I love you to China and back.

So today's post is more on the personal side of things, its all about my recent trip to China. The experience I had there was one of kind. I love to travel and have been fortunate enough to experience quite a few places around the world. For some reason, most of my travels have steered towards the East. I am not sure why, maybe it because the East is so different to what I know, maybe it's because I enjoy the cultural exchange, maybe its because of its unique beauty, maybe its the fashion or maybe it could have something to do with the exchange rate and feeling rich for once in my life..haha :) Whatever it is, I love the East and China just increased that love. I went to China with my university choir, the NMMU choir (see previous post on NMMU Choir's tribute to Nelson Mandela on his 94th birthday) and I am so thankful for the opportunity. We were invited to perform at the opening ceremony of the 11th China International Choral Festival and IFCM World Summit. What an experience. The choir members are truly a crazy, beautiful bunch of people and made the tour memorable. If you are thinking about going to China or if you would just like to have a virtual experience of China...feel free to read on and hear my stories.

Off to China we go.

Shanghai - The Paris of the East

Shanghai was beautiful!! This was my favourite city while I was in China. It was so cosmopolitan, and because the hotel we stayed in was very centrally located, we could walk or take a taxi (without paying a fortune) anywhere. I find China extremely difficult to describe, I think it's because it is so so SO different. Everytime somebody asks about China, I almost feel like saying "You really need to experience it for yourself to understand, because there is just too much to take  in." However, with Shanghai, coming up with a description was easy...as one already existed, Shanghai is the Paris of the East. It is just so cosmopolitan (I think I already said that...haha) There are high rise buildings everywhere, but very planned out. Everybody is just walking everywhere. The city is busy and just bustling with people, and not just during the day but at night as well. There is even a road, that is dedicated to bars, so much so that the road's name "Hengshan Road" can be translated into "Bar Road." We made a stop there, and it was so much fun. We went to a place called Fly bar and ended up sitting and chatting to locals for ages. 

Me (left) and my friend Grace (right) at Fly Bar.

Us with some locals that we met in Hengshan Road.

Our next stop was The Bund.This is a promenade that lines the Huangpu river and overlooks the ever changing and distinctive Skyline of Shanghai. As you walk along the Bund you pass plenty of historical buildings, many built in a colonial style. There are thousands of people walking around, taking pictures and if you have enough money, you can shop till you drop at various high fashion stores such as Prada and Chanel.

While walking along the Bund, Grace and I were stopped continuously for photos by tourists from Japan, Philippines and various other parts of China. We felt like celebrities! I must make mention that Grace is exceptionally tall and beautiful so she was pretty much a tourist attraction on her own. The Bund was truly stunning, and beside the hot and humid weather (which was our fault for going to China in their hottest and wettest month,) it was perfection.

Me at the Bund posing infront of the view of Shanhai's skyline

Me (left) and Grace (right) with the colonial building behind us.

One day I will buy something from this store!

Me taking photos with the locals.

After the Bund, we stopped off at Nanjing Road. The longest commercial road in Shanghai. This road is a pedestrian road, so it only has people walking through it, you don't have to worry about cars. It is said to have over 1.5million people visit the road on a public holiday in Shanghai. We did a lot of shopping here, however the prices weren't exactly as cheap as market prices. Most of the stores were famous brands such as Zara (I left my heart in Zara.) We had loads of fun here!

Me at Nanjing Road.

 Beijing

We spent most of our time in Beijing. I could describe Beijing as an industrial haven. It is very different from Shanghai. It is a city that has grown very fast and as such its infrastructure is not very planned. Just after we departed from Beijing, they had very heavy rain that caused flooding as the city's infrastructure could not handle the vast amount of water. I am glad we got out of there before then. I would have freaked out! Anyway, we had a fabulous time in Beijing and fabulous weather. It is a lot less humid that Shanghai, and thus a lot more pleasant. Still very hot though. Our first stop was the Forbidden City. This is basically a walled off city or complex, that the emperor once lived in. It is truly beautiful!! The architecture is just phenomenal. There is a moat (man made lake for protection) around the forbidden city, with huge beautiful gates at the entrance and exits. There is an outer court, which has three amazing halls, that were used for ceremonies. And then there is an inner court which consists of the residence for the emperor and his family, which also has breathtaking botanical gardens. Everything is the Forbidden city is so symbolic, for example, each building has statues at the tips of their roofs. The more statues a building boasts, the more important it is. The Forbidden City is the only place in China to have buildings with 10 statues on the ends of their roof (Wikipedia, 2012). Seeing this historical place was so memorable and so informative. And I know I have said this beofre, but so so so beautiful!!

