Living Cautiously Abroad

I was living in Florence, Italy during the 2009 Amanda Knox murder trial.  I was studying at Polimoda and, as a foreign student, I knew I had to be extra cautious.  I was in a different country, all by myself, with no family or friends to protect me.

Photo by: boncherry.com

Especially as a female, it was extremely important that I didn't get caught in any uncomfortable situations or associate too closely with people I wasn't well acquainted with.  The story of Amanda Knox is devastating in so many ways, especially to the victim, Meredith Kercher, and her family.

Photo by:  wikipedia.com

I hope many people will remember Meredith, more so than Amanda.....because at least we can protect and prevent other girls and foreign exchange students from this awful, unexplainable "pain".

I pray for the Kercher family and hope that no one else has to feel their pain.  Please understand that living in a foreign country isn't always as glamorous as it seems.  And as a female, I don't believe that we should live in fear but we should always live cautiously.  Be aware of your surroundings and think of your safety above anything else.

With that said, POLIMODA STUDENTS ~ make sure you enjoy every aspect of living abroad in Florence!  Go out, enjoy the scenes and go to restaurants to eat amazing food.  Have fun at the bars and clubs...the Italian men will definitely be worth the outing!!  Va bene!!

Enjoy....and be safe!
XOXO
Mimi

NyQuil to the Rescue

I cannot even count how many people got sick this winter!! Everyone had a cold and, trust me, it was a nasty virus that was going around!! I was sick for 2 weeks (which seems like a record for me) and NyQuil was my best friend. Thank God for NyQuil!

A White Christmas

I went up to Big Bear this year and, I have to admit, it was nice to have some fun in the snow.

Daddys be like Diddy

I don't know why but I was recently thinking about Diddy and his kids....maybe because my BFF's "baby daddy" is a total deadbeat!  Anyways...

Photo by:  POPEATER

I'm sure most of you know that one of Diddy's kids received a $360,000 Maybach car for his 16th birthday.  Sweet.  And not only did he get the car, a personal driver came as part of the birthday package.  Sick!  LOL I also saw Justin's episode on MTV's Super Sweet Sixteen :) that party was pretty tight...fosho!!

Anyways, I read an article about the interview Diddy did with that Bristish reporter, Martin Bashir (you know, the famous one who interviewed MJ) and during the interview Diddy got grilled about getting his son that car, having multiple baby mamas, not living with his kids...blah blah blah!  Pretty much, they were "judging" Diddy for this life-style.

Well, I look at it like this; there are so many "daddys" out there that don't give two sh**s about their kids, seriously, some jerks won't even claim their own flesh and blood.  That's sad.  And then there's Diddy.  Probably one of the richest and most successful man in the world...and he chooses to put in the time and effort to take care of all that is his.  He has to work hard and travel all over the world (for business...and pleasure) but he makes sure his kids are grounded and well taken care of.  His baby mamas are like Top 10's,...classy, beautiful and intelligent women.  So if people are hating on that, then that's SAD.  Trust me, ya'll just jealous...I know you are because so am I!  LOL

Mad respect to you, Diddy....let the haters hate, just do your thang!!  

YOU ARE AN AWESOME FATHER!

XOXO Mimi

POLIMODA: Fashion Institute (Italy)

I've been recently getting a lot of private messages from readers (thanks so much for reaching out to me!) and they mainly ask me questions about POLIMODA.  So I just wanted to share this e-convo I had with my one of my TripAdvisor Readers....I hope this info helps for other future-POLIMODA students out there as well!  Just go for it! XOXO

My name is Chelsea. I'm considering fashion studies at Polimoda in Florence and stumbed across your review on the Poggio Imperiale Apartments. They sound great - thanks for the info/tips. I'm applying for the Orientation in Fashion course commencing in October and are really interested in finding out about your experiences at Polimoda (what you studied, how did you find the course and did it allow you to get start a career in fashion in Europe or back in the USA). I live in Australia and are comtemplating a 360 degree career change (currently work in science/nutrition) so I'm a bit nervous about quiting my job, travelling to the other side of the world etc...
Would love to hear about your experiences :-)

(CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON Poggio Imperiale Apartments)

Hi Chelsea!!

I'm actually in Lebanon right now....reunion with my Polimoda friends!! I absolutely loved my stay in Florence and studying at Polimoda!

