Maurie & Eve Autumn 2012

I am loving the mix of prints with basics and it is good to see that the basic polo shirt with the collar detailing and wide leg pants are carrying over to the new year. Also very Katharine Hepburn-esque.

Macau, Hongkong & Guangzhou Photo Diary.

We visited Macau for a couple of days and tried our luck at the casinos. While there we also watched Zaia and tried their famous portugese egg tarts. The temperature dropped to 9 degrees during daytime and having just come back from tropical Thailand, this was a huge shock to our system. Hence the reason why we stayed within the vicinity of The Venetian. We then took an hour's ferry ride to Hongkong for the last leg of our trip. There's just something exciting and appealing about a busy city like Hongkong. Crowded streets and sidewalks, tall buildings, neon lights and an overdose of signage I have never seen before. On the other hand there's the harbour and the mountain peaks which we had a bird's eye view from the peak tram and the cable ride to Lantau Island. Needless to say, Jr and I fell in love with this place; the most perfect ending to our trip. We also had the opportunity to visit the province of Guandong in mainland China which was quite an experience. It was like stepping into a different world and it felt so surreal that it was almost as if someone had set up that stereotyped scene. Markets with live chicken being killed, old men getting haircuts, playing mahjong, all sorts of dried food that I couldn't recognize and the general cantonese loud chatter as if you're being told off in the middle of the street. I had never been a dumpling person, but China pretty much changed that. Now don't even get me started on the shopping...

Im coming, not drowning, swimming closer to you. (Koh Samui & Chiang Mai Photo Diary)

At Koh Samui with my favourite people to spend the new year's eve at the infamous Koh Phangan Countdown Party. The feeling of doing and having planned absolutely nothing was exactly how I wanted to spend the Christmas break. Ate enough panang curry and drank enough watermelon shakes to last me a lifetime. This trip was a perfect balance of relaxation and crazy nights of laughing and dancing. The following week, a handful of us headed up to Chiang Mai where we spent most of our time doing activities such as safari and elephant treking and white water rafting. Got into an accident with a BMW and on one of our tour days, the van broke down and the boys had to push it whilst getting chased by dogs. We also spent loads of time ploughing through the enormous night bazaars for souvenirs and gifts. Everything was remarkably cheaper than the rest of Thailand which was a great bonus.

Manila & Boracay Photo Diary.

Had the most amazing time in Manila and Boracay over the Christmas period. Nothing can replace the feeling of going back to your motherland. I have checked in since my first visit back in 2006 and will continue to do so for as long as I am capable. Every trip had always been different, and every single one had been special in its own way.