Beijing Diary Part 2

Thursday 27th May:

So one of the reasons I decided to visit China was because my boyfriend was working abroad for the world athletic championships and it was one of the places I wanted to visit him while he was away (great excuse for a holiday eh?!) I spent Thursday day visiting the grounds of the Bird's Nest (where the olympics was held). The stadium is unreal! The architecture, the lighting around it (especially at night!) and the surrounding function areas are so cool- especially the water cube! Not going to lie, I hit a slump Thursday afternoon and I wasn't sure if this was due to jet lag hitting in, so I crossed any plans of list and decided to make full use of the hotel amenities that I hadn't used already! So as well as a delicious breakfast and daily refilled complimentary mini bar- Hotel Eclat also offers an amazing Afternoon Tea between 2-5pm full of quiches, Parisienne cakes and....a sweet cart! Yep, a whole sweet cart, that I (unashamedly!) helped myself generously too many times. The Hotel also offers Happy Hour between 6-8pm, so Thursday evening was spent with way too many glasses of Brut and a very full tummy!

Friday 28th May:

Tiananmen Square, Shopping and Food (yes more food!) Day! I really didn't plan to do shopping in Beijing. Cheekily, I booked a four day stopover in Dubai on the way home from China so was hoping to save a few pennies from my usual shopping antics that I engage in while on holidays- but clothes are SO cheap in Beijing and you really can haggle! I picked up an amazing baby blue suede jacket for €8 and a few tops in tiny shops that are littered across the city!

Note: If your curvy like me, prepare to ask for a way bigger size then normal. I'm considered really big compared to the the petite asian ladies- so all my labels are much bigger then what I would take back home!

Tiananmen Square was also visited. It's a large square that separates the Forbidden City off but is surrounded by vastly (and I don't use that word lightly!) communist government buildings. It's a typical tourist spot- but worthy of an 1 hour of your time.

Note: You need i.d with you to access this area- in fact your passport should be on you at all times! This might seem strange in Ireland or the UK, but it often common to have identification on you in many other parts of the world.

I also visited Wangfujing snack street- a maze full of yummy (and safe!!!) street food where you can find everything from fried scorpions, to sweet dumplings to asian bean drinks! Food and drinks are incredibly cheap in China. I way over-estimated the amount of money to bring over- and if you were on a very tight budget or let's say bag packing and city hopping over Asia- you could easily eat on a budget of around €20 a day from street snack stalls.

Saturday 29th May:

Today was Antique Market day at PANJIAYUUAN MARKET, which runs 7 days a week but from 4.30am-6pm on Saturdays. I got there just after lunch time (due to my love affair with the rainforest shower in my hotel room that I literally spent an hour under!!!) but that was plenty of time. I was advised that not everything is actually antique, so if your coming to buy some gems, you would really want to know what your looking for. I just knew I wanted some Foo Dog statues as I really wasn't fussed if they were antique or not. The Chinese have an ability to turn something brand new and make it look like it's about 100 years old and vice versa...lol! Come prepared with a budget and a notepad and pen. No body speaks english, but every body talks numbers and they want to do business with you. I scanned the whole market first and made notes on items I liked (I didn't show my keenness too much!) and then returned back after. Be prepared to haggle and have fun! Don't give in too easily- if you look foreign they will charge you way more then the actual price. Put it this way, my Foo Dogs statues were triple the price the first time I asked...

There are subways and buses right next to the market, but to be honest, taxi's were so cheap in Beijing, that they were the only mode of transport that I used.

Saturday evening was really my last formal dinner so I decided to go all out and visit a Duck restaurant and order the whole shebang! Yep, one whole duck to myself! The affair is rather splendid...the chef comes out with the cooked duck and cuts it infront of you and and one of the hosts then demonstrates the various accompaniments with it; the sesame bun being paired with a bit of raw ginger mince, some duck and hoisin sauce and the pancake + duck paired with traditional spring onion and cucumber but also some melon. I literally had to be rolled into a taxi and then into my bed! Major food coma!

