inertia
ɪˈnəːʃə/
noun

1. a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged.
2. [Physics] a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force.

You'll be pleased to know that this article is not about Galileo or Isaac Newton's 'Law of Motion' (unless you actually liked Physics in school).

Many of us resist change as we get used to our lives being on 'autopilot'. Whether it's because we prefer not to venture too far beyond our comfort zones, or we just don’t like the uncertainty of unfamiliar territory, or we start to feel like we are losing control over situations, routines, or even our lives. ​

Your job changes, your best friend starts dating someone (slowly putting an end to your regular nights out), you change schools, you become a parent, you get married, or divorced, someone leaves you, or you leave them, you relocate, or someone close to you relocates... all of these (and more) could impact us as individuals in different ways and can require additional mental and physical effort. Not knowing what to expect or do after times of change, could raise the temptation to resist it all and simply cling on to what we already have or know.  

I personally hate change and resist it like the plague, but over the years, whether it's change that happened voluntarily or involuntarily, I have learnt one thing: change makes us learn, at least something, if we look hard enough. 

When things change, we could learn more about ourselves and how we manage our emotions and situations in such times.

There are times when I may not even like how I behave with change, which is when I have learnt that trying to ground myself to my original principles and beliefs, sense-check them with reality and speak to my trusted sources (close friends, family, mentors, etc.), really helps bring me up to speed.

Part of me believes that once we come out of a lot of changes, our endurance, mental strength and ability to deal with future changes improves. As per the saying: Practice makes perfect.
​From a personal development point of view, change could be a blessing in disguise. 

Change can also teach us a few things about others. Sometimes it can be a test of our relationships with, and our understanding of, other people, including those we think we know very well, and those we don't. Someone you barely know, could come and save your life or help you during times of change or difficulty, or someone (you think) you know very well could either help you when in need, or disappear and disappoint. We can't control how others behave and feel about us, but events and changes can make us learn more about the people who were, are and will be in our lives. 

Change can also be exciting! It could open the doors to new opportunities for personal growth and experience, that you wouldn't have even thought were there. 

To give some personal examples, for instance: my brother, sister-in-law and my two-year old nephew recently relocated from London to Dubai. Initially, the idea was just a 'let's see what happens if I apply' situation. When this materialised, it was a shock to the system: coming to terms with the fact that they won't be a fifteen minute journey away anymore (more like seven hours...) and we will miss our weekly live entertainment from my two-year-old nephew).

For them, this was a serious decision to get out of their comfort zone after almost two decades, including important lifestyle changes such as foregoing the luxury of having easy access to the pub, to needing an alcohol-license for the nominated male of the household (no, not my nephew). Jokes aside, I can only imagine how scary it could be to work somewhere so different (so hot!!) and adapt to their culture, save money and also live a fulfilling life, while they are out there. 

Having said that, they overcame the inertia of preferring to stay where they were in life, based on a comprehensive SWOT analysis, and decided to relocate as the opportunities to experience a 'new life', to learn, and to meet new people from all over the world outweighed the sacrifice of their 'comfort zone'. 

As a sibling, from my point of view, I see this as an exciting opportunity to come up with a new routine, travel to Dubai more often, explore the city and the surroundings of the U.A.E and also get to hear all about life in the Middle East through them. 

Having said all the positive things about coming out of inertia and the benefits of going through change, we can't ignore the fact that not all changes are good or work out well for everyone. Sometimes we could be left in a serious situation if say, we suddenly lost a loved one or we lose our jobs and have nowhere to stay. At that point in time, there may be little or no reason why that would be a good thing. However, if there wasn't hope, there wouldn't be a life worth living. I have mentioned 'optimism' earlier, and I believe that it's all about how we try to gradually turn the situation around, to the best of our abilities, with the given circumstances, over the long run. I have to admit that some of the most memorable things I have experienced in my life so far, was either a trigger for change, or because of change.

The moral of this article, at least for me, is that we all experience inertia in different levels and forms, whether it's physical or mental. However, we can look at it as an opportunity, find ways to adapt to make them work for us and also accept 'what is’...

friend
frɛnd/
noun

1. a person with whom one has a bond, mutual trust and support.

When I was much younger, my mum explained to me how they used to pick a sakhi (सखि), which means a friend for life in Hindi. In this day and age of cynicism (and often with valid reasons), we may think its idealistic to have a 'sakhi'. Some people are lucky to still have friends since their childhood, while others could have friends from university, work, a holiday, a wedding, a retirement home, supermarket and so on. It doesn't matter when, where or how. Befriending someone could take a couple of hours of realising commonalities between each other or it could be a much slower adoption from either side, when after a number of years you realise that you must be friends if you're still talking to each other. However, it often takes several years of being alive to learn what kind of friendship you have or once had with an individual.

One of my best friends gave this to me, while we recovered from a break in our own friendship. This saying, amongst few others, has stuck with me for a very long time.

I don't necessarily believe in categorising friendships, but when looking in hindsight, sometimes it could help clarifying what purpose certain people served in our lifetime. Have certain individuals already served their purpose in your life (Friend of Reason) or were they there during a phase of your life (Friend of Season) or have they been through various phases of your life and for whatever reason... are still there (Friend for Life)?

The friendships from my childhood probably fall under the 'seasonal' category as there would have been times when we thought we would always be friends. But people change with time, as do our priorities and thought process. For instance, when I met my best friend from primary school after 15 years, it wasn't what I expected. I had this weird feeling of closeness, yet acknowledgement of the fact that we have become completely different people and wouldn't exactly call ourselves 'friends' anymore (I'm pretty sure the feeling was mutual!). 

We experience constant flux over the years, which for me became more apparent between my late teens and adulthood. Whether its principals, beliefs, opinions or even the definition of a friend, everything changed and I started to fine tune my ideas on what was important to me. 

Whether it's a reason or season, it's important that we accept that sometimes relationships including friendships have expiry dates. Some friendships gradually fizzle out, while others can be more dramatic and painful for one or everyone involved. There could be situations where the foundations of a friendship have been broken (intentionally or unintentionally), and despite individual or mutual attempts to fix them, in some cases, things can't be the same. The friendship is dead. However, what I have learnt from these experiences is that we need to stay clear of two things: 

1. Blaming the other(s)
2. Blaming yourself 

Neither works or helps the situation. Instead, we can make peace with what is and 'compartmentalise' (I love this word). We can put that friendship as a pleasant memory (of the times that were good) in a virtual 'box' and accept that it no longer is. Only then can we focus on any lessons we have learnt (if applicable) and carry on with life, making and investing in the people and relationships that we still have in our lives, as well as ourselves. ​We can make 'change' work for us.

Difficulty level: Moderate 
Preparation time: a lifetime
Serves: minimum of 2 persons 
Instructions: try not to forget the ingredients.

Ingredients:

• A jar of kindness,
• A spoonful of listening,
• A can of honesty,
• A tube of trust,
• A carton of patience,
• 1kg of forgiveness,
• A box of encouragement,
• A pot of respect,
• A bag of loyalty,
• and a bottle of fun (and sometimes...rum.)​

Source: www.teachingideas.co.uk/assemblies/ingredients-to-make-a-good-friend

The list above is not unknown, but we could benefit from reminding ourselves about these once in a while to see if we have been a good friend to someone close to us. We don't need to beat ourselves over it if not, but we can make an effort to make some positive changes going forward. 

