Making friends … genuine friends … in your adult years, isn’t so easy to do.
I’ve been very fortunate to have found these fun-few who I can proudly call friends, as well as my co-workers 🙂
With husbands, kids, moving into new houses, planning a wedding and general ‘adulting’ activities, scheduling a long-over-due Girls Afternoon seemed impossible.
And then one glorious Sunday afternoon, everyone was free, the weather cooperated and we were off to Knox Pumpkin Farm!!!!
The farm-house was built in 1887 to replace the log cabin which stood just south of it, sometime in the later 1800’s. Built for Jordan and Edith Van Nest, their ten children were the first of many children since to slide down the banister and play in the ‘big room’ with it’s seven doors. Today the Knox descendants from far and wide come ‘home’ to the farm, which has been the heart of the family for four generations.
Now, this was my first time ever visiting a pumpkin patch.
You might not know this about me, but I am a total city girl.
Gotta say, it’s pretty nice to know that gorgeous countryside adventure is just a wee train-ride away 🙂
Knox Farms had a ton of fun things to do with the price of admission (weekends $7/adults, children under 2 are free!)
Wagon Rides to the Pumpkin Patch!
Straw Jump! Pumpkin Picking! Face Painting! Farm Animals!
A Snack Shack! Baked Goods! Kettle Corn!
Hot Apple Cider – with purse rum 😉 Don’t judge! It was a brilliant plan!
And a Corn Maze!!!
Normally I would be terrified of this activity …it would be right up there with my irrational fear of Sunflowers...but this was a mini-maze and I had a crew of my peeps with me who I was sandwiched between, so it was safe 😛
We’re on a hay-ride!!! For a video of the hay-ride adventure, checkout my Instagram channel 😉This adorable mini-fashionista and I became BFFs … bonding over ponies and pumpkins. How fab is her hat and jacket?! ❤
THIS farm is beautiful! So many great spots for photo ops – and as you can see, we took full advantage of every posing opportunity we could!
Now, even though Halloween is over and you’re likely no longer in need of a pumpkin …
Knox Farm will be open in the winter with Santa and Mrs. Claus weekends: Nov 28/29 and Dec 5/6, 12/13, 19/20.
They’ll have Christmas Trees to choose from too! If you want to reserve your spot –> email them soonest. 😉
Alright…well you’ve read about What I Did, now let me tell you about What I Wore…
What I Wore:
I’m not gonna lie, coming up with Farm-appropriate attire was difficult. All I knew was that I wanted to wear as many light, Fall accessories as I could. Layers. Layers. Layers.
Not knowing how muddy the grounds would be, and what sort of farm animals poop I’d land in with a misstep, I’ve kept a pair of demoted boots in the depths of my closet…clearly they were kept all this time for pumpkin-patching. 😉
Also, a perfect reason to wear jeans. A rare Irene sighting …. I’m totally a skirts and dresses kinda girl … I think the only other time I’ve worn jeans this year was for Rosie-O-Rama this summer.
How I Got The Look: My knit burnt orange hat, H&M; Bird circle scarf; Aldo Accessories (click here for more); Jeans, Forever21+; Mustard yellow plaid shirt, Old Navy (click here for more); Gloves, Danier Leather (click here for more); Sunglasses from Ardene; Boots from Payless; Puffer vest, Old Navy (click here and here for more); Cross-body MichaelKors purse
And of course no group outing is complete without a SELFIE!
Pretty proud of this shot taken by moi … capturing EVERYONE’S smiling faces…babies, husbands and all 🙂
Special Thanks to my girls Candice, Tammy and Nadica for all the fabulous photo sharing from this super fun Sunday afternoon. xo
It happened. Summer is Over. Fall has officially begun!
I dunno about y’all….but I had an excellent summer! Toronto is the greatest! And Summer in the city is just the best!
With all the many street festivals, buskers, concerts, dancing on the pier, movies in the park and ferry trips to the Toronto Island… there’s always tons of fun to be had.
Here is a quickie recap of some of the fun-in-the-sun events I attended, that I didn’t get a chance to blog about:
TVS PinUp Picnic
Toronto Vintage Society did another PinUp Picnic this year … armed with blankets and baskets we sectioned off a corner of Trinity Bellwoods to enjoy an afternoon of simple fun in overcast skies…
The Outfit: Cherry peep-toed wedges, H&M; Wicker purse, Tatyana; Parasol, Damzels … and the dress…
After picnicking … a few of us were ready to learn how to do The Stroll with Drea from Soda Pop Hop
No vintage picnic is complete without some dancing in the grass. Click here to see what last year’s picnic was like 🙂A few of us from the Toronto Vintage Society and Friends
Dirty Dancing Quote-a-long
The Bloor Cinema hosted a Quote-a-long movie screening of DIRTY DANCING.
Oh yes…. taking us back to the summer of 1963, via the summer of 1987. Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey) is resigned to spend her summer at a wholesome family resort in the Catskills, when she unwittingly discovers the wild dance parties the resort staff have after hours.
This quote-along screening was hosted by comedian Steph Tolev, in a karaoke-style where you were encouraged to yell back at the movie screen and boo Robbie-the-Jerk, woot Johnny-the-Dreamboat, and get up and dance like it’s the Time of Our Lives!!!!
Happy to report that EVERYONE knew exactly when to say, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”
Toronto Vintage Society’s Tiki Lani Lanai
This was our 3rd Annual Tiki Party … and it was our best turnout ever!
