I love visiting local food markets when I travel, so I asked my homestay host to recommend one. She recommended Broadway and Ernakulam market, where there are fresh fruits and vegetable stalls, as well as shops selling spices, fashion, fabrics, and homeware etc. I took a ferry from Vypin island to Ernakulam [...]

Chinese fishing nets at Vypin Island
 
I think the rise of Airbnb has contributed to how we travel these days. Now even traditional b & b and homestay have opted to list their accommodations on Airbnb to increase competitiveness. I have had both positive and negative experiences using Airbnb, and the negative experiences [...]

The famous Chinese fishing nets
 
In February, I was lucky enough to travel to Kerala before lockdowns began around the world. It was an extraordinary trip and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I feel grateful that I was able to make this trip, and I hope I can visit India again when it is [...]

 
Although I haven't seen all the art and design exhibitions in London this year, but out of all the ones that I have seen, I would say the Stanley Kubrick exhibition is the cream of the crop (alongside with Christian Dior at the V & A); it is certainly the best exhibition [...]

 
 
A hundred years ago, German architect Walter Gropius founded an art and design school in the small town of Weimar in Germany. The Bauhaus, subsequently became one of the most influential art and design educational institutions of the 20th century. Although the short-lived school only operated from 1919 to 1933, its [...]

Aina Mahal
 
For my first trip to India, I skipped the popular Rajasthan and opted for a 16-day textiles tour around the less touristy Gujarat, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I joined the group in Bhuj after my 5-day textiles workshop, where we spent a few days visiting the city's sights and textiles studios.
Founded [...]

The foot bridge to Dharavi 
 
Inequality is increasingly becoming a global issue, but it is more apparent in rich cities like Mumbai - the world's 12th richest city. According to the statistics from 2016, about 55% of the city's population lives in slums, or areas of extreme poverty that lack the basics such [...]

Mornings and Sundays are the best times to ramble around Mumbai
 
I have wanted to visit India for years and yet never made it until recently. However, due to all the negative press on safety issues for female travellers in recent years, it made me quite anxious before my trip. The only 'alone [...]

The most playful Christmas lights decorations by Alan Kane for Tate Britain
 

Anya Hindmarch's love letter to London around Valentine's day: chubby hearts over different parts of the city
 
During the winter period, the best places to hang out in London are probably inside art museums and galleries. Although it is usually a busy [...]

Regent Street's Christmas lights
 
Apparently, the British are the most Christmas-obsessed people in the world, according to the results of a recent research. This doesn't seem to surprise me judging from shoppers' behaviour before Christmas. However, there is also a large population of people here who, under different circumstances, do not have families [...]