One of the things I often get asked about is my Modern Filipiniana wardrobe. For real and not just that thing influencers on Instagram say to justify an overshare. A Filipiniana section in my wardrobe is something that I’ve started building back in 2014. This was when my husband got assigned abroad.
I continue to build said wardrobe as we do need to attend a lot of events where wearing Filipiniana is actually a good way to go. This isn’t just to follow the dress code but to make sure I also get to do my part in promoting a really interesting bit of our culture.
One of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe is my terno top. It’s so versatile that it makes mixing and matching it with different pieces a breeze.
In this video, I share some tips on how to build your own modern Filipiniana wardrobe. I also show how I style my custom-made terno top with different modern pieces that I already own.
Hope you enjoyed this post and found it useful. If you did, please do share it! It would really make my day. Here’s a Pinterest-friendly graphic to make it easier!
A couple of friends have told me before that giving gifts to a diplomat is pretty tricky. “What is it exactly that they do, even?” is a question I often get asked a lot about my husband and his colleagues. “We need to know so we know what to give him/her for ____*insert occasion here*___.” This marks the beginning of my lengthy explanation which covers almost everything I learned while being a Foreign Affairs journalist. Contrary to popular belief, gifts for the diplomat in your life are quite easy to find.
To make things more fun, I asked some friends in the field as to what they would love to receive for the holidays. Here, I’ve put together a list that can fit any budget and you can get online. It’s a week before Christmas and I know some of you are not up for braving the holiday crowd. I’m the exact opposite but I’ll tell you why in another post (either here or social media). This time, however, everything will be available online so all you have to do is get your credit card ready.
I’ll also have options both for my readers in US and Germany. Disclaimer: Most links are powered by Amazon affiliates which gives me a commission every time you buy something. This is of no cost to you and helps me keep running Almost Diplomatic. Enjoy! 🙂
Booze
Entertaining is never complete without a drink or two. So, giving your diplomat friends a bottle of booze to replenish their stash is always a safe bet. Our friend Michel from the US was actually quick to reply that this is one gift he’d be glad to receive this Christmas. He’s someone who throws a mean party that everyone enjoys so this actually comes as no surprise. Everyone who was at his last Cinco de Mayo celebration is still talking about it so we should trust him on this.
Learn their preference or make it more interesting by getting them something that’s from your country (assuming that you’re someone who’s of a different nationality as your diplomat friend). If you’re planning on giving Champagne, check out my friend Tamas’ Champagne Therapy website for some really good deals.
It’s no secret that diplomats travel a lot for work and these Carry On Cocktail Kits will definitely be helpful to that friend who’s still an anxious flier despite his job. Getting through major turbulence or even the stress of having to go through airport security are also things they would never get used to. So a pick-me-up should be a welcomed gift.
For that diplomat who is the usual host and serves up a mean Old Fashioned, why not something they can keep and use every time they host you? These mixology sets are not only useful, but they would also look good at any home bar.
I have mixed feelings over Edward VIII or the Duke of Windsor after his abdication. However, there’s a quote attributed to him and was recently used on an episode of The Crown which resonated with me ever since I stumbled upon it on an old magazine. He once said that the most practical form of diplomacy is actually entertaining.
Friendships, negotiations, and even networking are done best over good food and drink. Since we’ve covered alcohol by this point, let’s go over kitchen and dining. Our friend Ralf, who’s currently posted in Spain, is a spectacular host and prefers to receive such gifts this season.
You’ll never go wrong by giving a high-quality Chef’s Knife. People who don’t have them yet will thank you for it and those who already have one (or two) can always use another one. It’s the most versatile knife in the kitchen and anyone who loves to cook will find it useful.
Speaking of versatility, another thing people could always use is a skillet. For all those one-pan recipes that all people do when the day gets a little too busy.
Another thing that’s essential to a diplomat’s entertaining arsenal is good a charcuterie or cheese board. Who doesn’t love good cheese, cured meats, and wine? You? Err. Thank you, next.
There’s nothing quite like a well-thought-of book as a gift. It’s both professional and somehow personal (without going overboard) at the same time. Our friend Raisa who, aside from being a diplomat herself takes such gorgeous photos which you can find on her Instagram, says that she loves getting books about another country or a historical event. “I think in general, we love to read. So, giving us books that help us understand something about the person giving the gift would be great,” she added.
When we were posted in Malaysia, books were also my go-to gifts. I would spend hours at the Big Bad Wolf Sale which happens annually around the first week of December. Just in time for your Christmas shopping.
