Yoga Challenge 2016

We’ve just started with this blog but it seems that we’ve already found out how difficult it is to keep it updated. Real life will not stop for you to grab a cup of coffee and sit longingly in front of your laptop while you think about your next subject to write on. I’m personally writing this after a normal 10 hour work day and I know for a fact that Shani is still working…My eyes are droopy and all I want to do is sit on the sofa to watch some tv…

However, this is really why I wanted to start this blog in the first place. It’s amazing to see all these blogs with the perfect pictures and cute, inspiring writings but sometimes, I miss imperfection. Let me see the pile of dishes next to your food pics, let me see the un-photoshopped tummy fat on your bikini pics, please tell me how you horribly sick you got on that last vacation…

So this is what Shani and I intend to do..we’re really going to show you just how things can miserably fail but also hopefully, how we can just do anything…if we set our minds to it =). 

Right, Shani? 

So the first challenge of the year will be…drumroll pllleeeaase….

Shani and I are going to each choose 2 yoga poses ( yes, 2-double the fun, I say!) that we will have to perfectly(-ish) master within three months from now. For this challenge, I have chosen the Fallen Angel (in Sanskrit: Devaduuta Panna Asana) and the Forearm Stand (in Sanskrit, the Pincha Mayurasana)

Yes! Think about all those perfect yoga poses you see on Instagram… but how do you get there? My arms have no strength at all and I often suspect my biceps to be made of pudding, so doing push-ups is already a huge challenge for me. As just copying those poses is no option, I’ll start the search for a “how to”-guide amongst yoga books and the endless knowledge of Google. 

Luckily (with a true yoga mindset) I believe the path towards your goal is the most important. Expect to get a lot of details on our paths – fingers crossed we’ll succeed at one point. My poses for 2016 will be Forearm stand and Handstand Backbend. I agree, a tough one, but I never believed in setting low (read: reasonable) goals. Step 1: master those push-ups.

Social Conventions

We all know that awkward moment when you run into people you used to know. Ex-boyfriends, long lost high school acquintances, ex-classmates and ex-colleagues… You’d like to turn around, hide behind a tree or a really tall guy, but it’s too late. There’s no escape. And so the conversation starts: “How are you? What have you been up to?” and you know upfront the right answer is “good” without too many details. It’s not about how you’re doing or how you’re feeling, it’s about how great their life is.

“Oh good. Yeah we just got married and bought a house, and last week they gave me a big promotion. I’m now a <<insert totally unknown job title>> manager. Yes I am really excited! How are you?”

And now it’s your turn… so you start browsing through the past year for the highlights (only the positive of course). It’s a useless & nervewrecking social convention. But, what if you could say whatever you’ld like? We’ve got some ideas.

“Me? Oh I’m so happy I finally got my period. I’ve been so nervous lately; I had this drunk one night stand three weeks ago. It was fun, but I got a bit anxious when I discovered I was late.”

Or

“Me? Oh I’m so happy. I’ve been trying to conceive for quite some time now and I’m finally pregnant! The dad? Oh I’ve dated some guys lately, but I’m sure they’re all daddy material.”

or just random stuff like

“I went swimming with dolphins.”
“I took a different turn in life; I’m a kaftan designer.”

Airport Woes

Let me say, there is absolutely nothing sexy about travelling. And no, I’m not talking about the time during the vacation when you’re getting a tan, or discovering deserted exotic temples, or in my case stuffing my face in any type of local delicacy- which is actually not sexy for anyone.

I’m talking about the actual travelling; having to get up at 4 am, hauling your luggage down the stairs, wearing the same clothes for 24 hours, standing in queues basically all day, passing absurd amounts of gas in the airplane (we all do it), being dehydrated the next coming days, eating horrible airplane food and the list goes on!

On top of all this, it’s likely that you’re doing this en masse, with thousands and thousands of other people who are exactly in the same state of mind, trying to get to their destination AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and at the same time, still forget to take the coins out of their pockets.

These are the things we tend to forget once we get to our destination, only to relive it when the vacation ends.

I guess what I am saying is, the experience of travelling, especially if one is taking the airplane, is not going to get any better. I’m sure, with all the nastiness in the world, that it’s only going to get worse. I only want to say, to my fellow travelers and anyone I come across is this; no matter how tired or frustrated you are, try to keep a smile close at hand because at the end of the day, we’re all going through the same thing- trying to get safely to our destination and hoping that you’re not wearing your socks with holes in them.

When in Tokyo

When I was at uni, I was given a wonderful opportunity to do an exchange in Tokyo. This experience definitely made an impact in my life as it was really the first time I was living on my own.

Side note: if you can manage to set up a life, no matter for how short in the city they call Tokyo- you can definitely make it anywhere.

This past August, I went back to Japan as a tourist and luckily, my view of this country didn’t change a bit.

Tokyo- extravagant, unique, bustling, energizing, confusing, scary- this city is all of the above and more. From its neon-lit skyscrapers to its majestic temples, I’ve never been to a city with such an eclectic mix of new and old. You don’t really visit Tokyo, you live it.

