Gifts for the Festive Season

The festive season is here, which means orders at the Etsy shop have gone up these past weeks. Would like take some time to share some of the made-to-order travel journals that I’ve stitched.

Ethiopia | Photo credit: Juxxtapose

This was ordered by a thoughtful friend as a gift for someone taking a trip to Ethiopia.

Australia and New Zealand | Photo credit: Juxxtapose

I wondered how I would squeeze two countries in one cover. But I must say, I really loved how this turned out! This is one of my favourites.

Florida | Photo credit: Juxxtapose

This was also ordered as a gift. Love the colours on this one! And it made me reminisce about my trip to Orlando the whole time I was making this.

Abra-cadabra

Another great way to feel the city in via the abra rides across the Dubai Creek. We kinda winged it when it came to actually finding the abra station. Basically, we had just got back from Abu Dhabi and were dropped back at the Al Ghubaiba Bus Station (which is next to the Al Ghubaiba Metro Station). We knew there was an abra station somewhere close by, so we just went around asking where it was.

Thankfully the two men we approach pointed us in the correct general direction, and soon we saw the Dubai Creek. We then turned right and walked along the creek until we came to this sign that told us for sure that we were in the right place.

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

Actually, we spotted a really long queue before we even noticed the sign.

If I were to be specific, we were at the Bur Dubai Station. Only 1 dirham to be ferried across the creek. This is still a means of transport for the locals. If you want to be tourists, there’s a one hour abra ride for 120 dirhams. We chose to be locals.

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

The sight of such a long queue worried me initially because the sun was threatening to set. Thankfully the queue moved on quickly, despite a few men who were blatantly cutting the queue. Mostly, it was quick because 20 people get onto each abra, and they try to pack each abra to its maximum capacity. It also helped that there were many abras in the creek.

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

(I wonder whether anyone has fallen off the sides.)

It was a beautiful ride across the creek, with the sun almost setting and the weather having cooled off for the day. A few minutes later, we got across to the other side safely before darkness fell.

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

Burger & Lobster

The title says it all.

Having heard about the famous Burger & Lobster from almost every ‘must-go’ guide, and hearing almost everyone rave about it, it was without a doubt that we would get our asses down regardless of the long queues and full houses. Or at least, I might have displayed more determination than the hubs. I think?

We dropped by the Soho outlet for dinner on our first day, but we didn’t have high hopes because we’ve heard about the long waiting times. The waitress politely informed us that the waiting time was over an hour and that we couldn’t make reservation unless we had a party of 6 and above. So we planned to come back the next day, for lunch, at 12nn sharp, so that we would be guaranteed seats.

And so we did, and we did get seats, along with the small handful of people who gathered at the opening time. The menu is simple. 20 pounds gets you one of 3 things: beef burger (didn’t see anyone having this), lobster roll, or whole lobster. They all come with sides of fries and salad.

The hubs got the whole lobster, and I got the lobster roll for the sake of getting something different. For a while, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that the whole lobster seemed much more worth the money.. right? Its a full-sized plump and succulent lobsters after all. While on the other hand, the lobster roll, seems small. And bread is a cheap ingredient, isn’t it?

The first bite I took of my lobster roll cleared all my doubts about it. The (cheap ingredient) bread was fried to perfection and complimented the juicy chunks of lobster so well that I think they should never served the lobster without its roll.

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

At this point, I need to say, that the whole lobster was amazing as well. And also, well worth the money. Juicy, fresh, and fragrant, I stole a lot of that from the hubs’ tray as well. Okay, we shared. At the table next to us, four (either Mainland China or Taiwanese) Chinese ordered a whole lobster each. I felt like telling them they were missing out though.

The best solution is to go with a friend, order one each, and then share to get the best of both worlds. But friend or no friend, you have to you go have it! You just have to!

As for the beef burger, I can’t comment because we didn’t try it. But, you know, I didn’t see a single order of it. So you can guess what the gems of the restaurant are.

P.S I just saw that Burger & Lobster will be arriving in New York in Fall 2014! New Yorkers, you’re in for a treat!

P.P.S I’m feeling so hungry now after thinking of the lobster.

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Burger & Lobster @ Soho

36 Dean street, Soho London W1D 4PS

Monday to Wednesday, from 12 to 10.30pm (last orders)
Thursday to Saturday, from 12 to 11pm (last orders)
Sunday, from 12 to 10.00pm (last orders)

Closed on Bank Holidays

Summer Vacay Part I

In about a month and a half, we’ll be flying to LONDON!! London is one of my all time favourite cities in the world, and I can’t wait to get back there to see all the things we didn’t get to see the last time.

