» LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD - MY YEAR
1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
Can I pick two? I took master courses at University, which was a big accomplishment for me. And I got to feed giraffes.
2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened?
Staying motivated through lifes ups and downs, and not giving up when things got tough.
3. What was an unexpected joy this past year?
My baby sister got into med
school - so excited for the little (future) doctor! And we surprised her with a (surprise) trip through Asia (she thought we were going to Dubai).
4. What was an unexpected obstacle?
When I got turned down from something I really wanted (University-related), that I thought I would get easily. Lesson learned: nothing comes easy.
5. Pick three words to describe 2015.
Nothing comes easy.
6. What were the best books you read this year?
'And the Mountains Echoed', by Khaled Hosseini, and 'Wicked Lovely', by Melissa Marr.
7. With whom were your most valuable relationships?
My family.
8. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?
I got happier throughout the year.
9. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally?
I got stronger and more patient.
10. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually?
By looking for God in everything and everyone - like love and kindness.
11. In what way(s) did you grow physically?
I'm not sure what this question is asking for, but my undereye concealer is on fleek (haha!).
12. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?
By spending quality time with friends and family. The summer trip through Asia with my family made us all grow together.
13. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?
FaceTime with my sister, haha! Or watching silly shows on TV.
14. What was the best way you used your time this past year?
Multitasking!
15. What was biggest thing you learned this past year?
Life has ups and downs, and you have to remember the good parts when you're in a down - does that make sense?
16. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2015 for you.
Say yes to all adventures thrown your way, and remember that tomorrow is a new day.
2015 has been all about finding myself (lost and found, hi!). I turned 21! It's been a good makeup year (if I'm allowed to be vain), and it's been amazing in terms of destinations. I feel like I'm more open minded, accepting and mentally stronger this year, and I hope that I will take all of that (and all of the good things from this year) into 2016. It's crazy how time flies, let's practice saying 2016 five times out loud, shall we?
I wish you guys a happy New Year. Let's make 2016 wonderful!
Love,
Laila
» TRAVEL DIARY: BANGKOK
We went to the 'Wat Pho' temple, most known as the lying down Buddha.
Then we walked to the 'Grand Palace', which is nearby, and just had to take a picture of this group of tourists.
We took a boat ride through the 'Thonburi Canals' to see the temple of dawn; 'Wat Arun'.
And we went through the floating market; where people sell things like food, souveniers etc, on boats. Really cool!
Something that wasn't as cool were the almost fallen apart houses. Where people actually lived in. You could really see the big contrast of the tourist-y Bangkok and the poor side of it.
We drove past the parliament house and saw newlyweds taking their wedding pictures. How adorable is that?
We had Indian food everyday at MBK (shopping centre).
We went to a the Chinese market - highly recommended. We had more dragon fruit and fruit juices. My skin had never looked better - all the fruit!
This was in another mall, that I can't remember the name of (you should really write everything down right away. But it was really cool).
There were children with their grandpa feeding the giraffes, but the children weren't as excited about it as their grandpa. So when they saw how excited we were about all the animals (no comments you guys), they gave us all of their bananas so we could feed the giraffes. Obviously that had to be documented. Feeding hippos was also included.
We mostly went to markets, like the chatuchak market (coolest place ever!) and just tried to enjoy the last days on the trip without documenting them.
Before visiting Bangkok, I might have had some preconceptions about the country - or the city. I thought that prostitution and pollution was all there was to this city, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Bangkok has a lot more to offer. Yes, prostitution does exist and it happens openly on the streets. But if you overcome that fact (and don't go to sketchy areas), you will fall in love with the city. People are so well-dressed (seriously you guys!) and friendly (most of them). You could just walk down one street and find yourself on a crazy cool market, sipping on pomegranate juice.
Bangkok is definitely a city I will re-visit.
I learned a lot about myself and about the world around me during this trip. Traveling with an open mind, and with great company (thanks fam!) contributes to that self growth. You learn how to make the best out of every situation you're thrown in. You learn that company, and not how you travel to each place, is more important. Say no to nothing (within reason), and you might experience something you've never dreamed of experiencing.
I hope you've enjoyed these travel diaries.
Stay safe, travel well.
xox,
Laila
» TRAVEL DIARY: HAT YAI
We took the ferry from Langkawi to Satun, Thailand (you could see the Thai borders from Langkawi, so cool). From there we took the bus to Hat Yai, where we stayed for two days.
