last day, lasting memories

It's Wednesday morning in KL and I'm writing this as we zip up our luggage and get ready to go to the airport. Though one and a half years flew by in a blink of an eye, I leave feeling 100% fulfilled with our experience. It was quite the adventure with its many ups and downs but man did this place steal my heart.

London was a good teacher but in this jungle town I feel like I've really grown into the person that I'm meant to be for the next chapter of my life. That goes for us as a couple, too. There's nothing like experiencing changes, challenges, and moments of joy together to keep you on your toes and ready to take on the world.

I also leave with a very happy heart when I think about the beautiful friendships we made with locals and other expats who call KL home. They are wanderlust and adventurous just like us and I know that this is not goodbye, rather a 'see you later'.

One of those friends is the witty and talented Clare, who took the amazing photos above. I'm so thankful that she was able to capture these moments of Joe and me at KLCC park by our apartment just before we left. We don't have any photos like this as the ones we take ourselves usually only feature our heads and an outstretched arm in the frame! Such great keepsakes, thank you Clare!!!

Alright it's time to go ... see you later, KL. You were a treat.

melaka

Hello from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil! Can't believe that we're on the other side of the world. It was a twenty four hour trip but all things considered, it's freaking amazing that it's possible.

These are some pics from our recent overnight in Melaka, Malaysia, just a two hour drive from KL. Melaka is a World Heritage City so all of the touristy things you'd expect were present: loads of tour groups and buses, souvenir shops, and of course, a Hard Rock Cafe (we skipped the t-shirt).

From a local's standpoint, we've heard that you only really go to Melaka to eat Nyonya food (a mix of Straits Chinese and Chinese/Malay cuisine) but we thought it would be interesting to see what a World Heritage City in Malaysia looked like. The food was as amazing as promised (we went to Riverine, a Nyonya kitchen, twice!) but the architecture was what stood out for me.

In KL there are sadly far too many beautiful old buildings rotting away or being torn down to make room for new luxury malls or condos. The condo we live in is on a street where there used to be traditional homes and I can imagine how gorgeous they must have been based on the last remaining structure on the street. I feel like such an a-hole for lamenting the past while living in modern KL but if I ran the city, I would find a way to do it all better.

In Melaka, the heritage buildings seem to be a priority. Not all of course but a decent amount. It was awesome to see the different influences in design based on the location and date that the structures were built. Being the key port city of the Straits way back when, Melaka has buildings that reflect the Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, British and of course, Malay aesthetics. I loved the colonial stuff but my favorite was seeing the mid-century modern influences in their Chinatown and government buildings. It made this LA girl very happy.

Now here in Rio, I've already spotted a ton of cool old buildings that I can't wait to check out. I'm not sure I'll take my camera out too much since I'll be exploring solo most of the time but I'll capture and share what I can. Have a great week!

redang-culous sun and sand + here we go again

Hey guys, I hope you had a nice weekend. I know I know, it's Tuesday already but I'll explain why I'm so off with regular posts in just a moment. First, these are a few snaps from our recent trip to Redang Island off the east coast of peninsular Malaysia. The hotel's food and density were disappointing but the real reason we were there exceeded expectations: THE BEACH! The sand was unreal, completely white and soft like flour, while the water was incredibly clear. It was warm, calm, and the snorkeling was the best we've had yet. We swam with turtles, saw a baby shark, and found ourselves following (or being chased by) schools of tropical fish of many varieties. All that beauty just a one and a half hour flight from where we live...so crazy, so lucky, and so we better take of advantage of it while it lasts.

And by "while it lasts" I mean until the end of October - yep, we're moving once again! Not sure to where just yet but until our boxes are packed and our apartment keys are turned in, we're fitting in as much travel and local activities as we can. That's why we rushed to make a trip to Redang as soon as I returned, did a quick two nights in Bangkok last week, will be in Melaka this week, and have more planned. I know that traveling is a crazy luxury so I'm not complaining, but it does make keeping a solid work (and blog) schedule pretty difficult. But I'm here and I can't wait to see where the next several months take us, on and off-line!

introducing the love malaysia collection

Hi guys, I hope you had a great weekend! Today is Malaysia Day so what better day to share the launch of my collaboration with Kuala Lumpur based bag company Gin & Jacqie: the Love Malaysia Collection! It's been nearly one year in the making and we are SO excited to see it come to life.

