Rewind 2018

31 December 2018 marks the end of another year. This year was definitely a year of big changes for me. I am glad to say I made it all the way. This is the first year being away from home for so long and missing so many important festivals. Definitely missing family and friends a whole lot. Felt like there's a need for me to do a recap on 2018 since it's the craziest year so far in my entire life.

Settling Down in London

Settling down in a foreign country and getting use to the weather and culture here in London. There are days I wish to just pack my bags and head home, somewhere I am more familiar and things were much easier. However, I constantly told myself to persist because life's no fun when you give up easily. Working is definitely much more different than being a student. I could always just go home twice to thrice a year. With work, there's more responsibility and it was harder to get away.

Good news is I am actually finding it bearable and that everyday doesn't feel so hard to get by anymore. I have a home which I actually have a calendar and clock! Work becomes routine and I am getting along really well with my colleagues and the grads of my class.

Only thing bad now is the outflow monthly for rent, bills and council tax! I am definitely feeling this adult life now. Working back home definitely didn't felt this way.

Completing My Master's Degree

Yes, another achievement in life, conquering MSc in Finance and making it to the top 10% of the class (at least that's what the email said)! Good news! I absolutely love my journey. I met an amazing group of friends and it was such a practical degree, not just textbook-based which make the experience different. We were also allow to do international modules which gave me the opportunity to head over to New York, visiting JP Morgan office and another module of microeconomics in Paris. 

CASS definitely took my money and make it worth the time. When we are send off to compulsory international modules, they pay for our transport and accommodation there! All set and ready to go !

Graduating on the 21st January 2019! And this time with a mortar.  

Surviving the Investment Banking Life

ft New York Stock Exchange

I always thought "long hours...meh.. easy and doable. Little did I know it was super draining, the lack of sleep and non-stop drilling and churning. Don't get me wrong, I am not hating it as this was the path I chose. I got to admit at the start, it was hard to get use to whole new environment and the way things work around considering this was my second job. 

I constantly find myself comparing my current job with my previous job which is not a good thing to do. Of course, back home, it was much easier to adapt as it was your home and you share a lot of common interest with your colleagues. Here, it was so diverse but I kind of like the diversity now. As long as I am learning something new and improving my skills, I am totally all in to keep pushing on.

Pursuing Other Hobbies

During my free time, I tend to just binge watch dramas, tv series and movies for the past few years. The only other thing I'll do is play board games. However, this year, I definitely deviate from the computer screen and started cross stitch and 1k puzzle. Got to say, it's not easy at all as its time consuming and require a lot of patience.

These activity definitely taught me to be more patience in life. One day you'll get there and complete that set of puzzle or the picture that you are currently stitching! Although these are solo activities but i really enjoyed doing them. Don't get me wrong but I still socialise instead of just staying home.

Most recent masterpiece of mine. Yes, I am a Disney Fan!

Travel Bucket List

This is also the year where I ticked off most of the places that I want to visit on my bucket list.  Travel to a couple of places within the first 5 months this year before I started work. Finally got to tick off Italy, New York and Paris off the list. New York and Paris was a university module but I extended my trip to spend more time in these cities. I've been to about 7 countries (incl Malaysia) this year. Also, did day trip all around London and visiting all the main tourist sites. 

Slovenia (January)

This trip was pretty spontaneous as I bought my ticket 5 days before flying off in January. There were no plans since I was having my finals. It was definitely a good destress trip after one month of burning the midnight oil. Although it was winter, the weather there wasn't too cold. Discover my interest for cave right here! And of course, the beautiful Lake Bled.

Belgium (April)

Typical cities that people visit would be Brussels and if there's time, they would go Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp. That was my first trip for the Easter break before Italy. Bruges was my absolute favourite as the gave a fairytale/romantic village feels. They have the colourful houses and it was nothing like Brussels. 

Italy (April)

After gazallion years, finally I made a trip here and visited Rome, Florence, Pisa and Milan. Rome was definitely the excitement. Made it to my bucket list when I watch Lizzie Mcguire the movie and first destination for me was Trevi Fountain to flip my coin into it.  

Vatican 

If you are in Rome, Vatican City is usually one of main attraction point you'll head over. Found out that it was a country, the smallest country in the world! Main attractions sites were the museum and St Peter Basilica. And a 20-30 minutes walk across the bridge and you are back in Rome!