Me at the Forbidden City

The Hall of Supreme Harmony

The statues of the roof of the halls.

Next up, was the Great Wall of China!!!! I cannot believe I actually stood on the Great Wall of China! It was one of those, "Am I really here at this time in my life" moments. It was amazzzing. I cant even describe the feeling. But wow....I definitely CAN describe the stiffness in my legs for 4 days after climbing the wall. Haha. That wall is steep...don't let the whole "seven wonder of the world" thing fool you, that wall is steep and very difficult to climb. But the photos are worth it. 

Me at The Great Wall of China

Padlocks all the way up the wall to declare your love for that special someone.

What an indescribable moment.

Some memorable moments...

Some of the choir members in front of the Silk Market....which we visted 4 times to shop!

Grace and I trying to do the popular Chinese Squat. The Chinese sit like this, anywhere, anytime!

Me with the some of the ladies form the Zimbabwe Choir,
before the NMMU choir performed infront of 17 000 people

And that's it. Hope you all enjoyed!!!

xxx

Asheigh

Sheer Sexiness

Sheer is the new sexy! I just love this trend!! On a recent trip to China, sheer skirts seemed to take over my life. China is at its hottest in July, and it did not disappoint with approximately 38 degrees Celsius / 100 degrees Fahrenheit weather throughout the duration of my Chinese adventures. Sheer skirts and dresses were not only the most "breathable" clothing I could find, but by far the most fashionable. There is something so extremely sexy and mysterious about sheer clothing. When wearing a sheer skirt, or maxi dress, it sends a message of "I have no idea how sexy I am" or "I can be sexy and conservative at the same time." While it shows off your legs, it also covers them....and this is the mysterious factor. It leaves something to the imagination, but definitely gives that 'something' a kick start (if you know what I mean.) It plays games with the admirer's mind. Now you see me...now you don't. Once again, I love this trend...I love the how simple and understated it is, the elegance, softness and femininity.

Sheer sexiness!

The amount of styles using sheer fabrics were plentiful in the Chinese markets.My favourite by far is the sheer skirts and dresses. I found three major styles in sheer skirts and dresses, namely the sheer mullet skirt,  the sheer pleated skirt, and the sheer maxi skirt. These skirts can all be translated into dress forms..and look equally, if not more, gorgeous. Here's some pictures of the skirts (All photos taken from Pinterst.com)

The Sheer Mullet Skirt

The mullet is back! But this time it has been reincarnated as a skirt! And is a lot more prettier! Lol. For those of who have slight memory loss over what a mullet is (and no I am not talking about the fish)....let me refresh your memory. It is the "Business in the front and party at the back" hairstyle of the 80's. The skirt, although in the same style as the popular hair-cut, could be described as the opposite in fashion term. When it comes to the skirt the party is definitely in the front (short, mini skirt, above the knee) and the business/formal look is at the back (long and flowing.) I know the concept sounds a bit far fetched, but there is something very sexy about this skirt...take a look!

Sheer Mullet skirts are perfect for showing off legs.

Floral, feminine prints look gorgeous on
 sheer  skirts.

Mullet skirts can give your look an edge.

Mint green is a favourite colour when it comes to sheer.

 The sheer pleated skirt

Pleats are combined with sheer material to emphasize the femininity of the skirts. Pleats add dimension to the skirt. It makes the skirt a little more elegant and interesting. Bright colours, nude colours and mini length are favourites when it comes to sheer pleated skirts.

Flowing and beautiful pleated skirt.

