Lingo in Transit

Travel, Languages and Life

recent posts

  • Blogmas 2020- Day 15: Christmas Flavours

    Blogmas 2020- Day 15: Christmas Flavours

    Welcome to Day 15 of Blogmas (and December, what??). Are you a fan of Christmas flavours? The cinnamon, cloves and candied fruits?

    Nothing excites me more than seeing the Christmas decorations go up at the shopping centres in November. This means that the shelves will soon have panettone, stollen and fruit cake. I’m just a huge fan of Christmas flavours and despite not having a white Christmas, I associate these smells and tastes with being cosy, Christmas trees and festivities.

    I never grew up with winter or Christmas teas aside from your standard black, green and white teas flavoured. I was pleasantly surprised on a winter trip to Poland that I began noticing and ordering hot winter tea’s to have with my meals. I got transported to this land of sweetness, warmth and a belly full of contentment with these fruity teas. One particular tea that I fondly remember was an earl grey, orange slices with cloves stuck into it and candied ginger. I must remember to make this more often in winter.

    Last year, I discovered this Advent Christmas tea from Gewurzhaus (this is not a sponsored post), a spices and tea speciality store in The Strand in Sydney. It smells like a light melange of citrus and spices- not too sweet and not too spicy. It’s got the flavours of cinnamon, apples, raisins, cloves, rooibos, hibiscus (just to name a few). It’s quite expensive compared to the teas you get at the supermarket but this tea is only available at Christmas which seems more justifiable to me to purchase it. The best part is that it’s a fruit tea and can be drank all day around without any consequences.

    I’ve had it lately brewed with hot water but have tried it last year chilled as a summer tea and well as in alcoholic drinks for that something something. Also on the website is a recipe mixing the tea with apple juice and gelatine to make jelly.

    Do you have a recipe for a Christmas tea that you could share? Are you fond of any Christmas flavours and treats that you make at this time of the year?

    New here? Day 1 of Blogmas here.

  • Blogmas 2020- Day 13: Dancefloor December II

    Blogmas 2020- Day 13: Dancefloor December II

    For todays Dancefloor December, I’ve chosen Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. It’s in Spanish (I do love learning languages through song), a mix of reggaeton and latin pop.

    I didn’t only chose this song because I really like it but it’s broken some records since its release in January 2017:
    – Held the #1 song on the Billboard’s “Hot Latin Song” list for 56 consecutive weeks making it the Most weeks at No.1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart and the Longest duration on the billboard charts.
    – Most viewed music video online
    – Most liked music video
    – Most viewed music video on YouTube (duet)- currently at 7 billion!
    – Most streamed track worldwide
    – First YouTube video to receive 5 billion views 
    – Most viewed video online 

    Catapulting latin pop into the airwaves of non Spanish speaking countries, this song is more than the sultriness and butt shaking the clip portrays. This song is a tribute to Puerto Rico, home country of Luis Fonsi, featuring the former Miss Universe, and clips of the La Perla neighbourhood which were battered by Hurricanes and once run by gangs. Because of this song, La Perla has seen an increase in tourist interest and activities.

    I invite you to the dancefloor.

  • Blogmas 2020- Day 11: Skin Deep

    Skin. It’s the largest organ of the body that is subjected to every day harshness such as the sun and dust. I recently watched a French lady’s skincare routine on youtube. I was shocked to see that in the winter mornings, she applied a few different moisturisers. Shocked is probably not the right word. France is home to some of the world’s best skincare brands so it is no surprise that French women generally have a great relationship with skincare. It’s not about trying to look young, just looking after what you have. It was no surprise to me that so many products were being used and I think I was more shocked at myself this year for having let me skincare routine go sideways. I don’t even think I’ve put on lip balm at all this year.

    After recovering from this realisation, I zipped around the bathroom to do a stocktake of what I have. I’m also quite good at not using the face masks and oils that I have. Time to change that.