Not quite sure what a Tiki Party is? Click here to find out more Tiki culture. And here to see what it was like last year 🙂
Me among the crowned Tiki Queen of the evening…. and her wife. Aren’t they both just adorbz! My outfit: I found this floral aqua romper (yup, its a onesie friends) from Forever21+; Hair flower from Fruits of Bali; Sandals from Coach
A few of the ladies of Toronto Vintage Society who helped organized and put this party together 🙂
O.K. Blue Jays!
I’m not a big sports fan – sitting through 9-innings of baseball on the hottest day ever and paying for ridiculously over priced food and booze, isn’t my first choice of spending a sunny afternoon.
Buuuuuuut the Toronto Blue Jays have been killing it this season! And in true bandwagon-fan fashion… I wanted to be apart of the hype!!!
So, we got ourselves nose-bleed tickets to a PACKED Skydome game!
Plus, look at these cutie-pie tees I found us!!! $17 from Winners bebe! Aren’t we the cutest!??!
Clearly our matchy-matchy look helped them WIN the game that day. You’re welcome fellas! 😉
Turns out for a non-sports-fan, I made it to a game last year too. Click here for that.
Pre-drinking at Steam Whistle Brewery before the game
Let’s Go To The Ex!
I haven’t been to The Ex since I was a teen. A few dancing friends went down on a Monday night to cash in on the $6 after 5pm deal….. We tasted weird deep-fried foods … checked out livestock at the farm … rode some rides… lost money trying to win prizes…
In line with the gang for BUMPER CARS at The Ex!
AND got to dance the night away to BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY ….!!! We were “So Money” and we didn’t even know it 😉
Oooooo! This summer has been filled with mini travel adventures.
There was an excellent seat sale on Porter.ca … So I decided to spend a little over a week in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city over…
Canada Day Long Weekend!!
Here’s a recap of what I didANDwhat I wore …when I remembered to take pictures 🙂
Oh, Ottawa…. so many monuments, buildings, pretty views and beavertails to enjoy. For outfit deets in these pics…click here 🙂
Things To Do In Ottawa!
This may have been my first visit to this Big-Little City as an adult. And I have to say it is beautiful in the summer!!!
The first half of the week I stayed with friends right in The Byward Market. Within an area of roughly four blocks, you’ll find museums, cafés, specialty food shops, boutiques, galleries, restaurants, pubs, salons and more! Often there are musical buskers performing and so many patios to sample! I did my fair share of sampling a few afternoon pints and bites throughout my week there.
There was one spot that had a fabulous Brunch menu – called Lieutenants Pump Pub. For my food review click here.
Brunches were meant for mimosas, eggs benny, babies and old friends 🙂
And I finally got to wear my flamingo summer frock I picked up from Tatyana Boutique on WQW, Toronto.
It got oh-so many compliments from strangers all throughout the meal and beyond 😀
Flamingo dress from Tatyana Boutique
I found a delightful shop called Workshop Studio & Boutique – who had so many fab unique pieces!! I definitely wanted to support the local handmade loveliness.. ❤
Check out a few trinkets I picked up for myself 🙂 If only the frocks they carried were larger I would have spent a fortune in there. Le sigh… #plussizeplease
Oh Yeah those are flamingo ceramic earrings you’re looking at…and button earrings and pins…the cutest!
I had excellent summer weather the first half of my trip…which meant there needed to be a dedicated Lazy, Hazy, Beach Day!!! 🙂
Mooney’s Bay Parkseemed to be a super popular summer destination for swimmers, rowers, and volleyball players.
The beach is located on the east shore of the Rideau River just south of Carleton University. There appeared to be a lots of set-up happening for Dragon Boat Racing when I was there too.
Outfit deets: Swim coverup, Old Navy; Hat picked up in my travels to Malaysia earlier this year.
If you’ve been following me on Instagram, then you know that I’ve been on A BABY TOUR the last few months.
Nearly all of my long-time friends have coupled off, started having babies and often moving far, far away.
Baby Bonanza of a Summer!
The first half of my trip was spent catching up with a gf AND her adorable little fella ❤
Mornings were spent with Dora the Explorer. The Wiggles. Elmo & friends. Thomas the Tank Engine. Bubble Guppies.
Bubble Guppies…Bubble Bubble Guppies.
Oh yes…that tune was my jam … this song kept playing in my head all week and beyond friends. It’s so freakin’ catchy 🙂
And I was lucky enough to have him as my beach date!!
Look at him in his stylish swimwear and whale-printed matching sun hat ❤
OK…if you haven’t had one of these PalmBay frozen cocktails yet this summer…get yourself to a LCBO stat!!!! WARNING: Goes down way too easily **hiccup**
Swing Dancing. You know I needed to checkout the lindy hop scene in this city! There seems to be two big nights of swing dancing weekly in Ottawa:
Hosted by Swing Dynamite, SNS features two lessons (an introductory lesson and a specialty lesson) and social dancing till 1:00 am. Doors open at 8:15 pm, lessons start at 8:30. Social dancing starts at 9:15 pm. For more info please visit http://www.saturdaynightswing.com/
This is what I wore for Friday night dancing, click here for outfit deetsThis is what I wore Saturday night dancing. Outfit deets: Dress from Old Navy , Jellyshoes from my Asia trip
Did you know that there are many FREE passes to various Ottawa sites and museums that can be checked out at the local library?
Want the experience of flight but prefer to keep your feet on the ground? Here is your chance to sit at the controls of an aircraft without taking off! Friendly, knowledgeable Museum staff will assist you in boarding one of three cockpits:
the Tutor (CT-114)
the CF-18
the MIG-21
Don’t ask me which one is which. I have no clue. I just wanted to sit in as many cool planes as they’d let me!
