Tag Archives: life

Baby From Warpaint

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Warpaint‘s latest album called ‘The Fool’ is really good. Their style is melancholy rock / indie and always make you sink into the your deep thought. It got a dark and sad energy, but still alternative rock. Like their both albums ‘ The Fool (2010) and Exquisite Corpse (2009)’.

The song ‘Baby’ always remind me of someone when I dated with someone  – young and passionately. Youth was full of colour and adventure. Even I am still young, sometimes I don’t think I have much energies before. life is full of with reality and I always try my best to live a reality life with passion.

Baby
 Don’t you call anybody else baby ’cause I’m your baby still.
It took a long time to make it, but I never changed my mind.
I never tried to fake it, never drew a line.

Don’t you call anybody else baby ’cause I’m your baby still.
Took a long time to make it, but I never changed my mind.

You speak your fears, thinking in circles and checking what mirrors don’t see.
You live your life like a page from the book of my fantasy.
How I love you.

2010 Christmas

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Melanie (sister-in-law) was hosted Christmas in 2008, and it’s nice to host this year in our new flat in Leeds. It’s like our Chinese New Year and everyone was so busy to prepare food, gifts and the Christmas mood.

I was in charge of all the food except the Christmas Turkey and dessert. Paul (future Brother-in-law) brought a really nice organic turkey and it tasted so good. John was in charge of pudding, and he decided he made the rich chocolate truffle tote. After a big meal, we had a walk, then played a game. We had a fabulous Christmas in our house.

Christmas is always about family, food and laugh. Hope you had a good Christmas as well.

Eileen and Rok Visiting Leeds

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Eileen and Rok came to visit us before Christmas. I am glad that the early snow didn’t affect our schedule. Living in London, they get used to being in a city and it’s time to show them famous Yorkshire countrysides and some pretty villages.

We took them to Derbyshire Bakewell first, then went to Chatsworth house, because day time was quite short in winter, we had to make sure that we caught the best day light before the sunset. Then drove back to Leeds, and ate in Thai Edge for dinner, then went to the pub.

On the last day of their visit, we decided to take them to North Yorkshire to visit Haworth, and had a big lunch with beef yorkshire pudding and went to hiking a little bit before it went dark.

The weather was so cold, most of days were -4 degree to -10 degree. We spent most of time chatting and enjoyed the scenery. I did enjoy the trips with Eileen and Rok, and they were great accompanies. Moreover, It’s such a wonderful experience to see all the places covered snow.Everything looked like a picture, and I felt like I was living in fairy tale story.

Britain is truly pretty in every season.

Killer Jerk Chicken with Rice & been

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I always try to make some good quality food at the weekend. Followed Jamie Oliver’s 30 minutes meal’s book, I tried to make ‘Killer Jerk Chicken‘ with kidney bean rice, salad, lime coriander yogurt sauce, and BBQ sweet corn this time. I like Jamaica or Caribbean food – all about spice and different flavours.

It was not really difficult to make, and it was really delicious. I am sure if I can make it, anyone can as well. I think the kidney been or black been rice was so delicious. I always know about normal rice, but with little bit herb and spice, the rice was so full of flavour and alive – absolutely delicious.

Served with my favourite Hoegaarden cold beer, happy day ever!

Gok Wan Makeover Live

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Karolina asked me to join her to see Gok Wan‘s new TV shooting in Corn Exchange Leeds, and will release on TV in January. I am not Gok Wan’s fan, but it’s fun to experience the shooting and have some fun time with Karolina.

It said it will be started on 4:30pm, but when we were there, and waited an hour and a half to actually start the show. After starting 10 minutes, we already fed up with waiting and rehearsals all the time. When you think of it, all the TV shows take so much time and effort to produce it, then show you the best of it on TV within half an hour.

I both agreed that we are too old for standing hours and hours to watch celebrities shooting, or basically we don’t really care I guess. However, it was fun experience and I did enjoy it because it’s something we normal didn’t do and see Gok Wan in real life once.

First Snow In Leeds

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Snow is always special for me, and it always makes me dream that I am living in a fair tale world. Like the snow princess is waiting for her prince to rescue her. I like the white and pureness of snow, and you know it’s so cold outside, and luckily you just sit at your cozy home with fireplace and a cup of tea or hot chocolate. Mmm…it’s the perfect winter for me.

