I Dream of Kyoto

I have a soft spot for the beauty that is Kyoto. This fairytale land is quiet, strikingly beautiful, and oh so clean. With it’s countless temples, lush scenery and colourful vistas, the city feels like one big amusement park, except much cooler than man-made scream coasters and cotton candy.

 

It’s a tourist city that attracts outsiders as well as their own kind, the Japanese from all parts of the country flock to this amazing place. I ran into a lot of tourists from Italy, they were everywhere.

To experience Japanese lifestyle and hospitality, I booked a traditional Ryokan guesthouse instead of a hotel. This is where you sleep on tatami matted floors. Spending four days in Tokyo prior and getting to know Japanese culture made me totally at ease for this sleeping on the ground business. As expected, it was very comfortable, quiet, and spotless.

There’s so much to do and see in Kyoto. Some people do a day trip from Tokyo but I strongly suggest spending three or four full days. You will cheat yourself with just one day.

 

Some of the places we visited included Fushimi Inari Shrine – an endless shrine of beautiful orange gates spread across a thick wooded mountain. The Golden Pavilion, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Philosopher’s Walk, Gion District – famous entertainment and geisha quarter and an unforgettable day trip to Kibune and Kurama-dera which included hiking in the mountains and an even more unforgettable onsen experience.

 

I think about Kyoto with a warm heart. A must see for anyone visiting Japan.

A few more pics from the day trip to Kibune and Kurama-dera. LUSCIOUS!

There’s a big waterfall along with restaurants perched on top of the water!

The Best.

Tokyo Memorable Moments

There were so many highlights in Tokyo, it’s tough to narrow it down to a few. Here are four that stand out the most:

RAMEN AT THIS PLACE
Talk about a taste bud EXPLOSION. And I’m not just saying that. Apologies I have no idea what it was called. A friend sent a text message pin and we found it through google maps (somewhere near Shibuya). My eyeballs grew a little larger with every bite of the most delicious spicy miso ramen that has ever graced my mouth. I savoured every sip not wanting the dish to end.

PACHINKO ARCADE
This was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. It looks similar to slots at a casino, but it’s more like an arcade. Gambling for cash is illegal in Japan but Pachinko balls won from games can be exchanged for tokens and prizes.  The place is insanely loud and they are serious about these games. It was most definitely a movie moment, I couldn’t get over it.

TRADITIONAL WEDDING
My guide book said if you’re lucky when visiting Yoyogi park, you just must stumble upon a traditional wedding. Low and behold I did!! It was amazing and very serious. There were intense drums informing us that something was about to happen and the wedding procession walked through the court yard very slowly. I had no idea this is what they wore. I was blown away.

TSUKIJI FISH MARKET
The Tsukiji fish market is the largest fish market in Japan and it’s wild. We arrived at 4 am to see the famous tuna auction. Yes you read that right. They do a huge auction every day for tuna. I thought getting there at that hour was ludicrous but guess what? It wasn’t early enough because we missed it! But we did get to see the men in action and zipping around in their little carts, all dressed the same in chinos and white rubber boots, looking stylish. We then lined up for sushi breakfast and waited for 3 hours! By 7:30 am the most amazing chefs served the freshest fish I’ve ever experienced, one little piece at a time. A truly unforgettable experience.

My Thoughts On Japan

When I booked my trip to Japan, friends told me “Japan will blow your mind.” I didn’t understand how or why it was going to blow my mind, but I was excited to find out. Upon arriving in Tokyo, we found ourselves completely lost and unable to find our hotel. We stopped in a store and asked for directions. Without hesitation four people gathered around trying hard to figure it out and show us the right way. They were serious about helping and they smiled a lot. When I attempted to cross the street I stopped in my tracks to an oncoming car, but low and behold – the car stopped and waited for me to cross. It didn’t take very long to realize just how efficient, polite, proper, stylish, and cool the Japanese really are.

In a city of 30 million people you would expect a lot of chaos, but there are rules and people follow them. One of the most shocking things is that you don’t see any garbage cans but yet the city is so clean that you wouldn’t flinch if you dropped an apple on the ground – you would pick it up and eat it.

Another interesting thing is the bewildering amount of very convenient convenience stores and vending machines! You want new underwear? Buy it at the 7-11. You need to pay a bill? you can do that too. You want healthy and delicious snacks stocked every hour on the hour? yep, no problem. Socks, Muji products, beer, cell phones, umbrellas. Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes. Convenience stores and vending machines are EVERYWHERE and they’re exciting.

So many convenience stores I can’t explain. Family Mart was my favourite

Vending machine culture is HUGE. I loved the iced coffee

I really got that movie scene vibe with all the lights and people filling the intersection at the famous Shibuya crossing. When the scramble light comes on it’s like the flood gates open and people don’t stop appearing.

My pic doesn’t do justice, but check these out here

Tokyo is just so big that if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll miss all the good stuff. It’s a city filled with hidden gems and underground places. Luckily we had help from friends who lived there so we got to see a super cool side that we would have missed. My all time favourite neighbourhood was Nakameguro. I could have lived there.

