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floral-framed sunglasses -- urban outfitters // floral button-down -- thrifted // denim cutoffs -- gap // bag -- H&M // belt -- H&M

"Let summer set you free."

The quote above was from a letter written to me at the beginning of summer by my best friend. I feel so peaceful whenever I read it; it makes me feel like I'm putting my life into the hands of an unknown entity dubbed as "summer," and letting "summer" take me away and throw me into situations and places I could never even dream of. Summer is when we unravel the dusty cocoons formed during the remaining months of the year and spread our wings and go places and open ourselves to the new world around us. It's when we let ourselves be touched and moulded and shaped and influenced by the new people we meet, the new things we see and the new places we go. Summer is the time we all become butterflies, you could say. But as much as summer changes and shapes us, it also manages to embed a slice of itself into us: a slice saturated with scars and snapshots and memories that'll remain infinitely vivid and play a vital, albeit nostalgic role in the rest of your life. Summer leaves it's mark on me every year in one way or another, be it a heartbreak and a subsequent love lesson, or a friendship that will stay dear to my heart for the rest of my life. Summer has many facets and it is somehow much larger than the sum of these facets: it's a part of something bigger. It's not just about sand, hot lifeguards and late nights, nor is it merely a vacation from life as we know it. It isn't just a time for fairytale love, and it certainly isn't just what the thermostat reads on a baking afternoon. These tiny aspects are what summer is made of, but adding them all up won't even come close to the authentic magic of the season.

Much like this Marks and Spencers floral button-down I picked up at a thrift store in Ireland a few weeks ago, summer is slowly but surely fading. But maybe that isn't a bad thing - faded shirts with granny-inspired prints will always be cool in my books. As for summer's gradual fade into the school year, that is a bad thing. It's a terrible thing. Heck, I already find myself dreaming about and planning for next summer!

Although I wish I could chase the perennial humid summer weather out of Singapore, it's the long months of absence and relaxation that summer entails which I must sadly wave goodbye to. Summer, I bid you a bittersweet farewell.

+ Don't forget to enter my summer care-pack giveaway here!
xx v.

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summer inspiration.

Here are some pictures I've gathered off Tumblr which pretty much sum up the meaning of summer to me - a time of glorious relaxation and exciting adventures; of lazy mornings, sun-drenched afternoons and adrenaline-fueled nights, of endless adventure and exciting exploration. It's a well-deserved hiatus from the monotonous routines of school/work which we are subjected to for the remainder of the year. Summer is such a brilliant time in so many ways, but I definitely think the best thing about summer is the fact that it's yours. It's a huge chunk of time for you to use in whatever way you want, and time is always of the essence when you're living in a city and there's barely enough of it to breathe. 

Some spend their summers attending camps, doing internships and enriching their knowledge and experience. Others unplug themselves from the world and embark on extensive adventures to the most remote places on our planet - without contact to the outside world for weeks. Some spend their days and nights by the ocean; and come home with flushed cheeks, stringy hair and sandy toes. The season of summer is so infinite: it's filled with such a vast variety of possibilities and opportunities, and this summer has flown by all too quickly.

Because I live in such a tropical climate, spending summer somewhere a little more chilly is never an issue. Our annual return to Ireland demands a host of jeans, sweaters and layers, because we see grey skies and windy storms far more often than we see the sun shining here. Although that's certainly a reason to grumble for most, I quite enjoy the refreshing change in weather - it's an excuse to utilize some of my favourite wardrobe pieces: wool blazers, fur hoodies and printed scarves. I'm in Ireland right now, and this year we've been lucky with quite a bit of sunshine!

Hope everyone's enjoying the last few weeks of this glorious season C:

xx v.

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paris - part II

 With every passing hour spent in Paris, I fall more and more in love with the beautiful, stylish city. Not only is it brimming with unbelievably fashion-forward people who seem to treat style as a religion, it’s full of the most stunning architecture and colorful heritage which I’m eager to learn more about. Coming from a concrete jungle of buildings with sleek, modern façades and futuristic design, being surrounded by century-old splendor is a refreshing change I can’t express in words. 

As the pictures suggest, we visited our fair share of touristy places during our trip; Musee D'Orsay, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Arc De Triomphe, check check check check. Hey, it was even Bastille Day during our visit! But even if we hadn't done all those things, I would have been perfectly happy to while away the days by simply roaming around the city, familiarizing myself with the tree-lined avenues, marveling at the overwhelming charm of Paris, and basking in the distinct French culture that the city is lathered in. While simultaneously munching on a crepe, or four. 

This summer was an exceptionally difficult one to pack for. After Paris, we’re due to go town-hopping in various parts of Bretagne for a few days, and then we’re off to Ireland for a week by the sea. I have one tiny suitcase and a weight allowance of 15kg, which I have to make do with for a whole month – including saving space to accommodate my potential overdose on retail therapy. I wanted to bring some stylish pieces to Paris, but I also wanted to dress for comfort and warmthat my other destinations. Therefore, I had to be prudent with what I packed and make sure that everything I brought could work wherever I go: be it on a boat, in a riverside caravan, at the beach, at a nice restaurant, or in one of the world’s capitals of fashion: Paris.

I kept my look simple with a lace top, a decorative necklace, my used-and-abused Longchamp bag which holds practically everything, a smart blazer to de-touristifymy look and help me blend in with the Parisians*, and a pair of simple black flats for all the walking we did.

