My job has taken me across continents, and
to corners of the world that I never thought I would peek around, and I feel so
lucky, every time I step off the plane and smell the scent of a new country, a
new city and some new adventure.
That’s not to say that I don’t quite often
smell the scent of freshly washed hotel linen, and dive under the duvet for the
best part of 24 hours (oh yes, it is
possible to sleep for 18 hours… in case you too will be stopping off in Lagos,
Nigeria!)… but most of the time, on my first visit to any destination, I love
to walk. What I love about walking around a city for the first time, is seeing
all those sights you’ve seen in books, magazines and brochures, pop up around
an unsuspecting turn, and to find quirks and scenes in that city that no amount
of pictures can quite capture.
Since I first started flying, I've always
been intrigued by the street art that appears so diversely and so frequently,
wherever I set foot. And this post is just a glimpse of what I call, ‘the
world on a wall…' I hope you like the pictures I've been lucky enough to take on some of my many stopovers.
For me, it’s a gallery of spray paint
talent, raw art, and everyday messages. It’s something of an international
language as each decorated stone portrays a story, a feeling or just an
individual’s love of colour. Interpret as you will…
You know that earliest part of the day when the clouds are
light and pink, and the air is fresh and the wind is just enough to make your
eyes bright? I don’t get to see it too often as I’m always in my bed at that
time of the day… but on a trip to the truly beautiful, postcard-perfect Roma, I
experienced it midday. Pure loveliness.
I was forecasting sunshiney,
gelato-friendly weather, but instead this intermedium of daybreak and dusk was
following me around town – and conveniently creating an amazing backdrop for my
photos. How nice.
My mission on this one-day venture was to find really tasty Italian
food. Yummy pizza, amazing gelato and blogworthy pasta. No mean feat when my
available time extended to an afternoon and early evening (must get back and
sleep before working the flight back the next day).
I started my search, as I’m sure many do. Lonely Planet
guidebook firmly grasped in one hand, map in the other, camera over one
shoulder… and some sniggering locals behind the other I’ve no doubt. Laughing,
and rightly so, at my comedic over-enthusiasm. I might as well have been
walking around with a neon sign saying ‘TOURIST’ plastered to my head with a
Big. Flashing. Arrow.
Anyway, me and Lonely Planet Guidebook (LPG), hit the
streets of Roma. Wandering in amongst the beautifully architectured streets in
Trastevere, down shy cobbled lanes, and past rows and rows of scooters, their
slim parking spaces surrounded by decorative drapes of pretty flowers. And all
the while, with this dawny-dusky sky overhead, giving the buildings a sort of
burnt glow, and adding warmth to all the colours around me. It was the perfect
antidote to the busy flight I’d worked just hours before.
Do I really have to leave tomorrow?
Cobbled streets, trattorias, motorbikes, really bad parking... yep, I'm definitely in Rome.
About an hour into my meandering, I gave up on LPG.
Much as
I love their handy tips, I fancied the idea of chucking the map and just taking
myself wherever I felt was the right direction.
That sort of thinking obviously led me straight to a little
gelateria for my sugar fix. My obsession with all things dessert-related called
me in to visit Alberto Pica. That’s the name of said restaurant/gelateria, by
the way. Not some handsome Roman. Just for the record.
So, here I am in Bangkok again. Destination of choice for
extremely cheap shopping, extremely good massage, and extremely yummy mango.
Oh, and did I mention, extreme numbers of tourists, travellers, and of course
Thai people, making this one of the busiest, most blindingly buzzing cities
I’ve visited.
I’ve been to Bangkok more than 10 times – and despite the
heat, the dirt and the constant haggling for anything from a boat ride to a
banana, I usually use Bangkok as my down time. Time to get scrubbed, massaged, manicured, pedicured and
quite frankly, royally pampered for about 10 quid (50 AED).Many of the temples, palaces, buddhas and
interesting sightseeing-y things lie unseen, as I am usually far too wrapped up
(sometimes literally) in my favourite spa to be tempted outside.
But it is in fact outside, on those grubby streets, where
you get a peek at the real life of this very unique, very intriguing city.
Stalls selling strange food, massage parlours that look like
laundry rooms, old women cleaning noodle bowls behind tiny restaurants, young
girls cooking meat on sticks, wrinkly old men hacking coconuts, helpful police
officers that know how to say hello in any language, young guys sitting on
motorbike taxis drinking coke waiting for customers, tuktuk drivers shouting
over the noise of their engines… It makes for some very colourful photographs
and some clever manoeuvring around the city to avoid being ripped off by sly
salespeople who can spot a tourist from a mile, no matter how well you
pronounce sawadikaaaa.
And hence this mini photo diary was formed.
I’ll call this, ‘View From A Tuktuk…’ a mere glimpse of a
city that might take more than a lifetime to capture fully.
Clearly a football fan...
I love the garish colours and the pink taxis...
Our tuktuk driver found my incessant photo-taking rather amusing...
Carrying laundry on a motorbike taxi - no problem.
Despite Bangkok regularly cropping up on my schedule, it has taken me several months to gear myself up for a ‘World Catwalk Bangkok’. Partly due to the fact that when I imagine explaining my little blog to anyone whose English isn’t close to perfect, I give myself a migraine, and also partly (read mostly) because most of my time there is spent on a massage couch.
This time I ‘sacrificed’ some of my massage time and went sightseeing - shock!
