Another Q&A! You will probably be a bit sick of me this week as I have managed to post 3x (including this post) this week with 2 of those being Q&As. But please hold on a little longer; I will be away in a few weeks and whilst I plan to pre-schedule some posts, I may still be a bit quiet and inactive.
I was nominated by A Little Driftless for this award, so special thanks to her. She tries out a lot of k-beauty products and travels a lot too (I am always jealous of the latter because some of the photos look incredible), so do check her out.
Rules:
- Thank blogger(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
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Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
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Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
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List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.
Questions I’m Answering:
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Do you speak any foreign languages?
Yes, I speak Cantonese fluently at home since my parents speak zero to minimal English. They also sometimes converse in Hakka dialect (a provincial Chinese language) which I am not the best at using though not bad either, but I definitely understand it. I can speak some Mandarin too, but again, understand it better than I can speak it.
I used to study French and in some way, I wish I had continued with it! (I have forgotten quite a lot.)
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Favorite country for traveling?
This is a trick question, isn’t it? Haha. It’s hard to say because I have mostly visited one or two places from the countries that I have visited. I do want to go back and visit more of Italy though. (I have only been to Rome and Florence so far!)
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If you could live in any other country, which would it be?
Although my family roots are based in Hong Kong, I’m not sure I would choose to live there because the lifestyle is so, so fast-paced and hectic. I wouldn’t mind being based in Germany. I really liked the feel of it when I went to Berlin. 🙂
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Favorite holiday?
My most recent one to Berlin? The food was amazing!
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What is your perfect pizza?
I don’t eat pizza very often. I like it but it’s not my absolutely favourite like many people. From a young age, I always chose the ham and pineapple topping though!
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Least favorite question to answer?
From this list or in general?! I’m going to assume it’s the latter. It’s okay when people ask where I’m from, but I don’t like it when they then ask, “but no, where are you really from?”…it’s rude and could be asked in a much better way.
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What do you like most about yourself?
I am extremely patient and take my time with people, whether it’s getting to know them, or if they’re having a bad day etc. Having said that, I like that I’m not an overly serious person but someone who’s quite playful and young-at-heart. Life’s too short to be too serious.
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What calms you down when you’re upset?
A hot shower.
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Do you have a favorite historical figure?
My history is not very good so I’m not sure that I even have one! However, ever since learning about him in high school, Martin Luther King has always been an inspiration, particularly his “I have a dream” speech which helped with my public speaking project at the time. (I’m pretty sure I got an A- on that project which was a big deal at the time because I was such a quiet individual that I was horrified at the idea of speaking in front of the class!)
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What is the best advice you ever received?
In short, don’t compare yourself to others. Comparison is the death of people.
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What is your favorite thing to do outside?
I like taking long walks in a large park or at least somewhere close to nature especially if there is no time restraint. That feeling of wandering aimlessly is quite nice.
Nominees:
- Polished and Inspired
- Twenty Swans
- Beauty Swatched
- Living Out Loud
- A Blog by Victoria
- Simply Stella
- The Style of Laura Jane
- A Latte Style
- Alchemiin
- New Lune
- Life in the Mel-Lane
Questions for my nominees:
- Do you have any nicknames that your family and/or friends call you by instead?
- What’s the most recent song you listened to?
- What do you normally order at the coffee shop? (It can be non-coffee if you don’t like coffee.)
- What are you most looking forward to this year?
- What are your pet peeves?
- Do you have a daily morning ritual before you officially start your day?
- Where is the further place that you have traveled to so far, and why?
- If you can acquire the skill of any language fluently, what would it be?
- Do you have any unpopular opinions? (i.e. an opinion that isn’t in agreement with a general population.)
- Do you have a film that you really want to watch, but haven’t got round to watching yet?
- What is your favourite quote? (It can be from a film/book/song/speech etc.)
I have approximately two weeks until I’m off to Hong Kong. (Time goes so quick!) Until then, I will be working hard to put up posts and hopefully pre-schedule some for when I’m away too. Expect some reviews soon!
Until next time, take care. ❤
Let’s stay connected:
Hoi Yin Li 
omg hong kong – that sounds amazing! I didn’t know you could speak/understand so many languages; what a genuinely brilliant skill. Loved reading these answers! I have to admit, I’m not usually a fan of Q&A’s but I really enjoyed this one 🙂 xx
Thank you Mia! Xx
Hong Kong seems like such an exciting, colourful place! I agree though, I couldn’t live there either. I hope you have an amazing visit! Thanks for the nomination, this was a fun read 😘
No problem! Hong Kong is really nice if you go there for shopping and eating but to actually live well and live relatively comfortably, you need $$$. Thanks for reading 🙂 xx
I would love to go to Berlin! Followed 🙂
Brianna | http://briannamarielifestyle.com/
Thanks for the tag! ❤ I started studying French, too, a while back. And I'm pretty obsessed with a lot of French films. But the language is just hard to learn! And same (re walking aimlessly around nature!!)! If only it isn't super hot and polluted here in my country, I would do that more often!
French is so hard to pick up in French films when you’re learning because there’s so much slang, silent letters and slurs! Would probably help more if it was next to subtitles, both French and English!
What French films have you watched and would recommend? 🙂
Ohh where are you based?
I think Italy is the country I enjoy traveling within the most, I live about 20 minutes from the border so it’s been great for weekend trips. I would really love to live in Germany as well!
That’s so handy! When I went to Rome and Florence, I didn’t have to use much public transport at all! Just lots of walking which was nice and not so hectic.
I wished I knew how to speak Cantonese or Mandarin! I think I’d have to submerge myself in those cultures to be able to pick them up. I can understand some Cantonese but it’s really pathetic. Also, I mostly know food words. 😆
I agree about when people ask where you’re from… it has an undercurrent of racism. I know maybe they don’t intentionally mean it to offend but the ignorance is apparent.
