Lost in this ancient capital, red labyrinth of spices, bustles of acrobats, story-tellers, water sellers, dancers and musicians.

The Sahara has always fascinated me, to me, it was a place I’d dream about, not one day become a true destination. I loved Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s “Wind, Sand and Stars” and became obsessed with the magic that inspired “The Little Prince”.

This journey made me realize that there’s nowhere unreachable, nothing unachievable, all Little Prince needed was the sun, the moon and the stars to be happy. And that’s pretty much all I did out there in the Sahara. I saw the sunrise everyday with my dear camel and counted stars (two shooting stars!) when the sun went down, I never felt more serene and grateful for the universe.

It was the most strenuous trip I’ve ever embarked on but possibly the most rewarding of all. The Sahara has taught me many things and I’ll never forget the Berber tribe that shared their lovely home with us. The starry sky will never look the same to me again.

slow latte, slow strolls, slow travels.

There’s an island where the shores are covered with pieces of coral reefs and the stars fill the night sky with owls cooing us to sleep. The air is moist with essence of the grand mountains and the breeze salty from the endless ocean. The chickens, the little piglets, dogs, cats, and goats co-exist in peace just like how the nature intended.

Spot of Tea :)

Spring is almost here in London, day lights are lingering a bit longer and staying warm over 10C. Took a stroll in Hyde Park and saw little blossoms popping all over the park :)

I’ve been re-reading The Alchemist. I wasn’t sure why I decided to pick it up from the shelves again after all these years, maybe it was the trip to Tangier, maybe it was the Sahara or maybe it was the Maktub that led me to it. The book shed a completely different light this time around, it was probably the lapsed time that helped me understand the struggle that the shepherd endured, both emotionally and physically.

Like a flightless bird, wings were earned not given. There were times that I felt that dreams were simply dreams, it wasn’t something to be realized but simply delirious delusion to push us forward to everyday life. Soon, I understood that the path either given or chosen is the path that I must go through to experience what was real. Dreams can be dreams but wouldn’t it be wonderful to realize it with no regrets? When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

So here I am, I had to go there to get here :)

It’s been the coldest winter in London for god knows how long and I’ve quite enjoyed the sparkling snow and the chilly weather. With my favorite people in the world visiting London, I am once again playing the role of the perfect city guide. The deja-vus are never-ending though, the walks by the Thames, market hopping and the constant caffeine/sweets top-ups to avoid frost bites :D

I made a little dish last night to celebrate Christmas Eve Eve ♥

Off I go to Christmas Eve dinner party now celebrating with friends :) I’ll be photographing this year’s feast!!

It’s been a really chilly couple of weeks that it felt like it was going to snow soon. There are ice rinks popping up everywhere in London, Hyde Park, Somerset House, Canary Wharf, and even at the Natural History Museum! 4 days till Christmas, there’s nothing spectacular planned just cozy home cooked dinner with friends and I am still very excited about counting down at London Eye for the new year (even though it’ll be my third this time!).

♥

There’s something about the churning sounds of the train speeding on the tracks and the passing beautiful scenery that’s unwillingly hypnotic. The train ride was about 5 hours but the hours flew by with each fascination of spotting sheep, horses and the rest of the rolling hills.

The Scottish say there are treasures hidden at the end of the rainbow arch, and I was sure of the treasure as it was my first time seeing a full rainbow. The rainbow appeared shortly after the sun rain, it was a beautiful day in Edinburgh, not a single cloud in the sky.

Of one the oldest cafes, I sat in the Central cafe listening to the quiet chatter and coffee cups clinking among the old shadows of great writers and poets. C’est la vie!

The standing ticket at the Opera House cost less than £2 (which is cheaper than a single tube fare!) and are released 80 minutes before every performance. Anyone can enjoy world class opera but it does come with sore feet at the end of the day. I queued early and got myself really good view of the opera with the most high tech subtitle system I’ve ever seen. It was my first opera experience and I loved every second of it. Personally, I feel that musicals are deviation of operas: the singing, the dancing and the monologues really blew me away and what impressed me the most was the set design. I feel that this is what higher art should be about, it’s about the appreciation and not whether you have the money to buy a seat at the opera. Everyone should be able to enjoy world class art on the token of priceless passion! :)

Loves the starry lamps that turns the room into a milky way.

I walked into this chocolate store in Neubaugasse and the grandma of this shop told me all about the different kinds of chocolate they make, “it’s the third generation” she says. She had a warm smile and asked me to photograph her and her store. I did so gladly and bought some maroni schokoladen which turned out to be little bits of heaven :D

The Melk Abbey was probably by far one of the most beautiful abbeys I’ve ever visited. My favorite part of it was probably the library and its immense collection of rare hand-stitched books especially for a vintage book junkie like me. The air smelled of old books and it felt surreal to be surrounded by the grand history of this little town.

The lights are already up all over London even though it’s only mid November. Can’t help but feel the festive season creeping around the corner with Christmas ice rink popping up everywhere. The Christmas markets will soon start too this weekend and I’ll be skipping and hopping around with Glühwein :D

♥

Visiting Taiwan is like getting on a time machine, whirling back to my childhood. Every snapshot felt looking through the viewfinder as a 10 year old. It’s been three years since I last visited and everything seems to have taken on another light, a nostalgic light that is. I finished over 5 rolls of film and I felt as though only film can capture the essence and the texture of how I feel about this place.

I was in awe walking into the Grand Palace, the architecture, the temples and the model of Cambodia really amazed me. This isn’t like anything I’ve seen before, the elaborate use of gold in wall murals and interiors.

I felt a little bit heartbroken seeing The Grand Palace in water, the entire Bangkok city is now flooded and it’ll probably take at least months for the flood to subside. I am glad that my friends have now evacuated Bangkok and are now on dry land.

My heart goes out to those in need and suffering through the flood, hope Bangkok will be back on its feet again ♥

All shot with Ektar film x Minoltax700

My Bangkok experience was surreal. It almost didn’t feel like traveling but felt like a trip down memory lane seeing familiar faces waiting for me at the airport arrival hall and staying at cozy homes instead of hotels. My trip to Bangkok has been something that we’ve talked about among our class when we were all studying in London together. Coming from a dozen of different countries all in one class, we’ve shared our passion for traveling and promised each other to be the best host when we get the chance to. They took out previous time of their busy working schedule to take us around and let us be a part of their lives hanging out at their favorites places of the city. We dined where the locals ate and shopped where the locals did, there was nothing touristy about the trip except the elephant which will be an entirely different post.

The first day, Kartun took us to the celebration of Buddha สงกรานต์ which is an important day for all Thai. We visited four different temples in the ancient city of Pattaya and followed the crowds as they went about their routine of prayer and praise. I was amazed at the neat queue and peace that filled the room. I loved the smell of freshly cut lotus, it was something I’ve never really experienced before. I felt a real sense of serenity and content being in that particular space. The culture mesmerized me and I had the desire to see and experience everything Bangkok has to offer.

More posts about the food will follow soon x

As part of the wedding gift, I gave the newlyweds a sky latern as a celebration of their love. I asked everyone to write down their blessings and surprised them after the dinner reception. It was such a revelation to see them launch their beacon of light into the sea of darkness. It was heartfelt knowing that they’ll always be each other’s guiding light even in pitch black, they’ll always be each other’s true north in stormy days ♥

It was monsoon season when we arrived in Samui, it rained most nights but we were able to see some sunshine in the morning with clear blue sky. Miraculously, the sky was clear for the entirety of the wedding ceremony and evening celebration. It was one of those gracious elegant beach wedding that you see in movies. It was small, intimate and incredibly touching seeing the bride walking down the isles and watching them exchange vows and wedding rings. It was really heartwarming when they said their own vows, invincible was the word they used to describe their love and also the engraving on their rings… it was really sweet…

Watching the wedding from a photographer’s point of view, I was able to witness the purity of emotions up close. I was standing under the tent with them when they hugged their parents and when the pastor said, “You may kiss the bride”. I felt my eyes well up with tears unsure why I was so overwhelmed by all this. This wasn’t the first wedding I’ve been to, but it was the first time that the vows threw me off guard. The words were everything and meant everything.

Oh dear, I finally have the time to sort through the wedding photos after getting them back from developing. This is my very first destination wedding and it was just as much fun photographing as I enjoyed the summer beach wedding.

It was such a great honor to be a part of this love celebration. We flew to Koh Samui which is a beautiful island in Thailand which made the shoot effortless in trying to make it picturesque.

This was my first attempt to shoot the wedding in film. It’s much more unpredictable but I sure do love the grain and texture. I’ve posted three of my favorite and will post more of the pre-engagement photos as well a the wedding ceremony which embarrassingly made the photographer (me..) cry. I am a sucker for witnessing real love; it’s not something we are lucky enough to witness very often anymore.

Hope you like the photos :)

It’s now day three into the revolution and the cruel cold wind coming into London isn’t helping; nevertheless, the spirit is still going strong. It’s the wake up call that we CAN do something about it, just like how I am photographing the event and posting them on facebook, flickr and blogging about it. We are trying to raise awareness that our message is clear, we want the current economic injustice system to be abolished and to be replaced by a more fair economic system with better distribution of wealth.

We won’t give up, not until our voice is heard.
It’s our revolution.
It’s our time.

I attended the Occupy London last Saturday which took place at St. Paul’s Cathedral of more than 3000 people participated. This is a global event now happening in more than 900+ cities.

I think the message is clear, this is not a political protest but a protest that reflects on an overdue social justice. I feel that this is a generation of indifference because we feel that nothing we do will make a difference so we choose to be silent. But now we have an opportunity to make a difference. Together, we are the 99% so have your say in this!

for more info:
occupylondon.org.uk
www.facebook.com/occupylondon
www.occupytogether.org

I’ll be off to Asia after a long busy week to Thailand and Taiwan. I am so excited I can barely keep my hands on the keyboard. This will be my frist time doing destination wedding photoshoot at Samui Island which is the little island of heaven in Thailand. I’ll be landing in Bangkok from London then off to Samui Island then off to Taiwan. Ahhh just thinking about the food makes me drool, and of course seeing friends and relatives will be the ultimate highlight.

Hope I’ll have time to update but if not, see you in October ♥

Last weekend at Waterloo was the wonderufl Matsui Festival, we enjoyed our share of お好み焼き and たこ焼きand shopped for ゆかた for the traditional fireworks in Japan. The photography exhibition of “Yet I Still Dare to Hope” was heartbreaking to reminded all of us that help is still desperately needed for rebuilding their homes and their dreams.

I’ve been chasing the festivals happening all over London for the past few exciting weeks.
For London Design Festival, St. Paul opened up the Southwest entrance, letting architecture junkies see the elegant spiralling staircase by John Pawson. Another beautiful spiral staircase that I’ve seen was in the Queen’s House in Greenwich called the Tulip Staircase as the photo below. I was quite taken away visiting St. Paul this time, I went in during the time for the mass and the experience was grand and surreal. Maybe it was the choir, maybe it was the wonderfully lit candles, it was a beautiful ceremony and I felt infinitely more serene.

