Funky finds in the Philippines

I went to the coolest vintage bazaar the other weekend! It was held at the Rockwell Tent outside Power Plant Mall, which is a groovy mall with a lot of small boutique style shops (as well as the obligatory Kenneth Cole, Ann Klein, etc).

The best thing about this bazaar was it showcased up and coming Filipino designers. Along with that, numerous stalls were dedicated to 'kitsch' as well as vintage items and generally funky stuff. The fashion scene has really evolved here in Manila - the people are so much more fashion conscious and willing to step outside the box than when I was last living here.

Thought I would showcase some of my funkiest finds, the first being these groovy kimono tops by a label called "Baby Back Rib". What better way to top off a pair of jeans and fab heels? These tops are very flattering on and are basically fabulous darling!





The design is actually 'Babel Fish' for Baby Back Rib - cool designers, will be keeping an eye out for further finds from them.

Another cool label - Cole Vintage - also had a stall at the bazaar. I bought a sheer top which goes over anything. The gold thread through the fabric (which you can't see) is an added bonus. This top looks great with anything and has become such a staple that I am kicking myself for not buying the other fabric designs!



Some groovy jewellry to funk up a Friday night:




But..........the piece de resistance............an Imelda clock!! What more could a shoe diva ask for?

Shoe of the week - August 29

If you want a great bargain, you buy shoes at Cartimar Market in Metro Manila. They are the real deal (well, most of the time.....to a trained eye) and are cheap, cheap, cheap!

Whether inspired by Charlie on 'Lost' or just because I felt like a bit of a skater chick that day, I picked these Vans up for 500 pesos (Kiwis interpret that as NZ$15!!) or as Dave said, five quid for a Pom. Bargain!



Wear them rocker chick style with skinny jeans! I wore them to the mall the other day with Diesel jeans and a Juicy t-shirt. Super comfortable and a little bit of funk for those 'blah' days - five stars for comfort, three for versatility. I mean, you couldn't wear them everywhere or with just anything - that would only work if you were a pop star.

Shoe of the Week - 21 August, 2006

Would you believe it was my husband who gave me the idea for these weekly posts? Yes, he knows me well.

Every week, I will attempt to show case my ever expanding shoe collection. Not only can you see where all his money goes, you might just pick up some handy fashion tips.

I will talk about the shoe, where I bought it and how I plan to use it within my wardrobe. Interesting and superficial - yep, that's me.

The pair to feature this week are actually the latest acquistion in my shoe collection. I have discovered this fabulous new local shoe brand called Sapato. A relatively young company, these shoes are made and designed here in the Philippines. Sapato only offer a limited number in each size which also means you won't see huge numbers of women with the same shoes as you.

I would describe these as black snake skin peeptoe flats:



As fashion has rapidly moved towards ballet pumps over the last 12 months, I did need a number of new flat shoes to complement the latest fashions. These flats look great with skinny jeans/trousers and shorts (in any number of styles).

My husband bought them for me at the American Womens Bazaar last week. I instantly fell in love with the bright blue suede inners and the unusual leather. For those of you who know me, I am always a sucker for a peep toe. After salivating over them for about 15 minutes, he got so fed up with me that he insisted HE buy them because he wanted to go home and play X-Box.

Men have a lot to learn about the strategies we will use to get new shoes.

I most recently wore them with a black silk blouse with lace inserts and white knee-length bermuda type shorts. Paired with a black leather Mulberry bag, complete with large side compartments, they really looked great! I also wore them recently with funky destressed jeans, black singlet and a great denim pinstripe short-sleeved cropped jacket - perfect for hiding those yet-to-be-toned triceps. They were ultra comfortable for a full five hours of shopping at Greenhills in Ortigas, Manila.

These also came in a camel colour and brown. I give them a full five stars and a 'highly recommended' for fashion versatility and comfort.

Shoe heaven

Every so often, in a shoe's lifetime, it is time to go. For every shoe diva out there, you know what a traumatic experience this can be. It is giving up memories, outfit pairings and an empty shoebox that was once an integral part of your fashion consciousness.

Today, that time came for me. Of course I would NEVER admit I have too many shoes. Like the saying goes "You can never have too many friends...........or shoes". However, shoe styles change just as grey is the 'new black'. So for this post, I farewell three favourites and the memories that go with them.

The first pair I would describe as blue strappy sling backs. They look great in the picture so why do they need to go to that shoe heaven in the sky?



