BEAUTY in UNEXPECTED places.

What is it about Thai places that sound so dirty in English?

Phuket.

Bangkok.

Just when I thought that Phi Phi Island managed to escape, I was kindly informed that Phi Phi Island (or Ko Phi Phi as known to the locals) was not pronounced in the way that you’d say a Greek Sorority letter.

F-eye, F-eye Island, as we’d been calling it- is actually “Pee Pee” Island.

Well, what do you know?

Anyways, in lieu of recent riots, I opted to skip through Bangkok this time around.  After catching an insanely early morning flight from Singapore, Phuket welcomed us with open arms.  Lush, beautiful greenery seemed to sprout from every available surface of this dazzling island. Forty minutes had us at the docks and en route to those little jade droplets known as Phi Phi Islands.

Like many islands, tourism is the main economic drive. After the devastating tsunami more than five years ago, it was nice to see that this worldly treasure had recovered to what it was prior to being swept into hell by those torrent waves.

Despite numerous warnings of locals trying to rip you off, I found it very refreshing how nice and friendly everyone was. We had a fantastic agent who helped us get everything from a gorgeous hotel to finding the most authentic/cheap/clean Thai food. I would have trusted her with my life- that’s how reliable she was.

Phi Phi island was an absolute surreal experience. Relaxing afternoons on our beach cove, watching the fishes swim across our legs as we sat in the soft, clay-like sand (not a great idea for a white bikini wearer, by the way.)  Our days consisted of shopping for little trinkets, sipping watermelon smoothies on those sandy beaches, and getting facials, massages, pedicures, and other forms of beauty treatments. Our biggest problem consisted of which luxury activity to indulge in and how we would be able to fit everything into our schedule. It was a hard life.

We spent one day crusading through the islands on our not-so-little speedboat. I saw the most beautiful fishes in arrays of bright purples, pinks, blues, greens, and yellows. I watched crazy monkeys fighting over fresh fruit and coconuts being split open housing the sweetest juices. At night the same beach was transformed into an Ibiza-like paradise filled with fireworks, lanterns, flame throwers, hookahs and endless Mai Tais (and other forms of greenery that I won’t discuss here.) Phi Phi is a magnet for wanderlusters. The same stories were told over and over again to us by foreigners from all over- “I used to work as a/an _____ and came to visit Phi Phi for a wedding/vacation/trip- I just stayed. “ Accountant turned flame-thrower is a very common career jump, conveyed ever so casually by many foreigner-turned local.

So that man with the afro, smoking the greenery, twirling fire balls in front of me used to be a trader on Wall Street? [Insert incredulous comment here].

Oftentimes, I see photos of a beautiful location, only to be disappointed when I arrive at the destination. Without the $10,000 camera lens and the Photoshop skills, places often pale in comparison to their digitally captured counterparts. Phi Phi, however, only had the opposite effect. Maya Bay, the place where they filmed “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio – was an unreal paradise of mountain ridges, palm trees, clear white sand, turquoise waves and hugged by a tropical forest. Not only that, but it is surrounded by sibling islands of the same distinctive qualities.

Attractive family of islands- let’s call it “Paradise”, at its best.

P.S. I met an elephant for the first time in Phuket and let’s just say Dumbo was a lot hairier than I thought!

The four things I walked away with from Singapore were:

1.     Singlish is hard to understand.
2.     Disneyland really DOES exist…in the form of a country.
3.     “Alight” is my new favorite word.
4.     Ladyboys are A LOT prettier than 99% of the women I know.

Topic One:
The definition of Singlish is the combination of Singaporian (mostly Chinese) and English. It is this unique hybrid that serves as the main tongue of Singapore natives. However, as a newbie to the country, I was stuck in an undecipherable limbo, having suddenly lost my ability to understand neither their attempts at English OR Chinese. My Singapore Expat friends assured me that it takes on average three weeks to get the hang of Singlish,…all the while  watching in amusement while I struggled to react before finally translating or answering for me.

