28 February 2018

Things That Make You Go Oooooo (February 2018)

Fish Day

February is over, the second month of the year, the beginning of Lunar New Year and so many things  have happened to me this month I don't even know where to start but I'm excited, really excited for this year because there's change coming both big and small! Over the next few months there's going to be some exciting themed content which I've been working super hard on so I really hope you like it and I can continue to create this awesome content, I love doing so much...

♥ 7 Ways I Fight Blah Days

♥ 9 Reasons It's So Easy to Be Misunderstood

♥ Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

♥ Feng-Shui-Approved Tips For Filling Your Home With Loving Energy

♥ 10 Romantic Things to do in Paris (OTHER than Love-Locking on a Bridge)

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♥ How to Express Your Needs Without Being Needy

♥ Blog Tips: How to Respond to Brand Email Enquiries

♥ How to Recover After a Stressful Time

♥ Loneliness vs Being Alone: What You Need to Know

♥ My Long Haul Flight Essentials

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♥ 7 Amazing Things That Happen When You Start Loving Yourself More

♥ 3 Breathing Exercises to Use in Any Stressful Situation

♥ 13 Simple Ways to Improve Your Life

♥ 7 Ways to Support The Women Around You

♥ 5 Ways to Save Money Without Even Thinking About It

mum holding a wolf

♥ Blogging Tips for Beginners

♥ The Simple Trick to Feeling Wealthy Even When You're Not

♥ Tired All The Time? Make 5 Easy Changes

♥ 9 Fun Ideas For Your Next Date Night

♥ Thirty Something





Love & Huggles
Cate
xoxo


22 February 2018

The Summer Palace - Beijing - China

The Summer Palace - Beijing - China (2017)

On our last day in Beijing we decided to visit The Summer Palace, it was the height of the summer season so it seemed only right to pay it a visit and make the most of the bright, warm weather. Although I'm living in Thailand where it's always summer my parents are still living in the UK where even the summers are full of rain and gloom so I thought it would be a nice place to take them to enjoy our last day together.

The Summer Palace - Beijing - China (2017)

I barely remember The Summer Palace from seven years ago although what I do remember is being stood at the entrance for a long time while lots of Chinese people lined up to take photos with us which was a very strange experience for me at the time but now China is more open to international tourism we're not such a rare sight to see!

The Summer Palace - Beijing - China (2017)

The Palace is surrounded by a large lake which you can rent boats to ride around in but we decided to just sit and enjoy the cool breeze from the waters and reflect on the great times we had together as a family. As I was due to leave Beijing later that day we didn't really have much time to explore the actual palaces but just walking around the lake and seeing the palace from afar was beautiful enough.

The Summer Palace - Beijing - China (2017)

The Summer Palace is such a beautiful place and although it was very busy that day I still felt relaxed and happy. My trip back to Beijing was so much fun and I would love to explore more of China and even go back to Xi'an one day and see how much my Panda babies have grown up. I was humbled at the kindness that everyone showed us there and it really made me feel so thankful for my life, this trip was exactly what I needed to feel re-invigorated and more myself again. Don't worry China I'll be back... one day.


Have you ever been to China? What places would you love to visit?
Love & Sunshine
Cate
xoxo


14 February 2018

Asian Dramas I'm Watching & Loving!

City Streets

I'll be honest I haven't had much time lately to watch anything so instead of mentioning the best of what I've seen I'll just be mentioning a few that I've actually completed. I normally watch at least drama a week in preparation for these posts (I know, I'm addicted!) but it feels like my life is becoming an Asian drama recently but at least I've got a huge catalogue of them to refer to while I'm going through my own drama! Be sure to leave some of your recommendations in the comments as I'm always looking for new ones to watch especially ones that aren't Korean as they can be hard to find.

วุ่นนัก รักเต็มบ้าน
During a trip to Korea Aom meets a superstar called Mike on the plane who she eventually has to turn to help after being tricked by her sister. Upon her return to Thailand she finds that her sister has sold her family house and all her possessions to none other than Mike. So in an attempt to get her possessions back, she enters a contract marriage with Mike for two years but what started out as a business relationship between them becomes personal as they start to develop feelings for each other. This drama is actually based on a Korean one of the same name, which I've heard is the quintessential romantic drama but I've never seen it so I can't compare the two but funnily enough while watching it I was thinking how much Mike D'Angelo reminded me of Rain and then I found out that Rain starred in the original so they chose their lead well! The storyline isn't really unique when it comes to the romance genre but I loved the characters and it was nice to see the chemistry between Mike and Aom, they worked really well together and I enjoyed the humour and softness between them. After seeing this Thai version it makes me curious to see the original and the other Asian remakes, so they'll definitely be added to my watch list in the future.


