Filed under: Travel | Tags: Cambodia, Elizabeth Kiester, Siem Reap, Wanderlust
I’ve thought over and over again what I will take with me, hold closest to my heart from this experience. And, it’s not just the many amazing sights and sounds, but the friendships I’ve made throughout my trip.
Elizabeth Kiester, Siem Reap, Cambodia, is one of these friends.
A New Yorker, a former editor of Mademoiselle, Seventeen, and Jane as well as a former creative at Abercrombie & Fitch and LeSportsac, left her NY ways to give back — without leaving fashion behind her. And to do it wholeheartedly.
Her sincerity, thoughtfulness, courage is unlike anyone I’ve met. Her stories – of teaching English to saffron robe clad monks to experiencing the faces and ‘tudes of tourists on “the other side” – are, if nothing else, a best-selling novel in the making. Not to mention, Wanderlust’s designs are awesome. Truly an unexpected, perfect fit of East meets West.
Thanks to Sean for the intro. I was the second “Sean” friend to visit in two days!
Her “autobiography” on FB says it best. Taken from her FB page – click and join her group, btw:
girl lives in new york. girl loves fashion, color, art, 5 inch heels and travel. oh yes, and grilled cheese sandwiches. girl works at big fashion mags and later, huge global design companies. girl travels around the world in search of the cool and the new. girl grimaces every time she sees a tourist jamming a conical hat, a cheongsam, a djellaba, a fez or kimono into the overhead compartment. girl knows that these coveted souvenir-y items will never see the light of day once unpacked (except maybe at halloween). girl resolves to open a shop someday in some cool place that carries only clothes that speak a global language, stuff that translates everywhere and anywhere. girl goes to cambodia, and falls in love. falls in love with the country, the beautiful faces, the charming french colonial houses of siem reap; she is head over 5″ stiletto heels with the colors of this country, the smell of lemongrass, the sunset warming the verdant rice paddies. girl goes back to new york, ditches her job, sells her furniture, packs a few inappropriate but necessary heels, and heads back to the beauty of siem reap, cambodia. spends the summer designing stuff, training young women on western sewing techniques, swinging a sledgehammer to renovate a neglected french colonial house, making jewelry, teaching monks english, learning to meditate, keeping a blog, painting, reading, writing, exploring, meeting gorgeous people. and the result is wanderlust, a shop dedicated to giving girls gorgeousness, beautiful things handmade by the beautiful people of this beautiful country, beauty that easily translates to budapest, boston, battambang, bolivia, brighton or any beautiful place they call home.
More Siem Reap posts to come…
I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived in Hong Kong. My photos are just a tiny glimpse of the myriad of sights/scenes/sounds/smells – from clear blue beaches, green landscapes, towering cityscapes to massive crowds…it’s all there.
It was a quick trip (30hrs?!), but well worth it. Thankfully I was able to fit in a little bit of everything – even high tea at The Peninsula!
NB: the last pic was a “dance off” in the streets…my friend DMDC says in HK “every night is Friday and every Friday is New Years Eve.” Hi-larious. And true from what I saw.
I did most of my venturing outside of Tokyo in the beginning of trip — not knowing that so much would be closed in Tokyo towards the end. Almost all of the galleries, museums were shut when I went looking…21_21 Design Sight, Ginza Art Space, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, SCAI The Bathhouse, Gallery Koyanagi — ugh!. I did make it to the Mori Art Museum, thankfully.
Thanks to the Japan Rail Pass, I day tripped to Kyoto, Nikko and Hakone. In Kyoto, I met Matt, a New Yorker teaching English in Nagoya. When I asked where he was from, his reply? ”Nagoya.” Ok, funny boy. I know that trick (i.e., my reply: “Singapore”). Very clever. Anyway, we explored Kyoto — and again, sights were closed. It must be me. Sorry, Matt. Darn holidays.
While having lunch at a small, homemade noodle shop in Nikko, I met an older Japanese couple, Yoshi and Yumi. Yumi asked if she could practice her English…and then she complimented me on my chopsticks skills.
I later asked Matt if that was a 101 phrase, a la “ou est la biblioteque?” He said no.
Phew!
Kyoto & Nikko
It seems silly to say that the sushi was the best I’ve ever tasted (like, duh, you’re in Japan). But it was. Each bite melted in your mouth. Even the funny-looking ones.
I am leaving today. Sad! Back to S’pore. It’s been fun. Stay tuned for more updates tomorrow.
For some reason, a bit of Tokyo reminds me of Starlight Express. Perhaps it’s the ambulance drivers’ helmets. Or the Shinkansen.
