Aruba, Day 1: Before The Biz

Well, I'm in Aruba. I've arrived yesterday, and it's a rather business related, than a pleasure-related trip...

For many of my friends it was quite a surprise to find out that I'm here, but, let's just say it, I'm not here for the pleasure, although I do try to find the time to fit it in - you work hard, you play hard, right?

Favorite place to stay in Aruba - Aruba Pearl, located 3 min away from a very nice rather secluded beach, Eagle Beach, which means - yes, topless sunbathing is OKEY!

So,  I'm working on a very exciting fashion project, the details of which are still under  the wraps, and as much as I'm dying to tell you all about, I can't - not yet. Let's just say, it involves a very old, prominent fashion brand - one of the largest that existed some decades ago. That's good enough for a Day 1 teaser...

Knowing that I'll be in Aruba, and unlike the previous trip - [back in March 2012] - this time I knew exactly how to prepare myself for the weather and... sun, beach and work.

- A straw hat... Yes, it's essential, and as I was boarding the plane in NYC, I realized that at least a few people on my airplane JFK-AUA are already wearing the straw hats. So, I guess, it's a rather 'Caribbean' way to go about.

- Sandals flat, wedges - you've got to be prepared for any kind of occasions, and nice wedges would do for the more formal occasions - like meeting and collaborating with the local photographers.

- Got to have a beach bag! Just make it a rule to get yourself at least one for all the beach getaways. This one has been around for quite some years. I think it's seen half of the Europe, Caribbean, Mexico and most of the beaches in USA. I'm intending to keeping it around as it has a rather joyful look to it.

- Got to have some colorful jewelry - perhaps not for the beach, but definitely for all the time. Aruba is about the exotic fruits, so the colors are appreciated here.

- The sunblocks! Last time I got severely burnt because as all New Yorkers know, we don't get to go to the beaches until at least June, so if we get an opportunity to go to the beach, we tend to get burnt the first day, because we overindulge in the sun and water activities, overlooking the fact that our pale skin - that's been hidden from the sun under all the Manhattan skylines - is not really prepared to 'face' the strong sun! Moreover, last time I was naive enough to assume that if it's windy and cloudy, it's less likely to get burnt. Guess what, that's exactly the misjudgment of the Caribbean sun - you do get burnt and get burnt fast and easily! So, this time around my friends prepared SPF 50 and 36 for me - for day 1 and days to follow. As a result, got a bit of healthy tan the first day, and the skin is prepared to face more sun without any damage! Good thinking, good caring friends!

- And, of course, I've got my laptop, my camera, and a sketch notebook - [yes, I still believe in old-fashioned notebooks, which I use for sketching, notes taking and some writing, hah!]...Let roll now!

Stick around, I'll be posting tease-ups to revealing a bit more about the fashion/social media project I came to Aruba for. 

Plus, I'll be posting photos from some of the local discoveries, like the fact that they serve plum wine in martini glasses at sushi restaurants, the local yogurts that are made out of exotic fruits (Guava, thank you very much) and the Caribbean little birds that seem to be making too much noise for the size they are...