I met owner Jacqie soon after moving to KL and we were instant friends. We share a love of travel, design, and entrepreneurship so when she found out about my graphic design and growing love for my new home, she asked if I'd like to create a few prints that represent Malaysia...something that could pique the interest of tourists, expats, and locals alike. I jumped at the opportunity as I've always wanted to do product prints and I loved the idea of playing with images that were recognizable and unique to the country.

Not only did I get to design the prints but I also got to help design the bags that would be created for the collection! Since Gin & Jacqie is focused on making life a bit easier and more organized while on-the-go, it was easy to decide on the final products. We went with multipurpose pieces like zip pouches that can store anything from makeup to electronic choards, and a handy wrist pouch that can be kept in a larger bag and used separately when you only need to carry a few essentials. As you can see by the photos above, I took a few pieces on a trial run during our holiday last week and they were great! They kept everything tidy and easily accessible at all times...just right for making traveling easier.

Now, about the prints! The prints symbolize three main things that are standouts in Malaysia: food, heritage, and landscape.

For food I designed a pattern of the ubiquitous pyramid-shaped packaging of Nasi Lemak - Malaysia's unofficial national breakfast consisting of coconut rice, dried anchovies, hard boiled egg, rendang or curry chicken or beef, roasted peanuts, and cucumber slices. I'm obsessed with it now and crave it more than I crave tacos (!!! I know). But even better than the taste is the little pyramid shape created when all of the contents are folded into a large banana leaf - a true on-the-go meal!

For heritage I went with the iconic Wau kites. The origin of the name - pronounced 'wow' - is Arabic, the kite tradition is Chinese, and each Malaysian state has their own unique design. It seemed the perfect representation of Malaysia's diverse cultures.

And for landscape I created a tropical leaf pattern that represents the jungle greenery that is everywhere in Malaysia. Even in the city, it's never really a concrete jungle. It's the real deal here and it's awesome.

It's been a great experience to work with the Gin & Jacqie team and I'm beyond thankful for the opportunity to create something that represents a country that I've grown to love so much.

Now it's time to share the goods with you! We're giving away the product of your choice to one lucky Anamu reader. All you have to do is "like" or comment on your favorite product photo in the Love Malaysia Facebook photo album + leave a comment here to let me know that you've done so. We'll pick a name next week, Thursday, and announce the winner on Friday the 27th.

Even if you don't enter to win, I'd love to hear what you think!

phu quoc & saigon

hover over each image/dots for the story

... a few weeks later and we finally have photos from our trip to Vietnam! It was our second time there (remember our early honeymoon?) so we mixed in some beach time with city culture.

Most of the trip was spent at Mango Bay Eco Resort, in Phu Quoc. It was a complete 180 from our experience in Con Dao in that even though they both boast an eco-friendly environments, Mango Bay was bare bones. No A/C, no phone in the room for room service, outdoor toilet, and unfortunately really crappy bed and pillows. However, the setting was gorgeous and it still felt indulgent with it's own grown-up summer camp vibe. We ate, lounged, and ate some more but my favorite part was spending the day out on the water while Joe and other guests snorkeled. I stayed on board due to my recent LASIK surgery so instead of swimming with the fish, I was invited to join the guides in catching them instead. I did pretty well - four total! The water was beautiful and warm and that night I went to sleep still feeling the rocking of the boat. Luckily it was more soothing than it sounds.

