​Phoenix Ancient City (Chinese: 鳳凰古城) is an ancient city located on the western boundary of Hunan Province. The ancient city is especially well preserved and it showcases unique ethnic languages, customs, arts and many distinctive architectural remains of Ming and Qing Dynasty style. The town is located in a mountain setting with natural flow of water from the canal in the city. Over half of the city’s population makes up of minorities from Miao and Tujia. Phoenix Ancient City was added to UNESCO World Heritage tentative list in cultural category on March 28, 2008.
 
When traveling, I love to see the night and day view of the place. I always find the two to be drastically different especially in the atmosphere or vibe of the place. In this blogpost, I have included the night view of Phoenix Ancient City and I think it was absolutely beautiful. Photographs doesn’t do it justice really, because seeing it with your own eyes in person is so much better. But here’s a glimpse of what it looks like and I hope it entices you to go and visit too.
 
As for now, Happy Jetsetting! ✈

Location: Fenghuang/ Phoenix Ancient City, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, China (中國 湖南省 湘西土家族苗族自治州 鳳凰古城)

​YAYOI KUSAMA: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow,
in National Gallery Singapore (Exhibition from 9 Jun–3 Sep 2017) 

Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929) is a Japanese artist well known for her works of dots, nets, pumpkins and psychedelic colours that has reached not only the sphere of art but also in popular culture. She is one of my favourite contemporary artists from the 20-21st century along with British artists Damien Hirst, Marc Quinn and American artist Andy Warhol. Although Kusama’s works had evolved overtime, the underlining themes of repetition, reflection and immersion run prominently throughout. Since Kusama’s emergence in the early 1950s in Japan, she has played a major role in pop art, minimalist and feminist art movement. The conceptual art that she makes are mostly autobiographical and infused with psychological and sexual content. Below are some of the works that I enjoyed viewing or found interesting at the temporary exhibition of YAYOI KUSAMA: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow in National Gallery Singapore. 

​TRANSMIGRATION (2011, Acrylic on canvas, Collection of Ota Fine Arts)

EARLY WORKS: Yayoi Kusama’s earliest works were produced in her studio at home in Matsumoto, following her studies in nihonga (Japanese-style painting) in Kyoto. In the early stage, Kusama’s family strongly resisted her ambition to be an artist, and she had a difficult relationship with them. At the time, Japan was recovering from the World War II and effects of the atomic bomb. A sense of psychological tension was reflected in Kusama’s works, which already feature her trademark of repeated dot patterns.(Referenced from exhibition: YAYOI KUSAMA: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow, in National Gallery Singapore) 

Death of a Nerve (1976, Mixed media with stuffed fabric, Collection of Lito and Kim Camacho)

Imagery of Human-Beings (1987, Oil on canvas, Collection of Lito and Kim Camacho)

Status of Venus Obliterated by Infinity Nets No. 2
​(1998, Acrylic on canvas and fibreglass, Collection of Lito and Kim Camacho)

​INFINITY NETS: Infinity Nets have been a consistent feature of Kusama’s practice since the 1950s. Her early Infinity Nets were small paintings on paper, which drew on visual references such as the waves of the Pacific Ocean that the artist flew over en route from Japan to the United States in 1957. Composed of small loops painted over a monochromatic ground, their lattice patterns cover each canvas edge to edge with no focal point, and could potentially expand forever. This repetitive, all-over approach has continued into much of Kusama’s work. The artist credits this imagery to hallucinations she experienced as a child, and the continual reworking of this pattern- although different each time- as a way of integrating herself with the world. She calls this process ‘self-obliteration.’ (Referenced from exhibition: YAYOI KUSAMA: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow, in National Gallery Singapore) 

PUMPKIN (TWAQN) (2015, Acrylic on canvas, Private collection, Singapore)

​PUMPKINS: One of Kusama’s recurring motifs is the pumpkin and she painted it regularly in her nihonga classes at art school and it has reappeared often in her works since the 1980s. For Kusama, the pumpkin represents comfort and security. Pumpkins were a major part of her diet as a child during the World War II. Furthermore, her family also owned a nursery and grew fields of pumpkins and flowers. She first depicted pumpkins in paintings and prints, and later as installations and large sculptures. The speckled skin and bright colouring of kabocha (pumpkin in Japanese) have inspired Kusama’s distinctive yellow-and-black colour scheme. At the 1993 Venice Biennale, the Japanese artist received the unprecedented honour of a solo show in the Japanese Pavilion. She presented an infinity mirror room filled with mixed media pumpkins. (Referenced from exhibition: YAYOI KUSAMA: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow, in National Gallery Singapore) 

