NEW YORK CITY - THE VISITOR

City of Lights Vibes.

So I've arrived! I'm here, in this big bad city... alone... kind of but not really 

To be honest, I am totally overwhelmed, excited, exhausted, almost broke and sometimes filled with intense homesickness - you know the feeling? You know it, man... those "What the fuck am I doing?!" moments.

I am officially the insane 20-something who quit a perfectly good job, left her amazing boyfriend in her well-designed flat to go live in an Airbnb with a total stranger and dog in Brooklyn. Breathe deep. Don't have a panic attack. Breathe.

Still trying to figure everything out. Still. 

But life is all about learning, growing, adapting to changes and making it all work for you. 

First thing to know about NYC is that everyone is either painfully cool/stylish, beautiful or recently had a mental breakdown. The lifestyle is so fast paced and everything is expensive. You can't leave your house without dropping at least $50. 

London underground trains aka "The Tube/The Underground" are a very polite space. People respect the rules that blast over the intercom in that posh lady accent. They stand on the right and walk on the left. They wait for fellow Londoners to exit the carriage before entering. They avoid eye contact like the plague. 

NYC is SO friendly and talkative. American people will speak to you in the streets/train/queue like you're an old friend. Honestly, my first day here this really nice lady struck up conversation with me about my height and the height of my parents and siblings - so many questions and jokes, we were chatting for so long I missed my stop and had to take 2 trains to find my way again. Rookie error.

Corner shops aka "Bodegas" in NYC do not sell alcohol. They sell salads, sandwiches and useless fattening snacks. Everyone in America says liquor not alcohol, and to buy liquor one has to find specific liquor-only stores. Its not that hard, but I was just surprised by this because England and Jamaica don't work this way. 

The bus system is intimidating and I still haven't even tried it yet. 

A lot of grown ass people in NYC play games on their phones on loud on public transport. Very annoying. 

But at least consistency lies in the fact that no matter where you go in the world when you open your phone on the front camera when you're lying in bed it is one of the most humbling experiences. 

She's a badass explorer

Just bouncing along folks... we will see what the next few months have in store for me.

Please leave any tips and tricks for NYC in the comments below! 

x o x o

Tasmin

JAMAICA CARNIVAL 2017 - Do it for the culture

Jamaica is a country of polarisations. 

I thought for a while about how I would approach this post. I could discuss Soca* vs. Dancehall... uptown vs. downtown... inclusivity and accessibility... class, whiteness, browness, blackness... very valid and important topics that mean a lot to Jamaicans, but would probably not mean much to foreigners. Because in foreign white is white and black is black and brown is black, uptown doesn't exist and we all take public transport. 

I decided that's not what I wanted to write about, because that's not what the carnival week meant to me. 

All I wanted from Carnival was revelry, wildness and a likkle bit a freedom.

So leave any badmind at the door and come and have an adventure with me!

*(Please see the end of the article for a quick Caribbean Carnival vocabulary lesson)

If you're not from the Caribbean your experience of Carnival might be Notting Hill Carnival in London or photos of Rihanna & co. *whinin' on Instagram. 

The season long lead up to the big Road March (always on a Sunday) is a whirlwind of *Fetes, *J'ouvert parties and general madness. 

Up to a year before the Carnival week begins men and women are hitting the gym, going *Bacchanal parties and looking out for the next Soca song of the season. People take off time from work, some take out loans (yes, for real), and some save up all year to get on bad during Soca season.

Preparation can include, but is not limited to:

• Hair
• Make up
• Gems
• Nails
• Brazilian waxes
• Spray tan/ Body make up
• Road March Costume, plus shoes/boots & fishnet tights
• Tickets for pre-carnival parties (To name a few: Beach Jouvert, Town Jouvert, I <3 Soca, Private Ryans party, Ceasar's Army Party, Sunrise Breakfast Party etc.)
• Outfits for all the parties you intend to go to. (And we all know how Caribbean people stay, you can't wear any outfit more than once)

You get the idea... you're lucky if you don't need a loan. 

For the first time in Jamaica there were 4 different *Carnival Band options: Bacchanal, Jamaica Carnival, Xamayca Carnival and Xodus Carnival. 