Cool little shop in Nakameguro

In 10 days I visited Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka and that just grazed the surface of what this beautiful country has to offer. There’s so much more to see. Next up, I’ll share my highlights.

Things I Miss About Shanghai

I haven’t been away from Shanghai for that long but it feels as though I didn’t live there for a year. Kind of like when you return from a trip and the next day it feels like a dream. As I reflect on the fastest year of my life, these are the things I’ll miss the most.

Cheap Taxis
I would take a taxi to work for no joke $2.85. I lived in the French Concession and worked in The Bund area, all the way across town, usually sitting in traffic, and it never failed – it was only a few dollars. Talk about great value!

The Fabric Market
Since I was little, I always wanted my clothes made. I would imagine bringing a picture of a designer coat to someone who would measure me and make it happen for a fraction of the cost. My dream came true at the South Bund Fabric Market. I benefited from living in Shanghai and having access to it year round, because it’s actually hit or miss. Sometimes they make it bang on, and other times your item has to be re-worked. Sometimes you can barter a good price and other times they won’t budge. It takes practice. I got practice and great clothes.

Real Chinese Food
We all know that the Chinese takeout we get in Canada is NOT real Chinese food. I don’t get it! Why don’t they stay true to their food? It was a learning curve discovering the different types of Chinese food. The variety is huge and I will miss the dumplings the most – more specifically xiaolongbao. The most delicious little soup filled dumplings. I’m on a mission to find good ones in Toronto, although I’ve been told I have to go to Markham for the good stuff.

Door-to-Door Delivery
You can get anything delivered to your door in Shanghai – groceries were a big one for me…and McDonald’s blizzards! They would actually deliver one blizzard. The sites were user friendly, affordable, and offered free delivery. I will miss it dearly because grocery shopping is one of my least favourite chores.

Seniors in the Park
I loved seeing old people dancing in the park and doing all sorts of activities like singing, playing checkers, tai chi, basketball, walking their dressed up dogs, eating, everything happens in the park. It was a spectacle every morning and evening, and especially on weekends.

KTV
You’ll see KTV signs everywhere in Asia and that means karaoke! It’s not like the karaoke we’re used to in the Western world where you sing in front of the whole bar. No. Not this. KTV takes place in a building with hundreds of private rooms. You need to make a reservation and when you show up, it’s like checking into the front desk at a hotel. They bring you to your room where you can sing your heart out until 7 am. They serve drinks and food and there’s a disco ball. So much fun!

Shanghai Moments

Some great moments to share….

I walked into a convenience store and saw a baby in a box. Need I say more? I love Asian babies so much. They are so cute with the chubbiest cheeks. And usually well behaved.
The mall that looked like a spaceship right near my apartment. Best mall ever. I’m not a mall person but in Shanghai I loved everything about this mall. The best restaurants, roof top terraces, beautiful design, clean air, gorgeous stores. IAPM mall is something to remember.
Becoming friends with local fashion designer Nicole Zhang and going to her amazing shows. She’s super talented has the coolest style. She’s been featured in Vogue China.

Getting snapped by street style photographer Roy on the Street with my British friend Selena who was an editor for Time Out Shanghai.
No joke, you see people on bicycles carrying EVERYTHING and ANYTHING, like foam boxes, cardboard boxes, random metal equipment. I once saw a giant dead pig on the back of a motorbike, but I wasn’t fast enough with my camera.Delicious street food, especially this one – a type of bread served piping hot.

Back in Canada

I left wild China and I’m back in glorious Canada. As an open minded, curious, and travel savvy person, living in Shanghai was nothing short of adventurous with ups and downs. It opened my eyes to a world I really didn’t know much about. I learned so much about different cultures, expat life, the working world in China, the digital world, the shopping world, and a lot more that I could tell you about over tea one day.

China is a hard place to adapt to, but my experiences will stay with me forever. I gained true life and work experience and I learned to tap into patience in times of chaos. The best part was that I got to see a lot of Asia including Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines. I look back on my pictures and I still can’t believe I saw all of that.

It’s difficult to describe everyday life to friends and family. I’ve shared some stories, but nothing could truly capture the daily things I saw, unless I had a video camera glued to my forehead. I should have tried that.

Seeing a family of three zip by on a motorbike is a daily sight I’ll definitely miss. Not to mention indulging in the local food stalls. Chinese food will never be the same.

Even though you were crazy Shanghai, I’ll always hold a special place for you in my heart.

Quite possibly the hottest day of my life. There are no words.The side car tour of Shanghai is an interesting and really fun way to see the city

Ladies in the park doing their thing

The historical staircase at my work

Old roof tops that give Shanghai its charm

Exploring one of the many areas being torn down for new development

An amazing participatory art project I organized for work

Roof top view

Last night celebrating before taking off to tour Asia

Travel: Beautiful Yangshuo China

One of the greatest highlights of China was our trip to Yangshuo. I heard it was beautiful from friends and I checked out pictures online, but being there in person was an amazing breath of fresh air and the views are spectacular.

