Vietnam: The Food

"But it wouldn't as awful as a summer in Ohio without cable, hot water, Vietnamese food...or you"

This is a lyric from one of my favourite musicals The Last Five Years and I gotta say I understand what Cathy is singing about. Vietnamese food was damn good.


We ate traditional Vietnamese food pretty much everyday, from crab spring rolls to rice to noodles. Some personal favourites were dumplings, beef steak and sweet potato fries with sesame seeds on. Mmmmmn.

Before going to Vietnam the closest I'd come to Vietnamese cuisine was the Asian style of Wagamamas, but now I will be hunting down a Vietnamese restaurant near me. I fell completely in love with the food.

This tasted similar to Pad Thai and was absolutely delicious. 

Street BBQ- a hot plate in which sweet potato, squid and beef were all cooked on. Absolutely delicious but the spitting oil was seriously hot when it caught your leg! 

Otherwise known as beef steak, this was brilliant. It was beef steak, chips, egg, pate and vegetables in a thick gravy like sauce which when finished you mopped up with bread. Delicious! 

Our food on the last night was delicious, especially our fruit mocktails. It was even decorated with little ducks made out of carrot which was adorable until my friend broke mine. Grr. Also enjoy T and K in the background! 

I wish I'd taken more photos of the food, I guess at the time I was too busy enjoying! We also had a food tour of Hanoi where we we tried lots of different foods from around the Old Quarter, including fried food that was freshly cooked. I had a sweet potato doughnut which was genuinely one of the best things I've ever tasted, a long with coconut ice cream and finishing with egg coffee. Egg coffee sounds gross I know but it was really more like a creamy, milky thick layer on top of coffee. It sounds bizarre but honestly it was so good! 

And finally, not technically Vietnamese but in Bangkok airline on my layover I had a green tea frap from Starbucks which was damn incredible. WHY IS THIS NOT A THING IN BRITISH STARBUCKS? But this just reminded me to mention how incredible the tea was in Vietnam. Served with pretty much every meal and served cold it was delicious and I wish I could have bottled it and brought it back to England.

If you ever find yourself near a Vietnamese restaurant I strongly advise you to go in- it's delicious!

Now I'm craving a sweet potato doughnut and some Vietnamese tea...

xxx 

Photobox Polaroids

I am one of those people that has thousands of photos on their phone, but I very rarely print them off. I'm such a photo hoarder but in reality I only look at one or two photos at a time (the ones I pick as my phone lockscreen). Since going to uni I've been making a real effort to print off my photos either to stick up on my walls or to put in a photo album or my diary. 

I find Photobox has some really good deals and you can get a lot of prints for not much at all. Ages ago I had £5 credit and that got me about 100 prints! 

However, when I saw they had some summer deals on and I went on their website the polaroid prints caught my eye. I love polaroids, the instant and vintage feel about them, so having my carefully shot iPhone photos printed onto polaroids was the best of both worlds. I got 12 decent sized polaroid prints for £10.99 including delivery which I think is pretty good value considering how expensive real polaroids cost. 

The polaroids come in this little box with a magnetic close which I thought was a really nice touch.

These are my 12 prints- a selection of photos from my last term of uni/beginning of summer

There was the option to add text before ordering. I did this on some of them leaving some others blank. 

On the blank ones I'm free to write my own caption which I love. 

Photobox have their sale on for another few days so pick up some cute photos whilst you can! I can't wait to stick these on my wall. 

*This post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own* 

xxx

Vietnam: The Other Volunteers

My time in Vietnam could have been very different had it not been for the fantastic other volunteers on the same project as me. There was 13 of us in total, 7 French girls, 2 American girls, 2 Japanese and 1 other British girl. We spent pretty much every minute of our time together, from when we woke up to when we went to sleep, eating together, working together, relaxing together and even sharing a room (two/three to a room). By the end of the trip we were all really really great friends, and saying goodbye really sucked!

Super professional hard working volunteers...

One of our forfeits was to post an ugly selfie 

Gals in green

Relaxing on our boat trip to Ha Long Bay

One of the nicest days of our trip, hanging out with everyone as the sunset over Ha Long Bay

Kayaking in Ha Long Bay with my fellow Brit

Friends that nap together stay together right? 

