tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37066084327325158472024-02-07T06:39:20.534+00:00Ellie KEllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-58475219252306774352020-08-15T12:00:00.001+01:002020-08-15T12:00:02.464+01:00Why I Stopped Bullet Journaling & Switched To Digital Planning<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjdnJcb6kZ2US0WGH7JS-jA3YAVmWreVJByjPTAlWCtJTutLtURUlvJArUQ0zWBIp7E6JOhd14WPZGsH9MNgNUk5S2vqT0_HU9Jllx80AqdCnEmLoC22rEjU3kdZidfP4Ea3XhbPZ1wp8/s2048/estee-janssens-8fQ-k_Wd9yU-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjdnJcb6kZ2US0WGH7JS-jA3YAVmWreVJByjPTAlWCtJTutLtURUlvJArUQ0zWBIp7E6JOhd14WPZGsH9MNgNUk5S2vqT0_HU9Jllx80AqdCnEmLoC22rEjU3kdZidfP4Ea3XhbPZ1wp8/d/estee-janssens-8fQ-k_Wd9yU-unsplash.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Up until last year, one of my most popular posts was titled "<a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2018/03/a-look-into-my-bullet-journal.html" target="_blank">A Look Into My Bullet Journal</a>", which you can check out if you're interested! I raved about it being the best purchase of 2018, about it being so helpful for my organisation and productivity, and how excited I was to be using it. Well, if it had all those benefits and was so great, why did I stop?</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I had initially started off with too many spreads to count, all of them done intricately and aesthetically so it'd look good for the 'gram. As time wore on, I realised I simply couldn't be bothered with always drawing things out when art isn't a strength of mine (those monthly covers were always a battle). I was always trying my best to imitate all the big bullet journal YouTubers I adored, but wasn't ever satisfied with how my own creations turned out.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Once I realised this, I started making my spreads minimal and simple - simple lines, simple headers, and most importantly; no doodles or drawings. Instead of drawing out designs myself, I started buying stickers to decorate the journal with instead.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, as time wore on and university became more and more busy, I found that I was using the journal as less of a "journal" and more of a glorified to-do list. I would skip certain days or even weeks and leave spreads completely empty, which wasted both paper and my time. To rectify this, I started to plan my time on a day-by-day basis.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Exam season is where I finally made the switch to digital planning. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I added all my exams into the calendar on my phone and planned out my day-to-day activities by using Google Keep. I didn't find use for the spreads any more and would forget to update my journal because everything was on Google Keep or my calendar anyway. Once I consciously made the switch over to digital planning, I forgot all about the bullet journal!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbkyQmlFTbJ3XQ0WJ35cxOFXXKsjkCGQX7Ske5zZtCRD9n833gFEvNh9HjuYjqIadfGCpta-AQfESjb5XsttBWATlYzGzZO37XJ_EGaKGYLkHQbfHTYvIwvgL88aIkuAy3i5QJinPWl_k/s2048/estee-janssens-JMlhYdmmGYI-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbkyQmlFTbJ3XQ0WJ35cxOFXXKsjkCGQX7Ske5zZtCRD9n833gFEvNh9HjuYjqIadfGCpta-AQfESjb5XsttBWATlYzGzZO37XJ_EGaKGYLkHQbfHTYvIwvgL88aIkuAy3i5QJinPWl_k/d/estee-janssens-JMlhYdmmGYI-unsplash.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I've now evolved in which apps I use to digitally plan my time, so a blog post explaining all of that will be uploaded very soon! :)</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So what does digital planning offer that bullet journaling doesn't?</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. IT'S MUCH MORE PORTABLE</b><br />One could argue that carrying around a bullet journal won't exactly weigh you down, but I personally found it a hassle to always remember to carry it. Having everything on my phone is just better because I always have it on me. If I need to confirm if I'm busy on a certain day, I can just check on my phone instead of flipping through a bunch of pages! The fact that all the apps I use sync up makes this process so smooth too. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. IT'S CHEAPER</b><br />This varies greatly, but for me personally, buying specific pens and highlighters that don't bleed through, buying a new journal when the current one runs out, and buying the stickers are all things that will add up over time. My phone and laptop were one-time purchases that will last much longer than a physical journal.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. IT'S SO MUCH NEATER</b><br />Something I <i>hated</i> about bullet journaling is how I'd need white-out right next to me should I make a mistake. If a date or event changed, it would take a lot of effort to correct. Plans can always change, and this aspect really put a damper on the bullet journaling experience. Now, I can essentially decorate my Notion (what I use now) easily and not be afraid to make a mistake, because Ctrl + Z is right there for me!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Those are the main arguments I have for switching over to digitally planning instead of bullet journaling. Both obviously have their own pros and cons, but when I weigh them up I have to say that digital planning is the winner here!