Pollen (1986, Sewn stuffed fabric, synthetic fibre and paint. Collection of Ota Fine Arts)

Picture of My Sister in an Immersive Installation (Find Work’s Title from Next Photo’s Caption)

Infinity Mirrored Room- Gleaming Lights of the Souls
​(2008, Mirrors, wooden panels, LED lights, metal, acrylic panels. Collection of the artist, Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/ Singapore, Victoria Miro Gallery, London) 

MIRRORS AND INFINITY: Kusama first used mirrors in 1965 for her installation Infinity Mirrored Room- Phalli’s Field, a free-standing room with mirrored walls and a floor filled with stuffed polka-dotted phallic forms. A year later in Peep Show, she had viewers peering at themselves and others via small openings in a hexagonal mirrored box affixed with pulsating multi-coloured lightbulbs. Both works, at once immersive and voyeuristic, would become the models for her subsequent mirror rooms. Through her works, Kusama invites viewers to experience infinite space through the deft use of mirrored surfaces in her installations. Space, self and image are optically multiples, and simultaneously reinforced and dissipated. This confounds our sense of what is internal and external. It is also intended to heighten our anxieties regarding existence and annihilation. (Referenced from exhibition: YAYOI KUSAMA: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow, in National Gallery Singapore) 

Immersed in A Room Full of Colourful Dots 

With All My Love for the Tulips, I Pray Forever
​(2013-2017, Metal, fibreglass reinforced plastic, urethane, paint, stickers. Collection of the artist, Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/ Singapore, Victoria Miro Galler, London, David Zwirener, New York)

LOVE FOREVER: a series comprises of 50 canvases filled with chains of images including eyes, dolls, gadgets, flowers, saw blades and profiles of female faces. The works were initially created with a black felt marker, a quick-drying and thus spontaneous medium that does not permit any revisions. This allowed Kusama to showcase her tremendous dexterity and drawing kills. The works were later turned into silkscreen prints on canvas. (Referenced from exhibition: YAYOI KUSAMA: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow, in National Gallery Singapore) 

Discussing Which Piece Was Our Favourite

Lucinda enjoying Kusama’s MY ETERNAL SOUL series

MY ETERNAL SOUL: My Eternal Soul is Kusama largest series of paintings to date and it grew out of her previous works on canvas. The series begun in 2009 and it is still an on-going project, with approximately 500 pieces of works produced already. She integrates both drawing and painting techniques, and feature a riot of brilliant colours from acid to electric hues to metallic paint. They are filled with decorative, iconographic and biomorphic elements that are different from her previous works, alongside with older motifs from the 1950s such as flowers, eyes, the artist’s self-portrait in profile, and as ever, dots and nets. The paintings in this series demonstrate Kusama’s continued ingenuity. She draws freely from her past imagery and features it in new surprising combinations with enduring motifs and painting technique. (Referenced from exhibition: YAYOI KUSAMA: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow, in National Gallery Singapore) 

MY ETERNAL SOUL (Continue): ​Initially, this series was intended to complete at 100 paintings, however Kusama found herself unable to stop and her canvases have become progressively larger. As with the Love Forever series, Kusama does not work on the canvases vertically on an easel, but paints horizontally on a table. She works on the canvases from all directions, either by rotating them or moving her own body. The final orientation of each canvas is only decided by Kusama after the painting is completed. Curator Masahiro Yasugi stated that ‘her works reveal a certain repetition of imagery until Kusama suddenly takes a completely different tack, suggesting a production process in which she faces the canvas without any conscious plan and spontaneously creates a painting.’ (Referenced from exhibition: YAYOI KUSAMA: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow, in National Gallery Singapore) 