We chose to explore the Museum’s amazing collection at our own pace and moved from aircraft and exhibitions as throughly as we wanted. Which meant we had plenty of time for cheesy tourist photo ops like the below shot 😉
You really do need an entire day there.
So maybe the below plane was in a roped off section … but I managed to sweet talk one of the volunteers to let us into the area 😉
I really, really, really wanted to sit in this wee plane.
Learn how an ejection seat can save a pilot’s life. Listen as the Museum’s enthusiastic guides describe the ups and downs of ejecting from a fighter jet.
Then, sit in an authentic ejection seat and learn how pilots use this essential piece of equipment. Like I did below 🙂It was pretty cool discovering Canada’s contributions to aviation from the days of early aviation to the jet age and on into space exploration.
I highly recommend visiting this museum if you get a chance!
No “Irene vacation” is complete without a day-o-SHOPPING!!! 😉
With the Canadian Dollar doing so poorly these days, I’ve been avoiding my cross-boarder shopping trips.
But I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Ottawa has an outlet mall: Tanger Outlet
Now…the shops selection was decent, but there weren’t too many “deal-deals”, if you know what I mean.
But I did find a few gems that followed me home:
Fringed purse, with option cross-body strap was from Aldo for $20!!! BONUS: They shipped it to my home in Toronto for FREE!These crisp white loafers with gold piping detail were from Naturalizer, for only $20!!!
CANADA DAY-o-Fun!
Oh man! As a proud Canadian…I was super excited to be spending Canada Day in my Nation’s Capital!!!! The crowds and crowds of people dressed in all kinds of patriotic get-ups ALL DAY LONG. The concerts on Parliment Hill. The close up fireworks! It really is something to see and be apart of ❤ ❤ ❤
Naturally, that meant there was outfit planning to be done…and here’s what I put together for my Canada Day look:
Outfit deets: T-shirt, Old Navy; Headbands and Moose Earrings, Ardene
Now….it should be noted that the below look lasted exactly 22-mins 😦
As soon as we got out of the car, picked up our Starbucks and began heading for Parliament Hill —- it began to POUR!!! Raining cats and dogs, and squirrels and raccoons and the like. It was madness.
We did our best to get ourselves back and hid under a giant patio umbrella, until my gf’s hubs could turn the car around and pick us up again. #wettshirtcontest
Did you know that on Canada Day, entry to museums are free? Thank goodness for that…cuz we needed somewhere to spend the day drying off so we could be ready for the evening fireworks!
Three proud patriotic, rained-on Canadians, ready to explore the War Museum on Canada Day
There was a special exhibition called:Gladiators and the Colosseum – Death and Glory.
What would you have seen at the gladiatorial games, nearly 2,000 years ago? Maybe you would have seen an emperor, a helmet, or a crocodile?
You can see it all in this special exhibition, complete with a guidebook to help you find all the stops along the way and collect the stamps to discover what you would have seen at these ancient games.
Introducing Gladiator Ireneus!
For dinner, we stopped for a proper Canadian dinner: POUTINE from Smoke’s Poutinerie
I splurged with the Prime Beef Deluxe Poutine …mmmmm
As dusk approached, we made our way to Parliament Hill, to be amongst the crowds …
We even got to watch a few musical performances Canada Day Concert on the Hill. Pretty good sightless, considering 🙂
And last but not least, there were fireworks and impromptu group singing of O’Canada ❤
Happy Birthday Canada!! 148 Years Young!
Are you following me on INSTAGRAM? If so, you’ve likely seen a few more pics and video clips as I took them during my trip.
Search for the hashtag: PPMeowTravelsto see more of my adventures there. Thanks for following and reading 🙂
What a pretty view…even with overcast skies. The Ottawa river’s Gatineau shore
If you’re planning a summer city getaway, hope you’ll check out this beautiful city!
A few of us caught wind that on August 15th folks were gathering at the Rosie the Riveter Memorial in Marina Park (Richmond, California) to try and set a NEW Guinness World Record for “The Largest Gathering of People Dressed as a Rosie the Riveter”!
The current record was set last year when 776 Rosie and Rosie lookalikes gathered at the Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, MI.
This year, they hoped to round-up 1000 Rosies!!!
The rules for dressing like Rosie:
How I Got The Look: headscarf and earrings from Ardene; jeans from Old Navy; denim shirt from Reitmans; mens red socks, Forever21; boots from Aldo
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
Since we couldn’t be in California for the event, a few of us from the Toronto Vintage Society wanted to be there in spirit and rounded up the troops for a perfect photo opportunity in front of the fab colourful 3D Toronto sign at City Hall.
And here are OUR results:
HEY, wanna dress up in heavy jeans, coveralls, socks and boots … and do up your hair in vintage style on a Saturday afternoon, for a photo-op?
Duh!! Yah WE do!?!
You know you’ve found your tribe when you’re doing THIS on the hottest day of summer 😉
Now, we weren’t so hardcore about sticking to the ‘outfit rules’ as our friends in CA looking to break world records.
But I think we looked pretty spectacular none-the-less 😀
Since we were all out and about anyways, we adventured via TTC for some shopping…
Rosie the Riveters invade Rosie the Rebel…. And then cooled off with some desserts at The Bean and Baker Malt Shop… OMG!!! This deliciousness that I’m guzzling below is called THE PINK LADY MILKSHAKE! Go and get yourself one immediately. It will not disappoint! ❤
There are tons more fun snaps – check them out on my Instagram channel –> and follow me 🙂
Meanwhile in California ….
Yup! They did it! They broke the world record for the most Rosie’s gathered in a rally!!!
