Frequent Flyer: Kristina of Le Fabuleux Destin

Do any of you have blog goals for 2012? I do. I won't get into all of them in this post but one of them is to post at least one Frequent Flyer feature monthly...and today, on the 31st of the month, I'm getting one in. I've cut it kinda close this month but considering all I had on my plate this month I'm sure you can cut me some slack ;)

Kristina writes the lovely blog Le Fabuleux Destin where she shares lovely photographs of her even lovelier travels. I love the way Kristina captures moments and makes even the simplest scene beautiful. An avid traveler, she recently (this past December) moved to Australia from Europe and I'm excited to see what adventures she'll undertake while there. If you haven't visited her blog yet be sure you do - it's like a lovely little breath of fresh air.

Current City: 
Melbourne, Australia

Hometown: 
Frankfurt, Germany

How many trips do you take each year?
As many as possible! I used to have 5 weeks vacation in Switzerland (where I lived the last 4 years) which I normally spent traveling abroad. Plus many weekend trips which was quite easy in Europe as everything is just a car drive / short plane ride away. Love that about Europe!

Switzerland

The streets of Rome

Favourite travel memory (in 5 sentences or less)?
One of the most amazing memory of my travels is hiking along the Great Wall in China during my last trip to Beijing a couple of weeks ago. We walked 6 km along a part of the wall which is unrestored and therefore deserted, not another soul was around. The landscape was beautiful, we had blue sky and a unbelievable visibility of the wall which seemed to go on forever on the horizon. And the whole time I was thinking: "I cannot believe I am standing on the Great Wall of China!! I cannot believe....". A truly magical moment!

Best thing about traveling?
The freedrom to decide each day what you would like to do with your time. The amount of things you experience, see, smell and feel. The people you meet along the way. The things you learn from those people and their cultures. To get out of your comfort zone and appreciate life to the fullest!

Dining in Ticino, Switzerland

Toughest thing about traveling?
Definitely coming home :) And getting sick on the road - it is a horrible feeling to be sick and so far away from home! 

Three essentials you always take with you and why (excluding money & passport)?
My camera (never leave on a journey without it), flip-flops (for all the nasty showers and bathrooms I may encounter) and a map of the place I am going (a bit nerdy I know, but I love to study maps).

A favourite gadget/item/tip you’ve discovered that helps: 
I always carry a Swiss army knife with me - it is so handy - opening wine bottles, cutting cheese for a picnic. A big help in many situations, I promise!

How do you survive long plane rides?
As I fly quite often (also for my job), I am used to spending time on planes. I prepare myself and take a soft pillow, earplugs, warm socks and a sleep mask. Then I watch a movie, wait for the food, drink a glass of red wine and try to sleep. The older I get the more I am able to actually get some sleep, which is good! I never take any pills to make me sleep, just not comfortable doing that! And I can also spend hours looking out of the window on the world below me - flying over the Hindukusch on the way to Asia on a clear day was the most amazing thing I saw! The landscape was unbelievable!

How do you plan for a trip?
I am definitely a planner! I love to study maps, read about about sights, cafés, restaurants and shopping before I go. I normally travel with Lonely Planet guides, so I read them plus I do a lot of surfing on the web, including blogs, contacting my blog friends who have been to the place to hear their "must-do's". Contrary, my boyfriend (who most of the time travels with me) is not a planner at all, so once we are at our destination it is a mixture of my planning and his spontaneity, which is fun and always exciting! I also make sure that I have basic knowledge about the culture and history of the place I travel to - makes it so much easier to understand everything that you see!

In Bangkok

Carpets in Marrakech

Favourite things to do/see when you’re in a new city? 
I love to visit local markets, either vintage, food or art markets. This always gives me a great feeling for the city and its people! And I love to just wander off the main roads and see what surprises wait for me around the next corner!

What camera do you carry with you? 
I love my Canon 7D and even if it is really heavy, I bring it on all my travels. I have invested in the 24 - 105mm lens and I think it is great! I also love to take pictures with my grandfathers old Kodak Retina which is an analog camera - loving the vintage look of the pictures!

