And they wonder why...

When I was eleven and was living in Germany, my mother got fed up of all my schoolbags breaking and 'invested' in this really good one. It was a big, hard, square, bright green, jungle-motive bag, but I didn't mind cos in Germany, everyone had one and it was the norm.

So then, at thirteen, I came back to Ireland and went into first year in CBC Monkstown. My mother insisted I retain the same bag. However, this monstrosity of a receptacle was anything but the norm at CBC and I was bullied to no end. Inspired by pictures of elephants and lions against a background of ferns and undergrowth, they called me 'Jungle Boy' and 'Tarzan'... sob (Jane might have been more appropriate but how were the bullies to know that, at such a young age!)

I pleaded and pleaded with my Mum to buy me a new bag but she wouldn't 'because any other bag that I got was only going to last a term and would break and I'd need another one'... blah, blah, blah...

Eventually, after a whole year of torture, I told my Mum that I would take personal responsibility for my new bag and that it wouldn't break. I even suggested a make that was known for its durability (and being subtle black was going to bring me into line with the mainstream): Sporthouse.

Eventually she relented although she was still certain that I'd need to reinvest again next term, but she couldn't handle my consistent cries of woe.

So I bought the Sporthouse bag, and in a rare case of 'getting one over' on the oul one, it's still with me 13 years later. It saw out not only the term, but the year and the entire of secondary school, then college, it's traveled the length and breadth of South America and is currently on a South Asian continental trip.

So now, finally, the strap is about to break. I have about ten kilos in it and it's always jammed. I've got to find a shoe maker to do a good job on it. This is one of my projects for the next few days.

I'm in Bangalore now, having finally left Goa. I had a good two days in Hampi on my way down here and will post pics soon. I've only been here since yesterday but so far Bangalore is hot!

I've went through the internet to find a pic of my old bag. This is the closest I can get to it, it's not the same one, but you get the idea...

Ur man in Bengalooru

PS: There's a whole other story when my dad made me wear pink riding shorts with flowers on them to my horse riding classes, but I'll leave that one for another day!