April 2013
1 post
Anonymous asked: hi there, this is a lovely blog! just wondering what your experiences travelling and eating out with an egg allergy were like(esp in the uk). I am allergic to eggs too, so i'm curious! thanks xx
October 2012
1 post
12 tags
hello, goodbye.
At the beginning of the month, I made the long trip over to Hong Kong for my maternal grandpa’s funeral. The trip was a quick one and I was sick the entire time because of a nasty cold bug I caught the weekend prior to leaving. If I remember correctly, this was my eight trip to Hong Kong but it was the first trip where I’ve had to stay in a hotel, which was an interesting change....
August 2012
1 post
10 tags
snapshots of tuscany.
If you follow me on Twitter or if you follow my main Tumblr, you’ll know that I went to Italy last month. And before your start becoming jealous of me, I wasn’t there for fun as I was there as “nanny,” so to speak. My cousin and her husband invited me to join them on their family vacation but I would be there to take care of their children aged 2, 4, and 9. Safe to say,...
June 2012
1 post
hello, all.
Just wanted to do a quick update. Yes, I’m still alive. This blog will remain here so that I can always look back and remember my time abroad. If any of you have questions about studying at Leeds Uni or travelling in Europe, feel free to ask. You can ask me through this blog or my main blog and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Cheers! x
March 2012
3 posts
5 tags
all good things must come to an end.
And so ends my posts about my semester abroad in the beautiful city of Leeds…
It’s been nearly 2 months since my return back to Vancouver and I’m no longer in the I can’t believe I was just studying in England stage. Right now, I’m in more of a TAKE ME BACK TO ENGLAND AND EUROPE/I WANT TO BE BACK IN ENGLAND type of stage. IIt’s that dreaded exchange...
5 tags
home, sweet home.
This ‘being back home’ post has been overdue for quite some time now. I’ve been back in Vancouver since the 26th of January, which is still something I’m trying to adjust to. It’s been great to sleep in my own bed and on a mattress that doesn’t creak with every move, and also one that doesn’t feel like the springs are ready to burst through the fabric....
14 tags
london, part three.
Here’s the last bit on my time in London and my time abroad in Europe!
On my third day in London, I met up with Michelle and Flavia, as well as Flavia’s friend, Mateus. We walked through the Borough Market even though it was closed that day and then, had lunch at the The Old Thameside Inn. I had a delicious beef and tomato stew (below). We chatted for a while and off we went to...
February 2012
7 posts
18 tags
london, part two.
Okay, so my second full day in London started off with a trip to see the London Bridge and Platform 9 and 3/4 at King’s Cross Station. If you’re someone who doesn’t know what Platform 9 and 3/4, shame on you! Go and educate yourself by watching the Harry Potter films. After a short stop there, we walked over to a Santander branch to close my account. And my goodness, I wasted...
1 tag
cutadindar asked: another question! what is the common weather in leeds? I'm from a tropical country so a cold weather will be a problem for me...
1 tag
cutadindar asked: So basically I'm going to study in Shanghai for a year to get my diploma next september, and then transfer to leeds/sheffield. I still confuse about the dormitory that I will chose. I know that the Henry Price building is on the campus near the business faculty, but it doesn't have any common room for students.... so I guess I need to chose another dormitory. do you have any suggestion...
1 tag
whatalovelypicture asked: I really love your photos, they are beautiful! What camera do you use? and is there any settings you use specifically to achieve the look of your photos? thanks!
1 tag
Anonymous asked: hello! i've been looking through your blog (which is great, btw!) and your time at leeds seems like it was really great! i think you mentioned that you were studying communications there. and now that your semester is over, i wanted to ask- how did you find the classes? i'm not sure if you answered this before, but i hope this isn't a bother or anything. in any case, thanks!
23 tags
london, part one.
Around noon on the 21st of January, my time in Leeds as an exchange student at the University of Leeds officially came to an end. It was a sad, sad morning that day, having to say our farewells to the friends that we met during our time on exchange. Lots of tears were shed, and I mean lots, especially from me. I was fine the previous day when Cynthia and I had dropped off Jac at the coach...