안투라지
You may be familiar with the popular America series of Entourage that follows a handsome young actor and his friends as they navigate the showbiz world and the Korean version is no different. I remember watching Entourage many years ago so I was curious to see the Korean version as there's been a trend in Korea lately with popular western series being remade, Criminal Minds also got its debut last year but I was searching for something a bit lighter and more humorous and Entourage did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the chemistry between the lead male actors and you really believe they've been friends for a long time! Entourage was popular for its cameos and the Korean version had many but my favourite was of course Amber from F(x) she's so adorable and funny as the CEO's assistant, I'd love her to do more dramas!


투모로우 보이
Ahn Tae Pyeong, is a young boy who lives for tomorrow despite the hardships life has thrown at him. He has lost both his parents and is in charge of taking care of his grandmother along with his four younger siblings but still maintains an energetic optimism towards life. I like breaking up my big drama marathons with these mini web dramas but I kinda wanted more from this one as it was just 5, 15 minute episodes and I feel like it would have benefited a lot in terms of plot and character if it was longer. N from VIXX stars in this one which was my main reason for watching and he's such a sweetie as the hardworking Ahn Tae Pyeong and I'll definitely be checking out more of the other dramas he's starred in. Overall the drama was short but sweet, maybe not something you must watch (unless you're a VIXX stan!) but it was an enjoyable easy watch none the less.


써클 : 이어진 두 세계
Circle is a sci-fi mystery drama is set in both the present day and the year 2037. As children twin brothers, Kim Woo-jin and Kim Bum-gyun, witnessed an alien coming to Earth which impacted the rest of their lives, now as a college student Kim Woo-jin begins an investigation into a series of suicides which are somehow linked to his brother. The second part of this series is set in 2037 on an Earth which is divided, where a crime detective wants to investigate the case of the missing twin brothers. This is one of my favourite genres and I think this is the first KDrama of this kind I've ever seen, right from the beginning I was hooked! I love how creative this drama was at presenting the two different worlds and it didn't feel overwhelming at all following the two stories. There was a nice contrast between seriousness and humour in both the worlds to, and the suspense as the story began to enfold and interlink was amazing. I'm surprised it was only 12 episodes though as normally Korean dramas run for twice that long, it seemed too way short to me but hopefully there will be another season made.


왕관을 쓰려는자, 그무게를 견뎌라-상속자들
The Heirs is about a group of young and rich high school students about to inherit their families business and their struggles, friendships, love lives, families and rivalries. This is a pretty old drama which a lot of people have probably already watched or at least heard of but I decided to give it a go as I've been missing seeing Lee Min Ho on my TV recently, now he's doing his military service, and needed something to fill the void. I do tend to find these sorts of dramas a bit boring and cliched (I feel like most Thai dramas have this exact same rich boy, poor girl, family drama storyline) but I found myself binge watching this one and I guess it was not just because of how adorable Lee Min Ho is but the other actors to, I really enjoyed all their performances. The scenes which they filmed in LA and San Diego were really enjoyable to and the scenery was so beautiful it really made me miss America! I kinda understand why this drama is scene as a classic now, while the story is quite cliched the performances of the actors really draw you in so it's definitely worth checking out.


What TV Shows have you been watching lately?
Love & Waffles
Cate
xoxo

08 February 2018

The Geeky Girl Tag


This geeky girl tag has been floating around the interwebs for a while now so I thought it was about time I did it myself and hopefully share some things about my geek life that you didn't know before. I definitely identify with the word geek and I think it pretty much encompasses all aspects of my life and I totally wouldn't have it any other way. The most important thing is to be happy, so keep the things that bring you joy close and forget about everything else because they just don't matter!

What is your must-have tech gadget?
Probably my iPhone as I do everything on it from taking photos to talking with friends as well as planning my days and general adulting. My phone is especially useful when I'm travelling as I can use maps, google translate etc. to help me out when I get lost.... also Pokemon Go!

Which house do you belong to in Hogwarts?
I'm not into Harry Potter at all *shock* and I did try to get into it but for some reason I just don't really feel anything towards it and maybe it's because unlike a lot of the Potter fandom I didn't grow up with it HOWEVER I did one of those house quizzes a while back and it said Slytherin which is kinda ironic considering I'm deathly afraid of snakes...


Who is your favourite Doctor?
Eleven is probably my favourite, I really enjoyed the series back then and I think it was the first time ever in all the years of Doctor Who that I would actually look forward to watching it but unfortunately my new found love for the show kinda disappeared when he died and I did try to continue to watch it after he left but it just wasn't the same and lost a lot of its fun element that I had grown to love. That being said I am looking forward to seeing what the new Doctor is like and hope she will breathe new life into the show. I also have to give a special mention to Tom Baker who's my Dad's favourite Doctor as we've met him quite a few times at cons and he's always such a joy to talk to, he really is a character and completely embodies who The Doctor is.

If you could have dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?

What is your gaming system of choice?
I used to game a lot back in the day but I found it to be far too addictive and detrimental to my daily life so I gave it up and now I only really play Pokemon Go. I guess out of all the systems I've played my favourite would be the Nintendo 3DSXL or even the classic Gameboy as I really enjoy the portability of those systems and I'm kinda nostalgic about them, also Nintendo make the cutest games!

