Good Luck Nobita Tee

Note: this sounds like a sponsored article but it’s not. No one paid me or offered me anything to take this awkward pose with my new tee. I know—sad, isn’t it!

T-shirts have always been my favourite item of clothing. They are usually cheap, they are comfortable, they can be stylish, silly or plain, and they are very forgetful—t-shirts pretty much always fit no matter your size, your weight or your body shape.

I have a pretty impressive collection of t-shirts, from oversized bands and political tees I use for sleeping shirts to more trendy ones in smaller “girly” sizes I love to wear with a nice pair of jeans (jeans that fit perfectly are my second favourite item of clothing, but they are rarer than a unicorn!).

I fuel my t-shirts addiction at place like RW&Co, Old Navy or Winners. T-shirts are also one of the few things I buy online, and I often shop at Threadless where I find cool designer tees at good prices. The quality is great too, I’ve had their tees for years and they still look great despite being worn and washed very often.

I’m a bit picky when it comes to tees, though. I stay away from those displaying a brand prominently (I’m not a walking advertisement board, unless you pay me to wear your shit!). I don’t like paying high shipping fees—a $10 tee is not a bargain when shipping and handling is another $10. And I want tees that fit well—what, I have boobs to show!—not your shapeless oversized t-shirt designed for guys.

After I had Mark, I felt like shopping again. I was sick and tired of all the clothes I wore when I was pregnant and I was ready for something new. Maybe it’s part of my “identity crisis”, maybe it’s a natural reaction after baking a baby for nine months, who knows. I wanted to splurge on myself and feel good in my clothes.

But lately, I haven’t found any inspiring design on Threadless. So I subscribed to Day of the Shirt, a website aggregating limited edition designer t–shirt sales from different popular stores. After a couple of weeks, I finally found a design that caught my eye: “Good Luck Nobita” by designer Jeda, available on Unamee. Doraemon is a robotic cat, displayed here in a cartoonish way like maneki-neko, common Japanese lucky charm. These “fortune cats”, beckoning with an upright paw, are usually displayed at the entrance in shops, restaurants, etc. in Asia. The characters say “welcome luck” (in Chinese anyway, I don’t speak Japanese so I don’t know if these kanjis have a different meaning—hopefully not!). The perfect design for our multicultural household!

Ordering on Unamee was pretty straightforward. The tee was $10 and delivery to Canada, and taxes and delivery brought the total to just under $17, which is still reasonable. I paid with my Paypal account and I didn’t even have to create an account, I was able to use the guest checkout—bonus points for that, I’m sick and tired of registering on various websites just to browse or buy something.

I ordered the tee on April 2 and it was delivered on April 15—not bad! The envelope contained the folded tee and an invoice, that’s it. No note, no coupons (okay, I didn’t really expect anything!). The fabric of the tee was soft and pretty thick, good quality here. The colour (a deep navy blue) is nice and the design was printed correctly.

I ordered the smaller girl size, a “S”, and it is still a bit too large for me. It fits well but it doesn’t have a close fit. Better a bit too big than too small though!

Overall, I’m pretty happy with that new tee and with Unamee. If another of their limited-edition tees catches my eyes, I will definitely order from them again.

How about you? Got any funky tees websites to share? Where do you shop? What’s your favourite item of clothing?

Good Luck Nobita Tee

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A Very Polite Sign, Ottawa, May 2013

Canadians have the international reputation of being polite and courteous—and this apparently extends to our signs.

Construction work is a pain for everyone, pedestrians and drivers alike. Unfortunately, in Canada, because of our long and harsh winter, spring and summer are known are “construction season”. Tons of projects, from road repairs to paving, from condo developments to building demolitions, are underway all across the city. This often causes traffic delays, road blocks, dust and leads to a myriad of little annoyances.

Fortunately, this über-polite sign makes of forgetful:

“Work in progress.

Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

These improvements are for you.”

Well, I’m not sure if I will benefits from these improvements, whatever they are, but at least the apology sounds sincere!

Welcome to Canada, where our signs are oh-so-polite!

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Let’s start with the dazzling array of destinations on offer. On Independence of the Seas alone, you can visit the Caribbean Coast of Mexico and alight at Cozumel, or head to Labadee in Haiti to explore the region’s spectacular beaches and stunning wilderness. Closer to home, Independence of the Seas can take you to Le Havre for a trip to Paris, to the historical wonders of Rome, to Tenerife, or to the stunning rocky wilderness and Portuguese culture of Madeira.

