Thorpe Park

First amusement park outing in the UK!

Winter is coming! Despite the dark and cold weather, I love how London goes all out with the Christmas decorations. It's so festive and romantic!

Somerset House

Happy Halloween!
There are now two months left of 2014. Woah.

I'm off to Brighton for a day tomorrow to check out the Brighton Photo Biennial of 2014 - the largest photography festival in the UK.

London Autumn

It gets dark at 4.30pm now. I was so surprised when I looked out the window at work and then checked the clock to see that it wasn't even 5 o'clock yet. Will need to adjust as I've heard it will get dark 3pm in winter.

What's even sadder is that my mum has left and is back in Sydney. I'm such a big baby. I cried when she left. I remember back in 2010 when she visited me in Japan, I was fine and told her I'd see her the next year and did not shed a tear. It must be the age, getting old. I miss my mummy :(

Suomenlinna, Finland, in summer

Suomenlinna is an island 15 minutes from Helsinki by ferry and also a UNESCO World Heritage site. There is a fortress around the island which was built to prevent the Russians from invading. It truly is picturesque and definitely worth the visit if you ever visit Helsinki.

Suomenlinna

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain

Suomenlinna, Finland

July 2014

Paris Evenings

I am finally getting around to posting photos from my travels outside of London. Coming from Australia, it is truly amazing for me that a 1-2 hour flight can take me to a completely different country and culture. You see, back in Oz, that will take me to either Brisbane or Melbourne (no disparity there).
London is the perfect hub to travel around Europe and I have a schedule until New Years (see Categories to see my upcoming trips). Can't wait to plan more for 2015.

Back in July, I went to Paris for the first time on a work trip and my two favourite sites were Sacré-Cœur Basilica and, of course, the iconic Eiffel Tower. More to come!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn

Goodbye to people sprawled in parks to soak up the sun, barbecues, Pimm's, pop-up stalls and sunshine until 9pm.

London Summer 2014.

Borough Market on film

Second visit to Borough Markets, on film this time (this is my first visit on the first weekend I arrived in London). Best place to walk around, try samples and eat on an empty stomach at entrance.
This was quite awhile back now, before I started work.

Past three weeks have been jam-packed with a wedding in Finland, work trip to Paris and miscellaneous London activities on the weekend. I have around 10 rolls of film in my room waiting to be developed! You can follow me on Instagram as I obviously blog regularly and update what I'm up to here.

Finland was the perfect break from the hustle and bustle of London and seeing family and friends from Sydney really made me feel back at home (especially when my sweetest Aunt prepared us a full Korean meal - oh how I missed home food). Paris was everything I imagined it to be. The city has a romantic flair to everything and everywhere.
My little cousin will be visiting for a few days this month and then in August I'll be travelling around Europe for 10 days with my closest friend back in Sydney. Cannot wait!
Life is good!

Trafalgar Square & Piccadilly Circus

World Cup fever has hit town!

Looking back -

2006 World Cup in Sydney as a fresh first year uni student.
2010 World Cup in Japan as an exchange student.
2014 World Cup now working in London.

Wonder where I'll be in 2018...?

Leicester Square

      


I'm in my first week of work and it's nice to have a routine. Information overload but work colleagues are lovely and it's so awesome how it only takes 15 minutes to get to work.

It does get lonely when I finish work and I go straight back home...into my room (there's no living room at my place). I miss coming home to my mum and brother, eating a home-cooked dinner, lounging around in the living room and watching TV.
I pack my lunch and have a simple dinner. It helps exercising after work, either yoga or running, to take up my time.

London cafes: Timberyard, Seven Dial

I miss Saturday brunches in Sydney at hipster cafes with, of course, exceptional coffee.
That doesn't mean I can't do it here though! I have a list of coffee shops, as they call it here, that I want to visit. Few I have been to during the past few weeks and I will share on the blog as a "London cafes" series.

The first place I'd like to share with y'all is Timberyard at Seven Dial. It was voted the best "coffice", i.e. cafe office, in London according to a sign outside the cafe. There were many people at the cafe alone working on their laptops. The coffee wasn't bad but I did find it quite bitter and I normally don't put any sugar in my coffee. I like it smooth and balanced - if that makes sense. There were a few other places where the coffee was really bitter. Maybe it's a London thing.
I liked the decor and atmosphere. Maybe I'll take my Macbook or iPad and work on the blog or study either Japanese or something work-related there on a weekend. Times like this I wish there was a cozy neighbourhood cafe in Canada Water where I live.