Vibrant, Colourful Works

I Am So Lucky to Have a Sister That Shares Similar Passion And Interest With 

Interior Decorations at the National Gallery Singapore’s Building

Yellow Dotted Stairwell at National Gallery Singapore

Overall, I had a great experience at the National Gallery Singapore. I was so happy to be able to see more of Yayoi Kusama’s works in real life and learn more about her as an artist. Unfortunately the exhibition at the National Gallery Singapore has ended, if you want to check out her works, go on these two links for more information http://www.yayoi-kusama.jp/e/exhibitions/00.html or http://yayoikusamamuseum.jp/en/exhibition/current/. There is a Yayoi Kusama Museum just opened in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan! I would love to go and visit in the future too! (Added on my must-visit-museum list)
 
As for now, Happy Jetsetting! ✈

Location: National Gallery Singapore, Singapore

Dolac Market is located at the heart of Zagreb’s city centre. The market is known for selling fresh produced and flowers. Many locals visit daily for groceries and essentials. Though this market is also just as popular with tourists like myself because of its convenient location and for the variety of products. The market is very vibrant during the weekends. There were many street performances such as bands with brass instruments playing exciting fanfare music on the day I visited (Saturday). It was LIT! I loved the atmosphere of place and it really gave me a sense of the Croatian local culture. It is a place where you feel welcomed, a piece of home away from home.   
 
As for now, Happy Jetsetting! ✈

​Location: Dolac Market, Zagreb, Croatia 

Standing On Top of The Fortress Tower Next To The Cannon 

Hvar is famous for its coastal shore, beautiful limestone buildings and luscious beaches. The island is the sunniest spot in Croatia, making it an attractive holiday destination. Locals claimed it as the queen of the Croatian Dalmatian islands. Hvar Island is an island located near the city of Split, Croatia. The estimated travel time from Split to this beautiful island by boat would be an hour. I would advice you to get the boat tickets to the island a day beforehand, however last minute tickets are available.
 
My travel companions and I spent the day enjoying the sea breeze and sun. It was such a nice place to relax and wind down in. Although we only spent a day there, we all wished to have stayed there for longer. If you like beaches and sun, you may consider staying in Hvar for a few nights and head to see the isolated blue cave nearby.
 
As for now, Happy Jetsetting! ✈

​Location: Hvar Town, Hvar Island, Croatia 

When I was visiting Mandalay, I had a local friend, Min Min as my tour guide. One of the places he took me to was the Mahagandhayon Monastery in Amarapura, on the outskirt of Mandalay. The monastery is the country’s most prominent monastic college, founded in 1908. Mahagandhayon accommodates thousands of monks and nuns to study Buddhism within Myanmar. Monks who are studying in this monastery line up for their lunch time at 10:30 daily and this sight is the most attractive activity for tourists. The line-up last around 30-45 minutes as each monk receive their food portion from locals whom prepared it beforehand.
 
This monastery, like many other Buddhist monasteries relies heavily on donations and patrons to sustain its operations. Many benefactors from local or abroad supports the Mahagandhayon Monastery. The patrons would be acknowledged through listing of their names on tablets shown on the exterior of the monastery’s buildings. From my brief time there, I got a glimpse of their self-controlled, regimental lifestyle. Later on, I found out that monks are allowed only 2 meals per day and lunch being their second and last meal. They would only get to eat again in the early morning the next day. This fact was quite shocking to me, knowing how hard it would be if it were for me to adopt their lifestyle. I had even more respect for the monks’ lifestyle and very much admire their discipline.
 
As for now, Happy Jetsetting! ✈

Location: ​Mahagandhayon Monastery

​Maha Aung Mye Bonzan Monastery is a beautiful architecture located in an ancient imperial capital called Inwa in Myanmar (Burma). Inwa or Ava (Burmese: အင်းဝ) was the capital of Burma for nearly 360 years and the name means ‘the mouth of the Lake’, reflecting its geographical location. Queen Nanmadaw Me Nu, chief wife of King Bagyidaw, built the The Maha Aung Mye Bonzan Monastery during the Konbaung Dynasty in 1818. The monastery was used as the residence of the Royal Abbots during this dynasty, which was also the last dynasty in Burmese history. Unlike other monasteries at the time, which were built with wood, the architecture of Maha Aung Mye Bonzan Monastery was built with bricks. During the hot summers, monasteries that were built with wood can easily catch fire from the hot sun. The choice of using bricks to build the Maha Aung Mye Bonzan Monastery made the building less prone to fire and easier to perserve. The rare choice of building material however did not alter much of the style of the monastery. Like the wooden monasteries, this brick monastery was built in a similar style, with multi tiered roof. The stucco ornamentations were also carved out to the ones similar to the wooden monasteries at the time.

