My Favourite Student Exchange Memories

Going on a student exchange is definitely up there as one of the best decisions I've ever made. I have so many fond memories from my time away but if I had to narrow it down to a list of truly standout moments, this would be it;

Meeting my roommate
Choosing to have a roommate while on my exchange is another decision I'm glad I made. Before I met her, I had no clue what to expect. The first day I arrived, she'd set up already and was no where to be seen. So I spent the entire day not knowing who she was. It wasn't until late that night that I finally got to meet her. The first thing we talked about was the lizard that had decided to inhabit our room. Lizards are everywhere in Singapore! She seemed so easygoing and nice to talk to that I instantly liked her. Now I consider her one of my closest friends from the exchange! 

Exchangers Night Out
This was an event organised by the student exchange coordinators at my host uni. There was a group of us that travelled by MRT to the city. It was a really nice night - typical for Singapore - and it was my first time seeing the Marina Bay Sands and Merlion since the start of my exchange. The event itself was okay but we ended up leaving early and walking around the city doing our own thing. It was still a very memorable night and I definitely wouldn't have interacted with so many different exchange students had I not gone. 

First time in Tiong Bahru
Tiong Bahru is my absolute favourite neighbourhood in Singapore. In fact, if I were to live in Singapore, that's where I'd like to live. I first heard about it from a friend who mentioned a really nice bookstore being there. I decided to go check it out and I instantly fell in love with the area. It was so quiet and quaint. Not chaotic and busy like the city parts of Singapore. Also the bookstore was one of a kind! There was a vending machine outside that dispensed mystery books wrapped up like presents. So the book you pick is a complete surprise! 

Jetskiing in Langkawi, Malaysia
During the recess week, I went to Malaysia with two of my friends. That entire trip in itself was a standout memory but the one evening I especially remember was on our second day when we arrived in Langkawi. In the airport was an advertisement for jet skiing so on a whim we decided to ask our taxi driver to take us to the closest beach. It worked out so well because by the time we got on the water, the sun was starting to set and the sky was a canvas of colour! 

Every ballroom dancing class
This is a bit of a cheat answer because it's not a one time thing but I really loved all my ballroom dancing classes. I made it my goal to join at least one club while on my exchange and because I used to really enjoy watching Dancing with the Stars, I decided on ballroom dancing. It was also something new and challenging so I thought why not? 

Thanks for reading!

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Room Tour 2020

My bedroom is my absolute pride and joy. When I was away on my student exchange, I missed my family, my friends and last but not least, my room. I've done a room tour post on my blog for 2018 and 2019 and they're both two of my most popular posts to date. Honestly, not much has changed over the years but it's like a game of spot the difference. From a distance, the photos look pretty similar but then you take a closer look and all the finer alterations are revealed. I like to shuffle things around on a regular basis - it's a little bit of a hobby of mine! - so it's not surprising things aren't where they were in previous years. 

I made sure to take these photos on a day where the sun was shining. Unfortunately I only have natural light for a couple hours a day just because of where my room is in relation to the rest of the house. My window doesn't have the prettiest of views but a couple of years ago, I painted a couple of leafy branches on the wall just to give it a little bit of life. 

The black jewellery tree you see above is something I fished out of my drawers a couple of weeks ago. For some reason, I didn't think it fit the aesthetic of my room so I hid it away. I brought it out again and it's now one of my favourite items. I hung all my dangly earrings on it and am so happy with how it looks!

 

 

My desk space is probably my favourite spot in my entire room. It's become my ideal place for productivity and getting stuff done. I also think it's the area that undergoes the most changes whenever I'm doing one of my room revamps. Also how cute are the three pigs on my top shelf?! My dad got them for me last year as a farewell present before my exchange and I absolutely adore them!

Q: What's your fav part of your room? 

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June Goals

It's already halfway through 2020. Usually every time June rolls around, I think to myself where has the past 5 months gone? This year however is different. It feels like it should be Christmas by now. So much has happened, it's scary the rate at which this year has been changing. I didn't get a chance to do a New Year's resolution post and since this is my second post back from my blogging break, I thought a list of June goals would be the next best thing. Here are some things I'm hoping to achieve this month. 

1. Solve a Rubik's cube without help
This random skill is something that I've wanted to try my hand at for the longest time and I figured quarantine would be the best time to do just that. Funnily enough, it was only once I'd finished quarantine that I actually picked up the Rubik's cube for the first time. I found a really good YouTube video that took me through the process step by step as well as explaining the different algorithms to use. I still need to refer to the video from time to time but before the end of this month I'd really like to be able to finish the whole cube on my own. 