I love to wander around aimlessly too! It’s such a great feeling to not have anywhere particular to go to but be on the move somewhere, anywhere.
So so excited for you about your upcoming trip to Hong Kong! Oh man, I long for the Sasa stores at every corner! There was a shop I visited that sold a lot of sample size items to try, called Lung Shing Dispensary – it’s very crowded but worth a visit. I also really loved shopping at SoGo as a shopping experience.
LOL food words are always helpful! 😉 At least you know you won’t starve to death in a foreign country! Funny you speak of food though – we plan on food hunting more this year in HK hahaha.
I’m excited too! It’s actually two weeks today until I arrive there which seems unreal – time has gone so quickly! I need to be making a rough wishlist fast!
Oo, sounds like a pharmacy? I just quickly googled it to check its location! Since I’m basically going around Chinese New Year, I can imagine it’ll be even more packed than usual. I’ll keep it in thought though. 🙂
It’s not a pharmacy but more of a discount beauty and drugstore…
Check these posts / photos:
https://aminoapps.com/page/travel/9817673/hong-kong-lung-shing-dispensary
http://lydsblg.blogspot.ca/2014/06/granville-road-lung-shing-dispensary.html
Congratulations on the award!!
Congrats on the award, and thanks for nominating me! 🙂
Are you going to Hong Kong to visit parents/family, or do they live elsewhere? I hope you do a haul of what you get while you’re there! I’m likely visiting Hong Kong in November so I would love to get recommendations on what to buy (and also where to eat!!). I second the SaSa and SoGo shopping that Stashy recommended, although I found both overwhelming when I was there, haha.
I also wish I was more fluent in French! Even though you learn it as a kid, if you stop using it, you completely lose it.
People who ask “where are you REALLY” from – I feel like they’re not purposely being racist, but there’s better ways to ask that question (were your parents born in another country, what is your heritage, etc.) Funnily enough, I’ve only ever been asked that once, by a kid (when I was also a kid) – I feel like adults should know better.
Ohh so it won’t be your first time going to HK when you go this November?
I’m going to visit family. Not so much my parents and siblings because all my immediate family are with me but my uncles, aunties, cousins and their kids. It’ll be Chinese New Year soon but I’ve never actually gone during this time of year despite having gone so many times before! Sure will do a haul! I’ve been making mental checklists here and there but for the most part, I just want to be naturally surprised by what I find lol. (am sure I will be because so much is still not available in the UK!)
Nope, it’ll be my second time. Hopefully this time I will be more prepared in terms of what there is available to buy! I’m pretty petite so a lot of people said I would be able to find clothes there, but last time I came back with nothing because I didn’t know where to look.
Going back during Chinese New Year to visit relatives would be so festive! But also crazy and hectic, haha.
Yeah, I’m kinda looking forward to it but also not because I know it’s going to be super crowded and manic! >.< My friend went on an Asia trip and she stayed in Hong Kong a few days here and there, and said it was so fast-paced, it was ridiculous haha.
Oh! Yeah, if you're petite, you should be able to find clothes there. Even the sizing in say, H&M and Uniqlo are different. It depends what you are after and what you want in terms of quality. In Mongkok, it's very young and trendy so you're bound to find some unique pieces but the quality is sometimes not the best if you're buying from the private, small stores i.e. non-branded. There is a shopping mall called Langham Place in Mongkok which you can have a look at. There's a great food court upstairs too which I think cannot be missed. There's a lot of beauty brands too so it's a great all-in-one complex.
There is a big shopping mall in Shatin too. Once you stop at the train station, you're pretty much there. Same if you stop are Kowloon.
It is definitely going to be crazy. So festive though! And you’ll get red pockets, haha.
Darn, I had no idea that the sizing is different there. I didn’t even bother going into H&M or other stores that are available here because I was like “oh we already have that at home”. I did go to a few boutiques and the clothes were either too big or not yet in fashion in North America. We definitely looked around Mongkok, I just can’t remember if we went to Langham Place – probably not. Will have to keep that mall in mind for November!
Thank you for the recommendations! My parents are from Hong Kong but haven’t been back in decades. The last time we were back, it was like they didn’t even know where to take me to shop LOL, so I appreciate the recommendations on where to go!
I would say the sizing there is probably a bit more true to size because the people there in general are more petite. I know it’s so easy to not go into these big chains because they’re global but the stock especially in Asia can be really different, and actually more trendy and better fit! I’m guessing this is to do with how trend-driven Asia is in general (things at least in the UK, seem more slower?).
Langham Place is connected/part of a hotel actually which is pretty cool, haha! Am sure I’ll have more recommendations for you once I’ve been and refreshed my memory. 🙂
p.s. this might sound strange but I had a feeling that you have HK roots. I don’t know why, LOL. Never mind them, so much changes each time I go back, even if every 2 or 3 years.
Yes, I totally agree with Asia being more trend-driven! Or at least much earlier to catch onto the trends because I feel like if I wore them back home the clothes would be “weird” until it comes into fashion here two years later.
LOL so funny that you guessed that right about me!
I remember in my teens, I would buy such fashionable clothes from HK that was the norm there, but when I came back and wore them, it would be REALLY fashionable and my classmates thought I looked really cool LOL. HK is definitely not a city that can afford to be behind on trends.
Ugh, I had the total opposite experience as a kid, although I was probably around 8-10 at the time. My dad bought some clothes back for me from Hong Kong, and I wore them to school. The other kids thought they were weird…then two years later, they be wearing the same style of clothes my dad had brought back because it was finally popular here, only no one remembered I had worn it way back when 😒 haha!
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