One of my favorite things: when I read a book that transforms the lens in which I see the world, or the way I see myself. Another one of my favorite things: when I convince someone to read one of those books, and he or she loves it as much I do.

So here’s a short list of books that transformed the way I see the world. I could go on for pages, but here’s a start, and if you’re at your bookstore, library or amazon.com, do check these out:

1) Louise Hay, You Can Heal Your Life. My 2010 lifesaver when people and situations around me were fucking up big time. This book became my bible as I discovered how our thoughts really shape our lives (perception is reality) and how we DO have the control to think about a situation in whichever way we choose. The perfect spiritual primer for anyone ready to make a change. Amen.

2) Mark Kurlansky, Salt. The only rock we eat, Kurlansky takes on the world history of a commodity, that, in times past, was the impetus for exploration, political oppression, and social change. What we take for granted today as the most ubiquitous seasoning on the planet, was once a rare and prized substance that literally meant the difference between life and death in the pre-Frigidaire era.

3) Asne Seierstad, The Bookseller of Kabul. Journalist Seierstad goes to Afghanistan in 2001 and meets Sultan Khan, an unusual man with a passion for preserving the literary heritage of his country in the face of Taliban oppression. Khan agrees to let Seierstad live with his family, and this book is a portrayal of the Khan family. It’s a depressing story of violence, suffering and oppression, particularly of women. An expose of a brutal male-dominated society where even after the fall of the Taliban, women are held in bondage within the confines of their own homes – some reduced to the role of servants, others are sold off as little more than slaves, all are physically and verbally abused, and in some cases killed.

If Afghanistan, both pre and post Taliban, interest you, then I would highly suggest reading the next book…..

4) Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner. The Kite Runner is a remarkable feat of storytelling with an intricate plot woven like the finest of Afghan carpets. Readers of “The Kite Runner” should consider themselves twice-blessed–to read a wonderful work of fiction is always a treat, but to find your understanding of the world deepened when you’re done is a bonus.

There is no doubt that the Kite Runner is a beautifully told story of sin, betrayal and redemption, and I couldn’t help thinking how cinematic this story could be; it’s just crying out to be made into a movie (which it did in 2008) as it has all the ingredients. This literary treat has everything – a doomed childhood friendship, family loyalties, a hidden family secret, a hurried escape to a different land, a battle with a cold, harsh bureaucratic system, and an evil regime which stifles individual freedom.

Using “kite flying” as a symbol for Amir and Hassan’s friendship, I learnt how an act in the past can affect the present, how it is possible to right old wrongs,  that forgiveness is possible, and that there are some bonds that can never be broken.

Read this book, honor your spirit, and then share it with those you love.

5) Andy Warhol, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol. I was 14 when my art teacher dedicated an entire Warhol lesson just because he could, I suppose. That started my obsession with POP-ism and all things Warhol. This book is not so much about the man himself as it is about him making philosophy pop. To make philosophy pop, Andy shared his observations and values on the topics of abstract philosophy such as love, beauty, death, time, economics and of course, art. However, he rendered them pop by talking about them the way ordinary people talk about them. Genius.

Plus, Warhol should not be underestimated. His contributions and challenges to society are not limited to areas he is well known for, such as painting, movies, interviewing. It extends to philosophy and the spirit in which we live each day. Warhol lives. If we practice pop philosophy in the manner he suggests in this book, we may find our lives worth living a good deal more than academic philosophers have shown. Forget the doctorate, go to your own school of Warhol.

And I leave you with my favourite pop philo nugget from the book, “The best space is an empty space. I feel bad making art for a living – which really just wastes all that wonderful empty space. The only thing better than an empty room is an empty room with a little hole in the wall that looks over into another empty room.”

6) Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love. This book changed my life. The act of reading Gilbert’s text is in itself a meditation. As I followed her on her journey, I began to explore my own life, my fears, my biggest hopes and dreams and myself in its purest form. Perhaps we can’t all travel the world to heal our wounds, but this book is healing power. It made me dig down deep, to go to places I wasn’t sure I wanted to go, and then it asked me to move on – changed. This book is not a “self help” book by any means. It is very clear Gilbert wanted her readers to experience pure joy, forgiveness, to live our best lives.

Whilst reading the India (Pray) chapter of the book (on a flight to Bali), what started emerging from the deep recesses of my soul was an immense sense of loss, disappointment and rejection – a result of finally having the courage to come face to face with the pain of dealing with a failed relationship. And as I allowed myself to fully embrace that pain in its entirety, I realised that “eventually, everything goes away”. This pain is not permanent. It can’t be. And there it was on the page. The gem of a line that in years to come, I will look back at this very moment as such a sweet time of grieving… “When the karma of a relationship is done, only love remains. It’s safe. Let go.”

