10 tips for surviving your 21st birthday party season!

21st birthdays are a BIG DEAL! Most people throw a massive party and because all your friends are born in the same year suddenly there's this influx of 21st parties! Don't worry I got your back with some top tips to have have the best 21st season!

French strawberry shortcake! Made by Yui especially for Paco!! 

1. Attend – seriously 21st birthday parties are difficult to organise! They take SO much time and effort to put together so if your friend is inviting you to it – GO AND CLICKK FREAKING ATTENDING! Then attend!

2. Drink – if there’s a bar tab – drink, if there’s no bar tab – drink, if you’re driving – DON’T DRINK! Have a shot with the birthday girl/boy! DO IT!

Tequila and Jam donut shots :)  

3. Dress up – there is no better excuse to dress up than a 21st! This is the probably the only time in your life where you can wear really extravagant, inappropriate and beautiful things! SO DO IT! If there’s a theme adhere to it it’ll make an amazing point of conversation as well.

Picture from recent birthday party! WHEE 

4. Socialise – if you’re going to be at a 21st there really is no excuse not to socialise! Just go up and say hi to people! Easiest conversation starter - how do you know the birthday boy/girl? AND BAM FRIENDSHIP!

5. Eat cake – it takes a lot of effort to get a 21st cake and most people either pay A LOT of money for cake or has amazing friends who can bake them their cake of their dreams so after all that EFFORT just remember to eat the damn cake! Unless you’re planning to throw up then don’t worry about it!

Cake porn from another recent 21st! Happy birthday Ben! :) 

Cupcakes from Wendy's birthday full review will be up later! nomnom

6. Speeches – this is for those listening to the speech. TRY to listen and laugh but if you can even see straight then sit down and try not to knock anything over! For Speech makers – short, sweet and full of impact is usually the best 21st speeches! Of course it varies depending on the person and the type of birthday. Make the birthday boy/girl feels special, loved and embarrass them too!

7. Presents – get something memorable! Easy present ideas: alcohol (all forms), jewellery (girls), technology (boys)! Whatever you want to get just be generous!

8. Friends – if you’re going with friends and they drink a bit TOO much (it will happen and one day it’ll be you) then LOOK AFTER THEM. Don’t be a dog. Seriously you do not want to YOLO and let them do their own thing!!

9. Photos – selfies, groupies, whatever you want just TAKE PHOTOS. It’ll increase the chances of you remembering whose birthday it was and what happened at that party. Especially if you’re attending more than 2 a week!! My biggest regret was not taking enough photos at birthdays!!

Bestie Karen's 21st flashback! 

10. PARTY HARD – 21st parties are the time to have fun, let loose and just do some stupid thing!  They make really good story telling material for years after!

Back in my hectic 21st birthday season! 

♥ Lingfish

This post happened because I've been to a couple of 21st recently and it reminded me of my crazy fun filled 21st season! I miss it soooooo much!!!!!!!! 21st BIRTHDAYS ARE THE BEST! P.S thankyou to every person who ever invited me to their 21st!!  

Please comment, like and share! :) 

Noobie Foodie│ Fratelli Fresh Valentines Special

This is an extremely belated post – ONE MONTH LATE! But to celebrate Valentine’s Day my best friend/wifey/hubby and I went to have dinner at Fratelli Fresh in Wynyard because we were both sick of eating Asian food none stop and wanted to try something different!

The sad thing is we didn’t really eat all that much because I was leaving to Bali and I didn’t want to look bloated in the pictures. It’s ok because it gives us another reason to go out and eat there again!

So here comes the food:

SALAD

MOAR SALAD!! 

This is the Smoke Trout salad with Radicchio, green beans and dill mayo. I’ll be honest it’s really hard for me to be very excited about salad and one month ago I was really terrible with my DSLR (aka. Couldn’t take a photo to save my life) so excuse the photos! But the salad itself was delicious! The smoked trout added a salty flavour which balanced well with the dill mayo. THE EGGS WERE AMAZING! This is one they are one of my favourite foods! EGGS!!

Also I found out radicchio is the name of the purple cabbage I’ve been calling purple cabbage my whole life! *mind blown* Thank you Sensei Google.

Rigatoni

MOAR rigatoni! 

