Whitby

The eager call of seagulls heralded our arrival to this picturesque little town by the sea. Whitby is located near the Yorkshire coast, nearby Ravenscar, Scarborough, Filey and Bridlington. 

One of the must sees here would be the Whitby Abbey. Located on top of a hill, the abbey looms up magnificent , and it doesn't take much imagination for you to see this splendid structure resplendent in its former glory. 

The Abbey's first Abbess was Lady Hilda, and is thus also known as St Hilda's Abbey. It fell to Viking attack in 1078, and although it was later reformed by a soldier monk, Reginfrith, the buiilding fell to ruins after an attack by King Henry VII in the year 1540. Today, the abbey remains a prominent landmark for the town of Whitby and has become a major tourist attraction. 

Look at the blue blue sky ! 

I think there was a stable nearby, so there were lots of these horses grazing in fields. There was this particular little pony which was really friendly and inquisitive. Ah, I wish I had a lump of sugar or an apple :( 

At the entrance of the Abbey's souvenir shop. There was a stained glass bookmark in there that I fell deeply in love with, but alas, it was way too expensive for a student. There were lots of Celtic crosses, little figurines, and even quills on sale there ! I could have spent all day browsing that place... 

I think this was St Mary's Church ... what drew my attention was the graveyard, at the top of a hill overlooking the sea ... this place had a very gothic feel about it. I could just imagine turbulent waves crashing in, and a dark, gloomy sky with streaks of lightning illuminating random headstones ... 

The view on the other side of the church ... breathtaking huh ? 

Whitby is also famous for its 199 steps, a flight of stairs leading up to St Mary's Church. I'm sorry there are no better pictures of this beautiful *torturous* place because I was so afraid of heights that I practically held my breath and counted step by painful step down with my eyes focused on the ground and nowhere else. As you can see from the picture, the view was actually magnificent so I kinda missed a lot. I was coerced into taking this picture by some friends, so I have to thank them for this slice of memory since I honestly can't remember much from this .... :( 

The view from the top of the steps ... 

Solid ground at last !! Narrow alleys, and quaint little shops dot the town of Whitby. There was lots to see here ... but probably that will come in the next post since I think you guys have had too much of looking at photos of me for one day  :) 

48th

One day years ago, the path of two wanderers in a vast world collided and we were birthed. It's been 4 years of laughs, tears, tempers and joy. 4 years of ups and downs. 4 years on a rollercoaster ride of discoveries and all things glittery and sparkly. 

At the age of 4, a child finally learns how to express him/herself eloquently. Tempers fly, tantrums storm, but laughter is pure, unfiltered, and joy is so very real. Character development becomes evident. A parent starts discovering things about the energetic, bustling toddler. 

This particular 4 year old is :

• open to cuts, grazes and the healing power of love

• adventurous, yet trusting

• trying, testing, at times hard to handle

• exuberant, playful, inquisitive

• yours, mine, ours

Time has spread its wings and taken off. We're now 4 years old. 

Here's hoping we continue to grow, regardless of distance, continents and a couple of big blue seas in between.

Happy 48th Bay Bee.

xoxo,
Jo

Reality Bites

" I had dreams, aspirations, childlike wonder - ..... "

" .... and then reality strolled along and took the seat next to me " said she. 

Life is a fragile, mystical thread that twists and turns on its own path along the tapestry of destiny. 

Dear Lord, 

I hereby submit each and every second of my life unto Thy hands, 

Thank you for the beauty that surrounds me,

Thank you for every breath that I draw, 

Thank you for the lessons, the scrapes, the joy and the tears,

Thank you for the comforting knowledge that there is a reason for everything, 

Thank you for my fantastic support team of lending hands, listening ears and shoulders to lean on, 

Amen, 

Pre-birthday a.k.a excuse for cake

Hiya !

Today I officially turn 22. One of the plus points of celebrating in the UK is that I get to remain 21 for an additional 7 hours !! *oh-gawd-I-can't-believe-I'm-so-old-already !!* 

I wish I could come up with something funny or witty to post about this belated coming of age 'event', but words just seem to elude me today. 

