So the adventure begins

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I am sitting here tapping nervously at the keyboard on my iPad because in a few short hours I will be on a plane to Dubai with two suitcases containing all my worldly possessions. 

This is the second time I have packed up and jumped on a plane in as many months and if I'm honest with you all this packing and unpacking is becoming a chore. I will be quite happy to unpack tomorrow knowing that it is the last time for a while. I'm just as happy to know that in approximately 7 hours I will be reunited with the boyfriend and the doggie, who have both been enjoying their Middle Eastern adventure without me until now. 

The blog may fall silent for a few days since I have only managed to schedule a handful of posts during this transition phase. But don't worry, I will be back with a vengeance and probably way too many photographs of sunsets and shiny buildings.

The British Museum

How is it possible that I have lived in London for so many years but have never ventured to the British Museum? I have rectified this now but it seems odd that such a predominant institution in London had escaped my attention previously. I blame the funny location; tucked between Holborn and Tottenham Court road, you walk down some little side streets and suddenly your faced with this huge, imposing building towering before you, ready to be explored. 

The British Museum is one of those wonderful free museums in London, holding artefacts from civilisations across the globe. The building itself, with it's vast glass ceiling which floods the atrium with light, encompasses the original buildings under one roof and has an array of rooms and galleries separated by region. The museum is so huge that it would be impossible to see everything in one day and my advice would be to pick a handful of things to see, or pick up a floor guide which gives you different options for must see items, depending on your time limit. 

I had already decided before I went that I wanted to see China, South Asia and Southeast Asia, Islamic World and Ancient Cyprus so those were the galleries I focused on. And boy is there a lot to see. After two hours in China, South Asia and Southeast Asia I had only managed to adequately view 2 thirds of the contents of the gallery, but decided to move on to the Islamic world before it was too late. 

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The museum contents is pretty mind-blowing; sculptures, paintings, ceramics, jewellery, tiles, clothing, furniture and calligraphy all create a narrative of a particular time, place or culture. The array of different items in the China, South Asia and Southeast Asia gallery and the insight into such a extensive culture was interesting. However my favourite was the Islamic World gallery which contained ceramics and tiles, in true Middle Eastern style, with gorgeous colouring and intricate patterns for your eyes to dance over. 

Egypt will be on my radar next time I visit. To plan your visit to the British Museum, visit their website. 

Life Lately: A few final weeks in London

I have settled into my temporary tourist life quite well and I am even beginning to feel in love with London again. This is mainly due to the sunshine that has crept out during the last few days of May and the beginning of June. I have rekindled relationships with friends, cooked yummy veggie food and visited the amazing wedding dresses exhibition at the V&A an taken a trip to the British Museum (more on that another time). 

I endured and survived a day at the UAE embassy in South Kensington, have started packing and have made a long list of essentials to take with me. I have even been organised enough to plan some blog posts to tide this little space over while I transition for a few days between London and Dubai. All of that and I am writing a little series of articles for the Expats Blog guys; my guide to moving to Dubai with loads of useful info and tips for expats embarking on a new adventure to the Middle East, most of which I have learnt the hard way so fingers crossed it can help some of you out there. 

To say I am excited is an understatement, but I will have a heavy heart as I take off from Heathrow. It has been a wonderful few months and I have spent time with amazing friends who continue to put up with me despite my comings and goings. 

Onto the next chapter though. 5 days and counting. 

Wedding Dresses at the V&A

The Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington is one of my favourite London haunts. And this year, the museum has outdone itself with a range of fantastic fashion and culture based exhibitions. 

Last week I went to see Wedding Dresses: 1775-2014, a vast exhibition with tracks the developments in bridal fashion and wedding culture since 1775 and the treatment of the white wedding dress by designers including Charles Frederick Worth, Norman Hartnell, John Galliano and Vera Wang. I could have spent hours in there and in fact I had to drag myself out after 3, simply because of an impending appointment at the UAE embassy. If it wasn't for that I would have stayed all afternoon. 

The exhibition is crammed with historical developments, information, multi media displays and of course, a great range of wedding dresses depicting the fashion trends in bridal wear, the influences of culture and royalty and celebrity wedding gowns. 

Today, brides of many faiths and nationalities wear white to celebrate their marriages, even in countries where it is not traditional to do so. The globalisation of fashion and the strength of the wedding industry have contributed to this phenomenon. The white wedding dress has become a universal symbol of the bride.