The autumn is creeping in London as the autumn leaves are leaving their marks on the pavement. The air is crisp and cold, it feels nice to have a bit of fresh air before the scorching (but awesome heat) for my next travel :)

London Open House 2011

The Open House started off on a beautiful Saturday morning where architecture junkies started queuing around the blocks to see some of the greatest architecture in London that are closed to visitors.
I see the facade of Lloyds every time I bus to the city from Liverpool street, and I always thought it carried bits of resemblance of The Transformers. The interior was made up of traditional stock exchange with the bell that rings for transactions but what fascinated me the most of the glass elevators and the view across central London. I was able to see St. Paul from the offices! With a view like this, it’ll be a breeze to de-stress during lunch breaks standing on top of London.

Off to more open houses tomorrow!

Oh my, sorry for the disappearance, my schedule has been hectic and it’ll be busier until the end of September approaches!

I attended Vogue’s Fashion Night Out here in London and it was one amazing night with bubbly drinks and canapes, the fashion lovers were pretty much spoiled silly with the sneak peek of the new season and wonderful surprises. My favorite was Alexander McQueen, I attended their event at their flagship store on Bond Street and was given the Alexander McQueen key for the night. It was specially designed for London Fashion Weekend and was a surprise giveaway. I really love the vibe and really psyched to be breathing in what London has to offer.

Upcoming Festivals
:: London Film Festival
:: London Architecture Open House
:: London Design Festival

♥

a bubbly day by the thames

This is what I wore dancing and wandering around the city of lights.

Wandered around Chelsea and found this wonderful bookshop.

Believe it or not, the rain made it all that more misty and dreamy. Everything through the droplets reflected with sparkles, just like everything should be.

Avant que tu t’en ailles
Décrocher les étoiles
Avant nos retrouvailles
Décrocher les étoiles

This is my Chelsea flat, currently loving the Victorian architecture and posh neighbourhood where V&A and Saatchi Gallery is of walking distance. No interior photos as I have no time to unpack just yet before tomorrow’s departure.

This will be turning of a new chapter: new aspirations and new dreams. Let everything do over here and start anew, even more good news will come I am sure :)

My best friend Mathilda is visiting London for the week, and I’ve been busy having too much fun. We went to Sketch for hightea of course, can’t miss it for the world and it was way yummy! We couldn’t finish it all so they gave us a beautiful Sketch box and we plan to finish it with a picnic on the park. We reminisced our life in Nottingham, how that was already 6 years ago and how we’ve remained somewhat the same, and somehow slightly different. We’ve both agreed that best friends are hard to find and we plan to keep the ones closely knitted to our lives for as long as we can. She’s such great company and I am going to miss her laugh and her quirkiness. It’ll be a swift departure though I am sure :)

Moving this weekend, then Paris the next ♥

Visiting the exhibition wasn’t enough, I waited impatiently for the real Yohji Yamamoto catwalk experience until yesterday. The runway was staged in the V&A gallery and they installed lighting just for this catwalk transforming the exhibition space. You would never be able to tell that this runway was built inside a museum with the great lighting.

I really loved the combination of fashion and music, I felt a rush of adrenaline snapping away and having the best seat really helped; the models walked right up to me! I can’t wait for the next catwalk, I am daydreaming about an exhibition in memory of Alexander McQueen sometimes soon and maybe another catwalk of him? Oh that really would be something ♥

I almsot couldn’t believe that there would ever be a festival for London Street Photography! I guess anything is possible in London but what’s even more surprising is having Vivian Maier’s exhibition right here in London. I’ve been obsessed with finding more about her ever since her photos were revealed. She was such an amazing street photographer and such a mystery too ♥

The festival will run through the entire July with photography workshops, events and exhibitions. July will be busy busy with Paris, festivals, and moving to a new flat, hopefully even better in location somewhere near the river I hope where borough market is walkable distance :D

Good morning, antioxidant awesomeness.

It was 28°C yesterday and 30°C today in London, another heat wave, another sundress season has officially begun.

I’ve been making berries smoothie now that the strawberries are in season. They are smaller than the north american strawberries and so much more flavour. Did you know strawberries aren’t meant to be big? It’s the small size that packs all the sweet flavours, the size is only made up of water to make them more valuable. I still like my smaller sweeter strawberries full of tangy flavours.

ahhh beautiful summer, a short but sweet excursion to Paris coming up! ♥

The Radcliffe Camera is one of my favorite buildings in England, not just because of the name but because of the history behind it. It was built in the 17th century to serve as an extension of The Bodleian Library. The exterior is incredible but the interior is even more amazing, too bad photography isn’t allowed inside. I really appreciate how it is still reserved entirely for students to study and not open for tourists.

I really love the old book smell, makes me feel so right at home :)

Best part about driving around England is the scenery from town to town, it’s not surprising to see herds of sheep crossing the tiny street roads blocking the entire one way traffic. We don’t also have the chance to stop the car since it was one way for photographs but I managed to snap one before heading home that day. We don’t see very many sheep in Vancouver, plenty of horse ranches though. I still remember how excited I was seeing mountains of sheep in Scotland. Aside from the animals, there were also fields and fields of granola blossoms.

Oh yes, there was a cafe called the Mad Hatter, how quirky is that? :)

These were taken on a roadtrip to the English countryside, we were able to get off the car and photograph whatever we wanted instead of being stuck on a train and watched as beautiful scenery passes by. I’ve been learning different ways of post-processing and photography narration. It’s easy to make something look pretty but it’s never an easy task to write a story with a photograph, it’s the story-telling narration that baffles me, it’s a never-ending learning process for photographers.

I am attending Yohji Yamamoto’s fashion show next Friday, it’l be a new photography experience and challenge :)

Never knew such deer paradise existed before seeing a wonderful contact on flickr, even though it was completely out of the way in the country side and almost impossible to get to without a car. I really really wanted to photograph the wildlife in UK and who can resist the beautiful Bambi? I am planning on going back again for the sunrise, I went during the afternoon and the lighting wasn’t the best unfortunately.

I ran out of film last week and ordered some more ektar immediately, really hoping to start shooting film again, I am a total film addict!!

So as promised, photos from the road trip to Kent! The countryside was beautiful and rustic and Knole Park was definitely the highlight. The deers were adorable and friendly, they approached slowly upon seeing us. They weren’t afraid of the visitors at all, I guess it’s because we respect their territory and keep our distance and peace with them. We sat there quietly having our picnic and just enjoyed their company while they munch away on the grass. It was nice and breezy to spend an afternoon sitting under the trees with the deers :)

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Oh deer, this post is supposed to be about my trip to Knole Park and how wonderful it is, but how do I manage NOT talk about the riot last night in Vancouver? I stayed up all night watching the game, aside from the disappointment of losing, the riot was even a bigger disappointment. I couldn’t believe my eyes seeing Vancouver in flames and the city trashed. Canucks deserved to win, but definitely not Vancouver, not with such sportsmanship or the lack thereof.

I was at Taschen for the longest time the other day flipping through the greatest photographer’s collections and their inspirations. I came across Peter Beard’s book and opened it up to great surprise.

I saw photos of safari in Africa and animals roaming the fields. He didn’t just photograph the animals, he spoke out for them. He wrote about the elephant hunt and wrote a book called The End of Game on the gruesome death of elephants. He documented the torture that the elephants went through and showed the rest of the world what was really going on in Kenya.

Photographers that leave their name to inspire never aimed to be famous, their goals were not to make money out of it. In fact, back in the day, it was considered the worst career choice to become a photographer. But we do it because we have the desire and the passion to record and document. If we feel injustice in this world, the best way is to photograph and present them to the world. The silent action speaks loudest. Photography can speak the unspeakable; no words required, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Perhaps I was biased because of my love for elephants, but it’s the love, the passion that really stir up emotions of injustice and the fact that we need to do something about it. There are too many social injustice in this world, this will be not just an inspiration but also a reminder.

How do I begin describing my obsession with Alexander McQueen? I frist visited Alexander McQueen’s store in the Meatpacking district in New York back in 2006, it was the first time seeing his collection in person and I was able to feel the texture of the fabric. I loved him not only of the proximity of degrees of separation ( we went to the same school!) but because of the fitting combination and subtle blend of avant-garde and traditional elements in his work, not to mention his use of colour and texture. He was the first designer to really appreciate and celebrate the traditional patterns of Scottish and Victorian styles and turned it into a fashion forward piece, something so unique, you’d know it’s a McQueen. And that’s how I guessed who designed Princess Kate’s wedding dress; traditionally Victorian yet elegantly modern.

The MET is currently exhibiting Alexander Mcqueen : Savage Beauty and I was infinitely jealous of my friend who was able to attend, it was the best he’d ever seen, just looking at the photos makes me drool. I am sure V&A will make a tribute to him soon with an amazing exhibition followed by events, but for now, I was completely psyched to see some of his works at Harvy Nicols’ window display :)

I used to visit Borough Market every weekend when I lived 10 minutes  away. Cafe O’lait is a must passing by Monmouth Cafe so are the yummy Spanish Tortas de Aceite. I wander around with my 35mm, looking at the familiar sceneries, they almost seem like still-life photographs, like a scene from an old movie.

The weather’s been funny these days, sun then comes the rain, then sun emerges then comes thunder showers. Surprisingly, I am enjoying the quirky weather and people watching.

I miss roadtrips, I miss driving in the middle of nowhere, just the car down the horizon.

Places to tick off in the next few weeks.

☑ White Cliffs
☑ Dorchester, Dorset
☑ Knole Park
☑ Woburn Safari

This post was long overdue partly because I wanted to wait for this roll to get developed and partly because I was busy finding tranquility & serenity in this busy city. I brought a friend here last weekend visiting from Vancouver, we spent four hours looking at all the exhibitions and there was one particular exhibition that I really appreciated. It was the The Architectural Photography of Bedford Lemere & Co., it exhibited the glass negatives that they used to photograph architecture, that’s right, glass as film, the biggest sensor that you can get even better than any of the digital SLR you can find now. The sharpness was amazing, the exposure can take up 30 minutes, it really took extreme technical skills and experience for the negative to turn out successfully. I was blown away by the clarity and the condition that it was kept, and I felt even more profound about film photography. There’s no replacement to film, the real talents will have to emerge above the noise that is today’s dSLR owners, just because you own a dSLR, doesn’t make you a photography, just as phone camera doesn’t make you any less of an artist.

Each photo should represent part of who the photographer is. Photography lets you find yourself. It’s a passport to people, to places and to possibilities. In the end, it’s all objective, just as I use photography to hold on to my existence and my passion, as we all do. Photography offers us the assurance that what we once are, love, cherish will not be forgotten.

Went to see a Manon, the ballet, at Trafalgar Square last night and it was so amazing to experience another London classic event. There are so many things happening in the summer, so many free arts event/festivals and workshops happening around the city. Best part about wandering around London is seeing the cinematic classics everywhere I go.

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There’s been a new addition to our family and I was able to see my baby nephew through Skype, technology is amazing connecting two dots oceans away :) It really gets you thinking what your life priorities are like and what you imagine them to be.

Haven’t really found the time to blog, I guess it’s just an excuse to wait for my film to be developed. Shooting digital makes me feel handicapped in some ways, film photography is simply irreplaceable. We’ll just have to wait, and that’s the magic of film, isn’t it?

*all shot with ektar film*minolta x700

I’ve noticed the trend of lack of update with positive correlation to the days of holiday. The harder I play, the less I have time to blog :)

The past weekend was full of dinner parties, movies and museum visits! May is soon coming to an end and my calendar is already fully marked with all the festivals happening in London this summer. London is best known for its unique festivals, the time and effort makes London the true culture capital of the world. Never have I seen a city with this much happening all at once, it’s hard to pick through exactly what to do and what not to visit.