A huge thank you to all of you who've made my day wonderful. Here are some pictures of a pre-birthday do that I had. Friends, black forest cake and a night of laughs are the best gifts a girl could ever wish for ! 

I was in the mood for some cooking so ... Spinach and ricotta tortellini, basil tomato salad sprinkled with bits of blue cheese and artichoke hearts ... and urm ..that little shriveled up piece of meat is cod btw ( I'm a novice cook... sorry mum! ). I did a cost estimate at the end of the day ... and guess how much all these came up to ? £1.20 tops !! 

There you have it. Frozen black forest cake. Anything to satisfy my craving for cream, cake and chocolateee.. 

And since a lot of you asked for this .. urm. ... concrete evidence of imminent murder ... *cough*  You know I really meant "Obligatory Cake and Birthday Person Picture " right ... ? 

Alrightie ! My assignments want to spend some lovely birthday one-on-one time with me so you really can't say no to stacks of paper screaming for your attention ... 

Toodles !

xoxo,
Jo

Sheffield

"I want the pink one !! " followed by an excited little giggle. 

Captivated, I turned around and my breath caught at the sight before me. Blue skies, red brick buildings, adorable little girls, and a splashy jumble of BALLOONS ! 

The city is full of little surprises that come at you when you least expect them to. I remember it was an exceptionally tiring day of lectures and info overload, so I decided to walk through the city center just to get my mind off school. I love the way the city center is always bustling with people, young, old, busy, relaxed. People from all walks of life.

The sky has been sunny this weekend, and as I walked along to the gentle caress of the breeze running its fingers silkily through my hair, Sheffield soaked itself bit by bit into my every pore. 

The pubs here have cute names ! 

This one is the Frog and Parrot ... why those two animals I wonder ... 

The perennial red phone booths make for really sexy photo props ... 

Pigeons here are really used to humans and they don't flit away when you go near ... I like this shot of a live pigeon stomping on a stone sculpture of a bird. 

" Hah ! I'm alive ! I flutter, I poo, what can you do o' ginormous bird creature ?? "

I also made a new friend ! Since he didn't have a name plaque anywhere in sight, I took the liberty of naming him myself ! Say hello to Ryder the Wooden Horse and this is me ... hoping not to break him. 

How can an entry be complete without a picture of yours truly 'reading' =p But oh, it was awesome weather to be out reading today. 

I just want to snuggle in with all these impressions, happy laughter and colours. This weekend has been wonderful in the way of discoveries and sometimes I guess all it takes is looking in the right places. =) 

And before I forget .. Happy Father's Day ! I hope it isn't too late to wish you daddies out there ! 

Update Numero Uno

First off, I've taken the last post off because I think I need to learn how to keep my thoughts to myself at times but I deeply value the comments and thoughts that you left for me. :) 

The sun is starting to peek out from under its slumberous state here in Sheffield. I guess this year Mr Solar decided to sleep in a little, and feeling in a generous mood, I say the guy deserves a break after a few billion years of being at it. Breaks aside, the sky is finally BLUE again ! Just the way we were thought way back in Kindergarten ! 

Strictly for illustration purposes, the sky turned from this : 

(There's just something so ... mysteriously romantic about the grey, overcast sky though ... like an eccentric, moody artist given to spurts of genius and sexily frustrated tantrums .. wokay, I'm not making much sense am I? ... moving on ! )

to THIS : 

* the person behind the lens duly apologizes for injustice done to the breathtaking awesomeness of this particular setting and solemnly promises to learn how to take better photos in the future *

Soo.. what this means is that now there will be more chances to frolic in the sun, snap more pictures to keep you guys updated and start honing my 'photo taking' skills. :) 

Oh yes ... if I ever need proof that I'm my mother's daughter ... I cooked Fusili Aglio Olio with Cumberland Sausages and juicy Cherry Tomatoes the other day !!The last time I checked I still have all 10 fingers, and 10 toes, I didn't set off any fire alarms, and it's actually edible! All those years of stealing-food-in-the-kitchen, watching mum cook paid off ! At least dying-from-starvation can be taken off the list for now. 

