alone
On day 8 of my 10 days of solo travel in Scandinavia, I found myself complaining to a friend about the fact that no one was worrying about the fact that I was traveling alone. As a girl growing up in a relatively conservative Asian environment, I briefly mentioned in my post on my first time solo-traveling to Lisbon that my mother was quite worried and pretty against me traveling alone. However, this time around, even though I was going for 10 days, I think she kind of got used to it. She probably checked up on me thrice, and merely asked if I've arrived at my next destination or more importantly when I'd be going back to London. My father, well, he did not give more than an "OK" the both times I mentioned I was going to be traveling alone - I think its because he traveled alone when he was younger so he thinks I can do it too? Who knows.Oh and Disclaimer! It's not that I need or want my parents to worry about me and check up on me, of course. I'm just merely stating facts. Also, despite me having access to wifi, Jerald was not always actively responding - though he did try, lets just blame it on time difference.
Anyway, my reason for the whole paragraph above, was a lead up to an unexpected question being asked. My friend jokingly texted me saying "What? Are you feeling needy?" And my reply was "Needy? Well I need a lot of things right now..."
When I saw that text, I began to wonder if I was actually a needy person. I've always thought of myself as someone who is rather independent. I mean, I've successfully lived abroad alone without suffering any case of depression or breakdowns / severe homesickness, and truth be told, I kind of had fun! Even though I live away from my parents, I don't feel the need to constantly call them (and clearly they do not feel the need to call me either haha!) Yes, I love my family and friends, but I dont think of myself as some one who would be extremely dependent on them. So when I had to question if I was a needy person I felt a little...Odd.
So am I needy? In all honesty, when you're traveling solo, there are times you just wish you had someone with you. Your mum, sibling, partner, ANY FRIEND. I don't think its a case of being dependent. To me it probably arises from a case of inconvenience.
So, here are the top 3 not so fun situations that can result in one possibly being needy during solo trips.
ONE: Having to take ALL your belongings to the toilet/to buy food/everywhere
This is the worst. You have no idea how many times I'd just not pee during long train rides because I didn't want to have to take my laptop, camera, and handbag with me. In the event I do take them all with me to the toilet, I curse under my breath for the lack of space to put them whilst I'm peeing.On the recent trip to Bergen from Oslo, there was a stop for food and I was holding a tray of food with one had, my luggage in another and my bags on my shoulder, whilst praying hard I don't slam into anyone in the crowded lunch cafeteria.
I mean its not that they'd get stolen. I left my computer at my seat once or twice when I got up to get food, thank God nothing bad has happen thus far, but you know, it's better to be safe than sorry.
In this situation, I would feel the desperate NEED to have another person there just to keep watch over my things.
TWO: Taking Photos
I almost never appear in any of my travel photos, apart from the OOTD shots (usually in the middle of a side street where there is no one). Sometimes, when you see a stunning view, you wish you could BE in the photo. Especially so, when I want to be able to go back to Singapore and show my grandparents, parents, family etc. and be like "Yeah! I was ACTUALLY there!"At times like this, getting out my tripod to take a photograph is just too much, so I approach strangers for some help. Unfortunately, the photos don't always turn out good, and its obviously rude to request for 10 more photos because "the wind blew and your hair was in your face" or "they cropped of the beautiful scenery behind".
Again you wish you had a friend with you so you could help each other appear in pictures.
*I must say though, sometimes some strangers have SUPER good photo skills, and they take a couple of different shots to feature my outfit - without me telling them!
THREE: Wanting to Try Different Types of Food
Maybe this is a problem unique to me. I like solo traveling, but when it comes to meal times, and there are 10 things I want to try on the menu - especially since I'm in a different country and I get to taste their local food - I feel the neediness setting in. I'm not a very huge eater, I'm more like the person who just wants a small share of every type of food. Tapas style. I don't really talk a lot about food on here, but when I travel, it's a MUST for me to try local food. I'm one of those live to eat type of people. That's what my mum says. (I use to have a lot of body image issues and go on diets, count my calories and all, but in recent years, I've realised it was pointless, fueling my self-loath and damaging my happiness, so I converted and found the joy of eating! A story for another time of course.)My point is, it sucks to not be able to have another person around to share food with. Again, at such times, I have the sudden feeling of loneliness and the need for companionship.
Otherwise, traveling alone is pretty fun!