1084 Rosies were counted for the Guinness World Record!!!
Congratulations friends!!! Happy Day! ❤
Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon of the United States, representing the American women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely new jobs replacing the male workers who were in the military.
Still curious? Click here to read more on the iconic Rosie the Riveter and her importance.
Hope you enjoyed reading this post. 🙂
Photo Thanks to Erin, Joy and Liz – thanks for all the sharing and capturing of the fun!
Looking for something different to do on a gorgeous summer day?
Why not spend the day betting on the ponies at the track! 🙂
The Queen’s Plate is Canada’s oldest thoroughbred horse race, having been founded in 1860. It is also the oldest continuously run race in North America. The race takes place each summer, in June or July, at Woodbine Racetrack in Etobicoke, ON.
For more history on the Queen’s Plate, click here.
Moi…en route to my first Hat’s & Horseshoes Event
Never placed a bet before? Not to worry, they had guests covered! Everyone got a $2 betting voucher with entrance and the Betting Impact team will be roaming the Hats & Horseshoes Party to teach you the Basics of Betting.
Sadly, I’m not very lucky and didn’t win on any of the horses I selected. Le sigh…
I did get a kick outta some of the horse names – my fave was Conquest Boogaloo. She’s she pretty?
One of the most compelling parts of attending this event was the excuse to wear a giant hat!
I decided to do my best “country club” look with my tiered floral maxi (Old Navy), platform black sandals (Coach) and beige sunhat with gold hardware & ribbon detail (Necessities).
Miss Jacquie, founder of the Toronto Vintage Society, and moi walking the red carpet at the 156th Anniversary of the Queens Plate. Isn’t her hat divine! ❤
Turns out our penchant for any excuse to wear large hats was a something many of us had in common 🙂 Ran into a few more Toronto Vintage Society gals at the event …dressed in lovely vintage summer frocks and purses, naturally.
It was an extremely hot day. There was very minimal shady covered spots at the track, and I was thankful to be wearing a sunhat. It was only while I was watching the gorgeous horses parading around close up that I started to wonder about their treatment. 😦
If you’re curious, click here to read more about the racetrack safety protocols followed by The Woodbine Racetrack.
Jockey’s are so little.Refined ladies eating hotdogs in the grass … Classy!
The only clip still on my phone ready for uploading to this post: Bag-pippers marching along doing what they do best.
Once we had enough wandering around the grassy grounds among the food trucks and beverage tents, and had our fill eyeing all the well-dressed men and women and their giant hats …
We headed to our $18 seats for a break. It was Race Time!
Sunnies Activate!
I tried filming at the track. But it seems I’ve since deleted the vid clip of the excitement from my phone.
Not to worry…it’s documented here on my Instagram channel – are you following me friends? Start following me here.
Wearing my FREE Queen’s Plate Lapel Pin proudly … eating popcorn and cheering for our horses in our $18 dollar seats 🙂
I have to say, the best part of this event was the photo ops …. men in uniforms…**swoon**
What’s better than a man in a uniform? TWO men in uniforms!!
Hope you’ve been enjoying your summer friends. Stay tuned for more of my summer adventure recaps – complete with what I wore and what I did. xo
Here we go. The last instalment of PPMeow’s Asian Adventure. (Sorry it’s taken me so long to post)
The last of the three cities I visited was Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
I left Toronto, Canada with weather of -11 degrees Friday, February 27th…. to arrive in KL to +38 degrees on Sunday evening, March 1st! 😮
It was so hot ALL-THE-TIME there!
The crowded streets of Chinatown in KL
KL is the capital and most populous city in Malaysia. And was the ‘home-base’ for my 3-week trip to South-East Asia, as my friend Dee lives there.
With the weather being oh-so hot, it was difficult to get motivated enough to leave air-conditioned quarters to venture out into the crowded city for exploring.
Also, it was in this city that I totally got hooked on Game of Thrones – and managed to binge-watch all 4-seasons during this trip. Yup! I did it. And I’m not at all sorry. 😛
But, as compelling as Jon Snow is, I did manage to see and do things in this fashionable city…
The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers, are twin skyscrapers in Kuala LumpurThe towers at night…magical!
The main religion there is Islam, with significant Buddhist, Hindu and Christian minorities. And such a wide variety of fashionable people out and about all the time from each of these religious groups. I was very tempted to take random shots of people’s outfits to show you what I mean … buuuuuut I wasn’t sure that would go over so well with the locals, so sadly I have no proof to show in this post. But believe me – some highly fashionable folks out there friends!
On the Rapid Lite Rail headed into downtown KL
The subway system there is pretty great – so long as your destination is close to a subway station. Otherwise, the streets of KL can be a real challenge to maneuver alone. Roads on a map have been compared to ‘spaghetti noodles’ – not at all like the convenient grid system of Toronto streets I’ve come to know and love.
Selfie with Soup Bowls
I arrived shortly after the celebration of Chinese New Year … so many of the cityscapes and shopping centres still had decorations and lanterns hung…
THE FOOD!!!
Lucky for me, Dee had a long-list of delicious meals I HAD TO TRY while I was visiting… and everything I ate while in Malaysia was amazeballs!!!!
The dish on the left (below) is Laksa soup. There are two basic types of laksa: curry laksa and asam laksa. Curry laksa is a coconut curry soup with noodles, while asam laksa is a sour fish soup with noodles. The one I had was curry laksa, I’m pretty sure. 🙂
The dish on the right (above) is Nasi lemak, the national dish of Malaysia. It is a fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. Basic simple nasi lemak typically comes with with an egg, anchovies, cucumber, and sambal belacan. This dish is so popular and tasty that people sometimes eat it for all three meals of the day.
