Posts Tagged ‘travel’

365great Day 175: wifi

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

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 175: wifiOf course the best type is free and I really appreciated The Cloud while traipsing around the UK! They provide free wifi services at a variety of coffee shops, train stations, markets and even drug stores. Every block or so in London, you’ll probably come across some place that has a signal. I spent quite some time standing outside these establishments connecting to the internet and it sure did make my life easier not worrying about data usage and being relatively free to hop online as I pleased. Wifi at home, in lounges, on trains, and throughout buildings has empowered us to get online without being tied down to some socket in the wall. It has truly freed us up and I love it. Wires can be annoying and even worse is the fact that it tethers you to something. With wifi, you’re not bound to those restrictions and that is simply great.

What I missed about the UK

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , ,
05 September 2013
0

A few months ago, Panda and I made plans to go out on a UK trip for the summer and I could hardly wait! There are so many things there that I wanted to share with him. I studied abroad there back in 2006-2007 and I’ve only been back once since. We were hoping to try to go for the London Olympics last year, but that got a little crazy and we opted for a different trip instead. This year is still a great time to go though, since it’s the 50th anniversary of the University of York where I studied and while we’re at it, I figured we might as well find some fun Prince George memorabilia too. 😛

Here are a few things I’ve missed about living in the UK!

traditional british sunday roast with yorkshire pudding, roast beef and gravy, carrots, broccoli and cream, and potates

Sunday roast

~British food – There are a variety of things I loved eating, especially Yorkshire pudding. I also love how they put sweet corn in their tuna sandwiches. Yum!

small cobblestone side street in europe

Cobblestone streets

~Cobblestone streets – I don’t know what it is about cobblestone – perhaps because oftentimes it’s pedestrian traffic only and if cars do drive on them they tend to go slower… and the slower, quieter life is quite alluring.

quiet riverfront community in europe

Quiet living

~Quieter lifestyle – I like the more peaceful pace I find in European towns and I love how there is a lot more walking and generally a cleaner air quality.

row of houses in europe

Cute little towns

~Cute little towns – tying in many of the other things I mentioned, I enjoy the overall atmosphere and lifestyle you find in smaller towns. So adorable!

boxes of celebrations and quality street candies

Celebrations & Quality Street

~European candies – I love Celebrations and Quality Street the most, but there are also a bunch of other amazing delicious candies I treat myself to while there (like Crunchies!). I find European milk chocolate to be much creamier and oh so smooth.

mcvitie's original digestives cookies

Digestives

~Digestives – When I first heard of these I thought they sounded like Pepto Bismol. Luckily, they are nothing of the sort and taste delicious! I guess you’re supposed to drink tea with them but I just eat them like cookies!

bags of sensations roasted chicken & thyme and thai sweet chilli chips and hula hoops potato rings

Sensations & Hula Hoops

~Sensations & Hula Hoops – The Brits seem to enjoy two extremes: heavily meat flavored stuff and sweet flavored salty stuff. I love the sweet and salty combo for sure and I sometimes like the meat taste. As for Hula Hoops, I can’t get enough of their super crisp texture.

Well, that rounds up the things I craved about life in the UK. Apparently it was pretty much all lifestyle and food. 🙂 What’s your favorite foreign good?

365great Day 174: malt balls

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , ,
04 September 2013
2

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365great challenge day 174: malt ballsOne of my favorite treats is malt balls. Their crispy, honeycomb-like texture is so much fun to chew on and the way they crumble and melt in your mouth is like none other. They generally come with a nice coat of chocolate that makes the deal even sweeter. The taste is sweet but not overwhelming and they make a great addition to ice cream! I was delighted to find this Maltesers slice offered at a bakery in Edinburgh, so of course that’s what I ordered. Combined with the white chocolate, it was fabulously chewy in both a soft and crispy way. I loved the contrast of the sweet chocolate with the more cracker-like quality of the malt balls and I’m pretty sure that bottom part of chocolate was fudge. What a fantastic little treat! It was very filling and I was able to split it into two snacks. Nom! I enjoy malt balls of all kinds and I’ve had at least three brands of them. All great!