I know everyone seems to have the idea that you'll get lonely, or bored, maybe both, when you travel alone. They also think that it is unsafe (thats another topic for another day!) But really, it isn't like that. There are times you DO really wish you had someone else with you, I'm not going to lie, but what you get is an experience you'd treasure for life, something incredibly worth living through the 3 situations above.
If you're not someone who is extremely dependent on your family, or if you would like to feel true independence/learn to be more independent, take a trip out alone. 2 days, 10 days, 1 month, 1 year, it really doesn't matter. I've met people who are shocked I'm 21 and going around alone, but I've also met people who travel alone at the age of 18 or 19 (straight out of high-school), and working in different countries whilst they travel.
Somehow, solo travellers will find each other, and its pretty easy to make friends. (No doubt there are also other times you're in a dorm with 3 or 4 other people who are friends and refuse to acknowledge you...)
Regardless, you do have the opportunity to meet a lot of different people, and when you do, your problems of needing someone disappear. Depending on how long you stay in one place and how flexible your schedule is, you might even find companions to travel with!
What I've learnt is, despite situations arising that result in you NEEDING someone, you can always find companionship one way or another. The guy beside you on a 3-hour train ride who happens to also be from London, or a friendly girl who plots out the route to the city centre for you on a map, or one that goes to get Swedish meatballs with you. It all depends on how open you are with interacting with people. If you don't feel too sociable one day, take heart in being your own companion and roam around the streets into underground cafes. That could be fun too!
Do not let the fear of loneliness deter you from exploring a place (be it in your own city or overseas) just because no one else has the time/schedule/money etc. to go along with you.
You have one life, and if you want to travel, save up and GO FOR IT!
3 Times I felt Needy During Solo Travel
16 May 2015 London, UK
Traveling alone means, having to navigate around, taking photos for memories (or in my case for my blog), absorbing as much of the city, as well as capturing as much detail and information of places you go to all by yourself. Traveling alone can be really fun, and also stressful at times.
Case in point: waking up to catch a 7am train with no wakeup call!
But along the way you learn to rely on yourself, be a lot more independent, and also develop certain "special" skills/abilities. Here are some that interesting abilities I've inherited and starting to become a lot better (almost a pro!) at:
1. Handling Multiple Objects At Once
Another horrifying thing, happens when you have to pay for something. In that moment, you somehow end up having your phone in your hand, a camera around your neck, a dripping wet umbrella, and you have to figure out how to take your wallet out of your bag.
Well, hello to another weird new skill set. It is possible. When you don't have anyone to turn to and say "Could you hold my umbrella for one second?", your fingers/knees/elbows/whatever available body part becomes your next best shot.
2. Conversing With Strangers
Traveling alone encourages you to go out there and talk to other people. You're completely alone, there is no pressure to be a certain way, no expectations, no desire to please or accommodate to anyone. The only barrier you have, is the one with yourself.
I've always been quite outgoing, which means talking to strangers was something I seldom shy away from. But what I've realised is that there is a difference between small talk and actual conversation. When you meet people for the first time, it's pretty easy to strike up a conversation, but being able to make conversations last, is a lot trickier.
I was able to hang out with 3 strangers for an entire afternoon when I went on a solo day trip to Oxford - well they were really nice people so that made the conversation a lot easier.
I remember going on a day tour alone for the first time to Normandy and having trouble with continuing conversations over lunch. After the first 15minutes where everyone sharing who they are, and what they are doing in the city had passed, the conversation died down and the silence got awkward.
So I guess after a few more tries of talking to strangers, and meeting different people, you figure out how to go about continuing the conversation. You figure out how much of yourself you'd like to share, what you can ask other people to find out more about them, and you start to appreciate the initial awkwardness that comes when you meet new people.
For me, I don't share too much about my thoughts, emotions and life with people who aren't close to me. Somehow, there was always a wall. This meant that despite being an extrovert, at times I second guess if I should approach other people, and I become a little too self-conscious.
Its not as though i'm being a different person, but its more like they're only getting 50% of who I am - a more toned down version. So figuring out how much I'd like to share with people I meet for the first time took a while, but I realised I definitely got better at holding conversations with new people I meet, and better at getting over my self-consciousness.
P.S. You also learn not to get offended when someone chooses to not talk to you ;) I think this means greater self-confidence, and thats always a plus!
3. Entertaining Yourself/Talking to Yourself
I listen to music or books from audible on my phone when I'm alone. Unfortunately, my iPhone is old and has a crappy battery life. Also, having to handle multiple things at once (see point 1) means that you rather not have the additional problem of fumbling around with your earphones.
