Four Days in Amsterdam

I missed you guys soo much! First off, I would like to wish you all a very happy new year filled with peace, positivity and laughter. In case you haven’t read the last few posts from 2018, I announced a small break from my blog over the new year as I was travelling to Amsterdam and I thought why not share my trip with all of you, including some of the things I got for myself.

Just a quick side note before I forget: I haven’t yet posted about what I got for Christmas yet because I still need to meet my best friend to give her hers and her boyfriend’s gifts so I’ll wait for that and then publish the post, but in the meantime…

And can we admire the beauty of this photo?! This is the Alps as we passed over them on our way to Eindhoven Airport…

DAY 1

I woke up at around 4am because the flight was at 8am. I needed to pack the last few things before heading to the airport. Once we were all checked out of the airport, we headed to Efteling Park, – luggage and all – and spent the whole day there. I probably had the greatest time in a park ever that day. One of the rides gave me such a fright the photo taken was me crying with my eyes closed! Everyone had a laugh at that, including me. It was terrifying, to say the least! The park’s theme is mystical and forest-y (it’s not a word but there’s no other way to describe it). Before went to the hotel, we watched a mesmerising fountain show, which was very beautiful and colourful.

Been up since 4am, how tired I look on a scale from 1 to 10?!

The quill moved as if someone was writing and the whole incubator with the book rotated

This is as soon as we passed through the entrance. Isn’t it pretty?!

DAY 2

We were all pretty knackered after spending a whole day at Efteling Park, so we spent most of the day. In the evening, we went to a place where we could play VR games. I wasn’t the best – in fact I was the worst in my team – but it was a lot of fun and an unforgettable experience!

This candy store wasn’t the cheapest, but there were a lot of brands and products which I’d never seen before… like purple Oreos!

I’m obsessed with these rubber ducks; I’ve seen a lot of them in London and to see them in Amsterdam was amusing! I decided to name all of them Robert

NYFA has always been my dream, and to actually see the one in Amsterdam in person made me super emotional. I couldn’t attend for personal and financial reasons, but maybe someday I will!

DAY 3

This day was the reason we actually planned the holiday in the first place: New Years’ Eve! The original plan was going partying at a very swanky and exclusive club and then head to one of the many bridges of Amsterdam (just several minutes away from the club) to see the fireworks and actually put up some ourselves!

Things didn’t exactly go to plan because all fireworks were sold out so we didn’t get to use anything, and we only spent several minutes at the club and didn’t go back in. But we still saw the fireworks and it was magical and out of this world. The fireworks people put up themselves went up until TWO IN THE MORNING. Seriously, we arrived at our hotel room at 1am and they were still going on!!

I was very tired on that day so I didn’t take too many photos.

DAY 4

Our last full day! /sad face/ After the previous night, we decided to just take things easy and not do any extravagant things. I had some girl time and went souvenir shopping (correction: only I did a spree!) and then headed to Body Worlds – which was amazing! – before meeting back with the boys. Afterwards, we went to a bar which had a Glow Golf course under it and it was… interesting. Again, I wasn’t the best but we had a laugh and it was a great night, like any other.

I won’t be including pictures of Body Worlds because it might upset some people and there’s some graphic content within it like dissected brains and skeletons. But in case you’re intrigued, everything displayed in the museum is REAL. Exhibitions consist of actual dead people and it impressed me a lot at how well-preserved they were. There are interesting facts with every display about the body and diseases. I learned a lot and some displays were… interesting, in a very weird way.

“DAY 5”

I put it in quotation marks because it’s the day we all travelled back home. We woke up at around 5am to pack the last few things before we waited for our taxi driver to drive us to Eindhoven airport.

Overall, it was one of the greatest holidays ever. I’ll definitely visit Amsterdam again in the (hopefully near) future.

HAUL

In the banner of the post, which you can read above, I listed that I will include a “mini haul” of what I got.  There are some things I didn’t find online to link them in case you wanted to buy them, and I’m feeling quite poorly so I won’t post any photos, just the links, and then list the things I didn’t find and describe them as best as I could.