Topic Two:
Overall, Singapore is a beautiful country. It is organized, clean and scarily uniform. Also, it’s a little trippy to be in an Asian country with Asian people, and to have them all speak perfect English. Okay, perhaps perfect is stretching it, but everyone speaks it,…more or less. The country is almost TOO perfect. No trash laying around, no drunk/homeless people stumbling about, and absolutely no one chewing gum.
It’s Disneyland for adults. A world filled with shiny, pretty, candy-coated, bubble gum perfect places in the forms of Clark Quay, Boat Quay and The Esplanade. The food is eclectic, the drinks perfectly made (and insanely expensive) and the architecture beautiful. I found myself wondering when I was going to run into Mickey or Minnie on my way to the MRT (their name for the subway). Not that Mickey or Minnie would ever travel via MRT in Singapore- they’d most likely disconnect the giant ship atop the skyscraper hotel known as the Marina Bay Sands Casino and fly across Singapore to wherever their mousy hearts desire.

Topic Three:
Nobody conjugates anything and the “  ‘  “ is nonexistent. I’ve noticed my once American friends have lost the ability to say the words “can’t” and “won’t”. My friends KW and OR now tell me things like “I cannot wake up that early” or “They will not change anything on the menu” and “Do you want me to show you where the toilet is?” Uh. What?
I took a cab upon arrival and my taxi driver asked me where I would like to “Alight”. I thought to myself, where the hell am I? StarTrek? What does Alight mean? In context I figured it meant “get off” but never have I heard of that word in the States. Perhaps it is an English word but I found it hilarious in all settings- MRTs, Elevators, Escalators, etc. It was the first of many words I have added to my vocabulary. 

Topic Four:
My most lasting impression came from surprisingly Singaporian…MEN. My friend OR took me out one night to what is known as the “Four Floors of Whores”. I know what you’re thinking and don’t be crazy, I don’t swing like that- nor partake in any of those activities.  But it was in this shopping arena that served as the domain of some of the most gorgeous women I have ever seen! Minus one minor little detail. They were all men! Not trannies but they were simply naturally beautiful male creatures, all preferring to fool the world as women. Extremely, beautiful women. Despite the fact that I knew they were really men, I still couldn’t help feeling sad that no matter how much make up/surgery I could have done, I probably still wouldn’t be nearly as hot as some of these (wo)men naturally were. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all.
Overall, Singapore was a grand time. They certainly have a handle on luxurious brand shopping, a plethora of malls and an Orchid Garden housing some of the most beautiful and unique blooms in the world. Transportation is easy (once you get past the Alight business), the streets are clean and safe, and the service is absolutely awful. Sometimes I think a computer would do a much better job than some of the robots they hire but after a few days, I realized that is just part of the charm of the entire place. They don’t break rules, they don’t substitute any items on the menu and you save money because tipping isn’t necessary. It’s a great place for Expats (another new word to my vocab) and visitors as a quick landing area but perhaps maybe calling it “Home” isn’t quite in the cards- At least not for me anyways.

Until next time, Singapore.  I will be Alighting to my next destination.

