Moving On To Makassar.

Just a short flight (comparatively) from Jakarta is Makassar, a city on the island of Sulawesi. It is the main gateway to this island since it actually has an airport that is up and running. Although it is still fairly westernised with plenty of little minimarket type shops and a Dunkin' Donuts, we noticed a distinct lack of other foreigners..

On Day 1 in Makassar we flew in, arriving late in the afternoon with just enough time to check out the old Dutch Fort Rotterdam before watching sunset. The only downside to picking the best and most popular sunset-watching location was that everyone else there seemed more interested by the tourists - we even got filmed by an Indonesian TV station.

Dress & Earrings - Forever 21; Shoes, Bag & Bracelet - Primark.

Taking in the gorgeous blue sky and crumbling fort, I decided to have a mini shoot and pose a bit.. I adored this dress because the bright colour is holiday perfect and the embellishment adds tribal interest. By this point holiday hair was kicking in, so I threw it into a simple side plait. While I was posing there were a few people watching, but apparently the word "model" was thrown around in their conversation, so I am going to take the positives. Oh, if only I were a foot taller!

Inside the fort.

Sunset - I've seen better.

On Day Two in Makassar we struggled with dubious local transport to an older part of the town, before doing it in reverse and dawdling around.. We watched sunset again, after helping an awful lot of school kids out with English projects.

Top - New Look; Shorts - Blue Miss; Bag & Shoes - Primark; Necklace - Accessorize; Heart Earring - River Island; Ear Cuff - H&M.

This set of photos was taken while we wandered along the seafront, and my posing attracted a fair bit of attention... I opted for denim shorts and a bright tribal vest, accessorized with bright blue eyeliner and an ear cuff to add a playful edge. My hair was just shoved up into a messy bun to complete the not-totally-practical look. The Muslim acceptance of shorts is limited, and that top gave me some severe tan lines..

Some of the many school kids we helped.

In a Muslim cemetery.

Take me to my third world Alice in Wonderland..

Shipwreck.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Jakarta.

The first hit on my holiday was Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. It is on the island of Java and is fairly westernised - meaning that in some areas you can't move for McDonalds, 7-Eleven, KFC and Starbucks. After arriving in the evening we literally crashed into the hostel, found some dinner, then tried to sleep off the insanely long journey. We were in transit well over a day, and I barely slept because aeroplanes are uncomfortable..

The next day we staggered down and out for some sightseeing, going to the monument and the old Dutch area, and just generally exploring.

Top - Forever 21; Skirt & Sunglasses - H&M; Shoes, Bag & Headband - Primark; Necklace - Topshop; Earrings - River Island.

My first on-location outfit was a little haphazard. I still managed a good clash of tribal prints, toned down with some neutral accessories and a simple ponytail. This was taken on the roof of my hostel, and I am loving the sun!

The monument dwarfed me.

Reaching up proudly.

Being awkward.

Reflection.

Holiday selfies with Mum.

Look closer..

Lunch - mie goreng sayur (fried noodles with vegetables), yum.

The drink of the holiday - ice tea.

Falling into disrepair.

Chinese temple lanterns.

Nasi goreng sayur (fried rice with vegetables) for dinner.

And some tofu/tempe to share.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

NEWSFLASH: Today was results day and I got AABB, and a place at Birmingham University for September 2013!!

Fashion Confession

This might seem an unusual one from a fashion blogger who posts outfit pictures at every opportunity, but...

I hate having my photo taken.

I literally run from cameras at parties and basically any other time than when I get my outfit snaps taken. You are more likely to find me behind the camera at a party, clicking away, or simply ducking out of pictures because I always feel awkward in photographs. In my opinion I am simply not photogenic - I always manage to be pulling a face or looking in the wrong direction, never just nice and normal! I am sure it's just a bit of paranoia, but I still hate being in front of the camera.

I am not sure where it stems from.. Possibly the fact that I'm an incredible perfectionist who can pick holes in anything has something to do with it - if there's anything wrong with me in a photo (cheesy grin, rogue blemish, slightly smudged lipstick), I will see it. Or maybe the constant threat of being tagged in an ugly photo on Facebook?

I have gotten better at just taking pictures though, and I don't mind messing around with friends because I know they will delete the truly hideous ones, but being photographed is still not something I enjoy. Like I said though, I have improved - I think the daily blog photographs have helped. I don't mind those so much because the focus is on the clothes, and as long as I look vaguely human and decent, they can go online!

Is there a way to get over an aversion to cameras though? Maybe having enough photos of myself would help, or perfecting my 'camera face' for when someone points a lens at me. Maybe I should even go for one of those professional-style photoshoot experiences, to really challenge myself.. Thoughts?

Love and kisses, Tara xox

(Oh, and sorry this is such a pathetic post - it's been thrown together last minute because the post I had planned for today will now have to wait until tomorrow, thanks to a few things taking a lot longer than they should...)