I visited the monastery during a late morning till noontime, which was a mistake timewise! (Again! Read my Shwedagon visit to find out why.) When visiting any temples or monastery in Myanmar, one must be barefooted. The floor was burning hot and my feet got a little burned with blisters. I had to quickly hop up the stairs and get inside of the monastery to save my feet from getting burned. Compare to the outside of the monastery, inside of the building was very cool. I think there must have been 10 degrees difference between the indoor and the outdoors. It took great patience and perseverance to get some good photos outdoor because of the hot weather. I was so thankful for my travel buddy, Yan whom I met the night before at my hostel for braving the fiery burning floor with me. (Oh yes, I was traveling alone and I happened to meet a girl from my hometown, Hong Kong, so we decided to travel together.) Despite the challenging hot weather, I still had a good time visiting the Maha Aung Mye Bonzan Monastery. I enjoyed looking at the intricate designs of the architecture and learning more about its stories and history. One funny thing about my visit was that people mistaken me as a local Burmese girl since I was wearing traditional Burmese dress. Some spoke to me in Burmese and was surprised that I couldn't respond. Anyways I hope you like the photos of Maha Aung Mye Bonzan Monastery.
 
As for now, Happy Jetsetting! ✈

​Location: Maha Aung Mye Bonzan Monastery, Inwa, Myanmar 

Shwe Sin Tai Silkwear is a workshop that specialises in traditional hand-worked silk weaving. The workshop is located in the Amarapura area of Mandalay and it is famous for the hand-woven silk fabrics and traditional Burmese clothing. When I was traveling in Myanmar, I was fascinated by the traditional Burmese clothing. I thought it was really beautiful, especially with the vibrant colours and patterns. I wanted to try it on and possibly get my own set. My local friend Min Min took me to Shwe Sin Tai Silkwear in Mandalay just before it closes. I managed to see some workers weaving intricate patterns on the silk materials and there were some apprentices learning from the more expereinced. I was able to try on a few traditional Burmese clothing and I was very happy that I managed to get two sets of top and patterned longyi. Longyi is the traditional skirt that both Burmese men and women wear. I thought the design of Longyi that I got was simple yet comfortable. I really liked how mine are bright in colours with tiny detailed pattern.
 
I hope you enjoyed the images of this unique silkwear workshop. As for now, Happy Jetsetting! ✈

​Location: Shwe Sin Tai Silkwear, Amarapura, Mandalay, Myanmar 

Panorama Restaurant is one of a kind restaurant, with a breath-taking cityscape of Dubrovnik from 412 meters above sea level. The restaurant can be accessed by taking the cable car to the top of Srđ Hill. Panorama is the one and only restaurant/ bar in the area. The Dubrovnik Cable Car was built in 1969 and it has been a popular tourist attraction since then. The cable car ride takes around 5 minutes one way and you can slowly see the city and the surrounding islands become cartoon like miniature as the cable car slowly ascend to the top. Okay, back to the restaurant! Panorama is a Mediterranean cuisine restaurant with a lot of seafood dishes, fresh salads, burgers, pastas and some vegetarian friendly dishes. For desserts, it offers homemade cakes and a variety of other deserts. There is also a range of beverage choices from cocktails to exquisite wines. 

It was hard to choose what to eat because there were so many appetizing choices. The waiter was very friendly and helpful in giving us advice in what to eat. In the end, we ordered a Seafood Platter for appetizer, Tuna Sandwich, Scampi Risotto and Crabmeat Ravioli. The seafood platter was light and fresh, I especially liked the chargrilled octopus. It was well marinated and well cooked. Out of the main dishes, I enjoyed the Scampi Risotto the most. The risotto was well seasoned, creamy but not too heavy.

​Apart from the incredibly delicious food, the view makes up a major part of the experience. There is an outdoor and indoor area. For my travel companions and I, we chose to dine outdoors to enjoy the pleasant weather. Since it is quite high up above sea level, even though it was super sunny when I visited during mid-April, it was a still little chilly because of the wind. I thought it was a nice finishing and considerate touch that on every chair there was a blanket provided for the customers to keep warm. There were also big outdoor umbrellas to give shades when it gets too sunny. 

