YINGDEAW homemade - bake from heart
Address: Siam Square One (4th floor ), Bangkok 10330
Ice cream: 75 THB (roughly €1,90)
Best thing on the menu: homemade waffles - my personal
                                            fave: Strawberry Honey Lover)


Find them on Facebook (here)




To all the coconut lovers out there: Thailand is the place for you. Coconut pancake, coconut ice cream, coconut drink, coconut waffle, coconut cake - all coconut everything. As luck would have it, my friend A is madly obsessed with anything that contains the tiniest bit of coconut and proclaimed Thailand her personal heaven. And exactly that passionate and unconditional love for coconuts lead us right to my personal heaven: YINGDEAW homemade. 

Back in February, A and I attended a basic course at a traditional Thai cooking school, where we learned to make five different dishes and yes, you guessed it, two of them had coconut in them. You can imagine how happy A was - not even our cooking instructor could have overlooked the fact that she loves this particular drupe. On account of this, he gave us several tips on where to find his personal favorite coconut dishes in Bangkok. To make sure we actually get to the places he was talking about, he was kind enough to provide a note - only problem was: everything was written in hieroglyphs, uh, Thai. 

So, after a pathetic attempt of decoding, we had precisely two things on our to-find and eat list:
1) coconut pancakes at a local market just around the corner 
2) coconut cake at a cafe in a shopping mall

Long story short: the coconut pancakes are yet to be found and the coconut cake turned out to be rather disappointing. I mean, don't get me wrong, it was quite tasty, but it reminded me of the Austrian quark cake too much. Now you must think, we wasted a whole lot of time for nothing, but no! Right next to the notorious chain cafe that serves the oh-so-famous coconut cake, I spotted a cute little cafe that wanted to be checked out. And, oh, was it worth checking out!!

pure deliciousness
Not only do YINGDEAW homemade serve waffles satisfying every single taste bud in your entire body and a variety of homemade ice creams and cakes, but they also score with their friendly staff and their cosy atmosphere. Can someone please take me back?

So this story confirms once again this one old saying that - I'm pretty sure - goes something like this: "The best things in life you stumble upon while you are on a coconut hunt with your crazy coconut-loving friend." 

xx Lena


Photos taken in: Bangkok, Thailand

 The thing you need to know before coming to Estonia is this: they are not the most outgoing bunch, these Estonians. A tiny little detail that I just couldn’t wrap my head around when I first got here and one that I tend to ignore like a pro nowadays. After all, overwhelming them with all my joy and love was how I got most of my Estonian friends. The fact that it took quite some time to convince them that I am not a crazy person, on the other hand, is also something I like to ignore like a pro.

So you can imagine how weirded out Krõõt Kukkur, the funniest Estonian illustrator and designer I have met so far, was, when I found her booth at a design market and got a little too excited about her products. After our Papetri Paperworks post I’m sure all of you know that Lena and I take our designer hunts seriously. And that we can get a bit overjoyed when we find something we really like. Well, Krõõt didn’t know that. All she knew was that a random girl asked her out for coffee to talk some more about her designs after coming back to her booth a billion times and touching her amazing backpacks twice as much. Amazingly enough, she agreed to meet up with me anyways, once again proving that my approach of just overwhelming them with emotions can work sometimes.


Picture: coucou.ee

Speaking of overwhelming situations, I’ve spent the last two hours trying to figure out how to fit everything there is to say about the girl with the thick black stripe tattooed around her arm into one blogpost. Because to be honest, I wish I could just put our whole hilarious conversation up on here. During our one hour long chat a couple of things happened: 1) the sun was shining – worth mentioning because this doesn’t happen that often in Estonia. 2) I couldn’t stop laughing about her funny comments on her own life. 3) Turns out that Krõõt has the most random things to tell about herself. Exactly my kind of person. 

She carries a board game with her wherever she goes. Quit art school due to a lack of interest in perfectly parallel lines. Doesn’t consider herself a crazy cat lady but is scared of her own cats’ – who sometimes think they are dogs – anger. Loves making people uncomfortable with her postcard collection of road kills. Has the most amazing bike. Doesn’t only design backpacks and illustrates whatever she can – from beerbottles to CD-covers – but is also working on a career in the tattoo industry. (I’ve got a feeling I need to support that…) And she doesn’t care about marketing and promoting her products. She just creates. I think that’s my favorite thing about her. And that she made me feel better about being lazy sometimes. Apparently this happens to the best of us.