Firstly, I bought them on sale at Nose in KL. They were very cheap (20 ringgit on sale) but I liked them at the time. I wore them for school mostly and once to an Indian wedding because they went with my punjabi suit. Yet the negatives weigh against them.

1. The strap on the right foot constantly slips off the back of my foot.
2. I don't own that much blue to justify wearing them frequently. Plus, the blue I do have can also be utilised with far trendier foot apparel.
3. They remind me of the kind of shoes that someone older than me might wear - never a good sign.
4. They are not real leather.
5. I haven't worn them for six months and even then I was desperate. It was a 'fat day' and I wore this billowy blue top to dinner with my husband so the shoes seemed to 'match'. The billowly blue top has long been donated to a family member so sadly, the shoes have to go.

The second pair were particularly cool.......five years ago when I bought them in TopShop Singapore. I remember buying them because my best friend was with me. She had come over to Singapore enroute to Manila where she was working. We hit TopShop because we had never had this store in New Zealand or Manila. For those of you know TopShop, it rips off high fashion at middle prices - perfect for teachers who want to stay in the game.



These shoes used to look fabulous with jeans on a night out. I even recall wearing them to the Kiwi Ball in Singapore one year. However, in recent years they have remained underutilised in my wardrobe and it is time for farewell.

1. The heel is WAY too square and out of date (note to shoe diva's: a thinner heel will always stay in style for longer).
2. I now have strappy black stilettos, fab black leather pumps and a new pair of peeptoes which will always do the job better than these.
3. I have had these shoes for about five years now and have worn them a total of nil over the last two years. The rule is, if you have worn them in the last six months hold onto them. If they haven't seen the light of day for over a year, it is time to send them on their merry way.

Last pair which I will farewell today have been worn in the last month - exactly why they have to go. I felt like a fool in them and spent the whole evening wishing I hadn't worn them!



I'll never forget buying them because the left shoe is a size 9 and the right shoe is a size 10 - perfect for those of you like me who have one foot bigger than the other. I was at the Number One Shoe Warehouse in Albany, Auckland when I spotted these beauties. It had been a great day for shoes overall as this warehouse had a shipment of Oasis and Faith shoes - great London brands which are made in Vietnam. I had already picked out a pair of dusky pink pumps from Oasis which I got for NZ$20 but which retailed in England for 60 British pounds (NZ$180). I saw these but could only find the right shoe in 10 and the left in 9. After help from the assistant, we couldn't locate these shoe partners. A few words with the store manager and I walked out with these for NZ$10 although their price sticker showed British retail price at 50 British pounds. Every good shoe diva loves a bargain!

1. The toe-style of the shoe is now more 'winkle picker' than sleek pump.
2. Even with grip on the sole, they still slip terribly on polished surfaces - not a good look when you are trying to walk into a restaurant looking self-assured and confident.
3. I don't really wear bright pink anymore.
4. It was a toss up between these and another bright pink of Brazilian slingbacks. The slingbacks won.

Farewell shoes - may you bring happiness to a Filipino member of my housekeeper's family with the good fortune of having exactly the same shoe size as me!

Welcome to our new home

As promised, many many times, here are a number of photos of the house. I take them with some trepidation as seriously, no photo could do this house justice. No really - it is so beautiful and we can't seem to capture that with our digital cameras. My Minolta produces much better quality but my techie skills haven't yet reached the scanner - waiting for that husband of mine to help me out sometime.

Here it is:





When you walk in this is what you will see:




And from there, the entrance from the front door to the lanai:



As you can see, we have an unusual alien dog residing with us - red-eye editing doesn't work on green-eye apparently. The entrance, dining room and study all have doors like this opening onto the lanai. That is one of the things we loved about the house - everything opens out onto the pool which means outdoor living is a real focus when living here. Perfect for alien dogs who like to swim and then walk throughout the house, helping keep the floors nice and clean.....not.

I now have a few photos of the stairwell which best show off the beautiful recycled Narra wood (native to the Philippines but now protected) which is used for flooring throughout the house:






Again, note the alien dog.

Now, for the living room. Use your imagination a little here - the living room is two storeys high with old railway sleepers as beams across the top. It has floor to ceiling windows which look out over the garden. It feels like you are outside when you are inside which is awesome when we have a storm. Besides all the doors which enter onto the lanai from the entrance, dining room and study, we also have three doors in the living room which open onto the garden. Virtually no need for aircon or lighting which is great as electricity is very expensive here. I guess that is a trade off as everything else is so cheap!