2. Get my full drivers licence 
I was quite nervous to get in the front of the steering wheel again after 4 months overseas. It was the longest time I'd spent without practicing my driving. Turns out I had nothing to worry about because as soon as I got in the car for my first drive since being away, muscle memory kicked in and everything came quite naturally. I decided to book my full drivers test for the end of this month, just to have something to work towards. Having an end goal in sight has definitely helped me stay motivated with my driving practice. 

3. Maintain a good workout schedule
During quarantine, I downloaded a workout app to ensure I was still exercising. Once lockdown in my country ended, gyms reopened and I was able to start attending physical classes again. Sometimes, especially now that's it's winter where I live, I don't feel like going into the gym so having the app gives me the option of a home workout which I really like. Having two different workout regimes has been a massive help with my fitness motivation and will hopefully make it easier for me to stick with the weekly timetable I've set myself.  

4. Sketch every single day
I used to not like putting too much pressure on myself to draw but recently I've been turning on Netflix or Youtube while I sketch and it's been a real game changer. For some reason, I feel more inclined to draw when something is playing on my laptop in the background. Since the start of June, I've managed to do at least a little bit of drawing practice each day and I've definitely noticed some small improvements. 

5. Finish 'Little Women' 
I downloaded a whole collection of classic novels on my iPad to read. I'm still a bit iffy towards ebooks but I will say the dictionary function is a really great advantage to this form of reading. It's so quick and easy to search a word definition up and make a note of it so you don't forget the next time you read it. I started Little Women almost a month and a half ago and I really want to get through it this month. I'm really enjoying the story but I think I'm still getting used to reading off my iPad and that's definitely slowed down my reading progress.

6. Get better at touch typing
This is one of those skills that can often slide under the radar. I took a touch typing elective in high school but from my typing today, you wouldn't think it. I remember where the keys are but I sometimes get lazy and just look at what I'm typing. Because I'm starting to get back into blogging, I want to make sure I'm touch typing as much as possible. The more I use my laptop, the better!

Q: What are your goals for this month?

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My Student Exchange Experience During COVID-19

I think I speak for the entire world when I say 2020 has been a very sad, strange, scary and confusing time so far. Nobody has been untouched by the effects of this global pandemic. In the last five months our lives have been placed our hold, turned upside down and changed indefinitely. 

When I boarded my flight to Singapore on the 9th of January this year, I could never have predicted what was in store for me on the other end. Before the virus really became a major cause for concern, my exchange started off like any other. We had the usual formalities; first day orientation, various tours and other organised gatherings and meet ups. It was the ideal programme for any exchange student trying to make their way in this very new and unfamiliar territory. I can still recount those first few weeks quite vividly. It was a time of adjusting and settling in. I was getting used to a new class timetable, trying new foods, finding new shortcuts around campus and meeting so many new people during the course of a single day. The best part was finding time outside of class to travel into the city and explore both the tourist traps and hidden gems. Since I knew I had four and a bit months in Singapore, I didn't mind dedicating a whole day to one specific location. I thought I could afford to take my time with things. Little did I know this mentality was really going to be put to the test. Singapore had its first case pretty early on, around the end of Jan. At that time though, I was still very much consumed by the normal exchange student fears of overcoming homesickness, passing classes and making friends. Unfortunately this resulted in me paying little attention to the media and lacking a lot of knowledge surrounding the virus. 

My wake up call moment happened around the end of Feb. I had booked a trip to Japan and South Korea with a group of other exchange students during a week long semester break however a couple days before we were due to leave, there was the major outbreak in Daegu. The gravity of the situation really sunk in then and we immediately cancelled our trip. All throughout March, exchange students were flying back to their home countries. This was honestly the most difficult part of the entire exchange for me. Having to say goodbye to so many of my friends so much earlier than expected made the parting process that much harder. There were very few exchange students left on campus by the time April rolled around. In fact, there were very few students left on campus period. When Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong announced the circuit breaker on April 3rd, I moved out of my hall accomodation and into my Uncle's apartment. During my stay, I was able to complete all four of my classes which felt like a real accomplishment amidst everything that had been happening. I also felt oddly proud about being able to finish my coursework in Singapore even though there was no real requirement for me to do so since submissions were online. Although classes were over, the hardest challenge was yet to be resolved. As long as I was in Singapore, there was a lot of planning, emailing and phone calling to be done in order for me to get home. 