​Over all, this dining experience was a very enjoyable one. The prices are a little on the higher end in Dubrovnik but I would definitely recommend those who are looking for a relaxing dining spot.
 
As for now, Happy Jetsetting! ✈

​Location: Panorama Restaurant, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Follow me on instagram @jetsesther xx

When traveling, food is an important part of the experience. I am not much of a foodie but my sister and family friend who I was traveling with are. So, the importance of high standard food quality was stressed and highlighted throughout this Croatia trip. We arrived Split around late afternoon via bus from Dubrovnik and wanted to have some authentic Croatian food. Our Airbnb host, Zorica recommended us to check out the restaurant Villa Spiza and I am glad we did, because the restaurant was absolutely fantastic. My travel girls and I had a great experience there because Villa Spiza isn’t one of those commercialized dining place but a small, cozy and local place. The menu of Villa Spiza changes every day according to what the local fish market has to offer on the day. There are also meat options available. However, all dishes are fresh and none of the dishes are served with overnight ingredients. This makes the place popular for both local and travellers, because everything is fresh! When we arrived at around 7:20 pm, the restaurant was already packed and by the time we were seated (around 7:50 pm), many dishes were already sold out. In the end, we all got a hot vegetable soup as starter then 2 grilled fish (Sea Bass and Wild Sea Bream) and a truffle pasta.

I love how the food was prepared in front of us and it made me feel like I was peeking in someone’s home kitchen. The dishes were well seasoned and cooked. I especially liked the barbequed Wild Sea Bream. The skin of the fish was crispy yet on the inside was overflowing with juices and tender meat. Overall, Villa Spiza was a great start to our Split adventures and I would highly recommend the place for those who are looking for more local, down to earth places to dine out at. My advice is to go there early, maybe around 6 before they run out of any ingredients for daily menu. Also this is an ideal restaurant to dine for 2-4 people. It will be hard for a big group to dine there.
 
As for now, Happy Jetsetting! ✈

Map: Villa Spiza, Ul. Petra Kružića 3, 21000, Split, Croatia

Myanmar was actually a spontaneous trip and I didn’t plan on going until around 2 weeks before my departure. The funny thing was that I bought the plane tickets while I was on a bus traveling in Croatia. For some strange reasons, I was particularly drawn to Myanmar’s culture and history. I found the images of the Buddhist pagodas fascinating and wanted to see the beautiful architectures in real life. There was also another catch: I was going to travel alone! I have never really traveled by myself for leisure before and I thought the whole experience was super exciting. Why not try something different right? 

The one pagoda that I wanted to visit the most was the Shwedagon Pagoda. I went there first thing in the morning when I got to Yangon. (Okay, maybe in the early afternoon because I slept in a bit.) Needless to say, I was not disappointed by my visit there and it has exceeded my expectations. Shwedagon Pagoda, also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda or Golden Pagoda is a 99 meters tall stupa situated in the heart of the city of Yangon. It is considered as one of the most sacred sites of Buddhism in the world, containing relics from four Buddhas of the present kalpa. The pagoda was adorned with hundred of gold plates, around 27 metric tons of gold leaf and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4531 diamonds, the largest being a 72 carat diamond. According to legend, the Shwedagon Pagoda was built over 2500 years ago but historians and archaeologists believe that the Mon people who were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Indochina constructed the pagoda between the 6th and 10th centuries CE. There is an entrance fees for foreigners and free of charge of the locals. 

​One thing I would do differently is that I wouldn't go there during noon. Rather, I would visit either during early morning or late afternoon. Imagine, the hot blazing summer sun transmitting its intense heat onto the world it looks down at, where one can literally fry an egg with the heat. Yup, that was when I visited the Pagoda. Also, all visitors who enter the Shwedagon Pagoda, or any Pagodas must be barefoot, therefore walking on the hot blazing tiles was definitely unavoidable. I did not regret any of it because that was part of the experience and seeing the mesmerising place was definitely worth it. Maybe because I went to the Shwedagon Pagoda during a hot afternoon, I felt the sun highlighted the intensity of the golden colour of the pagoda even more, making it quite difficult for the eyes. But I am not complaining because I have gotten quite a few good photographs of the place, so I’m happy. Scroll down for more photos, enjoy!  
 
As for now, Happy Jetsetting! ✈

Location: Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, Myanmar