Added Extras #35

What's up, Tuesday? Haven't you come around fast again? Can you believe that this time next week it'll be August already? That means it's getting closer to September, the magical birthday month where I constantly use my getting older as an excuse to buy myself shiny new things and eat everything I can find.

The Incredible Giant Buddha of Leshan, China

China's big, isn't it? I'd never even heard of Leshan before planning this trip, but even this 'small' city has a population of almost two million. We drove for over three hours from our base in Chengdu to get there and visit the thing Leshan is most famous for: a giant Buddha carved in to the cliff face at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers.

Dinner at Pergola on the Roof

Lord knows Londoners love a rooftop in summertime. From Frank's in Peckham to Queen of Hoxton, we all flock to a place that isn't in the shade of a high rise in order to get the vitamin D we've all missed out on in our windowless offices. New on the scene is Pergola on the Roof*, making good use of the space at the top of Television Centre in White City.

Added Extras #34

I don't want to sound like a scratched record here, but I am so damn busy. I mean, would you just look at my pesky full time job taking priority over this little weekly installment?! I'd be mad, but I'm actually really enjoying being back at work and getting my teeth into lots of new projects, so I'm just taking it on the chin.

Touring Temples in Singapore's Chinatown

Chinatown is undeniably the most vibrant area of Singapore to explore. I had amazing food there numerous times (including Kaya toast for breakfast and red chilli crab at dinner), and my love for the colourful shutters on all the buildings in the neighbourhood is certainly no secret. Hidden within the warren-like streets, looked down on by high rise offices and residences, there are some beautiful temples.

Tatty Devine AW16 Wish List

I am no stranger to the weird and wonderful world of Tatty Devine. My love for the brand is so well known that I that I receive pieces for birthdays and Christmas every year, I queue up for the incredible sample sale every May bank holiday, and have a dedicated drawer to safely store all the bits I own.

Dinner at Di Shui Dong, Shanghai

I found it surprisingly difficult to find affordable, good quality Chinese food in Shanghai. It is definitely the most multicultural city I've been to in China, which means there are some amazing European restaurants to be found, but I was in China for goodness sake!

Like most accessibly priced restaurant in China, there's no airs and graces at Di Shui Dong and certainly no fancy decor.

Added Extras #33

This week it will have been a month since I got back from my big trip. The more I think about it, the more sad I get, so I've been busying myself to keep my mind occupied. My diary is almost back to being in its usual state of insanity and I'm glad of it, to be honest.

Saying Something

The last month has seen the world in a dire state. As trust in 'the system', democracy and equality has rapidly disintegrated, the powerful voice of the internet has allowed those whose frustrations mirror so many others to discuss this terrifying situation we're in. Through a common good and mutual desire for change, a hashtag is found. It may not sound like much, but the unifying power of that little symbol is enough to make headline news and attract the attention of people in power. The hashtag is increasingly becoming a revolution hidden in the guise of a punctuation mark.

The Prettiest Streets in Singapore

My camera was totally unprepared for how unbelievable pretty Singapore's architecture is. If I'm going to go whole hog with some ridiculous verbs, I'll throw it out there and say the place is wonderfully 'Instagrammable'. Every street has a personality, but ultimately, it has colour. Bright blocks of boldness, mosaics and patterns on tiles and walls, and the shutters.

Added Extras #32

Last week was a bit odd. Some good bits, some bad bits, some really unexpected bits. I wasn't stupidly busy which was a nice change and actually took some time to catch up on sleep and just be. Let's just crack on with the moments that perked me up, shall we?

My Must-Have Cosmetics for Travelling

I thought whittling down what clothes to pack for a three month trip was hard enough, but then I turned my attention to cosmetics. I wanted to be prepared for all eventualities because there is nothing worse than being sick abroad. I had a whole other bag for make-up, but these bits addressed cosmetics and medications that I felt were totally essential and well worth lugging about in my backpack