Sunday 30th May:

Last day in China. I had evening tickets for the final day of the championships so spent the morning and early afternoon at the 798 District (an art district) that was once occupied by the Germans during the World War and is full of converted armoury factories into art galleries. The 798 district is amazing and pretty much free! Some of the galleries charge a ridiculously cheap 1 yuan entry (14cent!) but most are free and you have the opportunity to see Asian classical and contemporary art work. Lunch was in one of the cool vibe eateries there too. There are also some (rave reviewed) coffee shops in the district, but I didn't come to China for coffee so wasn't really interested in that!

                                             

Sunday evening was spent in the Birds Nest at Row 4 (15ft from Mr Bolt himself receiving his relay medal!) and myself and Ev spent the rest of the evening in the Beer garden near his hotel feasting on as much asian food that would last me until I choose when next to return...

Monday morning was a very early start (3am) to catch the red eye flight to Dubai where I impulsively chose to extend my holiday and stay a few days. I got a few mails asking for recommendations on Dubai on what I thought of it...so hope to do one of those posts soon!


Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

Yas x

Beijing Diary Part 1

Sunday 23rd May:

I don't really like complaining about travelling when I'm so lucky that I get to go away, but there was two sets of flights to be taken before I would arrive in Beijing- around 18 hours of flight time, plus a stopover in Dubai Airport! So I really hoped my journey would be comfortable enough that it wouldn't off set my week in China. I flew with Emirates (make sure you sign up with the sky rewards programme and you can exchange your points for future upgrades or in my case free tickets to see Arsenal play!) and boy were they pleasant! My only gripe is that they make you walk threw business to the peasants section (lol! I joke I joke!). DXB is huge and there is a serious amount of Duty Free shopping to be done. My three inflight essentials are as follows; this Body Shop overnight vitamin e serum- I take off all my make-up as soon as I board for long flights and put on a layer of the oil all over. Ok, I may look a bit funny to my fellow passengers but the air in the aeroplane is so bad for your skin, I like to give it a good treat! My knitted socks- like these from ASOS (for the cold aircon...) and The Economist- my own bible! I don't really sleep on planes, but there was plenty of films and food (#fatlife) that kept me occupied...

Monday 24th May:

I arrived in Beijing at around 3pm,  but the baggage carousel and Visa control took about 2 hours!
NOTE: If travelling to China, you will need a visa which can be easily obtained for the Chinese Embassy. Forgery in Currency is also  rampant- make sure you exchange from a reputable source- and for Irish travellers, it was roughly 1euro- 7rmb/cny.

I had a car booked already (thank god!) with my hotel because I didn't want to have to deal with transport after flying for so long. I checked into the most amazing hotel- Hotel Eclat and if i'm honest, done very little for the evening. I had a stroll around the area I was staying in and had the yummiest noodle soup for dinner! I'm a big foodie (I eat anything!) and planned my China trip solely around food! Hotel Eclat is a pricey hotel, but you get what you pay for. I only chose the basic room- but it came with a complimentary mini bar (that they re-filled daily), an electronic massage chair, nespresso machine, Afternoon tea, Bose speakers and 3d TV, Happy Hour (with BRUT!!!!! :)) and the most amazing art collection. Apparently, the hotel and it's accompanying shopping mall is owned by a very wealthy art collector who believes that the public should see art for free! It was such a treat to have breakfast with some Salvador Dali artwork every morning!

NOTE: English ISN'T spoken widely but if you have everything you need to know written down in Chinese- you get by really easily- I screen-shotted all my addresses, phrases etc and made an effort to say hello and thank you in the local language. It really does go a long way...