Filed under: As close to camping as it gets, Travel | Tags: Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
Just like Pavement.
A few reasons why:
1) Music: The Perth music scene is alive and kickin’. I had no idea, but could easily be the last to know - DUH. So many artists stop in Perth (birthplace of INXS) or reside there. I can see why! It’s a laid back beach town, with more to offer than sun and sand. To navigate the music scene, there’s Drum Media and other street press pubs. Just looking at the gig guide now – amazing lineup – Ani DiFranco, Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, Crowded House, David Byrne, Morcheeba, Eric Clapton (really!?), Franz Ferdinand, Girl Talk, Glen Hansard, Basement Jaxx, Hot Chip, Lykke Li, Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D., Ryan Adams, Santogold, Ting Tings, and many many more. Does anyone want to move with me? JK. …or am I?
2) Neighborhoods: The clean, efficient train system saved my wallet and sanity as I toured Fremantle, Cottesloe Beach and Mount Lawley.
Fremantle: A beach town-turned-not-too-obnoxious tourist stop. At the Fremantle Arts Fair, I came across illustrator Ali J – how cute? Dined on Perth’s #1 was fish n’ chips at Cicerello’s.
Cottlesoe: Lovely, albeit crowded, beach filled with students, families, hippies, surfers, skateboarders – and even a few grams.
Mount Lawley: Charming neighborhood. I browsed for way too long at Planet Music and Books.
3) Shopping: Even though there’s a hippie-surfer atmosphere, Perth doesn’t lack in fashion with high-end shops on King St and more indie-designers in Mount Lawley. Wasteland, in particular, was my favorite with brands like Marlene Birger, Marc by Marc Jacobs, See by Chloe, April77, Mala Brajkovic and Sass+Bide. Oh! And in Fremantle, I discovered Morrison, a new favorite, for sure.
4) Frankie magazine: I picked this up at the airport and almost tore out every page.
More faves..:
Tiger, Tiger coffee bar – Loved this. Hidden coffee bar, best cappuccino. The foam alone was like a dessert (Hi, my name is whole milk).
James Squire beer (and it’s coming from an A-B girl)
Leaf Tea Merchants
The Bakery, I checked out this Amnesty International event
HAL Highs and Lows sneaker shop
Let me know if you go…I’ll join you!
In Singapore, it’s okay to carry an umbrella when the sky is clear and wear a sweater when it’s 90 degrees.
I’ll explain…
Women carry UV-protection umbrellas to block the sun. Being super fair, I love that this is acceptable. It must be Kylie’s secret, too. It’s one trend I want to bring to NYC. I hope my friends won’t mind.
And…if you’re headed here, pack more than summer gear. The aircon is strong – everywhere you go. I’m always wrapped in something – jacket, sweater, blanket. My co-worker wears fingerless gloves inside…just saying. Be prepared.
Perth and I share the same summer anthem (just on a different timeframe), as I witnessed last weekend at the MGMT show.
Luke Steele opened. He played James Taylor, Carolina, in honor of MGMT. (Odd, I thought. Are they from NC?) Naturally, I was one out of 4,000 that knew the song – by heart. Good news? I got footage. Bad news? Battery died immediately following. Errr. Will post later.
Then, I ran into my hotel concierge. “Oh, hey.” Awkward.
The crowd wasn’t rowdy, but it was was full of drunken teenagers. And security wouldn’t allow MGMT to start until they were calm. It was unreal. Security was on stage pleading, “Take a step back. Come on guys, you’re doing really well.” A encouraging security force. After the occasional thrown beer and an F-off (from girls, mind you) the crowd “settled.” Security was then is handing out water to the crowd. Perth security: as nice as your mom.
The show starts. I have front row, thank goodness. The crowd, one more beach-y and Naomi Watts-esque than the next, sang along to each of the Brooklynites’ songs. Decked in the requisite hipster look: mop-head, skinny jeans, dirty Converse, white tee. Only thing missing was the PBR.
They play all of the hits. Time to Pretend, Weekend Wars and The Youth were my faves. They encored with Kids – and it was thrilling, I have to say.
The entire crowd was dancing – the best of the whole evening, hands down. To turn around and see a huge amphitheatre moving in tandem with the beat was astounding. Even MGMT was having a blast. It was now that, I felt, they showed their personalities. (They are the kids, my god.) They’re like Jonas brothers in Ray Bans. Andew VanWyngarden started goofing off. Grabbed a bra which had been tossed on stage and chucked it at the guitarist. Deep in his mind he must be thinking:
whatishappeningthisisfreakingawesome!!
It was their first time in Australia. Mine too.