Picture: coucou.ee

But speaking of Krõõt’s creations: let’s “briefly” talk about why I got so excited when I found her booth. First of all, her illustrations are super cool. I know, that is probably the worst description you’ve ever heard. But in lack of the right art vocabulary, this is what you have to deal with for now. I’ll work on it. In any case, I’ll just give you a list of my favorite things in her collection:

  1. Her backpacks. Because they are completely made by herself. And because the inside is covered in one of Krõõt’s prints. And because they just look cool. Again, amazing vocabulary, Kathi.
  2. Her packs of cards. Because each card has a different illustration of some person’s face on it. And because the joker is a cat. And because every time I look at my pack – of course I bought one – I am reminded of that time when I was playing cards with Lena and her family – and L lost. Let’s just say she is not good at loosing. To be fair, I had been warned by her brother. And her mom. And her dad. So just take this as a warning from me. If you want to have a nice afternoon in the sun with L, don’t bring any games. Might ruin the atmosphere a bit. (I love you, Lena!)
  3. Her “Why did you cut down the tree…”-collection. Because she says she doesn’t fight for our planet being saved while she actually raises awareness with more than one of her collections. And because she does it in such an easy way. And because cute animals staring at you, asking you why you destroyed their home really does make you think.
Photo: coucou.ee

That was the longest and most rambling post I have written in a long time. I hope you got a glimpse of the awesome person behind the name Krõõt Kukkur. If you ever want to meet her, she works in one of Tallinn’s best restaurants. Not going to tell you which one, though. You’ll have to find out yourself. Or hit the next design market. Or check out her homepage or instagram and contact her on there. Don’t forget: Overwhelming them with emotions works best!

Have a lovely Monday, everybody!

xx Kathi

P.S.: Due to a lack of photographic skills I didn't feature any of the pictures I took of her. I want people to like me, after all.

In a country with the highest top model per capita ratio in the world, where the Prime Minister is mostly known for his brightly colored socks and the President is never seen without a bowtie, nothing surprises me anymore – at least fashion-wise. This being said, everything was different when I first moved to Estonia. All I knew before coming here was that 50% of Estonia is covered in trees. Nobody ever mentioned an obsession with bowties.

So I was quite confused when I started school last September and saw a couple of people wearing bowties every single day. Was there a secret uniform I didn’t know of? Frankly, I didn’t care. All I wanted to know was exactly where these amazingly stylish pieces came from. Why they are so special, you ask? They are wooden - because when in Estonia, you should take advantage of all the trees – and oh-so pretty.

Well, it turned out that one of my fellow Student Council members and friend, Kristjan Oro, is the source of this amazingness. About a year ago he co-founded his own company – ŠIKK – with his best friend, Ats Jõgi, dedicated to crafting wooden bowties in all sorts of shapes. After six months of rummaging through his magic box of bowties over and over again and giving everybody the same present for Christmas – you guessed it, ŠIKK bowties – it was long overdue to sit down with Kristjan and talk about his startup journey, the biggest struggles of being an entrepreneur and his plans for the future.
Photo: ŠIKK
The two major things I learned during our extremely serious chat were these: When in business with your best friend of eight years, yell at each other every now and again. Helps you clear the air. And stay sane. And friends, for that matter. It seems to work for Kristjan and Ats. After a year of yelling at each other, they are still best friends. They even like to spend their free time together – if they have any. Which leads me to the second thing Kristjan taught me, this being how to manage your time and simultaneously not to get completely confused by to-do lists. (Something I really need to work on.) I quite like his system: A to do list classified from A – if you don’t do this immediately, you’re fucked to D – tell somebody else to do it.

But all jokes aside, I am sure that these two have a bright future ahead. I am not just saying this because Kristjan is my friend. I truly believe it. Because their bowties are just too cool not to love them. And because the personal touch the products come with is amazing in this impersonal world. And because in just one year, they managed to be featured in the Estonian Song Contest and the Estonian version of “Got Talent”, thus making ŠIKK bowties something that is worn by stars. Next challenge: The President.

For everybody who really wants one of these unique accessories now, it is your lucky week. ŠIKK will be launching their brand new online store in the next couple of days and they are shipping anywhere in this world. But you should be quick; I am planning to fill up my suitcase with them. Can’t guarantee there will be any left when I’m done shopping.

Show them the flying floordrobe love and check out ŠIKK's Facebook page and its Instagram account to see more pretty photos of the bowties and to be up to date on the exciting new product that will be launched very soon!

Photo: www.facebook.com/sikkdesign/
Have a great week, everybody!

xx, Kathi

BJÖRN Espresso BAR
Address: Maakri 28, 10145 Tallinn
Cappuccino: €2
Best thing on the menu: ALL the coffee

CASH ONLY!

 Find them on Facebook (here)
One of the horrible moments after moving out of your parents’ house – that amazing wonderland of clean laundry and full fridges – is waking up in the morning, realizing you haven’t been to the store in too long and no matter how long you stare at the fridge, it won’t magically fill up. This happens to me approximately five times a week. Let’s just say I am not the biggest fan of going to the grocery store. Too far away. Too much of a hassle. And the store is located in the mall’s basement, which means stairs. No thank you.

So, whenever I open my fridge and face the ugly truth of its emptiness, there is one thing that freaks me out in particular. No milk. Which means black coffee. Which means the day is off to a rocky start. Coffee is the one thing that makes me get up in the morning. And yes, I own more than one bag with some kind of coffee quote on it, given to me by friends who know me too well. But while I just need that delicious stuff in whatever form in the morning, I am a coffee snob. Without milk in it it’s just not the same. And I am not happy.