I will write you back with more info when I return to the states ;) thx for the message!

Ciao Bella!




Hello Bella Mimi.....

Thanks so much for the message.....can't wait to hear more and very happy that Polimoda was a good experience. for you. I just want to do my homework before I take a huge leap of faith but my instincts tell me Polimoda is an excellent school. As for Florence itself, I love the city and would feel pretty comfortable living there as it's not too big and crazy like Milano or Roma. But this whole European economic business is a bit concerning, I don't really know how much impact that could have on Polimoda and the Italian fashion industry (my goal is to do the Masters in Fashion Design, then aim for an internship)? OMG, I need to stop watching the serious news channel every night and tune into some light and fluffy sitcoms!! I think going to Europe to study at the moment is a risk I'm willing to take....
looking forward to your insight - are you on facebook?

100 Thankyous :-)
Enjoy the rest of your holiday!




Ciao Bella Chelsea~

I'll first start off by saying going to Polimoda was by far the best decision of my life. I met the most amazing people from all around the world. We came from over a dozen different countries and lived in Italy together and seriously had the time of our lives!! I just got back from my reunion in Jordan/Lebanon with my friends from Polimoda....we get together for each other's weddings :) last year, we were in India!

We studied at Polimoda in Florence, Italy from June to December of 2009. During the summer, we had a 3-week vacation from school and went traveling around the country (Cinque Terre, Sienna, Via Reggio, Forte de Marmi...tips for your trips =)..) We really took advantage of our time and opportunities...the country is safe overall but just be smart and plan your trip well. Research the cities, check online for train tickets/schedules, look up prices for hostels (they're safe...in Cinque Terre we met an Australian guy!! He was going on a "world tour" and stayed in the 4-bed room at the hostel with us 3 girls...cool guy!) Also, a traveling tip, take advantage of RYAN AIR and travel Europe! I went to Barcelona for my birthday while studying at Polimoda...tickets were only 20 euros! Amazing!!

The courses at Polimoda were great....very interesting, useful, and all the good stuff! It's a great school if you get the most out of if...enjoy their library (amazing collections of fashion books....by far one of the best) and get to know the other students from the LM programs, too, they have brilliant people among them! Be open to discussions and make use of the lectures and take notes (being an American..I was introduced to a lot of European brands, designers and companies...a big plus for me!) After class, I would go on Google and research the brands and find out who's the head designer of what label and which country the brand originated from...things like that were interesting to me.

And FLORENCE...my dear Firenze, is the best place to be! The city is absolutely gorgeous, oozing with all the happiness of carefree living...."dolce far niente". The food is amazing, the nightlife is amazing, the wine is amazing....find the right people and the time will be amazing! Not to mention, I did my research on the cost of living and studying in Polimoda and it was the best choice compared to cities like Roma or Milano or even Paris. Yes, of course, I checked Paris! But Florence was the right choice...and I'm telling you, it was amazing. Just enjoy....

You studied a whole different field but don't worry...if you want to study fashion, then study fashion. Polimoda is a great school because it's an international school that accommodates well to the diversity of their students. A lot of the girls in my program came from different fields as well and they did great at Polimoda and they all have established careers at big name companies and did exceptionally well in the fashion and marketing industries after graduating. I, myself, still work in the fashion industry and extremely enjoy what I do and Polimoda was very useful to further my education in fashion (I graduated with a BA in Fashion Design and completed my Masters at Polimoda in Fashion Merchandising and Management).

But make your own decision. If your heart is not fully in it, you're not going to enjoy it. And living in Italy is not the most pleasant experience, either. You have to tell yourself that Italy is "new and different" so you have to adjust to their ways and pretty much, "get with the program". For example, I had a package coming from the US to Florence and the local postal service never delivered it to my apartment at Poggio Imperiale. Clara, my apartment manager, did everything to help me but they returned my package back to the States and I never got my things. Seriously, the Italian postal service is just plain sh*t. (Yea, I said it...it's the worst service ever so don't expect any packages from home....it's not worth it., just buy it in Florence.) But hey, what can you do?  That's "Italian"... I really did appreciate Clara, though, she was always so helpful. She was the best apartment manager ever because she was always so sweet and so welcoming. She gave me a great first impression of the Firenze and the local "Italians"....molto bene!