My first oyster eating experience of my life! Slimey….but tasty!My first coconut of the entire trip!!! mmmmm….coconut!
THE SHOPPING
There are so many shopping malls in KL! All with the A/C blasting to give everyone a bit of relief from the blazing heat, I’m assuming. IT’S SO HOT THERE!!!
The Central Market is an award-winning tourist attraction and shopping destination, while preserving the significance in showcasing the nation’s arts, culture and heritage.
Some of the cute fascinators and headbands on display …. I really had to control my impulsive shopping habit while I was out and about.
For this reason, I was strict with keeping my purchase limited to super unique and unlikely to find anywhere else 😉
In that same store I found this lovely lightweight navy & green hibiscus floral patterned fabric … that didn’t look like much when I unfolded it…. but then when worn it was the coolest soft pant ever!!! Can’t wait to rock this for summer in Toronto (if the weather cooperates, that is).
For my fellow 80s kids out there…. do you remember those jellybean shoes of your youth? Well guess what I found in the shops of KL? YUP!!! Jellies for Adults!
I couldn’t decide which pair I liked more….so I bought both! 🙂
When it comes to accessories … there are so many adorable things. I just couldn’t decide. But lucky for me that Dee picked these up for me – THANKS DEE!!! They have quickly become my favourite go-to pair of earrings.
Suddenly I moustache you a question… 😀
The last piece of uniqueness for my closet was this uber soft, reversible vest-scarf-hoodie thing.
At first glance the pattern of this garment drew me in, dark and light grey patterns. But upon closer inspection, it was so interesting and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, that it had to be mine. 🙂
It’s already gotten many ooh’s and ahh’s when I debuted it to the office last month.
And in true tourist fashion, I hit up a local grocery store to pick up some hot sauces and tea as souvenirs for my folks. PS: That TomYum paste yields delicious soup – check & follow my Instagram for proof friends 😉
SWING DANCING FOR ST PADDY’S DAY
Last, but certainly not least, was KL’s Swing Dancing scene!!! I was lucky enough to check out two dances while I was visiting… and got to celebrate St. Paddy’s day in my newly tailor-made gingham dress from Vietnam.
Did I mention it was motherlovin’ HOT in this country! The moment you step outside you are sweaty-kins …. so lindy hopping in this heat was madness that made your EYEBALLS sweat.
KL Swing peeps…pointing West to Canada 🙂
Here’s a few silly, sweaty-glowing faces of the KL Swing Gang who were totally welcoming and oh-so fun to dance with.
There you have it friends! You’ve relived my entire PPMeow Asian Adventurewith me!!
Thank you for reading, following and commenting throughout my travels. Hope you enjoyed these recap posts. OH, and in case you’ve missed any previous ones….you can find them all below.
PPMeow Asian Adventure includes:
Asia: What to Know Before you Go – click here for blogpost
Although much of the trip was spent dancing with VLX …. I was able to check out a few sites, ate some amazing meals and even got to visit a tailor to get some custom threads made!!!
A few noteworthy things to mention if you are planning on visiting Vietnam:
There is a VISA requirement for this country. From my earlier post, What to Know Before you Go, many Asian countries issue visas free of charge on arrival at major airports and land-boarders. Vietnam is NOT one of these countries. There are a few online service providers that will help get you started with the Vietnam Visa process, we used: http://www.myvietnamvisa.com/ The application process is simple enough – just go online and apply. But the cost has gone up unfortunately — the online processing fee is $20 (just remember to select Canadian dollars).
Make sure the name you put in is exactly as your passport, that your passport number is correct, and that you put your arrival date correctly. If any of these are incorrect, you might have to pay a heavy fine upon arrival. This takes about 2-3 days to process and they will email you a letter – which you will need to print and bring along with $45 USD in cash exactly, to be paid with CRISP bills – no joke. If your bills are wrinkled or ripped, even slightly, your money will be rejected at the counter and Visa denied.
The Japanese Bridge – Hoi An
In addition to this letter, you will be required to fill out a form at the counter that you will have to frantically fill out before they will take your money. Some online service providers send out this form with the letter. Our service didn’t. FYI.
Oh, you also need passport photos – which you might want to get while you’re overseas travelling – as North American passport photos are usually highly overpriced.
The currency used is the Vietnamese DONG – maybe the best currency ever, by name alone 😉 Everyone is a Millionaire there, as $100CAD translates to $1.7Million Dong! It took me the entire 4-days to get used to the giant bills to pay for anything correctly there.
If you’re not already following me on Instagram … Here are a few snaps from my adventures in Hoi An …
THE FOOD!!!
I’m a huge fan of asian cuisine … but the amounts of delicious foods that were eaten my short time in Hoi An was magical – and sooooo cheap!!!!!
VIETNAMESE ICED COFFEE (CAFE SUA DA) – This is oh-so delicious. Made with Vietnamese coffee press + Sweetened condensed milk filling a tall glass filled with ice to its brim!
AND then these BLOSSOMS – Hoi An fried wontons are covered in a salsa-like topping of vegetables and sweet and sour shrimp or pork …. they are crispy, mouth-watering works of art.
VIETNAMESE ICED COFFEE (CAFE SUA DA) HOI AN FRIED WONTON BLOSSOMS
OK! The below dish is called Cao lầu – it is a regional Vietnamese dish made with noodles, pork, and local greens, and is onlyfound in the town of Hội An.
Naturally, I ate as much of this as I could while I was there.
Cao lầu and Larue Beer – genuine Hoi An street-must-eats!
