The best part about parallel universes is that I feel finally me, an individual, unattached to nor defined by a culture, place or set of people. I am me, and I can remain so across time zones, languages and time. I no longer shift through identities, or feel difficulty combining a Chinese speaking me haggling on the streets of Beijing with a French speaking me asking my waiter for another glass of Riesling, with yet another English speaking me sipping iced coffee as I hail a yellow taxi.
Read moreUncompensated Efforts
Looking down a red slope in the Alpes after a fall. I tell myself to get my butt up again because quitting here, can't be an option.
"The only difference between those who succeed and those who fail, is that the latter quit too soon," somebody once told me. I still remember the day I got my first legitimate corporate internship (well, one that didn’t involve cleaning toilets as a cashier at Staples that summer of 2008*). The man told me that I wasn’t the most ideal candidate, but he took me because I was the most persistent. I told myself that day that if I would be anything, I would be just that - persistent. But it seems lately that I’ve already forgotten my own words.
Read moreDon't Follow Your Passion, Follow Your Talents
Lake Annecy, France - September, 2015
What's that saying? If I had a penny for everytime someone told me to follow my passion, I'd be sipping a cocktail on my private remote island. Ok, so I made up the last part.
Read moreAlong the Rhine River, Germany
Driving West on an unlimited speed autoroute in Germany would have felt incredibly liberating if only I had not been in the passenger seat. Watching my father drive 150km per hour only to be expressly passed by faster cars in the left lane felt something out of a racing movie, but oddly quiet and drama free. I held my breath and consciously reminded myself that driving slower would actually be more dangerous.
Read moreMy Little Road Trip Box Reveal (July)
Yesterday marked my official one-year anniversary with my My Little Box subscription - BirchBox done the Parisian way, with full-size beauty products and creative items for play. While I reveal today's box, I'd love to also speak a bit about my experience with this product over the last twelve months. :)
Read moreWalk around Invalides
Since the arrival of Spring, somehow without even knowing it, late afternoon walks has become a favorite past time of W and I. After a 4PM snack over tea and biscuits, we've made it a ritual now to go out for a rejuvenating walk under the glowing warm afternoon sun. It's the perfect way to end a weekend, and to pause and refresh for the coming week ahead.
Read moreOn Having it All
http://jezebel.com
Today, we live in a world all-consumed with the idea of having it all. Whether it be in the work place or at home, our idea of a well-balanced life is nothing less than excellence and achievement in every arena - work, relationships and play, even if that means temporarily sacrificing our emotional and physical well-being.
Read moreWelcome Home, Pistache!
On a quiet Sunday afternoon, W and I walked under drizzling rain to visit three little 9-week-old kittens in the 7th arrondissement nearby. On a nondescript residential street, we entered a 4-number code at a big green door that opened to a single cobblestoned street lined with beautiful two-story houses.
Read moreThe Unspoken Rules of New York
One of the best parts of working in Times Square was that you could get anywhere in Manhattan in less than 20 minutes. Anyone who lives in New York comes to know its subway system like the back of their hand, because the subway could either be a huge waste of your time or an incredibly efficient mode of transport, depending on how well you knew it.
Read moreSpring in Paris
There's a certain bliss in wandering Paris' streets by foot, in that moment of discovery when you uncover a little path, garden, museum, or café. While in New York, you may be inclined to embrace the crowds, here in Paris, it's all about finding your own intimate place for conversations, work, and play.
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