I could go on and on forever but I'll stop here for now. Feel free to check out my blog (themimiamore.blogspot.com) and you can find me on twitter @themimiamore

Hope my tips helped....and thanks so much for reaching out! I'll just sum it up by saying..."AMO LA MIA VITA"

Ciao
XOXO Mimi




 Dearest Mimi,

Thanks so much for your message, you are an Angel. Such great information, loads of detail and above all else passion....for the experience you had at Polimoda....for your career...for travel....for life..... such passion is very much what I'm lacking in my current life and profession!

I'm a classic all rounder, and at school my teachers made me do math/science major cos I could do it - but my heart was always in the arts. In my final year of high school I did art (a mythical beast ceramic sculptor folio & along with other stuff) to keep me sane along with the other blah maths, chemistry, physics subjects: I received the best marks (straight As) in my school for art and the best student award. Then I went to one of Australia's version of an Ivy League University to study science, never really felt like I belonged but kept on that career path anyway cos it was what I thought others thought I should do....the rest is history.... but I'm about to turn it all on its head very soon I hope!

I head to Europe in 7 weeks for a 1 month vacation which will include a visit to Polimoda. I will lodge my application before I go and if all goes to plan I will come back home early August, quit my job, sell my apartment and head back to Florence to start the Orientation in Fashion Design in October, then the Masters the following year. I love Florence and I know it would suit me well in terms of the size/lifestyle....I also know about the Italian postal service....I'm going to use DHL couriers if I have to send anything.

It's really great to have made contact with you....I feel like the universe is really behind me with this step.
I will keep in touch and check out your blog for sure.

Hugs Bella xx

And I would like to end this e-convo like this (I hope you're reading this Chelsea!)

Brava Bella Chelsea!

You have an amazing spirit and a heart full adventure!!  You're do just fine in Firenze....She'll take good care of you!  Enjoy the food, the sights, the people, the country...I promise you'll have the best time ever!  

Best of luck at POLIMODA!  Keep me updated!!  And please tell Professor Malhotra, Proffessor Christoffersen and Professor Egler I said "Ciao...mi manchi!"  Polimoda just moved to a new campus....I'm so excited for you!!  I haven't even seen it yet, you should send me pics ;) and I hope you meet and make the most amazing friends while studying in Italy, just like I did, and continue to venture out to wherever your heart takes you!  

XOXO

Mimi

Korean Sashimi

I know when most people think of sashimi, they imagine raw fish from a Japanese sushi restaurant. This is what you get at a Korean restaurant

Forever Fabulous in Vegas

The Bigger...The Better

Went shopping in Vegas at Planet Hollywood's "Miracle Mile" and bought this big tote from GUESS.  It's so big! I love it! (That's what she said! Haha LOL!)

Yes, it's true. I am a Fan of KimK

Photo by Vibrant Doll

Saw this cute picture of Kim Kardashian and this article by vibrantdoll.com was awesome!  Kim, you're just so classy..."you don’t put bumper stickers on a bentley.”
- Miss Kim Kardasian 

15 yr old Korean Girl sings like Adelle..AMAZING!

Let me just start with saying that this little girl will be Korea's next pop sensation.  I'll put money on that!

HAPPY NEW YEARS!  Can't believe it's already 2012!  Well, New Year's Eve was super fun..and I wanted to share this video with everyone because my friends showed me this last night and I was sooo blown away!!  Watch...this was seriously too freaken amazing!! 

I guarantee that she'll be rated amongst "Korea's All-Time Best" like the judges in this video.  For those of you not too familiar with K-Pop, I'll give you a quick bio on each judge.  

The judge on the far right (aka the "Simon Chair") is Park Jin Young, aka JYP.  This guy is "the" guy, meaning he runs K-Pop in Korea.  He started out as a performer and pretty much became one of Korea's most influential producers.  (He created and manages WONDER GIRLS)  I consider him the "P-Diddy of Korea" LOL 

 JYP Entertainment

Park Jin Young (JYP) is a GENIUS!

And understand that JYP has major talent, too!  He is an amazing singer!

The judge in the middle is also a famous known K-Pop producer.  His name is Yang Hyun Suk (aka Yang Goon & YG) and he started YG Family.  Actually, YG was part of the first ever K-Pop group ever, called Seo Taeji & Boys.  These guys are like the ulimate K-Pop Legends!  YG is the original...most definitely! 