After three nights in Phu Quoc we headed to Ho Chi Minh City, or as tried and true locals still call it, Saigon. My first impression was "wow, it looks like a mini Europe but with all Vietnamese people!". The French influence and architecture is still very much present in the old districts as are the wide streets lined with trees - a rare sight in South East Asia. When Joe and I hopped onto motor bikes with our guides for a night tour we were instantly impressed with the ease of getting around. Everyone was so relaxed about riding motorbikes and most of all courteous. I'm sure locals might think differently (or even other tourists visiting SEA for the first time) but now coming from KL where people (mostly male) drive their bikes at crazy speeds and seem to always try to hit you, Saigon felt more like a pleasant bike ride in the park. There were so many more women on the road, even ones dressed up in fancy work clothes. It's just the norm and it's awesome.

The biggest treat was the next day when our guide took us to the building where an American helicopter evacuated people during the fall of Saigon. It was crazy to think of the iconic image and then look up/down and realize that we were standing on top of history. The location isn't advertised to tourists nor is it generally open to the public so if you want in, give Bao a call.

We had to catch our flight home that afternoon so with other cultural spots to see, the day was jam packed but well worth it. It was our first time hiring a guide during holiday and I don't think it will be the last. We did it mainly because we had less than 24 hours in the city and expected that there would be a lot to see. And unlike traveling in Europe where we're more familiar with the history, culture, and where cities tend to be easier to navigate, we've realized that we need a little extra help in this part of the world. Ubud, Bali is next for a long weekend so we'll see how we do there!

Have you ever traveled with a guide? What was your experience?

weekend, we

Hi guys, I hope you had a great weekend.

Things got so hectic that I wasn't able to do a Friday post but if you follow me on Instagram, you know that we snuck away to Kota Kinabalu, in Sabah, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo.

We're on a mission to take advantage of living in Southeast Asia before we wake up from this dream and realize that it's too late to explore it all. So, we're trying to do and see as much as we can during the weekends while still enjoying our home in KL. Not the worst challenge in the world, right? Game on!

Kota Kinabalu, or KK as locals call it, is the capital city of Sabah. Because of that I expected a big city like KL but to my delight, the downtown area where we stayed was really small, walkable, and best of all, right by the ocean. We've heard amazing things about hiking Mount Kinabalu but since we only had two full days there we decided that we'd save the jungle trekking for another trip and enjoy the islands.

And enjoy we did! There are five islands just off of the mainland and with one main jetty to book a water taxi from, it was super easy to get to and from any of them. A fifteen minute ride on a speed boat took us to Pulau Sapi, or Sapi Island. Most of the people there were part of package deals that include a catered BBQ so with all of them crowded by the main beach, Joe and I set off to find a place of solitude elsewhere on the tiny Island. Our first attempt at following a designated trail was a miss so we decided to try something different. Instead of walking through the jungle we made our way through the rocky shores around the southwestern part of the island. It was easy to do but we were definitely thankful to have our Ring Cozies on since we had to climb up and over some really rough rocks (yes - had to plug Ring Cozy since it works SO well!).

All was good until Joe pointed out a cool prickly aloe-type plant growing out of a rock wall. I looked, said "wow", and then my eyes instantly went to a GIANT lizard right underneath it!  I'm talking 6ft long, prehistoric, big bodied, long-tongue looking lizard. I flipped out and ran into the water. It took Joe about ten seconds to see it because when I screamed "lizard!" he thought that I meant a small one like we're used to seeing - that's how well camouflaged that thing was. Once Joe saw it too, we were both outta there and he said that I should have yelled "GODZILLA!" instead.

Godzilla was immediately forgotten as soon as we walked a few more feet and found a slice of heaven. Aside from a woman who swam up from her privately chartered boat for a bit, we had a little stretch of sand all to ourselves. We joked about all the suckers we left behind on the crowded main beach. But, it wasn't total perfection. There were jellyfish particles in the water that stung like a really bad case of razor burn when I swam for too long, so I stuck to beach-side lounging.

When it was time to leave I was on high lizard-alert and while we didn't see the big one we first saw, we saw another one in the water just beneath the rocks we were climbing (eeekkk!!!). Joe took some photos as I pleaded "okay hunny, I think you got the shot. Let's gooooo!". It was only after that, on our return back to the main beach, that we saw an old rusted sign on the ground that read "AWAS" which means "BEWARE" in Bahasa Malay. Whomever put that sign there probably knows about the Godzilla family that stalks the shores...

