Rounding up 2015

If there was a particular year in my life whereby I can safely say I have accomplished many things, it would have to be 2015, although I have a hunch that the upcoming year will be an even greater year of accomplishments.

Usually people will say that they have made a switch in the industry they are in, but I for one, have added an industry into my resume and I am so proud of myself for that. I am now a certified licensed financial advisor and technically, I'm using this switch to take over the loss in income from giving tuition for a good 8 years apart from doing events and engaging in various projects. 

I've a friend who told me that a plus point about me is that - I have always known for sure what I wanted. Be it in terms of career, in life, in friendships, in relationships, I always had a clear image of what I want and do not want, who I want to keep in my life and who I wanted to eliminate or flush out of my system. Some of these decision making could have stemmed from certain selfish opinionated reasons but when it comes down to it all, I am making decisions for myself and for my own happiness. 

Some time in May, I did a hiatus from any form of social life and didn't step out of house in 10 days straight and then I realised, I am actually okay and self-sufficient with being at home and being alone. In actual fact, I was actually trying to purge all the old in my room. I think I came out from that slightly more refreshed and mega accomplished with the fact that I was clearing out my room. (My room is forever in a mess haha)

I also did a healthy and wonderful amount of traveling, of which included, Hat Yai, Bangkok, Korea, Turkey, Greece, New York, Norway and you cannot miss out the most amazing of all, Iceland. Everybody needs to visit Iceland because it is one of the most beautiful place I've ever been to and the experience was nothing short of epic and magical. I am so thankful for my travel buddies who made life and my vlogs that much more interesting. Youtube has kept my life somewhat entertaining and I really enjoy it. The only problem is to find time to actually sit down to film some videos and taking the time to edit them.

Some worthy mention people of 2015:

Dancers

Thank you for being my constant pillar of support and being happy for me when there are things to be happy about. Co, I am glad that you confide in me and that you are at a much better place right now. Super happy for you dear. Char, I'm so proud and happy for you that you've found something worthy and of purpose. Xw, I can't wait for your weddinggggg. (:

Nat

Traveling buddy award of the year goes to you! Thanks for being such a great travel buddy and I can foresee many more trips to come. Your company really never fails to make me laugh and I really do need more laughter in my life.

Tabs

For all the laughter and nights out, thank you for being you and for injecting fun in my life to remind myself that I am still young haha

Jo

My go-to-girl for everything classy and awesome (: Thank you for your never-ending words of encouragement and your never-ending recommendations.

Shu

You probably won't be reading this, but I'm glad we are starting to meet up a bit more often than past few years. Thank you for always still being you and for all the familiarity and support.

Sheena

Babe, I'm looking forward to us working together and it's great that you have moved to the West and we now stay so close to each other. Thanks for all the car rides and for your help during Singjazz and YoutubeFanFest.

JanNovChant

Thanks dear, for still finding the time to meet up with me here and there. I'm glad we can still laugh over the same nonsense that we once used to laugh at when we were still in school together.

F1 Colleagues

For bullying me and torturing me with nerf guns all the time! Lol. But seriously, thank you for making life at work that much more enjoyable and life outside work that much more interesting. You guys know who you are.

J

You can say I have an affinity with J's but you are no doubt a very special one.

Thank you for coming into my life and being the best Christmas present one could ever ask for.

Let's create memories in 2016 together, love.

For the year of 2016,

I hope that all the plans I have set out for in terms of career will soar and blossom. There are exciting things coming up and I cannot wait to share them with you all. I am a little overwhelmed and slightly scared, yet excited about all the projects I have in the pipeline for 2016. It will definitely be a year of accomplishments and I probably need to start stocking up on miracle pills to pull everything off but I am very sure that everything will be worth it.

I have a hunch that 2016 will be nothing short of amazing and I can't wait!

Xoxo

Amelia

Touring Istanbul

Istanbul, being one of the world's most populous city, has an extremely vibrant culture. It is not surprising that it has become one of the top few tourist destinations with its modernised city and rich history.

THINGS TO DO

Top of the list for tourist attractions in Turkey has got to be the Blue Mosque. Visit it in the morning and take in the splendour of its architecture and flooring. There are also complimentary talks about the culture and history of the structure available at certain timings in the day. Be sure to check the board for more details. Lying beneath the city of Turkey lies the Basilica Cistern where you can go on a hunt for the iconic Medusa stone heads. 

The Hagia Sophia started out as a Christian Church which later became an imperial mosque before becoming the museum that it is today. The floors and ceilings of the church are decked out in a wonderful mirage of mosaics and definitely a sight to behold. Helmed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, the Topkapi Palace is also great for a leisure stroll around the courtyards. At night, have dinner and be an audience of the Sufi Whirling Dervishes display. They will mesmerize you with their subtle grace and calmness.

Take a tour around the Grand Bazaar and be sure to pack a few bags of tea or spices home. If you are one to collect a few pretty items from each country as I do, you can also help yourself to an array of exquisite lamps and the most beautiful porcelain bowls. Hop onto the Tramway and make a journey down to Eminonu for an amazing fish sandwich along the river. Alternatively, you can also take a cruise out into the Bosphorus River or cross the Galata bridge to have a great bird's eye view of the city at the top of the Galata Tower. The Spice Bazaar is also in the vicinity if the diverse smells seem enticing to you.

