Jessica Pan's Blog: Graduates in Wonderland, page 8

The Hair That Launched a Thousand Waves

As a child who did not like getting her bangs trimmed, I once tried to convince my older sister that wearing my hair swept over one side of my face was the most flattering style for me.

Photo from Bellazon

“If you do that, you will go blind,” she told me.

This is not meant to be taken as medical advice, but I have begrudgingly submitted to bang trims ever since.

I only discovered classic Hollywood actress Veronica Lake and her trademark half-hidden face (left) years later, and was already huffy a...

A nomad finds her way to her lifelong passion

This is the part of ourongoing seriesin which we interview people who have interesting jobs and get them to tell us how they landed them. They will also reveal how they handled the transition to the real world after graduation —

Fiona Lee has a resume a mile long — she’s worked in publicity, marketing, journalism, education and law, to name just a few (there are more).

Her post grad tale took her on a slightly bumpy road (across the USA and back again with a long spell in Asia) before she final...

Happy Pancake Tuesday To You

Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras – the day when people wear costumes, engage in debaucherous behavior, dance, throw a parade and then make out with lots of people while wearing rows of beads around their necks.

This is otherwise known as the more prim and proper Shrove Tuesday in the UK. Instead of copious amounts of booze and sleaze, it is a holiday where one eats…pancakes. It is like the sad, tame PG-13 version of Mardi Gras.

This is a little unfortunate, as the UK version of pancakes is also a thi...

How Can I Help You?

This is the first in our ongoing series of the worst/weirdest jobs —

the dirty side of soap — photo by Keith Williamson from Flickr

What job gives you the hands of a desert wanderer, the complexion of a newborn, and the ability to knock out anyone in close range with your overwhelming scent?

Being a soap pusher at LUSH – that ever-pungent fixture on the British high street (and across the US)!

I was an apron-clad LUSH employee for about a year; it was my first gig after college. I’d just moved fr...

“Happy” in Beijing

One of my friends, Stephy Chung (we were TV reporters at the same station in China), shot this amazing video in Beijing of people dancing to Pharrell’s “Happy.” It’s pretty great.

I’m missing Beijing today. More outtakes below:

The post “Happy” in Beijing appeared first on Graduates in Wonderland.

Brasserie or Le Diner?

We’d love to regale you with stories of French brasseries and American diners, but the truth is that, when we first took a look at this postcard, we were reminded of things the other way around: American brasseries and French diners.

Is there anything more delicious than an authentic taste of home when it’s been five months since you saw anything resembling a real hamburger? In France, Rachel didn’t think she missed American food, until a friend of hers (waitressing at Breakfast in America, wh...

Meet The Doctor Who Writes About Fashion

I met Kin Woo a year ago at a friend’s going away party in London. We only spoke briefly, but I remembered him well because of his double profession: he’s a doctor who also happens to write the popular fashion column, Insiders, for AnOther Magazine and is currently writer-at-large atDazed, a magazine dedicated to “fashion, youth and culture” in London.

He’d just gotten off a night shift at the hospital when he met me at a café in the heart of Hackney. His ability to balance being a full-time d...

Accessorize Like a French Woman

The covered Brigitte Bardot, Photo from Kooshoo

We’ll admit it: on our not-so-glamorous days, we’ve been known just to throw a bandanna over our hair and call it a day. Jess in the hopes that it makes her look badass, Rachel in the hopes that she will disappear into the crowd and nobody will know she slept with wet hair last night.

Photo from Blue Velvet Vintage

Even though now headscarves are mostly relegated to the realms of the old lady, “it’s either this or a shower cap over my curlers” terr...

Norse Apocalypse

Hey Guys!

We should all pat ourselves on the back and be very grateful that we have survived the Great Norse Apocalypse — in case you hadn’t heard, Norse folks predicted that the world would end last Saturday, on Feb 22. Legend had it that the god Odin would be killed by the wolf Fenrir, causing all hell to break loose: the stars would vanish and the sea and sky would be stained with poison.

But, THIS DID NOT HAPPEN. Yet. So far, so good. Rejoice! The Norse Apocalypse also foretold the end of a...

How To Act Around Prince Harry

Prince Harry, aka your future husband? Photo credit: Pacific Coast News

Dear Miss Fine,

I’ve recently moved to London and while I know the odds are slim, I’d like advice on what happens if I do happen to find myself in the company of Prince Harry. What is the protocol for the situation? Do I have to bow to him? Will he give me a cheek kiss? Or perhaps even a hug?

My big fear is that I may run into Prince Harry in a less than romantic location, such as in line (queue) for the bathr...