Then we had the Lamb Ragu with rosemary, chilli and Rigatoni! I absolutely love pasta and this was definitely a hearty and filling pasta dish. The lamb didn’t have an overwhelming flavour which I liked but the chilli definitely isn’t like Asian chilli – there was no burn! This is a great dish for winter/autumn days when it’s a good idea to store some extra insulation!

GELATTOOO!!! :D 

Finally we had a small dessert (cause we ended up going drinking after HAHA) and we just shared a scoop of gelato! IT WAS A TINY SCOOP!! I really wish they were more generous with the scoop sizes! 

Clickey to read the REVIEW and extras:

Happy Snaps - January Update!

Time really flies! Already the first month of the year is over - WHUT? HOW? WHERE DID THE TIME GO? That's my response to it! And another part of me is so insanely scared about uni starting again soon. One more month of holiday left! I need to make the best of it! My only regret is that I'm not travelling this year but I shall enjoy the Sydney summer the best that I can!

Here are ten  of my favourite happy snaps from this month! Not all of them are taken by me!

BOO I WANT FOODDD :P 

This photo was taken at ARCHITECTS OF AIR - EXXOPOLIS which was a special inflatable structure filled with different colours, lights and really relaxing ambience music! It's really different and an interesting experience! I would recommend it to anyone wants to try something new! It's very chill and a nice place to just relax with friends! Even though it's great I went to a similar architecture 2 years ago - TWICE so it wasn't all too exciting for me!

#nofilter

Maroubra Beach! One of the only reasons why I love Sydney summers is because of the amazing beaches! They are all so picturesque and beauuuutiful! Plus really nice to swim, surf and just play in! ♥ Beaches!

Ling Ling ♡  

This was a belated birthday present from a high school friend and it made me super super happy to receive it that's why it's on my happy snaps! And yes she calls me Ling Ling! It was book called the Babe Bible and so far it's prove to be a very insightful read~

delicious cakes :D 

What is a holiday without cake? And there was much cake in my holiday (no wonder I gained 3kgs in one month!!). These cakes were delicious though so maybe it was worth it? Tiramisu, passion fruit cheesecake and sponge cream cake with strawberry! ヽ(‘ ∇‘ )ノ

Blue butterfly earrings! I love these earrings! They're so prettyyy!!

Ok I'll stop spazzing over them. But it was definitely a nice little reward after working so much during the Christmas holidays to actually have time and shop for myself. Adding them to my butterfly earring collection!

while waiting for food~ 

Taken by my friend Karen while we lunching at Macquarie :) Such fun times spent shopping, eating and chilling!

nomnom dumplings 

Chinese New Year just passed a couple of days ago and I spent the entire day making dumplings with my mum then pigging out on them! So many dumplings but they were the best ♥ The feeling of making dumplings with my mum is something I cherish as well cause as I get older the opportunities for such loving moments with her will definitely decrease so I'm grateful that it happened!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!! 

PORK! 

Part of the CNY family dinner with my mum and step dad! This was one of the mains (there were three different types of mains) and it was a marinated pork knuckle roast? My mum adds a chinese twist to every western dish she makes so I actually have no clue what it is! All I know is it tasted really good~

SO PRETTY <3 td="">

This was from a wild random walk in my neighbourhood even though I had no idea that this park even existed because I've never been to that part of my suburb but I love the way the lights look in this photo! Another thing to love my Sydney's summer!

My last happy snap and it's also the obligatory end post selfie! :) hehe enjoy summer everyone!

♥Lingfish

Comments are greatly appreciated! :) 

BEACH PHOTO SHOOT (*^▽^*)

This was the most SPONTANEOUS photo shoot ever! But the beach is my happy place (cause I’m a fish and all) so when I got to Maroubra I couldn’t help but want some photos! (*^▽^*) It was a really fun photo shoot because I spent most of the time running around like a crazy person and that is what I do best!!!!

The beautiful Maroubra Beach! <3 

Look at the amazing beach view! ♥ How can you not be happy looking at this? :D

ENJOY THE PHOTOS!

My favourite photo of the day! :D 

ROCKS EVERYWHERE but I LOVE IT!

MORE ROCKS! YAYY 

LETS GO THIS WAY! :D 

DAT DERP! 

