Posts Tagged ‘experiences’

UK Vacation Day 6 Recap

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
12 November 2013
1

Day 6 of our UK trip was a wonderful day of revisiting memories and sharing them with Panda. We wandered all through York and checked out a bunch of stores, buying some items but mostly browsing. I got a chance to feed some ducks and geese by a river, which I loved. We even had time to enjoy afternoon tea at Betty’s before returning to the hotel to rest and wait for the train to Edinburgh. A few hours later, we were stepping off onto Scottish soil and making our way to the hotel (getting a bit lost along the way). Once we finally found it, we happily settled in and enjoyed the welcome gifts and nice warm quarters.

[Need more recaps? Here are Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5 recaps.]

view of york eye and train station from hampton inn by hilton hotel window

Good morning, York!

yorkshire soap co bath butters and soap on specialty tray

I had a lot of fun choosing what to get from the Yorkshire Soap Co.

holding up yorkshire soap co shopping bag and cute paper box

Yippee, now I’ve got awesome bath products from lovely Yorkshire.

cat scarves at the cat gallery in york uk

Cat scarves?! I was really tempted, but next time…

guy fawkes born here sign in window

Did you know Guy Fawkes was born in York?

collage of person taking picture of york minster and photo taken of york minster

Panda got a shot of me getting a shot of York Minster.

collage of york city walls

Our wanderings eventually took us outside the city walls.

guy on stilts and man with ghost walk sign promoting york ghost walks

Fancy a ghoulish tour? Then meet these guys for the Ghost Walk!

purple windblown street performer frozen on bike in middle of road in york

Hehe, check out this windblown street performer.

storefront for evil eye lounge asian fusion food and bar

Evil Eye lounge! All I remember is weird beds upstairs and Asian fusion downstairs (with a bar too, of course).

collage of mr chippy fish and chips shop

Panda had to try some fish and chips. Tasty!

standing in middle of road walking streets of york

Caught me wandering.

collage of sainsbury grocery store and products inside

The Sainsbury that I once walked all the way back from with my groceries!

trees overgrown on bridge over river with lily pads and boat

I wish we could get on that bridge.

collage of river and hungry geese and birds being fed

I had to stop and feed the birds. It’s a compulsion.

grinning happily while feeding ducks and geese in river

Can you see how gleeful I was? I love animals.

collage of ducks and geese in river being fed and following food along bank

A ton of them joined in when they noticed food and I had fun walking along the bank sharing the wealth.

collage of pigeon and black duck waiting for food

Even this pigeon wanted in on the action. Check out the cool black duck too!

collage of person leaning over bridge feeding birds

At one point, I leaned over the bridge to feed them.

walking on bridge holding plastic bag with wind blowing hair around

After running out of food, I happily walked off into the wind.

large marketing suite building

If they can make their marketing suite this big, I wonder what the places they’re selling are like!

collage of old cars on display in plaza in york

Back in the center of town, we discovered some old cars on display.

large owl eye contact cases and googly eye iphone case

Random browsing brought me to these adorable contact lense cases!

exterior view of betty's cafe tea rooms in york

It was cold out, so Betty’s was especially inviting to us.

collage of betty's tea room afteroon tea set

I loved warming up to a pot of tea and some snacks. Afternoon tea rocks!

old toff's club in york now rebranded tokyo

Back by the hotel, I hardly recognized this as the old Toff’s where I went clubbing once. (I much preferred the Gallery.)

hampton inn york bridge entrance

Does this look like a proper hotel entrance? Cuz it totally was.

view of edinburgh castle at night from princes street

After a few hours on the train, we arrived in Edinburgh and got to see the castle from afar!

free glass bottles of strathmore water and jars of the dormen nuts and candies

All settled in at the hotel, with these nice treats waiting for us.

365great Day 242: public transit

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
11 November 2013
0

365great challenge day 242: public transitFrom our hotel in Secaucas, Panda and I were able to walk a few minutes to a bus stop and take a coach bus into NYC for $6.40 each roundtrip. It took us to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, which connected to the subway system. From there, we were a $2.75 ride away from any subway stop we desired. While I love cars and the freedom to drive wherever, that sort of convenience is hard to beat. In a city, it’s really your best option, especially if parking costs you up the wazoo. I enjoyed being able to kick back during the ride and then not having to slave over attempts to find parking when we arrived. I’m so grateful for the easy and simple to use public transit that’s available in that area! Made our lives a whole lot easier and that’s undoubtedly great.

When a trip to NYC becomes so much more

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
11 November 2013
0

I should have known a weekend trip to New York could be so much more. As it was, this was set to be an awesome long weekend: Panda and I would spend a day going through my old town of Brewster, then spend a day in the city before heading home on the third day to settle back in for a shortened work week. I was really excited to revisit the areas of my early teens, from Westchester to Putnam counties. It was also a chance for me to share a bit of my childhood with Panda. We were both looking forward to exploring New York City together for the first time – this was my first long weekend since starting work and I wanted to make the best of it (and we most certainly did)!

posing on bright yellow street art sculpture in park in nyc

Don’t just have fun – document it and share it and tag it! Friends might just come knocking.