Projects Abroad aka how many people can we fit in a mini van

At a beautiful lake in Hanoi 

Last night with my French pals 

One of our last activities was writing goodbye messages on cards we stuck on our backs- it all got a little crazy!

I am so lucky to have made so many incredible international friends and had some brilliant girls to share this experience with. They really made the whole trip a thousand times more magical and I will never forget our many, many sing alongs on the bus, dodging motorcycles whilst trying to cross the road and discussing everything and anything with them. 

xxx

Vietnam: Volunteering

Obviously the main reason I went to Vietnam was to volunteer so that seems to most obvious place to start with my Vietnam blog posts.

The majority of our time volunteering was spent at the Friendship Village, a village for children age 6-20 who are offspring of former Vietnamese soldiers and affected by Agent Orange. We spent time within the classroom helping with the children, as well as painting and gardening to help renovate the centre. It was a really incredible experience, and taught me so much. We also had the chance to meet with some Vietnam war veterans who shared their experiences with us.

Working in the classrooms was a really fun experience. We started by helping the kids with some basic writing or number work, a lot of them would loose concentration very quickly so it was important to keep them focused on their task. Communication was also tricky at times, but I quickly learnt that whilst they may not understand "try that question again" if I put the rubber on top of their answer it meant they should rub it out and try again. After that we would do a game or something that would get the kids moving. They loved "if you're happy and you know it"! After the kids had had their lunch we would do some arts and crafts or colouring. I have to say my crayoning skills are still on point.

For a couple of days we worked on renovating the dining room, giving it a good clean and a fresh lick of paint in order to make it much brighter and nicer for all the children to work in. It was hot, heavy work but the room looked so much better after our two days of work! We also did some gardening which again was hot work (everywhere in Vietnam is hot!) and the extra team of volunteers really helped make a difference around the centre.

The highlight was definitely just spending time with the kids, whether it was playing in the playground after lessons finished for an extra hour or so, or spending the evening watching a movie with them. They were all so great and we had lots of fun being with them!

Now for some photos...

After painting the dining room 

With the war veterans

With the one of the directors of the centre

Friendship Village

Painting in progress

Arts and crafts 

One of the lovely kids in Skills class 

Selfies with one of our kids

See-saw times 

Being at the Friendship Village not only taught me so much about working with kids and in a team, but also about the Vietnam war and the lasting affects that it had. It was challenging at times but ultimately it was so much fun and I would hundred percent take up an opportunity like that again. 

I hope you've enjoyed learning a bit about The Friendship Village, to find out some more here's some links 

x, x

xxx 

Projects Abroad Vietnam

Back in February I decided I needed to plan something for Summer. I was in a bit of a rut, some crap was going on in my personal life that had led me feeling miserable and desperate to get out of my usual life. I also was vaguely aware that I should probably start doing something that will help my future career prospects, so I was trailing through countless job/internship websites looking for something in the charity sector when the same company kept popping up- Projects Abroad.

I hadn't heard of it before but after spending a few minutes on their website I was already intrigued. They offer short term specials abroad for young people age 15-19 who want volunteering experience and also to travel, which is basically me in a nutshell.

Projects Abroad offer a variety of projects in tons of different countries, but it didn't long for me to decide on Vietnam. I studied Vietnam history when I was sixteen and the country has always been on my bucket list to visit. It looked a beautiful country with such a rich history.

So before I knew it, I had paid my deposit, joined the official Facebook group, and had my jabs. I checked in my rather large suitcase, waved off my anxious parents at Heathrow and soon I was on a plane to Bangkok ready to change and get on a second flight to Hanoi.

Volunteering in Vietnam for two weeks on a Care and Community Project was 100% one of the best experiences of my life. I can't put into words how great it was, from the country, to the kids we worked at, to the other 12 volunteers. It was truly magical and taught me so much from confidence in myself, I learnt about other cultures and countries (not just Vietnam but France, Japan and the USA from the other volunteers). I tried new experiences and foods and met some amazing new people who will stay with me for a long time.

I was so sad to get on the plane home (although the promise of a comfy bed and a decent shower made it a tad easier!) but I can't wait to share all my experiences on here. There will probably be several posts, from Volunteering to Food to Vietnam as a country so look out for them!

