Tuesday, 14 July 2015
DIY Freak!
Okay, so I've got two obsessions which will get combined in this post. These are DIY/Lifehacks and Before and After pictures.So the story begins with an oldish bike I "inherited" from a friend, which needs a lot of TLC. One of its main problems is rust and metal that looks grimy. I started looking up methods on how to get rid of that in an easy (girl appropriate) way and I came across the 'aluminium foil + water' combo that sounded great. I even saw a video on YouTube about it and decided to give it a go. I only tried it on the door mail slot and after the results I can't wait to try it on my bicycle.
Here is the YouTube Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4dmZrXXN-k
And here are the Before and Afters:
Lessons Learned:
Aluminium foil + Water = Shiny metal
Thursday, 25 June 2015
Dissertation frustration
Okay...so these have been a few dreadful weeks of trying to get myself to work on my dissertation. Being the person that I am this equals huge amounts of stress which (again being the person that I am) leads to shopping. So the outcome is: a few very good purchases and a few very badly written paragraphs. I have found out that after 3 years of uni I am still not able to write a good academic text, organise my time or not stress and worry like a nerd before a test. But hey, at least my stationary is pretty!
Lessons learned:
NONE
Sunday, 7 June 2015
The Amsterdam Experience
Okay, okay, so that's going to be a long one.Let me just quickly clarify that I do study International Tourism Management and I have worked in the Hospitality industry for quite a while, so I do have a certain degree of expertise in this topic.
Right, so it was a couple of months before my birthday so I decided to celebrate it somewhere I've never been before. I've always wanted to visit the city of Amsterdam, so there was a perfect chance. I booked some cheap and cheerful flights from EasyJet and then the hunt for accommodation begun. As I do like trying out new things, I decided to book with a website called HomeAway http://www.homeaway.co.uk/ . Let me just mention, the website itself is really well made and easy to navigate through, so I found myself a nice artsy studio in the harbour area of Amsterdam for around €120 per night - http://www.homeaway.co.uk/p3871540 . As you can see it's a pretty cool looking place, if you're also cool with doing your toilet and bath business in front of your partner! Yes, you read right, the toilet is in the corner of this huge space, hiding behind a little wall, which kills any sort of comfort let alone romance. Please someone let me know if that is a typical dutch thing and I am just being a snob. Another thing you might not be comfortable with is the noise. Music from early till late and people coming back from a night out being loud in the flat and waking you up without any consent. Another dutch thing? Let me know!
Anyway, the city itself - gorgeous and dangerous. You can admire the architecture for ours, eat delicious food for days and getting lost in the canal belt is just pure fun.
A couple of yummy finds were SLA: http://ilovesla.com/en/, where I had my first wheatgrass shot:
and The Seafood Bar: http://www.theseafoodbar.nl/en/, where I had an amazing b-day dinner.
I also enjoyed getting about by bike as you just ride and enjoy the prettiness around you...UNTIL rush hour! When I found myself on a really busy street in a really hectic situation and this happened:
In short, I spent my birthday in a wheelchair!!!
In long, I was on a busy street in rush hour with a bike way bigger and heavier for my 163cm pretty weak body. A guy cut me off on the street and I ended up falling off the bike, hurting my ankle. Nearly passed out from the pain, I had to get people to call an ambulance, which got me to the nearest hospital, where luckily I found out my ankle wasn't fractured. Being ME, I've lost my EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) and had to pay €175 fee and then eventually another invoice which is coming to my address later. When will I learn?!?! I have to say I was impressed with the people who helped me on the street and the medical staff - absolutely brilliant!
Unfortunately, because of that unpleasant accident I only managed to see one touristy thing which was 'The Heineken Experience', which was interesting. I now know how beer is made and the great thing about it is that it comes with a free gift and a short boat trip. How clever!
The things the city is most famous for - legalised weed and prostitution I have quite mixed opinions for so I wouldn't really comment on those but as an expert I could say that the local population could potentially suffer from the impact of the specific kind of tourists the city attracts with this king of 'attractions'.
Lessons learned:
1. Double and triple check your accommodation.
If booking an accommodation with an unknown to you platform such as airbnb and homeaway, always double and triple check the details and try and find out as much as possible about the property in advance. DO NOT book if not certain it meets your criteria.
2. European Health Insurance Card
If an European citizen - DO NOT forget your European Health Insurance Card. If you don't have one -Get One!
3. Instagram = Food
When traveling, look on Instagram for places to eat, searching hashtags such as #Amsterdameats #Amterdamfood in my case. Found both my favourite places on there.
4. Be careful and prepare for the worst!
I know I sound like a grandma, but I learned the hard way.
Monday, 1 June 2015
So...
So...here it is.Yet another blog! But this one is mine. My little experiment. I owe an explanation to myself, I guess, which can serve as a reminder in the future to why I am doing this. Basically, I am tired of falling off the wagon in many things I do. I am nowhere near the typical blogger...with all their determination and motivation but that is the reason why this is happening. I figured maybe if I start writing a diary and record my progress in different areas or just share information about things that interest me (or not) I will be a little bit more motivated and focused (or so I hope) and because I am rubbish with paper diaries, I am trying out a blog - same thing. Anyway this might be something that will hang out for a while or will just get neglected as the thousands and thousands of blogs out there but we shall see...