Finding flights that were confirmed to be going ahead was no easy feat. Luckily for me, I got in touch with two other exchange students from my home country that were able to point me in the right direction. We flew out together which was such a great decision and it was a reasonably smooth trip home. It's been about two weeks since I've been back and it feels so surreal to recall all that has happened this year. Writing this blog post has been a real opportunity for me to organise the jumble of thoughts in my mind. People ask me whether I regret going on my exchange or wish things had gone differently. My answer to them is no. I'm so thankful for this experience and it was still worthwhile to me in every single way. Singapore and the people I met there (you know who you are) will forever hold a place in my heart. Nothing, not even a global pandemic, could change that. 

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My Favourite TV Shows

I used to hate watching tv shows. 

Maybe I just had a really short attention span back then but I used to get so bored of the same characters and storyline that I never got to the end of a series. My family got Netflix last year and since then, my attitude towards tv shows has changed dramatically. I still tend to avoid shows that exceed 5 or 6 seasons but nowadays, I'm more likely to choose a tv show over a movie and that's something I definitely wouldn't have done a couple of years ago. In today's post, I'm going to be sharing 5 shows that I love so much and would recommend to anyone and everyone. I'm going to keep the descriptions brief as I tend to spoil things quite easily. 

1. Sense8
This is a Netflix Original series and when I first started watching, I was a little hesitant at first. It took a couple of episodes for me to get my head around the main concept of the show but once I did, I was hooked. Basically the series follows 8 individuals from all around the world. Each of the characters have their own story whilst being part of one massive story as well. I think the best thing about this show was the main cast. I promise you, you'll fall in love with the characters so quickly. 

2. The Good Place
The idea behind this show is so clever. It portrays a completely different afterlife to what you're probably used to seeing. It also takes a more comedic approach which I thought made it a lot more lighthearted and easier to digest. I absolutely loved Kristen Bell in this series. She's such an amazing actress. The characters are also super loveable and very, very different from one another. 

3. W - Two Worlds Apart
This was the first k-drama I ever finished. I've watched a couple of k-dramas since this one but to me, none of them compare. The story is so unique. In a nutshell, it's about a doctor who falls into her father's webtoon and gets close to the main protagonist of the comic. It's cute and a little cheesy at times but I think that's why I like it so much. 

4. The Society
I've heard people describe this show as a combination of The Maze Runner, Lord of the Flies and Lost. It took me a little while to properly get into this series because unlike the last three, I found the characters a little harder to like. Most of the characters ended up being okay in the end though. When I first finished the series, I researched into all the different theories. There are definitely some far fetched ones out there but there are a couple that I could totally see being right. 

Thanks for reading!
Q: What's your favourite tv show ever?

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Living By Myself For a Week

This week has been an interesting one.

Two things happened on Monday. The first was that I started back at Uni. The second was that my family jetted off to Aussie leaving the house to me for a week. For five whole days, I got to experience what living on your own feels like. Because I'm so used to sharing my house with four other people, it was definitely a little disconcerting to come back from the airport to nothing but silence. I thought I'd hate how quiet the house was all the time but after a day, I found I didn't really miss the noise and chaos too much. 

I think there's definitely a difference between living alone and flatting. There's a lot of self discipline involved with having a place to yourself. It really keeps you on your toes. There's no one to remind you to throw away expired groceries or close all the lights before going to sleep. Since I flatted for a month last year, it was interesting to be able to compare my two experiences. 

Because it was still my childhood home, nothing was too unfamiliar to me. I could still go about my day to day routine like normal. The only thing that was different was the absence of my parents and brothers. Because I know my home like the back of my hand, this probably made it a less accurate representation of what living alone is actually like. Nonetheless, it was still a great learning experience for me. The main thing I realised was that I'm not as unprepared for moving out as I initially thought I was. I'm actually perfectly capable of managing and maintaining a place of my own. Moving out is always at the back of my mind and even though I don't know exactly how far into the future it's going to happen, it's nice to do things like this so I sort of know what to expect. 

Thanks for reading!
Q: Have you lived/do you live by yourself? 

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Photo Diary - Auckland, NZ

Hello! 

