LoveIan

Silk from Dubai: Fantastic Suit Jacket

When I was in Dubai over Christmas I bought more silk than I knew what to do with (along with a few other things).

I didn't have any specific plans to buy it, but there was so much of it in Dubai and it all looked so amazing I bought it knowing that eventually I would find something(s) that I wanted or ideas of what to do with it. I've had a few little things made with it, but I just got a suit jacket that I had made and I love it! I had the jacket made and lined with the silk inside, I had trouble deciding between the dark red and dark green but decided on the dark green.

As soon as I got I saw it I was so happy with it -- especially because I got a matching pocket square I think it just looks fantastic - I'd really like to get a few more made in different colours. I don't usually wear formal clothes, partly because I don't have frequent chances to. I do sometimes and I think if I have more clothes like this I'll look for more oppourtunities to wear more formal clothes.

I love how it's fairly neutral, but has such a great touch on the inside, and the matching pocket square just makes it.

Top 10 World Cities

I've made my way around quite a bit over the last year, so I've chosen 10 cities (most of the main ones that I've been to). I'm going to start with the worst, which would be my least favourite visit and last to go back to and work my way up to the best. I'll add pictures. It's going to be a relatively long post so before linking for the full page I'm putting (in alphabetical order) the cities I'm going to talk about:

Birmingham
Canterbury
Cardiff
Dubai
Liverpool
London
Milan
Monte Carlo
Nice
Paris
Vancouver

Trips to the Police State for Cheap Tat...

I've been planning summer trips across the US border to stock up on things that are cheaper because of the weak US$/strong CAN$. Things like alcohol, makeup, clothes and other various essentials. Since a bottle of conditioner or concealer that would be $45 in Canada works out to about 7¢ a few hours south it's definitely worth while.

However, I just read this story: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10004646-38.html

Basically it says that Homeland security or any of the various US organizations who are given special civil rights resistant boots for trampling can seize (indefinitely) any electronic equipment/anything that can store data.

Apparently it's so they can find any sort of illegal material. Which is a little upsetting for me, since whenever I travel I bring enough electric equipment to make luggage light up. I usually travel with my laptop, iPod, mobile, camera, CDs, and enough cords to connect them all with each other. Now, I download music, so that's a no-no down there.
I do have a love folder full of pornography (not too sure if that's illegal?) I have downloaded music and probably other stuff that's not to legal in the US if you really look into it.

I can't believe they can just do that! Seize it for any length of time, just because they feel like it - the more I read about all of their 'security' laws the more afraid I would be for my own security just to travel to the US. I've traveled all over Europe and have been to Dubai in the last year and have felt completely safe and secure. But, I'd be terrified to go to the States.

Paris Trip. And Pictures!

**click on the pictures to go to the album**

It was a long trip to get there, but fortunatly we got cheap flights from Cardiff to De Gaulle - there are tons of flights that fly London - Paris but that would add a 3 hour train ride. We ended up having to catch a bus at 5am to get our flight, and then from Paris we took the metro from the airport to a train station fairly close to out hotel. it turned out to be a huge metro station (Gare du Nord) which also was also a huge train station full of shops and many levels, so it was interesting to try to navigate. Right after getting off the train, my the handle for my bag got stuck going through one of the exit gates. So while I struggled with that, everyone else just went around in the gates on either side of me, and were probably quite amused. Since I had already put my ticket through the gate wouldn't move, and I eventually had to bend the metal handle to get it out.

Fortunately, after seeing this a French lady (must have realized we were tourists) and helped us find our way out of the station and pointed us in the right direction. I had written out directions from that station to the hotel, so it was fairly easy to find but as we got closer to the hotel we saw alot of neon signs and shops that seemed quite... questionable. We ended up staying a block away from the Moulin Rouge.

We got into the room and dropped off our bags, changed and went right back out. We walked down from out hotel to the Arc D'Triumph (about a 45 minute walk) and then all the way down the Champs-Elysees, grabbed cafe lunches and amazing pastries and pretty much just wandered up, down, and all over that area - just to see as much as we could in that area. It was nice just walking around, because we would end up in places that we didn't exactly intend to be (but saw so many places and buildings that we never would have ended up with a map and cab).

Storytime in Paris

Here I am in my Paris hotel room. I've got some stuff to do, so I'm just putting this up and I'll give a full report later.

I'm going to be a foreigner!

So, I was accepted!
I'm not 100% sure where I'm going yet, but I think there's about a 80% chance I'll be here:

Yeah. Not exactly UBC hey?

(Cardiff)

But, if not, I'll be here:

(Glasgow)

But.. I want Cardiff.

There's actually a chance I'll end up at Sussex, and that'd be fantastic - but I want Cardiff!

I can'ttt wait! =D

I tried to bring sexy back; they wouldn't let me through customs.

I miss this! The whole writing random thoughts. Oh. I have some pictures too. Keep in mind, that a I took these pictures after three French martinis (don't worry - it was all in a professional setting - meaning I
expensed it. All in a day's work).

That's me wishing I could pull of a punkish high fashion look.

That's me wishing I could get my entire head in one shot (you have no idea how many pictures that I can't).

That's me looking kind of like a chipmunk.

Just in case you forgot what I look like!

Anyway, I've been thinking alot, and I know it'll be weeks and weeks before I know if I'm moving to the UK in the fall, but I just can't stop thinking about it. If I get turned down... I'll be devastated! I don't know what I'll do. (Maybe I'll go anyway). But my grades are fantastic, my references are amazing, and my application was perfect. So I had better go.
But the more I think about it, the more I realize that I want to do! That's why I'm working my ass/liver to the bone to make money this year. So I can spend it all this year.

I want to go to the Opera in Vienna, and I want to go shopping in Paris (monthly). I want to go to plays and clubs in London, I want to go to the palace of Versailles, I want to smoke pot in Amsterdam and dance in the street in Stockholm. I want to go to clubbing in Madrid, and I want to eat Paella in Barcelona. I want to chain smoke in cafes in Bordeaux and Prauge. I want to march through Berlin and Frankfurt and buy cologne. I want to watch football games in Manchester and Madrid, I want to shop for an entire day in Milan taking breaks only to drink espresso, eat pastries and then throw up in the bathrooms in D&G, and strut down the street smoking. I want to ride a scooter through Rome. I want to spend Christmas in Portugal and buy furs in Moscow. I want to be dressed to kill in every single one of those places. And I don't really want to go to Scotland.

And I'm going to do it all! Or as much as I can get to.
I should have written that on my application.

Sussex?

Well, I've decided, as much as I love Kelowna and UBC O, I'd kind of like to do something exciting!

So, since UBC has tons of exchange programs (and my marks are good, so I have lots of options) I want to go to do an exchange program! I want to go to the University of Sussex.

I could get an apartment there, and it's less than an hour away from London (oh the shopping) and, on weekends, Paris is just a tube ride away (ohhh the shopping). I think It'd be so much fun to live in Europe for a year!

But I'd definatly want to be in the UK. Moving across the pond for a year would be enough, but I don't think I'd want to try somewhere like Spain ... with university and moving and the language that would just be too much.

So, tomorrow I'm going to go, and see if I can work it out! This is so exciting.