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Do you plan with a bullet journal or plan digitally?</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>Save this pin for later!</b></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7zx0FK25wlxuinhWYc3UH5zDaxi6a_5eUPoFwHbaVYaDtoloCmQjaUvJHtTiws45KjlZ8MoogBlRdWfTckBfFlf2DOWyfDW_lHSi028WuEOkUlZIyJTKuD_FJD4iN0gXEUQHphbrxELg/s1102/20200815_181327_0000.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7zx0FK25wlxuinhWYc3UH5zDaxi6a_5eUPoFwHbaVYaDtoloCmQjaUvJHtTiws45KjlZ8MoogBlRdWfTckBfFlf2DOWyfDW_lHSi028WuEOkUlZIyJTKuD_FJD4iN0gXEUQHphbrxELg/s640/20200815_181327_0000.png" /></a></b></i></div><i><b> </b></i><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b> Related Post:</b> <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2019/02/keeping-myself-organised-at-uni.html" target="_blank">Keeping Myself Organised At Uni</a><i><b><br /></b></i></p>EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-22540282779391619492020-08-12T09:00:00.001+01:002020-08-12T09:00:05.296+01:00Lessons Learnt From Living Abroad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSKA89jXVYQZuuIUxuyAj2A5qoIHU0u5eqXPudr0V2F3p-oD1hs90kTTiBrPwxmvXCszbXypHNcgRrTzs8UXGZyPMrEx3aehoAlcmMNlqFXF0_VBzFzNEsuSKl1HxN6987t0oL-EzQt4c/s2048/geraldine-ng-qHTVg5bZsEo-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSKA89jXVYQZuuIUxuyAj2A5qoIHU0u5eqXPudr0V2F3p-oD1hs90kTTiBrPwxmvXCszbXypHNcgRrTzs8UXGZyPMrEx3aehoAlcmMNlqFXF0_VBzFzNEsuSKl1HxN6987t0oL-EzQt4c/d/geraldine-ng-qHTVg5bZsEo-unsplash.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you had asked me just 3 years ago if I'd like to move abroad, I would have probably said no. I was comfortable in my bubble in the UK; all my friends were there and everything was predictable and fairly comfortable. So if you had <i>told</i> me I would actually be <i>living</i> abroad pretty soon, I definitely wouldn't have believed you. But here we are almost 2 years later and I've moved to Zambia then China within the span of 4 months. Talk about a plot twist!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I don't remember the move to the UK as particularly significant. I was just going along with what my parents said would happen, and when it happened I just took it all in my stride. Honestly, the people around me were way more excited than I was! But as a 6 year old, it's hard to look at that kind of move with the same perspective as a 20 year old, which is how old I was when we eventually left the UK.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Growing up in, and living among 3 different cultures (so far) has really shaped me into who I am today, which is a topic I want to dedicate an entire post to in the future. It's a <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><font face="inherit">cliché sentiment, but all your experiences really do shape you into the person you're going to ultimately become, and today I want to share what lessons from moving abroad (specifically in China) I learnt!</font></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><font face="inherit"><br /></font></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><font face="inherit">Before we get into it, I have written a few of posts about my time in China, such as <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/habits-ive-picked-up-in-china.html" target="_blank">some habits I've picked up</a>, <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/experiencing-cultural-shock-in-china.html" target="_blank">experiencing some cultural shock</a>, and <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/so-whats-it-like-being-black-in-china.html" target="_blank">my experience being a black woman in China</a>. Do check those out if you're interested!</font></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><font face="inherit"><br /></font></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><font><font color="#222222" face="inherit">Becoming </font></font></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;">self-dependent</b><font color="#222222" face="inherit" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> was the first thing I noticed about myself, and this was </font><font color="#222222" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">molded</font><font color="#222222" face="inherit" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> by the fact that I was now in university too. I didn't have parents or a sister just downstairs to rely on anymore. My friends were all busy with university or work all the way on the other side of the world. Any decisions I had to make were to be made by and for myself. Having to navigate a new culture, a new language, and new people from different countries all bringing their own cultures and languages was difficult and lonely in the beginning, and it sometimes still is now!</font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font color="#222222" face="inherit" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font color="#222222" face="inherit" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Jumping into adulthood like that was a definite shock to the system, but it's a shock that is now paying off. Being able to take care of my own finances, travel by myself, and live by myself are things I only would have been able to do had I come all the way out here. </font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font color="#222222" face="inherit" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0J8Ch5hXzEO5SkMk2yL36eSfhqcyi3b2btBYXch_QJI-1EBytghXSoc1BVQIc1bMeNhYFVRos_op58uXuKvkclGdKr7k9cO9-oxdapUsKQ-eAQDeEmrRHGgUWayiPzhWpteF34sZgUfcT/s2048/stella-guan-doNeERE6AR4-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0J8Ch5hXzEO5SkMk2yL36eSfhqcyi3b2btBYXch_QJI-1EBytghXSoc1BVQIc1bMeNhYFVRos_op58uXuKvkclGdKr7k9cO9-oxdapUsKQ-eAQDeEmrRHGgUWayiPzhWpteF34sZgUfcT/d/stella-guan-doNeERE6AR4-unsplash.