Sunday 26 July 2015

10 downsides of living in London

Quite a while back I wrote about the 15 things I love about London. It got a great response, so I figured it is about time to write about the 10 things that aren't so great about living in London (watch me and my ever changing numbers). Please don't get offended by this and don't take it too seriously. Sooo here they are:


























1. Aircraft noise
If you live in London, especially not right in the centre, it is very likely that you are reasonably close to one of the airports. Which means you will have to deal with the noise that comes with it. I don't always get air planes flying over where I live, but when I do it can last till late in the night and be very disturbing. I can only imagine how bad it must be for people living really close to e.g. Heathrow.

2. The cost
EVERYTHING in London is expensive. This is something everyone who lives here just knows. Living, travelling, eating, going out - super pricey. You will have to make compromises, e.g. live further outside London or only go clubbing once a month. Sounds great right?

3. Always busy
London is never not super packed. Tourists, workers, shoppers, etc are always walking the streets. Shopping can become a nightmare, especially in the summer months where you will run into some tourists photo every two steps. Also you won't find a day where the Londoners aren't out shopping, like seriously, not one day!

4. Souvenir shops
They're around every corner and not only attract a ridiculous amount of tourists (obviously) but also mean you have sellers pouncing on you trying to sell you they're latest mini version of the London bridge.

5. No swimming
Swimming in London? Almost impossible. The Thames isn't an option unless you ancy getting seriously ill. There are a few swimming pools but reading the reviews will put you off going there forever. That said the serpentine in Hyde Park is supposed to be great, considering you enjoy sharing it with ducks and their excrement.

6. People judge you
People in London will judge you by what supermarket you go to or even your post code. Waitrose is considered overly posh and who even goes to Lidl? Your every action will have a deeper meaning, so make sure you are informed what your choices will say about you ;)

7. Very high crime rate
London probably has England's highest crime rate, which is not really surprising. My sister's bike has been stolen twice in a month and if you leave your phone in your pocket, it probably won't be there anymore at the end of the day. Extra care is to be taken when being out at night - it's best not to walk around alone!

8. Traffic
Driving a car through London can be a terrifying experience. People drive careless and selfishly, not to mention the motorbikes and bikes weaving their way through the (often stationary) car jungle. If you try to be responsible, you will realise very quickly that it won't be very successful and so everyone continues to aggressively master rush hour.

9. Difficult for immigrants
Not being born in London makes living there 20x more difficult. People expect you to speak fluent English, but learning a new language isn't that easy. Moreover the visa procedure is lengthy and exhausting. Finding a good job is almost impossible if you're language skills aren't perfect. I myself moved to London from a tiny village in Europe and it took me several months to get used to the people, traditions and language.

10. Despite all these points, you never want to leave
I love London to bits. No, it is certainly not perfect and has its drawbacks, but doesn't every city have that? Once you get used to living in this buzzing city, you quickly fall for it and many of my friends cannot imagine living anywhere else. Nowhere else you get such a wide variety of people, opportunities and problems - what else could you wish for?


I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know pros and cons of the city YOU live in! I always love to hear about different places and sharing experiences. Oh by the way, I'm writing this post while it's pouring down with rain in the middle of July - another lovely side of London ;) This post isn't meant to offend anyone or spread negativity, it is purely for entertaining reasons.
Have an amazing summer and please send some sunshine my way!

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Wednesday 22 July 2015

healthy living | Easy Vegetable Risotto!

My family has decided to go off to Germany, however I sadly had to stay home due to still not having finished college. Yep, while there were already 'back to school' videos appearing on youtube, I hadn't even broken up.Still, I was excited to try out new healthy meals while having the house to myself, but the fact that I couldn't find Quinoa anywhere meant I had to use Plan B. So Risotto it was. Not that I was mad about that, as it is actually one of my favourite meals. Easy, delicious and healthy.



Ingredients:
  • 300g Risotto Rice
  • 1 Vegetable Stock
  • 500g Water
  • 1 red pepper
  • 2 tomatoes
  • a handful mushrooms
  • 1 clove of Garlic
  • Cooking oil
--> serves about 3 people

Bring the water to a boil and add the vegetable stock in a pot. While you wait for the vegetable stock to fully mix with the water, finely chop your garlic. Add some oil to a large pan and slightly roast the garlic. Once the vegetable stock is fully dissolved, add the rice to the pot.  

 

Add all your veggies to the pan and cook them until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid. This should take about 15-20 minutes. Keep stirring your veggies so they don't burn.

Once the rice has absorbed the liquid, add it to the pan and mix everything together. Continue cooking it for a few more minutes on low heat and voila - you have your delicious vegetable risotto. It is honestly so so easy. Present as you please and enjoy!

P.S. I'm sorry the picture quality isn't up to scratch, my camera was steamed up without me noticing.

Have a fantastic summer! How are you going to spend it?

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Sunday 12 July 2015

How to plan your InterRail trip

Going Interrailing is an important point on my bucket list, and this summer I'm finally going to tick it off. My sister and I have decided to travel through Europe for 3 weeks in the midst of summer. It all started off with a passion for seeing new places and slowly developed into the idea of an InterRail trip. However we quickly had to realise travelling isn't as easy to plan as it appears when my mum does it. I like to think I have learnt a lot during the hard (and long) time that it took organising, so here we go:



Accommodation
The big problem: money. We are obviously travelling on a budget, so finding accommodation was difficult. At first we just wanted to go there and find somewhere to stay on site. But after doing a little bit of research we realised that would cost us way more and would prove extremely time-consuming. So we thought - hostels. They should be cheap right? Nope. For whatever reason they're really quite expensive, even if you share a room with 6 strangers and a bathroom with the whole hostel. It's actually ridiculous. So for most cities we either booked a bed and breakfast or a cheaper hotel. When looking for accommodation make sure you read reviews of the place on different websites. Also if ANYONE says they had bedbugs - stay far away from that place!
Good websites for accommodation are http://www.hostelbookers.com (they don't just feature hostels) and http://tripadvisor.co.uk/ (they often have the most useful reviews).