WHERE TO EAT

Istanbul has loads of restaurants for you to experience their food. Any place you take a seat at is bound to offer you some hot apple tea. Tea culture is strong in Turkey and you can't leave Turkey without having a sip of their teas from an "hourglass" (literally). Sweet treats are also abundant in this city. Be sure to check out Ozmanlizadeler for their beautiful Turkish delights and amazing baklavas. Dejavu Restaurant serves up one of the best lamb with grilled eggplant puree, béchamel and tomato sauce. It is rich and flavor and the best pairing to a healthy serving of Pita bread.

Balik-ekmek is a fish fillet grilled right on the spot at a street side stall along the Bosphorus River that comes with a generous serving of lettuce, tomatoes and onions. Probably one of the freshest fish you can ever come across. 

WHERE TO STAY

I would highly recommend you to stay along the Sultanahmet area as it is a stone's throw away from the Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern and Hagia Sophia. It is also extremely easy to get around Istanbul by walking or using the Tramway system as you would hardly miss them. Make your stay lovelier by staying at the Villa Hagia Sophia which has a cosy room and common living area. A Turkish breakfast spread is also available upon your stay in the lovely outdoor porch.

GOOD TO KNOW

There might be long snaking queues for some of the attractions so be prepared to wait in line for a while. Also, most of the people in Turkey are able to speak English and surprisingly, even Mandarin! Although the main currency used in Turkey is in Liras, Euros are widely accepted everywhere so do use the currency with the best exchange rate at that point of time.

Turkey Vlog Day 1 - Istanbul
Turkey Vlog Day 2 - Istanbul

Xoxo,

Amelia

Travel Turkey in 5 days!

Yes, as absurd as the title may sound, I actually managed to travel most parts of turkey and conquered many areas in 5 days. It definitely may seem a little tight, but it's not impossible!

Here's my itinerary of my 5 days in Turkey.

Day 1 // Istanbul

Day 2 // Istanbul

Day 3 // Cappadocia (Göreme)

Day 4 // Cappadocia (Göreme)

Day 5 // Denizli & Selçuk

I will be posting about these areas more in-depth in separate blogposts, but just for this post, I am going to focus on how to get from one area to another within the country. Crucial for planning a trip from scratch.

We took a early morning flight from Singapore (SIN) to Istanbul (IST) at about 01:45am and managed to touch down at Ataturk International Airport (IST) around 07:45am.

Good to know: Istanbul is 5 hours behind Singapore.

We were on Singapore Airlines (Boeing 777-200) and the only thing that bugged me was, since this was an older boeing, there were no usb cables available for me to charge my phone. (And until someone finds a portable way to charge my laptop on the plane in Economy, that would be awesome! Some airlines like United do offer AC outlets to let you charge your laptops on the plane, but probably only available to Business and First Class ticket holders)

ISTANBUL

Upon arrival at Istanbul, there are a few ways to get you from Ataturk International Airport into the city. You have the options of either taking the Taxi, Airport Transfer Services, Tram/Metro or the Airport Bus. The Airport Transfer Service is about €25 one way from the Airport.

Most hotels in Istanbul should offer you an option with a shuttle that brings you from the airport to the hotel directly. To me, I think it saves you some hassle for a small nominal fee. Our shuttle from the airport to the hotel provided by Villa Hagia Sophia is 80TL (Turkish Liras). We paid the hotel stay together with the shuttle provided in Euros in the end. Most places in Turkey accept both TL and Euros liberally. Somehow, the Euros gained us a few tens of dollars after conversion which is extremely strange, but great for us I guess!

Traveling about Istanbul is also extremely convenient by their metro line that runs on the roads through the city.

Click HERE for enlarged version.

A brief overview of Istanbul:

Istanbul is a bustling city that has a strong tea culture. Almost every restaurant you are at will offer you a glass of apple tea. Visit the Hagia Sophia Museum (Ayasofya) that is so full of history and the underground Basilica Cistern in search of the two Medusa statues. Take photos with the iconic Blue Mosque and roam around the Topkapi Palace whilst you let your shoes grace the marble flooring. Alternatively, you could take a boat trip along the Bosphorus straight towards the Black Sea or shop for pretty things at the Grand Bazaar.

There is never a dull moment in Istanbul.

CAPPADOCIA (Göreme)

Göreme pronounced as Go-reh-may) is a town in Cappadocia. The fastest way, which isn't very fast to begin with, is to take a bus there. The bus ride is 11hours long and it's the most common mode of transportation to get from Istanbul to Göreme.

We pre-booked our buses with an agent under Tourline Turkey. I chanced upon their website and there was no indication of anything to make a booking so I had to send in an email request and inquiry about the booking of buses. I got a response from Huseyin Uysal. Thankfully, his reply was prompt and in proper English. There are times where you have to struggle to understand but it's not terrible. I believe he connected me with Insider Travel and made all my bus bookings as per my request with the respective bus companies which was extremely helpful!

info@tourlineturkey.com

http://www.tourlineturkey.com

+90 (531) 3789262

I basically told him the bus journeys I required and at what specific time and he will track down the buses for me. We did 3 journeys.