• Pink wireless Bluetooth headphones from Primark
• A 2-pack cucumber facial cleansing wipe from Primark
• The book William Shakespeare’s Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope (which is basically A New Hope written in Shakespearean) from a comic store
• A large n.43 Vintage Blossom jar candle in the scent ‘lily & honeysuckle’ from Primark
• A black portable fast-charging power bank from Primark
• A small Newton’s cradle by Legami Milano from YoYo! Fresh Tea Bar
• Glow-in-the-dark band-aids from Yoyo! Fresh Tea Bar
• Black Friends hoodie with How you doin’ (a.k.a. the most iconic Friends quote ever) written on the top left from Primark
• Blue denim high-waisted ankle grazer skinny jeans from Primark
• Grey cropped Friends jumper with the infamous logo (and the dots are tiny pompoms!) from Primark
• Two pairs of plain joggers in black and grey from Primark
• A striped Harry Potter nightdress from Primark

Products not listed above include:

• Two fanny packs: one plain with two zippers and another one with one zipper and a chain across the middle/ The first one is for casual outings and the latter for more formal occasions.
• A collapsible shopper bag with Amsterdam-related things all over it, such as tulips, the name written and bicycles.
• A Totoro coin purse from a comic store.
• A Slytherin jumper with green and grey horizontal stripes and the house crest on the left side.
• Several souvenirs, pairs of socks and round cotton pads.

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I hope you enjoyed this post, apologies for it being very long and full of photos but I believe pictures speak for themselves in my case. If you’re thinking of travelling to Amsterdam in the future let me know in the comments below! Where are you planning to visit? How long will you be staying? Let’s start a conversation!

REVIEW: Harry Potter & The Cursed Child 5/5

I engaged in a lot of speculation in the days leading up to attending Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I purposely didn’t read the play (also because I’m still halfway through the third Harry Potter book) or any reviews before I saw the show. We both wanted to be completely immersed in the experience. So, for the months leading up to D-Day (the play was booked A YEAR PRIOR!), I was filled with questions: “Do you think there will be moving paintings?” “Will there be ghosts?” “What about Hagrid? Will he be in it?” My concern was for the details, the stuff that without them, the story will not feel as—dare I say it—magical.

Y’all, the details are present and then some. Since I am bound by #keepthesecrets button confidentiality (everyone was handed this on a button as we left the performance of Par One), I shall not reveal the whats and hows. Instead I will do the most “non-review” review possible and share my four main observations of the play.

The casting was spot-on

I lowkey cried four times during the play. The first was when we initially see Harry, Ron and Hermione together. The actor portraying Ron Weasley was phenomenal—funny, touching and so clearly captures Ron’s loyalty. I found myself enchanted by his interpretation of Weasley life.

Grown-up Harry Potter is a man whose emotions are still as much on the surface as they were when he was a boy, reinforcing that he will always be tortured by his past. The difficulties of growing up were present throughout the story, specifically the idea that being an adult doesn’t mean we are grown.

This was something that was lamented by the portrayal of Draco Malfoy focused on a man who not only had to live with the sins of his family, but who continues to struggle with his father’s doctrine. You could see the actor wrestling with Draco’s Death Eater-based socialization, particularly when it comes to raising his son while still having to interact with the rest of the wizarding world.

Lastly, Hermione Granger, was hands down my favorite. The actress had to balance many incarnations of Hermione: her bravery, brains and calm approach to the chaos of the wizard world. Hermione was played as the badass we all know her to be and did everything in heels for most of the play. Plus, there were many nods to the feminist household Ron and Hermione live in, from the hyphenated last name of their children to hints that Ron is part joke-shop-owner and part stay-at-home-parent.

The trio’s kids are going to be okay

The actress who plays Rose Granger-Weasley was both wonderful and tragic. Her performance was stunning, and Rose was presented as the perfect blend of her parents. Her energy level was through the roof and every time she was on stage you couldn’t take your eyes off her. The tragic part was that she was not given more to do; her character is sparse after the first half of the show, and clearly could have handled more.

One of the recurring themes of the show (and the HP canon in general) was the troubles of being an outcast. Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy are those people. If Rose fits in and excels at everything (like mother like daughter, basically), Albus and Scorpius fail. The portrayal of Albus, however, was what the play promised, a teenage boy whose famous father’s image is so daunting that he must either rebel against or surpass it. The presentation of Scorpius is not at all what one would expect from a Malfoy. He is goofy, book-smart, nerdy, awkward and totally weird (basically a blend of the iconic trio, in my opinion). Like many folks in the theater, I could relate.

How does one overcome stigma?

