Ode to My Fashion

Day 1 The kids were sick the previous night so we decided to stay in. We had breakfast and lunch in the nice dining room of the hotel and rest till 4pm.  Hotel dining room   Colorful carving in the restaurant Then we headed to the Pink City. It is a cluster of shops and tourist attractions all built in the same architectural style and with light mud color. It was crowded, chaotic but beautiful. We did some shopping, buying block printed bedsheets, camel leather sandals and more. By the time we were finished it was around 8pm. We headed back to the hotel where we ate simple sandwiches and went to bed.  Pink city Day 2, the kids and I were feeling better so we headed early into the city to visit City Palace,  where the Marahajah lives. We did not get to see him but we enjoyed browsing the collections of old weaponry ( these people don't play when it comes to war: from canon,  to sabres and even tiger claws, ...

Day 2 The following day my youngest woke up with an upset stomach. Plus the breakfast at the hotel was no better than the one in Krishna ( hotel in Delhi). We settled for toast and headed to Fatehpur Sikri. It is an old abandoned city on the way to Jaipur. It was also hauntingly beautiful with red mud color and Muslim style carvings.  We walked around but the sun was unforgiving. We met several people who wanted to take our pictures, for what reasons, I am not sure. But most of them were nice so we accepted. The only bad point of our visit were the several sellers and guides who would come to us every five minute offering this or that for a small fee. Thankfully they are outside the gates. Yet they still tarnish the experience because even if you refuse their services, they would still hassle you. I understand they have to make a living but when someone says no have the decency to leave him/her alone. Upper part of a column  C...

Back to the Golden triangle adventures: Day 1 We left Delhi after a simple breakfast at Cafe Coffee Day in C.P. for Agra. My stomach was still upset so simple croissants were in order. Sipping on hot chocolate at Cafe Coffee Day in C. P.  The trip was around three hours by express highway, which was traffic free and nice.  Upon arrival in Agra we visited Baby Taj, a miniature version of Taj Mahal.  It was tiny for a palace but had beautiful marble carving.  It was early afternoon so the heat was at its peak. Baby Taj Entrance of Baby Taj That is why we did not stay long. After clicking some pictures, we headed to our hotel. Residence hotel was a step up from Krishna but still not great. We were to spend only one night so we didn't mind. We headed for lunch at Pinch of Spice. It is a beautifully decorated restaurant with great Indian food. I was still feeling queasy so I ordered a simple vegetable curry with steamed r...

Day 3 We overslept, too tired from our adventures of the previous day to have an early start.  After lunch yet at the same place we headed for Haus Khas complex.  We visited the nearby park that had deers and peacocks then rested for ice cream for it was a really hot day. Then we entered the complex filled with restaurants, and boutiques. There was also a young and trendy crowd roaming.  We visited the old palace there that now serves as a hip place to meet up. It was almost in ruins but you could tell that it must have been gorgeous back in the days. Now the young crowd there just add to the ruin by littering, eating, carving on the old marble and singing loudly.  I mean I get that it is a beautiful place but it is also a heritage and we have to show some respect and restraint.  We did not want to stay longer even though the view was breathtaking.  Beautiful grounds at Haus Khas  After Haus Khas,  we headed to Dilli H...

Hello there! I thought I would give you a respite from our Golden triangle adventures with a little outfit post. It is Ramadan, a very precious time for Muslims worldwide. I enjoy this time but it is hard being away from family and friends. If I were home I would enjoy Iftar with my family eating delicacies or if I was back in Japan, my friends and I would take turns hosting Iftar parties. I do miss that. But Ramadan in India is not that bad. For one thing at least I live in a country where there are some Muslims. I can hear the call for prayer from my house ( and no, it is not my computer but the Mosque). I can enjoy Halal food from restaurants all around and they deliver so if I am too tired to cook or run out of ideas for a menu, I can always order. To top it all, it is not hot at all. It has not really rained yet but temperatures are below 30 so fasting is not that hard. If only I can find a way to keep my energy level high I would be happy. Today I had to run errands and I wante...

Disclaimer : we started our trip on Friday June 20 th and ended it on Sunday June 29th. I just came around to post about it now! Day 1 As I told you in my previous post, we are visiting India's Golden Triangle. Our first stop is Delhi we reached in the afternoon through plane from Pune. Firt impression: it is hot. It was 42 degrees when we landed. It is hot but not humid at all.  So after the first shock,  we got used to it.  We were met by our driver who took us to our hotel. The drive was long but we had ample time to enjoy the beauty of Delhi.  I fell in love with the city.  The route from the airport to New Delhi railway station was almost scenic with lots of greeneries, wide streets and beautiful monuments. The traffic was congested but less aggressive than Pune or Mumbai. For a moment, I was sure this was not India. However the area around our hotel located near New Delhi railway station was crowded with lots of hawkers, rickshaws and people. This was ...

It is that time of the year where the kids are out of school and we plan to travel.  This time we chose to stay put in India.  We are going to visit the Golden triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur) for ten days. I am very excited because it is one side of this country I long to see.  So for 10 days,  here is what I packed: Sequin tunic, denim tunic,  coral shirt, Abbaya, colorful scarf, leopard pants, sequin black scarf,  animal printed maxi dress, black pants, printed maxi skirt,  white floral tee, cream scarf and brown scarf  I also packed some accessories : three pair of shoes,  some jewelry and my latest tan bag.  I decided to stick to the same palette of brown, tan, gold, black  and  white with a splash of color.  I also packed some jelly shoes in case it rains.  I heard that Delhi is scorching hot so I am not sure if I will use the jellies.  But we never know.  For t...