Being able to hold conversations in your head, I've come to realise, is a VERY good ability. I used to think most people do it in general (you know, like have little conversations and debates in their head/play both the angel and the devil/have a Lizzie-Mcguire-esque alter-ego), until one fine day, people started telling me, I talk to myself.
Yes, occasionally I think aloud without realising.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm literally talking to myself instead of keeping the conversation in my head.
Then again, in a new environment when you're all alone, you don't have to be too self-conscious. Nobody is around to judge. At most, you'd just look like 'The weird girl talking to herself'. It's not like they'll remember you. Right?
I start to understand why children from single-child families have the ability to be alone ALL THE TIME - *cough* Jerald *cough*, or why my brother had imaginary friends when he was younger.
I can now hold hours and hours of conversations in my head, pretending to talk to somebody, or just thinking about what I would say to whoever when I would next meet them. I imagine what I would say if I had someone on the trip with me, I imagine what I would say if I were to be writing a diary entry about the trip - diary entries that unfortunately have yet to materialise.
I must say, skill 2 and 3 complement each other really well. After adopting both abilities, you can pick and choose to either hang out with yourself and enjoy the company of 'Me, Myself, and I', or build new friendships to expand your social circle, find out more about people coming from different parts of the world, and listening to their stories.
I would say I'm pretty much an expert on skill 3. But, its a good thing that i've been getting better at skill 2!
Hmm, after typing that, I now wonder if I'm an introvert or an extrovert. People who've known me for a long time will say I'm the latter, but I think i'm in transition. Whatever it is, as long as I'm comfortable. Thats all that matters. There's no reason to put a label to it!
What other interesting skills or abilities have you gained while traveling? Do you think there are any other i'll learn along the more I travel to and explore different places alone?
Pictures from my recent trips to Oxford, Barcelona and Brighton.
Case in point: waking up to catch a 7am train with no wakeup call!
But along the way you learn to rely on yourself, be a lot more independent, and also develop certain "special" skills/abilities. Here are some that interesting abilities I've inherited and starting to become a lot better (almost a pro!) at:
1. Handling Multiple Objects At Once
Bag, iPhone, wallet, DSLR, Umbrella - all with 1 pair of hands.
Using your DSLR to take photos whilst holding an umbrella so the rain doesn't slap against your face is actually A LOT harder than it sounds. Especially so when you're trying to prevent the strong threatening England winds from destroying your new cute purple umbrella (my room mate bought me one for my birthday!)
I initially struggled with holding my umbrella with one hand AND trying to adjust my DSLR. The result? I got rain all over myself AND my camera (don't worry my camera is fine! Thank God). Now, I have the ability to use my neck/elbow joint/cheek/ whatever else to hold the umbrella while taking photographs! Otherwise, I estimate how much zoom is probably needed on the camera for a shot, adjust it, and then operating my camera with one hand.
I initially struggled with holding my umbrella with one hand AND trying to adjust my DSLR. The result? I got rain all over myself AND my camera (don't worry my camera is fine! Thank God). Now, I have the ability to use my neck/elbow joint/cheek/ whatever else to hold the umbrella while taking photographs! Otherwise, I estimate how much zoom is probably needed on the camera for a shot, adjust it, and then operating my camera with one hand.
Another horrifying thing, happens when you have to pay for something. In that moment, you somehow end up having your phone in your hand, a camera around your neck, a dripping wet umbrella, and you have to figure out how to take your wallet out of your bag.
Well, hello to another weird new skill set. It is possible. When you don't have anyone to turn to and say "Could you hold my umbrella for one second?", your fingers/knees/elbows/whatever available body part becomes your next best shot.
2. Conversing With Strangers
Traveling alone encourages you to go out there and talk to other people. You're completely alone, there is no pressure to be a certain way, no expectations, no desire to please or accommodate to anyone. The only barrier you have, is the one with yourself.
I've always been quite outgoing, which means talking to strangers was something I seldom shy away from. But what I've realised is that there is a difference between small talk and actual conversation. When you meet people for the first time, it's pretty easy to strike up a conversation, but being able to make conversations last, is a lot trickier.
I was able to hang out with 3 strangers for an entire afternoon when I went on a solo day trip to Oxford - well they were really nice people so that made the conversation a lot easier.