So if you look at the date of my previous post, you'll see that I've missed quite a few weeks of posting. I've been going through a really weird patch with my blog but I think I've managed to push past it now. My Uni break is coming to an end and even though I'm sad to lose my sleep ins, I'm glad to be able to start studying again. 

During my break, I was able to fly to Auckland for a shopping trip with my friend. Of course, I had to take some photos while I was there. The Sky Tower was definitely the subject of many of my photos. Probably because I saw it every day while I was in Auckland. Our hotel was super close to the Sky Tower so it was a great landmark for when we were lost and couldn't find our way back. I've only shared three photos here but trust me when I say there are many more on my camera and phone. The other photos are just ones I took around the CBD and Auckland Harbour. 

 

 

Thanks for checking out this week's post! 

Q: Have you travelled to Auckland before?

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(Literary Book Gifts) Writing Gloves Review

After a stressful couple of weeks, I'm happy to report that semester one of 2019 is officially done and dusted. I'm excited to get back into the blogging swing of things and start creating content on here once again. 

In today's post, I'm going to be talking about a pair of writing gloves I received from the online store Literary Book Gifts. As an enthusiastic writer and avid reader, the web store name itself hooked me in right away. I was so excited to receive these gloves and am so thankful to Melissa, the founder, for sending them out to me. They couldn't of come in the mail at a better time. The weather where I live has been horrific recently, so I've been trying to stock up on all the winter clothing I can find. 

The first thing that really pleased me was the colour. On the website, you have the option to choose from 13 different colours. I went for Light Heather Grey. It's quite a safe colour which means if I wanted to wear these gloves with an already completed outfit, they're less likely to clash with the overall look. 

I love that these gloves are fingerless. I definitely prefer fingerless over normal whole hand gloves. In fact, all the gloves I own at the moment are cut off at the fingers. It's a million times easier to write with a pen when your fingers have a better grip. These gloves definitely take this into consideration. I was also super stoked with the fit. They're tight and snug which means they trap heat in and prevent cold air from getting through. I was quite surprised by how long the bottom of the gloves were. I didn't expect them to cover so much wrist but I actually really like that they do. 

The material is very pliable and lightweight so perfect for throwing in your pocket when you don't need them. If you prefer gloves that are somewhat firmer, these gloves may not be a right fit for you. They're made of 35% cashmere wool which I thought was pretty good. I'm always interested in what percentage of certain materials are used. Overall, I really like the way these gloves feel and look. They'll definitely be keeping my hands toasty and warm these next couple of months!

Q. Do you prefer fingerless or whole hand gloves?
Thank you again to Melissa! Definitely check out Literary Book Gifts if you have the chance!

* I received this item in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own. *

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5 Creative Skills I Want to Learn

As a design student, I feel like I have a pretty good set of creative skills under my belt. That doesn't mean I'm not willing to add more though. Here are 5 skills I really want to learn how to do whether than be in a classroom environment or at home. 

1. Hand Embroidery
This is one of those things that I've been meaning to try but just haven't had the time or resources to do so. I see all these incredible designs pop up on my Pinterest feed from time to time and it makes me want to learn so badly. I'm hoping to go to my local craft shop sometime soon and pick up an embroidery hoop and some different coloured thread. Then once the mid-year break comes around, I'll have no excuse not to give it a go. 

2. DSLR Cameras
I'm definitely very capable with the camera I own at the moment but that's because it's the most basic camera ever. It used to be the whole family's and we bought it all the way back in 2012 or 2013. It still produces decent quality photos but because it's just a normal digital camera, it functions quite differently from a DSLR. I took a photography course for a very short time at Uni last year but I can't say I took a lot away from those classes. I really want to learn how to use a DSLR properly so I can take more professional looking photos for both my blog and other things. 

3. Animation
This was another creative skill that I encountered last year at Uni. We had to use Adobe After Effects to create a very short animation for one of our designs. I actually really enjoyed bringing a static image to life. Since then, I haven't had much to do much animation but I'd really love to get back into it again. 

4. Jewelry Making
A couple of months ago, my friend and I had a craft day where we made our own earrings. It was a great time! Earrings were a definitely a great introduction to jewelry making but I'd love to make something slightly more advanced like a necklace or bracelet. I really want to experiment more with wire and beading. I have so many pretty beads and charms from my childhood that I could use. 

5. Cake Decorating
I've been loving cake decorating shows recently. Some of those cakes are honestly works of art! Like things you'd expect to see in a glass cabinet in a museum. I really want to take a cake decorating course one day. Even though baking isn't exactly my forte, decorating is where I think the real fun begins anyway. I love how creative people get with their cake designs. It's so inspiring! 

