After my visit to Sensō-ji and a simply delicious (and very filling!) Midday meal, I head east with a full stomach towards the Sumida River with the last goal of the day visiting the Skytree tower. I planned to walk there, although it could also be done by metro or surface via a suspended train,…
Here, we start at the beginning, namely arriving in Japan, but if you want to go directly to Sensō-ji, click here! It was after a flight of just over 9 hours from Helsinki that I landed rather “fresh and ready” at Narita airport in Tokyo. It’s the first time that a flight of this distance…
Landmannalaugar means “hot springs of the locals” and owes its name to the numerous geothermal phenomena of the surroundings which have colored the rocks with hues as pretty as they are amazing. The site lies southeast of Hekla volcano and was largely created by the activity of the subglacial Torfajökull volcano. Several hot springs dot…
I’ve never been across the Pacific. I consider myself a decent traveller, but not once have I ventured over to the Asian side of the world. Last week, I finally got my chance! Here was my packing progress: Graham’s friend owns Budget Biz, so when we procured our Thai working visas, we asked him if he could help…
After our one week in Phuket Town was over, we decided to go on a mini vacation for an extended weekend in a neighbouring town (Patong) across the mountain hill range. More importantly, Graham really wanted a chance to hang out on a rooftop pool, and I had never been. So, I finally experienced the awesomeness of…
Graham and I met abroad and have adventurous spirits, so when we decided to move to Calgary, Alberta, to begin our life together, we knew it was only for a short while. (Graham has the ability to work anywhere in the world that has good internet, so obviously I’m tagging along.) As soon as the snow…
Travelling days are always exhausting, no matter the distance you go. Though the flight from Bangkok to Phuket was under 1.5 hours, by the time we packed, got to the airport early, waited around (ate at the Dairy Queen that was conveniently located near our gate), flew there, bartered with the taxis, and got to our final destination, most of the…
The goal (for the first two weeks of being in Thailand): figure out where we want to live. The choices: Bangkok (on the mainland) or Phuket (an island in southern Thailand), and, if neither appeal to us, Chiang Mai (in the north) The result: Stay tuned. But in the meanwhile, enjoy a brief summary of our first week in…
It’s ugly and beautiful, dirty and clean, poverty-stricken and rich, busy and peaceful, noisy and quiet, cheap and expensive. Bangkok is a beautifully overwhelming city where your senses are constantly under attack. Sticky. Hot, humid and wet. Smoggy. You go out in search of dinner, clutching your phone and keeping your money in your “African Asian purse”…
We were made aware of the Chaofa Weekend Market (also apparently called the Naka Market) through the Speights family, as David sets up a prayer “booth” most every weekend. This particular market is only open on Saturday’s and Sunday’s from 4pm-? I’ve heard 9pm, but we’ve left at 9:30pm and there was no sign of…
Calling all dorm dwellers + anyone that’s not feeling up to a pots, pans, and ovens kind of meal – this one’s for you! This simple microwave-friendly recipe leaves you with a healthy snack or light meal in a matter of minutes. The four simple ingredients involved in this recipe can be easily kept in…
Ever gotten a review sheet for a test or final exam from your teacher that would be much easier to fill out and complete with a group of people instead of by yourself? How about being assigned to create a script for a short skit or even give a presentation that would be much easier…
It’s pi day and I’m celebrating with a delicious blueberry pie smoothie! It’s a quick and healthy substitute to everything you love about blueberry pie: the sweet blueberries, the crunchy topping, the somewhat mandatory whipped cream on top – the gang’s all here! If you’re looking for a dorm friendly blender to make your smoothies,…
A number of website owners already use some form of Web Analytics tool to track and monitor the performance of their website. However for a variety of reasons – resource availability, higher priority projects and so on – many site owners who do track and monitor rarely go beyond the basic levels of analysis of…
Hello! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful bank holiday weekend! In all my time working I’ve never really had a week off as such and I’ve used days here and there but this time round I’ve said RIGHT! USE YOUR HOLIDAY PROPERLY! So I did. Anyhoo… I had this urge to bake today after…