At the end of the day were lucky that we got to enjoy that gorgeous little private beach without any real problems. Otherwise, we could have ended up being the suckers who left the main beach! Totally worth it. During lunch at another island, Pulau Mamutik, we Googled 'the lizards of Sapi' and learned that the ones we saw were Monitor Lizards. I think we'll stick with calling them Godzilla.

crazy for kayu

I'm so excited to finally share some photos of my shoot for KAYU - gorgeous bags with a mission.

I met KAYU's founder, Jamie Lim, via Twitter and as luck would have it she's originally from Malaysia. She was in town over the holidays to visit family and take care of business (her clutches are hand made in South East Asia) so we were able to meet in person and collaborate for her Spring look book photos and graphic design. We hit it off immediately and I was in total awe of her designs. She has somehow accomplished making the traditional artistry of weaving look completely modern and sexy. And as if good looks weren't enough, a portion of sales is donated to perform sight-restoring surgeries in India and to purchase backpacks and school supplies for children in Cambodia. Win-win.

I had a blast walking around KL together with only a bag full of clutches and a determination to "get the shot" despite the hot day and hungry mosquitoes. Felt like quite the urban-jungle warriors at the end of the day!

I can't finish writing this post without mentioning the stall owners at Chow Kit Market. They thought we were nuts every time we asked "can I put this bag here and take a photo?". Sure, crazy ladies...go right ahead. The strange looks were totally worth it as my fave shot is the trio of clutches on the Durian scale. It doesn't get any more Malaysian than that.

Shop KAYU at kayudesign.com and Shopbop.com

con dao vietnam

   

My my was it tough to pick just a handful of photos for this post! We had the most amazing time at Six Senses in Con Dao. We're usually the type to check into a hotel and return only after a day of exploring but this time we were total resort dwellers. Between relaxing in our villa, swimming in the warm ocean, and eating yummy local cuisine, there really wasn't much reason to leave. And to be fair, we were on a small island so the choice was made even easier. We did venture out for a snorkeling trip that was followed by the most incredible fruit picnic on a tiny secluded beach. I kept pinching myself because it all looked like something out of a magazine spread. It was the type of setting that dream holidays are made of.

The resort lived up to its scenery too. Everything was eco-conscious and the staff was beyond friendly and hospitable. Every villa is given a butler so if you need anything you call just one person. Ours was Nghia and I knew we had come to service-heaven when after turn-down on the first night I found a lens cloth cleaner for my glasses and a jar of detergent soap; Nghia had noticed that I was wearing glasses (and that they were dirty) and had caught a comment that Joe and I made about getting a stain on his clothes. How impressive is that? We hardly called on Nghia for things but I can imagine that families really get their monies worth with all of the details that the butlers can take care of for you.

We're already scheming our return because it truly did feel like a slice of heaven. Everything - the service, the scenery, the vibe - was perfect. Places and experiences like this is why we moved to South East Asia. Thanks for the reminder, Six Senses Con Dao.

colors, patterns, and textures, oh my! {singapore)

    Singapore has incredible modern architecture but of course, I also found a ton of inspiration in an older part of town called the Arab Corner (I think that's it, please correct me if I'm wrong). The neighborhood's pride is evident by the impeccable upkeep of their old shop houses, vibrant colors, and collection of traditional fabric stores and cafes mixed in with new indie boutiques and bars. I loved seeing bits of the local art community, too. From artists at work in a tiny gallery to graphic murals on the street, it's amazing how much art can bring a street or neighborhood to life. If you're lucky enough to be there during Ramadan as we were, be sure to take advantage of the food stalls in front of the mosque. Devotees lined up to buy their post-sundown meals but there were plenty of tourists like us taking advantage of the offerings. We weren't sure if it was acceptable to eat in front of others who were fasting so we tucked into a side alley and chowed down in semi-privacy.  It's a good thing that the streets in Singapore are so sparkly clean ;)