If you’re thinking about going to China, Yangshuo should definitely be on your list. It’s a 2 hour flight from Shanghai and you need 3 or 4 days, no less. Here’s a bit of advice on how to navigate the area:

Fly into Guilin and take the ferry to Yangshuo (down the Li River). It’s a key highlight and takes about 4 hours. If you fly in at night, stay the night in Guilin and take the ferry the next morning.  The ferry only goes from Guilin to Yangshuo (not the reverse) so don’t miss it!

The town center of Yangshuo is kind of ugly, so you should stay in the country side. Two good places to stay are The Giggling Tree and Secret Garden. Both are very charming.

This trip is all about making the most of your day outdoors, so I would pack workout clothes and good trainers. Get a map in advance – try printing online. We had a hard time finding a map…our B&B only had one so they couldn’t give it to us and we got a little lost.

Rent bikes and ride around the country side. Your hotel will tell you the route and you’ll see a lot of people on bikes. Take a bamboo boat ride along Yulong river – you’ll come across this on your bike ride. Splendid!

The next day, take a local bus to Xingping (takes about 45 minutes). Walk around Old Street, hike up Laozhai hill, visit the fishing village (by boat or hike), or hike around the Li River. There’s a really good restaurant on Old Street called Warm Cafe – definitely worth it.

Back in Yangshuo, if you’re into something different, there’s a live show called Impression SanjieLiu that takes place every night along the Li River. You have to buy tickets in advance and it’s great! It was kind of like watching an Olympic opening ceremonies.

Another friend suggested visiting the rice terraces in Longli but it’s 3 hours outside from Guilin (the other direction of Yangshuo), so you would need more time. It’s a day trip. We were there for 3 days and didn’t have time. This is where the fourth day would have been nice.

Overall the trip to Yangshuo gave me a whole new appreciation for China. I was so impressed with the vistas and the overall look and feel was unmatched by other experiences. Definitely worth the trek.

Travel: Hong Kong

At long last I finally visited Hong Kong for a weekend! And what a wonderful weekend it was. It had been on my trip list for 10 years ever since my Dad went and told me I would love it. Hong Kong is amazing and truly lived up to my expectations. A very cool city filled with excitement, lots of shopping, beautiful vistas and good food. To me, it felt like a cross between New York, San Francisco and Vancouver.

New York for its bustling action, memorable taxis, and delicious restaurants. San Francisco because of the cool neon signs, and hilly city landscape. And Vancouver because it is mountainous and rains a lot.

Unfortunately it rained a whole lot during our three-day stay, but it didn’t put a damper on my love for the city. Truly a ‘must visit’ place for all the city lovers out there.

Hotel Indigo in Wanchai – a great place to stay

I loved this side street in SoHo, it looked like a movie set

Skyline view from the ferry

Ted’s Lookout…cool little corner in Wanchai

Pretty street in Wanchai. The streets in this area are called Sun, Moon, Ship and Star :)

Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road

Typical street view with lots of outdoor stairs
At the top of Victoria Peak, so foggy we didn’t see the famous view. A reason to go back!

Malaysia: Land of Food and Friendly

Over the Chinese New Year break we ventured out to Malaysia. It was a much-needed escape from the never-ending traffic noise and air pollution of Shanghai. I didn’t know much about Malaysia when we booked our flights, except that I tried a Malaysian dish in Australia some years ago and it was terrible. Beef Redang. Wasn’t a fan.

But we love to travel to a place of good food and we were told Malaysia would not disappoint. It most certainly did not disappoint and I realize that the restaurant in Australia was probably crap.

We started the trip with a big FAIL by missing our flight!!!! Despite being super organized with all hotels booked in advanced, everything printed, and an expert packing job, we arrived at the airport for our 1:30 flight only to realize, it left at 1:30 am! Worst!!!! What kind of flight leaves at that hour? Air Asia.

We bit the bullet and booked another flight (price not to be mentioned). After waiting in the airport all day, and getting delayed again, it was 4 am by the time we got to our hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Luckily our hotel was in a bustling part of the city, right near the famous outdoor food market Jalan Alor, and it was still going strong. We ate dinner…er breakfast at an amazing Tandoori place nearing 5 am. But who cares, vacation means no real schedule.

A few hours later we were off to Melaka, a UNESCO World Heritage site that’s rich in history and heritage. We toured around by foot and admired the pretty buildings. At night we went to the Jonker Walk Night market. A long street selling food, trinkets, and more food.

Our next stop was Georgetown in Penang, another UNESCO World Heritage site, but much bigger than Melaka. Penang is known as THE food capital of Malaysia, so it was here that we sampled all the dishes you’re supposed to try in Malaysia, including the strangest fruit we ever did eat – durian. We’re pretty open to trying new foods and liking them, but durian wasn’t one of them. It’s about the size of a melon but with a prickly outside. When you open it up inside, it looks like play-doh and smells like garbage. I watched DT eat it first and his face was priceless. I wish I filmed it. To give you an idea of the offensive smell, many hotels have signs banning durian be brought on their property. Keep in mind – it’s a fruit! Strange I know.