6 tags
i just can't recognize myself, tears of joy run...
It’s strange thinking that my exchange is over. I’m now back in Vancouver (and terribly behind on blogging), just getting used to living at home again and the non-British way of doing things. But let’s rewind back to my exchange for the next handful of posts. And yes, this is my way of deluding myself into thinking that I’m still in Europe, travelling and seeing all the...
January 2012
10 posts
4 tags
home.
This is going to be a super short post. I just wanted to let you guys know that I’ve arrived back in Vancouver. My exchange has finally come to an end. It was a bittersweet ending but more on that later when I’ve caught up on blogging…
6 tags
harrogate and a little bit of jamie's italian.
A little over two weeks ago, some friends and I took a short break from exams to celebrate Cynthia’s birthday at Jamie’s Italian in the city centre. Jamie as in Jamie Oliver, in case you were wondering. Funny thing about this night is that we waited and waited for Cynthia to show up but she never did until about an hour into dinner. The dinner was delicious but someone needs to...
24 tags
berlin, part three.
I started off my final full day in Berlin with a trip to the Bauhaus-Archiv, a museum housing things art works, documents, and furniture that all are related to the Bauhaus. You could definitely see the notion that ‘form follows function’ in the things that were on display in the museum. No pictures were allowed inside, but just so you guys have an idea, they had paintings, drawings,...
12 tags
berlin, part two.
Continuing on from from the previous Berlin post, I took the U-Bahn to a station near the Berlinische Galerie, which would be my final touristy stop for the day. I got off at the wrong station or exit and ended up so much further from the gallery than I expected. It took me about 40 minutes to get to the gallery because I was seriously that far away! Eventually, I found it and paid for my...
1 tag
duhd asked: love your berlin post! i'm trying to organise myself to have a trip there soon and i was just wondering if you had any advise? i seem to start getting bogged down with lots of details when i weigh up how much everything will be!
16 tags
berlin, part one.
I’m not entirely sure what I was thinking when I decided to book a short trip to Berlin right before exams, but hey, you only live once, right? The morning I left, I only got an hour and half of sleep. I was planning on sleeping during my flight but my flight from Manchester kept getting delayed. After 2 hours of delays, I finally arrived in Berlin around 3:30pm, taking the train and the...
1 tag
Anonymous asked: hey, what kind of camera do you use?
7 tags
a christmas in northern ireland.
As I’m currently on exchange, flying back to Canada for Christmas would be pointless, so I spent part of my holidays up in Northern Ireland with my aunt and uncle in Ballymena. The majority of my days were spent relaxing and attempting to work on my COMM2125 research essay. My aunt and uncle were working most of the days I was visiting, but they took me out on Christmas day for a few hours...
2 tags
Anonymous asked: on your trips to copenhagen/stoockholm/elsewhere did you fly out of leeds? or take a train to london, and fly out of there. basically I'm asking if it was easy to navigate to places without having to change many trains/flights
4 tags
an early christmas in leeds.
I didn’t realize that I hadn’t posted these photos until just a few days ago. Back last year in December, my friends in one of the other blocks put on a Christmas dinner. The dress code was green and red, so I opted for a red beanie courtesy of my father’s closet and my Oxford Uni sweater. The food was so delicious and boy, did we eat a lot. We had roast pork, a selection of...
December 2011
11 posts
21 tags
copenhagen, part three.
On my third day in Copenhagen, I started off with a short walk to the Nyhavn area, which is filled with lots of small boutiques and restaurants. It kind of reminded me of Amsterdam and the canals in the Jordaan area. It’s a really beautiful area and I’m glad that the weather was pretty decent, no rain to soak me this morning.
Shortly afterwards, I took the train up north to...
12 tags
copenhagen, part two.
