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

Lumphini Park

Lumphini Park was one of the must-see places in Bangkok that I heard a lot about before arriving, and I was quite excited to spend the day there and see what it was like for myself. Other than choosing one of the hottest days I have experienced in BKK so far (sweat is a given when you live here), it really was all I hoped it would be. I have never been to New York but Lumphini Park seems like a smaller version, with that crazy contrast between the city skyscrapers and the rare greenness of the park.

The Casual Sneaker

This quirky trend has swiftly made its way from the runway to the streets, and in 2015 the sneaker trend is only going to become even more popular. Trainers and sneakers are no longer kept for gym sessions and long walks, they can be worn with everything from dresses to smart suits (aka Cara Delevigne in DKNY).

Choose an eccentric pair that stands out, and make them the focal point of the outfit to create a statement. Not only are sneakers super comfortable, they add an effortless style to an otherwise boring outfit. Find your pair and get involved!

Image from instyle.com

Beat the Boredom

Oh the irony of finally having a holiday and a break from work over the festive season, only to find that you are bored out of your skull and you have watched every series and movie on your laptop in the last 3 days (been there). We are so used to these fast and furious action-packed lives, going from work to gym to all those other commitments we have filled our plate with. No wonder we feel numb with boredom when the madness finally stops and we have a few days off!

The importance is not to fill your days up being so busy that you actually burn out, or just sit on the couch all day. Find a combination of relaxing and fun activities to do that are also constructive, and you will end your holiday feeling accomplished and rested. Here is my list of fun Christmas holiday activities to do with family, friends or by yourself.

Make Christmas tree decorations

If you are falling short on Christmas decorations for your tree this year, don't go out and buy more. Rather make them yourself as a fun activity and add a sentimental touch to your tree. Whether you do it yourself or get children or friends to help for the day, there are so many ways to create fun and easy decorations. You can use felt, paper, pine cones, fruit or ribbons. You can even personalise decorations with names of family members.

A personal favourite of mine is these easy-to-make polystyrene glitter balls:

• cover a small round polystyrene ball with craft glue
• roll ball around in glitter until all surfaces are covered
• Use a pin to secure a folded piece of ribbon or string at the top of the ball to hang on the tree

Image from hgtv.com

Lets be kids

In so many ways adults are fixated on being adults. We don't have time for childish endeavors, we don't have the patience to play around or be silly. I shudder to think what a gloomy and depressing world it would be if there were no children! What I have decided is that if you bring certain characteristics of a child into parts of your own life, it will actually bring about positive changes. These are the ways in which adults could benefit from using child-like qualities to remind ourselves how exciting and delightful this world actually is.

Palm tree life

As I have mentioned more than once in my fashion trend updates, summer fashion is extremely literal this season. I'm talking flowers, fruit and palm trees! Pastels and bold colours, monochrome and matchy matchy... its all about making a statement and wearing summer all over us! 

Another popular trend to catch my eye is the palm tree print. It is so feminine and fun, and there are lots of variations from small prints on flip flops to big prints on sun dresses. The palm tree trend is awesome! My personal favourite is the fresh green and white palm leaves, which looks like its straight off the Dolce and Gabanna runway. Here is to a summery outfit full of swaying trees and giant leaves.

Image from etsy.com

Mermaid Hair

I have always had this obsession with mermaids.-the shell bra's, the long tails, the multi-coloured hair. Lucky for you girls out there who are just as obsessed as I am, the mermaid hair trend is gaining momentum this summer. Whether you are blonde or brunette, choose what shade you would like to go and how much you actually want to colour (whether its the entire head or just the tips). There are a variation of options for getting that mermaid hair look, including chalks and semi-permanent dyes. Coordinate it with your clothing to create an extra chic look. Another fun and feminine summer trend!

Go purple like Nicole Richie

Image from rainbowhaircolour.com

Watermelons & Pineapples

If you didn't realise that watermelon and pineapple prints are the hottest trend for summer 2014, where have you been?  Nothing screams 'Its Summer Time!' more than juicy summer fruit, so why not eat it and wear it too! The watermelon and pineapple trend on pretty much everything from sunglasses to t-shirts is happening at the moment. It is fresh and fun, and even one item can completely update and revamp your outfit. I have been stopping myself from buying every random thing that has any fruit resemblance on it. Check out these fun options!

Fruity bikini's

Image from luulla.com

Durban Day

As someone who lived in the city long enough, I somehow never went to Durban Day until this year, and my oh my have I missed out over the years. It was epic.

The perfect birthday dinner

It's my birthday tomorrow so I thought I would share my planning and preparation, along with TONS of help from Pinterest. I really wanted to have a relaxed dinner party with a few friends and family just to celebrate my special day.

All of these ideas are so easy to do and only require a small budget. I like to keep things simple, because I find that as soon as you try too hard to impress everyone or spend too much money it doesn't usually have the desired effect. It's never easy to cater for a group of people so I thought I would have a variety of snack foods to keep everyone going. I have also included a few ideas for atmosphere and decor.

The details
It's always nice to add small touches to the evening to make it seem more put together, whether its adding tags of peoples names or having a nice arrangement in the middle of the table. I saw an idea where each placemate is a piece of black paper and you simply write each guests name in chalk on the black paper. I love monochrome, it always looks more sophisticated than it is. Another idea is to present knives and forks in a serviette tied into the shape of a bow tie. This is perfect for a barbeque or help yourself type event.