Planner
Think diplomats just sit around all day and attend parties at night? Think again. My husband’s work schedule in November was so packed with work-trips, we hardly saw each other. Phooey. Help the diplomat in your life stay on top of his/her schedule by giving them a traditional agenda. Writing things down as opposed to entering it to a digital calendar even helps improve memory!
Oh, and for the love of all that is holy, don’t re-gift those corporate giveaway planners. That’s just too tacky.
For the quirkier diplomat, may I suggest a planner made by my amazingly creative friend Ivi? She uses positive psychology and lots of creative tools to help make you more productive. You can get The Hashtag HERO Planner via this link.
Travel Essentials
For all those trips they will take, they’ll need quality items that can get them from A to B. A luggage set is a great gift for a diplomat you are very close to (think significant other) and are willing to splurge for. If you’re looking for something that’s a bit friendlier to your wallet, toiletry cases as a good option. I find high quality and roomy toiletry bags as great gifts for people who travel a lot. Once you get to your destination, it makes settling down a lot easier — even if they’re just there for a few days. They also make packing up easier. Every single traveller I’ve met has appreciated such a gift. My father – a commercial real estate guy who often travels within Scandinavia for work – included. I got him one for his birthday and he was so happy with it as he always forgets to get himself one and nobody else seems to think of gifting it to him.
If you’re dating or married to a diplomat, you already know how much they travel for work. Sometimes, you get to tag along too. However, it’s always more work and they hardly get to know the place they went to since they’re usually in a conference, a meeting, or in the middle of helping one of their citizens who’s in trouble.
Book a holiday wherein they can actually have fun at a new place without having to worry about their next schedule. (Shameless plug: Book using the widget above for some really good deals!) Let them explore something that interests him/her at his/her own pace.
Do something new. Join an unconventional tour or go on a food hunt. There are lots of options that you won’t get from a store or even off the internet.
Thanks for reading and I hope this was helpful! With that said, I hope you guys enjoy the holidays!
Do share this on Pinterest if you found this helpful! 🙂
If you have some items to add, feel free to comment below! I’m always looking for new ideas. 🙂
I love me some tea. Even more when it comes with scones, finger sandwiches, and tiny pastries served on elegant, tiered serving stands. Afternoon Tea is something I simply adore doing with my girlfriends. So much so that one of my first articles for Forbes was about it. There’s just something so attractive with this dainty tradition that goes all the way back to the 1800s. It’s so feminine and quintessentially British.
With that said, let me walk you through this tradition based on what I’ve learned through experience as well as research. From its history and the modern-day adaptation that was started by the Mrs. Caroline Astor of the St. Regis in New York.
A question I always get asked by friends is how my husband and I manage to make time and set aside money for travelling – especially when they know that my husband hardly goes on leave at the embassy and that I usually have a ton of things to do for my freelancing career. Since we arrived in Berlin in April 2017, he’s only missed two days of work on separate occasions. To top it off, both were slow work days. One of them was even sandwiched between the weekend and a holiday.
In the past nine months, we’ve been to: Potsdam, Gießen, Bonn, Nuremberg, Hamburg, Schwerin, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Heidelberg, and Cologne in Germany. We’ve popped by Krakow, Auschwitz, Poznan, and Warsaw in Poland. Went on a beach trip to Dubrovnik in Croatia, then popped by Copenhagen in Denmark and Malmö in Sweden to visit my family. Spent Christmas in Amsterdam in the Netherlands with my mom, and have also been to Prague and Kutna Hora in the Czech Republic. Oh, and Vienna in Austria.
That’s a LOT in 9 months. But yes, we’ve done it. Granted that some of those trips were related to his or my work and three cities here I actually went to alone, we were still able to squeeze in some time in between to do a little bit of exploring.
I often joke about how our only vice is travelling. We do it a lot and we enjoy ourselves. But – and this is a big BUT – we make sure our leisure time doesn’t get in the way of our work and responsibilities. Basic adulting, people.
Since you probably got to this post looking for ways to do this yourself, let me assure you – yes, it’s possible. And we’re going to go through some of the ways you can do it yourself! Read on for more details.
‘Tis the season for giving and inevitably – receiving as well. As someone who has the worst luck in office Christmas-party tradition of the ‘gift exchange’, let me tell you that I’ve been in that same position you’re probably in. That’s why you’re here, right? You Googled ‘Is regifting okay?’ or ‘How to regift’?
Ah, dress codes. Those vague yet utterly nerve-wracking bits of information at the bottom of every invitation. It also means a little different in certain parts of the world – mostly depending on how laid back a certain country is.
In this post, I’d be sharing my cheat sheet on how I pick my clothes. My husband picks his but always asks for my advice so I’d put some of those for the males here as well.
