belfast- life as a student

as a student, it does have its perks, now that i have entered the working society, i miss my uni life. most of all, it is the most fruitful experience i have ever had

when i first got them, i dont really care about currency exchange, always eating out, buying unnecessary stuff, now that i started to earn my own money, i realised it is hard-earned money, thus, even if i were to loiter in the mall, i will not succumb to sale or buy unnessasary stuff, i love to know i can be the boss of my finances

sometimes, i will treat myself to something not too expensive..

so lets start, it was a rollercoaster ride in belfast, i wasnt particularly homesick, i wish i had done more there, visited more places, or took up a job, well, i didnt. not too easy to find a job in a small place, thus, cooking became my hobby as i had to save money.

everyday, i will get excited at the idea of creating new recipes, buying discounted produces.

i wasnt particularly ambitious, my only worry was that all of my friends would get a second upper and i would be the one getting second lower. i didnt read up a lot of materials, i was just throughoutly enjoying my time there,

my favourite day will be sunday where there is literally nothing to do, walking on the street alone, it feels so amazing, i let the sun shine upon me, as i wander aimlessly on the deserted streets, most people are not awake at 8am, so i'm alone, and it feels liberating, no noise, no people, just me.... and suddenly, i was thinking to myself, this is such a calming feeling.

when i was in malaysia, there are people everywhere and it is quite chaotic, i cant imagine myself staying in london, belfast is a good option. not too remote, everything is within walking distance.

cinema- walk

groceries -walk

to the park- walk

to the city centre -walk

not too hot, it does get a little hot in the summer, thats because i was still wearing my windbreaker, but thats it. in the winter, it wasnt too cold, but definately cold if you are out in the streets for a long time.

my only complain was that there is no ventilation in the room, just a heater, so sometimes im not used to it, there are no fans in the room. luckily there is a window in my room and i will open a little to let some fresh air in.

my room is just opposite the place where we throw our rubbish, its not too bad as there is a pathway to the underground and theres a door. so the smell wont dissipate into my room.

On a misty weekday, i joined the school's hiking expedition- its more like a walking trail, so we went to this deserted place by the school bus. it was a little chilly when we were walking and the wind was strong, but our tour guide told us that the previous week it was even colder.

i put on my windbreaker and my jacket, yet, my flu just wont stop, it flows out and my mucus isnt thicken, it was clear! i had to use the tissue to wipe it off all the time.

i did not have hiking shoes, i just wear my oldest pair of Nike in my possession as i know it can be quite muddy. luckily it wasnt too slippery.

the view was altogether different. i used to hike in tropical rainforest so this was a first for me. there werent any trees and the soil was black.

the tour guide told us it used to be a spot for the soldiers to look out for enemies and it was only recently opened to public.

on my first hiking trip, i went to cave hill, it was nearly october. the hike was tough as the road was slippery and narrow. once we reached a point, lesser people wanted to hike, so we soldier on. once we reached the peak, the fog was so thick that we couldnt see whats in front of us.

Divis and the Black Mountain

this mountain overlooks belfast. the weather does makes the photo looks solemn

with a windbreaker, a waterproof superdry jacket, a bottle of water and my trusty nikes, im ready for this walk

throughout this walk, i realised that the landscape looks depressing, the mointain is covered with black soil, and it is truly a great experience.

On a clear day there are views of Strangford Lough, the Mournes and the Sperrins, as well as Scotland and Donegal.

It reaches a height of 1,275 ft and is composed of basalt with limestone underneath, as is Cavehill further north.

Divis and the Black Mountain

on those days that im just too free with nothing important to do, i look to cook.. this sardine sandwich is a Malaysian delight and basically i cut up onions, garlic, and a few cans of sardine with sandwich bread

firstly i will stuff the filings inside the sandwich and then heat up the oil and just deep fried it

this is honestly very unhealthy and greasy, but a good treat when you are a little homesick.

the outsides of the sandwich are coated with egg to make the sandwich stick together so the filings wont fall out and also to provide flavour.

fried rice

spring in belfast

i love to cook spaghetti the most, an easy lunch sorted out.
i bought the frozen salmon at iceland, defrosted it, boil the spaghetti and just do a simple stir fry and adds in cheese.....hmmmm

another favourite of mind- wraps, the fillings include fried fish, its super cheap in tesco, and chickpeas because it is cheap and filling

another lunch-salmon brocolli spaghetti

Tang yuan

i really love meals like this, i joined a cell group where they will invite me over for dinner, lunches, and the food is aplenty

another spaghetti meal

homemade sushis which are all of different sizes

i love to bake sweet potato, just add paprika for colour, a bit of sea salt and a lot of olive oil

my horrible looking burritos which features leftover rice, avocado and greens

chowder- this is a fattening soup with cream, mussels, seafood chunks cooked for long hours and pair it with bread and butter

i visited tollymore forest park, where it is one of game of thrones filming places

the water is clear, the air is fresh, the colour combination is just too perfect

look at it, 3 colours altogether in a photo

Maggie Mays offer all sorts of food, sandwiches, rice, soup, fries.
service can be slow and there is always a queue, but its a nice place and the prices are reasonable.
Club sandwich £6.2
fish and chips £9

after church, a family took me in and offered me food, how nice, the family has prepped the food before hand, the potatoes are crispy, the salad is crisp, and the lasagna was awesome

the table was filled with food, the lady also went to tesco to get bread as no meal is complete without bread

ormeau park

stormont parliament in belfast

this is a huge park and in the middle there is a parliament

they will be locals bringing their dogs for a walk, overall a simple park which is very huge

prior to church service, we have breakfast which consist of milk, berries, cereals, and i love the egg and ham roll the most, fresh out the oven and served hot

my breakfast when im free- eggs and mushroom (i love mushrooms)

wraps

my friend is a masterchef and he baked the chicken, so we did the easy task of prepping the bread and making the salad

this is a food truck selling spanish food just outside Queen University Belfast- £5

during halloween, there are fireworks so we took a taxi to Titanic Quarters

a restaurant near Victoria Square

thai food near Tesco

evenings in the school- i love it when the sun sets and the skies get darker, a perfect transition from day to night

store bought ice cream- a treat after lunch

this is on a sunday, during lunch, a church member brought me to her house, she has cooked this stewed beef for hours in the slowcooker, eaten with mash potatoes

this cake is from Pattiserie Valerie- they have a few outlets, the strawberry cake is delicious.

Bubbacue - slow cook and smoked pork

this shop is an american theme barbeque restaurant.

the main cost about £5 and the sides about £1-2

it is a shame that they have closed down due to severe financial constraints