Updates!

Hi you! Yes, you lovely person. Let's sit down for a cup of tea/hot chocolate/coffee and have a little catch-up, shall we?

EASTER
Easter came and went. It was a nice time to relax amidst the preparation for exams (which are actually happening now, heh). Another major plus was that the sun finally showed itself in its bright blazing glory. I think we had a solid week of good weather which felt lovely. Being a first-timer in experiencing Britain's seasons, I couldn't quite catch how gloomy and dreary the days were in winter until spring rolled around and brought the sun with it. Spent a fair amount of time basking in the sun and playing frisbee :)

A couple of friends swung by Bath to visit as well, so here are a few shots I got throughout the weekend!

Tried Shakshuka at The Jazz Cafe for the first time and it was delish!

Brought them to the Roman Baths and we got to attend a snippet of an evening service in the Bath Abbey.

Was craving some bagel action so I brought them to The Whole Bagel! We were all first-time customers and left feeling quite satisfied.

(I can't remember what I got - possibly the pulled pork? Both of my friends got the smoked salmon.)

We also popped by Jacob's Coffee House & got cakes and scones to share amongst ourselves. 

Brought them to The Circus and The Royal Crescent - the usual tourist haunts! :)

Stumbled upon the Botanical Gardens near Royal Victoria Park and we thought we'll have a look around....

Before leaving, those two got me a sneaky Lush gift! So blessed with the friends that I have D;
 

The clock is now showing 2:43am; time for bed! Plenty of exciting things (at least to me) to come on this space - keep an eye out for them soon!

And thanks for sticking around till the end, you da best. 

No really, you DA best. 

Okay I'll stop now.

Cheryl 

The Jotter - Writing

Hiiiiiii. 

Let me explain my history with writing. I've always been writing something of some sort - be it journals, essays, stories or a pretend wildlife magazine that I would produce for myself to read (true story). This by no means imply that I'm a good writer; only that its a hobby that I'm very familiar with and enjoy doing.

The following suggestions came in a sudden burst of inspiration in the middle of the night (as they usually do) and I thought that I would share them with you. Hopefully, they'll help you in any form of writing that you're in!

 source

1. Write When You're Inspired

There will be moments when your mind just lights up with a flow of creativity or ideas - do not let those moments merely pass by. We're only human after all and we tend to forget things. Be sure to note things and ideas down, on your phone or jotter.Don't filter anything out as well! Make little bullet points; you can form proper sentences later when you do your actual writing. This prevents you from hitting a writer's block further on and creating a merely average piece.

2.Brainstorm

Writing isn't always like how they show it in the movies - no one creates a great piece of work by just writing page after page for hours (cue time lapse scene). Sometimes, you have to set aside time to connect the dots. Brainstorming helps you to link ideas and to create a writing plan later on. I would usually come up with ideas first, filter through them and arrange them to form a plan that would best suit the flow of my writing.  

3. Don't Force Yourself

Writer's block is a real thing and can induce panic when you're rushing to meet a deadline. When you're stuck on an unfinished paragraph, sometimes the best thing to do for the moment is to distract yourself for a while. Writing is like flexing a mental muscle; if you're out of practice and flex it for too long, you'll get a cramp. Take a break for 15 minutes; make a mug cake (like this one here), watch some tv and come back to your writing. I realize that this isn't always an option (you can't really walk out to grab a cup of tea in the middle of an exam) but if you have the luxury of doing so, then I would recommend it. 

4. Set Up Your Writing Space

When you're in the flow of writing, you don't want to constantly interrupt your thoughts by having to get up and grab something that you need. Keep everything that you'll need around you - pens, notebooks, a cup of tea. Make your writing space conducive for you! One of the things that I find helpful when I write is listening to instrumental music. This has been a lifesaver on many occasions, especially in essay writing or studying.

Here are some playlists that I would recommend:

http://8tracks.com/anabanana670/finals-week-study-mix

http://8tracks.com/nu-look/conceptual-mind-s

http://8tracks.com/nulkmad/movie-marathon-madness-pt-3

http://8tracks.com/florallysarcastic/4-1-2-hour-study-mix

That's all that I have for now. Have a happy Easter and stay inspired :)

Cheryl x

Inter-Semester Break '15

After the January exams, we had a week off from university before the start of Semester 2. A week free to do whatever we wanted. Or do nothing at all. 

Whoop whoop!

I was really happy when I finished my last paper. I vaguely remember me just sitting in bed, catching up on shows and books that very night. After a few days of bumming around and ignoring morning alarms, I started my plan for the week.

warning: this is going to be a lengthy post.

#1: London

My last visit to London was with my mom, and we had just enough time to go around and do the usual tourist-y things. This round though, I was with a friend who lives in London (and I therefore deemed her as the resident expert). Because of this, I was somewhat determined to go to the less popular spots. 

On the first day, we visited Camden Market. Camden Town seemed to have a very urban and artistic vibe, with large and outlandish shop decorations dotting the streets and walls, graffiti colouring the alleys...you get the picture. There certainly wasn't a lack of people in the market. Small seating areas were provided, however you'd have to watch out for the constant flock of birds circling the place. I had to keep a wary eye out for them lest they steal my delicious meal.