Penang was really nice, it’s part historical, part brand-new city, and a short 30 minute bus ride brings you to the National Park and beaches.

The last leg of the trip was spent on the island of Langkawi, the jewel of Kedah. It was beautiful and quaint and a perfect way to end the trip. There are a number of beautiful beaches, mountains, parks, and it’s so close to Thailand that you can do day trips there. Wild.

One of the best things about Malaysia is how friendly the Malay people are. We loved them! Their accents are awesome, they smile a lot, they’re laid back, and just overall seem like a happy bunch. The weather was perfect every day and the food was so interesting with Indian and Thai influences.

I highly recommend checking out Malaysia, and if you’re interested in doing the loop we did, we stayed at excellent places – The Yard Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Wei Far Guest House in Melaka, Glow Boutique Hotel in Georgetown, and La Pari Pari in Langkawi. All awesome, affordable, and highly recommended.

Dreaming of the beach now. My happy place, always and forever.

Health. It Really Matters

Does my title sound like a Public Service Announcement? Or better yet, the name of your grade 6 health class text book? I’ve been in hiding lately and that’s because I’ve been sick on and off since Christmas…and doing nothing fun. Not entirely true, I have done a few fun things, but my health was in the gutter so it’s been a rocky road.

It started with getting knocked out at Christmas after flying back to Toronto from Shanghai. It may have been a combination of jet lag and my body being out of sync with the environment – different food, water, climate, all that stuff. I spent two days in bed. I flew back to Shanghai and suffered from extreme jet lag again. A fourteen hour flight and thirteen hour time difference is no easy feat.
Then my stomach and chest and throat started turning on me and I ended up with a case of pneumonia, which was a result of the poor air conditions in Shanghai. I spent 12 days doing nothing but staring at my ceiling, coughing, playing candy crush, coughing, and spending hours on Pinterest. I couldn’t do anything productive, it made me so moosh and lazy.

More stuff happened, including a shoulder injury and being attacked by sand flies while on vacation (more on that later), and I was beginning to think someone cursed me with The Malocchia (Italian for the evil eye, full description here).

A few things I learned through this dark zone:

1) Even if you do things right, sometimes things still go wrong. This is a sad but true statement. Before getting sick I was eating healthy, working out, getting lots of sleep, drinking lots of water, and stress was minimal. But I still got sick! I didn’t understand how all these things could go wrong, out of no where. But sometimes, they just do.

2) If you feel like things are at their worst – things could always be worse. I was complaining about being dumped on, but then I would think of a situation that could be worse, and that put things into perspective for me. Saying “things could be worse” has become a good tactic.

3) If you find yourself worrying and getting paranoid, just stop. I really worked myself up at times, but I had to stop and remember that there are low times and there are good times. Always think about the light at the end of the tunnel.

4) Friends and family are my saviours. I spent hours texting, emailing, and on the phone with family and friends who gave me words of encouragement, advice, and checked in on me daily to see how I was doing. These notes meant so much and I was extremely thankful for everyone’s care….especially my man for taking care of me and putting up with my grumpiness.

The good news is I’m starting to feel like a human being again. It’s true that your health is the most important thing before anything else. It doesn’t mean I’m in the clear (see point #1), but I do know that I have never appreciated feeling healthy more than I do now.

The Dish on Life and Work Abroad

Thanks to Lisa Ng of This Beautiful Day blog for interviewing me for her awesome lifestyle blog. Here’s a screen grab but you can see the full piece by clicking here.
Peace ya’ll.

Visting Shanghai – Survival Tips

We have some friends coming to visit soon (yay!), so I started thinking about the basic things one should know before visiting Shanghai. Things I wish I had known instead of finding out little by little. Here is my mini survival guide to help you navigate Shanghai.

LANGUAGE
There’s not a whole lot of English in Shanghai. Try to learn how to say, “I don’t speak Chinese” in Mandarin. I learned it from a podcast…after 200 tries. It’s very useful because locals will speak to you in Chinese and continue talking even if you give them a confused look and say, “I can’t speak Chinese” in English.

TAXIS
ZERO cab drivers speak English – you need to know where you’re going with the address in Chinese when you get in.

Cabs are super cheap.  A 35-minute ride from the airport to downtown will cost around 70 RMB ($12 CAD)

To hail a taxi you have to put your arm out and wave your hand up and down or they won’t stop. It’s kind of like an elementary school kid trying hard to get the teacher’s attention.

Make sure the taxi driver flips on the meter. They usually always do, but one time the driver didn’t and I pointed and said “meter” and he said “mayo” which means no, so I got out.
This looks like a photo from the 80s, but all the cabs really do look like this…

TRAFFIC
Pedestrians are at the bottom of the food chain. Always be aware of your surroundings because cars, buses, motorbikes, and bikes come out of nowhere and they don’t obey traffic lights.