I’ll share more about the trip another time. What really struck me about this experience was when I posted a few items to my various social media channels. Something completely unexpected happened again and again: my friends in the area began reaching out to say they were nearby! This is exactly what social media is great for, encouraging connections that otherwise would have been easily missed. There were my Singaporean friends and former coworkers who messaged me that they were in the city for one more day before returning home. There was the Yelp comments from my college friend who lived in my building one year and was now in grad out in New Jersey. Then there was the Instagram conversation I had with another college friend, who did Orientation with me (and Panda) and was now doing her residency in Jersey. I mean, I knew I had friends out in the region, but it hadn’t occurred to me who I might be able to meet up with on our trip!

Each of them reached out to me on a social media channel last night and I messaged all of them through those different channels. Funny how they all found me through a different site/app! By this morning, I had arranged to meet with my grad school friend (Shadow) and the Singaporean coworkers (Starfish and Zen). Shadow met us at our hotel in Secaucus, where we had breakfast together. Panda knew her from when we hung out in college, so it was nice for the three of us to catch up and meet up so far from UCLA. I had thought she was still doing Teach For America, but she’s already well into her first year of a grad program! After she left, Panda and I headed into the city to meet up with Starfish and Zen at the MOMA. It was really nice to be able to introduce them to each other, since I talk about them here and there and now Panda has a better impression of who they are. We hung out for about an hour before splitting ways – they were off to a lunch meeting and we were due to head home.

I’m really glad I was able to get those two brief encounters with people I love seeing. Too bad Opti, my optometrist residency friend couldn’t meet up as well… that would have rounded things out nicely. Still, it’s great to know that next time I head up north I’ve got some friends to hang out with. And to think, it was all because I shared bits of my life on Facebook, Instagram, and Yelp! I guess next time I can do a better job of letting friends know my plans, since I probably could have met with a bunch more had they known.

365great Day 240: deviled eggs

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , ,
09 November 2013
0

365great challenge day 240: deviled eggsOh nom! Ever since first finding out about deviled eggs in middle school, they’ve been something I look out for everywhere I go. There was a deli across the street from the school, which my friends and I would sometimes frequent for lunch. It was there that one day I noticed the deviled eggs in the counter. I’m a big fan of eggs, so I decided to try it. I absolutely loved it! It’s funny since I’m not usually into egg yolks, but in this instance, there’s something I can’t resist. I guess once you mash it up with other ingredients, you start getting some fun new concoction. I’ve always meant to play around with that myself but so far none of my tries have tasted quite the way I hoped. All I wanted was an egg that tastes just like the one from that deli. Over the years I unsuccessfully tried all sorts of other places but when I got to have that deli again, I learned that there’s just something different about theirs that I enjoy. If I could just figure out how to replicate it, that’d be great!

Back in the groove

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , ,
07 November 2013
1

Ever since I started work, I’ve been meaning to find a yoga place to pick up my practice again. A few days ago, after hurting my back, I really needed to start strengthening my back again so Panda started looking for me. He found a great deal on Groupon that included 10 classes and a yoga mat and bag! That’s perfect since I didn’t bring my mat with me when I moved out here and it will be nice to have mats on both coasts so I don’t have to worry about not having mine.

floor of the ayurvedic path entrance with welcome mat and shoe rack

Hello new yoga haven.

After registering, I signed up for my very first class with this yoga studio, which is really close to my office so I can easily swing by after work to enjoy some meditation, stretching, twisting, and strength-building. It’s been a year and a half since I stopped attending yoga classes, so I went for a beginner’s level this time around. That way I can ease back into it and I can go easy on my strained back as it heals. I was surprised at how excited I was to get to the class – must have been all the anticipation. It’s tucked away in a really quiet area and the room size is meant for upwards of 15 people. I like that the classes won’t ever get big and that it’s so intimate and cozy. The warmth inside was very soothing and the teacher leading the class was really nice and welcoming. I changed into my yoga gear and joined another dozen or so women and two men in the class. It was great to get time to meditate and relax while going through various poses. The challenge level was medium and I found I was stronger than I had expected, which is excellent news!

When I first started yoga, it was a free class held in the movie room at my apartment complex. We had an average of 6 people each time and I loved it. This place gives me a similar vibe, where we get enough one-on-one attention if needed. One thing I wasn’t used to was the mirrored wall… it was strange to look at myself in the mirror but I didn’t want to stare at others either, so I usually watched the instructor or looked towards the ground. I did like that I could ensure better posture and alignment when I could see my positioning, but I generally didn’t need it. I’m very happy with my experience so far and I can’t wait to try out some of the more challenging classes! I look forward to the day when I can manage a handstand.

After class, I met the owner of the place, who’s also very nice. I finished off my paperwork with them and got my yoga mat, but they didn’t have bags today so I’ll pick it up another time. I felt great afterwards – empowered, more limber, and with greater peace of mind. I’ll be reporting back to my coworker Autumnfall to let her know in case she’s ever interested in joining. I think having a friend in class would be fun!

selfie taken at entrance of yoga studio after class, with new yoga mat in tow

After class, I took a quick selfie. Got my new hot pink yoga mat now!

