Exploring Chiang Mai

I had no idea what to expect before I got to Chiang Mai, but I was excited for its rich history, beautiful temples and friendly people. When we arrived, the first thing I noticed was that the weather was cooler and waaay less humid than Bangkok, which was such a nice change! Along with quieter streets, different food and pretty much everything else... I decided to stop comparing the two cities altogether. I had a list of things to see and places to go, and my only problem was fitting it all in to a few days!

Part of the moat that surrounds the centre of Chiang Mai

The importance of having less

In light of the festive season, I have thought a lot about the materialistic side of Christmas and how my values of such have changed drastically since last year. I make a decent salary in Bangkok, and I go from month to month with no real worries about money. I am able to save, go out on the weekends and plan awesome holidays. Even though I stick to some sort of budget, its never really a stressful experience in terms of day to day expenses. Just recently I was thinking about how much my spending has changed when comparing 24 year old me living abroad to 22 year old me back home, that was always working (sometimes 3 jobs) but for some reason always running out of money. I figured it out... and this epiphany is something that has actually changed me in the best possible way. I don't waste my money on 'stuff' anymore.

5 Baht butterfly crumpets anyone?

Tassled bags

I am crazy about hassle bags making a comeback! It gives me the opportunity to get involved with the boho chic summer style without going too retro. I have seen them everywhere from high end stores to forever 21 and they are sticking for the next season! Bring on the 70's style tassels on everything from suede jackets to stilettos. Here are some awesome tassel bags for you to get boho.

Image from whowhatwear.com

WXYZ Bar @ Aloft Lounge

I have had the pleasure of spending a couple of evenings at WXYZ bar @ Aloft Lounge since I moved to Bangkok, most of the time being for a friends birthday event. Situated on the well-known expat road of Sukhumvit Soi 11, it is the perfect spot to have a good night out with friends after a long week. I think this has a lot to do with the drinks special that takes place every Friday and Saturday night which seems almost too good to be true: Unlimited cocktails, beers and shots from 9pm to 12am for the bargain price of 600 Baht per person.

The entrance to WXYZ bar

Thai street food favorites

When you visit Thailand, or live here like I do, you will certainly find yourself eating most kinds of Thai street food available on every corner (literally anywhere you go). After my various experiences with street food in Bangkok, I thought I would share with you my favorites, as well as some tips to remember. Don't be nervous about ordering street food and only eat western style food when you are in Thailand, it would be such an opportunity missed.

There are also many fancy Thai restaurants that offer a selection of authentic foods, but I find that you are then paying double the price for a meal that could be cooked more authentically right on the streets like the locals have it. The language barrier makes ordering food a slight challenge but just pointing to things and hoping for the best often works! Here are the Thai names and descriptions to help you out a bit. Street food is the best!

Papaya Salad (somtam thai)

Papaya salad is possibly my favorite of all the street foods! It is crispy and fresh, with the main ingredients of unripened papaya, carrots, sprouts and peanuts. Added to the mix is flavors such as garlic, palm sugar and fresh chilli (be sure to ask for 'mai pet' if you're not into too much spice). It is great for a lunch time meal with sticky marinated chicken (gai yang) added to it. You will be able to spot a somtam stand by the big piles of shredded papaya in the glass window. Make sure to specifically ask for somtam 'Thai' if you're not a fan of tiny dehydrated baby shrimp being thrown into the mix (they're kind of off-putting).

Beaching it in Ao Nang, Krabi

When deciding where to go for our upcoming long weekend, we thought to go somewhere beautiful yet slightly untamed. After countless stories and photo's of Phuket, Phuket, Phuket from fellow travelers and friends, I felt as if I had already been there. This is not to say I'll never go to Phuket but since living and teaching in Bangkok, its always a hunt for the non-touristy destinations and unusual experiences.

Postcard moment on Tub Island

A day in the life of an English teacher: BKK

I honestly have the most rewarding job as an English kindergarten teacher, and I live in the huge unpredictable city of Bangkok, Thailand. I thought I would share my typical week day in this wonderful place I call home (for now).