I’ve been wandering around London photographing the vivid moments that lingered in my memory. I was deeply inspired by the London Street Photography Exhibition at Museum of London. It reminded me how important it was to document everything and how each segment of our journey will mount to the great whole picture of what we live for. The photographs won’t necessary mean anything to anyone else but me, but isn’t that the beauty of it all, the fact that memories are esoteric and being able to capture it is the best gift. There’s not a better time to document my life here, and I am enjoying every step of it.

Next few weeks should be interesting, more adventures ahead :)

I was walking in Covent Garden when I witnessed a little girl losing her birthday ballons. The girl didn’t cry, she just started at the balloon and asked his dad when she’ll get it back. The dad told her that she’ll find all of her lost balloons when she learns how to fly; all her balloons will be lined up altogether waiting for her with her name tag on it.

One day when she learns to fly..

It was my first visit to the Kensington Palace where Princess Diana resided and I chose to visit for the special Friday Late programme: The Enchanted Palace. They decorated the Palace into how the princess lived, more or less accurate with tones of sadness and regrets. There were 7 themes and my favorite was the Room of Lost Childhood, I remembered seeing a line that the Royal children may seem happy and proud but they have no voice of their own. Imagine how sad that must’ve been to never really have a childhood. I really enjoyed the exhibition, it inspired me the endless possibilites of lights and arts installation within a historic space. It’s amazing what they did with the mansion, it would have been such a waste to leave such architecture vacant and not to be marvelled at.

Bank holiday again this weekend, won’t be going away too far due to the volcanic ashes but do have plans to find deers running in forests :)

Having lovely colleagues is the best part about going to work. She’s a real Parisian and true bohemian at heart, she loves London just as much as I do, seeing her smile everyday really makes my day. We have lunch everyday at the nearby cafe and we both love the mozzarella & tomato ciabatta and chitchat about our new lives here and our near travels. It’s really lovely to meet someone that understands and shares your passion towards art, travel and photography. It’s not everyday that you get to meet a real Parisian bohemian ♥

Revisiting Oxford was a lot of fun, it was my first time going into the oldest library in Europe, Bodleian Library. Photography wasn’t allowed in the library but I will always remember soaking in the old book smell. The books were one of the oldest in the world, and they were still kept in good condition shelved away on the huge bookcases. The guide told us that that’s where they filmed Harry Potter, not that I could care less but it was such eyecandy to be in amongst the origin or literature. I felt like such a happy nerd :)

Revisited Cambridge with friends visiting from Vancouver, it’s the sort of place where you feel slightly differently every time you visit. Maybe it’s the beautiful train ride, or the change of the season or the people you are with, in all, it’s a very pretty and quiet place to visit. Seeing the colleges puts me in awe as to how plain our university looked. There’s such history to each of the colleges and the traditions that are still being passed on.

I’d would love to have gone to an university like this, imagine riding your bike to college and picnicking beside a 14th century architecture :)

Sorry for the lack of update, I was away this weekend and really didn’t know if I should wait to update with the film photos. But I promised to update at least three times a day, so here goes :)

It’s been a while since I’ve been on a roadtrip and it was nice to just sit and enjoy the view along the way. Cotswold was such a pretty little town, I felt like the town definitely inspired fairytales and stories. The towns were quiet and mostly covered with farm patches. We passed by so many canola fields that we eventually got off and ran across the fields a couple of times, same with grain fields, they were just so beautiful.

The high tea was such an afternoon ritual that I had cream tea and scones whenever I could. It’s been a weekend of wonderful tea, sweets and good food. I really enjoyed my company as well, feeling comfortable enough to really relax and be myself after a week of work.

More photos will be up after the film is developed, can’t wait :)

Fields of Cotswold from nolitawanders on Vimeo.

Here’s a video of the fields that I was in, it was such a serene experience lying in the field listening to the winds :)

Have always dreamt of working for the V&A, maybe if I dream hard enough, I’ll work there one day, walking through a mansion where Victoria & Albert once lived will really be a dream come true.

Couldn’t think of a good title for this post, I guess nothing will be suitable for what I really want to write. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and debating about my career and even though it’s hard, it’s still not something I want to give up on. I still find meaning in what I do and that’s more than I can say for a lot of jobs out there. Maybe I will complain from time to time because of the stress, but at the end of the day, I still take pride in making a difference in some people’s lives, maybe I won’t end up saving a life but making a difference is good enough for now.

Going off to the English country side this weekend, will be back with more photos ♥

Took friends from Vancouver to see the landmarks last weekend, they gasped in the double decker when the bus crossed the bridge, I remember feeling that way when I first crossed the bridge on the C10 bus. Haven’t gotten tired of photographing these three things, the London Eye, the Tower Bridge and the Big Ben, imagined if I did, then it would be time to leave this curious place. Not yet though, still so much to explore, so many things to try, time is never enough in London and I’ll use every strength to make the best of it.

Here are the wedding photos, it was such a fun day with people gathering around all over UK (even some parts of the world) together to be a part of this event. Trafalgar Square fell into complete since when they exchanged their vows and rings, and roared and cheers when they were pronounced husband and wife. It was such a memorable moment of this celebration :)

Not sure what it is about film photography that fascinates me, is it the anticipation of getting the film developed or the fact that it takes more time think about what to photograph and treasuring the 36 shot in each canister.

Royal Wedding in film next :)

Last night was the festival sneak peek and I didn’t get home until quite late. The walk home was nice, it was a cozy night to walk under the stars. It’s unusual to see stars in London but maybe it was just that particular night that I was lucky enough to see the them shining, and I was sure that they were the sparkles of you watching out for me ♥

Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art —
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like Nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors —
No — yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft swell and fall,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever — or else swoon to death.

– John Keats

Sunny Slow Brunch at Pavilion Café

The beautiful Victoria Park is just 10 minutes away, and my German flatmate told me all about the popular Pavilion Cafe that the locals gather around on weekend mornings. I was craving poached eggs with homemade hollandaise sauce and was pretty much giddy seeing my perfect eggs. The cafe is near a little pond where the water streams from the canal crossing the park. It’s the perfect place to get away from the city noise for some serenity.

Festival sneak peek party tonight ♥

The last time I was on the London Eye was back in 2005 when I first moved to UK to study in Nottingham. I remember going on when the sun was about to set, so the duration of me up in the capsule, I saw the sun sinking down the horizon and night sky slowly took over. The price is completely overrated and I would only go up again this time because it was free and that my British flatmate’s never been up there if you can imagine! Laura works for the sister company, and we all get free VIP passes (no queues!) for all the European amusement companies, we went to London aquarium and will be visiting Legoland & London Dudgeon for the hell of it.

Seeing London from above reminded me of the view of Paris up on the Notre Dame. It was fun to put everything in perspective, where the Gherkin stands and where Hampstead Heath slope is. It’s still been nothing but clear sky in London and this weekend will peak 23 degrees!

Feeling like going to Italy lately, dreaming of Italian countryside and the coastline, wanderlust is really starting to itch…

enchanted afternoon at Hurwundeki…

Having tea with elephants just around the corner of my flat, I had a lovely afternoon sipping The Notting Hill tea from Yumchaa. I first read about Hurwundeki on a photographer’s blog and bookmarked it immediately seeing how beautiful it was.

As a coffee addict, it’s my ultimate goal to go to all the vintage cafes in London. I absolutely loved the space, the cafe looks like a big tin box from the outside but with brick wall interiors. It was spacious with wooden tables and chairs and it was crowded with hip apple users – artists who also take over the entire Hackney. Slow big band jazz was playing in the background and people were enjoying the brunch and gourmet salad while the sun streams through the open windows. I’ve always loved cafes with natural sunlight, it brings so much life to the place besides the purpose of baking under the sun sipping away. The most adorable part of this cafe was probably the outdoor patio with childhood toys and elephants.  It’s such a thoughtful element for people who bring kids to brunch, they can make castles in the sandbox.

The place is literally around my flat’s corner, I’ll be visiting again for some yummy brunch and salads. Friends are visiting from Vancouver next week and my favorite gal is coming in July from Taiwan, summer will be packed with tea dates. And those of you who promised to come visit me, I’ll be penning down my diaries ♥

I woke up bright and early for the special day and loaded my film cameras and headed to Buckingham Palace. The crowds on the way were crazy and all dressed up in the national flag. The ceremony was set to begin at 10:30 and by the time I arrived at 9:30, it was a already too late. There were people camping at Westminster Abbey few days ago and it was impossible to find a good spot to see anything. I quickly moved the strand which is where the Royal family will make their way from the Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.

The crowds cheered every time a jaguar drives through the Strand and we all screamed when we saw Kate’s car drive by. It was the first time all of us seeing the dress (made by Alexander McQueen which I totallllllly loveee!!!). I was too busy leaning my head forward that I didn’t bother taking a photo, but it was totally worth it :)

I felt damn lucky to be able to see this in person instead of watching it on TV. We all stood and watched the ceremony in Westminster Abbey and everybody went aww when they exchanged their vows. It felt like witnessing a historical moment, from now on, I can always brag how I was watched the entire wedding in person ♥

**I shot two rolls of film which hopefully will be developed tomorrow, so more updates on the wedding photos! :D

This is the newest art installation at Southbank, which is very similar to “I fly like paper get high like planes”, I am still unsure if it’s from the same artist. The art installation starts on the ground surface, where people can freely pick up a pen and write down their thoughts and messages on the blank paper planes. There were numerous poems, mostly with the central theme, ” Flight of Fancy”. As you look along the strings, it really does seems as though the paper planes are flying up up and away into the sky.

It was such a sweet art installation I thought, engaging people into sending their thoughts and good wills out in the world. I took a photo of a poem that I really loved. To me, London IS Freedom, it allows my imagination to run wild and free and it shows me things I’ve never experience before elsewhere. It’s a place where magic comes true and anything is possible.

Last day of work before another long bank holiday weekend, sunny days and royal celebrations ahead, time to take out my film cameras. It’ll be my first attempt for medium format TRL!

For my birthday brunch, Laura and I went to Ottolenghi which is London’s hottest brunch spot in Angel. The queue didn’t feel too long since we were busy drooling over the food display deciding what we want to get. The choices were simple, you order whatever you want from the menu and they’ll mix and match the proportion however way you want it, sort of like eating a buffet but without standing in a long line with plates.

The food was amazing, I’ll definitely go back again for dinner or dessert. We were both too full to walk around, so we sat around in the terrace which had a full rustic garden. We started discussing buying some chairs for our little terrace at home and maybe a few wooden cases to put our vinyl record player for some old school music. How awesome are my flatmates?  We went by the vintage markets and I bought two scarfs to go with my sun dresses, (yes, I am a scarfoholic and shopping in London is addicting ♥).

This week is another short work week since the Royal Wedding is this Friday! I am super excited about it that it makes me giddy, totally looking forward to it!

–

So this is what I woke up seeing on my birthday, the living room with a huge sign and a bouquet of my favorite daisies from you ♥

iphone snaps

I don’t know how you managed to do it, but the package came just in time before the mailman and post office leave for the Easter Holiday. It came right on the dot and the package came with beautiful handwriting just like it always has been. I loved your card by the way, written in the most curious, quirky way, and sweet and the same time, just like how you’ve always been to me.

