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February 2014

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Freiburg Forest

Posted on Friday, February 28, 2014


Primark Beanie | ASOS Snoood | C&A Gloves | Mango Coat
Topshop Jeans | Primark Boots | Forever21 Sweater | Vintage Backpack

I suppose this post counts as an outfit post, which I don't have the discipline to do most of the time because there's so much more to share from my travels other than what I wore! But that said, I do love indulging in what other people wore and I really admire people who have the focus to specialize in blogging in just one specific area of interest. 

Anyway, Freiburg is in the Black Forest region in Germany, a 2 hour train ride from Karlsruhe, and worth at most a day trip in my opinion. Winter is never a good time to travel - I remember Pei Li and I getting our feet getting stuck knee deep in snow and skidding around on icy forest grounds most of the time, but the tiny hill in Freiburg was peaceful, and if it's not obvious here, seriously chilly. And yes - we did eat Black Forest cake back in the city - it actually wasn't invented here despite having the same namesake, but how could you not eat a Black Forest cake in the Black Forest of Germany right???

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On this Dresser

Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014


I found a space for all the little trinkets that I dragged home from overseas on my dresser. I don't really have a favourite, but I am particularly fond of the pair of brass cats that I found at a vintage flea market in Brugge, and of course my mini kitchen-unworthy tajine which I successfully toted around Europe for a good 30 days of traveling without it breaking. Actually, transporting pottery home isn't that difficult, I discovered - just bulky, but all you have to do is pad them up with your clothes, don't put them in stupid places like the bottom of your luggage and you're good to go. Anyway, as moody as my last few posts have been, I'm actually really happy with life right now. I like staying busy and being a productive person but still finding time to meet dear friends! I wish I could do more long posts, but I think I'll do more short ones throughout the week and a long post during the weekends, sounds manageable, yeah? I will manage.

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Inside Stefanie's Room

Posted on Sunday, February 16, 2014


Words can't really express how fond I am of this little space of Steffy's. Week 2 of exchange and I'm pretty much homeless in the middle of Germany, so I ask random friendly German girl (Steffy) whom I've only met twice if I can crash at her place, and lo and behold starts a friendship I would never have expected before this trip began. My sheltered Singaporean self finds it funny, and yet it's completely normal to hit it off with someone from such a different background culturally from you. I have so much love for this girl - cooking amazing food, movie nights, endless tea sessions, delicious elderberry and sparkling water concoctions, half drunk nights eating microwaved leftovers ("you guys call this supper?"), tireless reciting "Stövchen" to me until I got the pronunciation right, inviting me to join what would become our Karlsruhe family... And seriously guys, that couch is comfortable.

We were both one each others first few friends in Karlsruhe, and it's sad because for once I didn't "lose" a friend because of stupid things I said, but because time just ran out. While we were on the cab to the train station on my last day of exchange, I felt like pretending I was just going away for another one of my weekend trips and I'd be back real soon. We both agreed that we didn't feel sad at all that this was the end because we knew we'd definitely see each other again some day in the future, and I'm really looking forward to the day where I can meet dear Steffy again, because she really made all the difference to my exchange experience!

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Pieces of Ireland

Posted on Tuesday, February 11, 2014


Listening to: Berlin - Ry X

Sometimes it's hard to fight the overwhelming urge to just upload all the photos I take when I travel, as if it'll make the trip more worthwhile. This post was particularly therapeutic, because I kind of had to let go of every instinct I had to dump all the pretty pictures here and not care too much. To pull back, I think, is the hardest thing ever. To exercise restraint when editing, to stop yourself from saying those hurtful words that change everything, to avoid thinking about things you shouldn't be thinking of. Anyway, the striking similarities of the rugged Irish coastline to Scotland are hard to ignore - half the time I felt I was back roaming the Scottish Highlands. We were blessed with one single good day on the day it mattered the most, and after that it was storms, wind and rain. People have been asking what is my most favorite city out of all the ones I visited on exchange, and most of the time I say I don't know, because it really is hard to just pick one - but there always is one particular city that pops into the back of my mind straight away, but I never ever tell anyone the truth because somehow sharing it feels private, like you'd prefer to just keep the memory of the city to yourself.