This theme was clearly one of the cruxes of the play and manifested in Draco. The portrayal of Draco, a man who has had almost every adult figure in his life fail him (and struggles with his place in the wizard world) blew me away. Draco was given a lot more layers in this story, as a parent, a husband and a man trying to exist in a society that does not trust him.

In the books, Draco always felt like a shadow figure, and in the films, I thought he was played up more as a boy whose jealousy and privilege where poisoning him. It was nice to see him as more than this. Layers manifested in the ways Draco was portrayed as a complicated man, someone who wants to help his son become more than a product of Death Eaters.

Boys can cry

All of the characters, and the actors portraying them, presented themselves as multi-dimensional people. Rose was not only smart, but she also a jock. Ginny writes for the sports section of The Daily Prophet and is a loving mother in an egalitarian household. (Harry does the cooking just fyi). Hermione runs the Ministry, Ron works part-time, and their children hold both their last names.

But what was most telling was the friendship between Albus and Scorpius. Both boys are allowed to share their deepest feelings with each other, without ridicule or judgement. They express their fears, hug a lot and demonstrate that boys can cry. We also see this with Harry and Albus. Harry allows his son to see him crying and devastated. Even Draco gets a few moments where we realize how close to the surface his emotions run, yet Draco is more aware of the restrictions masculinity places on expressing feelings.

Conclusion

In short, The Cursed Child lived up to my expectations and beyond. Please accept my apologies for the lack of details in this non-review review, but I do fear the wrath of Professor McGonagall if any secrets are revealed.

#KeeptheSecrets

Travelling to London

Travelling to London? Follow these tips!!

Summer Must-Haves // 2017

I am currently in London enjoying myself,
but I also want YOU to enjoy yourselves by reading a post!
So here goes! Be back on the 27th July!

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denim skirts

There’s different ways you can wear this wardrobe staple throughout the year, but the best accessory for summer is definitely a plain white t-shirt (scroll further down) and beautifully tanned legs.

off-the-shoulder tops

Probably one of my favourite trends I can never wear because of my big… assets. Maybe someday I will have the guts and small assets to wear these tops. The bonus is that you can wear these with anything.

denim jackets

I probably have over four denim jackets in my wardrobe – one of which is vintage Levi’s – and I wear each one of them with different things. And if someone tells you not to double denim an outfit, go triple denim (is this possible? Anyone?)

backpacks

I probably have more backpacks than any other type of bag. Not only are they cute, but they are also very spacious and good for travelling (you gotta look good for the locals you know!). Will I be buying more?… Don’t test me.

bodycon dresses

Because of the bumps and lumps I call my body, I cannot wear these without looking like a jelly twisted with a piece of rope all around. But I love looking at these and they’re nice for a date night, a BFF bonding date and so much more.

soft shorts

Perfect for girls who have thighs like mine or cannot  tolerate denim shorts stuck to their body because of the heat. You can wear this either with a smart or a casual outfit. Many materials and colours to choose from!

t-shirt dresses

The comfiest kind of dress out there.. You can team them up with heels, boots, tennis shoes, sandals… you name it! If it’s plain, add patterns, and the other way round. Win-win.

peasant blouses

This summer has seen the comeback of the peasant blouses. Most of them have embroideries with patterns and colours.

stripes

If anyone ever said that this trend is going out of fashion, they are absolutely wrong. A trend that was inspired by the nautical style, it has been in and out of style over the years, but has stuck over the last few years.

white tees

This timeless trend dates back to the Footloose days, and has been a trendsetter ever since I knew what fashion and style meant. Pair with classic denim jeans and white trainers and you’re perfect.

crop tops

Subject to many controversies, yet we still love them. Should women with a bit of pooch round the mid-area wear them? I personally think that anyone can wear anything they want s long they feel comfortable and confident in their outfits. And there’s mini different types of crop tops you could wear.

florals

I hope florals never go out of fashion because I love them. Colourful, big and bright are three things I wish my clothes were more of (I’m trying, don’t judge me!). I own a few floral printed items of clothing but I am still struggling to go full-mode floral like the first photo. But I will… someday.

The Planet Is Dying… & It’s All Our Fault

Earlier this week I attended an event about energy efficiency. And while the speakers discussed this issue on a more broad level, it really got me thinking: our planet is slowly dying. It’s good that conferences like this are happening all over the country, because it goes to show that someone is doing something about it… but are we?