The cards from you lovelies came just in time so did the emails. The greatest surprise was the phone call from Edinburgh surprised me with a birthday song and the call from Taiwan left me with endless giggles, really made me miss you guys :)

Another loverly birthday spent in London, I feel very loved despite being oceans away, the love came just in time. I’d be so lost without you ♥

It takes me around 12 minutes to walk to work everyday and this is the view the I come across daily. I live right by the Regent canal which runs across Central London. It’s a little canal route that’s mostly for punting, pretty much serves the same purpose as the ones in Cambridge.

Today’s last day of work before the long weekend, I’ve planned a few things to do with my flatmate and other than that, I’ll be enjoying London half-emptied with people going away for holiday. The weather will be beautiful though, just slightly under 25, the nights are getting warmer and warmer, perfect for drinks on the terrace :)

Won’t be updating this weekend but more photos next week!

Happy Easter :D

Only days away from the Royal Wedding on the 29th, and London has fallen into the frenzy of decorating for this special celebration. They put up union flags along Regent Street to celebrate the Royal Wedding. I’ve seen Christmas light installation in winter times but this is the first time seeing decorations up in the summer. I will be attending the wedding, obviously not invited but I will make my way to Westminster Abbey to see if I can get a peek, if not, photographing the crowds would be just enough of experiencing the historical moment :D

My favorite thing to do after work is to go to the local market and pick out what I want to eat for dinner and walk home along canals watching the sunset and getting ready to cook. The process of cooking is a form of stress relief, it’s something that I enjoy doing. I love cooking in my kitchen, there’s tons of space for chopping and washing and gas stoves make me happy. So that was my Saturday lunch, I cooked while watching Jamie Oliver’s new show :D

The weekend wasn’t as sunny as last week and the temperature has dropped a bit, it’s again the typical grey London. I don’t mind it so much as long as it doesn’t rain. It was still mildly sunny which the sun streaking occasionally. I visited Tate Modern last weekend to see Miró’s exhibition and walked along the Millennium bridge. The view on the river was stunning and everyone was having a picnic on the lawn, such a mellow way to spend a Saturday.

Miró’s exhibition was inspiring, they showcased 160 of his artworks including a short documentary of his life as an artist. It was quite large scale exhibition considering other collection that Tate has exhibited. I really enjoyed going through different phases of his painting and his style. My favorite was the starry universe, it was with hopeful symbols and lively colours. The exhibition won’t close until September, I’ll definitely revisit in the summer when Tate has the new art installation.

After seeing the exhibition, I went to the Member’s Lounge to see if there’s been any changes since 2008. Surprisingly, the Member’s Lounge grew bigger in size and provided more service which must meant they had more new members (that’s shocking news to the arts!). It’s been years since working at Tate, it felt pretty awesome to come back and see what we had accomplished. I sat down and had a coffee and wrote postcards overseeing the beautiful river. I think I’ll always want to work for the arts, it’s something that I actually believe in and care about. Especially after visiting an exhibition, watching an opera, seeing a ballet, it all makes so much more sense to me to do what I believe in and not just a job that pays the bills.

Iphone Snaps :)

Member’s Lounge

The Millennium Bridge

So I am all settled down and loving my flat, it feels all homey now that I’ve decorated my room with photos and elephants. The hardest thing about relocating to London is probably finding a place to call home. Studying in London was very different, everyone lived in uni flats but I wanted somewhere to really call home now that I am working, it’s nice to have something to look forward to cooking and eating and enjoying real free time.

I’ve seen around 15 flats before deciding on this one, the rest were cheaper but incomparable. I fell in love with the house the second I walked in, it was covered with wooden floors and wooden furniture. The kitchen was beautiful and clean, it had real gas stove and equipped with a real coffee machine (the ones you make lattes with :D) The living room was cozy and I loved our dining table which was made of real wood ♥

My room was spacious and had two big windows. The windows were covered with real wooden blinds which is something rare according to the architect. I share the house with three other girls. One British, one German and one Belgian, they are all still in school and I felt like walking in a Vogue House magazine spread when I first saw their rooms. They’ve been living there for three years and really took the effort to upkeep the house and made it their home.

So the search was finally over, for the perfect home. I look forward to having friends visiting, dinner parties and enjoying my new home. I wouldn’t say my flat is complete yet, not without the furry mini-tiger that nudges and prods when he’s sleepy ♥

There’s a roof garden up in our office building that I visit everyday to have my lunch. On Wednesdays, when Stylist publish their weekly magazine, I always manage to grab a copy on the way to work and munch it down with my lunch.

I’ve been following the magazine for quite some time now, I used to read it online in Vancouver and now I can actually collect them! Pret is needlessly to say one of my my favorite place to eat at in London, ah the salad, the wraps and the blueberry muffins.

I will be taking it slow this weekend, visiting Photographer’s Gallery’s Deutsche Börse Photography Prize and Royal Ballet performance at Whitechapel Gallery  :)

I see blossoms everywhere around the city and London has the most rustic flower shops. If it wasn’t for all the bedding I had to carry that day, I would have grabbed a bouquet myself. Easter is next weekend and coincidentally, it’ll be my birthday as well. It would be really great if I could fly away somewhere to spend my birthday in a different city, Seville sounds tempting and blissfully warm, though I am not sure if it’s worth paying triple the price for Easter weekend. We shall see, maybe taking the train to Brighton will be just as fun :)

I am making up a summer checklist, things to do before the sun disappears again in the fall. It’s probably too early to start making the list, but the list will of course be revised again and again as travel plan changes.

☐ Picnic at London Fields
☐ Visit Scotland Highlands
☐ Travel : South Spain
☐ V&A Fashion show
☐ Swimming in Hampstead Heath
☐ Dine on a terrace
☐ Open House: Royal Opera & Ballet

… more to be added ❤

It was a moment of quiet chattering and happy noises, I don’t really feel particularly alone at all in London. I guess I was too busy and excited about moving back to this city that anything else seems trivial. I am cherishing my time here, it’s only been 11 days, and I feel the relativity of time in direct correlation with happiness. Time will fly by in a wink, I am sure :)

Another highlight of living in London is to live and walk among the old architecture. I love the narrow streets of London, they make the surrounding architecture seem like a big maze waiting to the explored. 

On Saturday morning, I woke up bright and early, before all the tourists crowd the city. I walked around St. Paul’s Church and even went int to see the worship that takes place every Saturday. The ceremony was serene and beautiful even to a non-catholic like me, it reminded me over much of Notre Dame. I followed the Jubilee Walkway and just walked aimlessly towards the river. Il bel far niente, it was such a beautiful day to do absolutely nothing at all :)

It’s been a week now since I’ve arrived and it’s nothing but blue skies, not a single cloud in the sky. Now that the sun goes down nearly half past 8, there’s still time to enjoy the sun after work. All weekend, I’ve been running around the city trying to revisit my favorite places and visiting friends, trying to pack up my 2 day weekend. I took the bus to Southbank and started walking the Thames like I used to to get home.

Everyone was out on the grass having picnics and it felt like summer already. I really hope the weather will hold up because it’s part of the reason that makes me really love London. There’s so much more to do when the weather is nice :)

Anything’s possible in London, like having a bicycle flashmob all dressed in the 80s tweed! I went to the Tweed Run mobflash and it was a flashback in time. Everyone was dressed so elegantly and so posh in everything tweed. It’s one of those events that would only happen in London. The extraordinary organization and detail they put into the event and the costumes and bike is amazing.

Maybe I’ll join next year :)

Yesterday was the warmest day in London, it reached 20 degrees in the afternoon, which is the hottest spring day in London! The weather forecast promises that the sunny days will keep up all the way until May!
I went by London Fields today on my way to lunch at Broadway Market, I already see people with sun dresses and shorts laying on the grass. The funny though about sunny days in London. It seems that everybody goes out when it’s sunny and that they all have nothing to do except to suntan.

The park was beautiful with petals sliding through the sky. I should definitely host a picnic soon under the sun, ah need to get one of those sun hats and picnic baskets :D

*I know you (yes the ones in Vancouver) will probably hate me for this post but meh :)

A little bit about the flat or should I say the loft that I am staying at right now. It’s too beautiful for me not to write/post about. This is only temporary as it belongs to my lovely friends Estela and Carmen until I find my more permanent flat. It feels almost too comfortable for me to move to another place, but I already feel bad about living here for almost a week now. Having flatmates that make Spanish Omeletes are just too magical to let up ♥

The loft used to be a fabric warehouse back in the 1800s but was later converted to love lofts! I absolutely love the high ceiling and the big open windows. It’s an amazing feeling to wake up to sunshine streaming through the window ♥

Estela is a total camera junkies and she gave me my very first medium format Lubitel! I’ll buy ektar 120 film this week and start shooting this weekend!

The Yohji Yamamoto exhibition didn’t allow photography and I didn’t really bother since I was busy touching the fabrics of the clothes that he designed. For some reason, touching was allowed but photography isn’t? The exhibition was amazing, I never really understand just how good Yohji Yamamoto was, his use of black actually made me appreciate the colour. He said that white is the absence of colour whereas black is the presence of all colours. I loved the space planning and the lighting though it was crowd with art students sketching and taking notes.

After the exhibition, we went out to the garden since it was such a beautiful day. Takuya got a beer and I had a lemonade, we sat on the grass and basically chilled there for the next hour. I was already planning my next visit to the V&A which would be Yohji Yamamoto Catwalk on July 1st, can’t wait ♥

Ah, this is what I came to London for, I finally feel slightly quenched for the thirst of all things creative :)

Despite the mini-meltdown of jetlegging and waking up at oddest hours of 4am, my Saturday couldn’t have been better. Living in Hackney, I was a block away from the Netil Market which is the trendiest neighbourhood market. It has a more community feel to it, more locals and nowhere were the tourists to be found. The food was a fairer price than Portobello Market and the vintage market was really a new found gem for me.

I had a wild mushroom risotto which was absolutely heavenly, the stand were so rustic and welcoming. I was also told that the butcher and the seafood stand were the freshest in London. Estella promised to make me paella with the best ingredients when summer comes. The market is right beside London Fields park where the families have their homemade picnic and the children roam free. To be honest, I never really saw this side of London where people gather around as a community and enjoy a Saturday brunch chilling outside of cafes and on the grass. It’s nice to know that there are places like this in London where no one is in any rush or hurry to get anywhere. Everyone is happy to just be. My Saturday ended with a lovely artisan coffee from the market listening to the live jazz from lovely buskers.

No more sleeping in, I’ll be enjoying all my Lazy Saturdays the London way :)

**I finally had time to finish the book that Scott & Andrew gave me, called Quiet London which I’ll attend her signing session. I loved the book thoroughly and will make it my goal and ultimate mission to visit all the serene places in London!

Flying over Greenland and overlooking the grand icelands as I am writing this sitting jammed like a can of sardines. The past week went by in a whirl, I was here and there saying goodbyes and running errands. I didn’t have time to sit down and be still until this morning. I woke up and it finally hit me; that I was leaving Vancouver. This isn’t just a vacation, an excursion, a weekend away, but moving to the city of my dreams.

The teller at the bank told me it would be her dream to be living in London so as difficult as it is to uproot and move, I need to remember just how much I’ve wanted this. Come whatever chellenges throw my way, I won’t forget just how many days I’ve gone by whining about working in London.