But breath-taking destinations aside, that’s not what Royal Caribbean has become famous for. This innovative cruise operator is better known for its quite impressive range of on-board facilities. Just take a look at what’s on offer on Independence of the Seas. There’s a FlowRider surf simulator, a rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink, a basketball court and even a full-sized boxing ring.

If you want to take it easy, you can kick back in luxury at the spa or try a relaxing yoga session. There’s a fabulous waterpark for kids (and big kids too), a shopping village, a Vegas-style casino and too many different evening entertainment options to mention. From theatre productions and comedy clubs to piano lounges and English pubs, you’ll never have the chance to get bored.

All that — on just one ship! It’s pretty impressive stuff, and there are plenty more where that came from. You can check out the full range of Royal Caribbean holidays direct or go to a tour operator like Thomas Cook to scour a much wider range of cruise holidays from the best operators on the market. Head to www.thomascook.com/cruise or, for details on Independence of the Seas, find out more here — http://www.thomascook.com/cruise/lines/royal-caribbean/independence-of-the-seas/

Talk about a holiday to remember…

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Tofino

While all the beaches in British Columbia have gorgeous views and natural settings, Tofino offers its visitors the chance of a lifetime every spring. Over 20,000 gray whales swim in Tofino shallows every year, when you can take local tours and ferries to come up close and personal with the kings of the sea. If you’re planning a summer vacation, though, Tofino also boasts naturalist hiking trails that lead you up through the Clayoquot Sound that overlooks ocean views where you can discover a whole new ecosystem.

Okanagan

With over thirty beachfronts to choose from, ranging through a variety of beautiful coastal towns, Okanagan is a great way to summer vacation without unloading your entire wallet. While the soothing waves and golden beaches provide everything you could ever want in a beach vacation, the properties and resorts offer surprisingly inexpensive fares for you and your family. Like most British Columbian beach destinations, Okanagan also features some incredible hiking and camping trails, and even has a ski resort for those long winter months.

Vancouver Island

As the most famous beach destination in Canada, Vancouver Island has so many activities and events that it can be quite overwhelming when trying to plan a trip there. With nine individual regions to choose from, visitors can decide to relax and spend their days lying out on the sunny beaches in Parksville, explore the hiking and zip lining trails at the top of Mount Washington, or attend engaging seasonal events like the Pacific Rim Whale Festival, Nanaimo Marine Festival, or Parksville Beach Festival. Vancouver Island also offers other recreational pursuits like golf courses, sailing and boating tours, and fishing trips. There are so many things to do you will naturally want to stay a few days. Just be sure to plan ahead so that you can plan your trip with ease.

Queen Charlotte Islands

To the north of Vancouver Island lies the Haida Gwaii Islands, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands. Mainly comprised of two large landmasses, Graham and Moseley Islands, this destination is rich in indigenous culture (it’s still occupied by the Haida people), with fantastic opportunities for boating tours and camping trips into the National Park Reserve. The natural landscape is imbued with a rich cultural history that still lives and breathes all around the area. While it is one of the more remote beach locations, it is well worth the extra preparations, and once you arrive you will undoubtedly fall in love with the heritage and culture.

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Graffiti in Nantes, 2010

At 30 years old, I should have a firm grasp on my life and my unique sense of style.

I should.

Well, on the plus side, I am not in debt, I kind of like my life overall—even if it’s a bit crazy at times—and I feel thankful for what I have.

But there are these five “girly” things I can’t quite seem to master. First world problems, I know, I know…

Completing DIY Projects: Plateforms like Pinterest are getting very popular and they are all full of clever and artsy projects and “life hack”s. I read them religiously and even bookmark some ideas to Pocket. Hell, sometime I even go as far as buying whatever I need for whatever project I plan to do. But guess why? I never actually complete any project. Either they call for some tools I don’t have, some skills I don’t quite master or are just overall too complicated. So far, all I have mastered is enlarging pictures, framing them and hanging the framed shots on the wall. And even that can take me months to do (ahem, eying the empty frames I bought at IKEA in December that are still stacked under the coffee table…). Oh wait—recently I “repurposed” a few mason jars (read: washed and got the sticky “hot pepper” label off) and threw all my make-up in them. Make-up that I don’t actually use because…

