Tanning.

TGIF folks!

I went in August, and here I am backtracking for a #laterpost (in following to #latergram) from last summer's trip around the EU. Remember the big mess I had in preparing for my trip? Well this was the outcome.

Tanning is the title because of the crazy heat that has targeted Europe to be a very hot ground. Not blaming, it made the beaches of Cannes look glorious with lots of ripples and sparkles from the sun. It was so beautiful and ... when you are there (don't enjoy the ladies bathing, enjoy the seaview lah) the very azure blue ocean is simply mesmerizing. (apart from that, my FB album is also called 'Greatest Tanning Trip of Le Life' and I turned 20% darker than usual for my arms).

I still hate the hot weather. Which is why 3 hats accompanied me, and two of them are showstoppers because of the size (see below).

Winter's absolutely game over in the tropics and I'm sourcing for new inspiration for the colors and layers of the summer! Within my natural instinct, I head back for my 16-day tripping under the hot sun and managed to wear all the heels I wanted without feeling that I was the tallest in class. It's EU, I feel small.

Think a truckload of lemons (shoes, accessories, pins, dresses, jackets, hats) and is skimmed through to make lemonades + honey (accessories and the extra oomph of fakq) = squeeze of the summer for the azn girl on holiday and turning 20 on the plane. I meant, on the way to the plane airport. Here's #WIW...LY.

(whatiworelastyear)

Morocco King's palace; and the tomb of one of the wives in the olden days with the very cool guard with his sniper. 

Wearing flower visor, Lalalove London tee, striped pants and red wedges from Platinum BKK

At Alhambra, literally translated as the Red Castle in Spain.

Wearing the eye-stopping blue hat (a tourist actually had asked me to take a picture of me and the hat, it was that famous among the group AND people looking), Batik Keris red dress, Bata sandals

(PS. the day I bought my beautiful kawaii Bimba self birthday present)

Small town Mijas, I left my heart with you!

Wearing a smaller version of the hat, Oink throw on, halter dress and Bata sandals.

Top of Lisbon, hola hola!

Wearing Cotton On shades, batik PJs (yep, doesn't it look swell, and actual PJ), DIY vest, Payless wedges.

 

Lisbon, the next day, in front of the famous patisserie that made the first egg tarts and made Portugal famous. 
Pirates Ahoy!

Wearing an electric blue hat, DIY drape stripe dress. (See the dress' transform)

 Self birthday present of Bimba y Lola necklace I've been hunting; siesta time in Toledo. 

Wearing a Uniqlo striped dress.

 "Merci, merci beaucoup, Cannes! Muah"

Red carpet moment in the summer.

Wearing the just-got-in-this-trip Zara vest for $10, vintage dress, just-got-in-this-trip Portugal sandals.

"Madrid and the walking stabbil0 alien" (if there was a newspaper headline)

Wearing the pixelated Sunnies, neon green top and skirt.

Back to the Gaudi Cathedral from 1999 and of course, still not done but it is totally beautiful. In the centre between those shopping streets of Barca.

Wearing Purple version of the hat, Tosavica pink top, ASOS blue dress, just-got-in-this-trip Zara wedges for $10!

Milan's centerpoint in front of Duomo, the sun's being really nice.

Wearing Oink rose throw, black sleeveless, Zara pants, Payless wedges.

Service.

The proud emblem batch all tour guides wear in their shirt. [via Instagram]

It was a very small gesture - literally something you can buy loads, but because the gesture was like no other (Sony is really the first technological brand in my heart, they sure be most charmed their TM is everywhere).

My Cambodian tour guide, a young graduate who's been in service for maybe less than 2 years, and leads tours that's conducted in English and Korean (yes, he said "I sing Gangnam Style better than Cambodian songs") has prepared on the last day, those tourist keychains we saw usually in the markets.

At first, I said, "Wow, the tourism org. here must be awesome, they have prepared this to give to all the tourists."

Yep, my tour guide. Laudable effort.

Maybe it is the case, but more and more it has lead that my tour guide (so sorry I forgot your name) has actually bought it for us and shared it to all the passengers. It was small, sweet, and memorable - the value was very little, but the memory is etched in my service 101 book forever.


Take advantage, tourism ministers, of your local manufacturers (especially China, Indonesia, India, all of ASEAN) to really push and train your ambassadors for they're the first contact with foreigners who'd like to understand a culture, a society, a country. On the serving side, one needs to have 110% open heart and passion to follow through.
Might be the reason why I'm not scared or to visit back the country again one day... hospitality is the number one case.

All smiles to the hot ASEAN country! (squinting of the sunbeam in Siem Riep's Palace too)

This is what anyone can do in 10 words or less...

Take cue for #hospitality #service #tips from my #Cambodia trip.