I am fortunate enough to have a handful of 'sakhis' or in modern terms 'besties'. If I had to describe them in my own words, they are my rocks. We know we're not there for each other for just a reason or season, but for life.

We shamelessly step into each others lives to find solutions, we don't judge, we encourage the other to move on (even if it means we'll see less of them), we dance like looneys on nights out (cue: chicken dance), we fight with others for each other, we don't blame or intentionally hurt one another. And if we do, we apologise and we forgive and make amends if needed. We grow together.

​Apart from my family, in moments of joy and crisis, we are each others' support group. As mentioned in my article on 'Life Hacks', teachings by Tara Brach, an author and teacher of meditation and self-awareness talks about 'Sangha' i.e. good company could help you grow and be happier. 

When 200 Whatsapp notifications don't bother me, or when I'm on the phone to a friend for four hours (especially when I hate talking on the phone), I know we must be close.

​I have random funny memories of my best friends like when my friend walked into our offices to look for the culprit who wasn't nice to me, so that she could give them a 'piece of her mind' (wearing bright pink trousers and a parrot green top, obviously); or when me and another friend opened our first can of beer at 10am on the train to Brighton and ended up missing the last train home; or when some of us ran around in heavy rain like children in the City of London. 

The point is that sometimes moments or certain signals tell us who we are close to at that point in time. Whether it's for now, or forever, we can feel a close bond with someone and we may want to spend more time with them, unless and until things change... 

We live in three different continents: Asia, Europe and Africa, but it doesn't feel like we are far away. When we do meet in person, it doesn't feel like we have 'missed' each other, but I often need to do a double-take, mid-conversation, to remind myself that they're actually sat in front of me. It's like a solid, independent long-distance relationship. One of them told me, when she was leaving the UK, that she refuses to say 'Bye' as we will see each other very soon. And we make sure we do... 

work
wəːk/
noun

1. activity involving mental or physical effort, done in order to achieve a result

This article has nothing to do with Rihanna and Drake, unfortunately. 

When I started my first job as an intern, I got to work at 9:05am, went out for my full hour's lunch break (with the other interns who were no different) and by 5:10pm we were usually found at our favourite bar counter ordering as many of the BOGOF cocktails (Espresso Martinis for me...) as possible before 'happy hour' ended for the day. To put it in context, my life was mostly: PLAY, PLAY, PLAY, PLAY, WORK (80% play vs. 20% work). 

Fast-forward ten years and my life is: WORK, WORK, WORK, PLAY, PLAY (60% work vs. 40% play). 

Thank goodness there's still some 'PLAY' in there. If you're not careful, the 'PLAY' could keep going on a decline unless you consciously keep it in your life. Personally, 'PLAY' involves spending time doing things that I enjoy doing, such as writing, photography, traveling, going to different food places or bars, spending time with friends and family, as well as having some time to 'chill'. This no doubt, varies from person to person, with some people being fortunate enough to even consider 'WORK' as 'PLAY'. 

From first-hand experience, I realised over the last few years that work feels less like 'WORK' when I enjoy what I do... or make myself enjoy what I have on my plate for most of the time spent in the office, so that it feels less like an effort. This could result in a reduced perception of 'WORK' and 'PLAY' being mutually exclusive (and possibly less of a reason to write an article about). 

While work usually pays the bills and (hopefully) challenges us professionally and socially, it can also become routine. The opportunity cost of work is often the time and energy that could be spent on things that bring us more fulfilment. Climbing the career-ladder is often promoted with more money, increased knowledge and responsibilities, better connections, more authority, power and so on. However, this could come as a package with some additional politics, stress, conflicts and more. 

Towards the end of last year, I went to a career's workshop run by ETC (Escape The City) that was quite interesting (so much that I actually paid for it). A lady called Skye took us through some frameworks that could help people identify key factors to help them find out if they're on the right career path and job.

Below are 3 key career ingredients: 

1. Impact
2. Belonging
3. Wellbeing

Skye asked us to rate each category between 0-10, making a full classroom of 20-40-year-old men and women ask themselves whether their work is actually meaningful (to them) and if it is fulfilling their potential (Impact). We were then asked if we are enabled to have a good work-life balance, including more 'PLAY' time, whether it's to socialise or exercise, have our weekends to ourselves, reasonable working hours etc. (Wellbeing). Finally, we were asked if we genuinely felt like we were part of the places we work for (Belonging). 

If we take everything in such courses with a pinch of salt, I reckon we can benefit from such frameworks, without making any impractical or dramatic changes to our careers. They can be beneficial as a sense-check to help people find the reasons behind any unfulfilling work, and try to tackle them with possible solutions, or look for more suitable alternatives. 

The three career ingredients reminded me of a TED Talk by Emily Esfahani Smith who highlighted four 'pillars' to living a meaningful life. I felt like this could be applied to the ETC framework above, in order to help ourselves find the 'WORK: PLAY' (and life) balance. 

4 Pillars:
1. Belonging
2. Purpose
3. Transcendence 
4. Story-telling

Belonging, according to Emily, comes from "relationships where you are valued for who you are and where you value others as well." This can directly be applied to the 2nd 'career ingredient' mentioned earlier by ETC of 'belonging' as well. The second pillar is purpose, which is about "using our strengths to serve others" and reach an end result, which many of us do through work, i.e. "how we contribute and feel needed".  

There are moments at work, like today when I was sat in a filming studio with a product manager who was being recorded to talk about his product. I watched him getting nervous, failing to say what he wanted to... and trying and trying again until he got his best shot. For a couple of seconds, I felt inspired by his dedication and ability to refocus on the task at hand and I felt fortunate to be exposed to inspiring people through work. This ties in with the 'growth' element of the 1st ETC career ingredient mentioned earlier (Impact). In such moments, I can somewhat relate to the 3rd pillar from the TED talk: transcendence, i.e. experiences beyond the normal. However, in the industry I work in, I have to say these moments are infrequent... (at least compared to the Health and Charity sectors!). Depending on who you are, it is possible to find random things that make you feel uplifted and motivated. For some it could be while writing or analysing data and trends (not me...) while for others it may be networking, treating people in hospital, playing a sport... you get the picture. 

The final pillar is about story-telling. How you define your experiences in life or at work can determine how you feel about work feeling like 'WORK' or 'PLAY'. 

Many of us come across that one difficult (pain in the...) person at our workplaces, who we can moan about on an hourly basis to the point that they become a reason for our stress levels soaring. Or we could define ourselves or our job satisfaction on things that went right or wrong. This could be a volatile view of our situations, though. The clue is in finding perspective on what we have experienced to see the positive and negative outcomes e.g. lessons learnt, subsequent successful projects, empathising with the behaviour of difficult colleagues and finding solutions around them and so on. 

Obviously, if the situations are unbearable and in the ETC model you see yourself scoring say 0-5 on most of the 'career ingredients' and/or not finding a purpose or belonging in your daily work life, it's probably time to move on. For instance, if I ever find myself in a WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK, PLAY/WORK (80% work vs. 20% play) situation (I hope not!), I may need to come back to this article and read it myself. 