As American children we are raised to never talk to strangers. ….Especially if the strangers are asking you where you are going or where you stay. My first day in Bali can only be described as a world of paranoia. I thought all the questions being asked were part of some elaborate plan to capture dumb tourists and sell them into slavery. However, I quickly learned that this form of intense curiosity is just a reflection of the Balinese culture- they are merely trying to figure out how you fit in into the grand scheme of the universe. The Balinese are very proud of their culture and all that their country has to offer. My first night was spent in Nusa Dua, located in SouthEast Bali, it’s known for surfing and beautiful beachfronts. Although I wasn’t terribly impressed with that particular side of town, I did fall in love with the Balinese architecture, beautiful temples, heavy display of fresh flowers all day and every day, and the kind people. Balinese people are punctual and reliable. Every driver, guide showed up exactly, if not earlier than they promised. Always. There was never a fear of someone running off with 100,000 Rupiahs. Tourism is the country’s main economic drive and following the bombings in mid-2000 the country has kicked up its security (metal detectors for hotel entrances!) and in return, placed itself back on the map as one of the world’s must-visit destinations. I spent another day in the beautiful town of Ubud. Thanks to Elizabeth Gilbert’s overhyped, albeit lovely book “Eat, Pray, Love”, Ubud is practically a celebrity town in the land of Bali, known for its beautiful art, great shopping, silver jewelry classes and lovely eats. It’s also home to the monkey forest, visualized exactly as it sounds and is peppered with spectacular rice paddies. Everything in Bali seems to reflect a very heavy connection to the staples of this earth: air, water, earth. It’s in these roots that the Balinese stay connected to the universe, offering up flowers, food, and incense every morning to the Heavens. They build beautiful temples and honor these elements throughout every structure and surrounding. The people are happy to be where they are because after all, it’s wonderland here on earth. The second half of my Bali stay was spent on the magical Gili Islands, three tiny little islands off the coast of neighboring island Lombard and known as the jewels of the South East. Gili Trawagan (Gili T), the largest of the three islands, is the most “populated”- with one resort, lots of cozy mom-and-pop homestays and some very stellar ocean view restaurants. There is one place with broadband and one place to exchange money. Gili Air is the second most populated with Gili Meno serving caboose as the smallest and least populated. Daily boat tours are available to tour all three islands and you will experience some of the most beautiful snorkeling in the world. The water there is an intense blue- not sapphire, not aqua but a deep, dazzling teal. Gili Islands’ underwater world can only be described as a spectacular hi-liter show gone wild. Coral, rocks, and starfish aren’t washed out pastels but are vibrant pink, blue, yellow and purple hi-liter shades. It’s as if God himself went down there and colored each coral and starfish in these insanely bright shades. Absolutely surreal. Gili T is known for the coral, Gili Meno is known for their sea turtles, and Gili Air is known for Nemo and other brightly colored fish. After having just been to Phi Phi Island, Gili Islands can only be described as the equally beautiful and charming but more grown-up older sister. For the rest of my life, one of my most treasured memories will be those idle mornings of sipping Bali-brewed coffee, breakfasts of papaya, bananas and pineapples, and endless views of infinity pools and the Bali ocean.

RECONNECTING…with yourself?

After living in the bubble of my concrete jungle for the last four years, it is hard to accept the “real” world after leaving it. What was known to me as “reality” was quickly popped by a harsher, more “real” REALITY. One that consists other than fashion, launch-parties and making yet another ridiculous deadline.

After all…What is “REAL” Reality?

Two months after leaving my concrete jungle, I’ve had a layover in….DC suburbia. A place I grew up in but can barely recollect after being removed from it for almost a decade.I know I’m going to the West Coast but in the meantime, to meld the difference between NYC, DC and launching myself on a new coast, I’ve decided to embark on a month and a half long journey towards self discovery. It’s a journey that I should have made a long, long time ago but one I was always scared of partaking in. I feel like my entire life I’ve tried to live up to others’ expectations- I let the people in my life and my surroundings define me.

It’s time to define myself.

As the sage Marilyn Monroe once said, “I’ve never fooled anyone. I’ve let people fool themselves. They didn’t bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn’t argue with them. They were obviously loving [and hating] somebody I wasn’t.”

Therefore, I thought, maybe it’s time to define myself TO myself.

I always pride myself in not being scared of the unknown. To be the type that can take that first step without seeing the whole staircase.

After all, they always say ” if you can survive in NYC, you can survive anywhere.”

I firmly believe in that. I was surprised at how liberating it was to blow one’s savings on a plane ticket. There’s something so serene about the unknown. So exciting, so delightful.

I’m excited to see what the future holds and I will remind myself today and tomorrow that no matter what happens…”the only thing to fear….is fear itself.”

WISH. ME. LUCK. :)

Life isn’t always beautiful, sometimes it’s just plain hard. Life can knock you down, it can break your heart. Life isn’t always beautiful. Most people have to fall on their face before they realize they need to make a change, but winners change even when things are going well. That’s when you realize life can be consistently beautiful.