Projects Abroad

xxx

Summer Make Up: Minimal

I find in Summer the last thing I want to do is wear a thick face of make up. Unless it's a special occasion and I really want to look nice, I tend to stick to concealer, powder, lashes and lips. These are my essentials for a bare faced look.

Eucerin Sun Fluid Mattifying SPF 50+

In order to keep my skin protected SPF is a must in Summer, considering I burn ridiculously easily and I don't want skin cancer thanks very much. I got this in a Latest in Beauty box and I love it. It doesn't leave my skin greasy at all and doesn't break me out at all. It leaves a matt finish so is perfect for applying make up over. Also at SPF 50+ I know my skin is safe from UV rays.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in "Ivory" 

My favourite concealer ever. Concealer is lighter on your pores than foundation so I find a layer of this over any blemishes and dark circles gives me the coverage I need but feels like I'm wearing nothing. It isn't full coverage so it still leaves my skin looking natural but hides any imperfections. I will continue to repurchase this until Rimmel stops making it (but I pray that day never comes). 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Powder in "Light Porcelain" 

 This powder whilst not full coverage at all and I definitely would not say replaces a liquid foundation, when buffed in over concealer makes my skin look pretty much flawless. It lasts on my skin for a while before I get oily again, and is small enough to slip in my handbag. The compact even has a mirror. Highly recommend, Rimmel really know how to make some decent make up. 

Natural Collection LashCare Mascara in "Clear"

I find mascara really helps complete a make up look and makes me look much more awake, but for days when I really don't want to look like I'm wearing anything a clear mascara is my go to. Also I always rub my eyes (damn you hayfever) and so a clear mascara means I don't end up with black all over my face! This gives my lashes lift and curl just like any other mascara but looks completely natural. It's also only £1.99 which is a complete bargain and does such a good job. 

Zoella Beauty Tutti Fruity Kissy Missy Lip Balm 

I'm not going to lie, I'm not a massive Zoella fan and I haven't purchased any of her products before, purely because none of them really appealed. However when I saw this lip balm in Superdrug for only £3 I figured why not give it a try? And I was pleasantly surprised. It's moisturising and gives really good pay off considering it's only a tinted lip balm. It gives a nice barbie pink tint to your lips that can be built up and has a nice fruity smell. Super easy to keep in your bag for days out, so if I'm bothering to put anything on my lips this is a great choice. 

So those are my very basic make up essentials for summer, what are yours? 

xxx

Summer Handbag Essentials: Lips

My handbag always has about ten lip products floating around- hey a girl needs options! I always have a lipbalm in there, as well as lipsticks and tinted lipbalms. These are some of my favourite lip products for summer. 

Mac Wash and Dry Lustre Lipstick in "Tumble Dry"

Not only is the packaging of this lipstick beyond beautiful but this is a gorgeous coral. Like all Mac lipsticks it applies like a dream and lasts for ages with only minimal reapplications. For days when I want to go for slightly stronger eyes, this is my version of a nude. I can't go too pale nude because I'm deathly pale so I need something with a bit of colour. This particular shade is sold out but I'm sure you could find a similar colour. 

Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in "Strawberry Shortcake"

I think this is the cutest name for a lipstick ever. These have the payoff of a lipstick but are more moisturising and leave a slight stain on the lips when they rub off. I find I can whack this on like lipbalm without a mirror, whilst a lipstick I need to have a mirror with me. These are also currently on offer in Boots so I may have to grab a few more. 

Max Factor Lipstick in "Star Dust Pink" 

I accidentally "borrowed" this from my Mum's cupboard...sorry Mum! I own very few Max Factor products, but this lipstick has made me want to try more. It's a gorgeous nude with strong pink undertones that is great for everyday and goes with literally any look. I love the packaging, especially how the colour is at the bottom of the lipstick so you can easily find the one you want. Highly recommend! 

Burt's Bees Lip Balm with Pink Grapefruit 

I love Burt's Bees so much, I find the products really work for me. This smells divine and moisturises lips amazingly and is a great base for lipstick. A lip balm in summer is essential for me because my lips get so dry and dehydrated, so every bag I own has a lip balm in! I also love the Mango version of this. 

What lip products are always in your handbag? 

xxx 

ps- sorry I've been absent for quite a while, more posts coming soon!