WHAT I BOUGHT
In terms of souvenirs I behaved myself. My purchases included: two medium-sized fabric lanterns (for my balcony), coconut bowls, Viet snacks for coworkers AND the most delicious coffee ever + metal coffee distiller!
My biggest excitement …and spending … took place with the custom-made clothes!!! 😀
Everyone who had visited Vietnam before, had told me how great the tailors were out there. I was loosing my mind trying to narrow down my choices of what items I wanted to get made.
The tailor I used — visited them a few times to get the following pieces perfect for moi!
Before leaving for my trip, I picked pieces that I’d been coveting that didn’t come in plus sizes at the vintage/reproduction boutiques I frequent. And found my TOP FOUR items I wanted to get made:
1. Hello, Yellow two-piece midi-crop top set2. Green Gingham3. The bow-tie dress shirt & 4. overall skirt with pockets
Buuuuut there were TONS of cool ideas and dress designs hanging all around me at this little shop. And I’ve got a problem and weakness for pretty frocks.
In the end …. SEVEN new pieces actually came home with me! And when all was said and done, each item cost me approx. $42 CAD.
Which is pretty awesome, considering I selected premium fabrics + lining, got to add my own ‘design’ ideas such as adding POCKETS to everything …. and each piece is unique to fit me perfectly.
Nobody in Toronto is gonna be wearing my outfit. Huge Bonus 🙂
Stay tuned for upcoming blogpost highlighting each of these outfits specifically!!! Thanks for reading! xo
Ban hay khong? [bahn nay khom?] – Would you like to dance?
Hoi An, Vietnam!
Of all the places on my travel agenda for this trip – this destination was for the shortest stay. We flew out just for the weekend from KL, Malaysia to Danang, Vietnam ….a 30min drive from Hoi An, specifically for VLX – Vietnam’s Lindyhop Exchange weekend!
What is a lindy hop exchange you ask?
A lindy exchange is a gathering of lindy hop dancers in one city for several days to do the same dance at other venues, showcase ones own talent to the local community, and to dance with visitors and locals alike.
This was my first time swing dancing outside of Canada!
If you remember from my previous post, there was a pie chart highlighting the various nationalities that would be at this dance exchange – I’m proud to say that me and Dee (my travel mate) added to the 7% Canadian slice who were in attendance 🙂
Where We Stayed
We signed ourselves up for the full weekend – which meant we did’t have to do a thing when it came to booking hotels and transportation to/from airport – VLX took care of us as soon as we landed!
The glorious Hotel Royal Hoi An, MGallery Collection– we had breakfast around this lovely pool every morning!THIS was our fantabulous suite —- These Beds! These Pillows! These amazing fluffy robes!!! This place was divine!!!
The Dances
We were on a tight dance-filled agenda which began with a Welcome dance our first night at theHoi An Historic Hotel ….
The theme that night was “East Meets West” … here’s what I wore:
Dee and I found these lovely batik printed skirts from The Central Market in KL, and went twinsy for the evening complete with flower in hair and vintage bangs.
Batik skirts with fanny prints + tanks + vintage hair flowers + bumper bangs = East Meets WestCaught in the lindyhop act. (Thanks Jason & Sheila)
AND we were caught on camera and made the News in Nam!!! See if you can spot ME in the news clip friends 😉
While other VLXers woke up super early for a bike ride to explore Hoi An (after dancing ’til 3:30am the night before) …
me and a few other deep-sleepers chose to enjoy the day in the pool instead – until the next afternoon dance of course 🙂
Isn’t this a great picture? I borrowed this hat from a VLX Cowboy …and he snapped this photo complete with cartoon Asian sworded companion. 🙂
Beach Afternoon – An Bang Beach, Hoi An
On Sunday afternoon we were shuttled to An Bang Beach’s Soul Kitchen and took over a lovely little section of sun and shade …in between DANCING, of course!!!
Day drinking + relax-o in between barefoot lindy hopping = Paradise!Me among the beauties representing Malaysia at the VLX 🙂
And then the barefoot Lindy Hopping began!
The VLXers of 2015…. such a great group of people!!!
MORE Dancing Nights …
If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ve likely already seen a few of these pic and can watch a few vid clips too.
Every evening there was a dinner and a dance planned for us. Here are a few shots of all the fun:
This evening’s dress code was “Extreme Opposites”. I had no idea what that meant … and so I went as Batman!
I’M BATMAN! 😉
Our last night in Hoi An, we had a farewell dinner at Green Mango ….with a dress code of “Modern Vintage”
Dinner our last night there…le sigh.
After dinner our last night of dancing in Hoi An….we took the Lindy Hopping to the streets…
My dress is from the Canadian designer Cherry Velvet Plus, click here for outfit deets.
Dancing in the Streets! Loved it!!!
Of all the places I visited this trip, THIS is the city I wish I had spent more time in….sigh. Guess this just means I’ve gotta make another visit sometime soon ❤
Although much of the trip was spent dancing …. I was able to check out a few sites, ate some amazing meals and even got to visit a tailor to get some custom threads made!!! 7 new pieces came home with me!
Stay tuned for the next blogpost highlighting these things specifically!!! Thanks for reading! xo
In case you’ve missed any… PPMeow’sAsian Adventure includes:
For years now, I’ve heard the rumours of how beautiful the beaches of The Philippines are. So Boracay Island was one of the MUST-SEE spots on my travel agenda while I was in South-East Asia last month.
Hello, Kalibo – Philippines!
Now, getting to these beautiful beaches takes a bit of effort which included a 35-min LRT ride to Kuala Lumpur Airport, a 4-hour flight to Kalibo, Philippines.
