TV host Dominic Lau tells Nadia
Badarudin what he looks for in luggage
GLOBE trotting is second nature to television and radio personality Dominic Lau, who lives in Hong Kong and works in Singapore.
As anchor presenter for E! News Asia, Lau travels frequently when duty calls — reporting on-location and interviewing A-listers at events around the globe, from movie premieres, fashion shows and concerts to the Academy and Grammy Awards.
Commonly referred to as Asia’s Ryan Seacrest, he finds travelling similar to being on live television.
“I travel twice a week on average. It is similar to being on live television because you never know what to expect,” he says. “I must always be ready and spontaneous. Because of that, I am particular about my choice of bags or suitcases.”
Lau also hosts Asia Pop 40 radio chart show and Tiger Goals on Sunday, a live weekly football show aired by Singapore’s Mic TV.
FOUR FACTORS
Lau is one of two Tumi Asian Global Citizens or brand ambassadors. The other is Chinese industrial designer Jamy Yang.
He was in Kuala Lumpur for the launch of Tumi’s Alpha 2 Exhibition in Pavilion. Alpha 2 is Tumi’s latest business collection which has been re-engineered with design and feature improvements in line with its commitment to making the “best better” and “perfecting the journey”.
Lau, who is of British-Chinese heritage, says there are four factors that he considers when it comes to travel bags or suitcases.
He elaborates: “First, I look for durability. I don’t want to spend my hard-earned money on something that will not last.
“Second, I look for the ergonomic aspects. I am 195cm tall, so I need a bag that is sturdy enough and that suits my height. When I’m pulling my carry-on suitcase for instance, I don’t want its bottom edges to bump into my feet.
“Third is functionality. I want a bag with ample space for me to pack efficiently.”
Aesthetic appeal is the fourth factor. Lau says: “The bag should be an extension of who I am. In other words, it should reflect my personality. We buy clothes which look nice on us, and the same goes for travel bags. Apart from functions, it must be aesthetically pleasing and stylish. I want a bag that looks good and which makes me look good to carry it.”
EFFICIENCY
Lau says he does have a system when he packs, which is to the purpose of the trip. He will arranges items so that they can be put in and removed efficiently.
“I like everything to be practical and efficient when I travel. When I’m at the airport, I don’t want to prolong my journey with unnecessary packing or unpacking at the Customs.
“I always bring my laptop when I travel because it has my life in there — photos, videos, contacts, scripts and whatnot. So I’ll make sure that I carry a backpack into which I can easily slip my laptop,” says Lau who travels in T-shirts and jeans for comfort.
Besides a laptop, he will bring along his iPhone and iPad Mini.
On average, he carries three bags. However, this number increases when he travels with his band, Uranus (Lau is drummer for the Hong Kong-based rock band), as cymbals and snare drums add to the load.
ME-TIME
For Lau, travelling allows him some “me time” when he can think and make plans.
He says: “I like to stay awake during a flight to think about things that I want to do. I don’t like to socialise during that time either, so I’ll put on my headphones because I think it’s like a universal travel code for ‘leave me alone’. Travelling takes up a chunk of my time, so why not make it constructive?”