John woke me up this morning and whispered to me: I think we got some snow, Carmen! I immediately woke up and could see the snow flakes from my bedroom window gently falling down from the sky, and I sunk into my Carmen imagination world and dreamed again. What’s your dream world like?

Karaoke Crazy Night

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My colleague asked me join them for a Karaoke night in city centre. I never went to a Karaoke Bar in the UK, even though it used to my favourite place to hang out with my friends back to China. I always like singing and is a good way to spend time with your friends as well.

It was different comparing in China. People in China were more focus on the quality of the hi-fi and the microphone sound, and they want to to be professional sounds. However, the quality of the hi-fi of that Karaoke bar was quite basic, people were more care to have fun. We got the most crazy and fun night ever. We were dancing, singing and had so much laugh, even some people I judy met them in the first time. They were so open and just had fun, no matter what! I like that attitude.

Prague Trip

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After 2 years living in the UK, we haven’t had much time to travel anywhere, so we decided to have a smart trip to Prague. John had lived there for a year back to 2005, and he would love to show me Prague and of course it is famous for its own beautiful. John said, living in Prague, just like living in a fairy tale city.

We stayed in a Vintage Design Hotel called Hotel Sax, and it was a fantastic hotel. We booked a super deluxe room with two bathrooms and a little balcony and a long corridor. It had including breakfast and five o’clock afternoon tea as well. It was a really funky hotel, modern, clean and so stylish; beside, the location was next to all the embassies, so it was very quite and near to town. In order to spoil ourselves as well, we booked a private spa including Jacuzzi and sona with really reasonable price, it made our trip more romantic and enjoyable.

John took me to eat a lot of homely Czech food (including some Radost FX vegetarian, and the Pivovarský dům microbrewery, they were fantastic and high recommended if anyone travels to Prague). Prague is famous for their own beer, and it was cheaper to drink a beer in the cafe than ordering a soft drink.

Prague centre was quite small and normal took 20-30 minutes to walk and you properly could see everything. Before I went there, I thought Prague properly would be more outdated because its past history. However, some areas and some people were, but overall, Prague’s cafe or restaurants were quite stylish and modern. Prague was really pretty and sometimes I did imagine what life will be if I were living there. I really want to return when it’s winter snow time, and I can be a snow princess in the fairy tale story.

Back to London / Sally visited us

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Sally from Guangzhou came to visit us for a week, and stayed with us in Leeds. Unfornately I had to work most of the time. We drove together to visit York in a morning, and Sally seems like York quite a lot. I took a friday off and we returned to London for three days to show Sally London.

I do miss London so much, and it’s so excited to return back to London. Everything seemed the same, and I felt like I have never left it. I know people living in North or outside London, they don’t really like London’s busy, the tubes, the tourists, and the rush. For me personally, London makes me feel alive. I absolutely love the vibrate movement, the cool trendy people, the arts, the varieties choices, and multicultural environment, thousands of shops, cafés, restaurants. It has too many to offer, that’s why I love about London, except one thing I don’t want to admit about London that living costs are very expensive.

It’s good experience to live in a different city rather and meet new people. I enjoy our life in Leeds, and certainly, we love living in London very much as well. Someday we shall retune to the most exciting city again!

Miwa Visiting Me

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Miwa was so kindly to come to Leeds to keep me accompanied because she knew that John will be away to Florida for a week, and she was afraid that I will be lonely. Miwa arrived Saturday afternoon, then we went to town to have a walk with Melanie, and done some shopping. I took her to the restaurant called Thai Edge. It was absolutely delicious, authentic with reasonable price. I got my favourite curry crab. I missed it so much. It was 4.5 out of 5 definitely.

We decided to go to Manchester on Sunday, and just chilled out and ate food. Miwa and I didn’t do much research, and just booked the ticket to Manchester. Two little girls were in the big strange city, but we managed well. We went to Tai Hu Dimsum restaurant we went before with John, and we ordered 10 dishes dimsum and finished them all. The time when we finished lunch, all the shops were almost closed.

It’s nice of Miwa spending time with me because she will be back to Japan permanently and I won’t see her easily like she is in London now. I am so glad that I got Eileen, Miwa and Vicky as good friends in London.

Friends forever, no matter where they are!