Dress – COS, Knee-high socks – Market in Korea gift from mama, Shoes – Office, Belt – Rope, Bag – Market in Vilnius, Sunglasses – 80’s Purple, Watch – Casio through ASOS. Thank you Macku for the photos!

The first generation Barclays Cycle Hire bicycles appeared today all around London at 6am. I had pre-purchased an access key as sort of a dessert after a gruelling main-meal window shopping session at ASOS, and after having experienced the privilege of giving a new city bike its first spin, I must stop and give myself a pat for such a thoughtful pre-arrangement. I can be so smart sometimes! I wish it happened more often. Only signed up members can use the bikes for now, so there were a fair amount of keyless people fawning over the new bicycles – stroking them, sitting on them, serenading them, licking them… a kid came up to me in his own bicycle and asked me how I took one out and I said dood go away, you HAVE a bike. If you have an address and a bank account in London, I suggest you head over and get yourself a key. They’re heavy as hell to ride (felt heavier than the French Vélib) but so worth it when you realize later your damned body is heavier to lug around.

(Oh, some are probably wondering what I did with my own bicycle – I don’t normally ride it into the city [7 miles], so the Cycle Hire scheme is better for short trips within town.)

Top – Uniqlo, Pants – Zara, Bag – Vintage, Necklace – H&M, Watch – Casio, Bracelet – COS, Shoes – Bought in Tokyo 2008

Leather bag from Old Town market I fell in love with <3

It even surprises me how much I travel with my family. Apparently at my age I should be doing roadtrips with a horde of friends to the soundtrack of I’m not a girl not yet a woman, regularly taking turns to bully the one wearing the bumbag. Instead, I’m riding  into a golfcourse sunset horizon with my mother, father, brother and golfbag – note, that ¾ of the family can not play golf. The car journey is always the same – my brother and myself wedged in each corner of the back seat, with a mid-point fence made from tennis rackets, jolting awake to dramatic truck overtaking. In fact, my father seems to be rather taken from the thrill, we’d sit at the edge of our seats clutching at something solid, pleading for mercy while he takes over every vehicle in sight. Once he’s tired he switches on the 80s’s acoustic ballad hits and we’d roll over and simultaneously let out a moan – the lyrics are so cheesy that with a bag of Nachos we’d be a Taco Bell delivery car.

Well, Vilnius was beautiful, there were evident traces of a once-wealthy Lithuania that used to own half of Central Europe circa 1450’s. Next time I’m running away on a golf cart for a proper tour of the city, I believe finding a hotel 15km from the city was one of my father’s evil masterplan to teach me golf.

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.

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.