United States of America (May)

Finally made it to New York! I was there for an international module and I thought 'hey, why not extend my stay and visit other parts of the US as well. As we were 1+ week away for our second term, I only extended for the week as I didn't want to miss any classes. Gotta say, words can't explain my excitement to finally be able to visit NY. I visited Washington and Boston after NY and I had a pretty good time there as well.

NYC view from the Empire State Building

Another amazing city view in Boston 

Paris, France (May)

All expenses paid trip by the university, sending us to Paris for 4 days. We were allow 1 day to explore the city. Classes end about 4pm ish so we had time to go around the city after. We weren't restricted to one day. First trip, the PUBG squad travel together. By the squad, I mean the closest friends to me in my degree. Can't ask for a better company than them. 

Malaysia (February & July)

Home sweet home! Made it home twice but it was less than 10 days. I just had to go home. Once for Chinese New Year and my grandfather 1 year prayers in July. This is the shortest amount time in a year I stayed in Malaysia. When I was in Melbourne, we always had the 1 month winter break and 2.5 months summer break where I would always be home. Definitely get more home sickness here in London. Missing my parent's birthday and new year celebrate for two years in a row. 2019 will be the first year I miss CNY. :( 

So much happened in 2018 and I've also done so many different things. I attended by first EDM party by Alan Walker and watch Anna Marie sing live 2002 (fav songs) along with other superstar in the Halloween KISS party. Eventful and meaningful year.

If you ask me what are my new year resolution, I am just going to go with the flow this time round and see what the year has for me.

I do have a 2019 travel bucket list and they are:

• Lisbon, Portugal
• Barcelona & Madrid, Spain
• Copenhagen, Denmark
• Iceland
• Vietnam
• Taiwan

Hit me up if anyone is in London or wants to join me in on my travelssss. 

And that's all from me. Signing off from 2018...... 

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USA Traventures : Things to do in Washington DC

9th - 11th May 2018

After spending 5 days in NYC, we finally finished our 3 days of intense course for university, it's full time travelling time! We took an overnight bus from NYC to Washington. Our bus ticket was a steal. We only paid $6 for the trip but it was an midnight bus of course. We took megabus and I gotta say I slept pretty well in the bus. The seat was pretty comfortable. 

We were going to spend 2 full days in Washington before heading off to Boston. We stayed Hostel International and the hostel is really clean especially the bathroom. It was a first time for me staying in a hostel and I am glad to say that it was good. I wasn't use to sharing room with strangers but my boyfriend insisted that I had to try an experience like this. My roomies were pretty cool, clean and friendly. Washington has a lot of famous museum sites and if you are all into knowing more about history and all, this is a place you will definitely enjoyed.

If you are Museum person, be prepared to spend more days in Washington as you will need time to visit all the museum. We decided to skip the museum this time round and just explore the city and all the famous landmark. The next time we probably would make a visit to the National Art Gallery, Air and Space Museum and Smithsonian Museum. 

For us, we decided to explore the city and spend more of the time walking everywhere. The transportation in Washington is pretty cheap and the bus were about $1 if you take the Washington DC Circulator. Here's what we did in Washington....

The White House

The first stop.....the White House. I've always wanted to visit it as you know it's being portray in a lot of movies. Not to mention, the official residence and workplace of the President of the USA. A bit about the White House :

• George Washington, the first president selected the site for the White House
• It was set on fire in 1814 and rebuilt again after.
• 132 rooms, 25 bathroom and 6 levels in the Residence
• Kitchen - serve dinner to as many as 140 guest 
• 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface

The Washington Monument

555-foot white shaft, an iconic symbol of Washington. The base of the monument is surrounded by 50 American flag and this obelisk was built to honor the nation's first president. It was also the tallest building in the world in 1884.

Taken from the World War II Memorial

World War II Memorial

A memorial which is dedicated to all the Americans who served in the World War II. It consists of 56 pillars which a country each written on it and a pair of triumphal arches that surrounds the fountain. This is on the end of Reflecting Pool, right in between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. We were heading over to the Lincoln Memorial and hence, we decided to visit the memorial first. 

Lincoln Memorial

After visiting World War II memorial, we decided to stroll down over to the reflecting pool and head over to the Lincoln Memorial. This was my second most excited visit after the White House. I know about this monument from the movie Night at the Museum, where the Lincoln statue came to life. The memorial symbolise the hearts of the people whom Abraham Lincoln saved the Union. 