I had planned to visit all of the major sights and things that I wanted to do in Copenhagen on my second day there. A packed schedule, indeed. After breakfast at the hostel, off I went to walk to see the Little Mermaid statue. It was only a 20-minute walk but boy, did it feel like I walked for ages no thanks to the pouring rain and crazy wind. An umbrella was useless in that weather, so I just...
7 tags
copenhagen, part one.
After sleeping a grand total of 3 hours and leaving my hostel in Stockholm at an ungodly hour, I headed to the airport, ready to board my flight to Copenhagen. Because I had purchased a few things in Stockholm, I was a little worried that my carry-on would go over the weight limit. So, I piled on the clothing (i.e. white tank, Weekday knit, Canada Goose parka, Cheap Monday Jacket) and...
9 tags
stockholm, part four.
This final Stockholm post is continuing where the previous post left off. I just thought that it would be better to do a separate post so it wouldn’t be as overwhelming. After a full morning and afternoon of sightseeing and walking, Amy and I returned to our hostel to give our tired feet a break. I rested up and researched how to get to Debaser Slussen, as I was going to be seeing Real...
Anonymous asked: hi i'm applying for a UK Student Visitor visa. did you include an official transcript with your application?
11 tags
stockholm, part three.
Alright, part three! Hope you aren’t sick of all these pictures yet. Since a lot of Gamla Stan had been blocked off due to the Nazi protest, I went back with Amy, an Aussie from my hostel. We ventured into the Old Town area and bought ourselves some Swedish toffee with nuts in it. We also visited the Royal Palace, which I thought was a little on the ugly side. Sorry, Swedes. It just...
25 tags
stockholm, part two.
My first full day in Stockholm started off with me getting up super early to get as much done while it was still light out. Like the UK, it gets dark around 3PM in Stockholm, so you must enjoy daylight while you can. First on my list of things to see and do was the Moderna Museet on the Skeppsholmen island. I could have walked there if I really wanted too, but I took a bus instead.
Right...
8 tags
stockholm, part one.
Last week, after handing in my paper and reading response portfolio, I finally got a break from school. Classes finally ended and to celebrate, off I went to the land of gorgeous Scandinavian men and amazing Scandinavian fashion.
After a grand total of three hours of sleep, I got on a train to Manchester Airport at the ungodly hour of six in the morning. Not entirely sure what I was...
mmmeggit asked: I am so happy I've just found your blog! I'm coming to Leeds next winter semester for study abroad from Canada and all your pictures have just made me so much more excited! What program are you in?!
6 tags
cambridge.
I’ve been crazy busy with schoolwork for the past while so I didn’t have a chance to post this until today. Today, I had a 3000-word paper due, as well as a reading response portfolio. I’m so relieved that those two assignments are done! I’ve only got one final research essay due in January and a couple of exams for my film history class. A little bit before the...
Anonymous asked: Love your blog :) I'm from Canada too and thinking about doing an exchange somewhere in Europe. Is there a lot to do in Leeds?
November 2011
14 posts
white-musk asked: Wow, I just randomly came across your blog whilst avoiding doing work, was looking through your gorgeous pictures and read that you are currently studying abroad in Leeds - just where I currently am. Judging by your photos you are living at St Marks too, very weird. Anyway, just thought I would say hello and your photos are stunning! xx
10 tags
treated walls, care for me.
Before I had even left for England, I found out that James Blake would be playing the university union in November and obviously, I got myself a ticket. It was much cheaper than seeing him in Vancouver and I wouldn’t have been able to go to that show as I’d already be in England. From what I heard from friends, James killed it at his sold-out show in Vancouver, even with Bon Iver...
3 tags
the trials and tribulations of a shopaholic.
I’m not going to lie. I do have a little problem with self-control when it comes to shopping both in person and online. For the most part, I can reason with myself but other times, I find it very hard to resist and end up clicking on the “Checkout” button. I’m totally one of those people who are constantly added items to their basket but it’s not very often that I...