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font color="#222222" face="inherit" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Because I became self-dependent pretty quickly, the next thing I realised was <b>how resilient moving abroad can make you</b>. Being thrown into a new country with a completely new culture has made me way more confident in my ability to navigate through almost any situation! After some time, things or people that used to make me frustrated and easily annoyed turned me into a person who could face these challenges and just keep it pushing. <br /></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font color="#222222" face="inherit" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font color="#222222" face="inherit" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">A big part of being more resilient is facing and accepting reality. A lot of people will leave university or leave the country they wanted to move to because it didn't live up to expectations, or that the journey wasn't as smooth as they wanted it to be. It's being able to look at your new life and accept that things are different that makes all the difference. </font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font color="#222222" face="inherit" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font color="#222222" face="inherit" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Finally, another lesson I learnt is that <b>living abroad can make you used to just about anything</b>. What do I mean by this? British people love to complain, and if we're going complain <span style="font-family: inherit;">about something, the weather is near the top of the list. I went form complaini<span style="font-family: inherit;">ng about summers of 27</span></span></font><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;">°</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"> or sometimes even 30</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;">° to living in summers of 37</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">° and humidity thrown on top of it. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Another example is just being outside itself! People staring, pointing, and whispering is part of the norm here and it's something that I've just grown used to. If I'm lost or need help with anything, I can walk up to a stranger and speak a language I've only been learning for just over a year, whereas in the UK if I was lost, I'd be dependent on Google Maps the whole time. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">So those are a few things I've learnt and come to realise since living in China since 2018. Time flies so quick, and in September, it'll be 2 years since I've been here (which is still crazy to me!)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">I hope this post was interesting, and if you've ever lived abroad please tell me your experiences below!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><b>Save this pin for later; </b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOK1dZb040RtjFNBdHBEtJI-eB0lpUqMVMt2JMyamsojq1FZ2CVUHiIaoBnd3Lzz5KF2xao0QS0WaXfCx5FU00gLtWIqQ0fkV0TkeIiDtf2_7Eequ1tSTI-MbYsvaTfPL3YctGGbrqYeaG/s1102/20200811_185636_0000.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOK1dZb040RtjFNBdHBEtJI-eB0lpUqMVMt2JMyamsojq1FZ2CVUHiIaoBnd3Lzz5KF2xao0QS0WaXfCx5FU00gLtWIqQ0fkV0TkeIiDtf2_7Eequ1tSTI-MbYsvaTfPL3YctGGbrqYeaG/w427-h640/20200811_185636_0000.png" width="427" /></a></div></span></div>EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-18395312528083827592020-08-03T09:00:00.030+01:002020-08-03T09:54:48.288+01:00Simple & Easy Kimbap | Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwf_m7ctD3B5Cvr2cmUTuITNPcTG1_LrHQtnA7DcVnXESkWtQIyN4IJmHyzyUwobONM8MtQ2yWQazaVFr9Z1bol7rdnetaIOiXXYMxnoplGuxe6uREAC1MOJVemj3hz2HdSiWaUuYEuBmm/s2048/2020-06-14-16-07-25-661.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwf_m7ctD3B5Cvr2cmUTuITNPcTG1_LrHQtnA7DcVnXESkWtQIyN4IJmHyzyUwobONM8MtQ2yWQazaVFr9Z1bol7rdnetaIOiXXYMxnoplGuxe6uREAC1MOJVemj3hz2HdSiWaUuYEuBmm/d/2020-06-14-16-07-25-661.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">How long has it been since I made a recipe post on the blog? The last recipe I published was my <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/stir-fried-tofu-broccoli-recipe.html" target="_blank">stir fried tofu and broccoli</a>, which was in January of last year!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During my time off social media, I decided to follow a sudden craving, and create my version of kimbap! I'm not claiming this to be traditional or authentic to the Korean staple, but I can vouch that this was absolutely delicious. Using a combination of fresh and cooked veg was a good shout, and it's such a versatile dish to suit to your own needs, which is one of the best things about Asian cooking!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you like meat, you can add meat. If you're vegan, just take out the eggs, or add your favourite veggies. I loved this recipe because it was so fresh and didn't take up any time at all!