    I find attending to my skin a little therapeutic and I like massaging my face. I’m not sure if there are any medical benefits but I guess improving blood flow and massaging muscles never hurt anyone. I also find peace in the routine. I don’t even have to think that much- just cleanse, wipe and pat as I always do. There’s nothing more relaxing than lying down with a face mask on as you wait for it to dry.

    We are now well underway in getting into summer. Growing up, I had it drilled into my head that I must wear sunscreen every day. I still mostly do if I am going to be outside when the sun is at it’s strongest. In Sydney, the UV radiation index is usually above 11 (extreme) by lunch time in the summer. I wonder to myself how I use to go to the beach with my friends for the whole day when I was younger when now, I’m actively avoiding being in the sun in the middle of the day. Skincare is actually a topic my friends and I rarely discuss which is interesting considering so much of the market is targeted at women and I know we all cleanse and cream.

    What is your relationship with skincare like? Do you discuss skincare with your friends?

  • Blogmas 2020- Day 9: Curated Mornings

    Blogmas 2020- Day 9: Curated Mornings

    A few months ago, I changed my phone alarm to the sounds of birds chirping. I don’t set my alarm most days but it was time for no more sudden tones or songs that scare me half to death to get up. Just birds chirping. It was long overdue and I wonder why it took me so long to have a better and calmer wake up.

    Most of the time, I miss the beginning of the alarm as it doesn’t jolt me awake. It’s a slow wave of sounds. Just as well, I don’t have anywhere to be.

    I also wake up and immediately think about how nice it is the real birds are up and busy chatting, only to then realise it’s just my alarm. It is these calm mornings that I love the best. I get up hours before starting work so that I can ease into the day with my usual routine. Stretches with a warm drink before making breakfast. Always with tea. I find so much comfort in my morning routine, I don’t really have a wide range of breakfast’s that I like to have. It’s strange how eggs on toast never gets old.

    This was such a contrast to a few years back when I was in the office every day. Springing upright and rushing to get breakfast in before half running to get the train. Don’t miss that.

    What are your mornings like? Have you made any changes this year?

  • Blogmas 2020- Day 7: Drink With Memories

    Blogmas 2020- Day 7: Drink With Memories

    Do you find that drinks don’t get as much coverage when talking about past travels? Yet some of my fondest travel memories are drinks that I’ve tried, whether I had like them or not and where I was exactly when I drank it. Whether it be alcoholic, a delicious fruit smoothie or some sort of home brew.

    Some drinks are hard to replicate back home due to limited ingredients or aren’t stocked in your home country. I’ve googled every mainstream liquor supermarket here to find Modelo beer but cannot find it! Perhaps that’s the beauty of drinks. They cannot be easily obtained at home and maybe by default leave such a positive impression in hindsight. The magic of travel is that you cannot bring it all back with you and maybe these happy moments are where they belong, scattered behind you where you once were.

    Why not prepare a drink this month your own way that brings you back to a fond memory?

    I’m off to Sevilla.

  • Blogmas 2020-Day 5: Dancefloor December I

    Blogmas 2020-Day 5: Dancefloor December I

    When I was thinking of ideas for Blogmas 2020, I was thinking about what I found joyful and maybe a little silly. The idea came to me almost instantly. Dancefloor December. Just like how there’s nothing better than alliteration, there’s nothing better than busting out your moves, the good, bad and 2 left feet kind.

    I invite you to the dancefloor.

    “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”- Friedrich Nietzsche

    When was the last time you danced?

  • Blogmas 2020- Day 3: Mismatched Beauty

    I’ve been thinking a lot lately about celebrating uniqueness in everyday items. Recently, it’s been the bowls and plates I eat off every day. This is certainly true in Japanese culture where presentation plays a large role during meal times as well as the array of side dishes. Different dishes seek to please the eye as well as the tastebuds in an art form of their own. Here is an illustrated guide to different plate settings from around the world.