I remember going on a day tour alone for the first time to Normandy and having trouble with continuing conversations over lunch. After the first 15minutes where everyone sharing who they are, and what they are doing in the city had passed, the conversation died down and the silence got awkward.
So I guess after a few more tries of talking to strangers, and meeting different people, you figure out how to go about continuing the conversation. You figure out how much of yourself you'd like to share, what you can ask other people to find out more about them, and you start to appreciate the initial awkwardness that comes when you meet new people.
For me, I don't share too much about my thoughts, emotions and life with people who aren't close to me. Somehow, there was always a wall. This meant that despite being an extrovert, at times I second guess if I should approach other people, and I become a little too self-conscious.
Its not as though i'm being a different person, but its more like they're only getting 50% of who I am - a more toned down version. So figuring out how much I'd like to share with people I meet for the first time took a while, but I realised I definitely got better at holding conversations with new people I meet, and better at getting over my self-consciousness.
P.S. You also learn not to get offended when someone chooses to not talk to you ;) I think this means greater self-confidence, and thats always a plus!
3. Entertaining Yourself/Talking to Yourself
I listen to music or books from audible on my phone when I'm alone. Unfortunately, my iPhone is old and has a crappy battery life. Also, having to handle multiple things at once (see point 1) means that you rather not have the additional problem of fumbling around with your earphones.
Being able to hold conversations in your head, I've come to realise, is a VERY good ability. I used to think most people do it in general (you know, like have little conversations and debates in their head/play both the angel and the devil/have a Lizzie-Mcguire-esque alter-ego), until one fine day, people started telling me, I talk to myself.
Yes, occasionally I think aloud without realising.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm literally talking to myself instead of keeping the conversation in my head.
Then again, in a new environment when you're all alone, you don't have to be too self-conscious. Nobody is around to judge. At most, you'd just look like 'The weird girl talking to herself'. It's not like they'll remember you. Right?
I start to understand why children from single-child families have the ability to be alone ALL THE TIME - *cough* Jerald *cough*, or why my brother had imaginary friends when he was younger.
I can now hold hours and hours of conversations in my head, pretending to talk to somebody, or just thinking about what I would say to whoever when I would next meet them. I imagine what I would say if I had someone on the trip with me, I imagine what I would say if I were to be writing a diary entry about the trip - diary entries that unfortunately have yet to materialise.
I must say, skill 2 and 3 complement each other really well. After adopting both abilities, you can pick and choose to either hang out with yourself and enjoy the company of 'Me, Myself, and I', or build new friendships to expand your social circle, find out more about people coming from different parts of the world, and listening to their stories.
I would say I'm pretty much an expert on skill 3. But, its a good thing that i've been getting better at skill 2!
Hmm, after typing that, I now wonder if I'm an introvert or an extrovert. People who've known me for a long time will say I'm the latter, but I think i'm in transition. Whatever it is, as long as I'm comfortable. Thats all that matters. There's no reason to put a label to it!
What other interesting skills or abilities have you gained while traveling? Do you think there are any other i'll learn along the more I travel to and explore different places alone?
Pictures from my recent trips to Oxford, Barcelona and Brighton.
3 Interesting Abilities You Gain When You Travel Alone
29 November 2014
Autumn is starting to creep its way in; the weather is getting colder, the leaves are changing, the number of daylight hours are decreasing day by day. The arrival of autumn means my summer internship here in Paris has come to an end.
After living here for 3 months, its once again time to pack my bags and head off for the 2nd part of my Europe Adventure (otherwise known as #asiancarinaineurope on instagram haha!) - one year of exchange in London! Well, of course I get to spend 2 weeks in Singapore in between to administrative stuff. I REALLY miss the food in Singapore, and homecooked meals by my grandparents/father/other family members so i'm not complaining.
I would say living in Paris was a great experience. Would I live in Paris again in the future? Maybe not (IF I speak fluent french one day, i might consider). But given the same opportunity would I have agreed to come to Paris, DEFINITELY.
This summer internship in Paris has given me a fair share of discrimination experiences, banking issues, inefficient and incompetent delivery services, and transport issues - random breaking down of the metro during peak hours.
Nevertheless, i'm going to miss this place quite a fair bit, my lifestyle here (not going to miss work though! Working really does get quite boring. But the people in the office are quite fun, so that makes up), the food, the weather etc.
So here are the top 5 things i'll miss about my summer internship in Paris.