I’ve been doing my homework for this trip diligently. Many new things have sprung up since I was last in London in 2008, and I’ve been poring over website after website just lapping it all up. I thought I may as well share some of the useful links that have helped me in my planning (just in case any of you are going to London too). I’ve added 2 links onto my Travel Resources page: (1) The latest and most comprehensive tube map, and (2) the Transport for London Journey Planner that maps your journey between 2 destinations, giving you route suggestions that best fit your requirements.

I personally thought that the Journey Planner was pretty amazing (whether or not it is accurate when you actually commute, I have yet to test). It allows you to select very specific requirements. For example, if I am coming into London from the airport and will have a huge trolley luggage in tow, I can select to avoid stations without escalators and only stairs.

Screenshot: https://www.tfl.gov.uk

It then also tells you how long each component of your journey will take. Eg, Heathrow Terminals 1-3 Station to Knightsbridge Station will take 43 mins, excluding waiting time.

As I unfortunately have very limited time to enjoy London this time around (because of Part II & Part III of my summer vacay), this function was useful in helping me to estimate the time I needed to commute, and hence allowed me to maximise the time I have. I tend to get a lil psycho when I’m planning for something that I want to make the most of. But my theory is that I’ll never know what life is going to bring, I might never get to go to London again, so I have to make the best out of it.

And to make the best out of my trip to London, I am going to make sure I spend time:

1. Strolling and browsing in a few of the many markets in London (did not do enough of that the last time)

2. Hunting down the best places to eat. There are very little things that beat good food.

3. Taking a walk along River Thames, because riverside walks are one of my favourite things to do.

The rest is just a bonus.

Sadly, we couldn’t find a west-end musical with suitable timing this time around, if we did, that would totally make the list.

 

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

There’s this drink they make in the Malay prata shops called Neslo. What it essentially is, is coffee (Nescafe) mixed with Milo (a delicious chocolately energy drink). I used to drink it all the time when I was staying at the hostel of my University. Being young and having a healthy metabolic rate meant that we frequently had suppers out at the Malay prata shop just behind our hostel. And this was my go-to drink. (yes, I could still fall asleep after drinking this caffeine-infused energy beverage)

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

Obviously, I cannot find my Neslo here, and although it sounds like it could be easily replaced with Mocha, it still tastes different. Incidentally, we just found and bought Milo capsules for our Dolce Gusto coffee machine during our last trip back home, and it hit me that I could make my own Neslo!

I mixed the Milo capsules with a capsule of coffee and it turned out pretty good! (: Although with twice the serving, I ended up with a huge cup of it. Not complaining about having too much though. I slurped it all up.

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Update: The Travel Envelope has been put up for sale here!

 

The Travel Envelope

NEW and coming soon on Juxxtapose is this travel envelope that I’ve crocheted. I travel pretty frequently so I know it really helps to have all your travel documents in one place. This envelope-designed pouch serves this purpose.

I’ve made it just large enough to fit your passport(s), a pen (for filling out forms) and long enough to fit your boarding passes. And it’s still small enough to be slipped easily into your handbag.

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

In front, I’ve stitched on a floral ‘stamp’ as the finishing touch to the envelope.

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

And, at the back, a hidden button added under the envelope’s flap to secure your items.

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

And there you have it – the travel envelope, all ready to whisk you off to your next adventure!

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

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Update: The Travel Envelope has been put up for sale here!

What to Write in Your Travel Journal

This is something I used to struggle with when I decided to start journaling.

A friend gave me one of those travel journals where they have printed in it, set fields to fill in daily. For example, ‘What did you do’, ‘Your favourite meal today was’, ‘How did you feel’. I found those helpful, yet restricting. I felt like I was obligated to fill in all the fields. And Iwould feel annoyed with myself if I left any of it blank. Filling it in daily would feel like a chore.

Instead, I decided that blank journals work best for me. I’m more a write-spontaneously type of person. In fact, sometimes, I feel like words alone cannot capture the moment (or will be too lengthy to capture that moment), so I opt to draw straggly doodles to represent the moment. The structure and format these printed travel journals provide end up hindering my free spirit of random journaling.

So, for those of you like me who are not too keen on journals with set fields and boundaries, here are suggestions of some of the things I found useful when thinking of what to include in my blank journals.

Pre-trip (oh yes, you can start even before you travel):

1. Lists of must-sees, must-dos, must-eats.

2. Important addresses or notes. Might as well keep them close by.

3. Random excited ramblings (Oh, I can’t wait to see a real life bison in the Scottish Highlands! BISONSSSS!).

4. Any travel-related quotes you stumble upon.

During the trip:

1. How you felt when _______. I like to focus on how a certain setting made me feel. I’ve always believed that you remember how you felt at a given time more than the details in that setting. For example, ‘As I stood looking out into the vastness of the Blue Mountains I felt so tiny, and I wondered how the aboriginals walked through all those trees. It made me feel that there was so much in the world more than just me.’