    In the family home, our plate collection looks like it started off with matching sets but as plates and bowls have been dropped and broken over time, it’s looking more like a mismatched set now. As a adult, living with housemates also means similar, a haphazard collection from previous owners. Up until now, it’s always been more about practicality than beauty. I feel like I’m missing out on adding beauty to my everyday and am going to keep this in mind the next time I need some crockery.

    What does your kitchen shelf of bowls and plates look like? Do you have matching sets or is yours more of a mismatch of collected items over time? Or have your purposely created a mismatched set? Do you prefer one over the other?

  • Blogmas 2020- Day 1: Filling December With Joy

    Blogmas 2020- Day 1: Filling December With Joy

    I’m putting my hand in and saying right here and now that I will be doing Blogmas for the days leading up to Christmas- every 2nd day. While traditional Blogmas features articles around the theme of Christmas, I’ve decided that the Blogmas here will instead be about spreading joy.

    “The healthiest response to life is joy.” Mark Twain

    Joy can come in many forms and in many ways. Here, I hope to share a snippet of something fun and hopefully something interesting or light hearted. I hope it will bring a smile to your day.

    I sit here typing with my Christmas lights on. They hang the whole year but I never turn them on until Christmas. It’s just too troublesome to take them down and put them up again. I wanted the warm white fairy lights but they seem to be either so popular they sell out or not so popular that they don’t stock much here. Instead, I’ve got those multicoloured ones that remind me of the seedy part of town. Beggers can’t be choosers as they say.

    Isn’t it strange that with so much (yet so little) happening this year, we are finally in December. I feel a bigger sense of hope with a new year almost upon us. New possibilities, time and hopefully more of life that was familiar to us pre pandemic.

    This month, I am looking forward to sitting in my Christmas lit room and being comfy. To sharing meals with friends and family. I’m looking forward to time off work and having time to read and spending time revising French (and maybe even Spanish). I’m looking forward to going to the beach and eating cold ham. Most of all, I look forward to taking it slow and being content.

    What are you looking forward to this month?

  • Collection of Christmas Lights From My Travels and Home

    Collection of Christmas Lights From My Travels and Home

    I really like Christmas time. Here, we head into our summer holidays where we are forced to not work (for once!), Christmas lights adorn the city centre and shopping centres and I look forward to lunches complete with fresh prawns, cold ham and summer fruits. I think I’m drawn to all the lights, it’s a shame we don’t do that normally in winter here.

    I’d much prefer a winter Christmas, but it seems I’m in the wrong hemisphere. So instead, I’ve picked out some photos from Christmas travel’s past and have also shared what Christmas is looking like in Sydney this year.

    Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light- Dumbledore

    Christmas markets in Basel
    Christmas markets in Paris
    Street in Lund, Sweden
    Market Square in Wroclaw, Poland
    Christmas Markets outside Cologne Catherdral, Germany

    Christmas in Sydney 2020

    Last jacarandas at the Sydney Town Hall. Spot the Christmas tree!
    Lights up in Pitt St Mall
    Stars ontop of the tram poles
    The 3 storey tree in the Queen Victoria Building

    What is Christmas looking like in your part of the world? If you’ve written a post already or are inspired to post one, please link me in the comments below. I’d love to armchair travel this December.

  • Friendly Friday Photo Challenge – Whilst Walking

    Friendly Friday Photo Challenge – Whilst Walking

    I’m joining in this week’s Friendly Friday Photo Challenge from Amanda’s blog.

    I try to have a walk every day to get in my exercise as sitting all day in front of the computer doesn’t do anything for the waistline or shoulders. I take my phone on my walks, as you never know what you’ll find. As such, I’ve had a whole heap of photos taken recently. Two of the most important things in life are your health and mental health. A walk is just what the doctor orders.

    I love walking in spring. The colour palette is so beautiful not to mention all the variety of flower shapes that can be seen. There’s a sweetness that lingers in the air and sometimes when the direction of the wind changes, you can smell nothing but.

    I am a colour person. Some people like to dress in black often or muted earthly colours. I’m quite the opposite drawing my energy from bright colours. Something revitalising about it.