REFLECTING AFTER CHRISTMAS

Sunday 29 December 2019

What a whirlwind this year has been. I don't even know what day of the week it is anymore but post- Christmas, who does? After Christmas is usually just a waiting period until work starts. It's like getting ready early and then you don't know what to do with yourself.

I came back to London a couple of days ago after spending the most delightful Christmas at home with the best company. My Aunt and Grandma visited from Hong Kong and my boyfriend, George, who also came to see the puddles of Manchester. As with every household, a lot of food was consumed, Monopoly was played (and won by me) and films were watched. Attempted to watch that knight film* Vanessa Hudgens is in but 20 mins in, we called it quits. It was SO very bad I couldn't keep watching without hurting my eyes and ears for that matter!

I've been away from my phone the majority of the past two weeks while I was away in Amsterdam and Manchester. Life got the better of me and I just wasn't in the mood to share any pictures like I usually would. On some days, a lot was happening behind the scenes and sharing the highlight reel was the opposite of what I felt like doing when it was far from how I felt. Aside from those moments, my Christmas holiday has never felt merrier especially with so many people in the house at one time. I spent less time online while I was in Amsterdam and more time learning about the world. Literally. There was an international card game in the flat we were staying at so we spent 2 nights out of 3 quizzing each other on the countries of the world. It was nice to slow down at home too, living in London you forget how to walk slow and feel peace when commuting. I took George to the MOSI, I hadn't been in a long time and boy did it bring up flashbacks of my weekend trips to the museum. We both got giddy learning (me re- learning) about the cotton mill industry which is one of the aspects Manchester is known for. Took a detour afterwards past Revs (if you know you know), towards HOME. All while George was singing Wonderwall and shouting:

"woo liam gallagher"

"I love oasis"

"when do we get to meet liam"

*The film was The Knight before Christmas

Beanie, GANNI*/ boots, zara/ coat, topshop old (similar here* and here*)

HOW TO DRESS FOR THE LONDON TUBE

Tuesday 5 November 2019

Not the most winter friendliest coat but you're sure to stand out like a commuter smiling at 8:30am amongst everyone else carrying the weight of the weather on their shoulders. I've lived in zone 2 London for two months now and I've become accustomed to the etiquette of commuter dressing. The recipe. When you wear a wool coat over a wool jumper, you have indeed fallen into the lava of Bowser's castle. I have no idea if it's an asian thing but since I was young, it has been drilled into me by my parents that as long as your neck is warm then the rest of the body will follow suit. For the colder commutes outside of the underground, it is key for battling those baltic winds. For the warmer commutes in the underground, it becomes convenient to take off mid- rush down the left side of the escalator hoping to squeeze into a train like it's the last one even though one arrives every 1 minute.

Coat, H&M*/ jeans, Topshop*

TWO ROLLS OF FILM

Tuesday 29 October 2019

I spent the entirety of my summer documenting various

moments on film. All taken on my Olympus miu on Portra 400

and Kodak Gold 200. Some of these photos I'm super glad

I have, like the one at my graduation. Two days after,

I lost my phone, including all those precious photos of my

graduation so the one I've included is now 1/5 photos I have. It's been

a few months since I finished my first roll of film so looking back has

given me the post- holiday blues. As much as I am looking forward to the winter

festivities and to shoot on more rolls of film, I can't help but feel nostalgic

in the summer that has just past.

9 comments london, outfits, travel

SETTLING BACK IN MANCHESTER.. TEMPORARILY

Sunday 28 July 2019

It's been a month since moving out of my accommodation of 3 years and back into my family home in Manchester. It was a bitter sweet goodbye but it felt right. It's amazing how quickly you can adapt back into your old roots, something that was unimaginable when you lived independently. It's been easier settling back into the town you grew up in when you maintain the independency you gained by living out. For me, it's been booking my own hairdresser's appointment, finding a good local lash extentions technician and just popping out into town in the middle of the afternoon to run some errands (there seems to be a common theme of self care!). As a post- grad there is always that impending pressure of wanting to flee the nest ASAP (after the family holiday is over and done with of course) but it's not really a choice we have due to financial instability. Mind you, I've been popping down to London every weekend so I've been lucky enough to experience the familiarity of both worlds. What I do miss is the constant of a job while I was in London, the convenience of arranging a meet up after work was just SO easy and simple. You're killing two birds with one stone, the feeling of productivity and socialising.