Settled

Hi all,

So sorry for the lack of updates lately. Things have been chaotic the past week, but hopefully things start looking up this week on. I'm already in Sheffield, and boy is it a beautiful city ! I'm living smack in the middle of the city centre, so its a very advantageous place to be because shops are a stone's throw away, and by shops, I mean BOOKstores mainly, although there are lots of boutiques and eateries scattered everywhere, most of these are things I can hardly afford on a student's budget :) 

I wish I took more pictures, but the weather has been horrid the past week, rainy, cloudy, moody, COLD, so I have a very limited number of pictures for you guys. 

This is so mummy doesn't think I've been starving. I made this the second night I arrived : Broccoli and mushrooms in Bovril. Simple, hot, satisfying ! 

Last night's dinner (or rather the first time *in my life* I cooked! I know, I'm a sad specimen of a female ) Feeling rather 'adventurous', I grilled sausages, fried an egg with lotsa onions and herbs, and my 'main' dish was brussel sprouts and onions in a ratatouille based sauce. Nothing like home but still absolute yums ! 

Sorry about the lousy picture quality, was too hungry to get the camera set up so I just snapped a picture and bon appetit-ed away ! = P

That's about it for today. It's a beautiful Sunday morning, I've just finished with my laundry so it's time to go explore ! See ya !

Pick me up

Life , some say is a never ending journey , but in my 'young' years on this speck in the universe we call home, I've found that life should best be described as a never ending lesson. One wrought with challenging tasks, lots of homework and chores, unexpected surprises and the occasional reward for good behaviour. 

They say you don't learn how to walk without stumbling, you never really learn how to ride a bike till you've scraped a knee or two (multiple times if your knees have a predilection for gravity) and in a way, you can't really live life to the fullest without realizing that you're dying a little every day (makes time all the more precious). 

The past days have been emotional rollercoaster rides, akin to those little 'classroom challenges' that a creative teacher occasionally conjures to spice things up in an otherwise dreary routine. In the course of this exercise of faith , tenacity and sheer will, I admit to have been felled. God, do grant me the strength to pick myself up again, brush off the bruises and let these fading scars remain my medals for 'things-that-made-me-stronger-at-the-expense-of-sanity'.. Amen 

Pet Peeves

BIG RANT ALERT !


I'm not exactly the most patient person you'll find. I actually get irritated at the slightest things when I'm in one of my 'moods' and that's not something I'm proud of. Perhaps I should learn how to keep my annoyance and temper in check, but at times I just can't seem to get a hold on the eye rolling (it's a knee jerk reaction! ) . I've a few pet peeves, and I'm just going to talk about one today :

People who don't read ! 

I'm not saying this just because I'm a bookworm, and snuggling down with a good book's my idea of heaven. I'm saying this because I just can't stand the attitude of some people who think reading isn't 'cool' enough or they think picking up a book is God forbid, b-o-r-i-n-g ..... and worst of all, when they get dragged into a bookstore, they start to degenerate in age, and show pouty tantrums worse than that of a 3 year old. (believe you me, I've seen grown people lolling around crossed eyed in near boredom induced delirium in bookstores, yawning, making way too much noise, making a spectacle of themselves..)

I just don't understand the complacency that some people have, the acceptance to just go with the flow and not bother to lift a finger or open an eyelid and improve themselves. And worst yet, I can't stand all the name-calling that the 'cooler' kids in school inflict on their oft nerdier bookish counterparts. 

Reading doesn't necessarily mean books, it could be the papers, magazines, even comic books ! There is no reading material that is lesser than another, because if someone actually sat there and penned down his or her thoughts, then I say they're worth a read. I think this boils down to mentality and upbringing. Parents should really take the time to sit down and read to their kids instead of relegating the job to the TV or game consoles ( Don't even get me started on this stupid pen-like technology that reads out to kids when you hover it over words ... ). 

