22 things I love about you, Nat

1. You're goofy and ever so funny
2. You taught me the importance of kindness and applying it in life
3. You're strong hearted and I admire so much of that
4. You're understanding and open minded
5. You're smart, intelligent and wise
6. You're beautiful in every way and your own way
7. You put God first
8. Your strong will to be a devoted vegetarian
9. The spot on your foot that you once told me someone thought it was a bug and slapped it
10. Your bright smile that warms my heart
11. You're so talented from dancing, to acting, to photography to whatever you pour your heart into
12. You're one of my role models
13. Your soft beautiful hair
14. Your hugs and your laugh, especially your laugh
15. Your passion to travel and explore the world
16. Your independence
17. Your accent and imitations
18. Your quirks and weirdness
19. Your bravery
20. Your confidence
21. That you took me in as your younger sister from the very start
22. And that you love me ever so dearly

Happy blessed 22nd birthday, Nat ♡
I love you.

Sarah goes to Oxford

Final stop: Oxford

Radcliffe Camera

This was taken after having brunch at the Vaults & Garden Cafe, just in front of us in this photo. I definitely recommend to give it a go if you're in town. I had my first ever scone there, loved it. Also, their homemade soup which if I remember correctly, it was a creamy butternut squash soup, loved it.

We visited all bunch of places from galleries, to cathedrals to the Bodleian Library.

Oxford University of Natural History

I love this shot I took, everything about. The science, the interior, the design and the colours.

Job well done, kiddo. Continue to reach for the stars and follow your dreams.

Cheeky monkey

As we were leaving, we discovered this dinosaur footprint, coincident? I think not.

Yummy calamari from God knows which restaurant because it was six months ago, heh.

This may or may not be Christ Church Cathedral. I think it was opposite of the Alice's Shop where we took shelter because we got rained on while visiting the cathedral. Though the shop was little, I fell in love with everything inside. I wanted to own every single postcard to posters to books to accessories. May have overspend in that little shop, I may have not. We ate out quite a number of times but all I remember is our first meal in Oxford being a Malaysian/Chinese restaurant and also having Thaikhun for one of our dinners. Played the whisper challenge and cards of humanity back at our hotel rooms, enjoyed that. Anyways, I'm going to end here for my 2015 winter break travelling around England with great company. Hope you enjoyed little snip bits of it, I'll try do a better job in the future, maybe I won't, I don't know, bye.

Sarah goes to Birmingham

Next stop: Birmingham

Made our way to this city to meet up with our silly nublet and stayed in a stunning airbnb. The family was away at our time of stay but the host through text communication, she was an absolutely delight. I wish we could have met but she, like us, was on a short holiday. I love how generous she was to open her house to strangers. This airbnb is currently my top most favourite. It was an American English fused house included with a pantry, back garden, basement and American style bathrooms.  The house keeper told us the mother is American and father is English, I love that tweak of atypical. 

How beautiful is the kitchen?

Thanks, Leong, for taking this photo. 

We prepared food ourselves on the first night in Birmingham with us of course being the sous-chefs to Crystal being the head chef. Dinner was delicious, special thanks to you, little nublet. 

Basically, this was how we spent welcoming the year 2016.

Playing hide and seek in the house, giving each other haircuts,  animal facemasks, ordering pizza, chilling in the our room together and watching English channels. That was the life. I enjoyed it so much and was so grateful we weren't standing in the cold, most likely the wet outdoors or suffocating in a crowded noisy club to countdown. Nope, not about that life. Indoors, great company, good food, cozy bed, filled with laughter and nonsense, what more can I ask for?

Oh and I just wanted to end this post with this photo I took on the way to Crystal's accommodation, it gave out a Tim Burton feel to it, I like it a lot.

Sarah goes to Cambridge

Next stop: Cambridge 

With the boys only. A couple of the group went back to Newcastle for a football match in Sunderland and Petra went back early to study or work on her assignments. Anyways, Cambridge was sweet. You could feel the tension of not being intelligent enough to be walking the streets of Cambridge and always wondering if  the person next to you is an ultimate brainiac. The architecture of the buildings around were mesmerising.

We went on a punting tour

Passed by a handful of popular colleges

Bridge of Sighs

King's College

I miss you, cheeky boy. Hope all is well with you back in Scotland.

