I've moved on...
...to a different domain. Why, what were you thinking? The truth is, I just woke up one day and decided it's time for a change—a metamorphosis, if you will; or, in layman's terms, if Britney can shave her head, then maybe so can I? Nevertheless, it's been a rather handsome 10 years of talking to you, and thank you for putting up with all my moodswings and terrible dad jokes. Fear not! The hormonal imbalance and jokes are more terrible on CUBICLE, see you there.

Jacket – Monnari, Bag – Vintage, Shoes – Zara, Shorts – Topshop, Top – Lace body DIY, Bracelet – COS

Zachęta National Gallery of Art; Jan Lebenstein collection; Thank you Andrzej for the shots

What I love about the Polish is that they never like to beat around the bushes. Have I taken up a new gardening interest – no, not in a million years would I gain the ability to keep a plant alive for more than a week – I mean it in the way they seem to be able to nonchalantly spit out their most honest of opinions. Meet interesting specimen no.2: Andrzej (above in the dashing white jacket) is a freelance journalist who I’d first met last London Fashion Week standing in line behind me for one of the shows (previously did an interview with him here). We were walking in Old Town the other day and I was completely yanked off guard when he casually commented that my face is round. I know, dearest Asian readers especially, I had to stoop down to pick up my own jaw. Later I realized that he didn’t mean to jab at a complex, so I’m sorry for that slap and flying side kick; did you find that tooth?, but only to comment on how round faces are grossly underappreciated in the industry. To top it off he sent me a link of an article he wrote for Lula.pl last November about round faces, entitled ‘Pretty as a Doll’. Ah well, then I just had to forgive him.

Also, insert another priceless facial expression on finding out he’s about 10 years younger than I thought he was, my age-o-meter needs serious inspection these days it seems.

Top – Courtesy of Schwing Schwing in 2009, Jeans – H&M, Bracelet – COS & Accessorize, Ring – H&M, Shoes – Zara, Bag – MarzArt

Beautiful Oliwia from The Gallow; Dress – H&M, Shoes – Gap, Necklace – DIY

Areas around Plac Konstitucji

The Warsaw I remember is gone, the bumpy rollerblade rides past the crush’s house, the jewellery stand near the park that frequently robbed me of my coins… Warsaw is now air-conditioned rides to meet new friends for coffee, and priceless facial expressions on finding out she’s 15 years old. It’s also weaving through the streets to come across apartments with bullet holes from the war, and trespassing into private property for a quick photoshoot for some internet thing called ‘blog’.

Oliwia from The Gallow blog contacted me the day I landed, insisting for us to bump into eachother for coffee. I had no idea she was 15, she didn’t look or talk like one, and she certainly didn’t dress like one. She may still be the age where ‘meeting for coffee’ means ordering green tea while I sip liquid she still finds too bitter, but her aura was all grown-up, kinda like that girl in middle school that always hung out with high school boys. I always feel thankful that this blog allows me to meet interesting people, and pretty Oliwia was no exception. Look how she’s wearing her H&M skirt inside out just because she liked the lighter pattern.

Top & Shoes – Zara, Shirt as skirt – Mum’s from Stefanel, Bag – Storets.com

Thank you brother for the outfit shots; Shirt as skirt inspired by Elise’s lurvely outfit

I’m slowly starting to realize that a birthday in July is not something I’d like to gift to my child, possibly a November or an April birthday instead. Call me ungrateful but this is one day I allow myself to wallow in self-pity as I scroll through the phone in search of a few who’d want to have dinner with me and eventually give up thinking why am I the one organizing my own birthday party… a sizable chunk of the phonebook is out of the country anyway.
Thank you G for inviting me over for coffee with 3 near-strangers and the delicious bday tart. And for those trying to deduct my age from the number of candles, it’s not 3 for 30, or 23; it’s 3 for 3 – the age of my inner child that sulks over such trivial elements in life. Sorry.

Cardigan – DIY Uniqlo, Top – Uniqlo, Jeans – H! by Henry Holland for Debenhams, Shoes – Zara, Laptop Bag – Samsonite, Bracelet – COS

The best and worst thing about coming back home to Warsaw is that I can pick up exactly where I left off 6 months ago – the same roadworks that still jam the intersection to dad’s restaurant, my car with its front wheels in the garden grass as I last parked it… Even the snow shovel from January is still leaning outside the garage door. The fact that nothing seems to change is haven but at the same time I feel that it robs the satisfaction of being away from something for a long period of time. It’s as if the act of taking everything off except my wig, bra and panties at the security gate was for no cause, or standing an awkward minute too long at the check-in desk waiting for the man to realize how politically uninformed he is to ask whether we are from North or South Korea was an awkward minute wasted.

One thing that does seem to change though, is the increasing number of wrinkles on my parents face each time I visit – I wouldn’t mind taking the gun out of my wig or telling the man that we’re from West Korea if it means I could give the pleasure of giving the folks a visit.