You probably don’t want to walk around with headphones on.

Watch out for the motorbikes. They drive the opposite way of traffic, as if they don’t count as a motorized vehicle…they even drive on sidewalks.

Tip: if you’re unsure or hesitant about crossing an intersection, walk close to a local. I do this a lot and I always wonder if they realize I’m using them as my bodyguard.

FOOD & DRINK
You can’t drink the water. So don’t drink the water.

Street food is awesome (greasy yes, but delicious). If you want to try it but you’re a bit weary, just say “mayo row” – that’s not the right spelling but that’s how to say “no meat.”

Tipping anywhere is not common or expected.  Not at food stands, restaurants or even taxis.

Know how much street food should cost before getting in line. In some cases, street vendors will weigh your food and you can see the price on the scale, but more often they will tell you the price in Chinese with no scale, so you’re SOL if you don’t know how much to hand over. If you’re buying a few dumplings or pork buns, or street noodles, it shouldn’t cost you more than 5-8 RMB (86 cents – $1.37 CAD).

You’ll see black eggs everywhere, on street corners, vendor carts, and in every convenience store. I couldn’t even look at them until I learned that it’s just a hard-boiled egg cooked in tea and soy sauce. Nothing to be scared of.

Here is a great link to Shanghai’s best street foods.

This is a soup filled dumpling – a must try

SHOPPING & MARKETS
Shanghai has a lot of ‘markets’ but they don’t look like the kind of markets you’re used to. They’re mainly indoors and in giant warehouses, spawning over several floors. We went to an eye wear market where you can buy glasses and sunglasses at great prices. After the fourth floor, we were exhausted, but we did find some great gems.

There’s also a fabric market, electronics market, bedding market, fashion and gifts market, antique market, cricket market, and even a marriage market! Elders set-up shop in People’s Square Park every Sunday in an attempt to play matchmaker.

There’s no point shopping at stores like Zara and H&M because there’s a 30% tax so everything is more expensive than back home.

There are a lot of great boutiques in the French Concession, where you can find some unique pieces, however they’re overpriced.

Bartering is definitely expected at markets and street vendors selling goods, (but you don’t barter in stores). Keep in mind that vendors often charge foreigners double the price, so hold your ground and barter low.

PERSONAL SPACE
It doesn’t exist in situations like the metro or if you’re waiting in line for something. People will swoop in and cozy up right in front of you like it’s perfectly normal.

SMOKING
People smoke everywhere…inside restaurants and even inside office buildings. This is a negative for me, but I suppose this is a dream come true if you’re a smoker.

WORLD WIDE WEB
A lot of websites are blocked, so you can’t get on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and others. The Internet in general is crazy slow. I can access those sites because I have a VPN but you won’t be able to get on normally.

WARDROBE
You can wear whatever you want in Shanghai – some people are stylish, but not entirely, especially now that it’s getting colder. Locals often walk around in head to toe PJ sets. True story.

If you’ve always had a burning desire to dress in a matching outfit with your boyfriend/girlfriend – this is your chance, as it’s quite common to see couples wearing matching jackets, hats, t-shirts, and shoes.

You should really dress for the weather and layer up.

iPHONE
I highly recommend getting some kind of package to be able to use your phone…if you have an iPhone it will make things a lot easier. A few key apps to get:
XE (currency converter)
Google maps (it’s my savior)
Shanghai metro (for subway directions)
Shanghai Taxi (click on the ‘streets’ tab and enter the main street and cross street to create a taxi card to show to the driver). Addresses in Shanghai are all listed by cross streets
City Weekend is a great too

TOILET
Ladies be prepared for a lot of squat toilets in public places. It’s good to have travel size tissue in your purse.
Guys, it’s widely accepted to pee anywhere in public so have fun with that.

There you have it. My take on how to survive a visit to Shanghai. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line @julieduva or on facebook.com/sevendollarpants

Overnight in Suzhou

After working out the train kinks (see lessons learned from Hangzhou post), we packed up our passports and headed out to Suzhou, a canal town 30 minutes on the fast train from Shanghai. There’s not a ton of stuff to do in Suzhou, but we lucked out with beautiful spring-like weather, so that makes everything good.  We toured around the old town, checked out the gardens, went to traditional tea houses along the canal, and climbed Tiger Hill. I loved the zen vibe of the gardens and appreciated the break from beeping car horns. A few shots….
Amazingly bright fresh-cut flowers

Peeking into one of the many gardensOverloading on teaClimbing up Tiger HillLoved the mini treesPicture perfect ChinaLeaning tower of China…except it looked straightDon’t go chasing waterfalls

Events In The City

Moving to a new city where the only person you know is your bf is kind of strange. How do you even begin to integrate into the industry and social circles you’re used to? I didn’t know anything about Shanghai before we decided to move here. I didn’t know anyone who lived here or even visited.