Sightseeing
There are plenty of things to see in every big city, so write down the sights you most want to visit in advance. It will save time and stop you from being stuck in the middle of the city with no idea what to do next. Also, in cities like Berlin, there are many, many places worthy visiting. If you only have a limited time there (like we will), you WON'T be able to see it all. So go onto different websites/blogs and see what people say you cannot miss in that city. Make a list of the things you most want to see and add some extras in case you have some spare time.

Budget
Start planning your budget way in advance. Maybe ask relatives for a bit of financial help or wish for money/backpacks/tour guides for Christmas or your birthday. We did, and it proved to be essential for us to be able to afford the trip. Also think about getting a part-time job or selling cupcakes or something. The last thing you want is stand in front of an amazing attraction and not be able to get in due to money (or lack of).

Travel
Know how to get from city to city in advance. I highly recommend buying an Interrailing ticket (here) but note that it doesn't count for the country you live in. So since we live in the UK, we had to buy an extra ticket for the Eurostar in order to get to France. Also there are several trains that you might have to reserve if you want to travel the quickest route. This can cost extra but saves you up to 10 hours!!

Fellow travellers
Pick the right companion. This might sound stupid but make sure you travel with someone you know well and trust. You will be stuck with them for a while and only have each other in countries where you mostly don't speak the language! Falling out could ruin the whole trip.

Safety
Big cities are never 100% safe, but when you have never been there and don't speak the language (again), it is so much more dangerous. Take Rome - it is known that there are several groups of children that will run around you trying to distract you while someone else steals your valuables. Therefore keep the in a money belt or hidden underneath your clothes! In case you get robbed or loose your passport or something, know who to contact. Your first call should be the embassy of your country (for me the British) and if you have travel insurance, call them. Stolen or lost passports can be replaced by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Also immediately report to the police. This is not meant to scare you, but it is important everyone is aware of what could happen.

What to take
This is completely up to you, but obviously the essentials such as cosmetics, money, suncream, passport, etc. Make sure you pack light. I'd highly recommend using a backpack as it will be easy to carry around on a daily basis and also make storing a whole lot easier. Also take a smaller bag to use  in case you find somewhere save to store your big luggage. DO NOT ever leave it somewhere you aren't completely sure it'll be safe.


So I hope this was helpful to you or maybe inspired you to go Interrailing yourself ;) I am really looking forward to it and will keep you updated on how it goes. Wish me luck!
P.S. There will be lots of travel posts coming up as well as (hopefully) beautiful photos.
Leave a comment telling me a city in Europe you really want to visit!

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Monday 6 July 2015

My beach day essentials!




Who doesn't enjoy a day at the beach? There are certain things that you shouldn't forget when planning your fun day out! Don't worry, you don't necessarily need a beach to have fun - go to the nearest lake/swimming hall, it's just as good as the beach.
I hope you enjoy this post, make sure to leave me your beach day essentials in the comments!
















 

 Sunscreen
This is a must on the beach to protect your skin from harmful UV rays! It WONT stop you from getting a tan but will lower the risk of skin cancer. Don't forget to reapply every few hours aswell. I especially love the spray on sunscreens as they are supereasy and quick to apply and absorb really fast. You will find lots of them in your local drugstore or online (here).

Hat
A cute hat doesn't only protect your face from the sun, it also tames your hair - which as you might know is almost impossible on the beach. Oh also it makes you look super tumblr and stylish ;) I'm in love with this one from asos.



Deodorant
An essential for (hopefully) every single person out there. Be thoughtful of the people around you and use it - they'll be thankful believe me.

Bikini
This one might be obvious as well, but never forget to pack your bikini. Believe me I've been there and it wasn't fun. At all. Also pack two, so you can change into a dry one in case it gets a bit chilly. I found this super cute one at Victoria's Secret.

Summer jams + a speaker
What is a day on the beach without music that makes you want to dance and jump around? Create an amazing summer playlist on e.g. spotify, bring your phone on the beach and blast that music! For larger groups I'd definitely recommend bringing a speaker, turn it into a beach dance partay! Some of my favourite summer songs are 'The Big Bang' by Rock Mafia ft. Miley Cyrus, 'Great Summer' by Vance Joy and Footloose by Kenny Loggins.



Sunglasses
If you ask my friends, they will tell you about my unhealthy obsession with sunglasses. Sadly due to financial reasons I cannot buy every pair I fall in love with, although I certainly would... Anyways they're totally an essential for the beach and make you look 10x cooler than you already do. Quay sunglasses are goals, I will link one of my faves here.



A good book/magazine
If you're going with friends this might not be necessary, but if you go to the beach to have a bit of time out and relax, I definitely recommend taking a good book or magazine with you. I'm really enjoying Sarah J. Maas' books at the moment, let me know some book recommendations in the comments!

Water and snacks
Water! Water! Water! Do not forget this one, hydration is super important especially when it is as hot as it usually is when you go to the beach.. Put some ice cubes in it to keep it cooler for longer. Also bring some snacks such as apples, frozen grapes or protein bars to reenergise throughout the day.



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