Istanbul -> Göreme

11 hours

Göreme -> Denizli

11 hours

Denizli -> Selçuk

2.5 hours

Here's a map of Turkey so you have a rough idea of how the journey is like.

(Photo credits to TurkeyTravelPlanner.com)

Pamukkale is located in Denizli and Ephesus is located in Selçuk. The 11hour bus rides are basically overnight buses, so that you don't lose out on daylight. Apart from buses, I believe that you can also take a train from one area to another even though I did not research in-depth into it. The buses have wifi  on board as well as entertainment, just like on an airplane. The only thing is, the wifi goes off whenever the bus makes a break at pitstops along the way for people on the bus to make use of the toilet, grab a bite or drink.

The bus does provide you with light refreshments such as coffee and tea, water and light bites as well!

A brief overview of Cappadocia:
Cappadocia is the land of fairy chimneys and spectacular views of unique geological rock formations formed after thousands of years of past volcanic activities. Visit the Göreme Open Air Museum and the Göreme National Park where you will witness excellent preserved frescos. One of the major highlights of Cappadocia has got to be taking a hot air balloon ride that takes you a few thousand feet high up in the air over the various valleys whilst you catch the first glimpse of sunrise.

DENIZLI

On the last day, we arrived at Denizli bus station in the morning and had the whole morning and ample time to explore Pamukkale and Hierapolis. There was definitely more than enough time. The 'manager' on the bus will indicate to you which stop to alight and from there, a shuttle took us to this small travel agency which was literally walking distance to Pamukkale Travel Agency. However, if you want to get to the east entrance, you can pay a small fee of 30TL and they will drive you there. It made more sense because you can walk down the cotton castles which will lead you back to the travel agency.

A brief overview of Denizli:
Many people who visit Denizli are probably just there for Pamukkale and Ancient Hierapolis which houses an old Roman amphitheatre and the iconic thermal pools, otherwise called the cotton castles of Pamukkale. You can soak yourself in the water and rub your feet in the clay at the bottom of the various pools of water. If you're an adrenaline junkie and looking for some fun, many people also head up to the north-west end of Hierapolis to para-glide down so you get a panoramic view of the sights below your feet.

Selçuk

The mid-day bus from Denizli to Selçuk was quite treacherous due to the blazing sun. I guess it also depends on which time of the year you are travelling to Turkey. We were there right smack in the middle of Summer so the temperature could hit a high of 40degreesC. 

A brief overview of Selçuk:
Similarly, everyone visits Selçuk just for the Ancient City of Ephesus. It is one of the best ancient ruin sites in Turkey and consists of many late Roman structures such as the Odeion and Celsus Library. A great place to roam about and relinquish in the historical facade of the Romans.

***

I decided on this route from Istanbul -> Göreme -> Denizli -> Selçuk because it links us back up to Izmir airport where we took a flight out to Athens (Greece). It is one of the most common route. Reversely, you could travel from Istanbul -> Selçuk -> Denizli -> Göreme and back up to Istanbul. Apart from that, you could also travel out towards the west coast to places like Bodrum and Marmaris that have excellent coastal sights as well. There are also ferries available from these ports that provide ferry service between Turkey and Greece.

And that's it! You've got Turkey covered in 5 days.
I'll definitely be covering some of the recommended hotels you can accommodate yourselves at in another blogpost as well as each area and it's attractions in individual blogposts and link them back here once they are up.

Xoxo,
Amelia

RIMMEL | Lasting Finish by Kate Moss

If you have not heard of the Lasting Finish by Kate Moss lipsticks, where have you been hiding! These lipsticks have been my absolute favourite ever since I first got my hands on them in New York back in December 2013. They are the perfect addition to your carry-along makeup bag and the packaging is pretty classy as well.

The first four from the left are her original Lasting Finish formulas. The black packaging with pink wordings are from her new Spring collection and the red packaging are her Lasting Finish Matte lipsticks. I like that the lipstick bullet caps have a good snap to them and that it is not loose so the cap will not come loose whilst you are on the go. 

Colors from left to right. Only the Lasting Finish Matte lipsticks have names to them as well. Coincidentally, Kiss of Life in 111 is my favourite out of the lot that I have hauled. It stays on really well and is in this gorgeous shade of bright cherry red. Perfect for the day or for a night out. These claim to last for 8 hours and tend to stain your lips a bit, especially the redder ones. They definitely do not have as high a staying power as the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers but are decent enough to last you through the day with just an additional one or two touch-ups after meals.

Unfortunately, I have no idea where you can get the Rimmel line in Singapore anymore. You can order them from ASOS online as they provide free shipping to Singapore as well. Rimmel has also recently brought in a Lasting Finish Nude line by Kate Moss and I would like to get my hands on the mauve shade.

Are you a fan of these lipsticks as well?

Share your thoughts with me! (: 

28 Random Facts About Me

Strangely enough, I like talking to a camera.

Here's 28 random facts about myself.