CROISSANTS
Being able to buy 1 Euro croissants from the bakery beside my apartment building, Le Grenier a Pain, has brought me so much comfort. Stressed from work? Get a croissant. Not sure what to eat? Get a croissant. Want a snack? Croissants. Even for no particular reason? Just get a croissant!
Biting into a yummy buttery flaky on the outside and soft on the inside piece of croissant for only 1 euros instantly brightens my day.
Generally you're able to get good croissants anywhere (Morning around 9 or 10am is the best time) as long as they are golden brown, warm and just out of the oven. If you're ever in Paris, get a croissant and remember to request for one just fresh out of the oven (normally they do give you the fresher ones - at least at the bakery near where i lived they did!)
P.S. They also do really good Chouquettes (my 2nd fav.)
P.S. And since we are on the topic of food, DUCK LEG CONFIT in Paris is always a good idea.
P.S. And since we are on the topic of food, DUCK LEG CONFIT in Paris is always a good idea.
FRENCH CLASSES
There is something special about taking french classes in France. Understanding the language really helps one connect with the country and the culture so much more. Plus, the french are nicer when they see you trying to fit in! I took french evening lessons at Accord, after reading a recommendation from Paris in four months. It was probably the only school that offered french evening courses in the summer! Lessons were 2x a week 1.5 hrs each, 40euros a week (cheaper than tuition in singapore!!) And I was there for 13 weeks (sans a few classes due to weekend trips).
I've taken french classes in NTU, but nothing quite compares to french lessons here in Paris. I feel like I learn so much more. It could be because
1) The whole lesson is COMPLETELY in french, definitely a culture shock.
2) You have to ask questions in French, sometimes the teacher will make you repeat the question until you get it with the perfect sentence structure before you get an answer.
3) You go at a pace suitable for you. One level is too easy? Just move right on to the next. Very much self-monitored learning. Coming from the Singaporean education system, this is so refreshing! I found myself actually putting in much more time googling phrases, finding translations, and I had a GENUINE interest in doing homework (comparing this to my willingness to do my tutorials in university)
4) Its super interactive. We play taboo in class, we act out skits with conversations, we talk about our day etc.
I really from the bottom of my heart look forward to EVERY french lesson after work! I am most definitely not fluent in french, but I give myself a pat on the back everytime I understand a word, phrase or sentence that is being said in french. I find so much joy in getting conjugations right, I enjoy testing myself when my colleagues speak in french to see how much I understand. So much joy in self-motivated learning!
I already miss my french teachers!
ANONYMITY
For 2 months (before Jerald came) I was alone, I knew nobody, nobody knew me. Living alone means not having to account to ANYBODY, You can go wherever you want, whenever you want. And thats exactly what I did.
Self prepared meals, waking up at whatever time during the weekends (usually pretty early) not having to justify how you spent your day, not having to share the toilet with anybody else, dressing as you please, eat whatever you want (30 euro meal? Who cares, just eat lesser the next day!) sharing as little or as much information as you want about yourself, amazing new found freedom.
That being said, I don't go out partying and staying out, I pretty much just enjoy being let off the hook as generally, parisians/french don't expect me to conform to societal norms (since i'm CLEARLY a foreigner), and I don't get judged! I can behave like a tourist, or like an inhabitant, which ever is more useful to whatever situation, and people buy it! See, no need for accountability, no need to think 'what will people think of me'.
THE WEATHER
Yes. The cold schizophrenic weather in Paris! That is the thing I will be dreading when I get off the A380 at Changi Airport. The weather in Paris was such a wonderful change from the hot and humid one in Singapore. In Paris, it never got hotter than 30 degrees, temperatures could be 20°C one day and 30° the next, choosing what to wear form the limited (and uncoordinated) selection of clothes I brought with me was honestly pretty fun! Plus, the office did not have a very strict dress code for the ladies. Jeans, dresses, leggings, skirts, sweaters, coats, bomber jackets, blazers etc. it was like playing dress up every morning!
The weather also made it REALLY enjoyable to walk from one place to another. You could walk for hours and not feel sweaty and uncomfortable!
I doubt i'd be able to experience another summer in a temperate climate for a while, and that is something i'll DEFINITELY miss! Not looking forward to the cold winter months. Then again, I've never experienced anything below 10°C in my life, so that's going to be an interesting experience.