Tuesday 25th May:

I booked a 2 hour treatment in Dragonfly , which is based in the Kerry Hotel building- and pretty sure I fell asleep drooling on the bed. I definitely recommend a massage after long flights just to get the circulation back flowing through your body. My massage worked out about €65 euro which for 2 hours is an absolute bargain. I lunched in what ended up being one of my favourite gems- Honolulu Cafe- Parkview Shopping Centre and gorged on Dim Sum, mixed greens and Iced Tea. That evening I had booked before leaving Ireland a private cooking class @ Beijinger Kitchen with the most amazing host- Carlyle. He runs a low-key cooking experience in a traditional hutong dwelling. We started the evening by visiting the local food market and picking the ingredients we would cook with. We headed to his kitchen and I was introduced to the chef who would teach me three dishes; minced beef dumplings, Kung Po chicken and sautéed Kale. The whole thing was so superbly organised and I had such a fun time. I was worried about it being only me with the chef and Carlyle- but they are so friendly and we had such a laugh (mostly at my lack of cooking skills and inappropriate nail extensions lol!) that I felt totally comfortable. The whole evening cost around €100, but that was because I was by myself. If you book with a partner or a group, it works out to be much cheaper! Carlyle's Food Experience is totally recommended- visit his site here.


Wednesday 26th May:

Ev (my bf) was actually working in Beijing for the World Athletic Championships, so on his time off we trekked a part of the Great Wall. No words or pictures could do the wall justice It was surreal. And the views were so incredibly beautiful! Anyone thinking of visiting the wall in China- do! It's totally worth it but most definitely a work out. Wear appropriate shoes- the steps are uneven, be prepared to sweat (I was beetroot red for most of it lol!) and take a really good camera with you. We booked a tour ticket- which covered transport to and from the wall and tickets. But there were plenty of other travellers who organised everything themselves...it really depends on what you want and your budget!

We later lunched in the a food market and had garlic and chill oysters (cooked!) and an unnecessary amount of mixed noodles... #fatlife

Part two of my Beijing Diary coming up soon...

Autumn Wishlist

Is it just me or have the shops got the most amazing pieces in when you are the most broke?! Ugh! I'm so obsessed with the following pieces that I am seriously considering selling my body for them...no really I am! I tried on the Zara checked caped coat during the week and spent a few hours debating how I could buy it there and then lol! I love capes and could totally justify adding to the collection...

Links for items:

Leather Brogues (Zara) || Checked caped coat (Zara) || High neck tunic by Love (Topshop) || Pom Pom bangle by River Island (ASOS) || Snake print shirt dress (River Island) || Black lace up boots (River Island) || Chambray layered shell shirt (River Island) || Suede embossed croc purse (ASOS) || Boiled wool culottes (Topshop) || Unicorn print iPhone 6 cover by Skinny-dip (Nasty Gal) || OPI nail polish (Beauty Bay)



Happy Shopping x

Favourite Summer Looks

So this Summer I was very very lucky in that I got to travel to three different cities; Beijing, Dubai and Casablanca. And this meant that I got to wear a lot of clothes that I wouldn't be able to wear back home in Ireland (boo rain!)- here are my top 3 favourite outfits from my five-week long vacation. I re-used a lot of my pieces over the three cities as you could see in my Insta posts (follow me @ yasmina aniss) Links to exact items or similar have been posted- Happy Shopping!

*Note-for Irish & UK subbies- there is 20% of ASOS at the minute with a student code, and for Irish only subbies- there is 10% of Topshop for their newly launched Euro site with the code 'IETREAT10'

HOLIDAY LOOK 1-
Badass T-shirt (ASOS) || Collarless waistcoat on sale (Zara)- Similar here  || AM90 Premium (Size) || Levi's shorts (ASOS) || Tassle wallet on sale (Zara)- Similar here









HOLIDAY LOOK 2-
Sleeveless Belted duster- sold out (Topshop)- Similar here and here || Striped midi- sold out (New Look)- Similar here || Alexander Wang Rocco (NET-A-PORTER) || Spiked sandals- sold out (Zara)- similar here || HRH Delicate choker set in gold (HRH COLLECTION) || Pom Pom keyring- mine was is black but I am definitely getting this berry one (River Island)





HOLIDAY LOOK 3-
Black culottes (Primark/Pennys)- similar here || Plunge neck cami (Topshop) || Lace up wedged sandals- sold out (Topshop)- Similar here and here || MK watch (ASOS)

Visiting Morocco; Do's & Dont's and Where to go

Thinking about visiting Morocco but unsure about visiting an Arabic country? I get asked all the time what is Morocco like and do I advise it? Well it's an experience. And a cultured one at that! If your looking to go for a few drinks every night on the strip like in the Costa del Sol and have a chinese/pizza for your dinner- then unfortunately Morocco isn't for you (though you can find a mean pizza in Casa!). It's an African-Arabic country with many muslims present and the people of Morocco certainly lead a different life to one we might have in Europe. However, if your up for something different and keen to learn about different cultures, then go for it and book right away...the people of Morocco are super hospitable (I know I am half Moroccan, so slight bias, but I really do mean it!), it's a cheap vacation, plus you visiting Africa in a 3.5 hour plane journey!