OHH COME HERE YOU :) 

ASIAN SQUATTING AWW YEAH 

On top of the WORLD  after almost slipping haha 

Would have been the perfect photo if I didn't get photobombed hahaha xD 

That Asian fob pose! 

LOVE SURF RESCUE AUSTRALIA! 

THANK YOU TO MY WONDERFUL PHOTOGRAPHER Karen <3 You're my rock and I love you forever for that! That panda hat heeh :3

What I'm wearing:

- Top from SES

- Denim shorts from TEMT

- Havaiana thongs/sandles/flip-flops?

Make up:

Actually completely make up less except for SPF 30 sunscreen! I still got sunburnt thought! HAHA

And here's the obligatory selfies: 

DERPY SEBE in the background :P 

:) 

Thanks for inviting me to your Beach BBQ Thomas! :)

♥Lingfish~

10 Life lessons I learnt in 2013 ♥

1. Life is FULL of challenges and struggles but it’s possible to overcome them!

2013 was one of the most challenging times of my life where nothing was going exactly the way I was expecting it and in a year I went through so many difficult situations. To be honest if someone told me about the extent of all the challenges I experienced in 2013 I would have said ‘there’s no WAY I can survive all that’ – but you know what I DID SURVIVE! And that’s when I realised we have the capabilities to overcome A LOT of the challenges the life throws at us! It just requires a lot of patience, persistence and time!!

That being said I did get LOTS of help and for everyone that helped me I’m so grateful!!

Life is always full of challenges – take them as lessons and count your blessings!

 2. Sometimes you’ll fail in life but it’s really not the end of the world.

As an Asian girl I’ve always prioritise academic achievement over many other types of achievements in life, but for the first time I actually failed something and it needs to be repeated. Failing a university subject isn’t something I’m proud of and to be honest – it was extremely shocking! To a point where I felt like there was no future in my education but that was just a very negative mentality I was stuck on! After taking a break from university for a semester I can see that I need to finish my degree (even if it’s going to almost kill me) not just to please my Asian mother but for myself as well!


2014 is going to be so challenging as I’ll be finishing a degree in a career I don’t really care about with an entire grade that I’m not familiar with but what is a life without a little challenge??

3. Friendship is more than just a number and maintaining them takes real EFFORT!

So in my second and third year of university I became SUPER social and went to every social outing, parties and all kinds of craziness! It was A LOT of fun – meeting new people and getting to know them better! I’ve always loved people and interacting with them always energised me!


But something changed when I turned 21 at the end of 2012 because suddenly I realised without real, strong friendships to rely on I was so lost and didn’t even have anyone to turn to! That’s when I realised being a friend is so much more than just talking to them and drinking together at some party.


In 2013 I tried really hard to deepen my friendships with people and to be honest – IT’S SO HARD! Because as we get older we get busier with our careers, studies and other commitments it becomes a real ordeal to people when they’re free (especially since I’m so spontaneous and last minute!!). But I’ve learnt that even though it’s difficult it’s REALLY worthwhile to deepen friendships because now I know even if I’m struggling with life there are people who are going to be there for me and I’m always willing to do the same for them!! ♥ you guys! Hehe

FAMBAM at Elle & Andrew's 21 :) <3

4. Experiencing what you don’t want will make you SO much more appreciative when you get what you want!

This Christmas period has been my busiest one yet – I was working two different retail jobs! But I have absolutely no regrets because now that my roster has loosened up I can TRULY appreciate every second of rest and break that I get! Working hard made me realise you have to experience the exhaustion, restlessness, stress and anxiety to truly appreciate the relaxation, rest and rejuvenation! It’s the same with many other aspects – it was only when I experienced complete confusion and disorientation that I can be so thankful for direction and orderliness!


For someone that used to run away from negative feelings it was definitely something that was different but definitely worthwhile!

5. Family is the one thing that’ll ALWAYS be there for you!

Friends will leave, boyfriends/girlfriends will leave and even you’ll want to leave yourself at some point but your family they’re stuck with you for life!


No matter what that bond of blood means they unconditionally have to love & take care of you!