It saddens me that people in foreign countries are always, always having some reading material or other within their reach, and we just sit by complacently in our happy pool of ignorance and care naught for what's happening around us. And then we sit, and we lament our fates (oh, the cheek !) when things go awry. Education, especially self education is perhaps one of the most important factors that we need to hold dear to if we want to succeed in this dog eat dog world. Reading about successful people who have made their mark in this way will illuminate the fact that these are all voracious readers. It's due time the lot of us learn a lesson or two from them. 

I'm not trying to lord it over other people, or be hoity-toity. I just wish for once, that more people would come to understand and experience the wonder of reading and all the joys that it could bring. Anyway, Mother's Day came and went by, and unlike last year, i missed writing a post about it. I did however, bake a cake for mama. 

For those of you who've given me the honour of reading till this last sentence, thank you for bearing with my rants, and be rest assured there will be more coming up if things continue.

Gadget lust

My knees are weak, 
My heart dances a rapid tap dance of desire, 
I breathe, but my breath catches,
Pulses flutter,
Nerves collide,
Oh, is this what lust love feels like? 

I really really want an iPad !! Apple released it's long awaited Apple 'tablet' in January this year, and I've been lusting after it since I first laid eyes on the device. Now, I know a lot of people have been saying pretty mean things about the iPad, eg : an iPhone for old people (ageism I tell ya! =p) but I want an iPad just for its iBooks feature. Imagine bright, vivid pages that seem to sparkle alive on the iPad, and then there's the whole cool real time flipping motions that you can get through the iPad. Tap on the right and you turn a page, tap on the left and you go back to the previous page, or hold a finger on a corner and you really get to flip the page 'manually'. 

If you haven't gotten a clear look of this app yet, click on the video below and let Steve Jobs walk you down the lane of seduction.

Now, if that isn't sexy, I don't know what is ! 

Stumped

Question :

 How does one write an average of 2750 words per day, keep up to date with the news, both local and international, run a valiant race with technology, settle travelling and immigration details (urgh!), squeeze in quality time with the family and canine furry siblings, live life a little and find some time in all that chaos for some peaceful reading whilst resisting the urge to keep one's eyelids open with a toothpick, yet stay sane once all the dust settles ? *note #12354 to self : quit whining*

Bleh .. as an aside, I've been just obsessed with Simon and Garfunkel these days. So many of these bring back feelings of nostalgia, so very reminiscent of my childhood ...

From The Graduate :



I used to sing Scarborough Fair ALL the time back when I was hardly two digits old .. nevermind the fact that I had no idea what I singing about back then ..

digressing, this version's just heart-stopping, tear jerkingly beautiful .......the man has got a voice !! hah, Justin Bieber, take that !! *ducks rotten tomatoes*

Okay, so maybe I have found the cure for this self-induced insanity ..... great company, sumptuous food, stellar ear food ..... yums.

Goodnight people ! ( oh hey, it should be morning ...hello panda eyes )

Hiya

First off, I've been rubbish at updating my blog(s) lately, so sorry for that, I seem to have been consumed by the evil time monster yet again .. I haven't been dropping comments much in other blogs either, but I've been reading all of yours :) just that waiting 5 minutes for each page to load thanks to the fantasticness that is Streamyx becomes a little of a turn off after a while ... :(

So, just a quick post to share a few ads that really tickled me, and kept me up for the better part of a night that was supposed to be dedicated to some quiet reading .. kids are just so hard to resist , regardless of levels of sweetness, obnoxiousness and ingenuity.

Hehe, this is a scream !

Simply because this reminds me of my bro, when he was that age (and well, some things don't change :p ) hahaha.

I like this one best.

If we had commercials like this here, I wouldn't mind them so much. Although, commercials are the best times to get a snack, stretch, or in my case, a few pages read ... hmm... which one was your favorite ? 

Have a good weekend y'all. And Happy World Book Day !!

Wordy Candy

Ah, the intoxicating smell of leather bound tomes

laced with the tingling scent of mothballs,  

pages so fragile they flutter by like the wings of a butterfly,

a wealth of fantasy, 

knowledge and 

heartfelt emotions

from cover to cover,

a voyage that starts with a single word, 

ending with a dot encapsulating

secrets that never perish. 

