confession #000038

or, wadowice wedding weekend 

also known as 'the major diet fail weekend'.  but i had very good reasons to fall off the diet wagon.  as the sub-title of this post indicates, this weekend the mr. and i were invited to a wedding in wadowice, which is a couple of hours' train ride from krakow. 

wadowice train station

wadowice's claim to fame is the fact that pope john paul ii was born and bred in this quaint and quite town which nowadays celebrates his origins practically on every corner of every street.  if one is interested in the pope's life and background, the town makes for an enjoyable day's trip while visiting krakow.  trains seem to be rare from krakow to wadowice (we had to do some planning for this in fact) but there seem to be buses which run more frequently as well. 

the river close to our hotel

one of the quaint streets off the town centre

the town is located in between kalwaria zebrzydowska which hosts the famous lady of kalwaria shrine and oświȩcim, the town where the auschwitz-birkenau camps are found.  one could consider hopping from one town to the other while visiting krakow.  

wanting to make the most of this wedding weekend, and seeing another part of the małopolska (little poland) region, we set off somewhat early on saturday morning to be in wadowice in time for the wedding that same afternoon.  in typical maltese fashion, i loaded a 'packed snack' for the train-ride.  little did i realise that once the wedding party kicked off, we were in for a seven-course meal, including free-flowing wine and vodka (obviously), as well as a lot of dancing! i should have kept myself light! oh well ... 

if you've never been to a polish wedding, well, this is quite something.  once the bride and groom entered the reception hall, everyone burst into 'sto lat' which is a song sang on any occasion from weddings to birthdays, meaning '100 years' more of celebration.  well, since there were other maltese people invited, only the polish were singing while the maltese contingent was clapping along and mumbling something as they picked up the easiest words in the song, i.e. 'sto lat'. the guests then queued up to give the newly-weds their best wishes and gifts and then everyone made their way to the respective table.  

the wedding dinner menu ... a true feast!

in between courses, there was a lot of dancing.  and by a lot, i mean A LOT! it appears to be part of the tradition to get up and dance to digest the food (and vodka) and prepare your system to the next round of abundance.  i don't quite like communal dancing like 'congas' and 'trains' but i did shake my boot-ey once or twice during the night (probably once the vodka started truly kicking in ...) i loved the little differences in tradition between maltese and polish weddings:  at the start of the reception, after the 'sto lat' dies out and everyone swigs the first celebratory drink, the newly weds throw their glasses behind them - if the glasses break, it means all's fine and they'll have good luck.  at another point during the reception, the bride and groom gave presents to the parents.  little things that have such a profound meaning.  

dancing like there's no tomorrow

the bride and groom feeding wedding cake to each other

myself and natalia, the bride and my former polish language teacher

like most of the maltese contingent (who had to return to the rock the following day), we bowed out before the big festivities were over - at least two main courses were still left to be served! we are not used to such abundance! 

the next day, we decided to stroll around the town centre until it was time to head back to krakow.  in all fairness, we were not planning on going on a papal tour, and in fact did not, but savoured the tranquility of the town over some pierogi, kremówka papieska and a whole lot of sun (despite the rather nippy temperature - i certainly wasn't dressed enough for that!)

plac jana pawła ii ... john paul ii square

tiles showing all the places the pope visited ... including malta!

'i was there' kind of photo ...

the glorious kremówka papieska

heading back to krakow was for us as though we were heading back to malta from gozo.  the contrast in these two places which are so close in vicinity, yet so different in lifestyle is positively impressive.  i think i've found the place where you can really get 'away from it all' ... 

homeward bound...

the beauty of nature (through the train window ...)

confession #000036

... or, let the wedding season begin!

fair enough, i only have one wedding invitation for the coming month, but the main conversation with the girls at the office over the last few days revolved around weddings, and wedding guest outfits.

the spring months are generally synonymous with weddings and the enjoyable trauma of shopping for that perfect outfit to wear as a guest.  i'm sure brides and brides/grooms' mothers and the entire entourage go through a much more stressful process ... but having been only a bridesmaid so far (a number of times), i've only experienced part of that so far.

i find that over the years, weddings have somewhat lost part of their glamour.  possibly, this is because some of the weddings i've attended over the last years, included guests wearing hot-pant suits.  that is just plain wrong, at least in my books.  i do appreciate that weddings have in fact become a slightly more casual affair than in yesteryear, but not to that extent.

when shopping for a wedding guest outfit, i find that it is important to bear in mind four simple points so as not to get it wrong:

• your relationship with the bride and groom:  this is not limited to whether they're family or not, but how close you are and how respectful you are towards them.  showing up to their special day in an outfit you would wear to the beach is not the right approach, unless, that is, the wedding is a beach wedding ... and even there, a string bikini is not what they're after ... 

• the wedding location: google the venue if you haven't been there before to get an idea of the setting.  if it's a palatial setting, then don your most exquisite gown; if it's a garden wedding, steer clear of stilettos as you'll only end up sinking in the lawn.  