Then a 2-hour bus ride to the edge of the sea to board a questionable mini-ferry boat for a 15-min ride to Boracay Island.
Followed by a 30-min shuttle bus AND a 10-min walk with luggage to our resort bungalow ….
The white sand beaches of Boracay is split up into three boat stations: Stn 1 known to be the ‘party spot’, Stn 2 and Stn 3. Since accommodations can be pricy we chose to stay at a more modest resort for the first 5-nights.
The jungle-like garden walkway toward the bungalows of The Boracay Island Beach Resort
The beachfront location of Stn 1 & 2 is always busy and bustling with activity.
Our little bungalow was a welcomed and lovely quiet respite from the island’s bustling party scene, but close enough to its heart for two single gals on vacation who wanted the complete Boracay experience. 😉
Our private bungalow in the jungle
Added bonus to staying at this resort: it’s fully WIFI accessible …. even on this little jungle porch! Which was perfect starting off our day with fresh fruit shakes & delicious breakfasts and for our evenings of impromptu name-that-tune challenges and Facebook updates to make family and friends back home jelly 😉
The only downside to staying in these bungalows was the window AC units were very loud. So night-time was kept cool and tropical with just the fan mode. Plus, earplugs make everything better.
Our quaint relaxing porch ….where we were served delicious breakfasts every morning and enjoyed cheapy beers every evening. Sigh… how I miss it so 😦
For our last two-nights we checked out of our sweet little bungalow and stayed at this upscale, splurge-o hotel: Henann Garden Resort
The fancy Henann Garden Resort —- Sadly, the pool was the most noteworthy thing about this hotel.
Sadly, the pool was the most noteworthy thing about this hotel…. which couldn’t be enjoyed as there weren’t any ‘children only areas’. Which meant children were everywhere running amuck, often without parental supervision! Sigh….
The other disappointments of Henann Garden Resort: it cost us nearly DOUBLE what our 5-night stay cost which got us a “deluxe room” ….. which had zero view, no balcony or access to any private outdoor space and no WiFi. In fact, the entire splashy resort only offered WiFi access in their lobby…which was always crowded for this reason.
“Deluxe” …pfft!!!!
Thank goodness the bulk of our stay was at The Boracay Beach Resort ... how I miss it so! *sniff sniff*
WHAT WE DID
Both of our hotels were located along the White Beach between Stn 1 and the island’s newest center, D’Mall. There are tons of shops and restaurants within this area…which we explored daily.
Boracay Island is a water sport enthusiasts mecca!
Sadly, as I’m a non-swimmer (for more facts you didn’t know about moi, click here), I spent my days being a beach-bum working on my tan (ha!), eating, drinking and exploring the beach.
Like the day where we noticed a grouping of rocks off in the distance towards the end of Stn 1.
According to the map this was known as Willy’s Rock. I thought maybe it had something to do with the classic 80s flick GOONIES one-eyed-Willy … but upon closer inspection turns out this point of interest is actual a Christian shrine – notice the statue.
Willy’s Rock …. at Stn1 of Boracay White Sand Beach. My gf/travel mate ventured onto the rock. 🙂
We actually walked to it from shore and you can swim to and around it, as the water was quite shallow around it.
My Outfit: Dress, Tommy Hilfiger; Sunnies, NineWest; Hat, picked up on my travels from a lil’ shop outside of KLCC
We also came across this giant Gorilla after lunch one day … kinda random, right?
Monkeying around on the white sand beach of Boracay
There was a lot of time spend lazing around on the beach and on the hammock of our bungalow’s veranda reading my book: Gone Girl. (Really, really enjoyed it. Sadly, it wasn’t one of the movie offerings on any of my flights back…le sigh.)Watching the sailboats at sunset never got old…
Toward the end of the week, I wandered over to the end of Stn 3 and noticed that the clear blue waters were keeping covered in thick green grossness. Apparently at this time of year this algae seems to take over the shores. It wasn’t THIS bad by where we staying, thankfully. And once you’ve managed to walked past all the greenness, the water was perfect!
The intense algae situation at Stn 3
And People-Watching was always entertaining…
We got pretty chatty with one of the below table of dancers/hireable companions… so much so, that by the end of the evening one asked to touch my boobs 😮
True Story!!!! LOL!!!
This table of ladies were a combination of dancers and um, hireable companions for the night or week.
Nightly entertainment along the beach included live cover bands and fire-dancers. Visit my Instagram for vid clips of these performances 🙂
Fire-Dancers!!!Roof-top cover band performing along the white sand beach
Oh! And I even donned my first bikini ever beachside and poolside! Woot!
My Outfit: Jellyfish Aqua Bikini from the GabiFresh line by Swimsuitsforall.com
WHAT I BOUGHT
Now y’all know I’m a hardcore shopper. But this year I’m really focused on spending money on ‘experiences’ rather than things…. and I have to say that there wasn’t anything particularly fabulous that I needed to purchase from Boracay Island.
I did come across this young artist on the beach, who was making personalized jewellery out of surgical steel wire. Earrings, necklaces and rings.
As you can see, I got myself one …complete with butterfly motif and pink beads…which worked out to be a whopping $6 CAD 🙂
We also found a caricaturist along the beach – THIS was not at all the pose we picked to be drawn.
LOLOL!! I’m pretty sure they thought we were apart of a lesbian commune. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. 😉
Also, seems I’m white in caricature, while my gf is part of the big-titty-committee. LOLOL!!! Too funny!