You know you are in London when people rush to walk all over you when you drag luggages across the platform. The lack of sleep finally dawned on me when it was my sleeping hour back in Vancouver. I rested my eyes regardless of the sun outside. It was almost dinner time when I opened my eyes.  Had lunch with a dear friend and was saddened by her news to leave London. I walked around Oxford Circus after dinner and it was like I’ve never really left.

Here I am, 4am, jetlegged and sleepless. I am missing the angels I left behind in Vancouver.

Good morning London, the beginning is always tough but hearing you say, “it’ll all be fine” made it all better.

So it officially hit me while packing up last night that I’ll be moving to London in less than a week. The packing didn’t take very long, I’ve learned to pack light after  Other than my camera(s) and photos that I really can’t live without, I’ve only packed the essentials. I’ve learned to pack light after moving back and forth several times. It’s amazing how 20kg can snowball in the course of a year and before you know it, it’s time to pack again.

Ever since the (awesome) news of working in London, I’ve been a bit restless picturing myself there again. It’s still hard to imagine that I’ve gotten exactly what I’ve wished for. Although it’s probably too soon to say (knock on wood) that I’ve gotten the dream job even before I even arrive in London, I can feel the excitement running in my blood already. With the blessing from my job here in Vancouver, there’s absolutely nothing to stop me from chasing my dream now.

This will be my third time moving to England and for some reason the feeling never gets old. Over the years, I haven’t grown used to the fact how easy it is to just move to one place to another. Granted it is always difficult to leave somewhere familiar where your angels are but at the same time, it’s just as easy as booking a one way ticket to London. I never second guess my decisions once they are made and I can’t feel any braver about this one. Let’s hope it’ll just be as awesome as the past ventures and any whining along the way will just be the sweetest part of this incredible journey.

It’ll be amazing, I just know it.

I took the advice of a close friend that I make a collection of postcards for sale. I shoot with one purpose only, which is to document and share what I see in travels. The photos represent a part of me longing to record my footprints around the world.

So here they are, the postcards from my travels, they are all shot with my minolta film camera, film photography which has become my only love ever since I was given the minolta. I hope to carry on the feeling of nostalgic through my travels and my viewfinder :)

The trip to New York was nothing short of a fairytale, it was snowy, white and simply magical. I arrived the day before the big snowstorm arrived on the East Coast and covered everything in sight. As a Vancouverite, I was loving the snow, it’s been a while since Vancouver had real snow, I mean the real piling-up-to-one-meter, blocking-doorway kind of snow. It wasn’t great for the traffic but as a traveler, I was psyched to see the city white and quiet.

We took long walks around the city and we even made snow angels right on Fifth Avenue! The entire city was silent and covered with glistening snow flakes, nothing but the sound of snowflakes traveling.

It really was a beautiful white Christmas, more updates about the photography event to follow :)

It’s been a tradition for me to get a Christmas tree from my highschool Christmas tree sale and decorate it with handmade ornaments. I’ve always loved the Douglas Fir tree scent, I love how it makes the house smells like a giant forest.

I won’t be in Vancouver this year for Christmas, it’ll be somewhere even more snowy. It’ll be a White Christmas for sure, an even sweeter one if you can imagine.

I’ve finally sent out all my handmade Christmas cards in hopes to send some warm love to my dear friends. 2010 has been a great year for me and I am very grateful for all I was given, my travels, my work, friends, loved ones. There’s nothing else I would ask for this Christmas, I have absolutely everything I could dream of.

Let’s head on to another great year, Merry Christmas my dears  :)

After a surprise purchase from my etsy shop today, I’ve decided to put up more prints!

I’ve added the travel photos from the past summer which included Greece, Parisand London

:)

Vancouver was covered in snow a week back and the city was quiet and in peace. There are more festivities this year because of the new German Christmas market. I was finally able to relive the Gluwein & Bratwurst moments I indulged in back in Vienna.  Robson Square rink is open as of Sunday, I enjoyed a glass of hot chocolate with marshmallow watching as couples skated across the rink.

Honestly, it doesn’t get more romantic than this :)

My autumn was spent mostly indoors, watch as the rain drizzle down the grey sky. I have recently been obsessed with reading and of course dreaming and planning of the next destination.

Flying soon yet again. Like a beacon of light in this dark city, I look forward to everyday that takes me closer to the next departure.

I am already filling out my todo list, German Christmas market at Union Square, MOMA & MET exhibitions, skating at Bryant Park. Christmas will be here soon and the snow will make the island that much dreamier.

Oia, Santorini

For the longest time after returning from Europe I thought I had accidentally deleted my recordings. I was mad at myself for several days and tried really hard not to think about the live memories that were gone forever. Until last night, I was cleaning up my harddrive and found the recordings in the 2010 Eurotrip folder. I was delirious with joy to see them safe and sound again. Looking at the recordings reminded me of the unbelievable beauty of Greece and how much it has changed my life :)

I’ve read about Santorini in a picture book when I was little. I fell in love with the white brick walls and the blue dome church; I couldn’t believe that a town could only consist of two colours. I never thought of setting foot in the land that I’ve only seen on pictures but coming to Santorini was probably the highlight of all my travels. It took a 4 hour plane ride to Rhodes and an overnight ferry ride of 9 hours to finally get to Santorini. I chose the waterways instead of flying directly to Santorini (which would be a lot easier) but I insist on island hopping for the flexibility of traveling to different islands.

I remember waking up to the beautiful sunrise as we docked in Santorini. It’s been a while since I’ve last seen the sunrise; the colours were stunning with a bit of fog left from the morning dew. We arrived at the Santorini dock and we were surrounded by locals holding photos of their guesthouses. We hopped on the bus and it took us straight up the volcanic hill. We passed by Fira and it didn’t take long to get to Oia as the view was plenty for me to take in, digest and believe that I was really in Santorini. As we walked from the bus station to Oia, we saw dogs baking sleepily under the sun which to me was quite odd, I always thought Santorini was known for the Greek cats. The sad story is that people leave their dogs behind after they leave the island in hopes to have the tourists feed stay dogs. The story saddened me to no end as I actually thought that the dogs were owned by the locals since they all have collars but knowing that they are well-fed and free to roam around Oia lightened me a bit.

The entire Oia is painted by blue and white, the majestic of the colors were pure and pristine. Local houses are beautiful in the rustic, raw sense. I walked to the peak of the island and was surrounded by the immense Aegean Sea. Oia was our first destination in Santorini for the obvious ‘world’s best sunset spot’ and next up, Fira.

Like Khalki, Symi is a little island off the coast of Rhodes and 50 minutes away from Turkey. It was very tempting to ferry to harbor of Turkey but I wanted to save the complete Turkey trip for my next Eurotrip. Symi was slightly different than Khalki, the architecture had a traditional neoclassical sense of vivid warm colors. All over Symi I wandered around ruins and old mansions all around the island. I felt like I was traveling through time to ancient Greece.

Symi is small, quiet, and absolutely beautiful. I only spent a short day in Symi, but I had the most memorable lunch with a little tabby linger around my legs begging for more fried Symi shrimps. I left her the rest of my shrimps and photographed her before reluctantly leaving this island.

I spent some sunny days island-hopping the Greek Islands and I was fasinated by how the culture varied island to island. The top of my list are Khalki, Symi, and Santorini. Rhodes was our base where we would wake up early in the morning to take the ferry out. Every morning, I couldn’t wait to get out of bed and grab a frappe on the way to the ferry. I would always read up on the island before I go, but the photos never do any justice on how beautiful and photogenic the place really is.

My favorite being Khalki, it’s a tiny island with no more than 150 residents. I’ve learned that the Greeks are friendly but even more so in Khalki. The people here aren’t afraid to be photographed, in fact, they love posing for photographs. I arrived at Khalki early in the morning, when the fish market has just begun and the crowds walked around town with fresh fish in their hands. As I arrived at the dock of Khalki, a lady greeted us and asked where we were from. People in Khalki were happy to have visitors, quite a drastic change and surprise for us coming from Paris. The lady gave me a jar of Khalki Oregano grown from her very own herb farm. I’ll never forget the smile on her face when she insisted us on visiting and staying at her place next time we come to Greece. I kept her card and will definitely return the next time I am wandering about the Aegean Sea.

I started the day with a sweet Greek bun with custard filling, it reminded me of the bread that I used bring to school when I was little. The food here always surprises me with something foreign yet so familiar. The coffee here was much more aromatic than the ones I am used to, and much smoother and milkier. I yelped of excitement as I walked into the ally leading to the beautiful water, a fisherman cleaning his net asked me where I was from. When I told him I was from Taiwan, his eyes sparkled and told me how he used to be a captain and docked at Kaohsiung all the time. This wasn’t the first time a Greek has told me their connections with Taiwan and how they loved the country. I guess being island people and all, we do share some similarities in lifestyle and the traditions.

Things are simple in Khalki, there’s not very many things left to do in Khalki. I plan on returning one day, just to be still. It’s very calming here, all the troubles seem lightyears away. I am sure I’ll return one day, maybe just to photograph, document and write.

I’ve been photographing fireworks during the summer season in Vancouver for as long as I could remember. But this year, instead of pretty much mounting my face onto the eyeipece of my camera. I decided to put down my camera this year and just enjoy the fireworks and my sweet company.

I left my SLRs at home and only had a point-and-shoot with me, I went ahead and shot the finale of the Spain Fireworks. It turned out better than I had expected.

Can’t complain about the sunny sky recently in Vancouver, let’s hope the weather will hold up for some blueberry picking this weekend :)

Explosions of Happiness

Is the fourth time a charm or is it the third time. It was my fourth time in Paris, but it was a first for a Parisian summer. The summer day was warm and sunny and the summer night was just dreamy and romantic with glittering Effiel Tower. The city was drowned in sundresses and wandering lovers, the city felt more in love than ever in the summer. I arrived at night and was soon reminded by how gorgeous every corner Paris is. Since Paris was pretty much a layover destination, I used up all the time to visit the places that I missed the most. I walked the route from St. Honoré to Champs Elysees, the city blossomed with greenery which is something I was unfamiliar with after only visiting Paris in winter. I finally had the chance to climb up Notre Dame which was in construction the last time I came; the view was stunning, probably even better than the view up on Eiffel Tower. Marais of course was one of my top destinations; a cafe o’lait and a croissant here and there pretty much sums up how great of a time I had in Paris. It was short but sweet and it’ll always be a place I miss the most. ♥

I am back from Europe overloaded with photos from London, Paris, Greece and Italy and I miss it dearly already.

Travelogues will be up as soon as I develop and sort out the photos ♥

my heart pumps to the thought of landing in London in mere days  ✈

photos/travelogue to be updated!

I revisited Johnson Street after four years; nothing changed much. The same sunlight shining through the glittering sunroof and the brick wall crawled with greenness. It was such a wonderful afternoon baked under the sun in Victoria, sipping on grape boylan soda and munching on fish and chips  :)

More travels awaits in late June and early July; more sunkissed destinations!

Suzzallo Library is probably the most elegant library I’ve sat down in ; the Gothic style was breathtaking. A must visit in Seattle :)

There were a couple of vintage stores that I couldn’t wait to visit in Seattle, first one being the Fremont Vintage Mall and the Pike Place Antique. I found a pair of pixie boots and vintage leather that I’ve been searching forever! The Pike Place Antique was pretty much a fashion heaven where they have exclusive collections of the vintage Chanel and Dior for all the couture lovers.