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>INGREDIENTS</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 1/2 cups rice</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4 sheets of seaweed (gim/nori)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 eggs</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 medium carrot</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1/2 cucumber</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lettuce</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Optional; sesame seeds and sesame oil</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>METHOD</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1. So the first thing to do is cook your rice. <i>Please</i> rinse the rice thoroughly about 3 or 4 times to remove the starch and ensure the final product is sticky enough to hold all the ingredients together. This is the first place my kimbap isn't traditional at all; I only had medium grain white rice on hand, and was not feeling the trek across campus to buy short grain, but luckily it turned out just fine! When you rinse the rice thoroughly, add enough water to cover it and cook it until all the water has dried up. When the water has dried up, switch off the heat and leave it to steam in the pot until all the other ingredients are prepped.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2. As the rice is cooking, fry the eggs. Whisk them in a bowl with some salt to taste and fry them in a thin layer a bit at a time. When the bottom is cooked, roll one side to the other using a spatula or chopsticks and add a bit more mixture and cook in the same fashion; rolling the cooked egg from one side to the opposite side and allowing the mixture to flow to the underside so it adheres. Repeat until all the mixture has been used up and the end result is egg. We're going for a<a href="https://tasty.co/recipe/tamagoyaki-japanese-egg-omelet" target="_blank"> tamagoyaki</a> style that we'll cut into strips that are the same length as the nori sheet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">3. For the cucumber, you can either peel it or keep the skin on (I kept mine on!), but just make sure to cut them into thin strips that fit the same length as the nori sheet. Also be sure to scoop out the seeds so the kimbap isn't wet or moist!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">4. Prepare the carrot by peeling and slicing into thin matchsticks. When they're cut, fry them in a bit of oil, and add some salt to taste. Don't fry them so they're soft and limp - they should be soft but still have a crunch to them. This should take 1 to 2 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">5. Place the cooked rice into a bowl and season with some salt to taste. This will also help cool it down slightly before we begin rolling. Also optional is adding sesame seeds and sesame oil at this step. When this is done, you're ready to start rolling!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">6. If you have a bamboo mat, it can make rolling the kimbap 10x easier, but if you don't have one on hand don't sweat it! Place a sheet of nori (shiny side down) on the bamboo mat and spread some rice in a thin layer on the bottom 2/3 of the sheet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCURKrGLg23ZeDUuAnlEg1NrlJLUSrV8MrImNFcG-AfJboL60iRb57tMwdJBRr4WMeuAo767q-NiIvaAW7PX5iCWBdHc5QLfe7M6I0tPNT_rTfjQF_2zra28k72B2UK2eKUcWYMg_FJ8d/s2048/2020-06-14-16-06-33-212.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCURKrGLg23ZeDUuAnlEg1NrlJLUSrV8MrImNFcG-AfJboL60iRb57tMwdJBRr4WMeuAo767q-NiIvaAW7PX5iCWBdHc5QLfe7M6I0tPNT_rTfjQF_2zra28k72B2UK2eKUcWYMg_FJ8d/d/2020-06-14-16-06-33-212.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">7. Add your ingredients in an even layer; 2 leaves of lettuce, a strip of egg, some carrot, and a strip of cucumber. Roll the seaweed by using the bamboo mat (if you don't have one, it's fine!), but make sure to roll the seaweed tightly and firmly. Once it has been rolled up, set it aside and repeat steps 6 and 7 for the other ingredients. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">8. Once all the ingredients have been used up, it's time to cut the kimbap. Optionally, you can spread some sesame oil on the kimbap, but I didn't have any on hand so I skipped this step. Wet the sharpest knife you have either in sesame oil or water, and cut the kimbap in even, bitesize pieces, and you're done!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You can serve the kimbap as it is. Traditionally, it is eaten on picnics, but I had mine with some ramen and enjoyed it all the same. Dipping in mayo or soy sauce is another tasty option I'd totally recommend!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Other alternatives I want to try out are: bulgogi kimbap, and tuna kimbap! It's so versatile and you can add any ingredients you have on hand. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's best eaten on the day you prepared it, but it can also be stored at room temperature and eaten the next day!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Save this recipe for later;</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1AQ3-7WzB7BV17wlYDFxLwK1NM_KHIIKfKhLE7YzdHcq0hl4be76cs86X8f7BajO6G8QmB_IcBa2MMyBJEgo8zAmluKetnaguIPleq8ago-E4wiG7Zh4XBjzQEgGGs5Gp6_EmaU-lfCB/s1102/20200802_213254_0000.