asian

When I went to Paris for my 3 months summer internship, I SEVERELY Overpacked. In terms of food and clothes. When I went to London in August, I slightly overpacked - One too many pairs of pants. I also shipped some of my “damage” from Paris over to London, so obviously, I had too many things and not enough room.
Taking advice from me might seem ridiculous, but, I definitely know how much is needed and how much isn’t. So technically, I can be your bench mark :)

Prior to going for exchange, I googled loads of different packing list wondering what I should bring and what I should not. My seniors who went to the United States gave us a list of stuff to bring that included something like 4 tops, 2 jeans etc. When I saw the list I went “NO WAY. I wouldn’t survive 1 week on that. Am I suppose to wear the same outfit 2x each week and do my laundry twice a week?!” Then i realised they were going to UC Berkeley for exchange - The U.S. is home for BLACK FRIDAY, DISCOUNTS, SALES, CHEAP CLOTHES.
Unfortunately, those who will be going to other parts of the world for exchange, namely Europe, you don’t get the same luxury.
No - you will not be able to survive on Primark clothes and it is not as cheap as what you can get in the U.S. when they have sales.

For people who study long term and complete their education overseas, they have more reason to invest in winter clothes, after all its 4 winters they’ll be going through. But for us exchange/year abroad students that come from tropical or equatorial countries (countries with no snow), there is not reason to stock up on winter clothes and shoes, when will you next wear them?

I’m not going to give you a packing list because everyone is a little different. Some of my classmates only had 27 KG and a whole lot of food took up that 27, whilst I’m pretty sure i brought 27 kg of clothes - hence I have a luggage of clothes still in a vacuum pack under my bed.
I’ve survived cold winter temperatures (AND SNOW!) , and I have a sufficient amount of clothes to have 2 weeks of different outfits.

In order to not overpack, heres some guidelines for you, so you don’t end up with a bunch of unworn clothes (something I really wonder what i’m going to do now).

*P.S. I coerced Jerald into helping me for this article, and we had a discussion about it on a train ride to Venice. You can trust Jerald. He is one super organised, mildly OCD, intense person when it comes to packing things.

Essential Tips for Surviving Your Winter Exchange (Fashion + Food)

4 January 2015

Nice is well known for its beaches, and people usually go to Nice to enjoy the sun and lay on the beach. But, after a whole morning of laying at the beach Jerald and I decided to roam around, explore other areas of the city and visit other attractions recommended on Tripadvisor.

It was really nice to see the way the people worked and lived in this part of the country. People take the time to enjoy meals, streets exude a different vibe, so different from the usual city life that I am used to.

Out of the places i've visited, my favourite was the market - Cours Saleya! From spices, soaps, fresh fruit, and meat in the morning to custom jewellery and home decor items in the evening, strolling through the market in the morning and evening accompanied by the sights and smells was lovely.

Another part of Nice that was fun was Old Nice/Vieille Ville Nice. The architecture is so different, unlike any thing i've seen! It feels as thought it had certain influences from Italy, but well, i've never been to Italy. So come december, when I get to travel to Italy, I'll know :D

These are soap in the shape of macarons! Sadly, they didn't smell much like macarons, just soap.

It was a fun experience in Nice, some people may not like the city and only go there to enjoy the beach, but I think its always fun to roam around the streets of a different city. Looking at how the locals live their lives, walking through random parade activities, and just enjoying the whole experience to the fullest!

The 3 days in Nice were the most warm summery relaxed days I had during my 3months summer internship in France!

Roaming Around Town - Nice, France

16 September 2014 Nice, France

It's my 2nd last day in Paris, feeling a little more than usual/than I expected (considering I'm coming back to Europe at the end of September). Flying in to Singapore 2 shades darker than when I first came to Paris, thanks to the wonderful weather in Nice.

Spent 4 days in Nice soaking up the sun and lazing on the ROCKY beach. This is the first time I have been on a rocky beach, and I must say, a sandy beach is a lot more enjoyable. Its almost impossible to walk barefoot on a rocky beach, well, unless you want to have some form of foot reflexology or be in pain the whole time haha!

Nevertheless, the beaches in Nice are GORGEOUS. Blue waters extending out to infinity and beyond accompanied by occasional strong waves. I had so much fun playing in the waters, picnicking and throwing stones with Jerald to see who could throw it further - I lost every time, damn.

We also walked over to the Harbour/Port of Nice where we had lunch at Restaurant Safran which was just along the port. We learned the real way to eat mussels - use an empty mussel shell to pull the meat out instead of using your fork and spoon. It was a fail proof method!

It was enjoyable at anytime of the day, be it morning or night. It does get pretty chilly at night though, but watching the sun set and planes taking off at the far end of the beach was definitely a memorable sight.