THE CULTURE & MONUMENTS
Oh Paris. The Cathedrals, the Buildings, its Architecture, the Musuems (I'm more of a fan of the exterior of the musuems than the painting inside because honestly, i'm not that well versed in fine arts, oops). From the Palaces, to the Gardens, to individual squares, this is something i'm pretty sure I wouldn't find anywhere else. Paris is INDEED gorgeous. Even the architecture of apartment buildings and boutiques are wonderful! Just google BNP Paribas or Abercrombie and Fitch building in Paris. Like I said before, I don't think Paris is romantic, but it is most DEFINITELY beautiful. Its beauty extends far beyond the Eiffel Tower. FAR FAR FAR BEYOND.
Definitely going to miss roaming around aimlessly while admiring the architecture of buildings, flowers in the gardens, children playing, street musicians, horses riding by, the whole experience.
Paris is NEVER boring. There's so much to see, so many different arrondissements each with something unique to offer, I had so many places I wished I could visit but didn't have the chance to. Another reason to be back!
P.S. Even the interior deco of cafés and boutiques are fantastic. A little off point, but yes! I'll miss the beauty of this City.
I encourage everyone to visit Paris once in their lifetime. Sure the dirty streets and smelly metro stations do sometimes make it a little less charming (especially for someone coming from a place like singapore - maybe even Japan, Korea or anywhere where we are pretty used to the cleanliness of things and politeness of people), but you'll definitely fall in love with the city. Thank you Paris for being beautiful, thank you for the whole experience, thank you for the good and bad ;)
'Till we meet again,
Au Revoir.
The weather also made it REALLY enjoyable to walk from one place to another. You could walk for hours and not feel sweaty and uncomfortable!
I doubt i'd be able to experience another summer in a temperate climate for a while, and that is something i'll DEFINITELY miss! Not looking forward to the cold winter months. Then again, I've never experienced anything below 10°C in my life, so that's going to be an interesting experience.
THE CULTURE & MONUMENTS
Oh Paris. The Cathedrals, the Buildings, its Architecture, the Musuems (I'm more of a fan of the exterior of the musuems than the painting inside because honestly, i'm not that well versed in fine arts, oops). From the Palaces, to the Gardens, to individual squares, this is something i'm pretty sure I wouldn't find anywhere else. Paris is INDEED gorgeous. Even the architecture of apartment buildings and boutiques are wonderful! Just google BNP Paribas or Abercrombie and Fitch building in Paris. Like I said before, I don't think Paris is romantic, but it is most DEFINITELY beautiful. Its beauty extends far beyond the Eiffel Tower. FAR FAR FAR BEYOND.
Definitely going to miss roaming around aimlessly while admiring the architecture of buildings, flowers in the gardens, children playing, street musicians, horses riding by, the whole experience.
Paris is NEVER boring. There's so much to see, so many different arrondissements each with something unique to offer, I had so many places I wished I could visit but didn't have the chance to. Another reason to be back!
P.S. Even the interior deco of cafés and boutiques are fantastic. A little off point, but yes! I'll miss the beauty of this City.
I encourage everyone to visit Paris once in their lifetime. Sure the dirty streets and smelly metro stations do sometimes make it a little less charming (especially for someone coming from a place like singapore - maybe even Japan, Korea or anywhere where we are pretty used to the cleanliness of things and politeness of people), but you'll definitely fall in love with the city. Thank you Paris for being beautiful, thank you for the whole experience, thank you for the good and bad ;)
'Till we meet again,
Au Revoir.
5 Things I Will Miss About Paris
18 September 2014 Paris, France
Company has officially arrived in Paris, and we have started travelling. So here's a short post about how I spent my last week alone, and general fun facts of living alone (Ok more like fun facts about my weekend) I guess?
1) You can stand forever at this one spot to wait for cars to passby so that you get a propershot of the Arc de Triomphe - or any other attraction.
2) You can lie on the grass the whole day if you want. *Points at man lying alone on the right side*
Really, you can do whatever you want. Remember to wear huge sunglasses, nobody will bother you that way since half your face is covered.
3) You can attempt to get a shot of the perfectly lined lamp posts from all sorts of angles and cross the road multiple times to try again.
I JUST realised there were 3 couples in the photo. Guess this means travelling alone with lots of free time = blocking out the other humans around and just soaking up all that the city has to offer.
4) Learning how to cook.Im most definitely NOT a domestic Goddess, hence the pictures here are smaller. Wouldn't dare cook a meal for anybody but myself, but I have to admit, when food turns out edible, I feel this sense of satisfaction, and my head goes "Well done me!"