I was in mourning once, and yes, my heart was broken, and that can only mean one thing – “it means we have tried for something”.

And last but not least….

7) Paolo Coelho, The Alchemist. If you enjoyed the simplicity of “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, you will love this Paolo Coelho literary masterpiece. The message I got from this book is a spiritual one – that only by finding what you love and what your passion is do you move in line with the universe – according to the way things are destined to be. If you don’t see inside your heart/soul clearly, it’s difficult to move forward in line with the universe. It’s an inspirational way to look at life and at the course we chart for ourselves over the years.

So…..

If you are about to give up your goal because it looks remote,

If your heart tells you the little comforts of a secure life no longer satisfy her,

If you wake up one day with half your life behind you and you remember an old forgotten dream,

Read this simple tale of a humble shepherd. It will calm your fears, clear your doubts and set you on the route to the hidden treasure which is in the hearts of those who still believe in dreams.

I hereby introduce you to one of China’s formidable digital taskforce – the team at PHD Shanghai, China.

(we’re missing David and Crystal)

Back in 25 Feb 2010, PHD Shanghai consisted of one rather amazing digital extraordinaire – me. Fast forward 18 months, that count has grown to 16. Consisting of 4 super interns and 12 full-timers, we spend most of our time laughing, eating, snacking, joking, poking fun at David and Thomas – all with the common aim of having a lot of fun whilst producing good work.

We work on Estee Lauder, Clinique, Origins, La Mer,  Bobbi Brown, M.A.C, Lab Series, DKNY Fragrances, New Balance, Laniege, Mamonde, Standard Chartered Bank, Esprit, Cerebos, Porsche and Harrods. It’s not Nike but hey, we have tons of fun time mucking around so that balances everything out.

One Love. One Team. ‘Ave it.

Earlier today, it dawned upon me that I haven’t updated this blog in a long time. Yeap. A bloody long time, actually.

Obviously, that realisation led to a period (we’re talking a couple of minutes here) of reflection and one of my emotions is a creeping guilt at the fact that I’ve not documented the shifts in my life in the past year in any meaningful way. For example, posting it right here. But as the saying goes, “It’s never too late” so I’m grabbing that by the balls and I stand before all ye who is even interested, to share my 2010/11 milestones:

1) On 5th March 2010, Natalie and I set up a passion project called “thelittlegreendoor” . Subscribing into the ethos of “Karmic Living” – transcending age, culture, race, religion and beliefs – TLGD is deeply rooted in the concept of “Pay It Forward” by enabling spiritual and wellness workshops, events and community gatherings to be as accessible and affordable as possible.

2) I’ve done tons of inner work and essentially taking a serious look at my destructive patterns, and gaining a stronger sense of awareness of the mental/emotional blockages in my life.

3) Forgave, reconciled and healed the long-standing strained relationship with my mother

4) Dated all kinds of men, wasted my time on a couple, got stalked by one, and only to learn one thing: When you are happy, you are sexy.

5) On the work front, I built a team of 15 super smart and amazing digital geniuses at PHD Shanghai. It’s a dream for every manager to have what I have, and for that, I’m very very grateful.

6) Gave up on “old Shanghai houses” in favour of a luxury condominium. Not looking back.

7) Lost a few friends to the whole “I’m done with China, I’m gone. Bye” syndrome and gained new ones in return.

8 ) Outsmarted the Great Firewall of China with VPN on my iphone4 – Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Foursquare, come to me already.

9) Ripped out every single piece of black, grey or dark coloured clothing from my wardrobe (Hi, Red Cross) in favour of anything in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and pink.

10) Seen one too many psychics, astrologers, palm readers, face readers, i-ching readers, seers and Egyptian healers – same shit, different smell.

11) Opened a Weibo account which has a. Forced me to up my mandarin skills b. Turned me into an overnight success with a “V” badge (which is only ever awarded to prominent figures and celebrities )

12) That nothing I do now at work comes marginally close to what I had on Team Nike.

13) After trying to kill myself 9m underwater, I finally obtained the PADI Open Water Divers License in Koh Tao, Thailand. All of this with the help of cheap Thai beers and alcohol “buckets”.

14) Committed to 1.5 weeks of proper Vietnamese street food in Hanoi, Hoi Ann and Hue over Christmas 2010.

15) Ate and Prayed in Bali.

16) Where my social llife and friendships are concerned, I’ve learnt that having scattered leaves all around me does not compare to having a few precious gems in my pocket. So a big thank you to those who stuck with me when things got tough.

17) When things don’t go your way, it’s never a) Personal, b) Permanent and c) Pervasive. Take a chill pill and move on.

18) That when I say “Yes” to life, life says “Yes” back to me.

19) Just because we go through a difficult situation, it doesn’t mean that the future is predetermined. The future is very much in our hands, in our actions.