And, last but not least, there's the cute female judge, BoA.  Ok, this girl is the "IT" girl in Korea.  She's like an all-star K-Pop Star!!  Love this girl!!  She's just so pretty...and super talented, too!  She's, "Beyonce" talented!

The one and only...BoA

Awesome video!!  Damn it, now I'm going to be addicted to this show!  

KPOP STAR,  baby!  LOL

So True.."Shit Asian Girls Say"

This video is too f*ken funny! I think so...especially since I am an Asian Girl. HILARIOUS! "Can you take our picture?" OMG so damn true haha!

A Very Merry Cali Christmas

I know some people like to say that Christmas isn't "Christmas" less you feel the cold and live in a place where it snows.  Well, I'll tell you what..."Keep your snow, I'm fine thank you!"  Wouldn't trade a Cali Winter for anything! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Cali



Going to church on a sunny CALI CHRISTMAS morning

 Christmas Shopping = Christmas Mall Trees!

My neighbor's Christmas decorations...makes my house so mediocre LOL 

Our Christmas dinner at Bottega Louie (taking home some macaroons and cupcakes..."certo!")





Christmas Dinner at Bottega Louie

When up to LA to have dinner with some friends.  Went to Bottega Louie and had an amazing time!  The food was really good and you can't beat the ambiance.  This place totally reminds me of a beautiful cafe in Florence, Italy called "Rivoire".  The cafe is right next to the Chanel flagship store near the Piazza della Signoria.  Seriously, the best ambiance and dessert in Firenze!  

  

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Buone Natale  

Reminds me of RIVOIRE "Ho fame"

Cupcakes for Christmas

Bottega Louie's Famous Macarrons "Christmas Tree"

Shrimp Scampi for Dinner YUMMMM

(Photo by: djgyardley via InStagram)

Feel Glorious

Enough said.

Jennifer Aniston & Smart Water

Jennifer Aniston...SMART & HEALTHY!

I heard somewhere that Jennifer Aniston only endorses one product in the United States....SMART WATER.
Smart choice, Jen!

My Favorite "Ice Loves Coco" Episode

Photo by: Softpedia.com

I'm watching the "Ice Loves Coco" Marathon on E! right now and my FAVORITE episode is on!! It's the episode where Coco launches her fashion line, "Licious"...love it!!

Photo by: Artrick-Playground.com

Why this episode is by far the bestest...

• Coco saves another woman's dog.  Did you see her?  Coco literally jumped over a brick wall, with her heels on (of course..thank you very much!), and saved this other woman's dog!  Even though she may have had a previous problem with this woman and her dog, Coco wasn't going to let any harm come to this sweet animal.  Like Ice-T said, "Coco, you're a super hero!  That dog's a crackhead!" 
• "Licous"?  I swear, Ice-T is a genius...he just looked at the shirt and said, "Does that say 'Licous'??"  Haha, seriously, he's a genius!  I'm glad he caught that...great team work, Ice & Coco!
• Ice-T training Spartacus.  I love how Coco is trying her best to get Spartacus to focus on the photo shoot but no matter what she does, he's not concentrating.  Then Ice-T steps in, "What's missing...then I remembered, cheese is the reason!"  Ta-da, a miracle!!  Seriously, Spartacus came out too cute in the pictures!! 
• Sparkles' Face Expressions.  When Sparkles goes to pick up the clothes for the Licious Fashion Show, she runs into a problem at the postal office.  Her face expressions were priceless!!  And I love how she didn't even say a word, not one word!!  LOL 
• Ice-T praises his wife's success.  "There's no equal to you...bitches can't f**k with you" is Ice-T's way of showing his romantic side to Coco.  I love it...he was praising her and acknowledging her for all her hard work and success.  He's totally supportive and has pride in his wife, which is all that a woman can ever ask for in her man.  That's so sweet! 

I love Ice & Coco!!

XOXO Mimi

Hinduism..Not just a Religion

Temple in Taxi (Mumbai, India)

When I was in India, a friend of mine told me that Hinduism isn't just a religion...it's a way of living in India.  The Indian culture is full of moral values and obedience to what they believe in.  Everywhere you go, you'll see some type of temple...in homes, at stores, even in a taxi!