Let’s Get Technical…

Debra Kelly on Listverse said that, “It’s no secret that our planet is in a pretty dire condition. Extinction rates have been estimated to be about 1,000 times higher than they should be, and that’s all due to human influence—and interference. With around 20,000 species at risk for extinction and countless others that we haven’t even discovered yet also dying, scientists are rushing to figure out what we can do about it. Some have suggested the sixth great mass extinction is looming on the horizon, and the problem is a massive one. It’s so big that there are things that you do every day that are helping to bring about the end of the world, and chances are that you might not even know it.”

What are we doing wrong?

These pictures from Bored Panda are just a few examples of what humans are doing that are killing the planet:

The burning of fossil fuels helps the Arctic ice melt faster

CO2 emission causes tsunamis

Cutting the trees for the white and soft toilet paper hurts the forests

Plastic pollutes the water that we drink

Meat and dairy industry pollutes the air

Heating our homes heats the Earth as well

Irresponsible usage of electricity causes the floods

The Greenhouse Effect

The exchange of incoming and outgoing radiation that warms the Earth is often referred to as the greenhouse effect because a greenhouse works in much the same way.

Incoming UV radiation from the Sun easily passes through the glass walls of a greenhouse and is absorbed by the plants and hard surfaces inside. Weaker IR (infrared) radiation, however, has difficulty passing through the glass walls and is trapped inside, thus warming the greenhouse. This effect lets tropical plants thrive inside a greenhouse, even during a cold winter.

So imagine what we are doing to our planet with the greenhouse effect… The Sun’s heat passes through the ozone layer, through the cracks of it, and the heat is trapped within it. Ice caps are melting, natural disasters are at an all time high and temperatures are soaring high (and if you live in either Malta or the UK, you know what this is!).

What can we do to help save the planet?

I’ll admit that “save” is an interesting word choice, especially considering many scientists think that we are beyond saving after the environmental devastation we have put Earth through thus far. However, as an optimist, I believe every little bit counts and we can still make this planet a beautiful place, and hopefully save its creatures from impending doom. The choices we each make today are important.

This article is very informative if YOU want to help our planet stay alive.

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50 Questions Tag

1. What’s your favorite candle scent?

 Anything that has jasmines smells soooo damn good to me.

2. What female celebrity do you wish was your sister?

 Jennifer Lawrence, because who else?

3. What male celebrity do you wish was your brother?

Probably John Lennon. He’s cool.

4. How old do you think you’ll be when you get married?

I don’t have a particular age in mind, nor do I want to get married to my boyfriend – I prefer a long relationship than marriage – but maybe sometime before we hit 30 years old.

5. Do you know a hoarder?

Before I spring-cleaned my room a few months ago, no. After that, yes: myself. I had all sorts of things dating over ten years. TEN. YEARS.

6. Can you do the splits?

Nope. Not now or before or ever.

7. How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike?

… I never did.

8. How many oceans have you swam in?

Just the Mediterranean Sea in three different countries: Malta, Gozo and Sicily.

9. How many countries have you been to?

Tunisia, Spain, France, Sicily, Italy, England, Budapest, Austria… so that’s eight.

10. Is anyone in your family in the army?

Nope.

11. What would you name your daughter if you had one?

Anything Beatles-related – Julia, Michelle, Jude, Cynthia, Eleanor, Belle, Ebony, Stella and a lot more that cannot come to mind – and I also like Emma, Coraline, Dharla, Olivia, Lyla, Daisy, Lily, Daria, Dhalia and Emily.

12. What would you name your son if you had one?

Like the previous answer, anything Beatles-related – John, Paul, George, Harrison, Lennon, Mccartney, Julian, Dhani, Sean, Zak, Daniel, Michel and a lot more that cannot come to mind – and I also like Daniel, Noah, Kurt, Axl, Jimmy, Oliver, Logan and Alexander.

13. What’s the worst grade you got on a test?

Between 30 and 50 in Math.

14. What was your favorite TV show when you were a child?

That’s a long list, but anything I saw on Disney Channel, Power Rangers and anything I watched before I went to school (which were all Italian dubbed).

15. What did you dress up as on Halloween when you were eight?

Nothing. In Malta, we only started celebrating Halloween in the past ten years

16. Have you read any of the Harry Potter, Hunger Games or Twilight series?

I’m currently on the third book of the Harry Potter series… is that bad? The rest no, and not interested.