We drove down to Seattle for no particular reason other than to get a breather away from this city. Taking out the time of driving back and forth, we had approximately 24 hours in the Seattle city. I planned several places that I’ve always wanted to go and skipped out the obvious touristy places such as the Space Needle and the first Starbucks. Even though the weather was far from perfect, the city skyline from Alki was still quite a sight.

more updates to follow :)

Like any book addict, we strive to find books that we can lose ourselves to, the sort of book that transports you somewhere else and you start live the characters’ lives. It’s hard to find a perfect escape especially when you desperately need one. I’ve stood in bookstores for hours and skimmed through a few pages of each book but nothing really sparked. I never did find my escape book up until the day I saw the most beautiful cover and the curious title. I always judge a book for its cover, I always believed that how much time and thought you put into the cover is correlated to the quality of the book.

I won’t bother writing a summary for the book. Truth is, I fell in love with The School of Essential Ingredients after a few pages, the words and language simply flew me to a different universe. It’s filled with the beauty and heartbreak and longing of life. I must admit I am sad to have finished the book in mere hours but there’s another book that I just can’t wait devour next, The lost ravioli recipes of Hoboken.

What books are you reading now? Let’s share our bookshelves!

*click for full size

The nights are now warm enough with a light jacket, the sweetest time to roam around the city even after sundown feeling the night breeze. I’ve been looking to photograph Vancouver’s skyline for quite a while now. Until recently, I haven’t been able to find the perfect place to photograph Vancouver nightscape from North Vancouver, the best views are often blocked by the mansions of course. We finally managed to find a perfect viewpoint, free from trees and the elevation is just high enough to cover furtherest from the end of Kitsilano to Burnaby. The photos are taken with my film camera Minolta x700, the I didn’t bother with stitching the photos together since the photos weren’t sharp to begin with because of the wind. Till next time, it’ll be another adventure to photograph it digitally and with a tripod :)

The sun’s out again so I instinctively took out my SX-70 Polaroid to snap some photos under the beautiful light. I was really excited about this new pack of film from The Impossible Project, the new TZ Artistic film and couldn’t wait to see how it develops/manipulates over time. I find the colors more retro than the 600 film though the 600 film is completely wonderful and will continue this summer!

SX-70 works best under sufficient sunlight so I really just can’t wait to make it a polaroid summer ♥

♥

Seeing how all the blossoms have been washed away by the rain last week, I was lucky to have snapped these final sakura trees at Kits. It’ll be another year before we see them again, but that also means that summer is finally here! Summer in Vancouver is probably one of the things that I just refuse to miss. Ah the the long daylight hours and the warm weather, thinking about it makes me giddy already. Soon it’ll be camping season and fireworks night!

]]> http://www.nolitawanders.com/2010/05/03/the-very-last-sakura-blossoms/feed/ 1 http://www.nolitawanders.com/2010/04/30/status-available-for-adoption/ http://www.nolitawanders.com/2010/04/30/status-available-for-adoption/#comments Sat, 01 May 2010 06:02:48 +0000 nolitawanders http://nolitawanders.com/?p=303 Continue reading →]]> Hello! My name is Dot!

It breaks my heart everytime visiting the abandoned dogs and cats at SPCA. I visit the SPCA quite frequently after adopting my moo back in 04. There are infinite excuses to purchase a pet from the pet store, they are usually younger and pure bred, etc. What they don’t know is that they are supporting puppy/kitten mills that are inhumane to the animals.

If you are looking for a certain breed of puppy, try The Pet Finder and V.O.K.R.A. for kittens. Why buy a dog/cat when you can rescue one in desperate need of a loving home? Visit SPCA before you visit the pet store, maybe you’ll find the one that’ll really melt your heart as this adorable rottweiler melt mine.

My birthday weekend was amazing, thanks to all my friends ♥

Thank you to all those that came to my birthday event and shared my very tipsy moment with me :)

And my birthday wish is to be happy no matter where I am or what I do, and be wanderfully lost.

Happy Earth Day all earthlings :)

I took a walk after dinner and wandered around the old train tracks in my neighbourhood. The flowers were blossoming and it’s obvious now that winter has long passed us and summer’s right around the corner. The sunset at mid-8pm excites me to all the possibilities now that it’s officially summer!

Clear blue sky for biking, starry nights for campfires, can’t wait for summer!

What’s your plan this summer? :)

I first came to Finch’s Teahouse after browsing at McLeod’s bookstore from the previous block. The teahouse was right around the corner of Pender and Homer and the windows looked cozy with white laced curtains. The doors clinked when I walked into the restaurant. I fell in love with the decor, the vibe and the sunlight that streams through the windows and illuminates the entire room. It was a combination of genuine  wood floors, light green tin-like ceilings and just the right smattering of vintage details to make this teahouse perfect.

Highlights include baguetted sandwiches of brie, pears and avocado, free range egg salad crispy salami, proscuitto and vine tomato salads, chowder soups, and a tempting collection of fresh baked desserts. Cat Power and Bob Dylan play on the speakers and with one of Finch’s coffees or teas in hand, another rainy day spent indoors becomes more than tolerable.

Seating is limited but that’s why it’s quaint.

SX70 * 600 Polaroid Expired Film

We decided to head down to the Annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival to check out the spring tulip frenzy. The traffic wasn’t at all bad considering what a beautiful day it was. From far away, we could see the rainbow colour of the tulip fields. Rows by rows the tulips have only just begun to blossom and the noon sunshine light was perfect for photographing the floral scene.

It was the first time for me to bring my SX-70 outdoor; I was quite scared that it might over-exposed after the modification. But to my surprise, the colouring came out perfect. I was so excited after seeing the film slowly develop in my hands. I was quite happy with how it turned out!

One more for the bokeh lovers :)

You can buy this print from my Wanderlust Printshop!

I finally got around to open an Etsy shop for my prints today as one of my TO DO things this year. I’ve put up some of my bokeh shots as well as some of the traveling photos. Let me know what you think and don’t forget to visit my flickr if you don’t see them on Etsy!

Keis Bakery is my go to place when I crave for some Japanese buns and pastries. This sweet little Japanese bakery never cease to brighten my day. All the pastries are freshly made in the store and the sweet touch of Japanese ingredients is what really got me hooked. My favorites are their Mt. Matcha, Potato bread, and the Black tea bun. The chef always greets me with a warm smile and secretly sneak matcha muffins in my bag :)

Keis Bakery 2351 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC 604-714-5385

I’ve loved Loulou for as long as I could remember, the window display, of course, was the first thing that caught my eye. I still remember that the very first window display I saw was filled with instruments, yes, nothing but instruments. I tried to photograph them every season as much as possible but since I was often out of town, it was difficult to have a complete collection of Loulou’s window display.

I couldn’t help but photograph the display for this season; I couldn’t hide  my love for antique typewriters anymore  ;)

It’s creativity as such that was everywhere in London, the Selfridges window display was always the talk of the town and I was always excited to see what they have in the window for us. It’s more than just fashion, it’s creativity :)

Elysian Coffee probably has the best coffee in Vancouver. Never had I had a cup of coffee with perfect textured milk and just the rights few drips of espresso. The baristas worked magic at the espresso machine and the coffee was amazing every time.

Don’t forget to ask for the bubbly water after tasting the perfect cup of latte ;)

]]> http://www.nolitawanders.com/2010/04/04/elysian-coffee/feed/ 0 http://www.nolitawanders.com/2010/03/29/el-flamenco/ http://www.nolitawanders.com/2010/03/29/el-flamenco/#comments Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:27:53 +0000 nolitawanders http://nolitawanders.com/?p=261

A fabulous night at Kino’s ♫

I was hit with the tragic news that Eva Markvoort passed away the morning of March 27th, she’s been in a long battle with CF and her body has  been rejecting with the lungs transplant.

I met her at the Vancouver International Film Festival last year at the documentary premiere. Her documentary, 65_Red_Roses touched many lives; and her vitality and love of life inspired many CF patients. I still remember tt the Awards Ceremony, 65 Red Roses won both Best Documentary and Best Canadian Documentary. As Eva walked out of her wheelchair and slowly made her way to the stage, I almost cried. Her effort on finishing the documentary changed many people’s lives, she communicated and connected with the CF patients on the most intimate level.

I wanted to write about her because watching the documentary changed how I feel about living life and loving life. She was the bravest person I’ve ever met and to share again what a beautiful person she is, inside and out.

I’ve always loved the space in Vancouver Art Gallery, the grand, majestic hall and staircases. I was pleasantly surprised to see little kids on their field trips around the exhibitions sketching and drafting the artworks.  The BC Pavilion had an amazing exhibition during the Olympics on the subject of sustainability and green designs.

I can’t wait for the upcoming exhibition in partnership with Musée d’Orsay, it’ll be a time machine back to Paris :)

I went down to the Olympics cauldron to see first lit fire during the opening ceremony and the crowd was fasinating. People came from all over the world to partcipate in this worldly event and it’s amazing to see all the fellow proud Canadians roaming around the city.

You gotta be here!

:)

Yay for Winter Olympics!

I lined up for two hours for the zipline yesterday and it was worth every minute of the wait! It was such a stunning view zipping across the Robson square and the crowds looked like little ants!

More Olympics photos coming!

Finally, I am back in Vancouver  :)

I landed on the sunniest day of the two weeks. I couldn’t wait to photograph the city post-olympics and the beautiful blossoms.

It’s been about three years since I was last here for the cherry blossom season. The city has really changed after the Olympics, it’s hard to walk a block without seeing some sort of patriotic sign of the maple leaf. It was such a high to see how Vancouverites show their love for the country

:)

Los Angeles is overpopulated with midnight owls with city insomnia, it never sleeps. It’s impossible to really tell the time standing in the city where the crowds are always gathering at the trendiest bars. It’s the prettiest scenesto see how Los Angeleans dress up for a Friday night, and hear how everyone in the same bar all work for the film industry.

LA’s lovely at night. I’ll be missing the lights.

Standing between the cliffs of Palos Verdes felt like stepping at the edge of heaven, the waves were beautiful and the surfers were fearless. The wind was rather strong, chasing away the earlier depression clouds, the sun shone through as the light splashed across the ocean. Many people asked me where this photograph was taken and answered in disbelief that this beautiful place could be Los Angeles.

:)

Walking in San Francisco feels like a whole venture in its self, the entire city is walkable, if not travel fashionably by the wonderful trams. The city uniquely is unlike another other American cities I’ve been to, the city planning, the architecture and the diversity of cuisine (SF has the highest density of restaurant per capita in America!) Immediately after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, I was amazed at the architecture of the residential neighbourhood. The buildings were built with such taste and grace, I often felt like I was in a foreign land and no longer on American grounds. The weather was perfect when we arrived, which made it easier for us to venture each district by foot. Taking the tram was an entirely different experience, which will followed on the next post.

**To be honest, after traveling to so many cities, San Francisco is right on the top of the list for me to relocate not just because of the awesome coffee but because of the people, the weather and of course, the arts.

:)

San Francisco Heart ; Quatchi travels! from nolitawanders on Vimeo.

I’ve been taking Quatchi everywhere with me, I love it when people ask me where this little furry sasquatch is from. I tell them with a smirk that this little furry sasquatch is playing in the 2010 Winter Olympics and calls Vancouver home.

Roadtrip from LA to SF ; 5 hours of driving through the beautiful coastline and starry skies on the way home.

I left my heart in San Francisco  ♥

Another roadtrip up to San Francisco over the weekend really itched up my wanderlust again. San Francisco was nothing short of amazing in every single aspect possible.