A few of you may already know this, but I've started a book blog, in order to separate all wordy degustations from my self-indulgent personal jottings. I've kept it all a little hush hush until now, but I think it's time the curtains were drawn. Guys, I'd like you to meet Wordy Candy. 

If you have time to spare, or you're a bookworm (full-fledged, closet and baby worms included) , hop onto this journey of imagination and print with me. I would love to invite you to join me, as I venture into foreign lands, scrutinize philosophies, gush and go slack-jawed with awe at the eloquency of so many great authors out there and share thoughts where it concerns books and all thing wordy. 

Mischief and a Weak Will

They say a picture paints a thousand words...so here's two :

I know I look a little maniacal with my loot, but without further ado ..I'm cuddling : 

The Hour I First Believed - Wally Lamb

Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel ( It was calling my name !! ... I.just.couldn't.say.no)

The Enchantress of Florence - Salman Rushdie 

I am a book thong. In the crack of a book is where I belong ... 

Whilst at the counter waiting for the cashier to ring up my sinful indulgences purchases, I caught sight of this sign, above a rack full of wispy, delicate looking ribbons adorned with beads on each end. Highly tempted to bring one home with me, imagine my glee when the very nice cashier said that upon signing up for a new membership, I'm thus entitled to a book thong ... wishes do come true !! (or maybe she saw me casting pitiful, longing puppy eyed looks at the rack and took pity ...... = p ) 

Book Lust (again!)

I'm currently on a mission to read as many Man Booker prize winners as I can possibly get my hands on. Last year's winner, Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall has been taunting me for ages ! ... I.NEED.IT ....... *sulks, mopes, whines, remembers age and comports self with a little more decorum ... 

Wally Lamb's The Hour I first Believed is another one of those books high on my To-Possess list. It's based on the fateful Columbine High School shooting in April 1999, the story's told from the perspective of two survivors. I've heard great things about Wally Lamb's I know This Much is True and I'm thinking this one should live up to it's predecessor's reputation.

Someone recommended Ken Follett to me a while back, and I've been looking at a few of his books, hoping for something that'll catch my eye. I picked up The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End sometime back in Popular and was forced to put it back looking at the price. New releases are a great tease !! Now I know that BookXcess is selling them for a steal, and my greedy heart is dancing a rapid tap dance of ill-concealed lust. Perhaps I shall lift my book-buying ban for a while. Just this once .... (something tells me this won't be the last time I'll say Just This Once ..)

Literary Delights

Photo credit

Whilst some friends of mine are compiling shopping guides around UK ( read : 200 GBP for a handbag is cheap !! ) , I have very strong opinions about branded handbags, make up, shoes and other fluttery girly nonsense, but let's just keep that to myself shall we ? So, as I was saying, whilst the charming shopaholics are at their chosen pastime, I've been indulging in the poison of my choice, feeding my addiction for books, books and more books. I say poison because books here cost an arm, a leg and maybe throw in a few fingers to secure that good deal. 

I've been looking at bookstores all over UK and Europe, all of them literary heavens and cultural melting pots, I can't wait to go delve my greedy paws in mountains of printed paper, nevermind the fact that I won't be able to afford anything, it never hurts to dream, doesn't it ? So I thought I'd share a little of what I found with you guys here. Perhaps if you have anything to add, recommend or like me, you have a hunger for zooming off to foreign imaginary lands, hop along on this virtual drool-journey. 

Today, we're going to visit  independant bookstores,  jewels that are probably hidden in places you'll least expect to find a bookstore.

First up, is Daunt Books,
83, Marylebone High Street,
London W1U 4QW

Photo credit 

Often regarded as a traveler's bookstore, Daunt Books has books separated according to countries, so you'll typically get travel guides, novels and memoirs all squished into the same section. Very useful for people who are reading according to countries .. I tend to do that, being obsessed with the Middle East some time back, I'm now progressing to India before I make a pit stop in US prior to zooming off somewhere else on my imaginary travels. 

Photo credit

The store is spread out over three floors, with books nestled in every corner. Would you just look at the beautiful wood paneling, and the entire Edwardian setting the bookstore has ? I think I would love getting lost here....wouldn't you? 