LOL! Even the crab on the shores of Boracay knows of our love. 🙂
I have to admit, there wasn’t anything AMAZING that I had to bring home with me from Boracay. OH!!! I did discover that full body massages along the beach and (if you preferred, in private air-conditioned lofts) worked out to $10 CAD for an hour!!! Naturally, I had one every day I was there!!! Paradise just got better!
All that returned to the T-dot with me was a bottle of Red Horse Beer that I couldn’t finish the eve of our departure and these chocolate covered mangos I picked up at the airport. Both are delicious!
My only souvenirs from Boracay
So there you have it friends. Hope you enjoyed reliving destination 1 of 3 in my 22-day Asian Adventure with me. Stay tuned for the next instalment. xo
Thinking about travelling to Asia yourself?
In case you’ve missed any… PPMeow’sAsian Adventure includes:
Asia: What to Know Before you Go – click here for blogpost
Hey Hey Hey! I’m back from nearly three weeks travelling South East Asia. It was a fantastic trip filled with good food, lots of dancing, new friends and shopping galore!
Y’all know I was anxious about doing such a BIG trip travel solo … PLUS, I was determined to fly without checking any luggage what-so-ever there.
Well, on the eve of my departure it turns out that my travel backpack ended up being larger than the allowable carry-on dimensions as per airport regulations.
Knowing that it isn’t easy finding larger clothes in the cities I’d be visiting … with all my many connections, the possibility of losing my luggage filled with PLUS SIZE clothing was terrifying.
And so last min, I transferred all my items into my trusty roller-bag and mini-backpack instead!
I was determined to get myself to the airport WITHOUT my winter coat.
So I dressed in the following layers for the 30+ hour journey to get to my first destination of my Adventure – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Pearson Travel Outfit: Black zip from Reitmans; Fox scarf from Suzy Sheer; Printed pants from Forever21+; Batman Tee from Ardene; Black sneaks from Payless
The long flights there (with layovers of waiting in-between) weren’t so terrible. It was all pretty low stress until I arrived in Frankfurt Airport – my longest layover and last leg of my journey there. So I decided to treat myself to German schnitzel and beer, and was approached by two Indian pilots (one more handsome than the other) who asked if they could join me. Seems mama still gots it even after 20+ hours of travel grime – must be those sexy compression socks, makes pilots crazy friendly 😉
Did you know that there’s now a new 15-hour flight direct from Toronto to New Delhi, India? True story.
Moi … 20+ hours of straight travel and those sexy compression socks Pilots can’t get enough of 😉
After I drank my beer and said farewell to my new pilot friends, I made my way to get my boarding pass and was given misdirections by TWO different Lufthansa desk clerks one telling me my gate was Z-something …. only to get there and be sent back where I began. Grrrrr And then was issued a Stand By ticket …dun dun dun.
Luckily the third desk clerk I spoke to managed to secure me a proper seat with my ORIGINAL booking. **phew**
After 20-hours of continuous travel…the last thing you want to see on your airline ticket is the dreaded words: STANDBY~ akkk!
FLYING HOME
The journey home was pretty smooth……just ridiculously long. (That’s what you get when you fly across the globe on points friends.)
I woke up at 4:45am to take a 10min cab ride to the KL Airport Express Train (35min ride) to catch my morning connection from KL to Bangkok. Once I arrived there, I had a little over an hour to make my way through Bangkok customs and find my gate for my next connection to Beijing.
Cutting it super tight, right? I finally arrived at my departure gate to see that FINAL CALL all-red flashing sign — maybe the most terrifying feeling when you know you have yet another connect to make. This was the first time I flew Thai Airways and I have to say their airplane food was delicious!
The last leg of my journey in Beijing (who’s airport was completely nuts – zero signs written in English + No one lines up for anything! Just a mass of people mashing their bodies and luggage into each other until they get to a clerk at a desk – nuts!!!!) An elderly gentleman – a professor in Hong Kong on his way to his father’s funeral in Hamilton, Ontario, struck up a conversation with me. Seems I look most approachable and friendly in the last hours of lengthy travel days. Sigh…
Confucius says: “Man going through airport turnstile sideways is going to Bangkok.”🎊
Kuala Lampur. Bangkok. Beijing. Toronto. 4 countries, 30+ hours of time-travelling travel. It was the LONGEST Friday ever!!!
Ditching the giant travel backpack for a roller-bag was definitely the right decision! With all the swing dancing nights and visits to multiple airports to get to the various destinations we had planned, having a roller-bag totally saved my back!
Funny story… just as I arrived to the doorstep of my gf’s place in KL, I was praising how great my lil’ roller-bag has been these past 3-years it’s been with me…and just as those words utter on my lips – the handle broke! Leaving me to have to pull this mofo bag by the straps for the remainder of the trip. LOL!
Not to fear, I bought myself a lovely new roller-carryon for my return home (and checked my broken bag on my flight home…since I ended up buying a ton of things from all three cities – Kuala Lampur – Boracay – Hoi An).
Isn’t she a beauty? Looking forward to taking her on many more adventures in the near future 😉
I’m still working on my recap blogposts for each city I visited. So stay tuned for those in the upcoming weeks friends.
In the meantime, feel free to follow my INSTAGRAM and catchup with a few snaps I took while I was on my Asian Adventure… as they happened. xo
Asian Adventure includes:
Boracay, Philippines – White Sand Beach – click here for blogpost
It was pretty cool discovering Canada’s contributions to aviation from the days of early aviation to the jet age and on into space exploration.
For my fellow 80s kids out there…. do you remember those jellybean shoes of your youth? Well guess what I found in the shops of KL? YUP!!! Jellies for Adults!
Watching the sailboats at sunset never got old…
Well, on the eve of my departure it turns out that my
PPMeow! 