* I swear to God everyone in Paris wears blazers – men included. I’m convinced they each own different blazers to fit every type of weather condition and occasion that could possibly come their way. Blazers are definitely part of the Parisian uniform!  

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ladakh 2012 - eighteen days at altitude.

I still can't believe that less than a week ago I was at an altitude of 6000m in the Himalayan Mountain region, taking ice cold river showers and sleeping in tents and wearing the most unfashionable hiking gear you will ever see. Now I'm back, safe and sound in the comfort of my own home (back at sea level - no more altitude sickness!), with hot running water on demand, lovely home cooked food and all the luxury of high speed internet. From the 17th of June till the 7th of July, I was lucky enough to travel all the way to the sprawling mountains of India along with 50-60 other people in my grade. We did a huge variety of things and it was one of the best trips I've ever taken. Here's a little bit about what we did:
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1. Lamdon School Homestay

pictures of lamdon school by isabel

Our school has a very close relationship with Lamdon School, the best school in all of Ladakh. With the financial help of our school, Lamdon School has grown from a tiny establishment with a few hundred students to a multi-building campus with an impressive student body of 1800, not to mention the 9 additional satellite campuses of Lamdon School that have been opened around the Ladakh region. Our relationship with Lamdon has always proved to be mutually beneficial in the form of an age-old tradition: the 2 night Homestay. 

My best friend Isabel and I partnered up for this leg of the journey, and we packed our bags  for an experience we'd never forget - yet we knew nothing about. We were posted off to go live with a local Ladakhi family; the family of a Lamdon student! It was such an exciting opportunity and I don't think I've ever been fed so much in my life. We lived in their small but absolutely beautiful house, and our Lamdon buddy Sonam was the loveliest girl ever (see a picture of her AMAZING room below!).

(from left to right): Sonam's mom, Isabel, Sonam, Stanzin (Sonam's sister), and Sonam's cousin

9 Day Markha Valley Trek

At the top of Ganda La Pass (5800m in altitude!), marveling at the priceless view (and taking our shirts off....?!)

view from the trek on day 1 - we had NO idea what we were in for.

on one of the practice hikes around leh, ladakh's capital

one of the beautiful inland lakes, up about 4000m in altitude!

isabel and i having hot chocolate in our tent on day 2 - a freezing morning!

 one of the many stunning views we had - check out those snowcapped peaks!

 kim and i lookin' fly!

 the view that i woke up to (literally; this picture was taken from inside my tent!) on the morning of day 5.

ganda la pass

isabel and i before the trek on day 2!

The 9-day trek through various parts of the Indus Valley and the Markha Valley was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. It required not only a huge amount of physical agility and fitness, but a phenomenal amount of psychological strength. Believe me when I say this: Life during those 9 days became so much easier when I realised that putting a smile on my face and having a positive attitude was half the battle won. We walked for up to 12 hours each day, completely unaware of the weather circumstances we'd have to face on any given day. Ladakhi weather is truly bipolar; it could hail for an hour, stay sunny for lunchtime and then rain until dusk (which it did), and we'd have to be prepared to deal with such huge weather extremes. We walked up mountains and then down again, rolled up our pants to cross rivers (I'm guilty of taking the easy way out and piggybacking some of my larger guy friends!), and in a certain extreme circumstance, we even got down on our asses and slid down a fatal vertical slope. At the end of it, we were all in serious need of a good scrub in a hot shower, a huge meal and a proper bed - and thankfully, that's exactly what we got. 


Being away from the city and all it's superficial distractions for 18 days was more cleansing and refreshing than I ever imagined. To strip our lives down to the bare minimum and only use/take what we really need left all of us a great deal more humble, more content, and more appreciative of the immense luxuries that are readily available to us at home. I never thought I'd say that not showering for 9 days straight would be beneficial in any way, but I learned so much during our time in Ladakh and the memories I made there will stay with me for the rest of my life.
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Hope everyone's having a beautiful summer!

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graveyards.

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Every summer during our return to Ireland, our extended family always makes it a point to visit our beloved Auntie Kitty, who is peacefully buried in the little town of Cahir, Tipperary. I took loads of photos of this remarkably beautiful place this summer, so I could look back and relive those divine, obligation-free summer days at my leisure.

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Somehow I can’t find the right words to describe what we actually do when we’re visiting Auntie Kitty, because for that one afternoon, the hustle and bustle of life seems to evaporate entirely, leaving us astounded and somewhat dazed at the tranquil environment encapsulating us. We pack a small picnic in Granny’s picnic basket, and we dine amidst the damp grass in the shade of willowy trees. Dappled shadows smother the ground on which we laze, and a clear river trickles down from the mountains beside us.

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I have the fondest memories of this beautiful place; frolicking for endless hours in the adjacent sun-drenched fields (Irish weather seems to cooperate with us when it comes to Auntie Kitty!) and tumbling around atop hay rolls. There’s no better feeling than letting go and being a child again, even just for a day.

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Auntie Kitty couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful resting place next to her brother, and the little tradition of us going to see her once a year is something I hope will never cease. I believe Auntie Kitty is still alive in all of our hearts; busying herself in the kitchen baking her signature delicacies, or perched in an armchair, knitting us our very own winter woollies. Her scone recipes have lived on in all our kitchens, and her legacy of faith and indescribable zest for life is well ingrained in all of us. As Dad says, "the cold weather was what kept Auntie Kitty alive for so long.”
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