Sadly, everyone decided to get sick here, so we didn't do much. We walked around in markets, rode tuc tucs and had delicious fruit. Although we didn't see much of Hat Yai, what we saw was friendly people and colorful buildings.
The coolest thing that happened during this adventure was when we asked an older man if he knew of any fast food places nearby, to which he replied, yes there is this one place called McDonald's. Adorable.
When we were well-rested, and had slept the sickness away (haha), we had to pack up and head on for our final adventure; Bangkok.
xox,
Laila
» TRAVEL DIARY: LANGKAWI
The flight from Singapore to Langkawi was short, and the Island (or what we could see of it from the airplane window) was gorgeous. We stayed in Langkawi for six days, and spent the entire first day relaxing at the hotel - it was well needed. The weather was nice and I spent everyday in flip flops - I don't regret it for a second. For this adventure, we rented a car, as the island is tiny and it's easier to drive around.
We drove to the 'Eagle Square', which is a place with a view of the sea - and obviously the Langkawi eagle and sign as a backdrop. Beautiful.
We went hiking at this beautiful place, that I can't remember the name of (help!), and met more monkeys. Cuties.
We got banans from that waterfall place, and realized how badly the monkeys wanted bananas. So that's what we did for the majority of our time in Langkawi; fed monkeys with bananas. Although it wasn't as glamorous as it sounds, because we were under attack several times..
'Black Sand Beach', was beautiful. Don't mind my outfit on repeat.. Or the pictures taken with my back to the camera. Apparently I thought the pictures would look more artsy if I turned my back.
This view. We drove to the highest point in Langkawi, up the mountain, and saw this. Absolutely breathtaking. Also, what isn't pictured is all the monkeys, insects and weird animal noises. So I literally stepped out of the car for 30 seconds and ran back in. No time for selfies here - sadly.
Then we drove until we found a nice beach to bathe and to take pictures. As you probably can tell by now, I'm obsessed with pictures.
Snapshots from the car.
We found another monkey species. They were more careful, and wouldn't get close to us. They also didn't want bananas.
This little monkey was running for his life after stealing a banana from another monkey. Can you guys tell that we're easy to entertain. Seriously that was the most fun thing about Langkawi; the monkeys.
We went to this museum and visited 'Makam Mahsuri', where they told stories (aka, you read her life story) about a legend called Mahsuri. She was accused for adultry, but she was innocent. So she had basically cursed the Island. I found these pretty flowers (White Frangipani flowers) on the ground, and picked them up to create the most awesome bouquet you'll ever see (nope, not even. But it's pretty).
Another beach we randomly found. Also very beautiful.
'The Seven Wells Waterfalls' - this place was dangerous.. It was very beautiful, breathtaking even, but so slippery. Also, there was a sign that said that if you fall or get bitten by any insect (poisonous, I might add), you are the only one responsible for it. We saw lizards, randomly falling (?) from small trees or whatever lizards do, and then crawling to another tree. They were huge. We saw huge flies, and other insects that I had never seen before, which was very cool. It somehow seemed that the higher up you go, the less monkeys you would see. Could this have anything to do with the scorpions (that live up top)?
We also went to a crocodile farm, in pouring rain, and watched a crocodile show. I don't really like animal shows, so I can't say much about it, but that's another story. Crocodiles look unreal, don't you guys think so?
We went on a little boat to a small Island around Langkawi. The boat ride was great. We saw dolphins (!), that I don't have pictures of because you know how it is with cameras and timing. And also because I didn't wanna risk dropping the camera in the ocean - at times it felt like I was gonna fly off the boat. The Island was great, until a monkey decided that it wanted to steal our things - it didn't succeed because I managed to scream and then scare everyone (humans too). So the monkey ran off to a nearby tree and continued watching us - such a creep. If you guys ever go to an Island with monkeys, make sure to NOT have food in your bags, and also, to attach all of your items to a tree. That way the little orange bandits won't find a way to steal anything.
The boat ride ended at a fish farm, where we fed fish with (can you guys guess?) FISH! So weird but very cool. We got to hold sharks and walk around the farm without falling so we wouldn't end up as fish food.
Sadly, I don't have pictures from everything we did on the Island, so the adventures have to end here. But what I can say is that the locals have to be some of the most kind, friendly people I've ever met. The rest of the trip was all about relaxing and driving around the Island, with spontaneous stops at cool beaches.
