LIFE | Happy Belated 20th Birthday to Carmen

I may be more than a couple of weeks late to my birthday post which should have been posted on the 28th September but let's just pretend I did.

It's weird to think I have already reached another milestone in life. The vehicle of life that I am riding is accelerating at rates unfathomable to myself with times of gentle lulling, unexpected traffic jams and uncontrollable diverted roads. 

Recently, a cauldron of emotions have been brewing inside my head. A sprinkle of stress, a dashing of university and a whole lot of growing up. I have a feeling you will be seeing me more on here.

Entering my 20's was very intimidating and daunting. This is the phase in life where things can change the most drastically. Big changes occur and transitions will cement the paths that will be taken and decisions upon whether the you actually progress on that road is a mystery. The lifestyle stage between being in your early 20s where your are in education and trying to find a job would progress to the expectation, that you would be in a stable job, saving up to buy a house and that you are somewhat in control of your life. 

I am still trying to find what is truly me. Some individuals have settled into themselves as soon as they start university, but i'm still struggling to determine who 'Carmen' is. There are still many moments where the awkward teen with no social skills peek out into the world; would I miss her if she goes completely? 

I guess... I am scared. 

Travel | Meet Me At The Cascada Monumental

The best way to start posting about my holiday adventure is to start off with my favourite picture that I took after 6 weeks of travelling.

This picture was taken in Barcelona, a city overflowing with beautiful sculptures and landscapes, rightly so because its the birthplace of the famous architect Gauldi. It was designed by a Catailan architect Josep Fontserè with contributions from young Gauldi, it is located at the Ciutadella Park.

The picture above, was taken at the top of the fountain where the cascading waters start its descent. Unlike the front of the monument, I wouldn't say that with one look it would leave you awestruck but it gives a sense of rawness with the sharp edges that juts out in all different directions and appreciate the level of care that was put into this beautiful fountain. The shadows casted from the sculpture created a beautiful dynamic between the warmth of the sun and the material.

Travel | Hitchin Lavender Farm

These images of my friend always makes me go uwu. 

Hitchin Lavender Farm costs £6 to enter the lavender fields where they provide you with an adequate sized brown paper bag and a pair of scissors so you can fill up the bag. A majority of the fields are made up of  purple lavender but there is a very very small patch of white lavender at the far end of the fields- keep an eye out for them. Beyond the lavender fields, there are sunflowers patches which can be picked at a price of 50p per a stem. Even on busy days, the fields don't feel crowded because the site is so vast that there are many spots where you can take the perfect Instagram. 

Travel | 5 things to know before going to Hong Kong

 (sorry for the awkwardly long image, I'm experimenting with sizes and layouts)

1. Octopus Cards are your best friends
If you're travelling in Hong Kong for a few days where you would be using public transport regularly, I would definitely recommend you to nip to the closest MTR station service desk to buy one of these nifty cards. To use this card, there would be a sum of money which would be deducted with every purchase from public transports (except taxis), stores and restaurants. To top the octopus card up, you can go to any convenience store like Seven Eleven and Circle K where you can ask for a top up.When you purchase the card, you would need to pay a deposit and upon return, there would be a refund a sum of money.

2. Tissues, tissues, tissues
Did I stress that you need tissues enough? Some of you may not know the importance of having a packet of tissues or a napkin from the meal that you had yesterday. Unless you are going to the toilet in large shopping centres, be prepared to use your own precious stash of tissues. So always bring some tissue with you to the toilet regardless because we don't want emergencies like pleadingly asking for anyone to pass you some tissues. If you want to be extra fancy and try something new, Tempo Tissues are scented with a variety of flavours from mint to peach.

Travel | Cats of Thailand

'Cats' and 'Thailand' are two separate nouns that I have never thought would be worthy of a blog post but here I am, making the unlikely happen.

Review | Innisfree Orchid Enriched Cream

I'm a Innisfree skincare advocate. They have many skincare lines which target different problem areas and concerns whilstusing natural ingredients sounds like a winner for me. 

From the pictures above, you can already seen how much I've used and I am loving every little bit of it. Innisfree claims that the Jeju orchids are packed with anti-oxidents and neutrilising agents which will combat the negative effects that daily life has on the skin- mainly targeting anti-ageing.

Travel | A New York Fairytale

Long overdue travel post of my not-so recent trip to New York with my business studies class for an 'educational' trip- that's what they always say. 

Days were fully packed and schedule so we used our time most efficiently so there was little time to truly explore since we were there for education however, here are a few touristy pics that I was able to snap up.  

Jetlag, excitement and awe was experienced at this moment. We arrived at night so we could hardly appreciate the concrete jungle but after a night of resting, I was eager to open the curtains for New York to welcome us so I scrambled to the window with my camera in hand- waiting for this moment. Even though this photo isn't the most beautifully taken or the best quality or has the best composition, it is one of my favourite image from the trip because of this moment. 

Photo Diary | The Golden Hours That Caresses Tsim Sha Tui

This is the first post in this new series of photo diary posts that I am going to write in the future. I have been finding it very hard to sit down to compose any literate piece of writing, and if i do- it lacks sincerity. 

Yesterday, I captured a few photos at Tsim Sa Tui when I spent a few hours just listening to music then had a realisation that it would be perfect to create a mini series highlighting special moments in the beauty of life. 

So let's set sail to a new era of Forever-Hibernating! 

 

K-Movie Review | Architecture 101 - Enroll me into Architecture

The main reason which initiated me watching this movie last night was the opening scene from Radio Romance where Kim Soo Hyun's character says:

We were all somebody's first love. You, and you too. During that time, we were all a boy or a girl in love, and we could have been someone's first love.Dear listeners of Mi Nu's Happy 6pm, today, Wrap it up. Are you ready to go back to when you were someone's first love?"

Those lines really struck me and I guess, here I am, writing a not-so-review-like review.

Travel | Finding Your Zen In Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden

As a frequent visitor of Hong Kong, I am ashamed to say that it was my first time visiting Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden however, from now on I am determined to visit this place every time I visit HK because it's an absolute gem and perfect for any instragram shots or any photography as  everything is worth capturing. Best of all, this is absolutely free!

The following photos were taken in summer so all the plants were blooming with different hues of green blending into one another surrounding a magnificent koi pond . A complete contrast from the hustling live of Hong Kong, instead, a serene a peaceful gem creating a form of escapism from the stressful daily lives.