Cultural identity for the modern age

©Gabriel Motica from Libotin

We talk about globalisation, we talk about international citizens and we talk about living in a virtual age. We move faster and faster towards a more densely wired future where everyone blends in to any cultural and geographical context. While this is obviously a step forward and there are countless advantages to a physically and spiritually borderless world, we risk loosing ourselves in the process.

Adapting to a new country doesn't mean forgetting your own roots. Becoming a global citizen shouldn't entail repressing your individuality. And growing into a new culture doesn't mean suppressing your cultural identity.

My big fat greek holiday

Straight after graduating and packing my life in boxes again, my boyfriend and I went on our first holiday alone together to the idyllic island of Skiathos. It had some of the best sand beaches I have ever been on, was featured in Mamma Mia (yes, I sang along) and hosts a renowned gyros place. Truly the ideal place for a chill couple's holiday 💕

Winter to Spring skincare

Happy spring to you all! I've arrived in Bucharest almost a week ago to find more snow than we had in December and January, meaning my workouts have been less gym and more snow-shovelling. I also haven't left the house much because it's so cold and even so my skin has been under a lot of strain. It's pretty common to get sensitive/dry skin when inside the air is hot and dry and outside the chilly winds seem to almost scratch at your face so I treated myself to a couple of Sephora skincare goodies to give my skin a helping hand. 

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES in under 25 minutes

I love baking but more often than not baking doesn't love me. Something about the technique and precise measurements doesn't sit well with my lack of skills, so when recipes come through for me it's a momentous occasion. These chewy chocolate chip cookies are dedicated to my friend and Milan roommate Chloé who gave me the recipe which I sliiiightly adapted. 

HI AGAIN

All change is good change, especially when there's an old, uninspiring blog concerned.

La dolce vita on Lake Como

When you think Lake Como you think big sunglasses, riding in a convertible and hopping on boats with a drink in hand. And you wouldn't be thinking all that far from reality because Lake Como is the stuff dreams are made of: millions of shades of blue, mountains dipping straight into the glistening calm lake, air so clean you can smell a crisp alpine breeze and cute colourful villages where nothing probably ever happens (other than George Clooney dropping by to get his newspaper of course).

Cheating on Milan for a day

View of Varese from the Giardini Estense

Even though Milan is a cosmopolitan and international industry powerhouse in which most dream to fit its hectic half jet-setting half latin rhythm, I find myself daydreaming of the day I'll get to take a train out of the city and into the green countryside. There's a small chance the 9 hours I spend in an office every day contribute to my oxygen depravation but I know myself enough to say that being outdoors is what brings me peace and happiness. Thankfully, my job also entails sometimes spending a day a week at Villa Panza in Varese, a small city I had never heard of and never really intended to visit anyway.

Easy Cinnamon Bun recipe | Baking like a wannabe-pro

Baking has never really been my strong point - I have the lack of intuition that makes the difference between a newbie and a seasoned pro. And without fail there is something in the recipe I missread or I'm oblivious to steps that maybe to the writer who has perfected and made said recipe a million times seem self-explanatory. Long story short, whenever my deserts turn out close to how they should it's a real success, one I cannot not share.

What to see in Paris | Off the beaten track

Touristy Paris is relatively easy and quick to see - three days in the capital of 'joie de vivre' should suffice if you're after the classic trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower, snoop at the Orsay and selfie with the Notre Dame Cathedral. But I think no one should be content with seeing just that; not saying these attractions aren't good but they aren't particularly telling of the REAL Paris, the one you discover when you get lost or when you take a route less known.

Where to eat in Paris

Illustration by @marialyngdk

With allegedly 40,000 restaurants and probably twice as many cafés, Paris is a foodie's heaven and an indecisive person's hell. A maze as complicated as its beautiful stone-paved streets, Paris needs to be navigated with an open mind as well as with *some* apprehension; much like in a computer game, there are tourist traps at every corner, just waiting to take a ridiculous amount of your gold coins for an underwhelming onion soup.

Best of | H&M beauty

It's taken me a solid year to find out that H&M had launched a new and very trendy beauty line, which frankly doesn't surprise me since I usually triple-check even my drugstore beauty purchases. Long story short, you wouldn't catch me dead buying anything else other than nail polish from "mothership brands" (aka brands that technically specialise in one think but then release a myriad of other stuff). I think it was a video of Tati's, also known as GlamLifeGuru on Youtube, that actually brought this line to my attention and it has been there ever since, so much so that I took the dive into the unknown and emerged 30 euros lighter.

Chateau de Chantilly | Day trip from Paris

I spent one of the best days this autumn visiting Chantilly castle with Diana. The endless shades of green and rusty red were almost more intense after the spot of rain and there was that crisp smell of winter in the air which made it even more perfect. 

Mornings like this

   Temptation looms at every street corner, boulangerie or even local Carrefour city. Needless to say I have developed the superpower - or bad habit - of shamelessly eating a whole bar of chocolate in 15 minutes, undeterred by the ensuing tooth ache because oh-the-irony I am sensitive to sweetness! However, life is short and my stay in Paris even shorter so I'm Carpe diem-ing all the way. This morning I treated myself to my favourite tea (Fortnum & Mason black peach), my new favourite read and a mouth-watering brioche loaf from La maison Pralus. 😋

Chateau de Sceaux | day trip from Paris

What do you do on a *hot* September day in Paris? You take the RER and head to Sceaux, that's what! 

Focus | The Louis Vuitton Foundation

Probably the only Vuitton you'll ever catch me in. And thank goodness they haven't decided to monogram it! 

Complete guide to Versailles palace & gardens

Courtesy of yours truly, newly enrolled Ecole du Louvre student (who goes on a lot of educational trips and thus has learnt pretty much all there is to know about Versailles): You're welcome and enjoy your visit - it's a once in a lifetime experience of decadence, history and awe!

My first month in Paris

@anapersinaru on insta

+ Paris, B.O. capital.

It might be the unusually hot weather or the stubbornness to transition to the fall wardrobe already but people stink of sweat here. There's at least one person on every street corner, in every shop or in your metro wagon and they really turn your stomach inside out - it's that bad. Hopefully the cold will freeze over the smell, we shall see. 

P.S - I can certify the smell has mostly gone by the end of September.

+ The French really are into sex. Specifically, the loud type and usually with windows wide open. I found out on a peaceful Tuesday evening when I was minding my own business and loud moans just echoed through the main courtyard where my window opens onto. Needless to say I took to snapchat to record the auditory ordeal I was going through, to the point where I was laughing so much I had tears in my eyes. It's now happened twice and I am praying for the autumn cold to set in so they close their damn windows.

Tips on finding an apartment in Paris

Another chatty blog post, another badly photoshopped cover photo. You are most welcome!

If you're about to move to Paris... good luck! You'll need it to find you perfect place, just like you'll need time, patience and a keen eye for fraud. Before I delve into my many anecdotes of how I found my flat in Paris, I'll insert my "checklist" of steps to follow when faced with said promethean task, one that I've only compiled now in hindsight but which would have been extremely helpful in the beginning of the process.

I'm moving to Paris!

Well hello there! Sorry I've been a stranger around here but life has been hectic, which means that I have lots to chat about, naturally. 

No, the title isn't clickbait (though I can't guarantee for my badly photoshopped photo *it's artsy ok?*), I'm actually moving to Paris. Very soon, in like 3 days. And for just 4 months. Lol, what am I like eh?

About my Romanian blouse, Brexit and everything in between