I would love to go to Langkawi again, someday in the future. But for now, I will live with these amazing memories.
xox,
Laila
» TRAVEL DIARY: SINGAPORE
Singapore is beautiful. It's a mixture of exotic and city life, with its tall buildings and palm trees. But it is tiny, so we only stayed for two days.
The bus ride from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore took about five hours, and it was very comfortable (the bus was kind of empty!). When we first arrived, we checked into the hotel and then took the bus to 'Bugis', and had lunch at Burger King. We got two days tourist passes for buses and trains - highly recommend doing that, as it is easier than taking taxis everywhere. It's easy to find your way around Singapore, and people are friendly. Then we took the bus to a beautiful mosque (it's called 'Sultan', if I'm not mistaken). That area was stunning.
From there we took the bus to 'Marina Bay' - possibly one of the most beautiful places I've been to during this trip. We saw the famous infinity pool hotel (what is it called?) and rested under huge fans at the bay - so refreshing considering how hot it was. Then we kept walking around in the area and sat down on the steps to watch the water show. It was really cool, you guys!
The second day was an endless walk. It started with breakfast at McDonald's in 'Bugis', and from there we walked to 'S:t Andrews Cathedral'. The walking didn't stop here. We walked to 'Little India', which wasn't as impressive as the one in KL, and then we got tired of walking and took the train to 'Orchard road'.
Since we only had that one day left in Singapore, we decided to just walk down the road (no shopping) and then walked past the old Parliament house, the Supreme Court and other places that I currently can't remember. After all that walking, we finally made it to the Merlion, which is the lion/fish statue that I was dying to see.
From there it was a short walk to the Marina, where we met excited graduates. After that we had Indian food in the shopping mall (in the Marina) and walked to the 'Gardens by the Bay'.
The garden was beautiful. There were multiple "gardens" inside of it, with cool flowers, sculptures and then obviously the trees. We took the lift up the trees and walked on the bridge (taking a bunch of pictures and selfies, haha!). After walking around the garden and enjoying the heat and humidity (sarcasm), we lied down to watch the "light show". I'll show you guys a short clip of it if I can find it - absolutely beautiful!
Then we took the train back to the hotel to pack up and get ready to fly back to Malaysia, this time to Langkawi.
I'm in love with Singapore, let's leave it at that.
I hope you're liking these posts so far!
xox,
Laila
» TRAVEL DIARY: KUALA LUMPUR
Let's start by saying that Malaysia is a beautiful country. The flight, however, was a nightmare. Or rather that the hours spent on the airplane was a nightmare.. How do people fly to Australia?
We stayed in Kuala Lumpur for five days. When we first arrived, we checked in (duh) and everyone fell asleep immediately because of the time difference. Hello jet lag!
I don't know how long I had been sleeping, but I had the weirdest dreams that day - and I never dream.. By then it must have been around 1-2 pm, and someone (thanks dad and Mona) had brought us all McDonald's. When everyone had eaten and showered, we decided to stay close to the hotel and walk around. We ended up in Pavillion, which is a shopping centre where we just walked around, and then ended up having dinner at the centre. I've never had Malaysian food before, and I had a chicken-veggie-rice dish. That's basically when I decided to go vegetarian for the rest of the trip.
On the way back to the hotel, which was in 'Bukit bintang', there were multiple fruit stands with exotic fruit, and we decided on the coconuts - hello pretty Instagram pictures. But, it was too hot and humid and the coconut water was warm.. The following morning we had kept the coconut in the fridge and it was delicious. I mean, warm coconut water isn't really my thing.
The following day we went to 'China town'. It was very cool. We had dragon fruits - sooooo good - and walked around, where we eventually met a group of Malaysian girls that study tourism. They had a school project where they had to ask a couple questions with tourists, and we ended up chatting with them for a bit.
We went to a beautiful mosque, 'Masjid Jamik' and then found a Malaysian market (?) very close to it, so we ended up walking around there. They had beautiful Indian sarees and traditional Malaysian clothes.
Since my cousins wedding was coming up, we decided to look for dresses there, with no luck. I think people started feeling sad for us, because they suggested that we go to this huge department store called 'Sogo' - didn't find anything there either, but the area was beautiful. There was this "street-stage", where a band was playing music and anyone could walk up and sing.
We also went to the 'Petronas towers', took a bunch of pictures and went to the shopping mall inside of the towers for dinner.
On the third day we went to 'Seyelang Hot Springs', 'Kanching Waterfalls', 'Batu Caves', birdpark, 'Thean Hou Temple', and 'Little India'. Saying that it was a long day is an understatement, but we didn't stay for long at each place.