 

That Asian (American) couple

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , ,
04 September 2013
0

Are there not enough Asians who live in the UK? Everywhere we go, Panda and I have been grouped into the Asian category. People see us and assume we came from China. We’ve had ladies on the street ask us for directions in Mandarin and restaurant owners who speak to us in Chinese dialects. They seem shocked, bewildered even, when they hear us speak English with American accents or act like we don’t understand Chinese. It’s as if the only Asians in all of Great Britain are tourists or something. I mean, I feel like we’ve seen our fair share of Chinese people milling about, but I guess it is true that each and every one of them was a Chinese tourist (at least all the ones I heard say anything).

tourists in plaza by buckingham palace in london

Chinese or American tourist? Do I have have to choose between them?

Still, it’s been quite an experience for me to relive the times in my childhood when my American-ness was a big deal. Whenever I’d go back to China as a kid, I got a fair share of attention for being “that American girl” who grew up not like the rest of them. As I grew up it became less and less unusual. In the US, particularly in the Los Angeles region, not only is it normal, it’s practically expected that you grew up in America. The majority of my peers are born and bred Americans. I don’t often run into those who have recently emmigrated and are still new to American culture, though there are still plenty of those. For the most part, Asians of all sorts in California have likely been in the country for a least one generation if not more. I’m of a slightly less common variety of those who moved as a toddler. Most of my Asian-American friends are true ABCs and a lot don’t even speak Chinese. I’m glad that I do, or I’d feel even more awkward out here!

A few weeks ago, I started to learn Cantonese partly because it is so weird to sit around not understanding what’s going on at a Cantonese restaurant when Panda is conversing with the staff. I always wonder if those people think I’m an ABC who has little to no ties to the mainland, or if they realize that I’m just a Mandarin speaker who can’t make sense of the Cantonese going on around me. I hate feeling left out so I figured I might as well learn basic terms to get me through standard day-to-day conversations!

It’s funny how we’re now mistaken for tourists from mainland China when Panda’s never even been and I’ve always been identified as an outsider. I never could understand how I’d go back to China and people would know right away that I wasn’t raised there. When I was younger, my extremely tan skin probably gave it away. Now that I’m paler have I lost my scarlet letter? Or is it just that people abroad can’t tell as easily as those in China? Whatever the case, I’ve suddenly become a lot more conscious of our outer appearance not always matching up to what people assume us to be. I feel out of place already as a foreigner and that just adds another layer. It will be nice to return home where our Asian-American-ness is not questioned!

365great Day 173: sleek hair

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

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365great challenge day 173: sleek hairOh it feels so good to have soft, smooth hair. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to deal with wind and I am not fond of having to detangle my hair once I get back indoors. I really enjoy the feeling of freshly washed and gently dried hair that has just the right volume and falls into place beautifully. That’s my favorite part about showering in the mornings, because I get to enjoy nice hair throughout the day. It feels wonderful to run my fingers through my hair and have them glide through easily. I also enjoy the slightly damp feeling of still-drying hair, which gives it a darker color and a more shiny look. Healthy hair is a lovely thing, though it’s interesting how as soon as the strand of hair leaves your head it becomes something rather gross (at least that’s how it is for me). But a nice head of hair can look great and often gives people a boost of confidence.

Getting optimal sleep

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , ,
02 September 2013
0

After staying at so many hotels on the UK trip, I’ve learned quite a bit about what I like when it comes to my sleeping arrangement. I’ve also been noticing I need more sleep while traveling – at home I’d settled into a routine of about 6 hours, but when on the go I could sleep on for 8-10 hours if I didn’t have to get up. It makes sense since I spent so much of my day on my feet, walking for hours on end.

So what’s the best thing to come back to after a long, tiring day? Well, a cozy and warm bed. The weather is nothing like the California heat my body has gotten accustomed to and even the winter is Virginia was pretty mild so my body tends to be cold (especially with some of that crazy wind in Edinburgh!). Thankfully, the coldest place had the warmest blanket – a down comforter that kept me nice and toasty. I definitely want to get one of those for my own bed sometime! However, when I’m that snug, it’s sooo hard to get out of bed so perhaps that isn’t the best idea…

sleeping with cat resting in crook of arm and head resting on chest

I love snuggling with Missy.

Back in college I got an amazing body pillow and between that, the down comforter I was using as a mattress topper, and my cozy blanket, I couldn’t drag myself out of bed for a week. Now that’s the sort of sleep I like best. I enjoy being in a super cush environment surrounded by soft blankets and pillows. That might be why I love having my cat sleep with me – she’s so soft and warm! Plus, she purrs and that is very soothing – great for lulling me to sleep. 🙂

In high school and college I could sleep like there was no tomorrow. I’d easily stay in bed until the early afternoon and then saunter out around 1 or 2. Now that I’ve been getting enough sleep at night, with no more all-nighters to pull, I’ve discovered that 6 hours of sleep is the magic number. I wonder if it’s also partly due to changes from aging? I mean, older people do seem to sleep less, it seems. Still, that might not be accurate since Panda manages to sleep a good 10-12 hours on the weekend if he gets the chance. It’s funny how different our bodies are. I can operate perfectly fine on almost half the sleep that he needs!