• the dress code:  if the the bride and groom have established a dress code - stick to it.  so what if you're not into fancy dress, if the bride and groom want an elvis-style wedding, bring out your bejewelled bellbottoms and show them some love and respect! it's fair to say that some dress codes like 'smart-casual' tend to be a bit vague, but as the great oscar wilde once said, "you can never be overdressed or overeducated."

• the outfit's mileage: in this day and age, a wedding invitation can sometimes send shivers down one's spine while calculating the expenses it can bring about, especially if the entire family is invited or if the invitation is followed by a few others.  it is, therefore important to think how much wear you can get of an outfit.  we're not all celebrities, so it's not a sin if one wears the same outfit twice.  if you're invited to two or more weddings where the guests will be in common, you might want to consider buying a block colour dress and changing the accessories to create a completely different look.  if you only have one wedding, think of how you can dress up the outfit for the wedding, and dress it down for a more casual affair.  it's all about being clever, not thrifty! check out these outfit ideas i created on polyvore:

one dress: two outfits by tikkamars featuring a bangle bracelet

one dress: two outfits by tikkamars featuring embroidered handbags

hope you enjoyed that ... and please wish me luck for my first polish wedding! i need to brace myself for all the vodka i'm sure will be flowing *grin* if you've ever been to a polish wedding, let me know ... any tips are more than welcome! much love!

confession #000033

...or some of the things i learnt so far in life

today allow me to bring you a collection of random thoughts on things i learnt in my *mumble* thirty-three years on planet earth.  i'm sure that there are many more that i learnt, and many more which i still need to learn, but i think, for the time being, these somewhat suffice!

• opportunities very rarely knock twice

if an opportunity arises, go for it.  don't second guess.  give it a shot.  if it doesn't work out, at least you know you've tried.  if you miss it, you'll only have yourself to blame.

• work requires 3 p's: passion, perseverance and a good dose of (chocolate covered) peanuts

find the job you're passionate about or where at least one of your tasks is that which you love to love doing.  it won't ever be easy-going. deadlines, stress, conflicts with colleagues and the lot would make you think about quitting but keep going at it if you really love it.  where do the peanuts come in? well, you do need proteins and sugars to get through a nine hour day ... 

• believe in yourself, have an ego but be humble

you are not a world ruler, but you can rule your little bubble.  shed people who break down your personal beliefs and security - you don't need them in your life.  be your own person, believe in your skills and talents, but don't let pride get to your head.  there are another 699,999,999,999,999 people in the world just like you. 

• absence does make the heart grow fonder 

moving out of my parents' home and living abroad has made the world of difference in my relationship with my family and friends.  i truly look forward to seeing them whenever i visit and little differences which used to turn into arguments are easily brushed aside to leave room for the limited quality time.

• true friends are those who can spend months or years apart but whenever they meet, it's like they were having a coffee just the day before. 

i've a handful of friends whom i meet maybe three times a year at most, but every time we do, we bring the house down ... just like some of us used to do in our sixth form years (a good seventeen years ago that is!)  wherever i go in the world, regardless of how long it takes for us to catch up, i know i'll always find a wise or comforting word from them.

the annual gathering ... 13 years of friendship and counting ...

• you will, inevitably turn into your mother

how many times have you told yourself 'i shudder to think i'll be as finicky / nagging / strict etc etc as my mom'? forget it, you will be.  i've slowly realised i've a little obsession with housekeeping, giving un-asked-for advice, and insisting that the toothpaste is squeezed from the bottom, not from the middle.  all things i've inherited from my mom.  i often catch myself saying one of her phrases.  the bottom line is, she's taught me a lot even though i never wanted to admit it or acknowledge it. and i love her for it. 

me and my mom in krakow

• it's not the (black) colour of your outfit that will make you look slim, it's the cut and the fit

so what if you're wearing head-to-toe black? if your clothes aren't letting you breathe and your muffin top or thunder thighs are on show, you're still not looking slimmer than you are sorry! get something that fits well and skims over the nasty bits and let the complements flow. 

• too much make-up never suited anyone (except drag queens)

i'm known for the extensive make-up collection i have but oddly enough, if you look into my make-up bag, you'll mostly find concealers and powders.  focus on making your skin look flawless and then just add a nice red lip or a smouldering smokey eye - but not both together.  always remember the 'less is more' dictum. 

• have a hobby, or two or three ... 

paint, read, play, travel, knit ... whatever you do, do something! 'all work and no play makes jack/jill a dull boy/girl.' not only will such hobby or interest make you grow as a person, but it will also open up another world of like-minded aficionados whom you can meet at clubs or online and make you all the more interesting for those around you.

if i'm there, there's a camera as well

• bitterness doesn't become you

don't let yourself turn bitter about anything - a relationship's failure, work-related stress, a friend's misunderstanding ... bitterness can only lead to resentment and that can in turn only lead you to a negative place in your bubble.  evaluate everything and don't over-read situations ... just listen to your heart and move on. 

do you have any pearls of wisdom which you feel you've learnt over the years?! let me know xx