My favorite part of San Francisco was the night scene; North Beach (Little Itlay) was flooded with fabulous live music bars and the best cafes.

A few photos today and more soon to follow :)

Hidden away off a courtyard, this tiny wood-paneled restaurant in the dimly lit courtyard, I walked in feeling as if I was in Paris again.  Café Stella is one of my favorite restaurant in LA, the Belgium beer and the truffle-oil frites are to die for. Try out their daily cheese platter, piave will always be my love. The candles and the red wooden walls are perfect for a romantic night out in the city :)

The indie music scene is pretty big here in LA. We didn’t really plan to see a gig that night, we just happened to feel a bit jazzy that night and decided to go to one of the best music bar in LA, Hotel Cafe.

This spontaneity did not disappoint. They had artists around the clock, one every hour. We went at nine, the first performance was more country than I would have liked but the second performance really blew us away. Aijia Lise performed with a four piece band and I really loved her voice. Her music was soulful and she sang with such joy and passion.

There are still other music bars to try out, another one of my favorite is Dresden, their signature drink is to die for. Another music bar, another post.

:)

I started 2010 in sunny California. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect as I dreaded the rain and gloomy weather back in Vancouver. Los Angeles is the best place for some winter sunshine and white sandy beach.

It’s been three wonderful weeks down in the south and the best things in LA are free. My favorite places are Venice beach, Hennesey & Ingle Design Bookstore, Ameoba Records, Griffith Observatory, Intelligentsia cafe. Each and everyone of them remind me of the best parts of different cities. Venice beach reminds me of the golden sands of Portugal. Hennesey & Ingle reminds me of London’s Tate bookstore. Ameoba Records reminds me of Zulu’s (x10). Griffith Observatory reminds me of the starry sky up in the Empire State Building and the night at Loon Lake. And intelligentsia cafe of course reminds me of Coco et Olive.

When my friends ask me how I like LA, they expect me to hate it. But to their surprise (and my own too) I actually really like it here. I love the weather, the food, the bars, the drinks, the amount of art in this city. I honestly don’t mind the driving and since we live right by two major freeways, it’s close to the beach :) LA is a combination of what I love in a city. I am never the one to judge before I try and I did had some doubts about living here but now I don’t anymore. People hate a city because they are not really living it. Never judge until you’ve tried ;)

Photos and travelogue continues *

How do you not fall in love with golden afternoons like this. I hope the autumn leaves would stay a bit longer before the snow freezes the shimmering colors and bury the sunshine deep under.

Somehow the sun always manages to peek through the clouds during sunset. The sunsets are always beautiful with purple clouds and bright orange rays. Autumn will soon be forgotten, the sun only lasted two weeks, the two busiest weeks during the festival.

Last weekend, I saw Where the Wild Things Are. I wanted to dedicated a post to it but I lost track of it. I am listening to the soundtrack right now and I can still feel the little inside me drumming to the music. I am sure not everyone will like this movie, it’s bittersweet and dark. But I loved it anyways, because it’s not just a children’s movie, it’s so much more than that. The only thing we never really learn is growing up. And I am not intending on doing that anytime soon…

I am planning on dressing Arie as Max from the movie for Halloween, I’ll have to make the crown though of course.

Autumn sun please don’t go away. It’ll be the last bits of autumn for me.

:)

The last time I was in Chambar was Monday, Feb 5, 2007. I searched through my emails to find the reservation date. I forgot how much I loved the place and was surprised how time has passed so quickly.

The room filled with evidence of happiness. It reminded me the last dinner in Berlin, the cozy gastropub. The warm colours flew across the brick wall and the beautifully laid out wooden floors.

It was a celebration for Chambar and I almost forgot how little the resturant really is and how much I got out of this experience, how good food brings people closer. Not the extravagant and pretentious kind, but the simple homey grub :)

The best part of the Summer of Love festival has to be the Fab Forever gig. They rocked the stage with Beatles’ favorites and took us back to the times of Woodstock :)

The annual Powell Street Festival was an event with live music, crafts and food! The shaved ice was my favorite to cool off on that hot Sunday. I loved the craft stands from local artists and the street food vendors. It was a fabulous BC day weekend :D

Every year the Perseid meteor shower lights up our night sky and I was lucky enough to capture one through my lens this time! I picked Iona beach to watch the meteor shower to get away from the city light pollution. The moon was bright and clear and we saw shooting stars flying across the sky! :D

The Sunday started with misty rain but soon stopped at noon for the Bubble Bash at Commercial Drive. The event was created by Yay! Gee! and similar events took place in Toronto and New York. The kids were ecstatic to see the bubbles and can’t wait to get their dirty went in the bubble bash! It was a great Sunday afternoon to travel back time and be a kid again :D

It’s officially blueberry season now in Vancouver and we can’t seem to get enough of them! We drove to a family owned farm with a simple post that says, ‘Pick Your Own Organic Blueberry’. We pressed on the ice-cream horn for service and soon we were led through the garden crossing the apple and pear trees with buckets over our shoulders. There were blueberries everywhere and regardless of their sizes, they were ALL sweet!

As we were picking the berries, my friend and I thought of planting a blueberry tree but they told us that it would take more than ten years for the little baby blueberry trees to produce 30+ berries. We’ll just stick with the local farms, they need all the support they can get ;)
Go to a local farm over the weekend and make blueberry pies, I’ll post a recipe soon!

** notice how there are cloth diapers hanging in the garden? The owner said the diapers came from England and they are organic and good for the baby! Random but totally awesome :) **

The Car Free Day was awesome along Main St. and Commercial Drive, I love the celebration and the pleasure of walking on streets lined up with vedors, my favorite being the BLIM with their handmade jewelries :)

The best part about the day was the performance. I caught this band playing Arcard Fire’s Wake Up, they reminded me of the upcoming movie, Where the Wild Things Are.

In short, another fabulous summer day spent with music, art and car-free! ;)

I still remember the Spring that my elementary school teach took us to Jericho Beach on a field trip to collect pond samples and put them in our classroom to grow our very own microecosystems over the spring break. It didn’t turn out so great, our room steamed of pond smell until the end of the summer. Jericho beach hasn’t changed much over the decade but the bunny colony has done pretty well to sustaining itself under the blackberry bushes.

Jericho beach is a much more quieter beach over busy Kits and English Bay, it’s also an entry point to the whole fantastic Point Grey Foreshore that stretches right out to UBC and of course Wreck beach :)

This summer has been beautiful with amazing weather which is also another reason why it’s almost been 2 months since I last updated, more posts on how fabulous Vancouver coming up :)

THe last two weeks of fireworks reminded me of past summers growing up in Kits. It was more than just the fireworks, to me, it was the anticipation sitting on the beach with friends and family. I went to all four this year like always, wouldn’t miss it for the world :)

As the music of Pomp and Circumstance March no.1 came on the radio, it felt as if the music were meant for me. Happy Graduation pour moi ;)

Long summer days, endless nights, starry skies, and the open road – there’s nothing quite like road-tripping the day away. No matter where you end up on your road trip, you’re sure to cherish these memories forever.

It’s early June and officially summer. I decided one day that maybe it’s time for me to visit the Rockies as the ice is slowly dripping away. Within a day I decided to embark on a little road trip adventure to celebrate the beginning of summer. Reminiscing about summer I always think of road trips, driving with friends across the country or short trips to a neighboring country like Portugal when I was living in London.

We left Vancouver in the morning and it was about thirty minutes into our five hour drive that we started to notice a dramatic difference in our views. We were soon surrounded by mountains and green pastures with occasional deer and chipmunks.

We arrived at Lake Louise just minutes before the sun sets. We took a few photos capturing the last sunset light and were soon on our way to search for accommodation. We hadn’t had anything booked or planned; we followed to the first rule of roadtrips: spontaneity but we realized that Alberta is one hour ahead and it was already 9pm, too late for any last minute pickiness.

There were three resorts nearby, Fairmount Lake Louise was out of question (the rooms were 300+ per night). We found a small lodge five minutes away from Lake Louise and were the only one with lights on. We were told that we came at the perfect time, the lowest season which means no tourists + only hardcore campers/hikers = cheap accommodation! We were skeptical at first since we didn’t’ have time to compare prices but little did we know, it was the best by far of all our stay at Rockies. The cabins at Paradise Bungalow were perfect for roadtrips, it was the perfect place to unwind after a day of hiking.

We planned the next day to hiking up to the Big Beehive at Lake Louise. Big Beehive, at 7447ft is the highest point on the trail. I must admit I had the occasional whine, “Are we there yet?” but the scenery along the way was enough to hold back any complains. There were still some snow as we reached the midpoint of our trail, Lake Agnes Teahouse and here we were greeted by the hikers resting in front of the stunning waterfall.

We didn’t see many hikers after the tea house as many see that as their destination and goes down from there, but we wanted to hike to the Big Beehive and see just how amazing the view is. And reaching the Big Beehive, with the blue Lake Louise below, I had a 180-degree view of the most amazing view. Seeing the view, we were all silent. There was nothing but the sounds of nature and the breeze on our skin. The trail was difficult but damn worth it. We tried to photograph and even film our excitement and euphoria up on the Rockies but the photographs were nothing like the real high.

The next day, we wanted to try the lakes instead of the mountains. We rented canoes at Jaspers and arrived at Maligne Lake with no one in sight. The lake was still half frozen and was dangerous to canoe or so the guy at the canoe centre warned. We took the canoe and went out to the lake anyways, we had already came this far. Not long after reaching the middle of the lake, our canoe hit ice.

The ice was melting away and we kept silent to listen to the dripping of the ice. We slowly pushed away the ice and wanted to reach the other end of the lake before sunset. I was pretty freaked out when we reached the middle of the lake. There were ice all around us, it would be very easy now to have the canoe scratched and sunk without anyone ever knowing we were ever here. The water was way below zero and all I had on was a lifejacket that doesn’t even fit very well. My travel buddies reassured me that we weren’t going to sink and laughed at the fact that I thought we were going to reenact Titanic.

After turning the corner of the island, our canoe touched the edge of a burned island. We saw a tiny sign posted on a burned tree, it reads that the forest were burned down with prescribed fire for forest renewal and to avoid further accidental forest fire. We were silent again to see if there was any animal nearby but all we could hear were dry ruffles of tree leaves. It was then close to sundown, we took up our pace and headed back to the shore before the sky turns dark. It sure felt good to finally be on land again, the experience of paddling through ice on a half-frozen lake is probably the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done and ironically also the best roadtrip memory.

Growing up in cities, I never imagined what it’d be like to spend a summer working in the rural; what it would be like not to have malls, traffic, noises and people. The need to please people around us is exhausting; everything felt simple up in the mountains, it was euphoric to have my mind at rest, free from the consuming frenzy. Here up this rocky road, there are eternal mountains to climb, and trails that lead to fewer travelers, and the wilderness profound.

To many, Barcelona is a city where architecture and urbanism are one. We walked from the Ramblas in the direction of where the great architecture lies and we finally saw a glimpse of Gaudi’s masterpiece – the still unfinished church of the Sagrada Familia, or Holy Family. There is nothing in the world like it. It is Disney whimsicality raised to the level of soaring graciousness.