What I’ve learned and relearned over the years is that if you wear yourself out during the day, you crash hard and fast at night. I sort of miss those days when I was too busy to stop and treasured my precious little sleep. I don’t enjoy my sleep nearly as much now and if I do get really deep sleep I tend to dream, which doesn’t give me as restful sleep. Ah, the intricacies of trying to find the optimal zone of getting enough restful sleep… it’s all so complex!

Are you the same and don’t need much sleep or could you win a sleeping contest?

The forgotten city of York

laelene Posted in general blog, photo blog，Tags: , , , , , ,
31 August 2013
0

When I told people I was studying abroad in York back in the day, they said, “Cool, New York!” *cringe* It was a common encounter with my American friends and one that baffled me – I mean, I just told you I’m studying abroad… which means out of the country. Somehow that didn’t click with them and as soon as they heard York, they automatically added the “new” part. It’s kind of like when they first try to spell my last name and even though I say “Q with no U,” their brains sort of filter out that fact and continue on with “Quin” as if I’d never said a thing.

People don’t seem to be aware of (or care) what New York was named after. In fact, many don’t even realize its namesake is over in the UK. I guess they’re just not curious about how New York (or New Jersey or New Hampshire for that matter) got its name. It’s kind of sad because York has gotten rather overshadowed by its far more famous counterpart. Granted, it’s nowhere near as large or populous, but it has a charm all its own. So today I’d like to share with you what the original city of York is like…

welcome to york large map in town

Welcome to York!

toffs green street in york with black fence on one side and red brick buildings ahead

Here you will find a picturesque town with many quiet streets.

clifford street in york with york dungeon entrance and lots of red buildings

The busier streets contain many attractions like the York Dungeon.

overlooking part of river ouse in york from street bridge

The River Ouse makes it way through the town and offers fun boat rides. Watch out for when it floods!

view of clifford's tower from side with staircase

One of the more distinct landmarks is Clifford’s Tower, high atop its own hill.

view of merry-go-round and york castle museum from clifford's tower

Clifford’s Tower offers great views of the town!

clock tower of all saints pavement parish in york

You’ll find very historical spots here and beautiful old architecture.

view of york minster from side

York Minster is a major attraction and the largest building around! Check out their evensong generally at 5.15pm.

mansion house at st. helen's square in york in plaza with flowers

There are some plazas where you’ll find beautiful flowers and space to sit.

university of york vistior welcome centre

Over to the southeast, you’ll find the University of York (where I spent my year abroad!).

view of university of york lake and department of mathematics building

The campus is quite nice and always improving!

standing outside browns bakery of heslington where they specialize in quality sandwiches

On the far end of campus is a teeny town called Heslington, where you’ll find this awesome deli/sandwich shop. Go try their food!

And that’s the York that I know and love. There is plenty more to see and do, which I will try to highlight another time, but you can see it’s got a character far different from the big city lights that people mistakenly envisioned (thinking NYC) when I said I was studying there. I’m happy that I got to share this place with Panda and I hope to continue coming back over the years.

365great Day 169: trains

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , ,
30 August 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 169: trainsI’ve always enjoyed traveling on trains. In my childhood, I’d go back to China each summer and ride a 12-hour train to get from Beijing to Shenyang. Oftentimes it’d be the overnight one, where we got fun bunk beds. I loved being on the top one because it was do high up and since I was small I fit easily. There wasn’t enough room to sit up properly since it was just meant for the sleeping portion of your trip. If you wanted to sit you could use the bottom bunk if the person let you, or stand around the aisles and snag a seat. They gave out these fabulous 3D puzzle keychains that I couldn’t get enough of. I trained myself to be able to put it back together with my eyes closed! During the day, I really like how the landscapes pass by and you really get a feel for the countryside. Plus, it’s nice to be able to get up as you please. For the most part the price is also great if you’re willing to spend some more time on the road. The best part? No tedious security checks!