Many of us spend way too long looking for new ways to be happy. I found a few basic rules that have really sunk into me and have helped me deal with challenges and life so far.

​Read more...

​
​Here are 5 theories that can give certain situations a 'name' or some structure to help us get some clarity and perhaps some perspective in certain situations. We just need to figure out how to apply them... 
​Read more...

rush hour
noun
a time during each day when traffic is at its heaviest

​Apart from forcing us to learn more about anger management, rush hour in the City of London can teach us a lot about ourselves. From avoiding eye contact to testing out your patience, resilience, physical abilities and from choosing the right outfits to learning how to maneuver through the city, rush hour can teach us quite a few things. 

If I am on a train or bus or am waiting at a platform and I feel like someone is looking in my direction, the first step is to narrow down the reasons why, for instance: 

1. They are looking past me*
2. They forgot to look away
3. They know me 
4. They are crazy
5. I have something on my face 
6. They like my face 
7. They don't like my face 
8. They are partially sighted
9. They are cross-eyed 
10. They are creepy 

*Most preferable option

The next step is to figure out how to deal with this not-so-comfortable situation. The absolute last option is a risky one... you can stare back at the 'starer' until they hopefully look away (this could backfire, unless you're good at staring games). 

Some tried and tested ideas to keep your eyes and yourself occupied otherwise, include:

1. (Pretend to) sleep 
2. Read a book or newspaper
3. Play Candy Crush 
4. (Re-)Read your WhatsApp messages
5. Go through all your photos 
6. Get some work done
7. Unsubscribe from all your junk emails
8. Meditate (Calm App is pretty good)
9. Read the poster about  'Pregnacare' on repeat
10. Listen to music or watch a movie 
11. Stare out of the window...

There will be times when you will be surprised at what your body can do when it doesn't have a choice when travelling on a packed train. Even if it's yoga or your usual stretching exercises.

Here are five things  worth practicing at home prior to rush hour: 
​

1. One-leg stands (to avoid stepping on someone's foot, luggage, child, dog's tail, etc.) 
2. Surf (when you can't hold on to anything on a moving train, you'll need to work on your balancing skills and lower your center of gravity)
3. Neck rotations (for when you have to move your neck to one side to avoid being face to face with a stranger or their armpit...)
4. Arm stretches (you should be able to twist your arm backwards in order to hold the one pole you can just about reach past another five bodies or avoid skin-to-skin contact in the hotter months of Summer)
5. PAŚCIMOTTĀNĀSANA i.e. a forward sitting bend (for when you're lucky enough to get a seat, but unlucky enough to have neighbouring passengers who are large or are selfish enough to take over the arm-rests). 

​Remember: practice makes perfect. 

I once made the grave mistake of wearing a winter coat, boots, a polo neck thermal top (Heat-Tech ones from UNIQLO), a woolly skirt, hat and gloves in the Central Line in the London Underground during Winter.

Apparently this is the second hottest tube line in London in Summer, but even in Winter, this line is deceiving and you need to have an escape strategy from your very own clothes during any season. 

I learnt the hard way that a polo neck top is not easy to get out of, in general and even more-so during rush hour, while standing in very close proximity to fellow commuters. Even getting out of a jumper or taking a jacket off grabs way more attention during rush hour, than is necessary - compared to a normal environment.

​A lot of squirming and what may look like a bad snake-dance, while keeping a straight face, 'playing it cool' and avoiding eye contact can amuse others while making one quite self-conscious. 

The solution?

​Dress like a onion. Wear several layers of clothes that you can peel off one by one, seamlessly without touching your neighbouring passenger. Stick to thin layers unless you fancy looking like Joey from the TV show Friends when he put on all of Chandler's clothes.

Remember to have enough space in your bag to carry all the layers, before you have to put them all back on once you leave the station to the outside world. 

We have all been a tourist... yes, and we have possibly annoyed the hell out of the citizens of the city you were visiting who just wanted to: Get to work.

​However much we try to empathise when we are surrounded by tourists in London during rush hour, we can't get over the fact that some: 

• Never stand on the right and walk on the left
• Stand in a circle discussing which station they need to get to, right in front of the ticket barriers or on the staircase to get to the platform
• Stare (please refer to point 1.) 
• Skip the unspoken rules of queuing when the trains arrive on a platform 

The lesson from this is: avoid tourists during rush hour. 

I'm not referring to people who are older or less able to walk quickly, but I am talking about people who somehow manage to look at their mobile phone, or even more surprisingly read a book while walking down a narrow pathway, oblivious to who or what is behind them. OR people who wear ridiculous shoes or high heels and cannot walk in them... if you can't walk in your shoes, what's the point? 

To top this up, some people overtake you, and then start walking slowly. This actually happens. I will never understand why. 

The good thing about London is that most commuters have learnt to invest in comfortable walking shoes, for speed. Invest in a good pair and you won't be one of the slow walkers annoying everyone else (you can always change into your pretty looking high heels or work shoes at the office). 

Your best friends when using public transport, apart from real people and entertainment are:

1. Hand sanitiser​
2. A mask (although I haven't picked up the courage to buy or wear one in London yet... but I wish I did) 

These can help us prevent suffering consequences of unwanted pollution. Whether it's a fellow passengers' BO, bad breath, post-night out alcohol sweats, a serial coughing or sneezing neighbor who thinks it's okay not to cover their mouths / noses, or those who didn't find the time to file their nails...and of course actual emissions from cars and buses or construction sites.

For some reason, using some sanitiser after my journey into work makes it all okay (but it does dry out my hands, but we have hand cream for that too). 

To sum all of this up, rush hour may seem impossible to survive on a daily basis, especially when traveling on public transport in London, but it is possible to prepare for it and hopefully master the art of the 'London Commute'. 

First of all, you need to ask yourself a few questions before you decide on climbing Mount Kilimanjaro: 
​

1. Does the sound of camping and not showering for days upset you?
2. Are you afraid of heights?
3. Do you get bored after walking for a few hours? 
4. Do you run out of breath easily? 
5. Have you saved some money for flights, an organised tour, equipment, visas, accommodation and training? 
6. Why do you want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro? 
7. Who would you climb it with? Or would you go solo? 

Depending on what's more important to you e.g. if you hate camping, the 'Coca-Cola' route (Marangu) is the most touristy one of them all with cabin accommodation. Ultimate Kilimanjaro highlights the various routes with the pros and cons of each of these: 
​

1. Marangu
2. Machame
3. Lemosho
4. Shira
5. Rongai
6. Northern Circuit
7. Umbwe 

We have decided to go for the less busy but longer Rongai route. Eek. 

