Red

I've never worn all red like this before, nor even an all-red top or skirt. I've wore pink, but not red. I think I subconsciously thought that red was such a powerful or superior colour that I wouldn't manage to pull it off. It might relate to my level of self-confidence, or I actually secretly believed that I needed to reach a certain age or gain a particular life experience before I could handle it. Or I was just waiting for the right time, like some sort of enlightening moment. As I mentioned, it was a subconscious reaction to a subconscious thought.

That day, it was the first time I wore so red. University wasn't officially finished while I was still preparing to do my Masters, but I was done with attending regular lectures and tutorials in the department. It wasn't any special moment that I suddenly decided that I could wear red. It just happened; but somehow coincided with my excitement to moving forward to my next chapter, instead of the relief that I was finally graduating. There was a difference, although it was the same moment. One to welcome the adventure and one to celebrate what happened.

ASOS red dress | Zara trench coat | FCUK heels

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Happy New Year by the way!

 

 

Hot in Pompeii

We went on a day trip to Pompeii from Naples. Alex was very excited to go there. Me too(supposedly). Pompeii was a town covered in volcanic ash nearly two thousand years ago when Mt Vesuvius erupted and the ruins was discovered about two and half centuries ago. The city remains were still well preserved under the ashes and this is the place where historians were able to learn a lot about ancient Roman life.
 
From Alex's briefing, I imagined the city to be almost exactly with what it used to be, but  it wasn't the case. The layout of the city was preserved, and the stretch of horse carts marks could be clearly seen on the cobbled streets. The murals, too, that lasted nearly two thousand years. From my imagination, I expected the furniture and roofs to stay there too, but that was clearly over-imagination. What I didn't expect was, however a few bodies who were buried alive during the eruption. Their last postures, in attempting to escape or hide, and their scared emotions were preserved. (and cast in plaster for tourists to gawk at).
 
The buried Roman town-city was anyhow very hot and very dusty. No trees to be seen for miles around except for a few in the courtyards of ancient Roman villas. There weren't much shade and I wore a hat that could not cover my face.
 
Alex said Herculaneum, another city nearby which shared the same fate, is far better preserved but also much smaller. Not having much time, Alex said we could either make another day trip to Herculaneum, or to Capri. Easy choice!!

H&M black top | Zara shorts | Zara shoes | Asos bag | Mia Casa bangles | Asos hat

Familiar, but different

Kuala Lumpur has seemed to change so much, or perhaps my memory of this place has became much fainter or outdated. This is my second homecoming in the four years and two months that I was abroad. Upon the first week of my arrival back home (two years ago) I had a strange feeling with things around me. Everything was so familiar yet different. I felt as if I was put into a time capsule during the time when I wasn't here.
 
This second time back home was after another two years and two months, and the familiar time-capsule feeling has resurfaced with an even stronger detachment to this place. I've also came back feeling intimidated. I'll explain why.
 
Back then before I left, I met a new friend who has been staying overseas for many years and only came back a few times. When she has just returned to Malaysia, she wasn't familiar with many things around the city. I wondered, how could that be, for a place called home? So what I expected others to remember of this place, Malaysia, would probably be the same of what others would expect of me now.
 
I'll be trying to fit into this place again but on my past memories and experiences. Many things in the city and home have changed subtly without their realising. The sad truth is my memory of this place has also faded. What I remembered of the place is not the same as what it is now, but at the same time I am also reluctant to act like a tourist in the place I grew up in.
 
I am excited to be at home again, and the first thing I realised when I touched down was that the LRT system has grown longer! It was my first time taking KLIA express and LRT from the airport.

I am home

It's midnight here in Malaysia yet I'm still feeling wide awake despite the long flight with only a few hours of sleep. The clock appeared as 1700 twenty four hours ago but now, I'm writing this while listening to the sound of midnight silence.