Many people want to travel but often don’t – citing reasons like not enough time/money, too busy etc. how are you able to make travel a regular part of your life? 
For me and my boyfriend traveling, exploring and seeing the world is a passion and a never-ending lovestory - I would never be too busy for traveling! We make sure that we put money aside for our travels - however, depending on where you go and your style of traveling, it does not need to be that expensive actually! Traveling in Asia and Central America on a budget left us spending as much money as if we would have stayed home (excluding the flight). So we stay in budget hostels (never in dorms though), don't have fancy dinners and suddenly there is enough money to spend weeks on the road!

Do you collect anything from your trips?  
Not really - besides my photographs of course. I am terrible when it comes to haggling, so I try to avoid it :) Shame on me, I know. Missing out great things! We have many lovely carvings and paintings from our travels in South East Asia which I adore - but nothing we really collect....

Last trip?
I just recently moved to Melbourne and on my way from Europe to Australia I did a two week stop-over in Beijing, China and Bali, Indonesia. It was beautiful and also the first time I traveled all by myself! Kind of proud over here :)

Next trip?
Roadtrip along the Australian coast from Melbourne to Sydney and back! Hope to see some kangaroos and koalas along the way!

Place your dying to return to?
South East Asia in general - love the food, the people and the culture! Some of my best travels include Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand!

Cambodia

Best hotel you’ve stayed in?
I normally do not stay in fancy hotels when traveling privately, mostly in hostels, small B&B's and cheap, modern hotels. I like to spend my money elsewhere :) However I have been lucky to stay in super nice hotels while traveling for business! My most favorite business hotel was in Dubai, with a view on the new Burj Khalifa, that was really amazing!

Dream destination?
Right now my list includes Tibet, Japan, North India and anywhere in Southern Africa! Oh and a roadtrip through North America! I love destinations with a rich mixture of culture, nature, exciting cities and people who inspire me!

Finish this sentence: A world without travel is like…
...being a bird but not using my wings to fly!

Hvar

*****
Thanks Kristina for participating (and your patience)! Kristina kindly completed this feature for me back in December but with everything I've had on my plate (moving back home from India) I've only been able to get it formatted and posted now.

Be sure to stop by Le Fabuleux Destin and say "Hi!"

Frequent Flyer spotlights a blogger I enjoy who also happens to love traveling and exploring new places. In Frequent Flyer I ask them a few questions to get their thoughts, tips, suggestions, and travel tales - in hopes of inspiring YOU (and myself!) on future travels. In the Frequent Flyer feature I don't just talk to travel bloggers - I talk to bloggers of various backgrounds (design, photography, fashion, life...) Some take many quick trips a year, others travel frequently for work, and others take a handful of longer jaunts abroad - but they all have great stories and tips and I hope you enjoy this feature! To see past Frequent Flyers click here.


+All photos taken by Kristina and used with permission.

Welcome Home

The weekend was for 26 hours of travel from Delhi, India to Toronto, Canada via London, England...Arriving home to surprise 3 (out of 4) of my younger brothers who had NO IDEA I was coming home that evening; I hid under their bunk bed and grabbed their feet and they practically had a heart attack - it was kind of the best thing ever lol...Properly meeting my niece for the first time (when I left for India she was only 5 days old)!...Attending my niece's christening...Becoming extremely exhausted at random hours of the day and taking 3 hour long naps...Curling up with Howard and giving him more tummy rubs than any dog has probably ever received.

I'm home. Outside is cold. And I'm exhausted.

Excuse me while I go take a nap. Back tomorrow with a new Frequent Flyer post.

DEL to YYZ

Well, in just a few hours I'll be boarding a plane back home to Toronto. Do I have to say again how quickly the past 10.5 months have gone? They've. Flown. By. I don't think it's still really hit me yet.......you know, I've created a life here. I have friends here. I have a routine I enjoy here. Simply put, this has been my home for almost a year. And now it's time to leave. To go back home home.

Lots of reflection coming up....but in the meantime, I'm looking forward to seeing family, friends, and this guy.....

because despite how bittersweet leaving Delhi is for me - when I think of this face my heart starts to melt. How can you resist that face?????