• Waterproof socks (SmartWool)
• High calorie snacks
• Contacts / glasses
• Fleece jacket
• Down jacket
• Thermal tights
• Gloves inners
• Gloves waterproof
• Diamox (for altitude sickness; with prescription)
• Dry shampoo (don't judge)
• Toothpaste & toothbrush
• Long underwear (I don't know why... yet)
• AAA batteries x6 (for the flashlights)
• Baby and antibacterial wipes (6 days without a shower or a real toilet... yes, we need wipes!) 
• Duck tape (...) 
• Pocket money
• Solar charger backpack (Power monkey)
• First aid and paracetamol
• Rain jacket
• Gaiters (to keep trousers dry) 
• T shirts x3
• Quick dry towel
• Backpack 70l
• Rucksack 30–40l
• Balaclava
• Wooly hat
• Waterproof cover (backpack)
• Walking poles
• Underwear
• Swim suit x 3 (for Zanzibar...!) 
• Hair brush
• Straightener
• Travel insurance (needs to cover up to 6000m)
• Passport
• Sunglasses
• Glasses
• Kindle
• Waterproof phone case
• Earphones
• Battery pack
• Speaker
• iPhone
• Camera
• Chargers! 
• Thermal tops x2
• Hydration bladder
• Nail clipper (long toe nails while walking for 9 hours... don't do it!)
• Nail polish (to hide all the dirt)
• Sunscreen
• Lip balm
• Make up (...only to protect your skin from the sun... obviously)
• Deo (for the sake of your fellow travellers) 
• Moisturiser
• Convertible trekking pants (shorts/trousers)
• Merino wool jumper(s)
• Hiking boots (waterproof, sometimes better as one size bigger) 
• Open sandals
• Water bottle (Nalgene)
• Plastic bags (for smelly clothes) 
• Sleeping bag liner
• Sleeping bag and mattress (or just rent one for around $50)
• Headlamp 
• Toilet paper
• Notebook and pen 
• ​Hot water bottle... you'll love me for this! 
• ​(Vodka - to warm your insides... just a sip!) 
  

Apparently just being 'relatively fit' isn't good enough for climbing Kilimanjaro. The success rate is around 65% according to climbkilimanjaroguide.com in terms of getting to the 'summit', depending on which route you take. At 5,895m height, most of the advice I have read on various blogs suggest that the trick is in walking slowly, acclimatising, practicing with long walks for 2-3 months before the trek. 

I'm aiming to train three times a week, for at least one hour per session, at a minimum (compared to my usual 30 minute bursts). It is recommended that you do day hikes for 4 - 6 hours, with moderate elevation changes while carrying a 10kg pack. Here's a useful blog with tips on how to train: http://www.hikingdude.com/hiking-training.php 

Your longest and hardest workouts should be performed two to four weeks before your departure (the last two weeks, you should taper off your training and in the final days, rest so that your body has time to recover before your actual climb). In addition to walking/hiking, you can also supplement your training with exercises such as running or cycling, which will increase your aerobic capacity.95 m5,895 m5,895

7 weeks to go for the big climb, so we decided to test drive a 'baby' mountain: Mount Snowdon in Wales (1085m above sea level). It was probably made to be a bigger deal in my head than was necessary. The day before our trek, the lovely owners of our guesthouse (Min-y-don) in Llanfechain (pronounced: Cl-an....), told us that there were twelve casualties on the mountain a day ago. Although, one was a lady who wore heels... part of me would like to meet her. 

Ok, so I did the second easiest, quickest and shortest trek up to the top (Well, almost. We didn't make it to the top only because the guards didn't let us... and we were tired). The route is called the 'Pyg track', and it's quite achievable, with the right boots and clothing... and weather, starting from Pen-y-Pass. Note: your parking skills will be tested (it gets busy and packed). 

Apart from the gorgeous dark green 'tarns' (glacial lakes), the snow on the top, the criss-crossing routes and craters made this day trek totally worth it. 

We are more fortunate than many in the world. We complain about the weather, if our coffee wasn't brewed properly, if there are too many people on our train to work. All of these are legitimate complaints, by the way, but what we can also do, is occasionally think of and give to those who don't even have what we have: freedom (of speech), choice, food, (clean) water, health, a roof, clothes and shoes, respect, education and more. 

As we climb to the top of Africa, we decided to raise money for FGM (Female Genital Mutilation), which is more common in Africa as well as Asia and the Middle East. UNICEF estimated in 2017 that 200 million women living today in 30 countries have undergone the procedures. 

FORWARD UK is an organisation that operates in the UK, Europe and Africa to safeguard girls at risk of FGM and support women through community engagement, advocacy and strategic partnerships. Their 2016/17 annual report and income:expense split can be found here.

We raised almost £800 in 4 days and it shows how strongly people feel against this from colleagues at my workplace to friends of friends. It has been humbling. So if you decide to climb, it's worth doing something that gives something to those who need some help. Obviously, do some research and look at any charity company's annual reports and balance sheets to see how much of the income from donations actually goes to charity... (I was born a cynic!). 

4 weeks before Kilimanjaro and warm weather has finally decided to come to the UK, so a couple of us decided to venture out to the British coastline on a fine Saturday morning from London Victoria to Seaford in a very noisy train carriage thanks to a strange mix of a dozen young men with a variety of hair do's. 
A short walk from Seaford station, we started to see the white bumpy cliffs that we saw earlier from our Google search. We thought we were on the 'blue' trail that was meant to go through a forest, but ended up on the 'yellow' one. The point is we walked up and down nine hilly cliffs towards Eastbourne, and the view from the edge of the sea and cliffside got better after each hill.

Distance covered: 25km
Time: 7 hours
Nearest pub: 5 miles from Eastbourne

I'm not quite sure why I had never ventured out here before... it's incredibly peaceful, beautiful and has some very strange birds, for those who like bird-watching. One of them made me laugh, it looked like a giant crow and it was skipping. We called it 'Skippy'.

5 miles before Eastbourne, we found a pub called 'The Beachy Head' that has outdoor seating and great dough sticks... and triple-cooked fries. Would recommend visiting, the food, service and ambience was just what we needed as a well-deserved treat after 20km. 

This may sound contradictory to what many would say. You should most certainly read a few blogs from those who have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, write down what's important (packing, diet, exercise, pacing yourself, the right clothing and equipment, medications, insurance for over 5800m altitude, luggage weight limits, portable toilets, tipping porters) and then build up on your positive attitude and ignore everything else. 

I'm sure (most) people mean well when they share their personal experiences or some conclusions from someone they know, but in my opinion, there are no rules. As mentioned in my blog post 'Over the Hill', young or old, physically fit or not, some have climbed it in two days, while others walk for six days and don't make it to the top. No. Rules. 

Just work on your positive spirit, prepare as best as possible, be practical and sensible and go for it, without fear of 'failing' (not making it to the top) and without panicking yourselves. 

My friend kindly did some research for us and found the following blogs which cover plenty of information to give you the gist of what to expect. Feel free to read some or all of them, but do remember that everyone has unique experiences, as with everything else in life. 

Packing:
https://www.climbmountkilimanjaro.com/practical-information/what-to-take/clothes

Outside the ordinary advice: 
https://www.travelfearlesslyblog.com/tanzania/things-no-one-tells-you-about-climbing-kilimanjaro

Diet: 
https://emilyrosecrocker.wordpress.com/2018/03/07/you-climbed-mt-kilimanjaro-was-it-hard

Photos (for inspiration): 
https://thelongerroute.wordpress.com/2017/11/12/a-journey-to-the-roof-of-africa-mt-kilimanjaro

Don't forget to book Zanzibar!

