My name is Sarah Wong and I am a high school science teacher from Burnaby B.C. I chose the bag that I used most recently which was a rose pink Minnie Mouse backpack wristlet that I got on my trip to Disneyland this past winter.
From the contents of my bag and the way I meticulously placed them for the picture, most people will guess that I am a very organized person. I do have mild OCD and I hate clutter; so I try to keep things simple and only bring what I need in my bag. Additionally, most of my bags are very small so I can’t fit more things in there even if I wanted to.
In this bag is my card holder which holds my three credit cards and one bank card in the front, a driver’s license, my student card in the back, and a bubble tea rewards card tucked inside . I also have hand cream, one chapstick with SPF, and a lipstick from FRESH. I normally carry my phone with me but my Samsung Note 8 is too large to fit into the bag so I usually just hold it. I always have hand cream and chapstick with me wherever I go because I hate having dry hands and lips. I have one with SPF as my lips have gotten sunburnt a couple of times in the past and the other lipstick is for a slight red tint so I look more awake.
Some might wonder, do I not need keys? The fact is that I rarely travel alone and if I do, my husband is usually home, so I never bother to bring my home keys. When I travel further, my husband drives me and so I rarely have my car keys in my bag. If you have read my bio in the “About Me’ section on my WordPress page, you will know that I have a one and a half year old son and am expecting another baby this September. Surely I must have a diaper bag that is full of baby related stuff right? The truth is my family and I have not gone out with our son for over two months due to the COVID 19 pandemic so we have unpacked the diaper bag. Even if we do bring one, my husband has a diaper backpack full of my son’s stuff that he carries.
All of the items in my bag contain some form of text digitally imprinted on them with the exception of my lipstick because all of the print have rubbed off. On my hand cream and chapstick are digitally printed labels that state the brand and ingredients of the product. There’s also a website included which could link to the company’s website. My bubble tea rewards card also has digitally printed text and the company’s URL which could be considered as text technology.
On my credit and bank cards are encrypted information that connects to my bank accounts. My drivers license, which also has my personal health number, and UBC student card is linked to a digitally identification system. These items show that I live in the city, like to take care of myself, and enjoy bubble tea.
15 to 20 years ago, which is from 2000 – 2005, this bag will probably look quite similar. There may have been some cash during that time but credit cards were already prevalent then. The only things that would be different would be the pattern of the wallet and the brands of the lipstick and hand cream. All of these things were bought much later than 2005. Due to the limited contents in my bag, I don’t think an archaeologist from the future will get too much information about this temporal period.
The contents of my bag is pretty much a reflection of who I am. I love Disney and so most of the things that I do are Disney related. I am often seen as charismatic, bubbly and outgoing. I also like a clean and organized environment so I will never let garbage or any bad influence stay in my bag or my life.
Hey Sarah!
What a cute bag! I really like the look of it and its simplicity which is not often of focus in our classmates posts. Your attention to what you don’t have with you, based on your husband or the present circumstance reflects your connection with others and the value of them in your life. It is interesting to think that looking at what we carry also brings up the role of our family and friends in our life.
Thanks Emily!
Hi Sarah, nice to meet another person in Burnaby! I appreciate your OCD because my backpack is full and all over the place. I like that yours is simple and organized. I love anything Disney too! I think the archaeologist would assume humans had some sort of fascination with a mouse.
Hey Tyler, Yay another person from Burnaby and a Disney fan too>!>!> Totally agree with you on that last thought!
Hi Sarah! And here I was thinking that *I* packed light! I find it fascinating that our bags are so different from each other even though we are both high school teachers. I never even thought about the absence of keys in my bag until you described why you don’t have any. Mine hang by the door when I’m home, and I generally wear the lanyard over my shoulder while at school.
Also, I love how simple and organized your photo is… it reminds me a lot of the “How the world’s armies are fed in the field” photography project.