Its such a great feeling to wake up in the morning and not have to drag myself out of bed after hitting the snooze alarm 3 times. I splash some cold water on my face, put on my uniform of black pants and a polo shirt (a different colour for every day of the week) and do my hair and make up. In Thailand the way you present yourself is very important in terms of how others see you. Its more about the fact that you look after yourself than pure vanity, so I put a little more effort into my appearance. In the same way, the Thai teachers that I work with are some of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever met, and we are constantly laughing and joking around with each other.

Teacher A and I taking a selfie

Two foreigners walk into a barber in Bangkok

The title may sound like the beginning of a bad joke (and this post could very well be) but I just had to share our experience whilst trying to find a barber to cut Trav's hair and trim his beard in Bangkok (Trav had not had his hair cut since we left South Africa). Needless to say it was no easy feat to find a barber in a city where very few Thai men have beards, and very few barbers speak English.

Sports Luxe

The sports wear as everyday wear trend has been surfacing quite a lot this year, and I have admittedly been fighting it. After all, is sports and work out gear not meant to be seen exclusively when you are at the gym or being active? Well my mindset has finally changed, and do you know who changed it? None other than Kylie Jenner. I have always had mixed emotions about the Kardashian clan and their materialistic ways, but there is no denying that one thing King Kylie knows is fashion. Her sports luxe looks as of late are urging me to bring out the spandex!

Image from mailonline.com

The Radisson Blu: 27 Bites buffet

The beauty of living in a diverse city like Bangkok is that you can go from sitting on a plastic chair eating a noodle bowl at a local market to dining at a 5 star restaurant. As much as I love Thai street food, every now and then you just need a treat. Since it was mine and Trav's anniversary on the weekend, we decided to book a Sunday all-you-can-eat lunch at the hotel restaurant 27 Bites at The Radisson Blu. It.was.unbelievable.

Getting around Bangkok: Public transport at it's best

Of all the places in the world Bangkok must surely be the most convenient in terms of mass public transport. I sold my car back home in South Africa, and in exchange I have used possibly every means of transport that exists whilst living in Thailand. If you want to go anywhere, at any given moment in time, for whatever fee you are willing to pay, it is most certainly possible here. From cheapest to most expensive, here are the public transport options available to you in 'The Big Mango'.

Hobbyist Cafe

In a city where you are spoilt for choice when it comes to dining out, every so often I come across a hidden gem that makes me want to keep going back. A friend took me for coffee today at the Hobbyist Cafe, which is on her side of the BKK hood in Saphan Taksin. The whole area is a tourist hub due to the main pier of the Chao Phraya River being situated there, so it really caters to every need. This cool coffee shop is no exception!

The front entrance

Cabbages and Condoms

When I first heard the name of the restaurant 'Cabbages and Condoms' I thought there had to be some mistake... condom what? You can eat at this place? I know I am not the first person to think how interesting (and inedible) it may sound, but its an even better excuse to check it out yourself!

To give a little background to the restaurant before I talk about the experience, the whole concept is to promote health education and prevent transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. This is a serious problem in Thailand and the world over, and I think its a fun way to bring light to these important issues. The signs leading up to the entrance of Cabbages and Condoms are downright hilarious. Happy waving condoms show you the way down the street, and may I just say this was entertainment in itself...

The enthusiastic condom shows the way

Island Getaway: Koh Samed

Of all the holidays and trips I have been on in my life, staying on an island for the first time definitely tops the list of experiences for me. The island of Koh Samed, situated in Rayong province in Thailand, is nothing short of paradise. Spending 4 days there was a moment in time for me, and I just can't wait to go back.

One of the quieter beaches on Koh Samed

Blue and white print

The boho chic fashion trend of summer has brought with it beautiful Grecian inspired tops, pants and blouses with crisp white cottons and blue paisley prints. There are also the D&G inspired china/porcelain prints that take the sophistication to a new level, as well as the mediterranean blue leaf craze. I have seen this print everywhere and it is so in right now! Pair a shirt with a high waist denim skirt or find the print as a flowing shirt dress with lace up sandals. A must-get trend for summer.

