just take it

I created a new mini vlog using film from way back in July 2015 when I went to visit Perth's secret garden. It's only less than a minute long. Trying to get some practising in before I go on holiday back to Hong Kong and hopefully will end up getting some exciting new footage in. I also need to discover some new music for potential background music for my vlogs and video diaries. No luck so far but will hopefully post a Spotify playlist when I discover some new tracks. 

Take chances, Have no Regrets

Life is too short to be anything but happy.
So kiss slowly, love deeply and forgive quickly.
Take chances, give everything, have no regrets and forget the bad in the past.
Just remember what all it taught you.
Just be someone else. Life is too short to be someone else.

 If there's really one thing I've learnt (but have yet to implement in life) is that life is too short to not be crazy and too short to be anyone else but YOU! Take risks, go after whatever you want, why shouldn't you deserve what's been given to you? Jump through those obstacles to reach your goals and achieve what you want in life. Life is way too short and fast-paced to go day by day without doing something productive.

Social Media and Self Esteem

Hello my little porcupines!

In the midst of study plus exam week I thought I would shove in a blog post before I have way too much free time and forget to write out my sad and sensitive feelings again. I feel like I blog about myself too much so maybe I'll just talk about something else other than myself and my life is so boring and hasn't changed much at all.

First things first - social media. Social media is a marketing tool for businesses but it started out as a medium for people to interact with one another. I think when we think of social media these days the first thing that pops up is usually Facebook or Instagram and I think those two are predominantly two social media platforms in which I use the most. While Facebook is proper, professional and more for friends; Instagram is a platform in which I can explore and interact with people around the world and also show off my creative side which Facebook is lacking. I remember being so obsessed with my Myspsce profile as it was a way to show off my personality and artistic influences and tried to make it represent me. To summarise really - I probably spent way too much time editing my MySpace profile when I could've been doing something more productive.

Which reminds me of the Instagram model - Essena O'Neil - I think the main points she makes where social media is portraying a fake life and not everything is not as perfect as they want you to believe it to be are such valid points. How many times have I seen a photo on Instagram and been like 'I wish I had her life' 'I wish I had her body' 'I wish I had her hair and clothes' when in actuality they've been sponsored and their life isn't as perfect as the extent they made it out to be. However, I honestly draw the line and tell myself that that's her life and this is my life there's honestly no point in comparing and there is nothing I can do about it other than improving myself and striving towards my own goals. Where being social media famous is not one of them and putting myself out there for people to nitpick on my appearance is definitely not one of my goals. I already have enough anxiety over stepping out into the city with so many people around. I think the best thing we can ever do is to be a good person and be a good role model to whoever is looking up to us and don't validate yourself through a strangers opinion of you or how many numbers are behind your brand. It's honestly not worth the stress, effort and self esteem issues associated with it.

Just Lots of Wall Art

Wall art in the streets of Perth City 140

Just a little update on my current ~life~ situation where I try to persuade you that I'm a perfectly normal human being of society.

These past few months have really just been about university and working on assessments plus working as per usual. The past month has been extremely stressful as I was working 4 nights for work and had 3 days of university with no break in between. I was basically working 7 nights for a month straight without a day off or a night to just breathe and relax. It was super stressful but I'm really glad I was determined and persevered - the end result was a blessing in disguise.

A picture of some wildly amusing wall art in the streets of Mount Lawley

transportation | a hong kong video diary

Would super appreciate it if you could watch my new video diary! Thank you so much!

So I was going through my iPhoto images as I wanted to browse through my photos which I took back in 2013/2014 when I went back to Hong Kong (and also visited Taiwan) when I discovered that I actually filmed a lot of videos during my holidays.

This quickly inspired me to film a video diary like those beautiful ones Zoe Suen puts together. Mines not as good as hers but it was greatly inspired by her video diaries. It took me around 4 hours to put it altogether (including uploading and publishing it) and I am super proud of what I created. Hopefully I can continue improving in the future but I'm so in love with the video's thumbnail. I didn't even specifically choose one - it just came up.

Thanks for reading/watching!

1Q84/ Town of Cats

I recently finished 1Q84 the other day. I started it last year and a year later I finally finished it. I did it! I reached the next milestone of my life - it seems. Personally, 1Q84 is so far one of my favourites. I personally even liked it more than the Wind Up Bird Chronicle which was my favourite novel of Murakami's.