After all, you need to treat yourself for going through all the days of looking (and smelling) rough... just Google search Zanzibar and every single photo looks like the one above... turquoise green, clear watered haven. 

Approximately GBP 100 flight from Moshi in Tanzania (usually using Precision Air), after a night of resting in Moshi after the trek, you could fly out to Zanzibar - an island off the coast of Tanzania, part of the same country (so no extra visa required). 

Top 10 recommendations from the internet: 

1. Zanzibar City - Old Fort, Mosques, Stone Town
2. Snorkeling
3. Swimming with turtles
4. Swimming with dolphins
5. Kitesurfing & lessons 
6. Safari & Cheetah's rock
7. Visiting the Masaai 
8. Sunbathing (we are staying at Nungwi beach because we want to try all the water sports, but we should visit Nakupenda beach which looks unreal on Tripadvisor)
9. Mtoni Palace Ruins (and live music)
10. Party time! Traveldudes.org gives a comprehensive list of all the places in Zanzibar City.

This is no cheap trip. So far, we have budgeted for:

GBP 250 - 300 for tipping the porters
GBP 700 for flights (we're flying with Kenya Airways via Nairobi, Kenya)
GBP 300 for hotels 
GBP 500 spending money in Zanzibar 
GBP 1800 for six days organised trek for Kilimanjaro 

TOTAL: GBP 3,550 

Also, the Airport is 10 minutes away from Stone Town where you can get a couple of ATMs. USD is widely accepted by most places, but the local currency is Tanzanian Shilling (Tsh). 

After four days of walking and breathing slowly, monitoring our heart beats, using our walking poles once in a while, sipping water and electrolytes (Diarolyte for extra hydration) using our hydration bladders, constantly putting on and taking off our windproof rain jackets, the four of us and 13 porters and 3 guides made it to KIBO HUT i.e. the base camp at 4700m above sea level from where the night trek to the summit on Day 5 starts. 

We were fed four (freshly cooked) meals a day with plenty of carbs and protein, thanks to our tour company Routes and Boots. We ate to our hearts' content every single day, which was amazing in a way.

On 'summit night' we wore five layers on top, covered our heads and faces, wore these things called 'gaters' for the snow on top of the mountain and headed off with our head lamps... (a must) "pole pole" (meaning: slowly slowly). 1km up the slopes on the summit night felt like 10km (to me). Sadly, I had to turn back to the base camp as I couldn't breathe and had to sleep in the freezing cold tent in all my layers. In the words of one of my friends: it felt like prison. 

But despite the cold nights and having to go to the toilet at 4 a.m., the night sky lit by the moonlight and hundreds of stars, waking up to being above the clouds and bright sunlight (you need a lot of sunscreen to avoid getting sun burn) is totally worth it. Even better, due to the cold weather, there were no insects (hurrah!). 

FIRST-HAND TIPS: 

- A hot water bottle will be your best friend at night
- You need to use walking poles, especially on the last day of walking downhill
- Wear knee braces on the last day (Day 6) or they will hurt... a lot (carry Ibuprofen anyway) 
- You need a balaclava, no matter how horrendous you may look wearing one (a friend called me a 'blue worm')
- Contact lenses can crack at the top of the mountain (temperatures can go down to -15 degrees celsius) 
- Your shins and the back of your shoulders will get burnt unless you wear sunscreen
- Carry baby wipes and antibacterial at all times 
- A Go PRO in a waterproof case (or cheaper equivalents) will be useful if it rains or in snow (and is useful in Zanzibar)
- You'll probably wear the same clothes for most of the trek... and you'll be fine! I wore normal gym clothes and a rain jacket for all 6 days
- A sip of vodka at night is okay... (it felt amazing in the freezing cold at night). 

Overall, it was a once in a lifetime experience. What I learnt from the whole experience is that it's about the journey as well as the destination that makes it unforgettable. Not to forget, having gone with three of my best friends was the best decision ever. 

Favourite memory: waking up above the clouds. 

Vertigo
ˈvəːtɪɡəʊ/
Noun
1. a sensation of whirling and loss of balance, associated particularly with looking down from a great height.

Some people absolutely hate looking down from high rise buildings, vertigo or no vertigo. But for me, whether I'm looking up from the bottom of a building, or looking down at the tiny moving cars and humans from the top of it, I'm in my happy place. Apart from the impressive skill and architecture, labour and project management involved in getting one of these up and standing, they do feature as statement pieces for numerous cities.

Some more well-known than others, here are a number of buildings that I would recommend visiting in different cities, especially for the view from the top (or bottom). Having lived in London in my 20’s, many of the high rises I have mentioned are in London, but I still have my eyes on others around the world. 

Eiffel Tower is a weird metal tower that has been around for over 130 years, acting as a symbol for Paris for tourists around the world. Built to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, it’s the same height as a 81 storey building, although technically it only has 3 floors. I have never dared to take the 704 stairs to the second floor, but it’s equally nice to use the elevator just to save time and tick it off your bucket list (More time for wine… and raclette).

Height: 300m
Floors: 3
Claim to fame: marks the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution
Since: 1887

The Heron Tower a.k.a. 110 Bishopsgate is the third tallest building London and United Kingdom. To be honest, I didn’t (and sometimes still don’t) know which tall building is called what. The giant circular ‘SUSHI SAMBA’ logo attracts passers-by, tempting them to look up and approach the security guards inside (do it!). I personally go there for Duck and Waffle (open 24/7) as they seem friendlier than Sushi Samba, with a ‘single-floor’ difference. I can only imaging watching the sun rise, one day, when I can find a way to wake up at 5:30am to travel into the City from Greater London… one day.

Height: 230m
Floors: 46
Claim to fame: Duck & Waffle (and the speedy lift 'ride')
Since: 2007

I feel like I should mention the Shard as it’s the tallest building in Western Europe. I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite, but it has become a bit like the ‘Eiffel tower’ for London, which can be spotted from miles away. And the reason for leaving the top incomplete? Apparently, it’s both a metaphor for a ‘constantly evolving London’ as well as letting any excess heat that rises to the top, out to the skies. I had a birthday meal at ‘Ting’ which was lovely, but not sure I have warmed to a ‘minimum spend’ policy for some of the other bars (Gong Bar) when we have so many other friendly skyscrapers nearby.
​
Height: 309.6m
Floors: 95
Claim to fame: Western Europe's tallest building
Since: 2013

With its distinctive shape, St Mary’s Axe (The Gherkin) was built where the Baltic Exchange used to be, which was destroyed by a bomb in 1992.

On a happier note... there’s an awesome bakery at the bottom of the building (Konditor & Cook) as well as a few food stalls in the courtyard. One of the stalls had a loud, excitable Canadian man who made, what was in my mind, the best marshmallow brownie I have and probably will ever taste(d).
​
As for the top of the building, there is also a big hole at the top of the ceiling (to let the heat out as well), with plenty of perspex glass around to make the London sunrise and sunsets look even more extraordinary. The restaurant at the top is quite expensive, but if you like the less-busy, isolated seating with a view and occasional live jazz music, it’s worth a visit.

