My first impressions of Hong Kong!

I must admit that initially I was not too excited about moving to Hong Kong, when I first heard about the opportunity from S... I had a pre-conceived notion that it would be crowded, very cluttered and sort of… claustrophobic! 

But when we went there for a week to do a recce of the place and to find out schools for Baby Girl, I was completely blown away. If I may dare to say it is even better than living in Paris! ( Which I did for 4 years). So here goes what makes Hong Kong interesting and fun ( I have been here for a week only!)J

It is pristine clean, clean roads, bathrooms, lobbies, shops, train stations, metros…you get the drift. People are very disciplined and are “country-proud”. Its just amazing!
      
People are quite friendly and especially sweet to Baby Girl, especially with children. Almost everyone loves children and are very accommodating to their needs and "tantrums" as well.

After struggling in Paris to learn French and having a lot of difficulty communicating with people initially, Hong Kong felt like a breeze. Everyone understands basic English which is a great bonus for me.

People are very fit and health-conscious. I hardly see anyone , just about anyone who is overweight which is a great reminder and inspiration to remain fit!

All women are dressed really well, very smart and trendy, nothing over-the-top but always very well groomed, very chic!

     Everyone, the young and the old alike, teens ( of course), youngsters, middle-aged, senior citizens, even toddlers are all perennially hooked on to their smartphones. To the extent that, even when they are at the zebra crossing to cross the road , they don't even bother to look up from their phones - they just blindly walk across! Phew!!

     Surprisingly (for me), the men are very conscious about their looks. They have all sorts of trendy coloured hair, snazzy hairstyles and what-not. We went to a hair salon to give Baby Girl a haircut and I saw only men getting their hair done!

Every neighbourhood is different – it almost feels like you are in a different country every time coz the ambience is so different and striking from one another.

Being an island, you would expect clutter and closed spaces. But NO! ...and a BIG YAY! There are open spaces, parks, greenery everywhere. That's a huge plus for the little kids and the big kids.

It's a big plus that it is a multi-cultural populace , you see a lot of westerners, locals blending with each other so well that it feels like they belong here. It is a great environment for Baby Girl to grow up in. Hopefully, she will learn to be friendly and social with everyone irrespective of how they look or what language they speak.

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I will type away as I explore and observe and find more...

10 ways to be a Fusion-ista!

I wrote this for a client but missed the deadline due to some technical error with the pictures ...so putting it up here! 

If you are an Indian woman with modern sensibilities, it is obvious that your wardrobe reflects your attitude. You’d rather be a fashionable ‘fusion-diva’ than a behenji, right?  You can add one ethnic element to your ensemble and look hip…one thing at a time!

®    Pair a long kurta with a waistcoat or a koti instead of a dupatta; you can look hip instantly!

®    Printed Palazzo pants paired with solid coloured tops or kurtis are a great way to blend modern elements with an ethnic look. Pakistani suits, with flowing silhouettes are in vogue and the palazzos are a good twist…

®    Sarees are a classic, and there are a million ways to wear them. Recently, there is a trend of contemporary prints – from animals, fan prints, cameras to language scripts on sarees. A modern twist indeed. Do not over-accessorize and let the saree do all the talking!

®    Women who are up for being bold yet glamorous, can wear a bikini top for a blouse – which looks good on screen. The best way to go is to wear a halter neck blouse with a chikankari  or tussar silk saree

®    If you are one to experiment with different styles of blouses with your sarees, you can go a step further and give the sexy drape a modern twist by wearing a jacket, shirt or a feminine top instead of the traditional blouse, very much in vogue now!

®    Your jodhpuri salwars or Patiala can be teamed with short tops or tunics. Print on print can be overwhelming, stick to one print – either the pants rather salwar or the top.

®    Your grandmother’s traditional necklace handed down to you from your family? Wait no longer, that necklace with a formal white shirt / trousers for an evening out or even a party, is a match made in fashion heaven! Looks uber cool and what an ROI for the necklace!

®    Statement necklaces are in and how! You can make a statement and pair them with your regular ghaghra skirt, a sleeveless top ( preferably in a solid colour) and a bib  or statement necklace! Nothing more, nothing less.

®    Team your bandhini/ lehariya/ phulkari duppatta as a scarf with a white/black/any contrast coloured shirt or georgette top with jeans or even trousers - you are now a fusion-ista! A plain top with no prints will help highlight the colour and embroidery in the scarf aka duppatta!

If you have an unused heavily embroidered duppatta or salwar kameez, you can cut it off and quickly sew the embroidery patch to a simple top, and voila! You have a dressy outfit with some beautiful embroidery – a match made in fusion-heaven