1Q84 was such a roller coaster ride and I'm glad I continued reading it until the very end as I loved the ending so much. I loved the way it is written from the perspective (third person) of Aomame and Tengo and how both worlds slowly collide with each other until you see the same thing from different perspectives. It's such a clever way to write the novel. The more I think about it, the more I fall in love with the whole story. It tackles so many themes and gives new insight into the world surrounding us. I love it so much. I can't wait to dive into Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage!

What's for dinner? | Lucky Chan's & Francoforte Spaghetti Bar

I feel like all I ever blog about is food. Which is exactly what this blog post is going to be about as well but nothing interesting ever happens in my life (or Perth for that matter) except new restaurants and cafes popping up. So I shall continue blogging about these ridiculously nice places I've been visiting. Except maybe I'll spread it out evenly instead of combining it into one ridiculously large blog post.

Here are some nice dinner places you can visit around Northbridge!

Lucky Chan's Laundry + Noodlebar / Northbridge

Francoforte Spaghetti Bar / Northbridge

Tucked away in an extremely popular alleyway is Francoforte Spaghetti Bar. I've passed by it numerous of times while visiting their neighbours Superstar Waffles, Babooshka and Is Donburi but never had the opportunity to try it until now. My friend always put me off it saying that it was expensive but I didn't think it was that expensive. In fact, I really enjoyed the night at Francoforte even if I didn't especially like the Carbonara that I ordered.

The spaghetti bar was so cute! I loved the interior and how we could see the kitchen. It was so chill I wish we had bought a bottle of wine because it felt like the perfect place to have spaghetti and wine.

The Guanciale Carbonara ($16 | $22) Grande I ordered had only crispy bacon bits with it and barely any sauce. It tasted so bland and boring towards the end when I was finishing up the plate. The bacon bits were also extremely salty that I just left most of them on the side of my plate. What they did do right was the spaghetti though - the spaghetti was cooked just right. It wasn't too soft or too hard and made the meal much more enjoyable. Also, on the menu it mentioned there was egg - I don't actually remember having egg on mine or at least in the way that I imagined it to be.

My sister ordered the Eggplant Sugo ($15 | $20) Piccolo with a side of pork sausage ($4) and her dish was a lot better. The difference in serving sizes between a Grande and a Piccolo was miniscule. Hers was just as filling as mine. I would definitely just opt for a Piccolo size next time. The Eggplant Sugo was so much nicer and richer in flavour. I think Francoforte does better in tomato sauces than cream sauces.

Would definitely recommend the Eggplant Sugo in Piccolo! Would go back again to try out the other dishes and definitely bringing a bottle of wine next time.

May I Review?

GOALS

I've been super unmotivated these past couple of months! I feel like I need to reset and energise myself and I surprised myself by waking up at 6:20 am this morning! I slept at 9pm thanks to pulling an all nighter the night/day before and so I was super tired and sleepy although I needed to study for a mid semester test. However that's all done and dusted!

I had coffee and a blueberry muffin as soon as I arrived at uni and then started revising for the test. I felt like everything was working out so nicely. I feel motivated to get my life back together and on track again! However, it's already 1am now I should definitely start by going to sleep.

But before that! Here are some notes for myself for the months ahead:

1. At the very least, hand in and finish your assignments on time but try to put in your best effort in each and every assignment and learn something from them. 
2. Plan for your upcoming exam weeks already. That mid semester test was just a peek of what's coming up ahead. You only have 2 months left! 
3. Work harder and play harder! Don't take so many shifts off. You never end up doing anything productive the whole day anyways. You have the whole of Sunday off anyways. 
4. Choc Block is closing soon. Time to start looking for another job before it's too late!
5. Socialise effectively and make friends. It doesn't matter if you don't click with them or whether they'll become good friends. Treat them as making connections for in the future. 
6. Honestly, your skin should be perfect by now. You've had 20 years to perfect it.
7. Start eating healthily. No more junk food like pizza, McDonalds/Hungry Jacks and greasy food.
8. Spend less time stalking people on Facebook and more time developing your vocabulary by reading novels. (FINISH 1Q84 ALREADY! SO YOU CAN READ COLORLESS TSUKURU TASAKI)
9. You are so not ready for a relationship. You're immature and inappropriate and so shallow. You won't have anything to talk about together! Also, you have absolutely no time for a relationship at this point in your life. 
10. Travel, travel, travel!!!! 