Everyone knows about Antonio Gaudí, the brilliant Catalan whose passion, at once religious and aesthetic, yielded buildings of extraordinary sensuousness, a kind of melted, lyrical art nouveau with hints of Gothic. Gaudí set the tone for the city, for the way its physical forms, too strong to be backdrops, influence your emotions. I began my day at the Templo de la Sagrada Familia, surely the most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages.

Of course, architecture wasn’t the only thing that amazes me. To me, it was the city’s vibrant atmosphere and the Catalan culture that differentiates itself from other Spanish cities. You can sniff Catalan culture everywhere, the street signs, the menus and even the language. Getting to know the real Barcelona, one must be brave enough to stray off the well-lit streets and crossover to the dark allies to find the hidden secrets. The allies are dark, dirty and unpleasant for most tourists. But the upside is that you won’t find a lot of tourists roaming around the dark streets.

People come to Barcelona for its famous Catalan cuisines and the fresh seafood just off the coast. We went to the same restaurant twice because it’s just that fabulous. La Fonda is the best restaurant if you are looking to be fed with the local wonders of Barcelona, the paella, the sangria and their famous Catalan dessert. The queue is long but so worth the wait.

The city never sleeps. Barcelona has the sort of rich day and night life one used to associate with Paris. Call it the Paris of the Mediterranean and you won’t be far wrong.

We’ve done roadtrips before, from Vancouver to Yellowstone, from London to Cornwall and in Southern France but this was perhaps the most memorable and roadtrip by far. The stunning sunset at the coastline still reminisces.

We didn’t have a lot of time to plan this roadtrip, the flight was a last minute booking let alone planning the trip itself. We took on this trip with a very specific purpose. We weren’t here to just visit the top attractions of Lisbon but we were here to enjoy living like Portuguese for a week; eat what the locals eat, drink what the locals drink. The train in Portugal was convenient but we wanted to drive the coastline and venture into some of the smaller villages than the big cities.

We were warned of the “reckless drivers”, “rocky highway” on numerous websites, we hesitated for a moment, but having driven in England where everything is backwards and survived the French drivers, we accepted it as a new challenge. To our surprise, the highway was smooth and clean, it’s made easy to soak in the beautiful scenery in the outskirts of Portugal. Hotel signs were posted by the castle like residence. We were curious of what it’s be like to live in re fairytale foe one night. We rowed down our windows as passed by this 17th century castle bit imagined it be overpriced as we left.

We bought a copy of the Michelin road map and circled the cities that’ve been suggested by traveler blogs and even just places that simply sounded sexy, like Nazaré and Figueira da Foz. We drove along the scenic routes flagged by the roadmap and searched for little towns as we go.

We’ve arrived at our next destination, Sintra which is also the most well preserved antique town left in Portugal. We parked beside the information centre to find accommodation for the night. And to our surprise, the castle that we passed by was on 20 Euros per person include breakfast! The Portuguese advisor was nice enough to call ahead making sure there were still rooms available. By now, the beautiful sunset was slowly fading in the horizon; the entire skyline was painted purple with dotted bright stars. I treasured this moment as cloudless sunset is almost non-existent in London.

We followed the map to Chalet Relogio that we passed by earlier in the morning and we were greeted by the owner by the gate. Though he wasn’t fluent in English, we had mastered the ‘Ola!’ by then. He welcomed us and showed us around the place, he explained that this was a 17th century castle by an Italian architect with specific style and taste for baroque castles. It was yet season to travel in Portugal so we were the only guests staying, he gave us the privilege to choose any room and we chose a room with a view overlooking the beautiful waterfall. The tumbling sound of the water was soothing and melodic.

By midnight, we drove to the highest point of Sintra and looked up to millions of sparkling stars; I don’t think I’ve ever seen an unpolluted night sky as this. I looked up and wished this feeling will forever last.

The flight from London to Portugal was three hours, giving me enough time to nap to compensate for the cheap early 6am flight. The weather forecast promised a good 20 degrees for the following week breaking the record of the warmest spring break in London. The sky was clear all throughout the flight and soon I was able to see the red brick tiny lego-like houses just below our wings. We pulled in by the Oporto coast and were welcomed with the warm humid sea breeze. No map, not direction. But we knew to follow our nose to Oporto, the city of legendary wines. 

You could smell the tangy aroma stepping in the city leaving your palate restless. Oporto is coined the ultimate vintage destination with the impossibly picturesque town of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings cascading down a steep gorge to the banks of the Douro River just before its waters reach the blue Atlantic. With many streets unchanged since the Middle Ages and an endless variety of tiles and wrought-iron balconies decorating its buildings, this city along the Douro River has a remarkably unspoiled assortment of architecture. The locals are proud of their wine and their history being the central dam route back in the golden days as the wine tasting list goes on in local restaurants.

We reached the port by noon and by then the square was filled with locals gathering getting ready for their lunch. The flower petals flew across the sky as the sea breeze gently waved. “It’s already summer here”, the lady at the grocery said as she picked out a box of strawberry, “You’ve come at the most perfect time, not too hot, not too cold!” I smiled at her and nodded. I took another picture at the dock. The view was amazing, the port took me back to the medieval times, I could almost imagine how lively the port must have been. Few of Europe’s cities remain so unreconstructed, both literally and metaphorically. I breathed in the sunshine and the sea breeze and had a glass of their classic red wine and headed to our next destination.

Next: Portugal Roadtrip

Lying down to the reclined chair in the train, there was a sense of ease. The train was speeding away to a faraway destination. The rhythmic sounds of the acceleration raced as it flew across the pasture. The sheep nodded silently as our train crossed their home and looked back as if they sounded farewell. After dimming the lights, the late-night train slowed down so gently that few passengers would have noticed a change in the engines. There was nothing left but passengers’ exhaustion. I looked out the window and tried to focus on the lamp posts that had passed by but dazed blankly as the fatigue washed over me.

Entering the city France, the cross-country train lit up abruptly signalling the arrival of Paris. The sky was turning red and in a row of ornamental trees to the side of the building birds could be heard against the incessant noise of the traffic. I felt dizzy stepping out of the train seeing the lights and the crowd. The restaurants were filled with people busy clanking their wine glasses and cheering. The whole scene was brightly illuminated with red lights and banners. A Large painting of Van Gogh was hung on the walls along with bouquets of flowers. Inside a café, there was an air of reflection, of solitude only amplified by the empty seats. I sat down in one corner, ordered a sandwich and took occasional sips of orange juice.

I felt lonely but, for once, this was a gentle, pleasant kind of loneliness. I noticed another fellow backpacker whose appearance reminded me of mine; rugged, plain and exhausted. We exchanged a nod and shared the mutual understanding of solitude. Rather than following a dull conversation of unfolding my smile for a bad joke, I was glad to have this solitude. The silence was interrupted by the chiming sounds of the antique clock. It was now ten o’clock. I gathered my belongings as the owner turned off the French radio. It was my queue to leave. The street was now vacant, echoing sounds of a distant traffic. A couple was hugging tightly in this cold winter night; their laughter lingered in the street long after they were gone. It was a cold, dry night. I lifted myself from the drowsiness of jetlag and headed to the nearest inn.

I was soon greeted by the sweet owners after ringing the doorbell. I recognize them from their picture from the hostel ad. The old couple shared the same warm smile and they immediately welcomed me into their home. I had expected a rather plain inn for it was the price that tempted me. However, to my surprise, my room was clean and cozy surrounded by indulgent French paintings and antique decorations. The place was all a traveller could ask for, not only did it provide materialistic necessities, it smelled of home.

I have always dreamt of leaving for somewhere else, somewhere far away, on another continent, with no reminders of my past everyday. The anticipation of travelling has always been greater than reality. Paris existed in my childhood dreams and romantic movies. The beautiful scenery and passionate plot in the movies had brainwashed my expectation and anticipation. I was certain that it would be more than just a city; it was city of love and the expected. I planned on going to the Eiffel Tower first thing in the morning to avoid the crowd but realized that the city wakes up long before I do. The city woke abruptly, one minute I had the city all to myself with a couple people out buying fresh baguettes and the next, I was surrounded with cars and buses swishing past each other, cafes and kiosks opening and people flying out of the Metro station like flocks of startled birds. All this seemed surreal to me, how the faceless people rushed by one another in a city that seemed so unfriendly. As a foreigner, I watched as they hurried onto their busy life and drowned anonymously within the crowd.

Finally, I arrived at the Eiffel tower with the anticipation not only of something grandeur, something sublime to take my breath away but of that particular warm romantic feeling. It was a magnificent design nonetheless, and the rusted colour brought a nostalgic taste of what the city was once like. The tourists swarmed the tower like ants finding a piece of sugar cane. Overlooking the crowd, I felt their joy to travel with their loved ones. I decided to make a brave move and headed to the “by foot” queue. The rain was pouring down as I reached the second level, by now, I could overlook Seine and the Notre Dame. I tried to trace my footprints in the city, where I had slept, dined and walked. It seems as though I have walked all over the city. I remember dining at that lonely café, and rested at that heart-warming B&B and of course the cheery gelato place. The view was surreal but the breeze knocked me to reality. I felt the urge of sharing this moment with someone, but I was all alone. With no one to share my moment of this immense emotional experience, I pulled out my sketchbook and quickly scribbled down my thoughts. I needed to take records of all that I feel and sense while travelling; even if it’s loneliness. When backpacking, I struggled with the need of being away; yet, loneliness always prevails. I took a deep breath to feel Paris; I felt foreign.

That is the thing about traveling. One gets out of the ordinary, challenges the foreign and expects to fall in love with the new city and culture. Spontaneity was what I loved most but expected crowd or inevitable change in plans can make one feel helpless in a foreign land. Disappointments are common yet so are the little wonderful surprises along the way. Keep your heart open and traveling alone may catch you by surprise.

Ever since I was a little girl, my life was planned out long before I realized it. I was to follow others’ successful paths and call it my own. I remember back in highschool from biology that bees have this dance used to signal to other fellow bees when they find new sources of nectar. However, not all bees have the instinct to follow the colony, truth is, 8% of bees are incapable of following directions. They were the stubborn bunch believing that following others mindlessly won’t lead to new ventures. They believe that by being lost, they will find the best source of nectar that has never been tapped before. Some of us need the adrenaline to search for the path untouched, we long for the unknown to keep our heart alive.

The journey began back in 2005 when I first embarked my first lone travel to Europe. I was off to England on an exchange program and to my surprise; I stumbled into the rabbit hole and vowed to never return again. It wasn’t the exotic travelling that changed me, it was the people I met along the way, their vision, their lifestyle that forever changed me. I often ask myself how I am different from the little girl a few years back. I thought about it, and thought about it hard. I hate the cliché answers of how travelling changes people. I will be honest, as this travelogue is my footprints of my true self. The answer being, I know I have always been happy to nest in my comfort zone and bearing my true self in a different country with different culture, language was something I have never dreamt of doing before.

Like a lot of other travelers I make a fetish of my passport. I often leaf through the pages, stained like an old coffee table with overlapping rings triangles and rectangles in smudgy blue red and green inks.

Because I don’t always keep a diary of all the exact dates, my passport serves as the physical record of all the places I have ever been. And it holds something that’s even more important to me. My passport is the soul – and the tangible memory – of all the borders I have ever crossed.

But beyond travel, this blog will be a collection of adventures, discoveries, and a daily self-reminder of what it means to write and share. Looking back at the photos overwhelmed me with nostalgia, and through this medium of sharing, my journey is neverending and wonderfully lost.