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1AQ3-7WzB7BV17wlYDFxLwK1NM_KHIIKfKhLE7YzdHcq0hl4be76cs86X8f7BajO6G8QmB_IcBa2MMyBJEgo8zAmluKetnaguIPleq8ago-E4wiG7Zh4XBjzQEgGGs5Gp6_EmaU-lfCB/s640/20200802_213254_0000.png" /></a></div></div>EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-80495735348951701732020-07-27T00:00:00.006+01:002020-07-27T00:00:05.892+01:005 Must-Watch Medical TV Shows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11UF3rehPVmkZJsM3PK_mv2QowegStVjAZVU4QET7xUbziOVQmizwpVl_JiEQ4w3ENE9Lk9VqY5Db_yIPvkAiMVKrKi6p8drwsqwIL0mDbk83wIa_adRagVT3Bt2kNJNtDkYu9Z6JSBum/s2048/robina-weermeijer-z8_-Fmfz06c-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11UF3rehPVmkZJsM3PK_mv2QowegStVjAZVU4QET7xUbziOVQmizwpVl_JiEQ4w3ENE9Lk9VqY5Db_yIPvkAiMVKrKi6p8drwsqwIL0mDbk83wIa_adRagVT3Bt2kNJNtDkYu9Z6JSBum/d/robina-weermeijer-z8_-Fmfz06c-unsplash.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Surprisingly, when you ask a medical student what their favourite medical TV show is, many will say they don't even watch any! A lot of my friends don't have that <i>one </i>medical show that they're attached to, but I happen to enjoy this genre thoroughly! When asked why, a lot of medial students say they're just not realistic or interesting. I totally agree about the unrealistic-ness of it all, but I do find them entertaining to watch, so I'll keep doing so!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Some aspects of medical shows I enjoy are how they tackle issues like insurance, end of life decisions, and the bureaucracy. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have here a few of my favourite medial TV shows that I want to share with you all, and if you've watched any I haven't listed, do leave them down below!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>GREY'S ANATOMY</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is definitely the OG of all medical shows, and the most loved and popular! It's been running since 2005 and we're 16 seasons in and still waiting for more! I love this show because it's thoroughly entertaining - there is intense drama straight from season 1 - and the hundreds of characters all get to have moments where their back stories are explored. I found that there were moments where the drama outweighed the actual medicine and especially from season 14 onward, it seemed heavily focused on the romance aspect. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There were some very cool cases and surgeries I found interesting, like the woman who grew numerous mini spleens following a surgery, the face transplant on the woman with amnesia, the man and woman connected by a pole going through the both of them following an accident, and the woman with toxic blood that made most people lose consciousness.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CHICAGO MED</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I honestly feel like this show is 70% drama and 30% showing actual surgeries. I don't recall any specific surgeries or cases that pop out to me, but I can tell you all about my favourite couple and all the crazy things that happen to the characters. I'd recommend this show if you're into the drama of it all but not necessarily if you're looking for medical inspiration. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>DR ROMANTIC</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once you get past the cringe of the name, it's a great K-drama! The thing about Korean dramas is that they are all focused and principally centered on romance, and the main genre it claims to be is sprinkled around in scenes here and there. Medical dramas are (mostly) set in a hospital and surprisingly has quite a lot of medical content, but it's definitely a romantic drama at the end of the day.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Dr Romantic season 1 is centered around two doctors who work in a big hospital in the city, and after an almost fatal accident and a touch of medical bureaucracy, both end up working in a small countryside hospital. It highlights medical bureaucracy <i>so well</i>, and puts into perspective that medicine and the medical field is still a business that some benefit from, while others suffer at their hand. It follows their journeys as they grow as doctors, while also highlighting other medical professionals like nurses and doctors who <i>aren't </i>surgeons (which I don't think is really done in Western shows!). I have yet to finish season 2, but it follows a similar plot!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>THE GOOD DOCTOR</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This was a hugely popular show when it came out, and I hopped onto the trend and finished the first season in 2 days. When season 2 came out, I just didn't have that same fire anymore, but did manage to get through it eventually. It puts a different twist on all medical shows in that the main character is autistic and training to be a surgeon. There are a lot of cool cases in this one; the very first episode has a tracheotomy (which I still find fascinating whenever I see this in a show), a tumor growing in a fetus that has to be surgically removed, and a man with a 200 pound tumour growing around his body.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I think it balances drama with medicine pretty well, but honestly the characters are a bit forgetful!