As you walk closer to towards the memorial, you realise how majestic it is. If you are looking to get a good photo of you and the monument, this memorial is the perfect place. And during sunset, you'll get an amazing photo.

Albert Einstein Memorial

We stumble upon a 3x life size and 7,000 pound bronze figure, Albert Einstein after visiting the memorial. This is also directly across the Vietnam Memorial. There was a school group tour, probably giving information about his history and all his famous work. Since I can't get a photo with the real person, why not the 3x life statue. 

National Mall

The long extended National Mall has all the important landmark and tourist attraction points. It was a good walk on a sunny day, with the green grass. It was a good day to take a stroll on this area. We heading to the domed US Capitol. Right along this green green grass, there's the Hirshorn Museum, Air Space Museum, Smithsonian National Museum and right at the other end is US Capitol and Botanic Garden. 

United States Capitol

Home to the US congress and seat of legislative branch of the US federal government, the US Capitol. Looking so majestic over the eastern end of the National Mall. Built in a neo classical style with a white exterior, the US Capitol is open to the public as long as you book a tour from this website. 

Beautiful view that you'll get across the lake from the National Mall of the US Capitol. To learn more about the building, you definitely have to get on a tour. We didn't manage to visit as we wanted to do a same day booking but it wasn't possible. :( 

Georgetown

A charming town which you do your shopping, grab food, watch a movie, stroll along the canal and Potomac River. I felt like we have been doing so much sightseeing on the famous landmarks, we needed some quiet, peaceful and chill time in a small town. Look up on Google, Georgetown came up and that's where we were headed too. The town had a really classic design architecture, something really different from the city modern high rise building. A different view, a different feel. 

Checked the weather in Boston, realise that the weather will be 11 degrees low. I clearly didn't bring any jackets or long sleeve clothing so I decided to do a little bit of shopping around the area. Took a stroll down Potomac River and spend the evening there. 

Definitely had to get my Milkbar cravings check! Got my milkbar when we got back to the city and had a good thai dinner. Felt like we ended our Washington on a chill note which was pretty good. I definitely enjoyed this city. It might not have been as busy as NY but each of these city have its own unique points to offer for sure! And that's what we did in Washington 

Follow on to my adventure in New York and Boston (coming up) post if you interested to read more! 

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Top 10 Attraction Places that you MUST Visit in New York

New York City, I've made it there! One more place to tick off my bucket list. I've always wonder what is it like in the Time Squares, to be able to stand right at the centre of it, going into central park, one that is always mention in the movies, Empire State Building and the streets of NYC. Being able to finally travel there was a blessing and I was so excited for it.

I've got to thank my university for this. The main reason I was in New York was for my studies. I had to do one of my modules there. It was a 3-day course but I decided to extend my stay for another 3 day more days. And then head over to Washington and Boston.

4th - 9th May 
We stayed in an AirBnb in Astoria and the host was extremely nice and flexible. The check-in and check-out times were so flexible as compare to other places which were quite strict about it. Considering we were travelling to places at odd hours just for a cheaper price, this came in really useful for us! Also, staying in Astoria was quite convenient as the Metro is close by and it only took 20 mins to get into Time Square. There was also a lot of restaurants nearby as well.

I had so many things on my list to do that I couldn't decide which one should I go for. One thing for sure was I had to do all the top attraction places.

Oh! Before I jump into that, I actually got the NewYork City Pass for about £91.50 on Isango. I compare all the websites selling the NewYork City Pass and pick the cheapest offered. The pass include: 

• Empire State Building
• American Museum of Natural History
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Top of the Rock OR Guggenheim Museum
• Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island OR Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum OR Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

When I added the entrance ticket for these separately, it was definitely worth it to get the City Pass. I picked the Top of the Rock, Status of Liberty and Ellis Island and 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

Arrived in NY early in the morning, took the train and begin my adventures...

Time Square

The famous intersection, one of the most visited tourist attractions in the Midtown Manhattan section. Right at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, this site that always appeared movies, felt so surreal to be there. I've got to admit one thing for sure, Time Square is definitely more alive at night than it is during the day. There's more feel being there at night. Both times, it was equally busy. Indeed, it felt like the city that never sleeps. People were everywhere, rushing to work, tourist taking photos, car honking and also the busy traffic. 