For our next stop, we'll hop over to Ireland, stopping by 

Hodges Figgis 

56-58 Dawson Street, 

Dublin 2, 

Ireland

                         Photo credit 

Founded in 1768, the shop is the oldest yet in Ireland. In fact, if you're familiar with James Joyce's Ulysses, you'd probably have stumbled upon this book depository as the store gets referred to in his work, although the store has since been relocated from its original location. 

The shop is spread across four floors and is reputed to house a staggering number of 1.5 million books, and is the largest bookstore in Ireland, specializing in Irish titles, academic titles, fiction and bargain books ( bargain books go for around  €.3.99 and €4.99 , compare that dollar to dollar with the price that we pay here and you've got your answer for "Why Malaysians don't read " ) 

Fashioned in green and gold livery, the store exudes an aura of an era past, a whiff of whimsical days when women probably walked around under parasols and both Chivalry and Gallantry still breathed. Unfortunately, the store is no longer an independent bookstore, having been bought over by the HMV Group which also owns Waterstones, a famous book chain in the UK. 

And with that last stop, let's wrap things up for the day. I'll continue posting interesting bookstores as I come across them but before we settle back on earth, here's a last thought. With all the books to be read and bought, possessed and digested .... Louis Vuitton who ?? 

Fatigued

When it comes to life, we spin our own yarn, and where we end up is really in fact, where we always intended to be - Julia Glass, Three Junes, pg 286

It's deja vu all over again, and I find myself yet again at the crossroads in life. People tell me my future is bright (is that a standard thing you tell anyone with an uncertain future, perhaps to imbue them with a hope that's fleeing and slipping.. ) but the thing is, all I see is uncertainty and bleakness.

It's so not me to be having consecutive down days. I usually bounce back hard and fast, but the problem is I don't know anymore where I'm heading and what I want. I know of people my age who are about to be mothers, and here I am, failing miserably at getting a grip on my own life. Am I pushing too hard, am I not trying hard enough, is enough ever enough ?

I've tried so hard to find beauty in the obscurest of things. And in many instances I do find beauty in places I least expect. Spurts of joy and laughter in every day, but at times I'm down and beat and I feel like giving up on this race, on hopes and dreams that suddenly feel like burdens and things-I-wanted-to-do-whilst-I-was-young.

I'm still on my break, till I fly off in June to finish up my degree. In this short period ( believe you me, 2 months is NOT long, it's really short when you have a gazillion things to do ) I actually drew up plans on things to do, in order to industrialize my time.

• Work for money for UK ( because contrary to popular belief, I don't delight in spending Daddy and Mommy's hard earned money ) 
• Read, read and read ( so far I've failed miserably at this, time seems to be outrunning me, laughing and teasing , always two steps out of my reach ) 
• Learn a foreign language, preferably Italian or French ( I know, just humour me ) 
• Brush up on Mandarin, notwithstanding the fact that it's non-existent 
• Knit, sew, stitch (don't ask ! ) 
• Learn how to cook ( pivotal for survival ) 
• Find some time for fun ( equally pivotal for survival ... ) 
• Figure out what to do upon graduation , study/work/come back marry a prince and have a brood of Princelings .. = p  ( all I seem to be doing is getting my hopes up high only to have them deflated again ) 

In the arrogance that youth gives, I thought I could do all that and more. I used to wake up early, go swimming, go for lab sessions and classes, come back and write reports, juggle assignments, study, solve a ton of math solutions, cook dinner (yes, I used to cook ... boiled cabbages anyone? *don't laugh!* ) catch a movie AND read a book before I sleep. Now I wake up, write, read a little, work work work and I'm already woozy by dinnertime, nevermind the things-I-wanted-to-do-whilst-I-was-young list that continually mocks me. Is this what getting old feels like ?? 

In me, one of those flaws had proven to be a chronic restlessness; an inability to appreciate, no matter how well things are going, those blessings that were right there in front of me. It's a flaw that is endemic to modern life, I think - Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope, pg 3. 

I think I've just been diagnosed by the President. *sigh* For now I pray for patience, and understanding. Perhaps one day I will find my place in this big, magnificent world.