Q: What's a creative skill you want to pick up?
Thanks for reading!  

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Second-Hand Book Haul

I love reading. It's one of my favourite pastimes. 

When I pick up a paperback, I instantly feel relaxed and at ease. For me, nothing can replace the feel of a physical book. I recently visited a second-hand book store at this little town an hours drive from my home and picked up a couple of books while I was there. There was such a great selection of books to choose from! At an ordinary book store, I don't really like to buy several books at once but at a second-hand bookstore, it's a completely different story. You can get the most amazing bargains. In fact, the amount I paid for all four books is the same amount I'd pay for one brand new. 

With that being said, here are the books I decided on. 

Room - Emma Donoghue
I heard about this book way back in high school and have been meaning to read it ever since. I know there's a film based on it so I'd love to watch it after reading this. The plot sounds very intriguing to me. I have a feeling it'll be one of those books you finish in one sitting. 

Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan
I watched this movie with my Mum on DVD years ago. I've already started reading this one and it's bringing back all these memories from the film. Turns out I remember the story a lot better than I thought. The cover is also so pretty! There was another copy of this book at the shop but I chose this one specifically because of how nice the front is. 

Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng
I hadn't heard of this book before picking it up but after reading the blurb, I really liked the sound of it. I'm also a huge fan of Jodi Picoult so the fact that she thought highly of it made me even more keen to read it. 

The Botanist's Daughter - Kayte Nunn
I have to admit, the cover definitely did a good job of drawing me in. I know you're not supposed to judge a book entirely on its cover but the pretty florals and pastel background really had that visual appeal. I also found the blurb really interesting so it was definitely a win-win situation.

Q: Have you read any of these books before?

Thanks for reading! 

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Let's Talk About Jobs

When it comes to finding a job, timing is super important. 

You can have the ideal skills, qualifications and experience but if a business or company isn't looking for new employees then it's a lost cause right from the start. Ever since I left my last part time job a couple of weeks ago, I've been on the hunt for a new permanent role. I still have casual jobs that I do a couple times a month, but nothing on a fixed basis. I know everyone can probably relate when I say finding yourself a new job can be quite the journey and sometimes you end up where you least expected yourself to be. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Apply for jobs you think you'll be a good fit for but don't rule everything else out entirely. You never know what you can and can't do until your try. 

This is what my mentality was going into my last job. The one I decided to leave. I gave it my best shot. I embraced the new environment, co-workers and tasks given to me but in the end, it wasn't quite enough. That's another thing about jobs. You need to stay open minded but you shouldn't have to sacrifice your own happiness in the process. If a job is making you doubt yourself and what you know, then it might be worth looking elsewhere. The part time job was okay initially but after a while, I started to feel like my lack of knowledge in the field I was working in was slowing both me and my co-workers down. I could tell I wasn't the only one getting frustrated while working and this made me even more resentful of the job. Although it was quite hard for me to come to the conclusion that I wasn't all that good at the role I was in, I knew in my heart that there was no point forcing something that already wasn't working. 

Another thing I've found with jobs is that connections can really make a difference. Whether that person is telling you first hand about a role they have open or personally referring you to their boss/employer, having someone on the inside definitely has it's advantages. I don't think there's anything wrong with telling friends and family that you're looking for work. A couple of the jobs I've had, I heard about through people I knew. I feel like everyone understands how hard job hunting is so there's no reason why your friends and family won't want to help you.

These are just a couple of things that have been on my mind recently in terms of finding work. Let me know your thoughts on the subject down below!

Q: How many jobs have you had in your life?
Thanks for reading!

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My Favourite Op Shop Finds

I'm going to be completely transparent here and say this week's post was very last minute. All my Uni deadlines are next week and I've been focusing so much on getting them finished that I completely forgot about writing a blog post. In saying that, I've definitely been due for another photography style post since my last one was a couple months ago. I also really wanted to do a post that expressed my love for op shopping. So here it is! Here are my favourite op shop finds so far!

Floral Dress

 

Checkered Dress

 

Cream Coloured Skirt

 

Pink Off-The-Shoulder Top

 

Q: What's the best thing you've found at an op shop?

Sorry again for the last minute post! Once my deadlines are out of the way, I can assure you I'll be writing a lot more!

Thanks for reading!

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