17. Would you rather have an American accent or a British accent?

British… preferably Scouse or Irish.

18. Did your mother go to college?

Nope.

19. Are your grandparents still married?

Yes, even though one grandpapa passed away.

20. Have you ever taken karate lessons?

No, but I’d like to try!

21. Do you know who Kermit the frog is?

Who doesn’t?

22. What’s the first amusement park you’ve been to?

I think it’s one in Tunisia, over 10 years ago.

23. What language, besides your native language, would you like to be fluent in?

I used to be very fluent in French, but after I stopped studying it, I forgot how to speak it, so I’d like to re-start. I’d also like to speak Irish.

24. Do you spell the color as grey or gray?

Grey.

25. Is your father bald?

No, almost though!

26. Do you know triplets?

Just twins.

27. Do you prefer Titanic or The Notebook?

Titanic, all the way!

28. Have you ever had Indian food?

I don’t think I have.

29. What’s the name of your favorite restaurant?

Hard Rock Cafe, hell yes!

30. Have you ever been to Olive Garden?

We don’t have one in my country.

31. Do you belong to any warehouse stores (Costco, BJ’s, etc.)?

No.

32. What would your parents have named you if you were the opposite gender?

I asked this to my mum yesterday because I never really asked about this, and she told me they never really had a boy’s name in mind because they’ve always wanted a girl. But then she said that dad always loved Michel.

33. If you have a nickname, what is it?

Never really had one. But I used to be called Marshmallow back in secondary school because I had an obsession with them.

34. Who’s your favorite person in the world?

My mother. She’s the absolute best person. And my boyfriend and BFF (I haven’t forgotten about you loves!).

35. Would you rather live in a rural area or in the suburbs?

Rural. I love peace and silence.

36. Can you whistle?

Yep!

37. Do you sleep with a nightlight?

I used to, but not anymore. Although my AC’s temperature is digital with a bright white LED display so hypothetically yes. I sleep with a nightlight.

38. Do you eat breakfast every morning?

Almost.

39. Do you take any pills or medication daily?

Yes, anxiety and vitamins for concentration.

40. What medical conditions do you have?

Crippling anxiety, social anxiety, depression and mild OCD.

41. How many times have you been to the hospital?

Twice, if you count the day I was born.

42. Have you ever seen Finding Nemo?

Uhhhhhhh, who hasn’t?!

43. Where do you buy your jeans?

New Look, Peacocks, Centro Moda, Matalan…

44. What’s the last compliment you got?

“Cutie” – from my boyfriend ❤

45. Do you usually remember your dreams in the morning?

Most of the time, yes.

46. What flavor tea do you enjoy?

English breakfast, medium flavour strength.

47. How many pairs of shoes do you currently own?

Over 10… 15, 16?

48. What religion will you raise your children to practice?

I’m more a spiritual than religious person even though I was raised as one. I’ll teach my children what is right and wrong and I will respect whatever religion they want to practise.

49. How old were you when you found out that Santa wasn’t real?

I don’t remember, but I was relieved because I was dead scared of him.

50. Why do you have a blog?

 Apart from always wanting to have one, I wanted to spread awareness on mental health and body positivity and equality and love around me.

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I hope you got to know me better with this tag!

I know waaay too many bloggers, so if you’re one of them…

YOU’VE BEEN TAGGED!

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Summer Survival 101

Summer… probably my least favourite season by a mile. The heat, the sweat, the chaffing of my thighs every time I dare wear a dress or shorts…! On the other hand, I get to do a lot of things I never get the time to do during Winter for various reasons: weather, time, money and a lot more.

Below are a list of things I do to survive summer, which I hope will help others. Sit back and enjoy!

20 Signs You Love TV Series More Than People

Another relatable list of things you know you are and cannot help admit to but it’s okay because we are all these kinds of people who makes us human so it’s okay.

Did I say it’s okay?

The Leibster Award!

I was sick since Wednesday, which is why I was MIA on all my social media – that would be my Facebook page/group/personal profile, Instagram and such. But I’m feeling better because, guess what? I got nominated for my SECOND blogging award, the Leibster!

I got nominated by the lovely Tracy (hint: if you’re into book/series/video game reviews, give her a follow!).

Rules are simple: answer 11 questions, come up with 11 questions of your own, nominate 11 people. But I’m ignoring the last part.

So without further ado, here are my answers to Tracy’s questions!