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TSV Tips: Travel Light or How to Pack Like a Pro!
Moving every few years and not wanting to lag heavy luggage around, as well as paying additional charges for extra weight, has taught me over the years to travel light. I have even earned compliments from my travel companions, men in particular, who sometimes had more luggage than me. For short vacations to Italy, Spain and Portugal, Turkey, Grand Canaria and Malta I went just with a small backpack. How did I do it? Well, my answer is less can be MORE and packing has to be strategic! Today, I am sharing my practical tips on how a female traveller like myself can pack for a short summer vacation (4-6…
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72-Hour Guide to Malta: Maltese Cross, Fishing Boats, Crackers, Cats, and Much More!
Watching Eurovision 2012, I saw a twitter post: ‘Please vote to Malta, they are the smallest nation in Europe’. That’s right! Malta is a tiny nation in the Mediterranean (only 316 sq km covering three islands) and today the story is about my recent visit to Malta. The idea to visit it came up spontaneously – I wanted a short break from non-stop studying and to spend a ‘girls only’ weekend with my friend who lives in Austria. Not knowing what to expect from Malta apart from sun and sea, I hopped on the EasyJet flight from London and in 3 hours landed in Malta’s International Airport. Already from the…
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The Secret Files of a PhD Student
(Originally published in YourCoffeeBreak) My journey to a PhD started a few years ago. Having had a successful international career and two masters degrees on my CV, I thought there was no way I would go back to school for another 3-4 years. Boy, was I wrong! My mentors at various universities have repeatedly told me that I was ready for a PhD and that my topic was under-researched, thus, I would make an important contribution in the scientific world. With this encouragement and after careful consideration of what it would take, I decided to give it a go and apply to a doctorate programme in London. This decision was…
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72-Hour Guide to New York: “Sex and the City” and Much More
(translated from Russian, originally published in Marie Claire Ukraine) IN ORDER TO FEEL NEW YORK THROUGH, YOU NEED A DIFFERENT APPROACH. COME HERE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, WALK ALL DAY LONG AND DON’T STOP FOR SECOND. There was a time I didn’t like New York! Every time I came to visit friends, I complained about its crazy pace, dirty streets, rats as big as cats and huge tourist crowds. But then fate has brought me to New York for work and surprisingly to myself, I fell in love with the city. Yes, in New York the head always spins from the skyscrapers, Times Square lights blind your eyes and…
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Getting it NAILed
This season is all about bright and wild or pastel-colour nails. There is a wide choice of colours, textures (see caviar on the left) and even glue-on designs (think zebra, leopard, zig-zag patterns). You can pick these up either at the pharmacies or stores like Topshop, American Apparel or Selfridges. Personally, I am more of a red and deep purple (aubergine, to be exact) nail polish girl, but this season I just couldn’t resist the bright colours. The inspiration came from deep blues that are all over 2012 fashion collections and in my own closet. So, to achieve the desired effect, I combined two different polishes – blue and sparkle.…
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The Day My Hair DYED
Yes, few days ago I got highlights for the first time in my life. For many women, this procedure has become a norm many years ago, but I somehow preserved and held on to my hair’s natural beauty for 30 something years. But as of today my hair, as salon stylists say it, is no longer VIRGIN! When I showed up in London’s best-kept secret, Toni & Guy Hair Academy, to get my half-head highlights, both headmasters were touching my hair and complimenting on its silkiness and softness. In fact, I was once modelling for Wella Hair show and the top stylist refused to colour my hair as he admired…
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Colours of Ikat: When Fashion Meets Tradition
Having grown up in Central Asia, my early memories of Ikat associate with colourful dresses and baggy pants of the Uzbek women in Jalal-Abad. The Ikat fabric with its zig-zaggy pattern usually came either in black-and-white or multi-colour combination. Now that I haven’t lived in the region for a long time, every time I see Ikat a feeling of something precious and familiar takes over me. Ikat has been popular for few years now and was featured both in the home design and high fashion. A more modern version of Ikat has been popularised by such great designers as Oscar de a Renta, who visited Uzbekistan and fell in…