I usually end up overwhelmed when people ask me to name a few things and places to visit when in Tokyo. So I usually just end up naming a few places that I personally loved during my time there. No point in competing with the Lonely Planet, right? So let me present below, some of my favourites

•  TrumpRoom Shibuya

Dubbed as ‘so cool, the club doesn’t need a website’- this is my all-time favourite club. The club is made up of several small rooms on different floors, all full of tiny ornaments, mirrors, chandeliers and disco balls. I think the Black Eye Peas shot their video Just Can’t Get Enough here…

• Tokyo DisneySea

The only DisneySea in the world! It’s pretty much Disneyland with a nautical theme. So instead of Sleeping Beauty’s palace, you have Ariel’s palace. Amazing at any age.

• New York Bar- Park Hyatt Shinjuku

That bar from the Lost in Translation movie, not to mention its incredible views

• Tokyo City View at Roppongi Hills (Sky Deck)

See the endless Tokyo skyline surrounding you from 360 degrees on top of the Sky Deck. Try to go in the evening when the whole city is lit up, creating a breathtaking light show you will never forget!

• Going to Odaiba on the Yuirkamome Line

Though there’s not much to do in Odaiba, expect the giant Gundam statue, if you do go there, make sure you take the Yurikamome line, an elevated train giving you the best few of the futuristic city.

• Don Quijote Discount Stores

Best place to find those WTF souvenirs you were looking for for your friends and family. They’re located all over Tokyo and open at the most impossible hours. I think the one in Roppongi even had a rollercoaster in it.

Investment Goals 2016

I’ve decided that I’ve come to an age where I should start being serious about my finances and think about making possible ‘investments’. Money doesn’t grow on trees and it certainly is not growing in my bank account. 

So lo and behold, I’ve been looking to invest in bags. Exclusive, luxury bags of course. Take the example of a Birkin. It has an average annual return higher than gold! Ok, ok, ok maybe what I’m saying is not 100% true since it’s probably limited edition Birkins, but hey, I’m still using this argument if my husband starts complaining.

Until now, I can only dream- so below, my bag wish list for 2016…

Delvaux Madame- elegant, classic, a future heirloom…but is this me now or me in 20 years time?

Paula Cademartori- LOOK AT ALL THAT COLOR. At this point, I want every bag just because they make me SO DAMN HAPPY.

YSL- any of the shoulder bags with the textured matelasse leather- Just like the Delvaux, such a classic piece yet but oh zo stoer…this bag is definitely me, in the past, now and certainly in the future.

Chanel Ladies First Whistle Bag- a piece of contemporary fashion- is Mr. Lagerfeld stating that he is a true feminist with this piece? we might never know, but this would certainly be my kind of statement piece.

The North

Last week, I was given the opportunity to travel up north to Kano for work. When I told my friends and family, it was immediately followed by two questions: ‘Where is Kano’ and ‘Up North? Boko Haram is??’. My answer would be in the line of ‘Kano is a city up north, north of Abuja and bwah, it’s safe, don’t worry….so, how are things there? ‘. The thing is, I wasn’t really sure of what the situation is up North and to be honest, I still don’t. 

In spite of this, it was a very cool trip. The main reason for the trip was to meet the Emir of Kano.  During the trip I was not only able to meet him but also visit his palace and meet his first wife (the Emir, in respect to Muslim traditions, has four wives). Quite interesting to see how the other side lives…

I got to know more about the economic aspects of Nigeria (sorry, but 5 years of studying business will do this to you) :

Kano state (where Kano city is the capital), known as the centre of commerce, used to be a very important place on the Trans-Sahara trade route (supplying gold and salt) and later the main players for agriculture and textile in Nigeria. However once oil was found in Nigeria, these industries were swept aside and forgotten. The lack of investment in infrastructure due to inconsistent government policies over the years didn’t help either. Now, with oil prices dwindling down, the people are looking to rejuvenate the industries that they ignored for so long. Hopefully not being too late…

All in all, I hope I get more opportunities like this in the future, getting me to say yes without having realized just what it’s all about. As Shani once told me when I told her that my work was everything but routine- ‘Randomness is underrated’.

A Nigerian Treasure

So, I started writing some bullet points on my new African ‘fashion’ discoveries when Shani told me that she wrote a new blog post. Lo and behold, it it was about African prints, giving me a great introduction to my own post.

Thought to be honest, I had a look at the ASOS Africa collection and wow…are they like against using color? They tried a bit too hard making it look European-lots of grey and small prints..Definitely very un-African-like…

So, it’s true, African textile has been slowly but surely getting a spot in my wardrobe. For the never-ending summer weather here, wearing something bright and bold is a must. African print, or Ankara (which originated from the Dutch- crazy huh) just engulfs the city and it’s difficult not to want to be a part of it.

In the past, the Nigerian textile industry was booming. It was a popular export product until basically oil was discovered in the country; which I considered a blessing and a curse. From then on, Nigeria solely depended on the oil production and on nothing really much else, meaning there hasn’t been any kind of investments in other industries and sectors. 

So yeah, you can basically see, the industry is in a slump. Hopefully, with my projects at the chamber, I can make a small change or at least give it a nudge in the right direction, but of course, not as much change as Shani will make with her shopping on ASOS.

What ASOS has done well, is that they’ve been able to incorporate the print with modern cuts. At the moment, I’ve only found fabric stores/designers, but I’ve yet to find any fashion labels designing with the fabrics (Nigerian designers, where are you??)…So I’ve been forced to make some pieces myself and in due time, when I get the hang of it, I’ll share them, maybe…