unless they're actually hitchhiking across the galaxy?! I make do with a pashmina. Which I always bring with me when I travel, because airplanes are always ridiculously cold, and also I hate cold weather and can never have too many layers.7. A book.
If you're stranded on a desert island for a short period of time, at least you'll still be in touch with literature and culture, and will be able to distract yourself by reading. If you're stranded on a desert island forever, at least you can burn the pages of the book if your toothpicks run out and you are too weak to chop firewood. You could also clean yourself with this after doing your business in the woods.Luckily I never travel without any of these items in my hand-carry luggage, so I probably wouldn't have to jump into burning wreckage to get these in the event of an airplane crash. In conclusion: I seem to be a super high-maintenance person, but at least I prepare for that. Also: I am totally not joking about all these things, and if you have never considered what your Desert Island/Things to Save in Burning Fire list would be, I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU DO SO.
BE. PREPARED.