Church of Saint Mary the Great

Gonville and Caius College

One word, GLORIOUS

Story behind this photo, just taking 10 seconds to take this photo made us miss our train. We could have made it if the train wasn't at the opposite platform but unfortunate for us,  we missed it. However, on the bright side, we manage to catch another train to catch our next train and was not charge a single quid. Ever so grateful for my luck with trains. I pray it never runs out.

Sarah goes to Manchester

Next stop: Manchester

At the end of our day trip in York, we took a night train to Manchester and crashed in a rather run down hotel for the first night. There was a match in town that weekend so most hotels were booked up. However, on our second night, we moved to a pretty luxurious apartment hotel. I loved it, red brick walls, white bed sheets, massive antique mirrors at the staircase, beautiful living room and bathroom as well.

Taken before korean bbq on our second night.

We also spent hours playing snooker and ping pong at Lois's student accom, thanks for having us.

We spent the rest of the night watching one punch man together and heating up ready cooked food from Tesco for supper. I had a pretty sweet time, I love laid back nights in after a long day.

Sarah goes to York

First stop: York

This small town girl visited York last December and left this post in the drafts for the past six months. 

Opps. Here it is, don't love me less, please?

York's sunrise

York Minster

Roamed around the town for the whole day, witnessed the bad flood drowning shops and houses.

    

The boys

We visited the Yorkshire Museum

Shoestring fries? No. Burger? Glorious.

Jay joined us late in the evening where we visited the National Railway Museum but... we arrived 15 minutes before closing time so we literally power walked the whole museum in a matter of 10 minutes. Just quick glance of everything, look, next, observe, next. Although we did not get to take our time absorbing all the train history, models and such, it was still a little fun adventure power walking through the insides of all trains, trying to avoid the officials as they ask visitors to head to the exit. It was fun. 

Sarah's kitchen but not really

Strawberry Nutella French Toast Rollups

(Recipe taken from Buzzfeed)

Ingredients:

White sandwich bread

Nutella

Strawberries

Eggs

Milk

Sugar

Butter

Cinnamon

 (I couldn't be bothered to cut the edges off, lazy Sarah being lazy)

His dream journal

I was riding a dragon/bus hybrid that was constantly shifting through the colours of the rainbow, whilst dressed as a medieval knight; wielding a long sword and shield. I was watching this all in third person mind you and saw myself charge into an army of frog/cat hybrids who also were dressed all medieval like. Whilst some fired "arrows" of black sludge at me, other charged at me with candy canes. Well it was a long and bloody battle but well I was victorious in the end. As I shouted a cheer, I saw my eyes start to wake up and well then I was awake in a hospital bed.

Undeserving

Hello there Internet, I guess it's safe to announce that second year of university has ended for me since I just took my final exam paper this morning. Due date after due date, writing essays, reports and studying lecture notes and books for the past couple of months can be pretty restless and soul draining. I'm not exactly fully complaining about it because I have great interest in what I have picked to pursue as a degree and I genuinely like what I'm studying. It's just that you know, sometimes, black and white, word after word, it can get mundane when it's not hands on, physical sort of work.

I definitely know for sure I am in no way fit to work a 9-5 job in an office in formal office wear, even the thought of it gives me anxiety. But I don't know, that's 21 year old Sarah's mind speaking right now, not sure if it will change in an hour or tomorrow or in a couple years or never. We'll see.

Anyways, I'm not feeling the best of myself lately. Just feeling like I can offer so much more to the world and contribute more for the better but at the same time I just want to stay on my very comfortable spot and not bother about calming my nerves when I go out to do sometimes. It's a constant battle with myself. Definitely been told by more than one person that I am truly my own worst enemy.

"Get your shit together, get it ALL together and put it in a backpack. All your shit so it's together. And if you gotta take it somewhere, take it somewhere, you know? Take it to the shit store and sell it or put it in the shit museum. I don't care what you do, you just gotta get it together. Get your shit together." -Morty Smith

Sarah's kitchen but not really

Afternoon tea churros

(Recipe taken from Tasty)

Ingredients:
140g plain flour
Pinch of salt
2 tsp of caster sugar
Lemon zest
300ml of boiling water
120g butter
1 tsp of vanilla extract
3 eggs
Cinnamon sugar

(I know, I know, it's not the best looking churros but I'm satisfied with my attempt)

Title inspired by Ryan Higa