In Singapore and KL, we had a real Asian theme in our living room. As our new house is as un-Asian as you could get, we decided to go for a black-white modern sort of look for this room. The amazing huge couch (which is far too comfortable by the way) completes the look and is perfect for the room size. However, being the practical people that we are, it also splits into three separate couches just in case we ever have to live in a shoe box. The big fan finally finds a home inside and the molave furniture purchased six years ago here in the Philippines, looks awesome with the flooring.



Note Dave's pride and joy - the telly - and his presence which seems permanently glued to the seat he is on. With the X-Box 360 being wireless, he won the battle of having it in the living room. I do have some cards up my sleeve though regarding electronic games in the living room so watch this space..... I mean, he gets his own movie room!! Why should he also take over the other parts of the house? Oh that's right, he pays all the bills now........

Unfortunately, I won't be publishing photos of the ultra-cool movie room yet as we are experiencing 'delays' with the wiring of Dave's home theatre. Note to editor - read 'delays' as my husband not having quite the same motivation as I to organise stuff! However, it is in a theme of black and red and is much bigger than the room we had in KL. We had some amazing custom made black roman blinds made and for those of you who remember the red ottoman we never used, that is recovered in black too and is now an extension of the couch.

Here is the dining room - it looks quite sparse but we wanted to keep it simple to highlight the beautiful floors. The colours used are predominantly silver The tempered glass top table looks awesome with the chairs and I used two of Dave's favourites on the wall. One is the framed poster of a map of the London underground and the other is an original cartoon type piece of artwork purchased in London, of London. As we were trying to theme each room, I guess we needed a little of good ole' Blighty so Dave doesn't feel too homesick.



I had to include the drinks cabinet as I have been particularly resourceful with my DIY techniques. It was once used as the computer table but with a tweak here and there, voila! Cocktails anyone?



The one room in the house which is used most frequently is the study:



As you read this, picture me typing away frantically at the computer, looking out over the pool and lanai. It is very relaxing and has sliding doors on both sides which again, is like being outside without actually being outside.

If you have been a regular on Dave's blog, you will have seen a couple of shots of one of the spare rooms. I decided to theme it with Asian pieces and tied that into the bathroom as well. It has a lovely balcony off it as do the other rooms which will be great when you all come and stay!





For the other room, I wanted to showcase many of the things I purchased over my three trips to South Africa and Swaziland. So, it is the 'Africa' room.




You can't really tell here but I also themed the bathrooms to tie in with the bedrooms. There are an abundance of Swazi candles and other knick knacks in here (some hidden by the door):



At the top of the stairs is a huge open landing area. This leads into all three bedrooms. Dave thinks it is a bit of a waste of space but I love it. Gucci plays up here on the rug (yes, she has a toybox) and it is a lovely place to read as all the windows open and the area catches a beautiful breeze.



We put a stereo up here and have a selection of weekend music which we play while having breakfast on our own private balcony. What a life!

Here is the master bedroom, or as my husband says, where all the action is. I chose a Pacifica theme for our room with lots of light, hibiscus prints and framed tapa cloth from Fiji. Since our room in KL was so dark with brown carpet, it is lovely to have these bright colours and lots of natural light to play with. We have a huge walk in wardrobe as well as a lovely bathroom, complete with jacuzzi bath.






The swimming pool! It is a fabulous place to hang out and play. The waterfall helps clean the water and the sound of running water is really relaxing. It has big steps leading into it so as many of you know, Gucci uses the pool the most. About 20 times a day, no kidding.



To finish your tour of 'chez Martin' here are some photos I just took of the garden and views from the garden - it is the first beautiful day in a while as it is currently monsoon season. It is this picturesque and I get to enjoy this every day which is a real bonus.





I really hope you enjoyed the tour and that this may convince you to come and stay! What with the fabulous shopping, sights to see and this wonderful accomodation, we look forward to visitors soon. We have a mountain biker friend of Dave's from South Africa coming next month and hopefully my brother in the not-too-distant future.

Mabuhay!

The Guccmeister

The Matriarch

I don't know how many of you out there have read a lot of literature by New Zealand writers. One of my favourites is called "The Matriarch" by Witi Ihimaera. Witi Ihimaeara is an incredibly talented Maori author whose books touch on every aspect of Maori spirituality and culture, integrated with true elements of Kiwi life.