Don't- expect to be drunk every night. Firstly, alcohol is VERY expensive in Morocco. Secondly, it's a Muslim country- be respectful of the rules and customs and don't treat your evening out like a session in Coppers!(Tip- Ryanair do sell Duty free <1 litre of spirits are €12! So stock up for those who can't part way with their booze for more then a week!) 

Don't- come if you want a party holiday. Go to Ibiza or Salou!

Don't- dress like your on the pull! While Morocco isn't as strict as some of the middle east countries, they do expect women to dress sensibly. I will still wear levi shorts, but maybe with a kimono! The way I see it, if you dress like your looking for attention...you'll get it!

Don't- book any old Sahara trip- some will result in you being stuck in a poorly ac'd jeep for 48 hours- nightmare! Do your research!

Don't- dive into the fruits and veggies all at once- otherwise you will spend your hols on the loo!

Don't- be put off by other people's experience. Some of my friends have loved holidaying in Morocco, some of my friends have hated it! It's a (cheap!) weekend away (ryanair fly thurs + sun), so try it out for yourself!

Do- avoid Holiday/religious events- don't go during Ramadan or Eid (even if it's cheap!- a lot of places are closed, structures of the day are altered and it will be very very busy!)

Do- make an effort with the language. Moroccan's love if you can say a few words like 'hello' (pronounced- sala-mala-cum), 'thank-you' (pronounced- shuur-cran) and please (pronounced- affeck. Morocco's second language is also French- so if you done all right in your Junior and can count to ten still, you'll be grand! Plus, broken english is spoken everywhere!

Do- barter. Especially in the markets. If you look like a tourist- your items value will be hiked up immediately. And big smiles if it's going no where.

Do- try all the food. There is nothing in the Moroccan cuisine that I don't like except maybe the snail soup (gross right?!). Don't go over looking for food you can eat at home- that's so boring...live a little!

Do- avoid giving money to EVERY beggar on the street- some have nailed the 'walking with a limp' to a fine tee!

Do- EMBRACE a CULTURAL EXPERIENCE. Arabic countries are so stigmatised in the press and with the recent terror attacks in Tunisia- tourism is dwindling. Personally, I think the only way to fight the evil is with a united front!Now where's my passport...



Where to visit:

Where to go- Marrakesh for the novice. It's perfect place for tourists that have never ventured outside Europe or America, Ryanair fly from Dublin for under €200 and it's very very safe. Tourism is a big part of the Marrakech community so they rely heavily on a safe environment for visitors. 
- Stay in a traditional Riad (old style houses where the centre of the house is a courtyard- the French have bought many of the Riads in Morocco and converted them into super chic boutique hotels or large homes- check out this cute riad here at Airbnb) or in my case, I like to live it up on holidays so La Mamounia (the art deco meets moroccan interior is so dreamy...) and Sofitel  (feast on the yummiest breakfast ever!) would be my favourite Hotels. 
- Visit the Majorelle Gardens (avoid lunch time!) designed by YSL himself, the souks and medina for trinkets, spices and rugs (if you have the luggage space!), and Jemaa el fna (recommended at night time!) where it's one big party full of henna artists, snake charmers and general hustlers. If you can take a day trip up to the Atlas mountains- especially Eureka- it's beautiful- bring appropriate footwear to make it to the waterfall! Food is cheap but flavourful- eat traditonal cous-cous, have brochettes or Kofta or enjoy a simple of Morocco's most loved soup- Harrira! Avoid Summer months- as temp has known to hit the high 40's- April/May is beautiful time to visit and not so busy!

