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72-hour Guide to Bali: Eat, Laugh, Swim
There places you like and there are places you love. The latter are places that you develop an immediate connection with and can see yourself coming back over and over again. Bali is one of them… Since Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love book came out, thousands if not millions of people have been setting on their own journeys of self-discovery following her steps in Italy, India and Indonesia. I am one of them having just completed the last leg of my journey. Rather than meeting my love in Bali, I actually visited it with my husband while I was on a business trip, aka ‘impromptu honeymoon’. Afterall if you come…
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10 Tips on Surviving PhD Defense and Coming Out at the Top
A friend of mine is defending her PhD thesis in a couple of weeks and was asking me for some tips and advice. This has brought all the memories back from my own PhD journey, some of which I discussed here. I realized I still has lots of tips and hints on PhD viva (defense) I could share. I hope they will come handy and help others to prepare for one of the most exciting and important events in their professional and academic career. My 10 top tips on surviving PhD defense: About 10 days before viva, start rereading master copy of your thesis. Go through it carefully highlighting important and interesting points,…
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London Gems: 2016 Magical Lantern Festival
Chinese New Year celebrations may be over, but there is a secret place in London where you can relive them all over again until 6 March. Tucked away in Chiswick House & Gardens, the Magical Lantern Festival is an extravaganza of lights, culture, music and art. It takes you on a magical journey through gardens’ hidden paths exploring various themes and revealing 50 giant artistic lantern installations. Without going to China, festival visitors can explore 2000-year tradition of celebrating the arrival of the lunar new year. Something I didn’t know before coming here is that in China lantern making has turned into a true craftsmanship. Reflecting rich Chinese cultural heritage lanterns became more…
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72-Hour Guide to Paris: Le Comptoir Général
This week I was in Paris for a 3-day meeting with lots of work and hardly any time to play. You already know there is Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame de Paris, Le Sacré Coeur, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, and other amazing sights in Paris. But this post is not about them but a place that not many tourists and, until recently, even Parisians knew about. It’s Le Comptoir General. Imagine going to a meeting straight from the train station and ending up in a place that makes you feel like Alice who just felt into the rabbit hole. Le Comptoir General is funky, exotic, bizarre, cool and amusing all at…
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72-Hour Guide to Berlin: Berlin Wall, Flea Markets, Checkpoint Charlie, van Gogh and Apple Strudel
Before I went to Berlin, all I heard from my friends was “Oh, you will love it. It’s such a great city”! Millions of tourists flock there from all over the world and now I understand why. Berlin is probably one of few cities I have visited where recent history, to which you and I can relate, is so apparent and in your face. Throughout the city you can feel the pain that Berliners themselves have endured and the pain the country caused to others. Yet, you can feel city’s resilient spirit and sense of hope. Berlin is also a city of contrasts and divisions: it’s very German in some…
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Dress for Less: Sporty Chic with Jeweled Sandals
The S/S 2015 runway shows were dominated by jeweled sandals in minimalistic/sporty style under a wider athleisure trend. But clean lines and athletic aesthetics doesn’t mean boring. Designers have revamped traditional athletic sneakers and hiking or Birkenstock-style sandals by adding bright colours, such as silver and yellow, techno fabrics, chunky soles and jewels. Mixing two completely different styles and adding a hint of sparkle gives comfortable sandals a luxurious feel. I too have embraced this trend and wanted to share my high-street picks and styling ideas. How to wear minimalistic jeweled sandals Source: Pinterest I chose rhinestone sandals from ASOS, which are very versatile and can be paired up with boyfriend…
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Namaste from Nepal: My Adventures in Far West, Lumbini and Kathmandu
I’ve been meaning to write a blog post on my travel to Nepal for a while but recent earthquake made me reflect on my visits even more. As the dust settles and the country begins its journey to recovery, I wanted to share my impressions of this beautiful country. I travelled to Nepal twice recently for work, with the last trip in February 2015, and I have spent most of the time in central Nepal and remote parts of far west. Yes, the country is really poor and underdeveloped. Yes, its cities can be dirty, noisy and chaotic. However, very soon I began to see beyond these problems and appreciate…