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>DOCTOR STRANGER</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is another Korean drama that actually has quite a lot of medicine in it! It follows a boy and his doctor dad who were tricked into going to North Korea and they ended up being denied to go back to South Korea. He trains as a doctor in North Korea, falls in love, and tries to escape with his girlfriend but they end up separated. When he reaches the South, he starts work as a doctor and tries to find out what happened to his girlfriend. There are a lot of cool surgeries and cases in this one, which I enjoyed.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The drama-to-medicine ratio is surprisingly very good so I'd definitely recommend this to any K-drama fan or medical TV show fan!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What are your favourite medical dramas? <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tell me below!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-3-Wxrh-jvbXXAwHQftB51Ee_YP8KaWwX0PQV05VS397utYiudrJWkEsu-Sxd3mbchOiCVrBY23V1XVkWEH67fAgdJrX42YmGoCpRdvMk54-WRiSuaazynEm0V0cs-rq4MrFzX1SgQXu/s1357/Screenshot_20200716-171048_Canva.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1357" data-original-width="907" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-3-Wxrh-jvbXXAwHQftB51Ee_YP8KaWwX0PQV05VS397utYiudrJWkEsu-Sxd3mbchOiCVrBY23V1XVkWEH67fAgdJrX42YmGoCpRdvMk54-WRiSuaazynEm0V0cs-rq4MrFzX1SgQXu/w428-h640/Screenshot_20200716-171048_Canva.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-66335532689561769182020-07-20T12:00:00.000+01:002020-07-20T12:00:10.980+01:00What Deleting Social Media Taught Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDx83D-y02mWSpkL3Gn1ehTCbKt99CBPOwNB3rJiN8PoGHIVKUHhSdIIwU8XJ7yyayL2XGzUYTdrRn5LjBasAO2VzHsESxNbGBSGzYiWqx-QaIuncgz5JhReazYFsyjY6lVStH_ZJ5cgn/s2048/kaboompics_White+smartphone+with+yellow+flowers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDx83D-y02mWSpkL3Gn1ehTCbKt99CBPOwNB3rJiN8PoGHIVKUHhSdIIwU8XJ7yyayL2XGzUYTdrRn5LjBasAO2VzHsESxNbGBSGzYiWqx-QaIuncgz5JhReazYFsyjY6lVStH_ZJ5cgn/d/kaboompics_White+smartphone+with+yellow+flowers.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The trend of deleting social medial is all the rage online. People claiming all sorts of benefits and advantages to either deleting all their distracting apps or just not using their phone at all, and encouraging others to do the same thing too. When deciding to delete social media, I didn't fall into the hype because of what I read online, but rather because my final exams were coming up and I wanted to focus. Just as simple as that!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So sometime in mid-June, I deleted the 3 most distracting apps from my phone; Instagram, Twitter, and 小红书 (a Chinese app similar to Pinterest/Instagram) and gave myself 3 weeks to go without, and this is what I learnt!<b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>THERE IS SO MUCH TIME IN THE DAY</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Usually, I get to the end of my day and wonder where all my time went. How is it already 8pm? When did it get so dark outside? When you think about it, you may only spend your time scrolling through your apps in 10 minute increments, but those 10 minutes add up <i>fast </i>during the day. They eat up your time and before you know it, you've reached the end of the day with nothing to show for it. I found that whenever I was bored, I'd switch through those 3 apps just for something to do and those 10 minutes would become hours very soon, and it would be a scramble to get something done that should have been done ages ago.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I found that by deleting social media, I was less rushed and could take my time in doing what I wanted to. The first couple of days were honestly painfully long, but on day 3, I woke up and got into the swing of my new routine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>I AM EASILY DISTRACTED</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When I study, I set a timer on my phone and put it somewhere I can't reach. To do this, I use the app <a href="https://www.forestapp.cc/" target="_blank">Forest </a>because if you exit out of the app, the tree you select to grow will die. Sadly, an update to the app now means you can exit out of the app, use your phone as normal with the timer still running in the back and your tree won't die! So, I found that when a lecture was on the boring or difficult side, I was able to "give myself a small break" and scroll through Twitter or update my Instagram story, which meant I was ultimately getting nothing done.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not having these apps anymore meant that even if something was hard or not that interesting, I literally had to force myself into continuing. Again, the first few days were hard but after giving it some time, I was able to adjust. If I found my mind drifting off, I'd have a stretch and motivate myself to keep going with a snack (or several!)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpMPrDIR3yzh341xLfD-KUZhcQHikEoaXtxs9QMLoGoRCkYPUEP797a7b7ql-AktpkhIms9nubMHXH_3HhI6PtJYJ6rHHaxn6JXoxMCIL-5pNd5WLKzM8Zx22rv4wrINOyPB9FJ7TLtOi/s2048/kaboompics_White+smartphone+with+yellow+flowers%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpMPrDIR3yzh341xLfD-KUZhcQHikEoaXtxs9QMLoGoRCkYPUEP797a7b7ql-AktpkhIms9nubMHXH_3HhI6PtJYJ6rHHaxn6JXoxMCIL-5pNd5WLKzM8Zx22rv4wrINOyPB9FJ7TLtOi/d/kaboompics_White+smartphone+with+yellow+flowers%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE SHARED ONLINE</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>If you follow me on Instagram, you know I love to update my stories with basically everything I'm doing, cooking, eating, where I'm going etc. Part of it is because I live in China and want to share my experiences online, but another part is because I just love taking photos and find satisfaction in people commenting on the photos and whatnot.