The Last Three Days

The past three days have been filled with:
- final souvenir shopping for others
- shopping for myself
- packing
- reconnecting with a high school friend (who I haven't seen since high school) whose company happened to send him to Delhi for a few weeks
- picking up my custom made leather bags (one pictured above...look familiar?)....a result of a leather party I attended last week
- repacking
- getting domestic things done like having my AC removed
- having a cooking lesson with my landlady
 - roaming the back alleys of Old Delhi one last time (for now!) via rickshaw
- repacking
- see you later (not good-bye!) get-togethers and dinners
- making plans to meet up with some of the wonderful friends I've made in May 2013....in Kenya!
- repacking
- watching The Sopranos (two episodes left to finish the series!)

It's been a crazy busy past three days but I wouldn't have had it any other way. In 24 hours I'll be on my layover in London and all of this, this Indian Adventure, these past 10.5 months, will be a fond memory. I still don't think it's really hit me yet.....

But as of right now I still have a few hours left in Delhi. It's Republic Day (a national holiday) so my friends are free from work and I have plans to enjoy these last few hours with them. I have postcards to finish writing up. And repacking to do...yet again. So instead of spending these last few hours on the 'net I'm gonna go make some more memories.

Funny How Things Work Out

Pardon the radio silence on the blog the past few days, I decided for my last weekend in India to head to Jaipur! The capital city of Rajasthan, Jaipur is also affectionately called the "Pink City." It's a city with amazing forts, brightly painted elephants, men in colourful turbans and much more.

I spent 3 days there. My visit coincided with the annual literature festival which had, drumroll, Oprah in attendance this year. I always wanted to attend a taping of Oprah in Chicago but never got the chance to. So, it was in Jaipur, India that I saw Oprah (her first visit to India) and watched and listened as she was interviewed for one hour. It was so good. Of all the places to see Oprah. Jaipur, India.

Funny how things work huh?

It goes without saying that the blog might be a bit silent every now and then over the next few days/weeks. My flight home is this Friday. Can you believe that? Just a few days away.

But not to worry, I still have one or two posts planned before Friday and tons more India related posts coming up in the next few weeks/months as I readjust to being back home in Toronto. You know posts on things like my weekend in Jaipur, what I've learned from living in India, what I've learned about dating (in general) while in India (because yes friends, there has been some dating ;), how not to get Delhi Belly (10 months with no delhi belly folks!), how to barter with vendors and rickshaw drivers, Delhi myths busted, my safety tips (and tips in general) for women traveling solo to Delhi (I get tons of emails about this)......and things like that. I also have a guest post from my bff who came out to visit me for the holidays about her impressions of the city as well as not one but two new instalments of Frequent Flyers. And of course there will be snippets of my life as I re-adjust to Toronto, start my new job, and apartment hunt.

Yes, tons coming up folks. Tons.

(Have you commented on my Vanity post? I'd LOVE to hear what goodies are in your makeup bag that you recommend!)

Vanity {And Postcard Recipients}

So, after the heaviness of yesterdays post a light fun post is in order, ya? Ya, I think so too!

I swear I'm not as vain as some of my last few posts may be leading you to believe but seriously, the prospect of shopping for new beauty items once I'm home has been in the back of my mind all year. Well last year. There are products I'm looking forward to restocking up on my beloved facial cleanser (but the exfoliating one) and new products I've put on my list sometime over the past 10 months that I'm very eager to try and buy.

1. The perfect neutral lipstick. This has been on my list for YEARS but I think I'm close friends. Gonna give Nars Tashkent a try but if not I have a small shortlist of other candidates. I'm telling you. This. Is. The. Year. I. Find. A. Neutral. Lip. Colour.

2. Clairsonic Mia. I've heard nothing but good things about it. You might remember I included it on my birthday wish list. Obviously, I didn't get it lol.

3. Perfect neutral lips and a winged liner. That's the look I'm going for this year.Want to use a liquid liner for a more intense look. Gonna try this L'Oreal one.

4. I've been lusting after this top coat for months now. It also appeared on my birthday wish list. I'm very excited about it.

5. Tried MAC Studio Fix last month and liked that it didn't feel heavy and made me look more even.

6. In the past few months I've been on a "I need to find the perfect red lipstick" kick. I don't know why considering I have never worn red lipstick and usually don't wear any lipstick at all. But, I tried this one and I think it's it.

7. My hair is natural and super thick - so a good detangling comb is a necessity. At $24 this one is pricey but I see it as an investment that, hopefully, I won't have to replace for many many years (if ever!).