"The Matriarch" is not only about a wonderful kuia, head of three Maori generations. Ihimaera also uses language in such a way that it is like an oratory of Maori social history, reminding people that this proud culture is still alive and kicking. The central character is enigmatic, spellbinding and a matriarch.

I wonder if every family has a matriarch. Ours certainly did. My Bubu was an enigmatic, spellbinding persona with every attribute of a true matriarch. Her recent passing not only sent waves of grief through our family, but also the larger Fijian community. She will be missed by so many and it is hard to put into words how different Fiji will be for us now that she has gone.

My grandmother did not have any easy life. The mother of eight children, it was Bubu who helped my Papa save our village Kulukulu, from land-grabbers. My mother recounts memories and tales of the many things Papa and Bubu did to ensure that land, such an important part of any Pacific Island culture, remained with the people who loved it most.

My memories of my Bubu are very different to those of my mother, aunties and uncles. As a 'fiwi', growing up in NZ, my Bubu was the reason why we went to Fiji for holidays. Every visit centred around our time with our grandparents. Although the adults sat to 'talanoa' into the night while we 'cousins' played and screeched and laughed, Bubu was always there. As I got older, there was always a big 'kana' at someone's house where Bubu would be. She always liked you to sit with her for awhile, update her on your life, tell her a few funny stories. I think now that I should have sat longer - unfortunately, the lure of nightclubbing with all the cousins was stronger. Yet somehow, she liked that, seeing us all reconnect and leave together in a string of taxis bound for Trapps.

My last trip to Fiji was in January - the much anticipated celebration of Bubu's 90th birthday. What a fantastic achievement for my Bubu to reach that age, attended by about her children, son and daughter-in-laws, her countless grandchildren, great-grandchildren and extended family. Yet, the best memory I retain from my short five days home took place a few days later.



As always, the fanau gathered for a kana and church service at my cousin's place, overlooking Suva. After the food and more food and more food again, I lay out on the mats with my mother, my aunties, cousins and a smattering of Bubu's. The best part about this is not saying anything -just lie there and listen to them talk. Because, although Fijian has a written history, the best part of my Fijian history comes as an oratory.

Sitting there, laughing and telling tales, sat four generations of our family. My Bubu, her daughters, various grand-daughters and great-grand children. Tales of their childhood were recounted with laughter, accusations and mirth. Recounts of the funniest parts of the birthday celebrations were told, embellished and re-told. A little family gossip here, a little there. It was the best part of my trip home.

On the day I flew out of Suva, I stopped at Bubu's village with my Mum and Dad for last goodbyes. I didn't know then that it would be the very last time I kissed my Bubu, hugged her and told her how much I loved her. I promised her I would be good to my husband, I promised her that we were thinking about adding to her brood of great-grandchildren. I pressed money into her hand and made her promise me that she would keep it for her medicine or hospital visits. I asked her to not pass it on to the rest of the family, knowing that she probably would as that was the way she was. Always putting others ahead of her own needs. If I had known it would be my last time with her, I wonder what I would have done differently. Leaving would have been much harder.

The day my father called to tell me that my Bubu had died, I was standing in the middle of my kitchen . There was a Malay packer, wrapping dinner plates next to me, as I heard news that I was half-expecting, half- not. Outside, some other worker was trying to tell me that the container had arrived ready for packing. It didn't really feel real.

I sat outside on my own and cried and cried. All the packing and chaos continued without me but tactfully, the moving men quietly retreated to other parts of the house. It wasn't the first time I had experienced the death of a grandparent - Bubu was my last surviving grandparent. However, it was different this time. In some ways, most of my pain was that for my mother. Perhaps it was the idea that my mother had just lost hers, possibly because I could never imagine losing my own Mum.

Losing Bubu felt different because she connected everyone together - we all had memories centred around our time with her. Whether it was my brother, Dad, cousin, husband, mother or aunt, something was connected through my Bubu. It was the most wrenching loss I have ever felt. My next visit to Fiji is going to be so different without that one thing, that one person, to hold it all together.

My Bubu was a true matriarch of our family. I feel truly blessed that I had time to know her and understand the significance of her life to those who met her, loved her and mourn her. Loloma yani vei Bubu - yau domona o iko. I don't know if I said that correctly but I do know I have will always have loloma dina for my Bubu, Ra Marama.

Dogs vs Babies

It was really weird the first time my eldest brother became a father. He was genetically predisposed to be a father and husband since birth, but still it was weird. My brother was........a Dad!

