Backpack for Geeks

  I used to carry the above backpack for business purpose, as it is quite large and can carry 17-inch wide computer, its peripherals, lots of documents and stationeries. Two and a half years ago, I used it for a business trip (academic convention) to San Francisco, and every day many Americans -- total strangers I met in the elevator in the hotel I stayed (St. Franciscan/Westin) -- asked me where I bought it. A year later, when I come back to San Francisco for an academic conference, same thing happened (though I stayed at a cheaper hotel this time). But instead of asking me where I bought it, some people in the elevator made fun of me, and called me astronaut or robbot. Strangely in both brips, people at the conference venue (Moscone Convention Center) did not make any comment on my backpack. So I thought this sort of backpack is OK for academics or science geeks. 

  In contrast, when I use this backpack in Japan, people do not make any comment on its design,  but many people said it looks so heavy to carry. Maybe its size may look too big for a Japanese man, and its metalic appearance makes false impression that it is too heavy.  

  So last month, I stopped using this backpack, and switched to a smaller version of this backpack (see the image below) which is suitable to carry a small laptop or iPad, with a small amount of documents and stationeries.

  Then people I know -- my friends, colleagues, receptionists I meet on a regular basis -- started to call me astronaut or robbot, just like Americans did to me in San Francisco. I never knew that size matters in such a way.

  I still love these backpacks, though, to carry my computer or iPad.  

Shuji

Posted on Thursday 21 June 2012