But a funny thing happened as we told people about the move – the six degrees of separation theory really worked in our favour. There were a handful of friends who knew someone, who knew someone living in Shanghai.
I started by meeting up with those people and it was a chain reaction from there.

By the third week I met a stylist, a fashion designer, a few publicists and editors…which led to attending some great events in the city. I attended the Lane Crawford launch party (Hong Kong’s most popular multi-brand retailer opened up a huge flagship store here), the Vera Wang fashion show (which was part of Shanghai fashion week), the Autumn Fair fashion and art market, and I took part in a Gatsby-themed shoot for a new speakeasy in town, The Boulevard.

It’s interesting to see how events roll out on the other side of the world…not a whole lot different from Toronto with the exception of a few quirky details, and a lot more people. Here’s a glimpse..

Lane Crawford launch party

Outfit: silk top (Zara), boyfriend jeans (GAP), leather moto jacket (H&M), heels (Vince), vintage purse

The Bumby’s were a hit…masked artists who judge your appearance leaving you with a typed note of their appraisal With one of Shanghai’s top emerging fashion designers, Nicole ZhangVera Wang runway show  Dreamy flowing gowns + fierce Asian modelsAutumn Fair artist and fashion marketBehind the scenes shoot for The Boulevard speakeasy

Donate to Typhoon Haiyan

My heart goes out to the people who have been affected by the mega typhoon that hit The Philippines. It’s crazy to think we were there on holiday a few weeks ago. I wrote my previous post a day before the deadly storm hit and I cannot believe the horrible disaster and  number of lost lives. Help out by donating to the Canadian Red Cross here.

 

It’s More Fun in the Philippines

A great thing about China is the amount of public holidays they have. Within two weeks of being in Shanghai, offices shut down for a whole week to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival. I’ll take it.

We decided to go somewhere hot and landed on The Philippines! I never had it on my travel wish list, so I didn’t know what to expect. I did extensive research and learned there are over 7,000 islands in the Philippines, and not to expect amazing food….among other things. Thanks to Lonely Planet I weaved a simple itinerary together taking the advice to stay in one area if you have limited time because it’s a big country and so spread out.

We flew into Manila, which was only a two-hour flight from Shanghai, then hopped on a connecting flight to Cebu City. We spent a day in Cebu, then headed south on a ferry to the island of Bohol….more specifically Alona Beach on Panglao Island. The cultural aspect wasn’t exhilarating. Everyone spoke English, there wasn’t amazing street food like you would find in Thailand or China, and I found the streets looked exactly the same. BUT the Philippines blew me away with their gorgeous beaches. When the sun hit the beach, the water turned into the brightest aqua marine blue and the whitest of white sand was a spectacular compliment. It felt like walking through a postcard or one of those beach calendars that make you hate winter.

To be fair about the food, we had excellent fresh fish BBQ along the beach, which was awesome.
October is a risky time to go because it’s the end of monsoon season, so the weather was a bit hit or miss. One minute we were raving about our postcard beach, the next minute a dark cloud rolled in and we found ourselves in a tiny one-man security booth trying to stay dry. That’s another thing – the people are very friendly. The security guard saw us scrambling for shelter in the rain and called us over to his hut. We were there for so long and ended talking about Bon Jovi and Metallica. No joke.

On the flip side to going in October, you’ll get good deals on hotels. We stayed in three great places – The Henry Hotel (in Cebu), Amorita Resort and Hennan Resort in Alona Beach.

Cute hotel room at The Henry…I LOVED the green wall

One of the highlights was taking a day trip to Balicasag Island for snorkeling and Virgin Island for lounging, AND one of the craziest things I didn’t think I would ever do — we went swimming with whale sharks. I was the last one to get off the boat, but I eventually hopped in the water and trusted that these creatures really are the gentle giants they’re marketed as. They were massive, measuring nine meters in length! I just kept if you went to an aquarium, they wouldn’t let you get inside, but here we were chilling with the whale sharks. It was wild.

PS – I’ve become an expert packer – we took this small suitcase (above) for the two of us for seven days. Craze.

Weekend Trip To Hangzhou

Within a few days of being in Shanghai, we decided to be spontaneous and take a train ride to Hangzhou – a garden city also known as West Lake, just outside of Shanghai.  Although I love being spontaneous, I learned that we should have done a bit more research before venturing out…especially to a place where English is hardly used.

We got to the train station, waited in line forever to buy our tickets, only to discover that we needed our passports! We were travelling an hour away and not leaving the country, so we didn’t think it was necessary.

Back home for the passports.

Got back to the train station, expecting to get on the next train (they leave hourly), only to discover trains actually sell-out here, so we had to wait another two hours for the next available train.

Finally on the train!

So we got to Hangzhou and thought we were going to hop in a taxi to go to our hotel, but every taxi we showed the address to refused us. We were about eight denials in before we decided to start walking. We walked. And walked. And walked. Big shout out to Google maps for leading the way. We eventually got a taxi to take us to our hotel. It was the most adorable little villa in the hills — in the most confusing, tiny, and winding roads. No wonder taxis didn’t want to take us!