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>This gets exhausting - every blogger and their mum has spoken about how stressful and tiring it can be to keep up with both your everyday life and your online life on top of that, and I get those feelings very often. Getting rid of Instagram was a relief because I didn't need to share what I ate or did that day. I didn't think "How many people have viewed my story today?" or "What time is it, I need to post something", or anything along those lines. I could just do anything and leave it at that! <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>Having re-downloaded my Instagram has made me realise that I <i>genuinely </i>enjoy<i> </i>capturing everything, but it still shouldn't be at my expense.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>BEING OUT OF THE LOOP IS OKAY</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the things about social media that draws me in and keeps me hooked is how I like feeling like I'm on top of the news and trends and whatnot. Twitter can find out the breaking story or latest meme before anything else, and finding out about something as soon as it drops is a weird enjoyment of mine. But when I got rid of Twitter and got out of that bubble, I was left with the realisation that it really doesn't matter!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In fact, going back on Twitter has put it in even greater perspective, as I see that getting most of my information from social media (and ultimately from other people, strangers, and their opinions) is really a disservice to myself. Sometimes it's fine to just not know anything, and after the events of May/June, it's important to log off for a while.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><b>READ:</b> <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2018/02/turning-your-fomo-into-jomo.html" target="_blank">Turning Your FOMO into JOMO</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As well as all of this, I found myself way more productive and happier overall! Removing the pressure of just your presence simply being online was amazing, and I would definitely delete my social media again or even make a habit out of doing it regularly! Being left alone with just my thoughts and no one else's opinions let me know myself more and I enjoyed that too.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Have you ever deleted social media? What did you learn?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxdyzqEhdM0QQE1xBobI1O8zNXXMRMSs6HyRarHxXahpSd20Pb9KpXVrxEPT3n3m4UWSkpZRrg33Z8wH7stLS1DvnWVdlsgg5u2opUv8dY7yEsilBDcoZeHJB0RyUduRg6pc1J_xvuzTNH/s1378/Screenshot_20200716-154656_Canva%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1378" data-original-width="911" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxdyzqEhdM0QQE1xBobI1O8zNXXMRMSs6HyRarHxXahpSd20Pb9KpXVrxEPT3n3m4UWSkpZRrg33Z8wH7stLS1DvnWVdlsgg5u2opUv8dY7yEsilBDcoZeHJB0RyUduRg6pc1J_xvuzTNH/d/Screenshot_20200716-154656_Canva%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></div>EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-39785661861923270752020-07-16T10:03:00.000+01:002020-07-16T10:03:57.932+01:00Finishing The First Year of Med School! | Med Diaries 002<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMIGhPsBpOxAe75qQfyLnpPG1yA3pMsB_EWRIS-kSvBpRq-rZInMv-ENnMnXnKbujq9JDjgcznHoXZ0dmkS5xeyRuxRBbfJuGqJMHdmtqFYwtOCoUhoFCyDBkbIBJSrV8X9lIAgU1bXS6/s1932/2020-05-14-14-42-13-676%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1932" data-original-width="1932" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMIGhPsBpOxAe75qQfyLnpPG1yA3pMsB_EWRIS-kSvBpRq-rZInMv-ENnMnXnKbujq9JDjgcznHoXZ0dmkS5xeyRuxRBbfJuGqJMHdmtqFYwtOCoUhoFCyDBkbIBJSrV8X9lIAgU1bXS6/d/2020-05-14-14-42-13-676%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well, what a fail Med Diaries turned out to be, eh? I had initially planned to have these written and uploaded once a month but here we are 3 months after the first post went up, and this is only the second one I'm writing! It was a busy time during May, June, and the beginning of July - finishing the semester and studying for finals, then being told we have to have an extra month of lessons after finals. As I'm writing this now, we have one more week left before summer ~truly~ starts, but all that to say; <i><b>I'm now officially done with my first year of medical school!</b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I never thought those words would come true, because some time after June, time started dragging and every day just molded into one another, the routine became monotonous and the studying seemed never-ending. But I'm done now and it feels like a dream!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During the final semester, I was taking regional anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, Chinese language (Mandarin), and sports, and all of them were online, yes even sports! Our next semester is looking to be partly online and partly regularly, but we'll see how it goes what with the whole Covid situation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So for the next semester, we've got Pathology, Microbiology, Immunology, Pathophysiology, and Chinese History and Culture. I think it's gonna be another tough semester just like the others before it, but hopefully I'll be able to just push through and get to the other side!