All my friends were *jumpin' with Xodus Carnival - A new Carnival experience, a merger between Jamaica's own Dream Entertainment Ltd. and Trinidad's premier Carnival Band Y.U.M.A. 

We bought the costumes online via their website, but you don't receive the costumes until a few days before the big event.

How it all works is that you buy a 'package' that includes: 

• Your choice of around around 14 different Costumes (front line = more feathers, gems & money, back line = less feathers, gems & money) 
• Premium drinks included all day 
• Lunch (choice between Italian, Jamaican, Chinese) 
• A cute goodie bag with some treats like mini rum bottles, gum, chocolate, one sippy cup with straw for maximum drink mobility etc. 
• Fresh coconuts on the road
• A day long party, starting at 10 am and finishing in the night

So now for the photos!

Getting ready = My Victoria's Secret Moment

Finished! Costume name = X-ctacy Back line. 

One Appleton rum and coconut water, please!

(Not me or my photo, but it was too cool not to share)

Video from @xoduscarnival Instagram

Video from @coreymus Instagram

MY FAVOURITE 5 CARNIVAL SONGS:

KES - WORK OUT FEAT. NAILAH BLACKMAN

VOICE - FAR FROM FINISHED

MACHEL MONTANO - LIP SERVICE

VOICE - CHEERS TO LIFE

DESTRA - LUCY

CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL VOCABULARY

• Soca Music - Genre of music for Carnival, not going to give a lesson on this one, wikipedia is free. 

• Fetes - Soca parties

• Carnival Band - the group of people you are jumpin' with. You will all have costumes provided by the same company, drinks from the same trucks and will have lunch at the same spot. 

• J'ouvert - Large street parties during the Carnival season, usually involves colourful paint being thrown over the revellers.

• Jumpin' - Participating in the Carnival Road March, meaning you got the costume/ t shirt  

• Whinin' - Caribbean way of dancing, like in the videos above. NOT twerking.

• Bacchanal - A large party or celebration

• Tabanca - Feeling of forlorn sadness and longing when the Soca season is done and you have to go back to real life. 

There you have it. The Carnival tabanca is so real!

x o x o

Tasmin

MAISON ET OBJET, PARIS

Maison Et Objet Paris is the most important event in the European luxury interiors market. It is held bi-annually (winter and summer) in the Parc des Expositions Paris Nord Villepinte. A huge venue - spreading across 8 halls.

The January show is held during S/S Haute Couture fashion week, and the city oozes sophistication and style. 

As the name suggests, Maison et Objet is a design fair dedicated to objects more than furniture, beautiful and unusual objects of every shape and size take center stage.

Day 1 
We arrived in Paris after an indulgent Eurostar journey. I'm talking cheese platters, mini bottles of red wine and gin and tonics from the M&S outside the station. My friend and I fantasied that we were Serena & Blair/ Kendall & Bella heading to Paris. 

Dinner was at Brasserie Flottes with my work colleagues, and I treated myself to foie gras and lobster mango salad. 

Day 2
Early start at the fair.
We had exhibitors passes so we arrived before the doors were open to the public. 

It was fascinating being the first to see the halls when they were still empty of the crowds. Some of the exhibitors were still applying final touches and giving the products their final tweaks. 

The most magical part of the experience was the Baccarat party at the Galerie-Musee Baccarat. Stepping into the party was like stepping back in time, the building used to be the private mansion of a wealthy American socialite in the early 1900's.  

We were greeted by handsome men in black tie and giant blue chandeliers. The sweeping staircases led up to the original grand ball room. The Maison felt like a mini version of Versailles where models in wispy blue gowns and tiaras sipped on champagne and blue curacau cocktails - Marie-Antionette moment.

(Also, after some research I realised this venue was used in the Gossip Girl Paris episodes)

The Puiforcat showroom was our first stop on the third day, and they really spoiled us! We had lunch with the managing director and I treated myself with truffle and parmesan pizza and cod salad with green mashed potatoes (not sure why they were green) 

The final stop before dinner was the Saint Louis cocktail party where they launched their new crystal collection 'Folia'.

Then back in the office on Monday 9 am.

C'est Magnifique.

x o x o