Luckily the hotel was a gem and the staff were SO helpful and accommodating. It was a small villa with only 10 rooms, but the staff treated it as a high end as a Ritz Carlton, which was impressive and so nice.

We encountered a monsoon and so many little mess-ups over the two days, due to lack of research and translation issues, but we just had to laugh about it. We checked out the giant gardens and parks, rented a two seater bike, toured West Lake, tried crab on a stick, and ate at a great restaurant called The Grandmas.

Waiting for the monsoon to pass

Crab on a stick….it was delicious
Chic white chandelier at The Grandmas restaurant

West Lake
It was a great little getaway and a good first trip to realize we need to be better planners when visiting vastly different places. Toto: we’re not in Canada anymore.

Life In Shanghai

Well hello there. I’ve been in Shanghai for just over a month now and I can tell you that time is flying. It took a couple of weeks to ease into the culture shock, and day by day I’ve been adjusting and discovering new things. 

I absolutely love our neighbourhood. The French Concession is an amazing part of town with so many cool places to discover. I can keep myself busy just within a four block radius.

The city is always and forever buzzing, literally. Cars honk their horns non-stop from 6:30 am till about 9 pm, and even through the night you hear the odd beep. I can’t count to three without hearing a beeeeeeeep. They really lay it on with their beeps.

Something I didn’t know and have had a hard time adjusting to – the internet is junk. Hence my delay in posting. There are a lot of blocked sites, delays, and technical issues. I have to say it’s my number one frustration, because how can you function without fast internet in 2013? Patience is the name of the game.

Before my screen freezes, here are a few pics to share:

View from our apartment on a sunny day

My New Bike
Old vs. New

Green space does exist!

A little bit of home on my head before hitting the streets

Travel: Vietnam

From Thailand we hopped on a short flight to Vietnam. From hot to cold. It was their winter season and I wasn’t exactly prepared with the proper clothing. I was expecting 10 degrees, but it was more like 4 degrees, and wet. I wore everything I had for four days straight. Not stylish. We spent a few days in Hanoi and stayed in the Old Quarter. It was unlike anything I had seen before. It was interesting to see how intimate the locals are with using the street as their work space. We saw people cutting heads off chickens, and selling everything from sweets to vegetables and tofu. A lot of people washed their pots and pans on the street, and of course there was a whole lot of street side cooking.

You think you know how to cross the street — until you have to cross the street in Hanoi. It was a crazy experience due to the hundreds of thousands of motor bikes (see video below).  I was given the advice to look straight and walk forward without hesitation. Sure enough the motor bikes weaved around and all was good.

Just like Thailand, we ate our way through the city and it was delightful.

Following Hanoi we hopped on a junk boat and toured Halong Bay. It has spectacular views with gorgeous rock formations everywhere you look. We also went kayaking, visited a floating fishing village, went inside a cave, and learned how to make Vietnamese spring rolls.

I would love to go back to Vietnam to see more of it…as a stranger told us we were “really short changing ourselves with only four days in Vietnam.” Never enough time to do everything right?

Travel: Thailand

I wanted to travel to Thailand for YEARS and it finally happened in January. I can safely say it was one of the best trips of my life. I visited Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Koh Lanta.
Bangkok was a hot and sweaty whirlwind. We walked around markets, visited temples, ate street food, and celebrated New Years Eve on Khao San Road.
From there, we went to Northern Thailand – Chiang Mai and stayed in the most gorgeous little place called Jasmine Hills. It was in the middle of rice fields and was a bit of a trek to get to the city, but it was glorious.
In Chiang Mai we did a full day cooking class at Asia Scenic, which was THE BEST. We learned how to make six different dishes and ate them all. We also went elephant trekking. It was astonishing to be up close and personal with the elephants, but a little creepy too. I was the timid one of the group (see video below).
Koh Lanta was absolute paradise in the south. We stayed at a great place, Andalay Boutique (highly recommend) where we rented scooters and toured the island. We found the most beautiful beaches with hardly anyone on them. The side-of-the-road food was so good I can’t even put into words. Sun, sand, beach, the best food ever. Perfection.

Tuk Tuk (cabbie) in Bangkok

Temple in Chiang Mai

Night market fun

Fake smile | petrified

Feeding the elephants
Cooking class at Asia Scenic
Made all of these dishes!
Amazing beach in Koh Lanta | heaven
Lucky Balloon send off
Black Moon party | fire show
Spa at Siri Lanta
Last look before leaving the island

Travel: San Fransisco

Over the Thanksgiving long weekend, we went to San Fransisco. It was my first time there and I just loved the look of it…the store fronts, old signs, trolleys, and cool neighbourhoods.
The weather was that perfect sunny California weather I dream about, and I learned that October is the best time to go because it’s the peak of their best summer weather. The weekend couldn’t have been more action packed — America’s cup was happening, it was fleet week, there was a big football game, a blue grass music festival, a parade in Little Italy, AND President Obama was staying at our hotel!! True story. We didn’t see him, but everything was on crazy lock down. Security guards everywhere. It was so interesting to see.
A great Italian restaurant we went to was Delfina that I highly recommend, and we ate delicious sushi and Mexican at random spots. China Town and Little Italy were highlights, and I especially loved North Beach area. It just had a really cool vibe. One thing I would NOT recommend, is going only for a weekend. It’s too far from Toronto to go for 3 days, and the worst decision I made was taking the red eye home. Not glam. A few pics…

Old school kicks at the airport | KangaROOS

Golden Gate beauty | delicious lunch at the market | Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival

Amazing movie combo at the Castro theatre – Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and Beetlejuice!