2. New discoveries about the place or yourself.

3. Strange sightings or incidences (I just witnessed a grown woman peeing behind a tree!!! O.O – true story by the way).

4. Other memorable tales that can be retold to your grandkids, like that time you almost got pick-pocketed but turned around just in time for the pick-pocket to drop your wallet and run for it.

5. Notes on your unexpected finds, like the name and address of the ice cream shop you walked by that had a long queue despite the cold weather. You just had to queue to see what all the fuss was about.

6. Random doodles. Perhaps of the oddly-shaped coffee mug at that quaint lil cafe.

Post-trip:

I like to get into a more reflective mood post-trip.

1. General views of the place I visited. Do I think I could possibly live there for a year or 2? I could likely live in Shanghai for a while.

2. Things I am grateful for during the trip or how the trip has made me feel more grateful. (Like that time I found the guy with access to my accommodation by total accident. He was already leaving after waiting for me for an hour. I wouldn’t have gotten in if I hadn’t accidentally bumped into him. And I was traveling solo for the first time in my life.)

3. Things I’ve learnt both about the place and about life in general.

Of course there are so many other things you could write about or leave out of my list of suggestions. The possibilities are endless, and also subjected to YOU. Make the journal your own so that years later you can read it and remember fondly the ups and downs of your adventures. All the examples I’ve given did really happen, and I wish I had started writing them down at that time. Never too late to start I guess!

Latest on Juxxtapose

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

Here’s what I mailed out today – first thing out of my workshop post-vacation. It’s a map of Western Europe with 4 countries marked out (can you spot the 4?). It’s also the most intricately designed travel journal I’ve stitched thus far, and I’m quite pleased with how it turned out!

Well, anyway, that’s what I’ve been up to these past couple of days.

(More on how to get your hands on this: here!)

Why I Keep a Travel Journal

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

I’ve never been the one to write long paragraphs of narratives or prose. So when I decided that I wanted to start journaling, I made sure that I did not have pre-set expectations of what I would eventually produce. If I had told myself, ‘you’re gonna write a page-long entry each day’, I would most probably have given up within a week.

I have 2 journals right now: a gratitude journal where I jot down (point-form is allowed) the things I am grateful for, and a bible verse journal where I write short reflections on verses that speak out to me whenever I read my Bible.

I don’t force myself to write daily, or even weekly. I just write when I feel like I have something worth writing, or something I would like to remember in the years to come.

Now, I have an additional journal: my India travel journal. I plan to use it to capture everyday anecdotes and thoughts relating to my experience living here. Additionally, as I grab on to the opportunity to explore the Indian sub-continent, I want to sketch the sights that I see as well.

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

I do admit that I’m not very good at drawing. But one thing I’ve learnt about learning to draw well is that to draw, you must first observe.

I’ve been too guilty of rushing from point A to point B without truly seeing what’s around me. It’s even a joke that my colleagues make, that I don’t ever look up from my phone even when I’m walking. I’ve looked at things but haven’t actually seen them. So in a bid to live a life in which I am truly present and mindful of my surroundings, I want to draw the things around me so that I am forced to truly see what I’m looking at.

(I shared about my trip to Calcutta here. And there’s more information about the travel journal that I’m using here.)

Get Ready for Summer with My Favourite Beach Destinations

Summer vacations are the best! Hanging out at the beach, armed with an cold drink and a good book…

Except, I think I like the idea of that more than what it is in reality.  In Singapore, there are only 2 kinds of weather, scorching hot and rainy. So we’re usually not too keen on the summer part. But the cold drink and good book sounds awesome!

Another thing I like is this new notebook I’ve created to celebrate the summer (or in my case, the idea of it), complete with an iced-cold bottle of lemonade!

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

(More pictures here)

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In celebration of summer, here are some of  my favourite beach destinations, in reverse chronological order:

1. Paradise Beach, Mykonos (actually, the whole of Mykonos, really).

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

2. Bali. Cheap and good. This was when we had dinner facing the sea at Jimbaran Bay.

(You can book a villa with a private pool for your holiday)

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

3. Venice Beach, Los Angeles.

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

4. Nice, Antibes, Cannes, and the other beaches along the French Riviera.

(Side note: Photo quality drops because I was using an older camera then)

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

5. The beaches at the towns of Cinque Terre, Italy.

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

Which are your favourite beach getaways?