For us tourist, we think of the square as 'Time Square' while in actual fact, to the locals, it's actually a larger neighbourhood where it stretches from 40th St all the way to 52nd street and 6th to 8th avenue. There's so much to do here, all the other tourist attractions around this area and of course, shopping. Also, do note there's naked people walking around, some covering the x-rated part with paint or also the famous 'Naked Cowboy'. So much happening.. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Also known as 'the Met', this is the largest museum in United States. If you are a big fan of museum, do check out their website for the upcoming exhibition and plan your visit there to make sure you make the most out of it. I spend about 2-3 hours in the museum. I did not go to all the exhibition but I pick those that were of my interest. After the museum at Vatican City, I felt that I hit my museum quota for the year. However, the Met is a well known tourist attraction and I had to visit to see it for myself. 

I've got to confessed that I am not one that get super excited when it comes to museum but I definitely will make most of my time when I am there. But I am sure for museum fanatic, this is one that you would enjoy! 

If you go up to the 3rd or 4th floor of the museum, guess what?

A view of this and a bar for you to chill at ! Amazing isn't it?

Top of the Rock & Rockefeller Plaza

One way to connect more with NYC would definitely be getting to Rockefeller Plaza and visit the historic landmark. My favourite was definitely Top of the Rock where you go all the way up up up up to the 70th floor to get the city view! Wherever I go, if there's a skyscraper for city views, I'm all in for it. As I had the pass for both Top of the Rock and Empire State Building, I decided to do the night view at Top of the Rock. And I was definitely taken back when I was at the top. The city was beautiful! Lights were everywhere and it was so captivating being at the top. 

Of course, you would be able to see the empire state building from here. 1 point for Top of the Rock for this. A lot of people have a dilemma on which building should they go up too. I would say Top of the Rock doesn't have the barrier so you can actually get really good photos without the reflection of the glass. 

The best time to visit the Rockefeller Plaza would be close to Christmas and New Year. Well known for the decoration and the huge Christmas tree, I told myself that I will be in NYC one more time and this time during Christmas. The season of giving and happiness, coupled with such a beautiful view of the city, it will definitely make it count. 

Get a tour around Rockefeller Plaza and visit all the landmarks. You can also walk around and there's so much to do such as Rock Center, the Ice Skating Rink, Lego store and more shopping. 

Empire State Building

102-storey skyscraper, once the tallest building in the world, also one of the iconic building of NYC. At night, the building light up and changes colour. Definitely a building worth making a visit. I've got to experience an amazing day view from this very building. This was definitely the best city view I've seen among all the skyscraper building that I've been to. The view was breathtaking. I absolutely love it and I could just stay there all day. I bet the sunrise or sunset view would have been perfect. 

There's also a free app that you can download to guide you throughout your visit. Every inch of the building tells a story so why not share this experience to know about the building. My favourite part of this visit is getting the view of the entire Manhattan Island all the way out to the World Trade Center. Writing this again, relive the feeling and moment I visited there. 

One World Trade Center

The original WTC located in lower Manhattan, consist of 7 large building until the 9/11 event happened. Two of the buildings were destroyed in that tragic event. One WTC was rebuilt and became the tallest building in the US. The architect, David Childs is the same guy who designed Burj Khalifa and Wills Tower. I like the interior design of the building which is a modern-theme design. 

9/11 Memorial & Museum

When you visiting the WTC, be sure to stop by at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. The tragic event that happened on the 11 September 2011. The memorial was to remembered all the lives loss on that day. The museum outline the timeline of the events and there were the remains of the buildings and vehicle from then. It really saddened me when I was in the museum, hearing the voice recording of the victims, sending to their families. It was a very depressing visit, going through the museum. 

There's a room where they have all the photos of the lives loss and also their bio. The museum commemorating the event and those brave firemen who went into the building to save lives. It reminded me of how we should appreciate our lives and promote peace all around. The firemen, knowing that it was dangerous and that there was a chance they might not make it, risk their lives for others. 

This visit gave me a different perspective of life and I would definitely recommend a visit. I definitely learn more about the event. There were slide shows and I spend 2-3 hours in it without even realising. 

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

When I was younger, the 'Status of Liberty' was introduced to me when I was watching X-Men. The end scenes was right at the Liberty statue. I remember asking my dad about it and he said 'oh this is in US'. Many years later, I am actually visiting the statue and see it with my own eyes. We took a cruise to the island and had a tour about the history of how this statue came to be. 