Putting on makeup: In theory, I love make-up. All these colours, these glitters, these textures packed into cute and sophisticated little boxes…—I’d keep on buying more make-up if I bloody knew how to use it. But I’m pretty hopeless at applying make-up. Putting mascara on, that I’m good at. I can even do it without a mirror—a “skill” that most of my friends find funny (I just don’t know how to put mascara using a mirror, actually!). But eyeliner? Meh, it runs, looks funky or looks great on one eye and all weird on the other. Plus I can’t seem to draw a straight line (yes, despite reading tutorials). Eye shadow? I love them. The packaging is really neat and the colours are pretty awesome. When I am done reading assurance voyage articles or the news at Chapters, I like to get tips from popular magazines. But again, how on earth do women recreate the runway “smoky look” or manage to “make their eyes look bigger and brighter” (a common promise in magazines)? When I apply eye shadow over my eyelids, half of it ends up in my eyebrows and the other half on the bathroom counter! I’m not even going to start on foundation (never managed to apply it evenly) or lipstick (who am I fooling? I keep on forgetting I have lipstick on and it will end up on my fingers/my cup of tea/my teeth).

Pulling off a specific look: I like clothes. They keep me warm, finding a bargain (and pants that fit perfectly) feels awesome and feeling pretty is important. But I can never pull off a specific look. I have big fancy belts that I know would look good on a dress—I just never think of wearing them. I like the idea of wearing a skirt, legging and cool legwarmers but I never get around doing that—going bare-legged is easier. A pair of jeans and a cool graphic t-shirt are more comfortable than a fancy top with embroideries and all the accessories—not to mention, easier to wash. And asymmetric tops, really? Do I want to walk around with a bare shoulder? It would drive the OCD me nuts!

Wearing matching underwear: I am a sucker for La vie en rose underwear (usually 3 for $18!) and Calvin Klein bras. Sometimes, I even splurge at Calvin Klein and buy the matching panties but I never get around wearing the bra-and-panties set. I keep them together in my drawer—I even colour code my underwear when I have the chance, after a big load of laundry. But after my shower, I absentmindedly pick whatever is on top in my drawer and end up with mismatched lingerie again. Oh well, I don’t look like a Victoria Secret model anyway.

Styling my hair: Again, like with makeup, I like the idea of having a great hairstyle. I am lucky to have thick easy-to-style hair… so lucky that I use my hair texture as an excuse to just pull off “wash and go” look. I absolutely hate using a hairdryer because my hair look so fluffy afterwards and I really don’t have the patience for a proper blow-dry—not that I would know where to start, anyway. I would love to know how to use these funky hair products my stylist use on me after a cut—even though I beg him not to because I can’t recreate the style at home anyway. But I don’t like the texture of my hair afterwards and since I tend to twist my hair like a shy five-years-old, texture matters to me.

So, please, tell me… am I the only one who doesn’t master these “skills”?

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As beach holidays go, Turkey is a fantastic sun-and-sea based Mediterranean getaway. There are an abundance of holiday resorts lining up along its beautiful beaches.

There’s gorgeous Antalya, which is a haven of relaxation and cultural experiences. Here you’ll find bubbly beach resorts like Side, Lara Beach and Alanya, which serve up a concoction of laid-back lazy days on the beach and lively nightlife. You’ll also find plenty in the way of watersports and day excursions here, whether it’s a family boat trip or a fabulous stay on a Gulet cruise. Venture a little further afield in Antalya and experience ancient Greek and Roman cities, not to mention magnificent Byzantine ruins. You can tour the remains of these incredible, centuries-old civilizations and picture life as it once was.

Over in Bodrum, the pace of life picks up with a cornucopia of bustling beach resorts, vibrant towns and eclectic nightlife. In the lively resort of Gumbet it’s all non-stop action by day and night, with plenty of watersports and fun on the golden sands, followed by an endless stream of pubs and clubs to add a little zest into your time away. In the town of Bodrum itself however, it’s like stepping back in time. You could easily spend a day here, exploring its maze-like streets and buzzing bazaars, tasting the local delicacies and discovering the days of the crusades at the ancient St Peter’s Castle.

Discover — or rediscover — Turkey, and you’ll find a Mediterranean gem that will never be too far from your holiday wish list.

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My Maya Ring, Bought on Novica

Thank you to all of you who entered the $50 Novica Gift Card giveaway! It was quite popular and I am happy that you enjoyed it. Awesome readers like you do deserve rewards from time to time!

I have the pleasure to announce the winner, randomly selected among all the entries. And the lucky one is…

Alice, from Une Frenchie en Québéquie!

I am actually super happy to see her win because:

1)      She is kind of cool. You may remember her from her interview I did lately, and I love her sense of humour and outlook on life.