The exhibitions starts by noting the traditions of bridal wear in the 1800's when white was just one of the colours worn by brides. The everyday bride often opted for a coloured or patterned fabric which meant the dress could be worn again. I found that point quite interesting when you compare it today's brides; many of us place a huge importance on our dresses, which are more often than not, pushed to the back of the wardrobe once the wedding is over. This could indicate society's changing perceptions of consumption which are now more focused on the disposable. 

Brides had to cover their arms for a church wedding which is why dresses are seen with sleeves

Norman Hartnell, 1933

In the 1800's artificial pearls came into fashion and were added to the trimming of wedding dresses

White was fashionable in formalwear for women and this begun to cross over into bridal wear, with women's magazines of the time regularly publishing fashion plates showing white wedding dress and lace veils. These fashion plates, which later gave way to engravings and photographs was symbolic of the change in the way wedding fashion was being marketed between 1813 and 1925. Today weddings have become an industry in their own right and marketing has had to adapt to changes in technology and the way we consume to ensure brands get enough of the limelight. 

Charles James 1934 - plain silk satin dress with split train

Debenham & Freebody 1926

From the 1960s a wave of young British designers established in London. Rapid social change in the 1960s in Britain did not seem to impact wedding outfits which retained a degree of formality despite women's increasing economic political and sexual freedom.

The 1970's brought with them a new approach and many designers were taking their cue from the vogue for romantic dresses inspired by every era from the Victorian period to the 1940s. The trend escalated and by the 1980s designs were becoming more about fantasy than fashion, with Lady Diana's wedding dress from 1981, designed by David and Elizabeth Emmanuel, being a perfect example of that. Women with more avante grade tastes were commissioning dresses from younger experimental designers who merged innovation and tradition without sacrificing romance.

dress coat and veil with rubber rose embroidery 1989

Between 1990 and 2000, designers like Vera Wang and Catherine Rayner translated tradition, capturing the glamour of a white wedding dress in a more contemporary style. Wedding dresses were becoming more body conscious at this time too, with strapless styles and bodices featuring heavily. 

Jasper Conran 1994

Catherine Rayner 1996

Wedding dresses today are influenced by so many factors; fashion, culture, beliefs, traditions and celebrity all play a part in the modern day wedding dress. Many designers know that despite volatile fashion markets, bridal fashion offers a sense of stability which is why many have branched out into this area. Dresses combine a mix of styles from the previous periods whether that be the patterns and colours like the early brides, simplicity of post war styling, fantasy, nostalgia and romance. 

Ian Stuart "Flower Bomb" dress 2011

John Galliano for Dior - Gwen Stefani's wedding dress 2002

Qui a le droit wedding dress, Christian Lacroix, 1993
 

Jenny Packham Rapunzel dress 2014

The exhibition runs until the 15th March 2015 and is a must see if you're in London. 

Politics and the UK

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Last week, in the basement of pizza express in Baker Street I found myself having a politically motivated conversation about UKIP's rise in the country and the irony of an anti EU political party whose leader has a German wife. 

I am by no means clued up on politics. In fact I would say I'm quite the opposite and what I do know comes from either BBC news or other grown ups in my life. But I feel like that's almost ok since no political party in the UK ever seems to reach out to young voters.  They try, they say they do, but I don't think that As such I turned up to the polling station with the vague idea that I was voting for the local election and for a European Member of Parliament. Why I was allowed to pick three local candidates I am still none the wiser. 

Those few moments in a little booth felt like an eternity. I haven't been back in the country very long and am leaving again soon, but I wanted to exercise my democratic right as a British citizen to help shape the country I may one day come back to. And in a world where I am privileged to be able to vote it would have been rude not too.

The problem is, young people are so isolated from politics and I think many people like me are uneducated about the elections, and as such do not go and vote. 

I don't know if it is because politics is not cool among the generation of young professionals, or whether it is because we feel like it doesn't affect us still. Maybe it is because people are overwhelmed with the political ideals of this country and the hundreds of issues that the everyday person has, most of which are never substantially addressed by politicians. 

Or maybe like me they just feel like there is no education available for young voters and as such are confused by the whole process, intimidated even and assume their vote is less valued than our parents or grandparents. 

I have become quite disillusioned with the government and many factors, before I left for Cyprus and now,  do push me towards the view that voting is a waste of time. Your vote is meant to help make changes for the good, the problem is I feel like the changes that have gone in the UK haven't really helped anyone but the government and the rich elite. It may be an idealistic view and many say well why do care anyway if you are leaving the country again. 

But I do care because I leave behind family and friends who will all be affected by changes to national policy and impacted by cuts in the NHS, changes in transport and tax increases.

And if you like this, I suggest you read this excellent article on the Telegraph Blog.