If you had a super power, what would it be?
Teleportation because it would save me so much time and money on air fares and I could see all my friends and family whenever and wherever I wanted. Seriously I think I've spent more of my life in airports compared to anywhere else in the world but I love travelling so much so that probably won't change any time soon.

Me & Stan Lee

What is your favourite fantasy world?
This is a tough one because they all have their perks and their flaws so I'm not sure I could pick one overall favourite. My tastes are so diverse to as I've always loved futuristic settings, seeing travel between solar systems, aliens and artificial life but I also love worlds with mythical beings, magic and epic adventures on horseback. Maybe I'll just pick the MCU because it has the best of all worlds with Asgard, Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America hehe!

If you could be any fictional race, what would you be?
X-men

Star Trek or Star Wars?
Star Wars!!! My Dad has always been a huge fan of Star Trek and I remember watching The Next Generation a lot as a kid but for some reason I never really got into it and found it kinda boring but I will admit I am enjoying the new movies although I haven't really gotten into the new series... Star Wars will however always have a special place in my heart, I grew up with it, I relate to it, I love the characters and every time there's a new movie I always get super hyped!

Captain America Tee

List your top 5 geektastic movies or TV Series.
Game of Thrones
Blade Runner
Wall-e
Sailor Moon
Supernatural

List your top 5 favourite video games.
Katamari Damacy
Animal Crossing
Ace Attorney
Professor Layton
American McGee's Alice


If you haven't done this already I tag you & make sure to link me to your answers in the comments!
Love & Lightsabers
Cate
xoxo

03 February 2018

Finding Peace at Yunju Temple - Beijing - China

Yunju Temple - Beijing - China

Yunju Temple was a whole new place for me to see in Beijing and the first destination we visited when we arrived. Our guide for the day was my Dad's friend who studies Buddhism and says it's his favourite place to visit when he's feeling stressed as it's a nice quiet place to relax and contemplate. I had been going through a stressful time prior to my trip to Beijing so it seemed like a great place for me to visit to find some inner peace and put me in a happier mindset for the rest of my trip.

Yunju Temple - Beijing - China

The temple is about an hour outside of Beijing and set amongst some peaceful mountains. I already felt much calmer upon our arrival there just being surrounded by the beautiful nature a stark contrast to the busy city of Beijing. It was the perfect setting for a temple and we were only a handful of people visiting that day so pretty much had the whole place to ourselves.

Yunju Temple - Beijing - China

The temple has six main halls of worship which are set on different levels that you reach by stone steps and each hall represents a different stage of Buddha's life from birth, to enlightenment, to death. I found the layout of this temple very interesting as the journey you made up each stairway to each different hall of worship seemed to reflect Buddha's ascension to Nirvana and the highest hall in the temple contained Buddha relics which resembled small pearls.

Yunju Temple - Beijing - China

In each hall of worship my Dad's friend would share stories of Buddha's life and it made me realise just how little I actually know about Buddha. I've had experiences of Buddhism my whole life with my family in Thailand being Buddhists but most of what I know is practice and very little about Buddha himself so hearing these stories made me want to learn more about him and gain a better understanding about the religion as a whole.

Yunju Temple - Beijing - China

I wouldn't call myself a religious person, I'm pretty open minded when it comes to beliefs and although I may not follow a specific one I do respect them and I enjoy visiting places of worship as they're often peaceful and give a good insight into people and different cultures. Buddhism I find particularity interesting though not only because of my family but because it's about personal growth, finding inner peace and enlightenment which I think is a good life goal for anyone to want to achieve.

Yunju Temple - Beijing - China

It was nice to walk around the temple and see so many practising monks there, each were busy reading scriptures, using prayer beads or just helping clean up the temple grounds. The quiet setting of this temple makes a nice peaceful place for the monks to just sit and meditate. It would be a great place for a temple-stay to but unfortunately I don't think that's something Yunju currently offers.

Yunju Temple - Beijing - China

One of the things I was most astonished and humbled at was seeing was all these stone tablets with Buddhist scriptures carved into them. There are a total of 14,278 of these stone tablets and the first was carved by a monk named Jinwan in the seventh century as he wanted a more permanent way to preserve the scriptures due to the fact Buddhists were facing persecution, he hid these tablets in caves surrounding the temple and work on carving these stone tablets continued for more than 1000 years. Now the excavated tablets are housed in a special "Sutra Palace" under the temple built less that 20 years ago and it's amazing to see just how well preserved they are considering their ancient age.

Yunju Temple - Beijing - China

My mind was in an unhealthy place before my journey to Beijing but this visit to Yunju helped ease some of those worries and I really enjoyed the calming atmosphere and the new things I had learned that day. Yunju is definitely one of the most interesting temples I've visited in a while and well worth a trip out of Beijing to see if only to enjoy some peace and quiet away from city life.



What places do you visit when you need to find some peace?
Love & Peace
Cate
xoxo