2)      She is the kind of person who, I think, will truly appreciate shopping on Novica. I can picture her wearing something ethnic and unique.

I wish everyone could have won—yes, I am socialist!—but unfortunately, I only had one gift card to give away (wink wink Novica, we need more of these giveaways!).

I am happy to report that my own Maya ring is doing well and that I am super happy with it. I hope Alice will find what she is looking for when shopping around!

Félicitation Alice, bien joué!

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If you’ve decided to head into the capital for a few days, there are plenty of options to suit your budget. Click here to book great value London hotels if you need to travel on a shoestring, and plan some teen-friendly activities that will leave them chuffed to bits with the break, even if it does include their parents. Grownups can be cool too, right?

To keep the teens happy, you need to step away from what would have kept them occupied when they were kids. Trying to entertain teenagers is hard enough when they’re going through this phase, let alone if you’re trying to enthrall them with someone they’ll find tedious and dull. Handpick some ideal attractions for them to choose from and let them see for themselves just how interesting and fun a city break to London can be.

The London Dungeons

As soon as a teen is old enough (or allowed) to watch a scary movie, most will be hooked on all things horror. With many people, this interest continues throughout life, with adults loving their dose of scares too.

There’s nowhere better in London to satisfy the love of the macabre than the London Dungeons. With actors adding to the charade, you can enjoy some good scary fun that will provide you with plenty of laughs and gruesome anecdotes to keep the teens satisified.

Jack the Ripper Tour

Haven’t had enough scary thrills? Take the Jack the Ripper tour and go back in time to when one of Britain’s most prolific serial killers lurked around Whitechapel and beyond. While the real killer was never caught, there’s plenty of theories about who the perpetrator was. Listen to the stories from experienced tour guides as you gain insight into Victorian London. Signed, From Hell.

Ice Cream with a Difference

We all know and love ice cream, right? But have you ever tried liquid nitorogen ice cream? Head for the Chin Chin Laboratorists in Camden for ice cream like no other.

Climb the O2

If you have a head for heights, strapping yourself to the safety rails and climbing up and over the iconic O2 Arena is an unforgettable experience that you and your teens will remember forever.

Museums Don’t Have to be Dull

While some teens love museums, others may not be quite so keen. In London, there are museums like no other, especially the fun and weird Ripley’s Believe It Or Not which will entertain even the total anti-museum goer. Located in Picadilly Circus, this museum is home to the weird, wonderful and downright bizarre, including a ginormous Optimus Prime and a life-size knitted Ferrari.

With plenty to see and do to keep the kids (and you) occupied during your stay in the city, you can be sure of an awesome time. Click here to book great value London hotels and start planning your fun-filled itinerary that will keep teenage strops at bay.

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Mark, 25 Weeks and 4 Days

Once upon a time, like, six months ago, I had fantasies—some of which I won’t describe here.

Now I have a fantasy: checking into a hotel of my preference, alone. I know that I am a backpacker at heart but for that specific fantasy, let’s assume the location of the hotel doesn’t matter—only the amenities do.

I want the biggest room, with huge windows letting plenty of light in (it’s sunny in my fantasy). A king size bed or bigger, with fresh and crisp white sheets and at least four or five pillows of all sizes. A cozy spotless bathroom with a tub and plenty of fancy spa products. Two towels, the softest and fluffiest kind. A bathrobe—never actually tried one on but I have the feeling it could be nice to hang out draped in one of these.

After spending at least two hours alone in the bathtub (yay, bubble bath!), I’d turn the TV on and watch something silly, like one of these talk shows on TLC or A&E. Or maybe a comedy. I will have the remote in one hand, a drink in the other—hot sugary tea or maybe a fancy latte—and I’ll feel like I’m getting dumber by the minute. And it will be okay.

Then I’d order room service. The fattest, most delicious and hard-to-make food. I will have several kinds of foods actually, and I will savour each bite, each flavour down to the last crumb (yes, this hotel has really good bread in my fantasy). Best of all, I won’t have to do the dishes or clean up—I would simply put the tray by the front door once I’m done.

I will call for a massage. Not the dirty kind—a real full body massage performed by a therapist. From my scalp to my toes, from my aching neck and shoulders to the tip of my fingers. It would be an hour-long massage and I wouldn’t need to worry about making it home on time for Mark’s feeding or anything, because remember—I am alone.

Completely alone and free.