Had to find Full House
Sunny day at the park

Travel: Algonquin

Before I start blogging about life in Shanghai, I’m going to take a look back on the happenings of last year…mainly travel spots. Back in September I went camping in Algonquin. I use the word camping lightly — we actually stayed in a cottage for 2 nights and camped in the woods for one night. Back in high school I joined the Outdoors Club and did a camping trip in Algonquin and absolutely loved it. I thought I was a ‘camper’ from that one trip and I always wanted to go camping again, but it never happened. Until this particular weekend. Let’s just say I’m not a camper anymore. I love the outdoors, hiking, swimming, and even cliff jumping — but I can do without sleeping in a tent.
Algonquin is so pretty and makes me feel very Canadian.

Outfit: vintage Levi’s cutoffs | fringe tank from Urban Outfitters

From One Adventure To The Next

I had a busy and exciting year that went by in a blink. Hence my absence from the blog world. I was busy working on the PR team for Holt Renfrew. I worked on a lot of amazing projects and met a lot of awesome people…from stylish and sassy co-workers to world-class designers and even a few celebs. Being in the presence of Elton John, Domenico Dolce, and Christian Louboutin were cool experiences, but I especially loved meeting Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere, Oscar PR girl, the Dannijo girls, and the guys of Rag & Bone. All of them are incredible examples of success with a genuine, funny, and down to earth vibe. I quite admire that.

A few pics…
Stella McCartney dress I swooned over all spring season

So, the year has come to an end, and I’m embarking on my next adventure – which involves a BIG move to Asia! In just a few days, I’ll be moving to Shanghai for the year. Even after all the mental preparing and goodbye parties, it still doesn’t seem real.  I suppose once I’m actually there, it will hit me. The look on my face will be “what just happened / why am I here?” But in this moment, I’m pretty darn excited. I’ll be meeting my bf who has been living there for the past 2 months. I’ll be blogging about my adventures, doing a bit of travelling, and I’ll be on the job hunt. I also plan on taking Mandarin classes. That will be a crazy challenge, but I’m going to try.

I was fortunate to visit Shanghai for a few days (yes, we went all the way there for a few days) in June to check it out before making a decision about the move. I must say I was quite impressed. It wasn’t like anything I pictured. My favourite neighbourhood is the French Concession, which is where we’ll be living. It has a European vibe with beautiful tree-lined streets, and countless exquisite boutiques from local fashion designers. There are a ton of chic restaurants and cocktail bars, and it’s not crowded like other areas. My first impression of Shanghai was that it’s a ‘cool city,’ and bf has reported that it is indeed. Here are a few shots…

Pretty buildings reminded me of Europe

Delicious lunch at Crystal Jade
A couple of awesome boutiques
Cocktails at Lost Heaven in The Bund
Designer Nicole Zhang’s FW13 fashion presentation

Commenting on the collection. I loved it!
Playing dress up at Nicole’s studio. Wanted everything.
In deep thought along The Bund

Toronto Flower Market

I checked out the first Toronto Flower Market of the Season at 99 Sudbury today and picked up some flowers for my Mom. They’re doing it twice a month for the season, check out the dates at www.pickontario.ca
Great way to start the day 🌷
Happy Mother’s Day Mom!

 

Gatsby The Great

Clearly I’ve been missing for quite some time. I’ve been tied up to the max with work. I miss you blog. But more on that later, as I plan to get back on the train.
Tonight I went to the pre-screening of The Great Gatsby and I left the theater fully inspired!! Inspired to dress-up more often, inspired to party more, and inspired to listen to new music – especially Lana del Ray (love her).
I hardly ever go to the movies and I hardly ever sit through a movie at home. I get sleepy, or I can’t sit still, or I just don’t like it enough.
I went into Gatsby thinking it was going to be long and just ok, and it was long, but it was captivating.
I read the book in high school and I’m not going to say the book was better because 1) I hate when people try to sound smart by saying they liked the book better and 2) I couldn’t even remember it that well, so the movie was definitely better. I absolutely loved the costumes and the perfect cast and how gorgeous everything looked, including dreamy Leonardo DiCaprio. I wore a Gatsby-inspired outfit – a cream coloured knit top with a cream coloured crochet skirt, and lots of accessories – pearls, bracelets, rings, and earrings.
I definitely recommend going to see this movie, it won’t disappoint.