5) Tribute to Gossip Girl: Sitting at a Café for 2 hours while watching the rain pour, people without umbrellas scrambling to the nearest shelter, and ordering expensive hot chocolate and strawberries - because nobody needs to know how much you spent on that. They tasted amazing. So what if you have to eat maggie mee for dinner right? Haha
6) Church bells were ringing as i took this photo, looking at the sky, you cannot believe it rained 5 mins ago. Oh European weather.
7) Making new friends, trying new food, and having special encounters with people who know where Singapore is!
I pulled out my DBS credit card to pay for my fish and chips (Yes food trucks take credit cards too!) and man in stripe shirt said "DBS? You're from singapore!" and proceeds to tell me he worked/lived in SG for 6months. Was thoroughly impressed if I had cash on hand that day, I would definitely have tipped him.
By the way, the Fish and Chips were really good! Fresh and crunchy on the outside, fries were awesome too!
8) You also can do a lot of other nonsense like taking pictures of doors, random vespas, and whatever you want. No judgement. I take photos of doors all the time, especially those that are decorated with greenery. And I always always pay tribute to a purple door by taking a photo of it.
I think i've talked about the frequent coffee breaks and smoke breaks the french take. This is where they take their smoke breaks. Cool looking trees aligned in even rows, I wouldn't mind taking breaks here either!
So that's it, look out for more exciting posts about my trips out of Paris in the next few entries :) I'm trying to speed this up so that i'm no longer lagging!
Last Post About Living Alone
20 August 2014 Paris, France
It was a really hot weekend the other week (I have since lost track of which week it was, thus the OTHER week) Decided to head up to Centre Pompidou and walk around alone, visit the Hôtel de Ville, and just explore the area up to Quai de la Seine, where Paris Plage was held at.
The main area for the City Square. I liked the rows of fountains.
Unfortunately, it was really hard to capture that on camera under the BLAZING sun, plus I was too short to get everything in a properly framed shot.
Little pop up fashion store/area - love how such things are just there, and people walk by like its an everyday affair (well, I guess to them it is!)
Occasional cute cartoon stickers on the walls, they are always just there alone and unaccompanied.
POZETTO - My awesome pistachio and dark chocolate gelato that was melting from the heat, but so good nonetheless!
Can I just say, I LOVE THE RANDOM STREET GRAFFITI. I mean, just look at that! Especially the one of a man's face that goes all the way up to the top of the building! I mean, how do people do that?! Its just amazing.
Stravinsky Fountain. I expected it to be grander, and livelier though :( Was way more interested in the graffiti in the area than the fountain.
More AMAZING Street Art. The artist leave a bowl by the drawing on the floor, and I guess, its free for anyone who wanted to donate. Alternative way to earn $ in Paris indeed.
Fontaine des Innocents
I love how people just sit around the fountain, chilling, listening to baskets along the streets, and people watching. Interesting how these people spend their saturdays relaxing and being all hipster-ish haha!
Ile de la Cite from one side (Im assuming, I really cannot remember)
Golden Angel Victoria
Since that day happened to be the first day for Paris Plage - an event where they import sand and awkward palm trees and line them along the river, mimicking a "beach". Its supposedly for people who don't have the luxury of travelling out of Paris to the coastal cities during the holiday month of august. So they create this fake beach for people to suntan, with games and activities for them to have a feel of being at beach on a vacation.
Minature red eiffel tower. Spot the real Eiffel tower!
When I was walking along the "beach" I had a really weird encounter with some guy. Its really hard to tell when people are just being friendly, and when they are not. I mistook his advances and thought he was being friendly - because compared to asians, parisians are really really friendly - but he was unfortunately one of those guys Caucasian guys that enjoy chatting up asians, and I don't mean it in a nice way :(
So I excused myself and said I had a dinner appointment with a friend. Normally don't tell lies like that, but there's a first for everything! Hahah! So here was my dinner with(out) my friend.
Japanese food in France isn't too expensive. I was pleasantly surprised by the meal I had, because I went to a restaurant with like nobody, and they didnt seem famous or anything. The food was not amazing or anything, but certainly comparable to sushi chains in Singapore.
On a side note, I FREAKING MISS the food in Singapore. The variety that we have is incomparable. multiple options from western to asian food all within 200m in the same place, is something I most definitely miss.
City Beach
12 August 2014 The Centre Pompidou, Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004 Paris, France
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