I don’t have to startle each time I hear noise that sound like a cry. I don’t have to bump against the garbage full of dirty diapers. I don’t have to take a five-minute long shower because someone downstairs is hungry and needs a bottle. I don’t have to whisper because someone has just passed out on the couch. I don’t have to comfort anyone, change anyone, feed anyone, burp anyone, entertain anyone, hold anyone.

I have plenty of time and I can take care of myself.

I can linger on the hotel’s balcony, have a smoke and watch the sunset. I can finish the two novels I started six months ago. I can pluck my eyebrows, wax my legs, apply a facial mask and pop a zit—oh come on, as it you never do it! I can slowly drift into sleep and take some time to stretch in bed when I wake up.

I don’t need to rush, don’t need to get shit done, don’t need to put someone else’s needs before mine.

I know, kids are great and motherhood is the adventure of a lifetime. Blah blah blah.

But after six months of non-stop mothering with no break whatsoever, I wish I could have some me-time and recharge my batteries.

I need to take care of myself too.

This is just a fantasy, I won’t be spending anytime alone in a fancy hotel anytime soon. But seriously, the thought of it is tempting.

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In The Subway, Paris, 2010

It’s no secret that Paris is a pretty expensive city, for both travelers and residents. You can always save on transportation by buying a subway pass or walking everywhere, and save on food by eating like locals, favourite small boulangeries rather than pricey restaurants.

But you still have to sleep somewhere. And trust me, staying in a convenient and clean place makes all the difference in a city like Paris, that can be a bit chaotic at times. You want a nice bed and a good shower at the end of the day, after a few stinky subway rides.

Nantes, where I grew up, is only a two-hour TGV ride from Paris, so I used to go to la capitale quite often. Sometime, I managed to take a one-day trip by catching the 6 a.m. train to Paris and the midnight train back to Nantes. But I often had to stay overnight in Paris, which invariably meant crashing at someone’s place. See, everybody knows how hard and expensive it can be to find accommodation in Paris, so anyone actually living there is usually happy to offer the couch (or some floor space) to friends visiting.

I have shared a single bed with many of my friends and a few strangers, I have slept on half-broken IKEA couches and even under a desk.

That was back when I was single, bien sûr.

When Feng and I first traveled to Paris together, I was naturally ready to dial “Paris SOS”, aka my network of Parisian friends who live in tiny studio apartments. But Feng did not like the idea of crashing at someone else’s place. I guess Canadians do not face the same housing problem as French do—there is a lot more space! Plus it’s cultural: North Americans tend to value personal space more than Europeans.

“We’ll find a hotel,” said Feng. “Isn’t it what we always do when we travel?”

Turned out that Paris hotels are easy to find online. Funny that I had never tried that before.

While I was already imagining us forced to stay in a faraway suburb (not the headline-worthy 93 département, I was mentally begging), we found quite a few options close to the main sights. And they turned out to be affordable.

See, Paris doesn’t have to be that expensive.

We stayed in a hotel close to Barbès that had the biggest bathroom that I have ever seen in Paris—it was like the size of your average student room. We stayed in another hotel in the same neighborhood where we barely had enough room for two people and two backpacks—and this time, the shower simply didn’t work. We almost stayed in a place that had a little bug problem but fortunately ended up being switched to another better hotel and spent the night just a few meters from the Eiffel Tower.

Moral of the story? Yes, you can find cheap hotel rooms in Paris through a few specialized websites. As long as you are willing to be flexible (let’s face it—you won’t find a room with a view on the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, the Champs Élysées and Notre Dame, because contrary to what American movies seem to think, these places are not close to each other’s!) and do some research, there are great deals out there.

Just remember these five tips:

1)      Hotel rooms in Paris (and in Europe in general) are much smaller than in North America. If you are over 6’ tall, you may have to take some interesting yoga poses in the shower cabin. Just sayin’.

2)      Read the reviews and analyze them. I find that reviews are very helpful to get an idea of the place, but you can’t trust them blindly. For instance, I don’t really care if Mary from Chicago was offended that the hotel owner doesn’t speak fluent English, but I am worried if John from New York mentions bed bugs. Some people like to complain about everything while other raise valid issues—just weed out the complainers and focus on informational reviews.

3)      Focus on what matters the most to you. Location in a specific arrondissement? An historical hotel? Fancy amenities? Accessible room? Narrow down the choices based on your needs.

4)      Always print out the booking confirmation, especially if you use a third-party website and don’t book directly with the hotel.

5)      Skip the hotel breakfast and head to the boulangerie—you will get the same croissant but cheaper.

Happy travels!

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