I love the hustle and bustle of the city, I love walking to work in a morning and seeing all the professionals darting to their offices and most of all – I love all of its hidden gems, cultural events and pop-up shops. I would challenge anyone who says they know London inside out because…
Reels of silky white fabric, intricately arranged pearls, glittering white beads, buttons and lavish embroidery everywhere you look – the V&A Wedding Dress Exhibition was just as opulent and ethereal as I had imagined. Walking you through the age old tradition of the demure white wedding dress, the exhibition showcases dresses from 1775 to 2014, and all…
…sang The Beatles about Penny Lane, Liverpool – the city I’ve just arrived home from after a visit to see my cousin who is in her first term at University there. The North of England didn’t disappoint me and the bracing, ice-cold air that I’ve come to associate it with, welcomed me as I stepped…
One thing I’ve never really ventured into is bread making. I’ve baked bread rolls, loaves and pizza dough but never dared to tread outside the basic flour, yeast and water mixture. Yet, there are so many interesting variations: pita bread, soda bread, tea cakes, hot cross buns, English muffins, croissants…and then there’s the traditional English…
It is a foodie’s paradise. Sat with my friend L, inside one of Brussels’ most understated restaurants, Bonsoir Clara, eating ‘deer country style’ (essenitally venison stew) by the spoonful, I flicked through the photographs that I’d taken of my first day exploring Brussels and noted how I had considerably more pictures of food than I had of…
An exciting new job in London has meant that I have joined the long standing commuters of East Anglia once again. While ecstatic about the new job, I was a little apprehensive at the thought of a daily commute from the depths of the Cambridgeshire fens into central London (and back again!). I thought that…
Today was a sunny autumn day spent perusing the streets of Cambridge with my good friend E. We worked up an appetite on our non-urgent mission to find pom-poms (for my knitted blanket) and a necklace (for her birthday) and so retired to Afternoon Tease for…afternoon tea! The sounds of busy shoppers and ringing bicycles faded away as…
As an incentive to finish knitting my blanket, I have been on the look out for some nice pom-poms to embellish the end once it is complete. Even after a good trawl through Cambridge’s best craft and fabric shops, I haven’t been able to find any that I like the colour or shape of. I…
This past week I’ve been feeling really under the weather, I’m still feeling it to be honest but the dizzy spells seem to have stopped which is great. I’ve also been feeling a bit meh about my health since moving into my own place because well it’s been down to me to cook and I’ve…
Travelling just an hour out of Stansted by plane, I arrived in Frankfurt Hahn airport, on my way to visit a friend who’s living in the city for six months. Although picking cheaper flights into Hahn, rather than flying into Frankfurt main airport, meant an extended journey (it takes two hours by bus), it meant we saw the rolling…
There are some perks of spending a rainy Good Friday indoors. It meant that I could dedicate time to the little creative projects I’ve got on the go. A few weeks ago, I attended the Knitting and Stitching Show in London, and among a delightful mess of wool and thread, I stumbled across some really lovely printed fabric….
A couple of months ago, I left my 9-to-5 job at a magazine in London to set myself up as a freelancer writer. While leaving the security of a full time job felt very scary, I was excited about ‘setting up shop’ on my own. First, I set about creating my new website with the help of the very…
With the all-famous Christmas advert being released last week and other retailers fast behind them, it is official – Christmas is on its way. For me, the festive season begins once I’ve taken my first sip of mulled wine. The smell of heated orange mixed with warm spices is so provocative, I think it would…
While for some, Valentine’s weekend was spent fancifully, I spent mine very practically – baking sausage rolls for the week ahead. Determined to embrace the Valentine’s Day vibes, here’s an idea for those of you who are not so excited by flowers and chocolates, say it with a sausage roll… You will need: 1 packet…
Saturday mornings are the busiest time of the week for the small market town of Ramsey in the heart of the Cambridgeshire fens. The area’s farmers arrive early to set up a vegetable market and, as the town fills up with local shoppers, baskets and bags in-hand, Wild Frost Cafe & Flower Shop is soon…