Image from lookbook.co

The Death of Skinny Jeans

As sad as I am writing this blog post, staring at a pile of my skinny jeans, it must be done for the sake of the fashion world. Skinny jeans are officially dead!

It may seem juvenile to get so upset about parting with a mere style of pants, but the fact is they were a staple item in all of our wardrobes (and still are for those such as myself who haven't quite let go yet). So now we have to part with our slim fit friends and move onto the trendier bootleg, wide cut and boyfriend jean style of the season and possibly the next few years. 

The one thing I am most restless about is how to style this seemingly unflattering trend! That is why I scoured the Internet for inspiration and good old street fashion looks that we can easily pull off without shedding too many tears over leaving our dear skinny jeans in the back of the closet. Here goes!

Image from sincerelyjules.com

When life takes over

I had this idea that once I had moved halfway across the world to Bangkok, I would be immensely inspired by everything around me and therefore have a constant flow of moments and events to discuss in detail on my blog. The truth is that I am inspired by this city in so many overwhelming ways that I seldom find the words to explain the experiences that I am going through. I like to think of it as having all the words and emotions in a bowl of alphabet soup, but not being able to digest them into sentences. Does that make sense at all or does it sound like a super weird bio lesson?

Other than being overwhelmed and speechless at the best of times, I am also busier than I have ever been. I used writing as a mechanism of escaping my somewhat vanilla life back home, and I am now on this whirlwind adventure, along with a teaching job that keeps me occupied anytime in-between. Sometimes I will look at my phone and I haven't even had the time to reply to a simple text message. Sitting quietly with my laptop and my thoughts is a difficult feat when there is so much going on around me.

So here comes the point of this blog post-life takes over sometimes. I place certain interests and hobbies in a list of priorities and often they slip to the bottom of that list when I have too much on my plate. Living in a foreign country is a challenge and an adventure, and after a few months I finally have the urge to find the time to write again! So for all the sweet strangers and friends and family members out there that are reading this (Hi Mom), I have returned from hibernation and I will be writing a whole lot about a whole lot from now on. x

How to avoid low quality clothing

We have all bought that pretty top or those really nice pants whilst shopping, only to find that after a few wears they look cheap and nasty. These such items almost always end up in the back of the closet or out with the trash. Isn't it so frustrating when you get those horrible little balls of fabric on your clothes that make you look so tacky? Or when your favourite jersey starts gathering holes?

Along with the advantage of having a fashion designer as a mom (shout out!), I have come up with my own ways of checking whether an item is low quality. As I get older I have more appreciation for quality instead of quantity, and as young adult I find it is more beneficial to invest in a few expensive items instead of tons of seasonal trends. Nothing is fool proof though, sometimes us females get too distracted by the pretty details to inspect the important stuff. Can you blame us?

Expat life in BKK

What is it really like for an expat living in Bangkok? Well let me just say it is not easy to begin with, but it is a lifestyle I wouldn't be able to afford back in South Africa that is for sure. When I decided to  move to a foreign country I had to realise that I was not just here to visit for a few days, I needed to find an apartment and settle in. This whole process of making bkk my home was unexpectedly easy in some ways and equally frustrating in others. What I did have to accept straight off the bat was that my life back in South Africa could in no way be replicated in great big Bangkok (as much as I tried).

So Yesterday Volume 5

It's that time again...where I rudely share with you all what to stop wearing as of right now. Of course it is completely your decision to subject yourself to the criticism that is this blog post, but I just have to get it off my chest. How can I keep this precious information to myself? The answer is I simply can't. Just like yesterdays newspaper, the following trends are no longer relevant. Take note!

Girls wearing guys underwear

I am very aware that Beyonce wore underwear in her latest music video 7/11, and everything she does is awesome... but some things we should just leave to her you know? There is a reason they are called 'mens briefs', because they are in fact for MEN. If you took a selfie in the mirror with a pair of of Calvin's sticking out of your jeans, shame on you. No more of this please.

Image from tgcaptions.org