365great Day 237: change

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , ,
06 November 2013
0

365great challenge day 237: changeI’m a big fan of change. It probably stems from moving frequently as a child and getting used to constantly adjusting. Things that are new and fresh are always fun, even as I miss the nostalgic stuff. I’ve never lived anywhere for more than 4 years consecutively and that’s the way I like it – as the years draw on, the itch for someplace difference gets stronger until I have the chance to relocate. I like to replace my laptop every 3 years or so and I upgrade my phone every 2 years as my contract allows. I love meeting new people, exploring new activities, and expanding my horizons. I try not to get stuck in the same habits too, whether it’s sleeping on the same side of the bed or arranging my furniture in a set way. I don’t like eating at the same place all the time (though I generally tend to order the same thing… can’t always have change I guess!) and like to try different ways of doing things to keep myself on my toes. It’s pretty easy for me to get bored, which is probably why I keep things fresh by maintaining a certain level of changing in my life. Just look at the beauty that can come of change in this picture – you can already see the butterflies that will be emerging from the cocoons in all their glory. Make room for change (embrace it, even) and you open yourself up to endless worlds of wonder. What great transformations you get to experience!

Sleep-doing

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
06 November 2013
0

I’m often amazed at how functional I can manage to be even when my mind has practically shut down. I can drive, write, and have conversations… and then I don’t remember what happened later. Have you had that happen to you? Last night I was in quite a bit of pain from my back and Panda was massaging me when I drifted off. I was so warm and I was relaxing enough to fall asleep without realizing it. Panda even had a conversation with me before noticing I was asleep. I then woke up a few hours later and finished off my blogging for the night, but I barely recall what happened. How I managed to write about sailing coherently is a mystery to me.

Similarly, there have been times that I’ve driven home when utterly exhausted only to find myself pulling into the driveway with no recollection of how I drove there. Maybe I used all my brain power to do the driving so I had no room to store the memory? Whatever the case, I’m glad I haven’t had that happen to me lately. I’m sure my reaction time would be awful if anything were to get in my way, so it’s a total recipe for disaster. When it gets to that point, I think a quick 10-minute nap can be a useful refresher. Of course in our world of go, go, go, it’s hard to take that time to take care of yourself. I was meeting with someone once and he hadn’t gotten enough rest, so I could see him zoning out and even dozing off as we spoke. Poor guy really needed to just catch a few minutes of rest!

So are you like that too, pushing forward until your body and mind just give out on you? Or do you ensure to get breaks when you need them?

365great Day 236: sailing

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
05 November 2013
0

365great challenge day 236: sailingMy first major encounter with sailing was at Leadership Academy, which was a JROTC boot camp I attended in Newport, Rhode Island. One of the skills we were taught was sailing a tiny little sailboat operated by 4 people. The exact roles escape me now, but the sense of camaraderie and teamwork it took to successfully operate that sailboat have stayed with me over a decade later. We learned the techniques used to catch the breeze and got quite good! Many years later, I visited a friend and we got to enjoy sailing the Irish coast on his family’s yacht. Most recently, Panda and I soaked in the Hawaiian sun on a lovely excursion sailing with dolphins. Each of these times, I loved the sense of freedom you got from being out in the ocean and being so close to it. When you’re on a ship, the water is a distant thing; when you’re on a sailboat, you can just lean over the side to enjoy. I love connecting with the water that way. It’s such a great feeling!

365great Day 235: fireplaces

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , ,
04 November 2013
0

365great challenge day 235: fireplacesThe crackling of a fireplace is a really soothing sort of sound to snuggle up near. Add in the welcoming warmth and rich wood smell for a wonderfully comforting experience. Throw in a blanket, good book, and hot chocolate and you may never get me to leave. I also have some lovely memories of singing karaoke with my parents as the fireplace heated up our living room in the St. Louis winter. I don’t have a fireplace anymore, but I get a chance to hang out by one I always enjoy that nice slow pace. It’s so easy to kick back and relax next to a fireplace and let the rest of the world slip away. I wish I had one to use for this upcoming winter! The office sure could use some extra heat. 😛 Wouldn’t that be fun? I’d love to work next to a fireplace at work. It’s a great place to clear my mind and get some work done.

365great Day 234: brunch

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , ,
03 November 2013
0

365great challenge day 234: brunchI’ve always enjoyed brunch meals, both American and Chinese. I’m a huge fan of breakfast for lunch, small portions (a la dim sum), and sleeping in, so I guess it makes sense. I also really enjoy having a mix of flavors, so it makes me happy when I can get an omelet and waffles in one sitting. My associations with brunch have always been positive, since it generally means I got to sleep in and enjoy a lovely afternoon. I’ve spent many with good friends and few things are more enjoyable than good company coupled with good food! Similarly, for dim sum I remember wonderful gatherings of family or friends and a community approach to eating. We could mix and match all types of dishes ranging from pork chops to egg tarts as we collectively decided what to add to the table. The atmosphere is great around brunch time and so is the food.

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