Glasgow's real summer

These photos might be of my last real summer in Glasgow (for the next few years at least). The summer was described to be real because good weather like this do not normally last long in Scotland. British weather is well-known for its gloominess. Coming from a tropical country, I remember vividly how I didn't notice it during my first year here. It is much wetter in Malaysia but at least I had a car, there wasn't any strong chilly wind and the rain did not just drizzle for the whole day; except for the heavy traffic congestion and flash floods!

It was when I went to continental Europe one April that I realised the summer over there was much more enjoyable. The sunny days lasted for long spells without rain. During our entire 19 days in Italy this summer, there was a total of 30 minutes of rain. Flying from Italy back to Scotland in October, we seem to have lost our autumn.

With better weather to compare, I had slowly developed the tendency to be ungrateful/ complain about the UK weather. But, when I'm back in Malaysia, I will perhaps miss this gloomy weather (or not). During winter I will always miss the hot sun and under the Malaysia's blazing sun and sticky humidity, I will probably think that winter, rain and wind in the UK is not that bad after all.

MNG checkered blouse | Zara shorts | Urban Outfitters wedges | Pretaportobello bracelet | UO [BLNQ] sunglasses

Perseverance?

I wasn't really satisfied with my previous post. It was a travel summary post that could have been avoided if I had updated my blog regularly. Anyway, my schedule in the past year did not allow the possibility of avoidance. When I thought about the post, it forced me to contemplate on a habit which I've noticed in myself but have never taken the initiative to acknowledge. 

I have a habit to get things finished or continued just because I've started it. The positive people call it perseverance. On the other hand, this habit often puts me in a situation where I lose the spirit or meaning of a work, and finish it merely for the sake of finishing it. The end result is nearly always a half-hearted work. Accumulated influences from Alex's Virgo perfectionist characteristic forced me to look into this attitude thoroughly.

When I started the blog nearly four years ago, I wanted to keep memories of all my travels and life abroad. The travel summary post mentioned earlier was a filler post. The one or two photos and a few sentences of each trip hardly conveyed any of my memories or impressions. In truth, it was written half-heartedly. The good outcome was I could continue filling the void in my blog and keep blogging. Of course, this incident is only one of many examples in my life that I feel reluctant to list here.

Most of my university assignments shared the same sentiment, but at the end of the day, I'm glad that the half-hearted perseverance has allowed me to graduate in November.

To summarise

I've not written any serious travel blog posts since about a year ago. The last travel post, if not mistaken, was about Alex's and my anniversary trip to Bordeaux in June a year ago. Few years back, I was determined to write about my travel experiences (with a lot of pictures) even if it took me a long time. Now…

After Bordeaux in France, Alex and I continued to travel during the last summer (just in case we would be going home for good next year, and also with the excuse to widen our “architectural knowledge”).

In September, as we were not going back to Malaysia, we used the money for the flight tickets to visit Budapest in Hungary, Vienna in Austria, Bratislava in Slovakia, Manchester in the UK and Venice in Italy.

Budapest

Vienna


Bratislava

Venice

In December, we went to Switzerland with my sister and cousin who were in their first year of studies in the UK.

Switzerland

In February, we headed down to London for a weekend (one night in hotel and one night in the train station for the earliest and cheapest train) to meet one of Alex's good friends who was visiting. I was having a fever and I swore never to do any overnights in train stations again!

In March, I went on the the Uncertainty Road Trip organised by the Architecture Department. We paid the expenses, packed our bags, and hopped on mini buses not knowing where we were heading to each day. It turned out we went to Orkney, far in the north of Scotland, where there were hardly any trees for long stretches of flat land.

In April, we flew to Copenhagen in Denmark, saying that as I was in the Urban Design unit, I would like to experience the city with great urban space planning and design.

 
Copenhagen

Malmo

In June, my Malaysian classmates and me went to the Western Isles in Scotland for our graduation trip, although most of us were still to complete our extended 3 months Masters course.

So that's the summary of my travel posts! I shall write more about each trip IF I'm inspired! My 'travel' blog posts are actually one of the worst that people could stumble upon, as it is very very unlikely that I will write about any travel tips, food guides or to-do information.