Height: 180m
Floors: 41
Claim to fame: looks like a vegetable
Since: 2004

Despite Tower 42 being one of the oldest skyscrapers in the UK, if it wasn’t for the cocktail bar at the top of the building, I probably wouldn’t have gone inside the building. The first time we went there, two of my best friends from university and I went to the bar (Vertigo 42) for some birthday drinks. We ordered wine and some nuts, which as students, was still a bit on the steeper side (we probably ate toast and popcorn for the rest of the week).
There’s a Paul’s Bar (usually a French bakery) at the ground floor area, which is equally expensive, so you may as well reserve and go to the top.

Height: 183m
Floors: 42
Claim to fame: Vertigo 42
Since: 1941

The CN Tower is another weirdo like Eiffel Tower. It's a communications and observation tower made of concrete. It's got a new thing called 'Edge walk' which lets groups of six walk hands-free around CN Tower, the world’s highest full circle hands-free walk at 356m above the ground. But if you're squeamish at the thought of 'hanging out' like that, then you could just hang out in the 360 bar, where we sat and watched planes take off and land from an airstrip for God knows how long... 

Height: 553m
Floors: 144 
Claim to fame: it was the World's tallest free-standing structure for over 30 years until 2007.
Since: 1976 

This is the first name that used to come to mind if someone mentioned the word 'skyscraper', obviously when I was a lot younger. It was the tallest building in the world for almost 40 years after all. The museum inside the second highest floor is quite interesting, where you can see images of labourers who worked on the building for just over one year, in black and white images (yes, that old!). Being at the core of NYC, open 365 days a year, this trademark skyscraper doesn't sleep. In fact, it plays around in the night skyline with different colour schemes... whether it's the usual white, or in the American Flag's form. Such a moody building. You can see how it looks every week here. 

Height: 443m
Floors: 102
Claim to fame: tallest building in the world for almost 40 years and was built in 410 days!
Since: 1931

This one's a newbie, and you can tell! Built in 2001, it is the largest building in Southeast Asia, with 3.2 million square feet of floor area. State Tower is one of the tallest (and poshest) buildings in Thailand that conquers the Bangkok skyline in style. It's home to one of the best cocktail bars I have ever been to (Sky Bar, Lebua).

Live music, a chilled drink, 360 degree panoramic views of the city, good weather and you'll feel like you're 'on top of the world'. Don't forget to wear a shirt and jeans or trousers (guys) and ladies, nice sandals or shoes as opposed to flip flops (as tempting as it may be on your holiday). It's a bit of a 'fancy' place (but the service and everything else makes the effort totally worth it). 
​
Height: 247m
Floors: 68
Claim to fame: Lebua (Rooftop bar) 
Since: 2001

​These towers are an icon for Kuala Lumpur. The Petronas Towers are inspired by the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia's (Tun Mahathir Mohamad's) vision for the country to be a global contender. It took seven years to build and involved daily transfers of over 500 trucks of material and digging 30 metres below ground level. It's mostly made of concrete but the steel and glass 'look' was intended to be a reflection of the country's Islamic art and religion. 
​
Height: 452
Floors: 88
Claim to fame: tallest twin towers in the world.
Since: 2001

holiday
ˈhɒlɪdeɪ/
noun

1. an extended period of leisure and recreation, especially one spent away from home or in travelling.

Most of the holidays I have been on, whether it's in Europe, South America or Asia involve monuments, many of which are meant to have some form of religious and historical resemblance. Temples, Mosques or Mausoleums, Churches, Chapels or Cathedrals, these were built and in most cases remain as places to seek refuge, practice religion and faith, or just appreciate. 

I have tried to pick a few of the most memorable 'holy' places I have been to, using my Instagram photos.

This is the largest and most impressive temple I have been to, despite having to wake up at 3am for it. We dressed up in conservative clothes, covering our legs and arms and hopped on a mini bus to get to Angkor Wat (temple). The sunrise and the reflection of the whole temple on the still waters, were totally worth it. 

For some reason, I attract sales people. Even if they're kids. They (especially one little boy) were trying to sell me everything from magnets, bracelets, those elephant-print trousers (you know the ones I am talking about), postcards... upon dismissal, I was even called a 'bad person'. Ouch.

Anyway, once we escaped the little pests, the day got hotter and in over thirty degrees heat, we walked up way too many steps.
The tour guide rambled on for ages, like they always do, but we learnt how this Hindu temple in Cambodia, with all the carvings of 'God-Kings' and 'Apsaras' (beautiful Goddesses), was built by over 300,000 labourers and 6000 elephants, using 'holy' sandstone from the Phnom Kulen mountain, transported by rafts over the river*. And we thought our jobs were tough... 
No wonder it took forty years to build. 

*Source: Lonely Planet

I did no research on this temple beforehand, so I was absolutely amazed by it when we entered the gates. Wat Rong Khun was clearly a new-ish temple, with its modern vibes, created by a local Thai artist in 1996. 

I could see the intentionally dramatised contrast between 'heaven' and 'hell', carvings of skulls and hands in the 'bad' area and the dragons in the 'good' area. The colour white signifies the purity of the Buddha. 

The temple hasn't had much luck itself, surviving one earthquake and a lack of funding. It's still slowly, but surely, being rebuilt and expanded. 
Once you're near the temple, it's worth paying the local Akha hill tribe a visit (they have pretty long necks!) as well as the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai. ​

...it's still not complete (expected to in 2028). 

Before my first visit to Spain, anyone who has been to Barcelona wouldn't stop talking about [Antoni] Gaudí, the architect. One of his largest projects, Sagrada Familia was commenced in 1880s. This Basilica, also known as the 'Church of the Holy Family' is the largest Roman Catholic church in the world. 

They have their own blog here, which gives you real time updates on the construction, history and more. Personally, I thought the outside is much more impressive than the inside (in case you want to save the not-so-cheap entrance fee). 

I work 2 minutes away from this beautiful cathedral, and I consider myself lucky to be doing so. When I (accidentally) get to work a bit early, I usually take the longer route via St Paul's Cathedral just to 'say hi'. The city of London has made no mistake of hiding it's beauty either. No matter which angle you look at it from, it's perfect. ​It's dome gives the cityscape a bit more charm, sat amongst all the office blocks and skyscrapers. 

You can look at St Paul's from the terrace of One New Change (for free) or just off Paternoster Square, or from Millenium Bridge, or even from Bankside in lovely restaurants like the OXO Tower or the Tate Modern.

The cathedral itself goes back to the 17th century and was one of the biggest rebuilding projects after the Great Fire of London in 1666 and to add to that, it has a 'whispering gallery' inside. Pretty awesome. 

This Russian-style church built in 1893, a replacement of an older version from the 1400s, was a pleasant surprise in the middle of February, when it was freezing cold and raining on and off... We had been walking for a while, from old to new parts of Riga, across the bridges and river, when we saw the blue domes from a distance and decided to track it down. 

We didn't go inside, but the outside was nice enough.

We took an UBER ride from central Bangkok to get to Wat Arun, but it's not too far from Khao San Road (backpackers' hangout in Bangkok) and the Grand Palace. Wat Arun is another serene, intricately detailed Buddhist temple that shows it's symmetry all around it. It's a shame that we aren't allowed to climb the steps to the top, as I can imagine that the view would have been pretty awesome of the river and that side of Bangkok. 