8. Another product I've heard nothing but good things about. Again, on the pricey side but I'm ready to invest in products that will really camouflage and brighten up the super dark circles I've got going on under my eyes.

9. I'm on the hunt for the perfect beige-y coloured nail polish. Essie's Ballet Slippers is my go to neutral pink so I'm hoping this will be nice on my complexion.

10. I actually already have this MAC brow pencil but don't know where it is. Gotta replace it.

11. I'm not a big eye shadow person but I've heard lots of people say to use a primer before applying shadow - to help the colour stay longer and not crease. So I'm gonna give the MAC paint pots a try. Or Urban Decay's Primer Potion.

12. This is the year I nail my foundation. I've read really good things (and seen lots of people on YouTube get good results) from the Chanel Lumiere line (obvs not the shade pictured!). I also read that Gabrielle Union's makeup artist uses Lancome's Teint Idole Ultra on her and her skin always looks great when she's on the red carpet (and we're about the same complexion so that is encouraging). So I'm going to try both and see if ones a winner. Both are investments but I'm willing to invest in a great foundation.

13. A diffuser. I've never ever used a diffuser. To be honest, it wasn't until like 1.5 years ago I found out that diffusers can be used on black (african-american) hair. I'm so serious. I'm eager to see if it will help loosen my natural curl for a "wash, diffuse, and go" look. I'm really excited about it. Really.

The grand total of all of this, at regular cost, comes to $375 before tax. So clearly, I won't be purchasing it all at once but rather over the next few months. But it's fun to have a little list ready to cross things off of!

Any products on your to buy (or try) list this year? Do you use any of the above products? Or have any suggestions for me on any of the above (or good alternatives)? Come on ladies, dish the dirt. You know there's a part of us all that loves hearing what beauty products others are using :)

{The following 10 readers/commenters were selected via Random Generator to receive a postcard sent from India - Can you please email me at hellokisha(at)gmail.com with your mailing address ASAP: Andi, Jenny, Marie in Buenos Aires, Taitin (commenter #1),  SP in Atlanta, LAL, Sayra in Switzerland, ClaireMarie, Jessica O'Brien, and Chinye. Thank you so much to everyone who commented and delurked! It's nice knowing who is reading (who knew I had readers in Switzerland, Africa, and South America?!?) and I thank you for coming along on this adventure with me!}

Part Three: The Ugly

In July of last year I started a three part series allowing me to reflect more on my observations of India, or shall I say Delhi, specifically. Part One was called The Good, Part Two, posted in September, was called The Bad, and now for the final piece: The Ugly.

Over the past 10 months I've been very honest in sharing what my life has been like here (from the mundane to my explorations around the city, to hanging in the park for a jam session, rickshaw rides through busy lanes, and adventures in other cities) to my observations on the culture (here and here), and even the odd, to me, things some Indians say. It's with that same honesty that I write this post. The Ugly.

Truth be told, I've known exactly what I've wanted to write about for months now. Why it's actually taken so long for me to write this post is because I honestly feel that words will not do what I'm about to try and put into words justice. Nor would pictures. Or video. And, to be honest, I don't feel comfortable taking pictures of what I'm about to discuss; it feels weird and intrusive. So a post sans pictures it is (a quick google image search will show more than you even know what to do with). What I'm about to attempt to put into words, I think, can't truly be understood until you experience it but, none-the-less, I'll do my best...

What I have found perhaps the most overwhelming thing to witness and process this year has been the level of poverty and the kinds of disability many people seem to live in and with. I have truly never seen anything like it before in my life. Of course back in Toronto I've seen homeless people and beggars, often with comical signs, but never had I ever truly seen a poor child. Have you? I mean, literally a two year old baby standing pantless, diaperless and without shoes with a dirty face holding their hand out to you for food? An 8 year old with a baby that can't be more than 6 months old on their hip mouthing for food right at the window of your car. Kids no older than 11 with their faces painted (in what should be fun but really looks kind of frightening) doing cartwheels and acrobatic tricks in he middle of stopped traffic for a few rupees......well it's not easy to see. The sound they make when they beg.....oh, the sound. It's this gut wrenching low gurgling moan that sounds like it's coming from the mouth of someone 10x older and who is literally knocking on deaths door. And what can you do? What should you do? You're often warned that you shouldn't give these kids money because chances are they are part of a gang and the money will go to the gang leader - or other stories that make you hesitant. You are told not to give packaged food because they will take it and sell it (instead, if you must, open the package and then give it to them so it can't be resold). You are told to instead give a donation to a charity that works with these children to make positive changes...but still, when they are right at the window of your car....or face to face with you as you sit in an auto (because autos don't have doors or windows) - what do you do? When they are begging for the equivalent of what is 25 or 50 cents...you, I,  feel terrible not giving it. You think, I think, what is the government doing about this? How can this situation exist? How can people live like this? How can they survive? And then you start to get philosophical and debate to yourself the difference between living and surviving.....