20) I allow myself to feel much more now. That only means 2 things – the ability to be more compassionate and cry like a fucking baby whilst watching Glee.

21) I’m now Godma to 4 very beautiful children – Ryan, Hayley, Hayden and the latest addition, Kayla (aka Lollie)

22) Flirted with the idea of a Buddhism deep-dive at Labrang Monastery (Gansu Province, China) and rode a horse across the vast grasslands of Inner Mongolia.

23) Registered my very own domain name for this blog today. Huge coup.

24) I’m in a happy place right now. No dramas, no anger, nothing. Life is really good.

Of course, there are plenty more that happened since my last blog post in February 2010. But I can’t be bothered to list them all down so the above 24 points will do.

I’m excited to be back in the blogsphere so watch this space.

During my sabbatical, I have:

1) Learnt that I can juggle crazy nights out and still have the energy and enthusiasm for some serious surfing action the following day – this means I’m still pretty Rock ‘n’ Roll.

2) Added a touch of vintage into my wardrobe – Upper Haight Street, I love you.

3) Come to fully grasp that life is not just about work work work (it only took this long to realise, yes). As they say it so well in Costa Rica…. Pura Vida!

4) Toasted raisin bagels + cream cheese + smoked salmon = The perfect breakfast

5) Shook Phil Knight’s hand, hung out with The Dales, had my first strip club experience + private lapdance, saw a psychic who told me I was cursed and was almost brainwashed at the Church of Scientology

6) Made so many friends along the way who will continue to play a part in my life

7) Decided that the New World will be my next destination after China

One day, I’m going to look back on this trip, smile and see how much impact it will have on the way I live. Until then, I’m ready to take on my new job at PHD Shanghai as well as work on the other parts of my life too.

New beginnings, exciting times ahead. Amen.

Women's Spring Fashion Trend - Ruffles!

The Spring/Summer 2010 preview runways were full of ruffles and this season, designers really did outdo themselves with their range of romantic shapes and tiers that adorned everything… from dresses and skirts to blouses and light-weight coats. So these coming seasons, it seems we are all going to be embracing our inner femininity and girlie side. Cute floaty ruffle dresses in beautiful neutral shades will be really popular, and I can’t wait for the sun to come out now!

As you can see above, the ruffle dress is an amazing piece of clothing to have in your wardrobe for the lighter months. It just oozes elegance and chic, and doesn’t need dressing up much to produce a show stopping outfit. Buy yourself a bold coloured ruffle dress and be prepared for admiring glances all the way through spring nights out!

Anyone can do ruffles but remember with any embellishment trend, the KEY is MODERATION. Ruffles immediately add femininity and elegance to any outfit, but you have to be careful not to over-ruffle yourself (no one wants to look like a cake) and add too much volume to your body. If you’re smaller on top, wearing a ruffled top is a great way to add size and volume to your bust. Similarly if you are pear-shaped or have quite a large bust, the ruffle can actually work in your favour. The ruffle detailing works really well at concealing a troublesome mid-section or to minimise the bust while drawing more attention to your legs.

Also be careful not to over accessorise. As you can see in the images above, the ruffle dress is eye catching enough on its own and looks best when kept really simple and chic. Pair with some beautiful heels and a simple clutch and keep it really elegant. The ruffle detailing is like an accessory in itself, so just stick to simple accessories and stay away from necklaces as they take the emphasis away from a ruffled top.

Tis the season to be jolly!

Today, my board was slightly smaller (that means I am advancing) and we were taught how to wax them. The waves were incredible. Trying to peddle out AND stay afloat on the board was a right mission. At one point, a massive wave came towards us and our instructors shouted for us to “jump off!” – which we did – right into the ocean’s washing machine on full speed. I must have drank half the ocean.

Managed to catch the mother of all waves and felt like I was gliding like a pro! Unfortunately, I lost focus (and balance), panicked and fell sideways pulling the board with me and ended up hitting my lips against the fins! I started bleeding and the thought of my blood dripping into the waters only gave me the jitters – what if an all-sensing and hungry shark smelt that from afar? OMG. I peddled as hard as I could towards shore whilst the saltwater did an amazing job of disinfecting my wound.

So I ended up chill-laxing on the beach, got myself a tan and headed back with the rest when they were all done. Came back, showered in a rush and turned up for Spanish lesson late. Story of my life.

Been lazing on the hammock chatting with the group and will be heading out for Matt’s leaving drinks tonight. Tomorrow, we are all going on an early morning field trip consisting of kayaking and snorkeling and for the very first time, all 2 surf groups will surf at the same time after. We are all very excited.

Til then, buenas noches y hasta manana.