We took a ferry across the Chao Phraya River, which cost us less than USD 5 and the entrance was equally cheap (compared to the Grand Palace which is around USD 25). Wat Arun is also known as the Temple of Dawn as the first light of the morning reflects off its white surface. This was certainly a less busy temple, compared to Wat Pho (the temple of the reclining Buddha).

We were hoping to bump into the Pope here... he must have been busy. 

You need almost half a day (at least) to see the Vatican City, the smallest 'country' in the world. It was wise of us (me) to book the entrance tickets for the Vatican Museum online, as we managed to skip the queues. The conservative dress code applies, and I was given a (very unattractive) disposable poncho to cover my shoulders. 

The inside and outside of the basilica were stunning and the museum was the most impressive I have seen. The only problem was the number of tourists in July... it felt like I was back into my morning commute in London. Apart from that, a must for all bucket lists.

My friend guilt-tripped me into going into this synagogue. I didn't really want to as I was running out of cash, but I am glad I did in the end. For around EUR 20 you can go to a number of museums and synagogues, most of which gave a lot of insight into Jewish history in the country. 

I was mostly impressed by the unusual decor inside the dark-coloured monument. This was my first visit to a religious monument of its kind and the pin drop silence inside made it even more of an experience. 

Looking at this Catholic church (San Francisco) in Miraflores, you wouldn't think that there were around 75,000 bodies buried under it, would you? 

From the outside, the church is pale yellow with local sales people trying to sell you paintings. The inside of the church is like a fairly standard, nice church, but visiting the Catacumbas (Catacombs) gave me the chills. It was quite unusual to see all the bones and skulls of humans organised neatly in sections of the types of bones.

​That must have been a fun job for some lucky people. 

One of the three Madrasah's in Registan of Samarkand, made me happy for three reasons: 
a) it kept me cool from the ridiculous heat outside
b) the insides were decorated with detailed gold-plated designs
​c) the outsides were decorated with numerous little ceramic tiles (mostly blue and white)

In a country that was ruled by Persians, Greeks, Turks, Mongols, Chinese and Russians, the old city of Samarkand is still famous mainly because of Registan, previously occupied by bustling markets and caravanserai (roadside inns). King Timur's presence was felt in every building we entered and the pride the locals take in the history and heritage of the sites, makes visitors respect them even more. 

This was quite a drive from Kuala Lumpur, especially with a driver who insisted on taking us to random shops on the way (for commission), but when you get there, the size of the Hindu idol marking the Batu Caves is unbelievable. 

I did find both the driver and the people at the entrance of the temple quite irritating as they tried to force us to see the fish pond (or something like that) at the bottom of the temple and almost made us buy a ticket for a good USD 10, or so. Why they thought I would see a fish pond instead of what was up there in the caves, is beyond me.
Basically, ignore these people and just walk up the 272 steps... for free! 

The monkeys will greet you on the way up, especially if you have visible food. I started with: "Ahh how cute!!" to "Get out of my way!" about half way up the steps. The caves are quite interesting, but the temples inside were a bit of a disappointment. Nothing special. However, the view from the top and the large sculpture, as well as the whole concept, was very special. 

Economics was one of my favourite subjects in high school and college, until I went to university. Clever people decided it would be fun to switch the Demand and Supply curves over, making me doubt what I had learnt so far in its entirety. I will therefore ignore the things that I never understood and stick to the simpler (and in my opinion, better) theories, whether these are applied to dating, making decisions, job searches or money and happiness.

Cities are full of time-poor, impatient, career-driven, social, independent people who go to the gym, drink protein shakes, do adventurous things like skydiving while traveling the world. Often this means that there is high demand for efficiency when it comes to 'finding love' in the limited amount of spare time that they may have remaining. And so, the online (or mobile) dating world was born and a large supply of apps and websites emerged to keep our thumbs and shallow brains occupied for hours of swiping. 

Since Match.com was introduced in the 1990s, a lot has changed. Tinder is obviously the most well-known of them all (I'm not sure if it still qualifies as a 'dating' app), but there's now a wide range of adaptations such as: Happn, Coffee meets Bagel, Bumble, the League, Hinge... I could fill this page with a list, but you get the picture. Since 2007, the online dating industry has boomed, whether it's because of changes in lifestyle, increased use of mobile, advancements of technology, transparency of the supply of men and women, or the inherent laziness of human beings. The effect? The value assigned to a 'date' is no longer what it used to be. ​

When I graduated, I went to over 60 interviews in 16 companies in the space of a couple of months. By the end of the process, I was close to borderline insanity, irritable, overly sensitive, and almost started smoking (I didn't, just in case my parents read this).

​On a more positive note, I realised how important it is to be clear on what you're good and bad at (your strengths and weaknesses), where you could improve your skills and knowledge (opportunities) and what could limit your personal growth (threats).

Create your own SWOT here (Credit: Jodie Shaw) 

For people living in poverty, who don't have enough money to feed their families or fix a leaking roof, or build a place to live in, money can buy happiness, as they can buy what they need to watch their families survive and grow (beginning of the diagram). 
At the age of 20, like many young girls, money bought me things that I had been eyeing up for a long time: an overpriced bag, expensive make up, shoes and clothes, all of which gave me a thrill of being able to spend money on things that I wanted. 
As years pass, the levels of excitement from new possessions have reached a plateau, where the law of diminishing returns kicks in (second half of the diagram). Don't get me wrong, I still love shopping, but more as a way to spend time, de-stress and gain temporary happiness. For instance, I would no longer apply for a job if it compromises on my 'free time' (going back to 'Opportunity cost'). 
​From personal experience, and after observing my parents who are impossible to buy presents for, I feel that over the long run, additional money (on top of what you need to survive), can buy more experiences, quality (over quantity), and can act as an enabler for happiness. For example, when my parents and brother bought me a laptop for my birthday, I was clearly happy. Not because I have a shiny new toy, but because I can spend more time writing (well, typing), which makes me happy.

This is my favourite one as it ties in various aspects of human behaviour such as trust, betrayal, decision-making, risk and opportunity costs. 
A quick recap, this is not really a theory, but more of a situation: 2 prisoners commit a crime and are locked up in separate cells. They are interrogated separately, and need to decide on whether they should confess to the crime, or stay quiet. In either situation, if their action doesn't match the other's, one or the other will end up with 10 years in prison, but there is the temptation of being able to be set free by confessing, in case the other doesn't. 
It raises the question of what you would do if you were in that situation... 
On a lighter note, this could also be applied to my favourite subject: dating apps. Most have been considerate enough to not let the other person know if you 'like' them (or swiped right), but some less considerate ones let the other person know that. There's therefore the risk (and utter shame and heartbreak) from a non-reciprocal swipe to the left. If you're in the dating scene for long enough, hopefully you'll stop caring, though. 

In summary, from personal experience, economics and psychology probably go hand in hand in many respects. These simple theories can give certain situations a 'name' or some structure that can help us get some clarity and perhaps some perspective. I'm sure there are many more applications, especially if you are one of those clever people who know more about the different Demand and Supply curves. Please do feel free to enlighten me (and others who feel my pain). 

lake
leɪk/
noun

1. a large area of water surrounded by land.