I took in the little streets that line the higgledy-piggledy edges of the Chao Phraya river, hopped on a boat to take a short cruise and marvelled at the beauty and shimmering detail involved in The Grand Palace. I had a fabulous day exploring the well-tromped tourist trail.
Not only did I exhaust my poor camera with all the wonderful sights en route, but I also had the chance to catch some very stylish daytrippers. I can’t really judge the style of the Bangkok fashion pack from this kind of outing so in future I will try to make it to Siam Square (apparently the place to be for fashionable-people-spotting) and report back on my observations...
In the meantime, these three street styles stood out in the crowded capital.
First on my camera roll was the beautifully chic, perfectly put-together Praewpilin who was taking a walk with her man. And to be honest I can’t think of a better outfit for a day soaking up Bangkok’s history and culture with your other half.
By choosing a simple white tee, Praewpilin starts with a blank canvas for her striped ankle-skimmimg flares and sleek grey bag. Minimal accessories allow shiny hair to take centre stage and she’s even achieved the unachievable – a panama hat that doesn’t look try-hard. Perfection!
The next stylish street walker to cross my radar was the delightful Guo Junyao from China.
By way of an introduction to a new regular feature, 'The Playlist', where I show you what’s playing on my iPod every now and then, I thought I would combine a personal post with this new one :)
Life as an air hostess comes with many ups - amazing travel, disposable income, permanent sunshine (thank you Dubai) and a whole host (sorry) of other perks... However, inevitably, that glamorous life also comes with its downs. One of which being that I can't pop over to Mum's place whenever I feel like it for a cup of tea and a slice of carrot, walnut and banana loaf (the latest in our long line of cake favourites).
This 'playlist' reminds me of Mum, brings back great memories and somehow gives me goosebumps - it's funny how music really can transport you back to an exact spot on an exact day. I don't know if any of these songs mean anything to you, but each song has captured an image or association with my mum, hence why it's being featured here, with love.
Spandau Ballet, True
Al Green, anything – but especially Let’s Stay Together and Tired Of Being Alone
Blondie, Atomic
Fleetwood Mac, Everywhere and Dreams
Michael Jackson, Remember The Time
Queen, Who Wants To Live Forever
Police, So Lonely
Cyndi Lauper, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
The Beach Boys, God Only Knows
Rihanna, Only Girl (In The World)
Charlie Rich, Most Beautiful Girl
Stevie Wonder, Superstition
Oh what the heck, let me turn this post into an ‘Ode to Mothers’. I know Mothers Day was a few months ago (in the UK) and only a few weeks ago in the States, but she is my real-life heroine, and a daily (not once-yearly) inspiration to do good.
Inspired by a lovely post not so long ago on The Decorista (see her post HERE) I have unearthed a few beautiful ‘throwback’ photographs of my gorgeous mum (and some pics of her gorgeous mum…) and I’d like to share them with you, my gorgeous readers...
Mum at 14, wearing Mary Quant and her very of-the-time Dr Scholes sandals… I wasn’t nearly that stylish at 24, never mind 14!
In the ‘60s of course, wearing her favourite velvet mini skirt – looking very model-y and channelling Austin Powers. Yeah baby yeah… :)
Grandma with Mum on the beach in Broughty Ferry (Scotland) I love the composition of this photo and the way it’s so natural, even though it’s posed. Circa 1959
This picture is one of my favourites. It has retro written all over it. From the gorgeous pearls on my gran and the swish side-parting on my grandpa, to the cute crockery (extra points for the milk jug, Granny)… I just love it.
I love looking through old photos, and listening to old albums…
Who are your favourite old-school bands/singers? And do you have any old (or new) photos of your mum that you’d like to share? Send me a link to your blog or Instagram, I’d love to see!
There I was, traipsing in with lots of preconceived ideas of grotty greyness found in most other large cities. I was expecting that my short trip would not reveal the colour that is usually only found after spending more than 24 hours in a place...
Our international layovers (airhostess jargon for a stay of 24 hours or more in any one particular city, put up in a hotel by the airline before we work the flight back the following day) are mostly large, massively-populated cities. Passing places for the more adventurous traveller. Faceless destinations for busy businessmen. London, Paris, Milan, Tokyo, Rio, Rome, Hong Kong...
My name is Nadia, a magazine Beauty Editor in the UK for 5 years, now turned air hostess, travel writer and photographer, based in sunny Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
I decided to write this blog as a way of expressing my (slight) obsession with beauty, in the most general and not always conventional sense of the word; whether that be in the people, places or even the products, I experience.
My aim is quite simple – I wish to write about real beauty, real people and really good products. Whether it be a city review, an interview or an amazing find, I am not sponsored, nor do I answer to an Editor or anyone else, so you can expect reliable information and honest opinions from someone with experience in the field.
When it comes to product posts, don’t expect a catalogue of average items simply because they are shiny and new. Something I’ve noticed to be missing online is realistic, intelligent comment on those everyday essentials such as cleanser, moisturiser, foundation, and all the other beauty basics we depend on. That's one of the reasons I created The Trolley Dolly, so let me know if you find my posts useful, and keep in touch with feedback - I appreciate all and any!
For more news and instant updates, follow me on Twitter, Instagram (thetrolleydolly) and Tumblr
Subscribe and enjoy!
P.s. Photographs and posts are my own, therefore copyright follows suit. Thanks!