Flew into Costa Rica from San Francisco (via Houston) and the friendly driver picked me up from the airport at 22:00hrs. A 1.5hrs drive west-wards towards the Pacific Ocean landed us at School of the World, a Surf/Spanish/Yoga/Photography camp located in Jaco. As the staff had all clocked out by the time I arrived at midnight, two of the students waited up for me. Which was really sweet. Thank you, Gemma & Mike. Checked into my room and went out for a little chitty chatty before we all decided it was getting late. My inaugural surf lesson started at 10:30hrs so I needed plenty of sleep for that.

Waking up at 09:00hrs am this morning, I met my other counterparts. It had rained during the night and the first group of surfers had experienced sightings of crocodiles and everyone agreed the waves weren’t as good. But we decided to head out to Playa Jaco anyway and try our luck. So we did. And I’m glad we all did because I caught my very first wave on the first ride! Stoked. Completely stoked as hell. Someone’s Costa Rica trip just got better.

Motto for the rest of the week? “Stand and Deliver”. Amen.

I felt powerful and free as I rode the waves over and over again. After the 2 hour lesson, I was completely shattered. We went back to the school and found out that our Spanish teacher had to take an emergency day off. Great! No lessons!

That can only mean one thing – a LONG LONG lunch. We stuffed our faces with delicious seafood sandwiches (I had a Wahoo sarnie which was the bee’s knees) at the Taco Seafood Bar down the road. It was orgasmic.

Got back, had a dip in the pool whilst the Costa Rican sun shone brightly and chatted with Mike, Steven & Matt. I was still buzzing from my morning’s performance. Well. I still am. I shall never forget that moment.

We’re waiting around the open-spaced kitchen area now for the others to finish their Yoga class at 18:00hrs. Then it’s dinner and probably bedtime for the Lim Meister General. Tomorrow, I surf at 11:30hrs. I can’t hardly wait.

Ex-MS, Razorfish & W+K Shanghai reunion in Portland

Rebecca Dale – check
Jason White – check
Theresa Lim – check
Alistair Lennie – where are you?

"Handpulled For Haiti" exhibit at Wieden+Kennedy

If you’ve ever thought you wanted to learn more about art, but didn’t want to stick out like a sore thumb in an art gallery, come to Portland and experience First Thursday!

On the first Thursday of every month, art galleries in Portland (primarily in the Pearl District and downtown Portland) hold receptions and stay open later into the evening to launch their new shows. Most galleries have some kind of food and drinks available (that’s me sorted), and the artists are on hand to talk about their work. It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn a little more about art, without feeling like you’ve got to be among the uber-rich to attend.

In fact, First Thursday events are popular monthly outings for all kinds of Portlanders, and while some people might take it as an opportunity to dress up, one shouldn’t feel like one has to. It’s a really casual environment, and most of the galleries are small, informal and inviting.

We checked out ”Handpulled for Haiti” which was held at the lofty offices that is Wieden + Kennedy. It was a benefit show for the Haiti Relief Effort. I was very tempted to buy at least 3 of the prints but they were massive, and it would have been a right bitch to take them back without causing wear and tear. Shame.

Then we drove down Couch Street towards NW3rd Avenue to John Jay’s studio, Compound, for more art indulgence. There were a few peeps who turned up in fancy dress outfits – nice.

Then it was dinner at PING – a South-East Asian restaurant co-owned by John Jay. The ingredients were very fresh and the dishes authentic. After packing our tummies with delicious foods, we headed home, cracked open a bottle of vino and chatted with my lovely friend Jason til it was time for bed.

Two thumbs up!

This man is stylish, ultra cool and never fails to make a fashion impression. So when the clock struck 01:00hrs on a quiet Thursday morning in Portland, imagine the alarm bells that started ringing when Jason turned to me with nothing but a style-block for First Thursday (and well, there was another reason too but we’ll leave it out for now)!

Putting on my Rachel Zoe cap, I had a very clear brief in mind – It’s First Thursday evening where Portlanders come together to sip wine and mingle. And it’s art! So let’s dress up but not over-the-top. Bearing in mind that he’s coming straight from work (and a very important meeting with the global Nike client!), let’s go semi-formal that is effortless and comfortable for a gentleman who works in only the most amazing creative agency. Right. This will be easily sorted out in a couple of minutes. Or so I thought.

No half decent ad man was gonna crush evening art galleries without a fashion centre-piece to show for. So a sleeveless Calvin Klein thermalite shell jacket was picked out and mutually agreed upon. The layered look also meant Jason could easily pile on and off whenever he was indoors or outdoors (which will be chilly). So after an hour of trying on different colour schemes, cuts, fabrics and designs, we came to a final decision (see photo above left).

This was also the first time he’s spent so much time mulling over what to wear and I was honoured to be part of that inaugural moment. This is very special.

Know that it was past 02:00hrs on a school night AND Jason had a global Nike conference call happening at 06:30hrs. But that’s how he rolls. Respect to the man.