The statue was actually a gift from the people of France. It is an icon of freedom and now becoming one of the famous attraction sights. In France, if you are cruising along the Seine River, you will definitely see a mini version of this statue. Not to forget, its a welcoming sight for the immigrant who were entering NYC. That's where Ellis Island come in. That's where the immigrant come in to go through their checks to see if they were fit and healthy. This particular island house many stories, the happy ones where they manage to pass the tests and sad ones where families have to be separated.

The tour in the Immigrant Museum was definitely insightful. I've learned so much. There's audio guide everywhere and these were the things I never knew. I realise that it was a hassle to immigrate to the US back in the old times. There were a lot of people taking the boat ride from their home country with hopes of moving to the US. Some of them did not even make it in the boat. There were some who took days to reach only to be rejected at the door. 

Not to forget, during this cruise and from the islands you have get a great picture of the Manhattan skyline. Right before my trip, I was fixing a puzzle of the Manhattan skyline and it felt so good to be able to see the exact same image that I build up. 

Brooklyn Bridge

The cable suspension bridge which connects Manhattan and Brooklyn. You can choose to walk across the bridge for whichever side. I definitely suggest to go there during the day time. You can see the Manhattan skyline for here as well. I went there during the night time - it was dark but still a beautiful sight. I've seen pictures during the day and I kind of compare and think that I should have went there during the day.

Visiting the bridge - although just the bridge but you are definitely exploring another part of the city. A feeling of completeness.

Wall Street 

Global financial crisis, another event in 2008 that seen the fall of banks such as Lehman Brothers and a lot of other companies going into bankruptcy. The trip is not complete without a Wall Street Tour experience. Learning more and being at this particular area felt like I had to know more and visit these landmarks. One hypothesis said by the tour guide that I can remember so clearly was 'Everything a skyscraper is built, the financial crisis is bound to happen' Proven with the Taipei 101 and the Asian crisis and OWTC or ESB then the financial crisis. Interesting....

Of course when you are at the Wall Street, the main attraction would be the New York Stock Exchange building, the bull statue and the little girl statue (also known as the Fearless Girl).

Grand Central Terminal

An elegant and classic design rail terminal located on the 42nd street. There were a lot of different shops in the terminal and not to mention food as well. It was quite big and I took a walk around the terminal for an hour. Just browsing and window shopping. 

The first time I saw Grand Central Terminal was in the movie 'Just my Luck'. Lindsay Lohan was the luckiest woman until she met this guy and they switched luck. The ending scene was film here where they both make up and kissed with the board flickering with delay and on time as their luck kept switching. The moment I walked into the terminal and saw the board, I knew the movie was film here. 

Central Park

Last but not least, the famous Central Park. This is a huge park and it will take you awhile to walk the entire park. Rectangle shaped park, huge and surrounded by all the building in Manhattan. For a guide to visit the central park, just head over here and you can see all the attraction points and things to do. I gotta confess I did not spend as much time but I walk around it for a bit as we were heading off to visit other places as well. It right beside the Met Museum so it's definitely wise to visit the both place the same time. 

FOOD FOOD FOOD...

Koreantown

Yes food..definitely better than in London. You can enter a random restaurant and be impressed in the city. My favourite was definitely in Koreatown. The BBQ and dishes were definitely places I would come back to again and again. 

I had quite a lot of American food as well. We were always super hungry after a full day of travelling and hence, ate wherever we see there's a crowd but no line. Portion were huge so most of the time we end up sharing as well. My two favourite dessert there was definitely :

Lady M Crepe Cake

They have the franchise all around the world but this was the first time I was trying it. I love love love crepe cake and this was one of the best I've had after Nadeje. It's definitely not too sweet and the layers were perfect. 

Simple, elegant but 110% tasty! 

Momofuku Milk Bar

First time trying cereal milk shake, and loving it. I had it once in NYC and found out that Washington has a branch. Immediately went straight for it. I ordered the Cereal Milk ice cream and a few cookies. My favourite was definitely the milk shake. The cookies were alright, typical cookies. 

The design of the store were very neon-like. A different type of store. Highly recommended to head over there for sure. 

A well spend 5-6 days in NY and we took the midnight bus heading over to Washington! I was very heavy hearted to leave NY and told myself I will definitely come back. This is the first part of my USA Traventures. To follow on, feel free to read my trip on Washington and Boston (coming up soon).

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