The hot springs were cool. I've only ever been to one other hot spring before, so it was definitely fun to experience. The waterfalls, however, were amazing. The view was breathtaking and the waterfalls were of 7 levels. This was the first time we met monkeys (during the trip), and we were told to hold on to our items, not wear hats, keep our sunglasses close and not look them in the eye. The "smaller" monkeys were nice, but the "bigger ones" weren't.. There was another school girl with a project. This time it was about our encounters with the monkeys. Very interesting.
The third stop was the Batu Caves. It is a popular Hindu shrine, with 272 (!) steps. Talk about a massive workout. There were monkeys everywhere.. When I say everywhere, I mean everywhere.. They would attack, try to get your water, and just straight out annoy people all the way up the stairs. It took me forever to get up the stairs, but it took me longer to go down.
The bird park was fun. Birds flying everywhere, flamingos, owls (I love owls), and other very interesting species that I had never seen before (I'm no bird expert). Many bird selfies were taken that day.
Then we stopped by the chinese temple. It was very light and airy - so refreshing because of the very humid day. I got a not-so-good fortune, which basically told me I would fail in everything.
The final stop for the day was 'Little India'. It really was like how I imagine India to look like, but much smaller. Music playing on the streets, colorful clothes everywhere, henna and Indian food. We had, for the first time for 3 days, amazing Indian food, that was served on banana leaf - so cool. Then we got henna done and went to the hotel. The day didn't end there. We showered, changed and went to Pavillion again for dinner.
On the fourth day we went to the central market. We walked around and had Malaysian sweets (if anyone knows the name of these, please comment). We realized that we weren't too far from 'Merdeka Square', so we walked (all the way..) and went into this museum (?), took pictures and acted all tourist-y. Fun day. Can you guys guess where we went after? To Pavillion! That day I found a dress for my cousins wedding. Fun day indeed.
On the fifth day we went to 'Mega Mall' (as suggested by a nice taxi driver), so the rest of the family could get clothes for the wedding. There was a market inside with traditional Malaysian food, which actually turned out to be delicious - so spicy though! After a few hours well spent, and a Krispy Kreme donut later, we went to the 'Menara Tower'. By now we were exhausted, so we refused to walk up to the tower (uphill.. Sorry mom), so we decided to walk (!) to the 'Petronas towers'.. My legs have never been as toned before.
We found this beautiful area behind the towers, so if you ever visit KL, make sure to go to the park.
I think you guys can guess where this last day ended - Pavillion! (Well, outside of it, in McDonald's - so fancy)
Kuala Lumpur was great. It was enriched with different cultures and religions, and everyone seemed to be understanding of one another. People were friendly and helpful. Definitely worth a visit.
On day six we went on a bus to Singapore - more about that in another post.
xox,
Laila
» IN OUR HEARTS
People always leave impressions in our lives, and in our hearts. No matter how long we've known them for, or what part of us they belonged to; they will always leave their mark.
It can be as simple as you buying flowers in their memory, or reminiscing how they stood by your side during that difficult time when you thought the world was collapsing underneath. It can also be by smiling when you hear a song they used to like, or laughing at a joke you know they would laugh at.
But it can also simply be by living.
By living a life you know that they would've wanted you to live.
By seizing every great (or small) oppertunity without turning back.
By choosing to be happy. Because happiness is a choice.
Every year since my grandfather passed away, I've gotten flowers. It's become a little tradition, and a way of appreciating the little things in life.
Love.
xox,
Laila
» FIKA
This weekend I've hung out with friends and family. I've watched Christmas movies (so excited!), met Santa (!), went to the North Pole and had chai latte. If you've followed my inconsistent blog for long enough, you know how obsessed I am with chai latte.
Now we just need to hold on, because it's almost Christmas break!
But first I need to study.
Let's welcome Monday with open arms, shall we?
xox,
Laila
» ANGEL OR REBEL?
Ever since I started using MAC products, I saved the empty bottles (or containers), in the hopes of one day 'Back to MAC' them - and get a lipstick (there is, sadly, no 'Back to MAC' program where I live). So when I went to Poland a month (!) ago, I brought along twelve empty containers and left the store with two lipsticks; Rebel and Angel.
Can you imagine how happy I was?
Never throw away empty bottles; you never know if you can get one (or two) lipsticks for them!
xox,
Laila