{Summer Diary} Paris + Disneyland

Paris is one of those cities that you don't need a long holiday to marvel at sights and sounds that make up this great capital.

After spending 3 nights in Netherlands, I took a train to Paris with Nona and having arrived late at night at our apartment, I still couldn't believe that we managed to spend time in Disneyland and the city itself within the space of less that 24 hours!

When in Paris, it seems only fitting to secretly fantasise about living in a Woody Allen film and to stroll the grand streets after dark. It is a big fat cliche but once the sun goes down, Paris looks even more lovelier especially with the Eiffel tower lights twinkling and glittering. It's hard not to feel giddy with excitement when standing beneath it! Places not to miss when in Paris: Louvre, Montmartre, Pont des Art & Trocadero. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to make a trip to Champs Elysees so I wouldn't mind planning a second trip to Paris for a weekend :)

//DISNEYLAND//

For someone who hasn't been to Disneyland for over 7 years, I had an out of body experience as I walked through the entrance gates. I felt as if I was jumping out of my skin with excitement and it seemed every other person there was feeling the exact same way. I was indeed the happiest during the trip to Disneyland.

I hope everyone is having a great start to their summer break and Ramadhan Kareem to all my muslim friends!

{Summer Diary} Netherlands

After what has felt like an eternity I'm happy to finally share what was undoubtedly a long and tiring journey. While I've only travelled to Budapest earlier this year, Netherlands was different and new to me, and it managed to combine all of the elements of a beautiful concoction of the cool cafe lifestyle with their laid-back culture that I wouldn't mind planning for a second trip. 

I stayed for a good 3 nights with my friends at Soest-Zuid in the province of Utretch just 2 hours from Amsterdam. This didn't bother me because I really enjoyed having to wake up to a view of the charming greener side of Netherlands every morning and avoiding the bustling city vibe at night.

My rule of thumb while travelling is to always experience any new city on an early morning. The first stop was the floating flower market also known as Bloemenmarkt market. While it's slightly sad that I couldn't buy any of the tulips to bring back home, it was already a treat to stroll along the shops and taking everything in. 

It is very difficult to get lost in Amsterdam as you can easily find all of the tourist hotspots within the area. The Dutch are on top of my list of the nicest people on earth as they are very friendly and helpful with directions.

As far as eating in Amsterdam goes, the closest to local speciality is dolly enough; Indonesian food. It is hard to avoid signs offering 'nasi goreng' and the Dutch even serves sambal flavoured cheese!  Apart from Indonesian food and stroopwaffels, the one thing you can not miss out is the "Vlaamse frites" -Amsterdam's flemish fries. They are served in paper cones and are about €3 with a variety of sauces to choose from (sambal is optional!).

Until next time!

love,

Working Hardly

Being a law student requires 3% talent and 97% of not-being-distracted-from-everything.

{Spring Diary} Budapest

Last week I had the chance to skip grey English weather for a few days (punctuated by entire days of confused winter breeze-not spring yet!) in favour of clear skies and romantic long walks along the Danube river in Budapest with my Mr instead. A short trip to virtually anywhere is a swift reminder that all the great things in life takes a lot of effort (packing, laundry, getting around, etc).

I had little context of Budapest and my knowledge of Hungary is no where near of that certain je ne sais quoi but one can never be too shy away from spontaneity (ok maybe I did go on trip advisor prior to our arrival but we did get lost a few times!). Budapest is possibly one of the best food capitals in Europe but when I sought recommendations from friends and on the internet, I knew I had to make a lot of concessions as it is hard to find halal eateries. However, Budapest also stores the best coffee houses in Europe so with that being said, my coffee breaks was as decadent and enjoyable as the gorgeous atmosphere. 

New York Cafe 

I've travelled with friends in the past, but there's a lot to be said about having a level of comfort with someone that surpasses your usual, familiar surroundings. Besides sharing close quarters with a person for several days on end can often inspire two people who love each other in their normal environment to more or less want to toss the other out the window. But of course, that did not actually happen.

And lastly, growing up with my father who is always moving around and encouraging us to see the world, I've been privileged to be able to fill up a couple of passports with stamps from across the globe: from New York to Florida, Vientiane to Hong Kong, Bangkok to Geneva, Lyon to Italy, and many more. It seems like while on one vacation, I'm already planning the next (Amsterdam and Cambodia this summer!).

I hope you all had a good start to your Easter break because I did :)

25 things to do before I'm 25

Having just turned 20 a few months back, marks the first year of my twenties. I for one firmly believe by the mantra that life is what we mostly make it to be. For me, I believe that a well lived life means pursuing big dreams and placing an emphasis on daily small pleasures along the way. I do not ever want to turn old and tell people, "I've always wanted to do X and never got around to it!"

I've decided to take this milestone of having entered a new decade to make a list of 25 things to do before I turn 25, and attempt to tick them all over the next 5 years (in no particular order). Some are grand lifelong dreams, others are continuation of things I'm already enjoying, others are silly and frivolous but happiness-inducing all the same. I won't bore you with the whole list of 25 (some are too personal!), but here are the 10 items in the list that I'm particularly looking forward to:

1. Graduating from University. Needless to say, with countless essays to go through the next 15 months I simply can not wait to see what I'll be pursuing next.

2. Set in motion concrete plans to live in New York for a month (or a week to be more realistic). Rent an apartment, and spend the afternoons exploring the city I've fantasised about since forever.

3. Hosting a party. The kinds that are so elaborate that they belong in a Fitzgerald novel.

4. Making an investment. I'm not talking about buying a house (I'm not that far ahead yet!) but I do need to start saving to thank myself later on in the future.

5. Travel. A cliche but, I came across a quote by Saint Augustine which said, "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page," which makes me want to step out of reality and into someone else’s perspective of life.

6. Spend a summery weekend in the glorious English Cotswold. 

7. Visit the mediterranean - for a dose of delicious azure waters and vitamin D.

8. Volunteering. Much akin to travelling, volunteering does change your perspective in life and I'm looking forward to do more volunteering jobs over the summer holidays.

9. Buy my first Louboutin. (see point 4)

10. Learn how to make a proper Thai meal.(Pad thai, mango sticky rice and Khao Man Gai are probably my favourite food group and I still think Thailand is the best country after Brunei hehe)

Love,

{OOTD} THINK PINK

What's better than chasing away the winter blues with an abundance of colour (or pink)? The past few weeks have been a hectic whirlwind at work and university leaving me extra busy for this new semester. Granted, there are times I could depart myself from the workload so to make up for it, I have made a short OOTD video and despite this, it actually took me half a day to put it up together.

Enjoy!