Photo A Day...

I decided on my bucket list that I wanted to take a photograph a day for a year. So I what better time then to start the now. 

I took this photo last night at the Robbie Williams Take The Crown tour at Wembley.  

Bucket List...

My best friend has emigrated to Australia permanently and as part of her visa application she had to list all the countries she had been visited in the last 10 years. I took this challenge on (harder than you think) and found that since the age of 13 I have been to 39 destinations, 18 different counties. It made me think of how privileged I am, and in fact how well travelled my generation really is. 

But it got me to thinking about what I've done but more importantly what I want to do and see. I decided to make my very own Bucket List which hopefully I can tick off at some point in my life.

Get soaked by Niagara Falls

Stand on the edge of the Hoover Dam

Helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon

Gamble away my savings in Las Vegas

Carnival season in Brazil 

Visit Antarctica and hang out with some penguins

Visit the whole of New Zealand

Especially Hobbiton

See the Cherry Blossom in Japan

Visit Monte Carlo

Visit St Petersburg

Watch Phil play at the Hong Kong 7's

Walk the Great Wall of China

Stay at Farah's pad in Dubai

Visit South Africa

Go on Safari

Drive Route 66

See the Pyramids of Egypt

Stand on the Equator in Ecuador

Release floating lanterns

See the Northern Lights 

Travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway

See the Terracotta Army in China

Visit the German Christmas Markets

Celebrate Paddy's Day in Dublin

Visit all 7 Continents before I'm 30

Go back to Bali

Stay at the Four Seasons in Bora Bora

Take a photo everyday for a year

Learn another Language

See Celine Dion in Vegas

Visit Cinque Terre

Watch the sunrise over Machu Picchu

Travel throughout India

Ride an Camel through the desert

Drive a Super car

See an active Volcano

Visit Hawaii

Got to Fashion Week

Do a home-stay in a foreign country (Europe & Asia)

See Mt Everest 

See a Glacier

Visit Uluru

See Irrawaddy Dolphins in the Mekong

Visit the Amazon rainforest

See Petra

Easter Island

Ancient Greece

Stay at the Hotel Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and swim in the Infinity Pool

Do Ibiza

Go to Glastonbury

Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice

Got to Coachella
See Day of the Dead 

Own a Chanel Handbag 

Primark vs. E-commerce...

I remember back at college desperately trying to find out information on Primark for a project online, and getting nowhere. Their home page was so uninformative that it was a wonder why they even had it. My opinion was to thwart us students. However that was 8 years ago and in that 8 years technology is miles better. I mean the iPhone didn't even exist back then....whatever did we do???

Now one of the aspects of retailing is how well they use multiple channels to provide consumers with their products. There are award ceremonies dedicated to etailing. Mobile purchasing is in the motions of taking off, with the help of the trusty iPhone.

But Primark always stood their ground. They didn't need a swish transactional website. H&M and Zara were once in that category too, but since have succumbed to the wonder of e-commerce.

Primark again still standing strong, despite all their competitors following suit behind them. Until last week.

They have finally succumbed so to say. But only slightly. They've teamed up with super e-commerce giant ASOS with a capsule collection of mens and womenswear to be sold on their site.

Probably in a bid to test the waters to see how well the items sell.

Interesting for ASOS the prices are of course Primark prices which are quite a bit lower than their own... interesting to see how the sales figures end up. And interesting to see whether Primark will take the plunge and have a fully transactional website.....
 Have a look for yourselves

Parenting Skills...

So I spent the evening looking through old photos from my childhood. Came across this one. It showcases my fathers ultimate parenting skills. 

Its been a long time...

I have somewhat become very distant from Blogging, from the Internet, from life as I knew it.

  

I packed up my stuff, shoved as much as I could get into a 40L rucksack (which sounds a lot, I can confirm it is no) and off I went.

 Ending my journey living in Australia with a whirlwind 7 week trip across South East Asia. Starting in Singapore, working our way up through Bangkok a few times and finally flying home. Looking back it feels like a lifetime ago that I left Sydney but in reality cramming so much into 7 weeks was no where near long enough.

 

There were certain ups and downs, having an almost daily argument with my rucksack, my clothes, my hair and more frequently than desired with tuk tuk drivers were some of the low points.

But seeing countless sunrise after sunrise on the most gorgeous beaches, sights and towns and then seeing the sunset made those lows slip away.

  Days filled with beaches, chang, sights, driving around countless islands on the back of a motorbike, splashing around with elephants, baby tigers, teaching children how to play candy crush, wandering around sunken temples, negotiating thousands of motorbikes and endless bus, boat and train journeys.

 

I started my journey in Singapore, however only for a night. Ive been there done that, not wanting to waste my money in an Asian super city that costs a fortune to stay in. My reasoning for Singapore was convenience. Flying Scoot (based out of SNG) was my cheapest option. And what an option it was. The flight itself was basic, no food, no entertainment but who needs that now with iPads etc.  

 From Singapore it was onto KL in Malaysia. Quite possibly my most favourite place in the entire world. The sheer diversity of the city never fails to WOW me. But even more so the way that it all just works together in perfect harmony. My trip to KL wasn't to see the sights it was mainly to eat the wondrous delights it has to offer. However a trip to KL wouldn't be complete without seeing the Petronas towers lit up in all their glory. Or for that matter a trip to majestic temple situated in the Batu Caves. Probably more famous than the caves are the monkeys that roam the 200 odd steps to the top.

 A quick flight and you find yourself across the boarder and in the delightful Phuket where every taxi is there to willing take all the Thai Bhat you just took out the cash machine with a grinning smile on their face.

 The island of Koh Phi Phi is truly one to behold. With no cars, and very little motorbikes, it is a maze of pathways lined with tattoo shops, massages, hostels, and bars. With bars that line the beach it truly has become a party island. Boat trips run daily around the island, and to see the infamous Maya Bay. Made famous by Leo in the Beach. If it wasn't for all the people and all the boats it would truly be a marvel.



Chiang Mai is not what I'd thought it to be, for some reason I thought it would a small town stuck in history. In reality it was a large city overtaken by the modern world. Despite this the experiences to be had there were truly magnificent. Where else can you play with 2 month old tigers one day to riding through the countryside on elephants.

The real treat for me was Cambodia. The country although it has been torn apart by their own people, they remain some of the kindest and funniest people I have met yet in Asia. Aside from all of that the Country itself is beautiful. From the temples of Angkor to the stunning sunsets over the vast countryside. Yes the children may beg your for everything you may own but remembering it is one of the poorest countries in the world you kind of forget that and let it past you. The temples were magnificent, somewhere you and well a truly get lost in. The capital has depressing reminders of the past through various museums. But the people shine through everything and will continue to shine no matter what is thrown at them.

 

 Onto Vietnam and a serious wake up call from the quite almost sleepiness of Cambodia. There are people everywhere, a lot trying to make a quick buck so having your wits about you at all times is imperative. Especially when doing anything remotely tourist related. The country is beautiful and vast. Taking a train to any of the cities can be an adventure in itself. But the scenery is just simply awe inspiring. Especially along the Hoi Van Pass. I have never in my life seen such beautiful scenes in both the natural world and the man made. The sea views from the mountain pass were stunning, but the road itself was hair pin after hair pin turn. This trip overshadowed the entire country for me. Its something that I would never in my life get bored of seeing.