The Sheer Maxi Skirt

Long and sexy...who thought it would ever work, but it does. I have a few of my own, and I must say I love them. They are perfect for those hot but not so hot days (if you know what I mean) and for those days when your legs are just not as blemish free as you would like. Just have a look at some of the beautiful long skirts I found on-line. 

xxx

NMMU Choir's tribute to Nelson Mandela's 94th birthday

This is just a short post to say happy birthday to Nelson Mandela! There will never be a man so inspirational and who will live on as a legend world wide! Above is a short video clip of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University's Choir singing "Asimbonaga - Nelson Mandela, a man amongst men" as a tribute to Nelson Mandela for his 94th birthday. Definitely something worth showing!!!

I am very privileged to be part of this amazing choir and to experience this wonderful production. The choir work-shopped the arrangement of the song and the choreography. The clip starts of with a toi-toi or protest which is significant to the apartheid era which Nelson Mandela fought against. The first part of the song could be translated into "Where is Nelson Mandela? Why can't we see him?" which is symbolic of his 27 years in prison on Robben Island. Hence you will see sad expressions on the choir members' faces. The second part of the song is happier and a celebration of Nelson Mandela. You will see smiles, and dancing and at some point you will see the members "salute" Nelson Mandela. The songs ends with the iconic speech Nelson Mandela made from the dock at the opening of his trial on charges of sabotage (Supreme court of South Africa, Pretoria, April 20 1964) 

Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela!

Addicted to Denim

Hello fellow fashion slaves:)

I do apologise about the delay on this post. I have just arrived back in sunny South Africa all the way from China. I was very lucky to be given the opportunity to tour China with my university choir. Yes, I am a little song bird. But China not only provided me with a platform to express myself in song, but in fashion as well. Although not as cheap as I was expecting, there was no lack of fashion in China. They are truly on top of their game when it comes to trend setting and timeless style. However, the locals didn't really seem to dress the part despite having all the fashion 'must-haves' right at their front door. I guess that just meant more for me..yay!

So I stumbled upon a few new trends and/or come-back trends...one of which was denim. Yes, you heard correctly, those faded denim shirts your parents used to wear...well...they are making a come-back. Everywhere I went in China, markets were selling denim shirts. So I gave in and bought myself a faded, fitted denim shirt from Zara (I left my heart in that shop)....and I LOVE IT. Denim is so much fun and so versatile. So this post is about my new addiction to denim.

Denim is hot.

Denim 'must-haves'

First off....every girl needs to have a denim shirt! It is the hottest trend at the moment. You can go for a tight, fitted shirt or for the oversized, boyfriend shirt. You can go for a faded denim, a dark wash denim or even an ombre' denim. Have a look at some of these winning denim shirts.

From fitted, to oversized to ombre'....the choice is yours!
(Photos taken from Pinterest.com)

The next must have, is denim shorts. And the more funky the shorts the better. You can go from plain denim, to embellished denim, patterned denim, dyed denim, ripped denim, printed denim...whatever floats your boat! 

Anything goes with denim shorts. The shorter, the better.
(Photo's taken from Pinterest.com)

How to rock denim

So then there is the age old statement, "I like how it looks on you but I don't think I could pull it off." See, that's the thing about denim, anybody can pull it off. There is so much variety and so many different styles when it comes to denim that nobody can actually have an excuse not to wear denim. If you're young, funky with a tiny waist and a toned bum...then you can rock those short-studded denim shorts. If that's not for you, well then there's a million other ways you can rock the denim look...at any age I might add ;) Here's some inspirational pictures from Pinterest.com.

I love this! So simple and easy to put together.
Black leggings, brown boots and a fitted denim top. Timeless!

Denim shirt with white pants is always a winner.
The retro sunnies add that little bit of edgy-ness

I love denim and white together!

Denim and chunky knits = love

How to make a denim shirt-dress

Please, do not be afraid of the denim-on-denim look!! There are no rules!

Denim for him

Please do not forget to about your man. Denim shirts are dying to worn by men. The look is so hot and very much in style. I think the denim trend is actually being pushed more for men than for women at the moment. Everywhere you look in China, you will see denim shirts for men. It's on the runway and it's in the shops. All it takes is a little convincing, right ladies?  *grin*

Hot! Hot! Hot!
(Photos taken from Pinterest.com)

xxx