On My Mind, episode 10

laelene Posted in on my mind，Tags: , , , , , ,
29 August 2013
0

Linking up for Thursday Thoughts with Jennifer of Ramblings of a Suburban Mom!

cat sitting on shelf in pantry among various food products

Hehe, how fun it is to find a cat in my pantry.


a. ~I miss having cats around. It was really nice to have Missy and Molly at home and I’ve been thinking about when I could possibly bring Missy out east with me. I’m afraid Molly might flip out if we moved her so it’s probably best for her to stay put. At some point if it seems like I’ll be home constantly, I definitely want to consider moving Missy and even getting her a friend. I’ll have to see how this job pans out – while it looks like I will be working out of the Reston office for the most part, there is still the slight possibility there might be some travel involved. If that’s the case it would be too much trouble to find care for the cat(s) while both Panda and I are gone for work. I also want to wait until we move to the condo so I can minimize the number of moves the cat would make. I’m really looking forward to the day I get my kitty back!

b. ~My visit home was too brief. I felt like I just got back and got some stuff done and it was already time to pack up and head out. I guess that’s how it will be now when I return home to my parents’ place. I arranged to meet with my former coworkers down in El Segundo and got a chance to see how much the company has changed. They’ve hired a ton of new kids (mostly fresh college grads) and seem to be constantly changing the seating arrangements of different departments. Some of the old business focuses have died as new ones picked up and overall they’re expanding quite well. A few people have left and they now have a New York office open as well. Oh, and there are quite a few girls now! Pretty amazing since I’m used to being either the only female or one of just two or three.

c. ~I got a chance to visit a friend in the Little Tokyo area of downtown and had a wonderful time out there. It’s a great place to live if you want easy access to that region, which has a ton of delicious food. We had udon at a place where you can watch the noodles being made and then stopped by a tea room where I got two baggies of tea. I was also introduced to this thing called a cronut, which is a cross between a croissant and a donut. You get the light fluffy layers of a croissant in a donut shape, fried and covered in sugar granules. They offer a couple of different flavors, with the sauce/jelly/custard not just topping the cronut but also piped inside. It’s pretty fabulous and I’m going to have to eat a lot more. I could definitely get used to that sort of living, though I don’t like being so crowded in to one giant building when it comes to my living situation. It is really nice to be able to go to high traffic areas like that and not have to worry about parking though!

chef at japanese restaurant chopping line of udon noodles

Chopping up a line of udon noodles!

bags of loose leaf tea bought from chado tea

Treated myself to two of the loose leaf teas sold at Chado.

collage of cronuts croiisant and donut cross

I got the blueberry flavor. Yuuum!

d. ~I’ve done too much walking in shoes not meant for long distance. I really need to get around to buying a pair of sneakers! Ideally I’d get those Nike FlyKnit ones, but I don’t need something so high performance. What’s most important is a pair of shoes that my feet won’t hurt in. Even though my flats have padding, it’s not enough to keep my feet from throbbing after wandering the streets for miles. I’ll have to go try out these shoes to see if they soles are comfortable enough for walking and walking and walking in. While I’m open to other options, I would really fancy getting a pair of these! Might actually motivate me to go running now and then. 🙂

american eagle skinny jeans in plastic packaginge. ~I bought some American Eagle jeans (and a pair of slacks) at a steal and I’ve been enjoying having more than one pair of skinny jeans. In fact, I’m probably going to be on the lookout for a few more. For the longest time I always got jeans with flair legs because I thought my calves were too big for the skinny jeans. This might have been true in past years, but lately I’ve slimmed down and have normal legs now. So, my newest thing will be skinny jeans! I have a dark blue pair and now this lighter blue pair with ripped knees. I’ll need some more shades of blue in various styles and maybe a black pair as well.

Alright, that’s it from me for today. What’s on your mind these days?

365great Day 167: international roaming

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , ,
28 August 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 167: international roamingWhen I left for my trip to the UK, I went into my mobile phone account and added international data to my plan. For $30, I can use 120 MB in most countries around the world – perfect for a medium-length vacation where I’d like the freedom to hop online to get directions or look things up. I don’t feel imprisoned by an inability to use mobile data and that is quite liberating. I am so much more empowered this way and it’s especially useful in a foreign country where you easily get lost and need help finding things. I only turn it on when I need to use it and then I disable it right away to ensure no crazy overages. I did accidentally forget how much data it takes to upload a picture so I used up a large chunk of the allowance early on, but have since learned my lesson. This time I opted just for data because it’s more useful to me, but being able to easily allow roaming for data, text, or voice for a decent price is pretty great.

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