[RR] Driving

Random Ramblings about: Driving and Her

Ever since getting my driver's license, I've realised that so many people really shouldn't be on the roads. The main problem is speeding, not signalling and tailgating.

Also, can I just say, just because you have a dash cam does not necessarily make you the better driver?! So many car accidents can be prevented if people were just less arrogant and just let people in by slowing down. People make mistakes on road and many of them can be fatal but so much more accidents can be prevented if people were just less aggressive on roads.

Please stop tailgating me when I'm going the speed limit. Otherwise, move onto the fast lane which is right next to me as I'm usually on the slower lane.

Be an Eggcellent Benedict

So my GP told me I was depressed and should probably blog out my feelings because I'm keeping too many thoughts inside and not letting it out. So I should start writing out my thoughts more because it's healthy (?) and I'm totally bullshitting this horribly right now.

I don't know, I just felt like blogging and I've probably completely forgotten what I wanted to talk about but that's possibly the whole point of my blog. No readers. Pressure free - no new content out each week - just whenever and however and whatever I feel like doing.

So I hung out with my friends this morning which was far too early for my liking. I woke up at like seven am which was even earlier than what I usually wake up for for work. Breakfast was at 9 and I had to leave by 8:30. Did not even get up until 8am. I'm getting so good at not caring about what I look like in the morning and regretting it as soon as I leave the house and realise what my friends are wearing. I THOUGHT IT WAS CASUAL! WHY ARE YOU WEARING A DRESS?! I look like a completely mentally and financially unstable human being compared to you.

But anyways, breakfast was good. I'm now hungry though - few hours later. I had an affogato. Just finished taking a nap. Caffeine never does its job for me and I desperately need it because I run out of energy so quickly. Which I've found it is largely due to my unhealthy lifestyle of eat, sleep and poop and then eat even more without exercising. I had an eggs benedict. It was delicious. I'm not going to even attempt to make it because I know I'll stuff up the hollandaise sauce.

So in regards to actual (sort of) intellectual conversation we had today. We discussed about how flipping narrow minded some people are. They've never even heard of the word empathy or the phrase put yourself in someone elses shoes! We all know humans are selfish and why wouldn't we be. It's the only thing we can count on - we came into the world alone and die alone. Humans are so flawed but step around on this Earth and you'll soon realise that we're all social creatures and we all need one another even with our differences. Can people stop being EXTREMELY selfish and just be a tad little bit selfish in the right occassions such as not lending your money to your friend because it is your money. Or perhaps not giving a lift for a family member because you just want to go home as soon as possible! Those are actually reasonable reasons to be selfish. Like its OK. It's ALRIGHT. But when its just not ethical to be selfish and really harms another person - it is not OK.

I don't know what else to really talk about. The sudden urge to blog just disappeared. THIS IS WHY I NEVER BLOG.

// Ok I just remembered.
IT IS NOT OK TO FORCE YOUR OPINIONS/BELIEFS/VALUES ONTO OTHER PEOPLE. I don't even care if you want to be a good role model thats completely up to you and how you want to live your life. I respect that. You can do that with your life and be a perfectly good role model. However, don't force that onto me. I'm only twenty but I feel like I haven't even experienced 75% of what life has got to offer me. Getting married right now is the least of my worries. I want to make new friends and travel the world and hang out with my close friends that don't keep me boxed up and respect me. I need mature friends that act their age and I can't deal with people who put me down and just force their opinions down my throat and expect me to act a certain way because thats what they think and feel is right. I don't do that - that's just not me.

I admit that I'm the type of person that talks about people behind their backs but its really nothing that I wouldn't mind them hearing about from another person. If they found out - I wouldn't deny it because it's what I think of them honestly. I would probably judge someone about their views and create my own personal opinions about it but I wouldn't force you to follow what I believe in and try to pressure you into doing what I think you should do. I'm probably a really bad friend and person and sometimes I think to myself - wow I can't believe I said that. I'm such a horrible friend. It's just one of my big flaws (I think it's actually genetics tbh).

Ok bye /rant over.