Experience India with Grand Travel Planner

My best friend from Polimoda got married this year and I was fortunate enough to go to India with a group of my amici from Italy to attend her wedding.  It has been a life-long dream of mine to go to India and to see the magnificant Taj Mahal!  My bella from Brazil was super smart and found us a tour company in India, GRAND TRAVEL PLANNER, and they did a fantastic job on creating the most amazing itinerary for us.  It was absolutely worth it and I'm so glad that we used GTP to plan our India trip! 

The tour guides were so nice and did an excellent job on accomodating us.  Our bus driver was so sweet and drove us from place to place without losing his cool (trust me, a bus full of 6 girls can drive you mad!)  The hotels were nice and clean and the areas we stayed in felt very safe.  The owners, yes the actual owners, of the tour company met us to have lunch (they do this with all their clients) and it was wonderful to meet them and thank them in person.

Overall, Grand Travel Planner did a fabulous job on planning our trip.  I strongly reccommend Grand Travel Planner to anyone thinking about visiting India...save yourself the trouble of planning the trip, you'll be in good hands with GTP!

"Travel India Safely and Smartly" -GTP

XOXO Mimi 

Please note: Grand Travel Planner is also known as Golden Triangle Tours

My iPhone Changed My Life

Everyone always asks me, "Do you like your iPhone?"  I just simply reply, "My iPhone changed my life."  I really do love my iPhone!  It just makes my life so easy, you know what I mean?  I can do everything from the palm of my hands...check emails, take notes, send pictures, organize files, arrange appointments...anything and everything is much easier now!

Photo by: astrozoom.com

But I recently came across some hilarious videos on YouTube.  I have to admit, after watching the "Product Testing Videos" for the new Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, I'm very tempted to switch over! 

K-Pop Talent Show

I was at my church's annual carnival and I saw these high school kids dressed up as some K-Pop group. They went onstage and performed a cute little dance routine for the talent show...it definitely brought back some old memories

"K-Pop is  Alive!!!" LOL

LOVED THE OUTFITS!

The One & Only...Audrey Hepburn

"I don't want to be alone, I want to be left alone" -Audrey Hepburn

Meeting DJ NEIL ARMSTRONG in Delhi, India

My last night in Delhi was absolutely amazing...mainly because DJ NEIL ARMSTRONG was in the house!  One of my friends had VIP tickets to a VH1 event at F Bar and when I found out that DJ Neil Armstrong was going to spin that night, I just about went bonkers!  And lucky me, I actually got to meet DJ Neil Armstrong in the VIP lounge before he went on stage!  He was super sweet and too cute...sitting there with his Mac, looking through his files on Serato...seriously, way too cute!

Photo by: http://www.djneilarmstrong.com/

And did I mention that they had an open bar all night in the VIP lounge??  Damn, normally I don't like to drink but that night was just too good to be passing on the (free) shots!  I was trying my best to behave and I was doing fine until DJ Neil Armstrong went on the tables.  I was chilling on the sofa and all of a sudden I heard, "Homeboy, I came to party..." I was like, "No f'ken way...no, he didn't!" I LOVE this song!!  That was it...I went wild, my drunk ass totally lost it and it was on! 

Of course, I eventually went down to the dance floor to watch DJ Neil Armstrong do his thang, up close and personal!  And then, out of nowhere...

He's good, I'm telling you...damn good!  Can you tell I'm a fan?  Haha, for real, I'm not going to lie...I love DJs!!  Whenever I'm at a club I'm definitely checking out the DJ, especially when I'm feeling his beats!  Not to mention, I got extra bonus points from my DJ homies (from OneLoveSound) when I told them I met DJ Neil Armstrong in Delhi, India
LOL

Ok, Imma say it...DJ NEIL ARMSTRONG IS SUPER HOT!!

XOXO, Mimi

Vespa in Italia

Gelato with Waffle...a MUST in Florence, Italy

You can't visit Italy without having gelato, we all know that!  But have you ever had gelato with a warm, fresh-made waffle?  Let me tell you, the combo is absolutely the best!  I asked this lady if I could take a picture of her gelato with waffle on a cone...because I'm always too busy eating mine to ever take a picture LOL!  I normally get the waffle with Nutella (of course!) with fondente (dark chocolate) gelato....that's what I would call "Italian Heaven!"

Peace & Love in Firenze

On Via Romana...walking towards Ponte Vecchio