The entrance!

An overview of the market.

Top to bottom: My Swedish meatballs, with mash and lingonberry jam (just like Ikea's!). The lady who served this was very chatty and friendly. Middle photo was a salmon wrap, with salad and bulgur wheat. The last photo was a bourbon-smoked burger (I forgot what the sides were, sorry!).

I think I can speak on behalf of my friends and say that it was all very satisfying to our tummies.

 These few photos were actually from Camden Stables Market, which was a short walk away and seemed to have much more variety in food. Will stop by here the next time!

Afterwards, we took a leisurely stroll to Primrose Hill which was nearby. It was an easy climb and it was lovely to just gaze at the London skyline while overlooking the park. 

PS: All the 'models' in the shots were random strangers.

Next stop was Chinatown. We had dinner there (no pictures of it, heh!) and walked about in Central London - Soho, Leicester Square, Covent Garden. 

We also watched Wicked that night. Beforehand, I wasn't too keen on watching it but oh my, did it blow my mind. Defying Gravity was stuck in my head for days after! Highly recommended. 

Day 2 started off with a late, wet morning. We went to Borough Market for brunch and mmm, the smells wafting around was tantalizing. I had my first ever paella and it was scrumptious! I preferred Borough Market over Camden Market in terms of food as I felt it had more variety and also spanned a bigger area. The problematic birds, however, was present in both places. 

As the sky was still pouring down with rain, we headed off to the Natural History Museum. There were lots of interesting exhibits to look around, with the focus mainly on the theme of biology. 

While we had a short space of time left before dinner, we walked to the Science Museum which was nearby. Some of the exhibits there were interactive, which made it really engaging and interesting. If only we had more time to spend there :(

Dinner was at Gold Mine in Bayswater, where their roast duck was rumoured to be among (if not) the best. Verdict? It was mouth-wateringly delicious. My cravings are now satisfied! Om nom nom.

#2: Wales

After the trip to London, I went to Wales for a student getaway with my church. It was a little tiring to be traveling so often within a short space of time, but it was well worth it. The teachings were focused on 2 Peter. I felt really happy to finish studying a book of the Bible early on in the year and this has only left me craving for more :) The getaway was definitely a great time to unwind and make new friends, as well as delve deeper into the Word. 

We had a bit of free time during the second day, so we caught a train to Barry Island!

sorry for the lack of good photos

So, yeah. That concludes my ISB. Is it bad that I've already mentally listed my plans for next year's? ;)

All in all, thanks for sticking with me thus far and may Semester 2 be good to us all. Grateful to God for the many amazing opportunities that He's provided for me :)

"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11 

Take care and till next time,

Cheryl

Stacking The Shelves

Hi guys! I'm going to jump right in about Stacking The Shelves. It's a book-related meme that is about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves. (Learn about it here: http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2012/05/staking-shelves-official-launch.html). If you know me, you know that I do love my books :)

Here's the books that I've gotten throughout the past two months or so:

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

After watching the last Hobbit film, I really didn't want to let the series go. I grew up with LOTR and The Hobbit, and seeing the whole series end made me feel as if my childhood had ended together with it :( So to satisfy my Middle Earth cravings, I bought The Hobbit off Amazon. As you do.

Christmas At Claridges by Karen Swan

A random buy at a bookshop, just because it was the Christmas season. Mini review: It started off really well. As I read further on, some parts felt like it was going nowhere. Towards the end, it got a little questionable. Three stars out of five. 

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Have yet to see the movie, but am quite excited to read the book. Bought this at a charity shop for a pound. Score!

Just A Girl Standing In Front of A Boy by Lucy-Anne Holmes

I remember this as the first book that I bought in the UK. Which happened because I was really attracted to the cover. (Yes, I'm superficial like that, sorry.)  I quite like this book. It looks like the usual light chick lit / YA novel, but it actually goes slightly deeper than the superficial. I even felt a bit choked up at one point (which is a rarity). Four out of five, I'd say. 

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie. Enough said.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I heard a lot of good reviews about this book so when I saw the 3 books for 10-pounds deal on Amazon, it was a no-brainer.

Confessions of A Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

....I just really like Jane Austen okay? 

Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

Similarly like The Night Circus, people seem to rave about Jenny Colgan so I thought I might see what all the fuss is about.

The Seafront Tea Rooms by Vanessa Greene

Kind of an impulse buy, but the blurb at the back sounded promising, so.. (Three ladies. One tea room. Need I say more?)

Queen of Big Time by Adriana Trigiani

I'm familiar with Adriana's work, and have enjoyed her books thus far. Hopefully this will be another good read!

Once Upon A River by Bonnie Jo Campbell

Another random buy. I needed a dose of action, coupled with a strong heroine. 

A fun buy at Oxfam!

With impossible-to-get-wrong recipes.

And dessert-related quotes to boot! :)

Phew, that was a long one. What books have you gotten recently? Let me know so that I can go on the hunt for more!

Oh, and happy new year! (throws imaginary confetti and glitter around)

Take care and till next time,

Cheryl

ps: I got too lazy to switch the text to align on the left as per the top of this post. but hey, the middle alignment always looks good right? no? okay, i'll take my leave now byeeeeee.