1 tag
spacetime-inspector asked: hi :) i really like your blog! your photos are fantastic! i've been thinking about studying abroad in the uk as well, but i'm trying to decide b/t university of leeds or bristol. i'm kinda leaning towards leeds after looking through your blog though hahah. i really want to travel outside of leeds too (like you!) and i've been wondering, how much did the flights to prague and...
10 tags
a night at the leeds international film festival.
When I first heard that Steve McQueen’s newest film, Shame, would be screening at the Leeds International Film Festival, I jumped on the opportunity to get a ticket and even convinced my flatmate, Houssine, to go. The film had its world premiere at the 68th Venice Film Festival and it has had screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival, and the New...
7 tags
christkindelmarkt.
The German Christmas market, or Christkindelmarkt, is in full swing at Millenium Square here in Leeds, so some of my friends and I dropped by to sample some of the delicious food and check out the trinkets being sold. As many of the food stands sold stuff that had eggs in the ingredients, I only got myself a German sausage in a bun, which was really good (and pricey-ish), and some chocolate...
8 tags
prague, part three.
Our final day (or half-day, rather) in Prague was mainly to finish up the last bits of sightseeing and to do a little souvenir shopping. After breakfast, we hopped on a tram heading west to check out the most modern-looking building in Prague, which is better known as the “Dancing Building” or the Fred and Ginger building. The building was completed in 1996 and it was designed by...
12 tags
prague, part two.
We only had one full day in Prague so we had to squeeze as much sightseeing as we could on this day. So, sorry about the onslaught of photos in this post! I’ve already cut a bunch out too. After an all-you-can-eat breakfast at our hostel, we hopped on the tram and took the metro to the city centre of Prague. We breezed through a few shops in the centre and then, took off on the tram to...
ambrosia18 asked: Hi, my name is Amber and I stumbled upon your tumblr from the Emma Watson photo. Anywho, I firstly wanted to say that I love your blog. I set up my tumblr account a year ago but really haven't been able to master it. Hopefully soon, do you have any tips? Secondly, I know you are basically documenting your journey, what type of camera do you use? I attend the University of Illinois. I would...
6 tags
prague, part one.
Just spent the past weekend in Prague with Michelle and Houssine. It’s crazy to think that I’m spending weekend in various European countries. Living in Canada just doesn’t seem as exciting… But anyhow, back to the amazing city that is Prague. So, my flight to Prague wasn’t the greatest. I was surrounded by rowdy young guys and boisterous middle-aged men, and it...
9 tags
amsterdam, part three.
Sorry about the wait on this final post on my weekend spent in Amsterdam. I just got back from another weekend trip and still have a ton of stuff to catch up on. Anyway, our final day in Amsterdam started off with a trip to a bakery where everyone except for me got a little something. It’s times like those where I wish I wasn’t allergic to eggs.
Yummy-looking stuff
...
10 tags
amsterdam, part two.
Our second full day in Amsterdam began with us moving out from the Art Bed & Breakfast studio flat to the Shelter City hostel. The hostel is actually located in the Red Light District but on a side street. So you definitely can get an eyeful when returning to the hostel at night… As we were leaving the hostel, I, being a person who can barely walk on flat ground, managed to stumble on...
Anonymous asked: Hi, I was thinking of studying abroad at Leeds next year. I wanted to know how the classes were. Are they harder or easier compared to your university at home?
9 tags
amsterdam, part one.
As with my day trip to Liverpool, I’m going to need to do a few posts covering my trip to Amsterdam. So, let’s get to it. After attending seminar and some last-minute packing, my flatmates, Michelle and Houssine, and I hopped in a cab to the airport to catch our flight to Amsterdam. I passed out on the 50-minute flight and woke up just before landing at Schiphol. Surprisingly...
October 2011
16 posts
1 tag
Anonymous asked: Hi I love your posts, beautiful photos! I have a question if you don't mind, how much did you budget for your semester abroad at Leeds not including flight and residence? I'm in the process of applying for next September and knowing this would be really helpful in my planning. Sorry for asking anonymously, I don't have a Tumblr blog.