Where to go- Essaouria for the more traveled. It's a fishing town, with fantastic weather all year round and a super laid back feel. You'll need to travel by bus to get to here and that's why I wouldn't recommend it to the novice traveller. If your not used to the hustle and bustle of lets say transport in Asia, you'll find this difficult. However, once you do get there- stay in The Heure-Bleue for luxury or Dar Afram for the back packer! Get into the water and go surfing, experience a hammamm (traditional moroccan steam rooms) or check out the funky architecture/artwork scattered all around the town. Knowledge is key when travelling around Morocco, things like travel tickets etc need to be often bought in advance. Lonely Planet have a great guide one what to do and some hidden gems too that I know i'll regret giving away...

Other places to visit- Tangier, Fez and Rabat...


My loves in Morocco- Mint tea, Figs, Argan oil and...the Sun!


Happy Travels! x

Azemmour

During my two weeks in Morocco this year, we took a short day trip to a once Portuguese ruled town called Azemmour, located exactly between Casablanca and El Jadida. Generally, holidays in Morocco are family based. Being half Moroccan, I spend a lot of time with my dads side of the family catching up and there isn't much time spent being a tourist- so this trip to this coastal town was especially refreshing.

We spent hours walking around the medina and kasbah- and because the town is a little of the beaten track, it's actually quite a sedate place to be. The Portuguese ruled this part of Morocco for some time and there is a fantastic mix of both countries architecture in the town.

There also seemed to be a huge amount of art work (urban + contemporary style) on the walls of the city which is rare to find in Morocco- I am not too sure if there was an art exhibition or if there was a group of artists who were practicing their trade for a few months, but it was such an added bonus for the day trip.

I am in the middle of doing up a Visit Morocco post and the do's and dont's as I seem to get a lot of questions asking me about Morocco- so that should be up soon!

I am off to China (Beijing) and Dubai this Sunday and sooo looking forward to visiting Asia and the Middle East for the very first time. If anyone has any recommendations please let me know?

Yas x

How stunning does my younger sister Grace look?

Outfits in Morocco for me are generally very understated and casual- I went for a (typical!) Monochrome look of black culottes from Pennys/Primark, my trusty Birkenstocks- yes they are jesus shoes (Amazon), a white tee from New Look and my beloved AW bag (NETAPORTER).

Summer Vacay Reads

I used to always have a book in my hand growing up. Libraries in my area in London were full to the brim of quality authors and titles- I guess I took it for granted. I would take 4-5 books out at a time and become engrossed in them. When I moved to Meath, we didn't have a local library, and the schools version of one, consisted of two shabby shelves that was supposed to cater a 1000+ student school. It was a disgrace. I then started to work more, and college took over and would only read when I was on a Summer holiday- and even then, travelling with Ryanair would mean I was so restricted on weight- that a heavy book was left behind in favour of another bikini!!!

I feel like I have lost a bit of my creativeness and imagination over the last few years, so I purchased four books from Amazon recently that I hope will fuel it back. Books allow you to get lost between the pages- and I'm quite looking forward to switching off from everything else around me.  I'm off work for the next five weeks (yey...joys of being a teacher!) and will bring two books each on the two holidays I am going on; Morocco with the family and Beijing/Dubai with friends. 

My Summer Vacay Reads;

'How to build a girl' by Caitlin Moran- a coming of age tell and a Sunday Times No.1 bestseller...I have heard good things about this book, so I am stoked to read it.

'The Rosie Project' by Graeme Simsion- a love story.

'The Collected Dorothy Parker' by Dorothy Parker- a collection of short stories, poetry and reviews written by Ms Parker (who I am rather embarrassed to admit had never heard of...) who was referenced by one of my favourite blogger- Audrey Rogers of 'Be Frassy' in one of her Instagram posts and I done a little bit of research and this seemed like a good book as it has collection of a bit of everything!

'The Girl with all the Gifts' by M.R.Carey- a thriller.

What's your favourite genre? Any books that you would highly recommend? I sort of read everything so would love to hear some good suggestions?