It was even weirder to go home to New Zealand in January and see my best friend as a mother. The last I had seen her was in July, pregnant and three weeks away from delivery. Not only that but she was unable to go drinking with me! For those of you who know Mari and I, that is like losing a limb. But to see her as a glowing, happy mother was yet another stage in our friendship. In one way it was strange as we have always shared all the major milestones in our lives - getting married, moving abroad, break ups, sharing our first flat together. Yet this was one experience that I couldn't truly share with her as they say no one really knows what it is like until they have a child themselves.

It seems like everyone we know is having babies these days. It probably has something to do with the fact that we are all hitting our early to mid thirties - the desire to stay trendy, youthful and cool seems to give way to mortgages, decorating the nursery and having dinner parties instead of cocktail parties. It feels like a magnet of sorts - even my husband and I have begun to discuss the subject of having children. Yikes! And that's after it took him four years to pop the question!

I mean, of course we had talked about it. How do you get married without ensuring you are on the same page when it comes to ideals of marriage, parenthood and whether light sabres are appropriate items of decor in your home? My husband and I thought that maybe, one day, in the future, at some stage in our lives, we might consider having children. We both met working overseas - single, great incomes and whirling social lives. It wasn't exactly something we wanted to give up. Perhaps we would end up as a really strange childless couple, living in some musty house with our motley collection of Asian artefacts and travel tales, light sabre and Star Wars figurines.

In December 2004, we made one of our biggest decisions as newly weds. We decided to get a puppy. Since we were both so shit scared of the idea of having to be responsible parents to a real live human, we figured we could have a 'trial' as responsible caregivers to a four legged baby instead. My husband had grown up with dogs in the household. I had had sheep, mice, cats, rabbits but never a dog. I waited 30 years for this puppy and I was determined that it would be fabulous!

On Christmas Eve 2004, we bought home a tiny black Labrador Retriever puppy. She was christened Gucci and spent most of her time sleeping in a dog crate 50 times too big for her. Buying a dog crate for a puppy is like buying a size 8 sweater for your new born baby.

Like many new parents, we had read all the books before we bought her home. Crate training versus paper training, vaccinations, commands training, healthy behaviour, toys you need, the list went on. As we opened our wallets to prepare for the new addition to our household, we thought we were maybe getting in over our heads. She was so tiny it was hard to believe we were now going to be responsible for this creature. The food bowls we had bought her for Christmas were so big that we had to resort to lids of plastic containers. What did we know about raising a puppy?

I don't think I will ever forget the two-hourly wake up calls required for "successful" crate training. It felt like we had just drifted off to sleep until a wee bark from the corner of the room would seep into your consciousness. Cradling her in my arms as I trudged down the stairs at 2:36 a.m. was the down side. Standing outside on the lawn giving her the command "Hurry up" was also a bit of a low point.........especially during monsoon season. Back inside for the same routine to repeat itself in another couple of hours. But was it worth it? Every minute of it.

Now, two years on, we own the most beautifully behaved dog. She sits for her food, she never soils in the house and is the greatest listener when you have had a bad day. Her soulful brown eyes, her loveable demeanour and the fact that she is ALWAYS happy to see you (even if you just went upstairs to get something) and I think this is about as good as parenthood gets.

So, will it be the same with a baby? The first six months of no sleep and being tired and being consistent coupled with the moments of peaceful slumber and smiles and the smell of baby powder. I guess so. I mean, I haven't had a baby so I don't really know. After talking to friends, becoming a parent really does sound like hard work. But it also sounds amazing.

I don't know if my husband and I are ready to be parents to a real live human being. But we'll never know unless we try.....and that's where we are at the moment. Ready to take the plunge but absolutely terrified of the challenges we are going to face. I guess it will be just like that first night when Gucci came home - it was so scary but also really cool all at the same time.

Over a glass of wine the other night, I suggested to my husband that maybe we just get more dogs. He just looked at me like I was telling a really bad joke. It appears that we have reached the fork in the road - sleepless nights and child proof locks or dog hair and Luke Skywalker lifesizers?

Get out your light sabres.........the battle of dogs versus babies has begun.

Why do women need so many shoes?

Last week I found myself at dinner with a friend of my husband and his girlfriend. OK, let me be honest, she wasn't just his girlfriend. She was also an incredibly beautiful model. Yes, flawless skin, figure-to-die-for and a lovely person. Intimidated? Me? Absolutely!

