Autumn

Autumn Is Here!

"Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go"

-Unknown

Oh, fall! There are just so many reasons to live the season-where to even begin? Right now, the weather is just perfect, which makes it ideal to enjoy the fall outings with my friends. 

a stroll through the seaside

to dreaming of sweet potato

and don't forget about this 'Tanghulu' a typical winter chinese snack made of hawthorn dipped into sugar syrup

Sandwiched between blazing summer and chilly winter, nighttime arrives earlier

Like memories, seasons come and seasons go, but it's up to you to hold on to their own unique, nostalgic traits, and experience them for as long as you can.

Travel

Yantai Fisherman’s Wharf

“Once a year, go somewhere you’ve never been before.”

-Dalai Lama; spiritual leader, humanitarian

Travel is about seeing new places but underneath it is so much more, opening your horizons to experience completely different cultures, cuisines and landscapes. While photos are proof that you went and saw, it’s the transformation that takes place within that is often the strongest evidence of why I travel.

 

A place to relax and enjoy the scenery surrounded by unique architecture. One of my favorite spots in Yantai for relaxation is “Germantown” (officially called Fisherman’s Wharf). It’s a great place to people watch in a spot that time seems to standstill and you’re not surrounded by tons of people, no daily rush.

I felt very good. By the sea, the spot has combined everything from tourism, leisure, entertainment to dining and shopping. The relaxing museum and it is my first time seeing a lot of whales swimming around in the giant aquarium, which is very impressing and so are the many other kinds of good-looking marine lives.  

When you travel your perspective or view on life or a given culture. This can change. It most probably will. Or, it will confirm your beliefs and you’ll understand yourself better. Final outcome: growth! (see?) the freedom being on the road of new destinations, foods, cultures, and friends. Travel is a great way to realign and find balance in your life, resulting in a happier, healthier you! Never stop exploring.

7 RULES OF MAKEUP EVERY WOMAN SHOULD FOLLOW

MAKEUP RULES

“Believe me, if I looked good, it’s not an accident.”

-Nora Ephron; journalist, writer, filmmaker

There are tips and tricks as I keep evolving and as a woman who loves to do makeup by herself and I wanted to share with you, there are things that you might know, things that you were aware of but you never thought about it too much. Let’s get into it!

1. SKIN COMES FIRST

Always put the skin first. Makeup is important but if you don’t have a good base for makeup nothing is going to look good. Find a routine that is good for your skin, routine is what makes your skin nice and healthy. Make sure you have a routine for your skin and make sure that you follow that religiously, morning and night.

2. NOT TO PRIME IS CRIME

Using make up for your every activity then I absolutely suggest you to prime. Use any kind of moisturizer, something that really makes that foundation sticks to your skin. You can’t apply foundation after you’ve just washed your face and like that’s it! You must apply a moisturizer.

3. BUY LESS BUT BETTER

We buy so much, be sure you need that product, that’s for your skin type and skin tone. Even if a product is a little bit more expensive but you’re going to end up using it more because you know that’s what you need and that’s what looks good on you, it’s going to somehow end up cheaper than a product that you use less for a cheaper price.

4. RED LIPSTICK IS A MUST

Every woman should own a good red lipstick. Red gives you confidence, power, sexiness and dominance. There is no way you’re not going to look good with red. You’re going to look good with red, just find the right shade and texture. 

5. DO NOT GO TO SLEEP WITH YOUR MAKE UP ON

Sleeping with makeup is bad for your skin as pores might get clogged, your skin might not be able to breathe. Keep makeup remover wipes handy at your bedside.

6. LACK OF SLEEP IS LESS CUTE

Sleep deprivation makes your skin dehydrated and tired looking. Aim for seven to nine hours of beauty sleep per night.

7. LESS IS MORE

It’s sounds so cliché but it’s true especially when you’re “Tita na” (an Aunt). Less products look so much better. Whenever I tried to apply a little bit more just because I feel like I need to cover more and when I get in the daylight, I feel ridiculous. I would rather apply less makeup and embrace my imperfectionson how I really look like.

