Met up with a friend for happy hour and wore this new dress I bought at a vintage store in Tokyo from my trip in April. It is quite voluminous, so I belted it with a vintage Dior belt I've had since I was 13 years old.
Bag: Celine
Belt: Dior
Dress: vintage from Shimokitazawa
I bought a lot in The Gambia. I honestly did not expect I would buy so much. On my last work trip to Ethiopia, I had no time for shopping, bought one scarf, and some overpriced souvenirs in the airport (that were probably made in China), and all of it fit easily in a carry-on. For this trip, I overindulged in the local markets. Maybe it's because there was so much good stuff that was locally made, and maybe it's because we had more time to shop. Anyways, this was a really great spending trip for me.
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| Hand woven baskets, mostly produced in Senegal, in three sizes |
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| Hand painted magnets, for teacher gifts at my daughter's school |
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| Jewelry for my daughter, of course |
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| Two different dresses for my daughter |
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| Locally woven plaid fabric, which I plan to use for my next collection |
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| Fula fabric, woven by the Fula tribe in the Gambia, identifiable for its neon colors |
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| On the left, a fan which came in hand on hot days in the village, and on the right, a hand drum for my daughter |
For my second day on my solo trip to Japan, I got more experimental with my outfit. I wore a shirt dress by a new designer I really like, Julia Allert. Because the silhouette is so oversized and unique, I chose to wear it open like a coat, with a white lace top under it and black pants. I also carried my Park Tote from The Row for the second day, which was spent at museums and high tea in Azabudai Hills.
As someone who has developed a genuine obsession with coffee, the prospect of a work trip to The Gambia posed an interesting challenge. A quick pre-trip investigation revealed a surprising fact – there were no coffee shops in the region. Determined not to compromise my daily caffeine fix, I took matters into my own hands, packing a coffee arsenal that allowed me to brew coffee wherever I went.
The Essentials: My preparation involved careful consideration of the essentials. Here's what made it into my coffee-centric travel kit:
To complement my stash, I made a strategic purchase upon arrival – whole milk from the local store. With my supplies in tow, I was ready to turn any corner of The Gambia into my personal coffee haven.
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| Desperate times call for desperate measures |
One of the most liberating aspects of my coffee expedition was the flexibility to brew wherever I pleased. My hotel room became a makeshift coffee haven, and I found myself setting up shop in unexpected places – a school, a conference room, and even on the side of the road. The only prerequisites were an electrical outlet and a precious supply of electricity, a rarity in certain locations.
By taking control of my coffee destiny, I spared myself the challenge of navigating a coffee-less landscape. My do-it-yourself approach ensured a daily dose of delicious coffee without inconveniencing anyone or compromising on taste.
My first day of my solo trip to Tokyo this year was spent shopping at Harajuku, Shibuya, Aoyama, Daikanyama, and Omotesando. I specifically chose to do this on the first day because: 1) it was a Thursday, and I knew those areas would be less crowded than on the weekend, and 2) I had no lunch or dinner plans with any of my friends, so I had the maximum amount of time to myself.
I really picked the perfect outfit in my opinion. I was excited to debut this Clare V dress I bought from a thrift store, as well as my Barbie tights from Sheertex. It was also my first time taking out my large Park Tote from The Row. It was humid and cool spring weather, and this dress was the perfect balance of style and comfort.
Dress: Clare V Bag: The Row Tights: Sheertex Sunglasses: Prada Shoes: Madewell
I traveled eight hours by jeep up the Gambian River to the town on Basse for a work trip. There I met with local villages from both Mandinka and Fula communities. Here are some photos from that trip.
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| Children from the village |
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| Farms outside the village |
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| View from the back on the home (this family very kindly let me use their bathroom) |
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| Entrance to the home |
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| A typical village |
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| Corn drying in the sun |
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| Girls from a Fula village dressed up to perform |
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| Donkeys everywhere |
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| A masquerade performance at a Mandika village |
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| The boat to cross the river |
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| Where the slaves were held in Georgetown before they were taken across the Atlantic |
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| Corn drying in the village. It will be ground into power and cooked into a porridge |
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| Cellphones were ubiquitous - the villagers are seen here recording a ceremonial performance |
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| I loved this little girl's dress but I don't think she was happy to be photographed |
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| Cows were everywhere along the road |
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| Views from the lodge |
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| Views from the ldoge |
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| Our boat |
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| An overcast day |
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| Mangroves in the Gambian River |
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| The Gambian river |
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| The Gambian river |
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| The lodge along the Gambian river |
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| Dusk over the lodge |
Every time I fly to Japan, I have this routine of changing clothes in one of the large, accessible stalls in the arrivals lobby. I would do this every time at Narita Airport; I even had a favorite stall, but this was my first time flying into Haneda internationally. Thankfully, they had the same large stalls, which are perfect for opening up the suitcase and changing clothes, complete with plenty of space and a large mirror.
I am pretty happy about this outfit, which includes one of my favorite tops from Pakistan and my signature Tiffany key necklace, both items that I have owned for a long time and really love.
Top: Beech Tree, a designer in Pakistan Pants: Uniqlo from Japan Loafers: Madewell Necklace: Tiffany
I did almost no research on the food before I traveled to The Gambia. I was there for a work trip, so I knew I would not have time to go to any restaurants or cafes on my own. Also, I did not even see any cafes or coffee shops there. Mostly, people drink tea, a thick sweetened green tea called Attaya. So I let my client dictate when and where I ate. A few interesting things to note:
People don't usually have lunch until 3:00 pm. I found this to be very late - I was getting hungry around 12:00 pm and had to wait. Dinner is also late, around 9:00 pm, which was again too late for me.
My internet research was correct in identifying no coffee shops; indeed, I did not find any when I arrived. Instead, I brought my own coffee and coffee maker from the US. I am glad I did, or else I would not have had any coffee.
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| Attaya, packs of Green tea (that look like cigarettes) boiled for hours in sugar |
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| Foreign food, mostly not good. Except for that Lebanese Shwarma in the top corner |
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| Fruit, I did not come during mango season, but watermelon was abundant |
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| Gambian banquet food, the best meal I had there |
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| Gambia has the best juices: Kaaba, Ditakh, and Baobab |
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| Fried meat cakes, rice, and more meat |
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| AbCa's Lodge buffet dinner was excellent - the best chips I ever had |
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| Gambian village food, served communal style, the curry is Domoda, a peanut stew |
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| Wanjo juice, from the hibiscus, my favorite |
Another gloomy day, and I tried to photograph my orange Agneel purse for the first time. I bought this purse because I loved the black and white tote I got from this brand so much that I wanted to purchase something else. I thought this bag would be a nice contrast piece but it actually is hard to match orange with anything in my closet. This is a first attempt.
Although I flew into Banjul, I spent very little time there. Most of my time 'in the city' was actually spent in Banjul's sprawling suburbs, like Bakau, Serrekunda, and Brikama. These are photos from the urban parts of The Gambia, before my 8-hour drive up country along the Gambian River.
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| The Banjul international airport |
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| The beach at the Atlantic ocean, quiet on a weekday, but packed on the weekend |
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| Roads were very muddy from the rainy season |
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| If you don't move your car, the mud will consume it |
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| Beautiful apartments |
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| The outhouse at the reptile farm |
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| Views of the neighbors |
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| Sheep and goats everywhere |
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| The ocean at dusk |
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| There were many ornate metal doors like this one |
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| The beach on the weekend |
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| A baobab tree |
Met up with a friend for happy hour and wore this new dress I bought at a vintage store in Tokyo from my trip in April. It is quite volumin...