When you get two women at a dinner table, regardless of their flawless skin, what happens? They talk. About shoes. And there I was thinking I would have absolutely nothing in common with a model.

My husband excused himself from the table. Desperate to talk about something both women could relate to, my husband's friend asked "the question". Why do women need so many pairs of shoes? The eyes in that flawless skin looked into mine and we both turned on him. That poor deluded man visibly shrunk into his seat. The floodgates were open.

The easiest way to explain it was to liken it to his common interest with my husband - cycling. Cycling enthusiasts would agree that when riding in different terrains, you need different types of bikes. Down hill bikes, road riding, mountain biking, cross country. The same goes for shoes. The mall, walking, dinner parties, nightclubs - same deal. Different terrain requires different levels of footwear.

There are basically only a few rules for shoes. Can you walk in them? Dance in them? Will there be grass at the event - if so, stilettos are out. Easy. So why don't guys get it?

Choosing your shoes is an integral part of a woman's day. You have to take into account every type of terrain you will encounter in the next 12 hours, especially as few of us have the luxury of changing during the day. When I was teaching, I would have to think carefully about which shoes would best suit the day's demands. Four classes in a row - ballet pumps were a must. An easy day with little need for walking - heels that were bearable for at least 90-minutes-of-teaching on your feet. However, it doesn't stop there. If you are teaching teenagers, you also need to ponder the current fashions at that time. If wedges are in and you are still wearing two year old square heels, you instantly lose credibility......especially with the girls in your class. You owe it to the young minds of the future to be in style. Nobody wants to spend a year in class with a teacher who wears vinyl zip side loafers.

Considering there are five to six working days in a week, you need at least eighteen pairs of shoes for these situations. The count begins.

Social situations can often be the minefield of every self-respecting shoe diva. You are having dinner with friends so a pair of equally glam heels are a definite must. But after a couple of bottles of Sauvignon Blanc, someone suggests moving onto a club. Can you dance in your heels? If not, there is a crisis on hand. Your choices are either to go home (feigning extreme tiredness on account of the fact that you went shopping today) or suffer through the night, get blisters and have to spend the next week in flip flops. The easiest way to avert this crisis is to wear shoes that can handle dinner out, dancing and still be glamourous.

Shoe count - eighteen pairs (at the very least) for work, five to ten for dinners only, five to ten for dancing. We are already looking at forty pairs which are ABSOLUTELY necessary.

The changing world of fashion must also be accounted for. A true shoe diva must be ready for anything. You need to have wedge heels, round toe, points, kitten heels, slingbacks, flip flops, embellished flats, sports shoes. Taking this into account and the requirements of at least two pairs per style and you are already looking at approximately fifty to sixty pairs of shoes.

I haven't even touched on the world of boots. This is one of the most difficult areas of footwear, especially if you live in a permanently hot and humid climate. The pointy stiletto boots you wore for three weeks during last year's winter in New Zealand just might not cut it for Christmas in England this year. Ammunition such as the latest editions of Vogue, Cosmo and InStyle are now your best defence.

For those non-shoe divas reading this post, you must be thinking how incredibly expensive this can be. How could I possibly support this shoe habit as a non-working wife? Simple really. During our exchange of wedding vows, my husband promised to keep me in shoes for the rest of my life. This vow was made in front of all our friends and family so I have witnesses.

When my husband returned to the dinner table, he politely enquired about what we had been talking about. His friend, visibly in shock, relayed the question. My husband raised his eyebrows, looked straight at him and said, " You have a lot to learn".

To blog or not to blog?

My husband Dave and a good friend, Jabiz, have been trying to hook me into blog spaces for quite some time. I must admit, the idea seemed cool but I just didn't have the time. Up until a couple of months ago, I have been working full time in international schools. I just couldn't find the time. Truly. Those teachers reading this know what it is like to juggle life at home, a social life, four classes a day and all that bloody grading! But here I am, a new expat wife with all the time in the world.

I have visited a number of blog sites over the last few weeks. Some are intense, some thought-provoking. Some are funny, silly, topic focused or just entertaining. I love the ones with music and photos and quotes and videos. I also love reading discussions about world issues, environmental topics, online arguments. So what will mine be like I wondered?

Mine is just going to be mine - the musings of a shoe diva. Flats or heels? Getting caught in the rain in a pair of incredibly inappropriate six inch stilettos. Why Teva sandals should never be worn in a professional work place, especially with a tie-dyed dress. You get it - really intellectual stuff like that.

Welcome to my musings, shoe diva or not.