Deena A.

I’ve had my fair share of career changes. From a degree in Human Resource Management to studies and a career in fashion design then digital marketing which led me to what I do today: development and branding of crypto projects in South East Asia with my partner. I don’t consider myself as unstable because I had ‘the nerve’ to switch careers so many times nor do I regret any of them. I use the term ‘the nerve’ because I feel it creates outrage among society sometimes that I’m very comfortable with my decisions. How many times did I hear regarding my career mainly : when will you figure out what you really want? When will you settle down? When will you stop moving from one thing to another? Real talk, I think the real underlying questions of the people being so bothered and if they are self-aware are: Why aren’t you like me when I feel I’ve done everything I got told and the system told me that’s how I’m considered as successful? How can you be considered as successful when you’ve done quite the opposite and it triggers me when I hear that? How can I feel unfulfilled when I’ve done everything that I was told would make me feel fulfilled? I truly believe people have to stay in jobs they don’t really like sometimes because they have responsibilities which don’t allow them to do otherwise and I’m not that oblivious that I would say « you can be whatever you want, just follow my 5 steps formula and discover all my secrets! » That’s bullsh*t. I also believe people can be happy in a 9-5 job while pursuing one path and I would never tell them: don’t you think your life is boring? Because simply, it’s their life. There’s an obsession with discrediting people who had a different path than us to reassure ourselves that we’re doing the right thing. I feel sorry for anyone who has so many insecurities that they have to convince someone who is perfectly happy in their path(and not hurting anyone in the process) that they shouldn’t be happy. Live and let live. Or if I had to use my own words: be comfortable with people doing whatever the f*ck they want.

We may wish each other Happy International Women’s Day today but more times than not: - I’ve been told that men don’t like when a woman knows more about business than them. Don’t humiliate them. - I’ve been told that I dress like a slut by an ex-partner who spent his time looking and engaging with ‘provocatively dressed’ women on social media. - I’ve been told my actions are being controlled for my own good by men. They are trying to ‘protect’ me. - I’ve been told that I shouldn’t say no because I’m being vindictive by putting my boundaries and saying “I don’t want it” - I’ve been told I’m arrogant when I said no to men who approached me at supermarkets for refusing to give them my number. - I’ve been told that if I don’t settle down with a partner soon and have kids, I’ll end up regretting it because that’s what nature created women for. - I’ve been told that I’m too into my looks because I take care of myself by eating healthy and working out. - I’ve been told my worth depends on how much men think I’m worth. - I’ve been told that I’m a b*tch by men because I did my job right when I was leading. - I’ve been told that I should shut up and ignore when a man misbehaves in case he does something worse. Nothing about it is normal but that we’ve been conditioned to think that this is acceptable behaviour because men are the ones who define our worth, often men close to us and who ‘care’ about us. On this special day and those coming, let’s reclaim this and stop being ashamed because of definitions being placed on us. Happy Women’s Day 💛

Full tangerine look in this oversized shirt + shorts + stiletto heels. Got my favourite ethnic boho bag to match and clearly the only way I’d ever wear an XL shirt.

Random IG worthy spots in Bangkok

Always with mishka 🐕 @deena.appadoo . . . . #wanderlust #travelingram #exclusive_shots #liveauthentic #huntgram #justgoshoot #wildernessculture #exploretocreate #artofvisuals #shotzdelight #superhubs #moodygrams #instagood #aov #mauritius #ilemaurice #roam #neverstopexploring #waterfall #trekking #hiking #trailrunning #outdoors #adventure

Umbrella boy? @la.chitra The stress of wearing a white dress is real, you actually have to think about what you’re eating at the buffet (this is not how I like to choose my food 😑) #fashion #mauritius #ilemaurice #tamassaresort #lifestyleblogger #ootd

Garden of wishes at Tamassa Resort Kaftan: Deena A. #tamassaresort #fashionblogger #mauritius #ilemaurice #lifestyle #lifestyleblogger

Check out my new hat… Also a big fan of striped skirts and if it has a high slit, even better 🤍 Skirt: Deena A. #mauritius #ilemaurice #fashion #fashionblogger #fashionmauritius

I know, winter isn’t here in the north yet… Whole outfit: Deena A. #mauritius #madeinmauritius #ilemaurice #whiteoutfit #fashionblogger

Something happened to me today at the beach. I usually bring my dog to Mont Choisy beach where there’s a long stretch of beach. I’m careful to make her swim away from people because I understand and respect that not all people are comfortable with dogs. I also avoid bringing her on weekends where there are lots of people. So we’re just in the water playing, at least 500m away from people. This local guy walks all the way from where he was sitting, at least 300m away and comes up to me and starts threatening me about how I will get fined because I’m playing with my dog in the water. Very calmly, I explain to him that I am away from the swimming area, my dog is not bothering anyone, she’s not even barking and no one is around in the water. He then starts mentioning that I might get into trouble with the police if they see me and I calmly replied that the police has seen me a lot of times before and as long as I have my dog under control and I am away from people, they have absolutely no problem and they have never even talked to me about it being illegal. So, who is considered inappropriate here? Is it the girl playing with her dog away from people at the beach or the random guy who feels comfortable walking up to a girl alone with her dog to threaten her? Who is being more of a nuisance here? What if my dog at that moment saw him as a threat and jumped on him to defend me? Then who would have been blamed? Seriously not a rant but truly things which I wonder. #mauritius #ilemaurice

Finding IG-worthy spots near my place every time… Also, my mum finally accepted today that you can indeed wear your bikini top, kimono and shorts to go out for lunch in the north and no one would even blink an eye… Kimono: Deena A. and an old time favourite of mine 🤍 #iwin #mauritius #ootd #fashionblogger #ilemaurice

Happy Independence Day Mauritius! One could rant about everything going wrong with this country or they can just enjoy what the island has to offer 💛 Can’t wait to go back to watch another sunrise at Le Pouce 🏞 until then, let’s keep beaching about it. #mauritius #ilemaurice #hiking #beachmauritius