This is the much-delayed second post from my Rome trip during the Jubilee Year last October. Life rather got in the way, so this one is fashionably late—but perhaps that’s fitting. Revisiting these pages has been a lovely way to relive the trip all over again. Rome in October was buzzing with pilgrims, tourists, and school groups (I realise that my photos don’t include any of the crowds! 😅). Exploring the city on my own during those first couple of days brought plenty of memorable moments—including accidentally letting myself into the wrong Airbnb building and then promptly getting locked inside! It wasn’t quite the start I’d imagined, but it certainly…
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It’s been a little while since I last updated my blog. Life has been wonderfully full lately, so both my blog and Instagram have taken a bit of a back seat. But I wanted to share a recent trip that has already become a favourite in my travel journal. A couple of weeks ago, my team and I travelled to Singapore for our annual trip, timing it with a three-day public holiday to minimise time away from work. Before we left, my weather app insisted it would rain every single day we were there. Thankfully, the forecast was far more dramatic than reality, and we were treated to plenty of…
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At the end of May, I made another trip to Jeju Island in South Korea. I’ve always wanted to see this place after a friend told me I should go. I organised our company retreat for a few days of team-building and relaxation. Another bonus was that it’s relatively cheap to fly there from Shanghai. This trip would be a great break to take before my kids return to Shanghai for their summer break. Let me take you on a trip around Jeju Island through my lens and my sketches. Day 1 Arrived in warm sunny weather. Immediately, we got a van to take us to the eastern side of…
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My last post was on December 12; somehow, time just blurred—it’s already early May! I had many things I hoped to share, but life got busy, and priorities had to shift. Sadly, this blog ended up near the bottom of the list. The first few months of the year—January, February, and March—were packed. Most weekends, I doubled down on spending time at home recording and editing lessons for an upcoming class. More on that soon! It was an intense process, but once everything was completed, I felt a massive sense of relief—and excitement. I poured my heart into those lessons and can’t wait to see how students respond. Before I…
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The past two months have been a whirlwind of significant life events, including graduation and university preparations. The journey involved challenges but also moments of gratitude, connection, and reflection, documented through sketches and memories shared on Instagram.
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On this trip, I opted for a minimalist approach to my art supplies. I brought along a single journal and a small sketchbook. Additionally, I packed two watercolor palettes, although I only used one. I also brought a set of Caran D’Ache water-soluble pencils, some brushes, and fountain pens. We arrived in Hong Kong around noon. However, I had an urgent matter to attend to, which unfortunately left me with no chance to sketch. The next day, I set out early to run some errands. As a habit, I always find the post office first to purchase stamps for sending postcards to family and friends. Although I planned to take…
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Experience Shanghai through my eyes with early morning urban sketching during the "Golden Week."
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08:45 am | Saturday My sketching adventure last Saturday was at the Zhenru Temple (真如寺) in Putuo District. When my friend, Lily, suggested this place to visit instead of the venue designated by Drawing Shanghai / Shanghai Urban Sketchers, my curiosity was perked. So good that we went to the historic Zhenru Temple, I don’t know why I did not know about this temple before. Originally built in the Song Dynasty (960-1276), the temple has undergone several changes throughout history between the Taiping Revolution to the Cultural Revolution where a lot of relics were destroyed. There is one temple within that is the original structure but most are rebuilt due…
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07:45 am | Sunday My friend, Tõnis, and I decided on another early morning meet up to sketch around the Xiaonanmen (小南门) area. Tõnis dropped a pin to where we are meeting up, and I walked to Xitangjia Alley (西塘家弄) from my home. Along the way, the streets feel so empty… deserted… feels like a ghost town with pretty much the houses in this neighbourhood has been boarded up. Most of the locals have moved out while there are a very rare few who are still holding out for as long as they can. Seeing this sight as I walk through the narrow streets, I cannot help wonder – is…