**I’m finally starting an Etiquette Series! That took a while – like everything else that I promise, come to think of it. It’s not you guys – I’m sorry! It’s me and my workload. But here it is finally! Hope you enjoy this and find it helpful as well! xx**
So as not to commit a grave faux pas back when I was a diplomatic journalist, I read up on some of these topics. It turns out that proper introductions are sort of an art among certain crowds – I kid you not. Mix it in with protocol and then you get rules.
Back when I was a young(er) and cocky reporter, I scoffed at the thought of having rules for such seemingly minor things. Later on, however, I noticed the importance of it at formal events and made it to a point to remember how to do it properly – especially when I’m doing it for other people. We all want to be respectful, don’t we?
I’m a serial cheese eater. Pair a great cheese plate with wine then add great company, and a cosy living room and you have a very happy Carol right there. This is the really Danish bit of my personality, I guess. (Hygge!)
So it was quite amusing how, when my husband and I decided to host one of our first dinners with friends from the diplomatic corps at home, I found myself struggling when it comes to putting together a cheese plate.
The struggles of a diplomat’s wife are quite mundane to some, I know. Failing at this won’t start a world war nor turn into a major diplomatic incident. However, to fail at something so minor may kill the perfectionist in me inside.
In fact, I was having a minor panic attack that day. Surely, I would have retained some knowledge from all the diplomatic events I attended as a journalist and later on as a wife? I knew the most popular cheeses. How they taste and their textures. But choosing was a different story and I have a tendency to overthink then just want everything in there.
Ah, National Day. Usually the biggest event an Embassy or a Consulate will host for the year. It’s something that a lot of people either enjoy or stress over – depending on your role for that night.
As a diplomatic reporter and later on as a diplomat’s wife, I’ve been attending a whole lot of National Day celebrations and Embassy events from Manila to KL. Too many for me to count at this point – to think I’ve only been in the diplomatic circle for 5 years. (Diplomatic life does mean events left and right)
Such events are usually a good opportunity for a country to share something from home – their food, culture, history, the talent of their people. For us Filipinos, there’s usually a part of the program dedicated to how talented Filipino performers are.
One thing I love about attending diplomatic events is the dressing up that it comes with. I happen to love wearing Filipiniana – all forms of it. From the well-known Terno and Maria Clara down to the clothes worn by the different tribes all over the Philippines. However, one thing about National Dresses/Outfits is that they can cost quite a bit. I’ve had one too many fellow diplowives telling me that dressing up for National means parting with a hefty amount. The fact that it happens annually means you also have a repetitive (big) expense.
Everyone at my wedding! (Well, almost! Francis, our photographer, was obviously taking the shot)
Four things: Lots of research, careful planning, friends and family who love us dearly, and a teeny tiny bit of luck
When my husband proposed on February 2013, we got into planning our wedding right away. We had a theme, a budget in mind, and 8 months to get everything in place. Sounds like a challenge, doesn’t it? But truth be told, wedding planning isn’t as bad and excruciating as some people might think. It was actually a breeze for the both of us. (I didn’t turn into a bridezilla at any point in the planning and even on the wedding day!)
Nope. No bridezilla! Although I did cry on our wedding day – a lot.
With a husband who gets a kick out of planning along with friends and family who were ever so supportive, we got what we always wanted. A very classy (if I may say so myself) and intimate wedding with just our closest family and friends where we were able to talk, laugh, and mingle with everyone which made everything just oh-so special.
Plus, we were also able to go on a honeymoon in Singapore and Bali within the wedding budget! How much did everything cost? Php 250,000 (Conversion rates: MYR1=Php11.04, EUR1=Php51.92, USD1=Php45.69)! Which is basically unheard of in the Manila wedding circuit these days.
In fact, someone who writes for a wedding magazine found out about our wedding, saw the photos, and was eager to write about it for a feature on intimate weddings. However, when I told him how we did everything by ourselves and how much money we saved by not going through planners and all the people in the wedding business, he told me he couldn’t write about it anymore. Why? Because the magazine will lose advertisers. 😛
So I won’t go into detail about everything as this is not a timely wedding guide anymore since it was two years ago. But I hope what you read here will be great advice to anyone who’s in the planning stage! 🙂
Hi, I'm Carol! A 30-something international relations TV reporter, turned multimedia lifestyle reporter and diplomat's (undiplomatic) wife.
Welcome to my lifestyle blog where I write about how one can live a good life without breaking the bank. It's also where I share our travels and my daily adventures as a lifestyle journalist and a diplomat's wife.
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