IT’S SO IMPORTANT to learn how to love and appreciate my family more! It’s a challenge because I rarely see any of my family members (my mum works a lot and my dad’s in China) but when I can talk to them I do! At the end of the day whatever happens they’re always there for me! ♥

 6. It’s actually possible to achieve the things you want – as long as you are willing to put in time, effort & energy!

To be honest I didn’t realise how much I doubted myself and avoided taking risks because I thought I couldn’t achieve a lot of things! I kept second guessing my abilities all the time but now I’ve learnt to accept that it is possible to get to where I want to go in life but I just need to let go of my fears and JUST TRY! You don’t know where you’ll go until you try! You can do what you ACTUALLY WANT TO instead of pleasing someone else and trying to achieve their dreams!

7. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses – No one’s perfect!

This is something my mum use to tell me all the time but I sometimes didn’t see how that was applied in real life… because I never really got close to people! But now I’m starting to see how that statement is so true~ including for myself! There are SOOOO many things I suck at – technology, cooking and the list go on! But at the end of the day I can work hard to overcome my weaknesses and make them my strengths but if it’s something I can’t change like my height then I’ll just learn to accept it!


When interacting with people it’s so easy to pick up their flaws but it’s better to accept that part of them and focus on the qualities that makes you like them!

8. It’s important to find out what your life values are!

Decision making is one of the hardest things to do in life and in 2013 I was really confused by some major life decisions – I didn’t know what to choose and what I wanted!!! That is still a problem I have but what really helped me was to find out what my values were. Some examples of mine are honesty, curiosity and enthusiasm!


Here’s a link for more information about values:


http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_85.ht

9. Ask for help especially when you need it!

Before 2013 I always thought subconsciously that asking for help whether professionally or from friends was a sign of weakness and it meant wasting their time while adding to that person’s burden! I was really afraid of showing my weaknesses to people (and now I’m sharing this on the internet haha) but it really is what made the difference! If I didn’t seek help and support the way I did there’s no way I’d be as happy as I am now!


Whatever issues you might be having right now – ask for some assistance! It doesn’t make you any less of a person and you might be surprised about how much better things will be for you! Also I learnt to help other people out when they need it and to be honest it makes me feel happy just to be needed by someone!

10. Don’t stop being creative!

Because I study Pharmacy and it’s a profession where rules are followed to an extreme because it’s concerning other people’s health but for the past 4 years I haven’t been able to express myself creatively in any way and to be honest that took a toll on me! Not saying I’m the greatest artist or most imaginative person but it is important to explore the creative side of our lives sometimes – It keeps things interesting!


It’s the legacy you leave to the world! Blogging and dancing are the two things I’m doing that is creative right now and I love those two things so much!


I hope by sharing these things on the internet it can help one person who’s struggling with their issues to have courage to seek help and see some hope! Hopefully 2014 will teach me more valuable life lessons – Don’t ever stop learning!

one of my favourite selfies from 2013!! :D 

♥Lingfish~

P.S. I have many doubts and fears when I’m posting something like this on the internet for the fear of criticism and judgement but just remember to respect people’s journey and timing! No one’s the same!

NEW YEAR – Fireworks & Quotes for 2014! ♠

FIREWORKS. FIREWORKS. FIREWORKS

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Watching live fireworks every new year's eve has become a crazy tradition for me because my family ALWAYS did it! And this year was no exception! :) My photography skills are very poor at the moment and taking good firework photos is extremely challenging so here are some photos from The City of Sydney! <3

Absolutely stunning fireworks! Watching it in person is the best feeling out there~ And my mum had a saying - the noise and the bang of the fireworks will destroy any of the problems you had in the past year so that you can move on to the new year problem-less and FRESH! That's reason why watching the fireworks for me is so important! 

MINION BANANA <3

That was my Outfit for New Year's Eve! I never wear colour but I decided for 2014 I should wear something that I normally wouldn't! AND I ran into this adorable minion drawing hehe couldn't help but take a tourist photo! 

New Year's Wishes for everyone: 

I sincerely wish everyone a wonderful year filled with laughter, fun and happy times! Sometimes life can be very challenging and we end up in terrible situations but take everything life throws at you as a lesson to learn from and always remember in time everything will pass :) STAY STRONG and SOLDIER ON! 

HERE are some wonderful quotes to start off your 2014:

These are the things I myself am trying to remember as the year brings its roller coaster ride! :D BRING IT ON 2014!! 

instead of obligatory selfie- it's a photo of me taking a selfie hahah xD 

♥Lingfish~