On mornings like this I have three options:
  • Just suck it up and drink it black – this is the option I go for at the end of the month, for obvious reasons.
  • Stop by the kiosk around the corner, get two cappuccinos instead of one because it’s cheaper – thanks for supporting my addiction, R-Kiosk – and get yelled at by the kiosk lady because I still don’t understand this language they call Estonian. My preferred option when I’m late for class. Not going to say this happens a lot, but, you know…
  • And my favorite one: Spend a couple of hours at Björn’s, because it is just too cozy to leave earlier than necessary and enjoy the best and most stylish coffee in town.

BJÖRN Espresso BAR is a fabulous new café that was opened only two months ago in the cutest little wooden house a little outside of Tallinn’s Old Town. The little grey house with the red window frames looks way out of place, surrounded by office buildings and schools, which makes it incredibly exciting to enter it. Walking through those bright red doors feels like entering a different world. All of a sudden the stress of the day is gone and you are now part of the cosy, relaxed world of amazing coffee, delicious pastries, fluffy cushions, cosy fireplaces, and chilled people. I am not kidding. It really feels like that.

Conveniently, Björn’s is really close to my university which solved my horrible problem of having to drink burnt cafeteria coffee all day long. The coffee is out of this world, the variety of beans changing constantly and the staff is crazy friendly - and they know everything about coffee - heeeeaven! I always feel very fancy when I’m there. And amazingly, the coffee is still cheap. All of these things explain why I may have spent a lot of time there lately. I just realized this last week, when I walked in and Kalle, one of the owners, looked at me with a knowing expression, saying: “Big cappucino as always?”


For now, Björn’s is definitely one of Tallinn’s best kept secrets, but to be honest, I can’t imagine it to be a secret for long. If you ever find yourself in Tallinn, I really urge you to give this place a try. It is more than worth the walk out of the Old Town. Less crowded & commercialized than the coffee shops in the center. Oh and tourists? Nowhere to be seen. So, what are you waiting for?

xx Kathi

Photos taken in: Tallinn, Estonia


Once a wise guy named Will Rogers said 
"A stranger is just a friend I haven't met yet." 

This could not be any more accurate. It describes the experiences I made with fellow travelers in Thailand perfectly. I met likeminded people in the most random situations: sharing a taxi, while waiting for my Aspirin C to dissolve, on the metro, at the foot of a waterfall, on a hike though the jungle, in dorm rooms or even at the check-in desk.

All the beautiful landscapes, cities and natural wonders would not have been the same without those kick-ass travelers I met along the way and the random encounters with folks from all over the world:

Two German girls, just as unoriented as me, one of them actually recently moved to Vienna. Two friends from the Netherlands and Scotland, having to be taught the best card game in the world. One guy from the United States, who was an expert in making wine and even more so in making it very hard to say goodbye. Two twin brothers from England, one currently traveling the world. One lad from Singapore, who I am super jealous of, because he can just hop on a plane and go to Thailand every other weekend. One Israeli, who had some difficulties bringing his message across. One French girl, who was just as excited as me about hitchhiking in the open trunk of a truck and, who introduced me to the sheer endless deliciousness of the Night Market. One girl from Thailand, who surprised us with her perfect German and, who is coming to study in Vienna this fall. Three Canadians, who got us hooked up with the idea of getting a tailored blouse - or a whole business outfit, for that matter. One Dane, whose parents sounded like the coolest people ever. The whole staff of a random hostel in Bangkok, making it our favorite. One Spanish fellow, who looked like a Frenchman and liked us so much he followed us across Thailand - all creepiness aside. One English lad, who jumped off a fifteen meter cliff and managed to land face and butt first. Four Viennese climbers, who seem to love a game that I hate - yeah, I don't like to loose. One guy, born in Russia, raised in Germany, but having a British accent,  whose curiosity lead us to paradise. One girl from Luxemburg, who had the most beautiful tattoos I have ever seen and immediately offered to draw one for me into five minutes of knowing each other. One hipster Thai, who stayed sane while driving us around busy Bangkok and watching us go crazy for sticky rice and, who also convinced a shop owner to open up on a Sunday so I could get my little wooden elephant. Three creative Canadians, who went to the weirdest but coolest school ever in Toronto, where 17-year-olds can easily take a three-week break to visit Thailand. One guy from Israel, who took the most stunning pictures with his Go Pro and, who was totally rocking a spectacular beard. One Italian, who was not afraid to skinny dip with strangers and, who was typical Italian: hilarious as hell. Two friends from England and the U.S., sharing a house in the middle of the jungle and jamming their nights away. One Australian guy, who truly loves his wife and enjoys to tell weird stories about their marriage. One beautiful soul from Florida, who protects her loved ones at any cost, even if that means she has to flip a tea tray. One artist from Hungary, who was duct-taping his analog camera and paying for his stay with his drawings. One Hawaiian freethinker, who is taking photography and kindness to the next level.

To all of you I would like to say "Thank you" for sharing unforgettable days & nights together and making my trip so special! And all the others, please keep in mind: Traveling is not only about the places you have been to or the sights you have seen - it is mostly about the amazing people that cross your path and truly enrich your journey.

xx Lena

 Photo taken in: Chiang Mai, Thailand
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