Your teens and 20s are often about following trends and wanting to look like everyone else you see, from celebrities to makeup vloggers to random girls on Instagram. But eventually, that gets too exhausting- you can relax and figure out what your uniquely beautiful traits are instead of focusing on what you don’t like about your looks, focus the qualities you do like. With these tips by your side, I am sure your makeup routine will be as flawless as ever. Try it out!

How To Survive Your First Days In China

Expat Life Stories

“Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid of standing still.” 
Chinese Proverbs

I'm a wàiguórén 外国人 (foreigner) in China.

On the internet you can find heaps and valuable tips and most of them are quite helpful and logical. It seems simple: Don’t lose your visa, don’t lose your money, don’t lose your mind. But life in China isn’t always logical or simple. And that’s why I will take different tips to survive your first days in China.  

Lose Your Dictionary

You won’t hear me say you don’t need basic Chinese to survive in China. You need it, for sure! When you possess the basic knowledge of Mandarin, a dictionary will hold you back when you’re discovering China. So, here is how you do it:

Nǐ hǎo 你好 ‘hello’ and xièxie 谢谢 ‘thank you’ are a good start, but they won’t get you far. Try at least to learn some basic sentences. The most common conversations are about:

Going somewhere

Wǒ xiǎng qù 我想去 “I want to go to”

Buying something

Duōshao qián? 多少钱? How much is it?

Basic needs

Qǐngwèn, wèishēngjiān zài nǎr?  请问，厕所在哪儿？Where is the washroom please?

Wǒ yào zhège 我要这个 “I want this”

Wǒ yào nàgè 我要那个 “I want that”

My best advice is to follow your instinct rather than your mind or you will lose the latter eventually. I will end with some short, practical advice concerning food, traffic and toilet in Yantai, China.

Food

Eat where the locals eat. Try street food and it smells delectable.

Mode of Transport

Easy. Download Baidu Maps and you will never lose your way.

Toilet

Squat, squat, squat. Leave your shame at home.

Shandong, China

Things to do in Yantai

"It does not matter how slowly you go as along as you do not stop"
-Confucius

A fairy land on earth located in north China and the only international wine city in Asia. If you’re a wine lover, Yantai has for certain something to suit your taste as the city serves as the cradle of wine production in China and a beautiful seascape. 

1. Mountain Scenic Spot

It is the symbol of this city, surrounded by the sea, it’s the ideal place to watch sunrise. There are some great towers in the top of mountain.

2. Nanshan Park

The park is free to enter and it’s very large. There is a large pond/lake. When the weather is good, you’ll see people paddle boating and enjoying the breeze. 

3. Hill Park

If you’re looking to spend some time in nature away from amusement park games, this would be a great choice.

4. The Yellow River

The second largest river in China. originates from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, passing nine provinces. It’s one of the important cradles of China’s civilization.

5. The Wedding Photoshoot Destination

There is a culture destination that centers specifically on wedding photo shoots around many of the scenic spots.

6. City Bus

Get around Yantai over 50 bus routes. It’s very convenient to get around the city, the fee will be only CNY 1 per stop. Taxi is divided into two groups ordinary and standard cars. You can rent a car to get around the city but according to the law, a person with an international driver’s license or a foreign driver’s licensed is not allowed to drive a car in China. Thus, they must hire a Chinese driver.

7.  Tsingtao Beer

Is a name recognized far and wide for its famous beer and you probably already know of Tsingtao beer as the most widely exported beer of China, the ultimate selling point in every restaurant.

8.  Food

One of the greatest delights of being here is that I get the chance to taste authentic local dishes.

Youtiao (Chines fried churro) 

it is best to pair it with soy milk,

a popular Chinese breakfast

After seeing a father encourage his toddler son to defecate on the sidewalk along the busy market street, I know it was time to get back to the more normal confines of "HaiDialo Hotpot"founded in Sichuan Province. Hospitality is still in short supply at mass-scale entries on the mainland, and that's where Haidalo has stood out.

Shāndōng ((山东) is more than the sum of its historical parts. The energetic buzz in seaside ranks the city among the best places to live in Asia. This is real draw: you can climb mountains, feast on fine seafood, quaff beer and still find time to hit the beach. Can't help but inspire wonder.

My next bucket lists:

1. Changyu Castel Chateau

2. Chang Yu Wine Culture Museum

3.  Polaris Museum