Then there are the disabilities and deformities that you see. Over the past 10 months I've seen deformities I never even knew existed. People using their hands as feet. Think about that for a minute. They have legs but their legs, apparently, for some reason, don't work. So they are bent over at the waist and use their hands as feet. I've seen people missing entire limbs (ie, both arms right at the shoulder joint) walking around in tank tops and coming up to the car window to beg for money. I've seen people using single bamboo sticks to walk (kinda like a crutch but not really). I've seen limbs growing at odd angles. How is this possible? Maybe it's the.......western idealist in me that thinks some of these deformities and disabilities I've seen could have been corrected in childhood. Had they been able to receive proper medical attention perhaps that foot could have been corrected to grow normal. Sometimes it makes me mad. Why didn't they get proper medical attention?

On my way to work the train goes by a large slum; I've never seen a slum before. "Houses" that look like 5x5 foot rooms with plastic tarps for the roof.....Right beside the slum is a small dirty little stream of water that can't be wider than 10 feet. On the other side of that stream is a large building with the letters WHO on it. When I first noticed the building I thought "That can't be the World Health Organization......right beside the slum." I thought this each day for a few days as I passed it on my way to work. One day I googled it. Sure enough, it's the World Health Organization. Right beside the stream. Right beside the slum. If you work in that building, the view outside your window is of the slum.

And that's another thing. The stark contrast between the very very poor, the poor, the middle class, the upper middle class, and the upper class is glaringly obvious, often in very close proximity of each other, and totally in your face. You can be shopping at a trendy store in the city centre's commercial shopping area and exit a store to a beggar with missing limbs right outside the door...who follows you for a few feet begging for money or food. You can be driving through the wide clean beautifully manicured streets of the diplomatic area, and at the stop lights a young child will come and tap on your window. And stay there until the light turns green. Begging. Mouthing that they want food. They are hungry. It's tough. Really really tough.

And I don't know at what point it is that it stops shocking you; but at some point it does (is that terrible for me to say?). I've seen kids defecating on the side of the road (and this is in the city not in the suburb or a rural part of the country) and entire families living under underpasses. I've seen more children without shoes than I can even count. It still kinda shocks you. You still notice it, but (I'm kind of embarrassed to say) at some point it becomes easier to look away. To walk a little bit faster past them. To say "no" once and mean it and not say anything again. You wonder if it makes you a bad person...

I could go on and on but I won't. This post would quickly grow into a long essay, a posting of my random thoughts on the subject and what can and should be done, and me venting on how this just isn't fair (I once saw someone throw what could not have been more than a 10 rupee coin (more likely it was a 1 or 2 rupee coin - which is the equivalent of like 10 cents) out the window of their car as they started to drive away. The lady begging almost got run over by traffic looking for that coin. I was sad and furious at that driver) People shouldn't have to live like this. Children shouldn't have to live like this. Ever. Not one.

Like I said, I don't know that I can truly do this topic justice in words...it's something you really have to witness for yourself. And I'm not sure what I want the outcome of this post to be. Nothing really. I just didn't want to leave a painted picture that it's all roses and unicorns here (I don't think I have) because there are definitely some things that are hard to deal with and to see. I guess it's just all a part of the experience.

+John of Mr and Mrs Luth Go to India and Kay of Chota Peelee Auto have also touched, in some way, on the topic (or some aspect of this topic). Feel free to give their posts a read.

++I know there are many many organizations doing wonderful things to help those in need. I'm not debating that. I'm merely stating the obvious which is something you definitely see when in Delhi and, for me, falls under the category of The Ugly.

+++Back tomorrow with a much lighter post (and one with pictures!) I promise!