When I go to the beach, I react a bit like Rowan Atkinson in Mr Bean's Holiday when he finally found La Mer... 
The sea is exciting, with all its big and small waves, sand, pebbles (plenty in Brighton) and shells. Comparatively, lakes may seem a bit boring and cold. But if you think about it, they just have a different personality altogether: still and less noisy. 

​Like mountains, certain lakes have left a lasting impression in my mind, whether it's the colour, the size, the surroundings, the view of/from them, or simply the biases of my personal experience. 

Another one from Central Asia, but it's the best USD 30 I have spent on a visa. Tajikistan was generally a scorching, dry city in my opinion, but the outskirts were the total opposite. Sparse villages with friendly Tajiks accompany the lake, making it a homely, scenic pit-stop for travellers (especially after a long, dusty journey from Dushanbe, in an old saloon car fit for a museum). 

Once I got there, I took a round trip of this triangular lake on a local motorboat. I was by myself, next to a man who was asking me why I was by myself, and a couple who were being photographed for what I think (and hope) was a swim suit advert. 

The lake itself is just over 2100m high and a bonus for those trekking the Gissar Range or Fann mountains. The best views are in the morning when it perfectly mirrors the image of the mountain range and clouds. 

​Rating: 9/10

My parents love Switzerland and I've been hearing about it since the first time we visited the country, which was almost 20 years ago. Considering it's a country that's not short of mountains, Lake Lucerne being one of the bigger lakes in Switzerland is quite impressive. 

The best views of the lake are probably from Mount Pilatus or somewhere up on a hill like Chateau Gutsch. But if you're on a budget (which is likely as like the Nordics, it's not a cheap country), walking alongside the lake, through the parks where the local Swiss residents go for runs and walks, and then occasionally dipping your feet into the water, or saying hello to the green-faced ducks, is another nice way to enjoy the lake. 

Rating: 7/10

I wouldn't say this is the most beautiful lake, but ​it's the largest in Africa, and is a shared baby of 3 countries, 2 rivers and the Equator, which makes it quite special: Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. 

I have seen it while we lived in Uganda, so my opinions may be skewed towards what I saw. Pollution from nearby cities has taken some of its colour and clarity away, but it is still a grand water body, keeping East Africa hydrated.

Rating: 6/10

I really did not expect to find such jaw-dropping beauty so close to home. We drove five hours from London to the North of Wales, near Snowdonia National Park. The weather was in our favour and we managed to find parking in one of the parking lots that provide bus rides to the base of the six main routes. We went for the hike that was the second easiest (out of shame), and in under three hours we made it close to the top at around 800m, then walked down the rocks to the steely green coloured glacial lakes a.k.a. 'tarns'. With snow on the mountains and a not-so-tricky walking path, we had time to appreciate the beauty. 

I have to say, I fell a little bit in love with Wales after this... 
​
Rating: 9/10

This trek gets better over time... just keep walking and carry a flask with hot tea and some cake or donuts and you'll be fine. My full review on Zakopane and Krakow is here, but the highlight was certainly the mountains and the lake that is surrounded completely by mountains in Tatra National Park, shared between Poland and Slovakia. The colour of the lake can change from slate-black in colder weather, to aquamarine blue when it's warmer and sunnier. Chameleon lake! 

Rating: 8/10

caffeine
ˈkafiːn/
noun

1. an alkaloid compound which is a stimulant of the central nervous system.

I have to say, I do struggle to find a good cup of coffee when I’m not in London, but that’s probably because I don’t know the right places, or my taste buds have become biased by the city of coffee addicts. I remember (almost) shedding a tear of joy when we found a nice coffee made with condensed milk in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam after what felt like weeks. I think I had half a dozen terrible coffees on that trip, before I had a good one.

Note: in South East Asia stick to tea. 

A health adviser from BUPA told me recently that ideally, caffeine should be avoided altogether as it's a stimulant and can tamper with your heart rate, but two to three cups of tea or coffee should be fine. Working life in London typically involves a lot of caffeine (and alcohol). When you're slaving away in your job all week, and wise people tell you not to drink 'too much' tea or coffee, you need to make sure that the few cups you do have are good ones and guilt-free. 

According to BBC Health, 400mg* of caffeine is 'safe' per day. So we could have 1-4 cups of coffee as long as we don't have any other energy drinks, chocolates, tea, etc. (Hurray!) 
*200mg for pregnant women

And if you care about how 'fatty' your coffees are, a small flat white, latte or cappuccino with full-fat milk is around 100 calories and 5-7g of fat. There's a quiz from The Guardian to test your coffee-calorie knowledge, which covers the high street coffee chains: Starbucks, Pret, Costa, Nero and good old Greggs. 

Health aside, I'm sure many of you have your personal favourites for the quick and easy coffee, whether they get your name right or change it completely (I once got my takeaway Frappuccino with "FAN" written on it). But if you don't mind waiting a bit longer for what's usually a (much) smaller portion of coffee for what you usually pay, here are some 'artisan' coffee shops to check out in the city on your lunch break:

These guys need to thank me for at least 50 cappuccinos consumed in 2 years and now this blog. And I can thank them for all the good cappuccinos and loyalty stamps I have enjoyed. Step out of Artigiano and there's the grand beauty of St Paul's Cathedral. What more could you possibly ask for?

The staff are quirky, friendly and sometimes they may even give you an extra stamp for your loyalty and a big Cheshire smile. What's more, they serve beer, wine and cocktails (with happy hour) after 12pm. Genius. 

Another one near St Paul's station and cathedral. My only issue with this cafe is that it's tiny. The photo below was when I got one of the three stools facing the window. A takeaway may have to do the job, but otherwise, you can get a pack of biscotti to go with your fine drink.

Arty coffee in arty cups and saucers. If you're having an 'I don't care, I will eat whatever the hell I want' day, they have quite a selection of cakes, macaroons and pastries too. 

I know, I'm pushing it with coffee shops in St Paul's, but I feel like they have all congregated in one area (or I've started to drink too much coffee since I started working in the area). The coffee was good, but not sure about the service and both the size of the shop and the coffee are half the size of others, which I wasn't too keen on. 

I was obviously too engrossed in my coffee from Taylor St. that I didn't even get time to log it on my Instagram. This place has an Aussie vibe, with songs ranging from Kylie to Sia and sometimes you could even get Tim Tams to dip into your latte.

They serve a decent brunch (except that one time they ran out of avocados and basically ruined my day) and everything is served on chopping boards from what I remember, which seems to be a 'thing' at the moment, along with cocktails in jam jars and men with beards and pony tails.
You could even have to share your table with random people... I'm never quite sure if I like sharing tables with strangers, but it's part of the experience. 

Anyway, the coffee is amazing.

I only discovered this coffee shop two years ago while walking past Holborn. The best part was that there is a tiny seat for one! The cafe is slightly below the street level which gives you a lovely view for 'people watching' in a non-creepy way. 

The coffee is great, served in rustic heavy duty cups and they have random baked goodies every other day (last time I had a tiny cinnamon cake for 80p). Sadly it's old (since 1882) so the seats are all falling apart, but I don't care. Mmm coffee.