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Highs of the previous semester were realising that I could definitely motivate myself to do the whole online school thing, and also having free time to both cook <i>and</i> study during exam season (which is practically unheard of for a medical student!). Some lows, however, were the monotony of the semester and also not being able to have lab! The labs for all subjects have pushed to the next semester, which means it's gonna be even busier than what it would have been. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, this was just a quick little update to say where I've been and what I've been up to!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Please look forward to the next one! :)<br /></div>EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-75421880132840489402020-06-07T12:00:00.007+01:002020-06-10T04:25:11.599+01:00Your Role In The Black Lives Matter Movement<span id="docs-internal-guid-58ef8efc-7fff-ed3b-aa83-c506ae543a4e"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3wVSv1yhbVPkQii_OvoJFh7Fnpp_rITNLMWEX9jDMNcH11KxvZBZOM3-s1TBkpFEEtA9tv1LT0_BprJh_0PIBN6QIsPwPoS1Hm9jg6bS6T1kIVY-ho-XT88s4Q7miFNwp_9zs7ClRBg4/s4411/isaiah-rustad-PIhsoerkXxY-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4411" data-original-width="3151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3wVSv1yhbVPkQii_OvoJFh7Fnpp_rITNLMWEX9jDMNcH11KxvZBZOM3-s1TBkpFEEtA9tv1LT0_BprJh_0PIBN6QIsPwPoS1Hm9jg6bS6T1kIVY-ho-XT88s4Q7miFNwp_9zs7ClRBg4/d/isaiah-rustad-PIhsoerkXxY-unsplash.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions. Each month, 2020 brings us something more shocking than the last and May was absolutely no different. The killing of George Floyd was a huge wake-up call for so many people out there, but the fact that another person had to lose their life at the hands of police brutality in order for us to once again reaffirm the fact that, yes, black lives </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">do</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> matter is a problem in itself.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I took time away from posting when the news first broke out; it became stressful to be online so I would get a few updates throughout the day here and there. A few days passed and I became more and more engrossed in finding out ways I could help out with petitions and spreading the word. Countless of petitions signed later, I’m still here trying to figure out a way to move forward.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is evident that in 2020, it is not enough for non-black people to be “not racist”, but to be <i>actively anti-racist.</i> We all have a role to play in how we can bring down societal and systemic racism that *spoiler alert* isn’t just rampant in the US, but is very much alive and thriving in the UK and all over the world.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">~do not~</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> speak for all black people when I say that I had my own learning and unlearning to do over the last couple of weeks. From thinking back to secondary school and sixth form at how I let so much slide in the classroom to how I navigate my day-to-day life right now living in China. I’ve also been thinking about how I as a medical student can ensure I don’t end up playing into the hands of racism in the medical field. </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/america-is-failing-its-black-mothers/" target="_blank">Black women are 3 to 4 times more likely to die during or after childbirth than their white counterparts</a></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and that is absolutely terrifying. Not only that, but <a href="The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions. Each month, 2020 brings us something more shocking than the last and May was absolutely no different. The killing of George Floyd was a huge wake-up call for so many people out there, but the fact that another person had to lose their life at the hands of police brutality in order for us to once again reaffirm the fact that, yes, black lives do matter, is a problem in itself. I took time away from posting when the news first broke out; it became stressful to be online so I would get a few updates throughout the day here and there. A few days passed and I became more and more engrossed in finding out ways I could help out with petitions and spreading the word. Countless of petitions signed later, I’m still here trying to figure out a way to move forward. It is evident that in 2020, it is not enough for non-black people to be “not racist”, but to be actively anti-racist. We all have a role to play in how we can bring down societal and systemic racism that *spoiler alert* isn’t just rampant in the US, but is very much alive and thriving in the UK and all over the world. I ~do not~ speak for all black people when I say that I had my own learning and unlearning to do over the last couple of weeks. From thinking back to secondary school and sixth form at how I let so much slide in the classroom to how I navigate my day-to-day life right now living in China. I’ve also been thinking about how I as a medical student can ensure I don’t end up playing into the hands of racism in the medical field. Black women are 3 to 4 times more likely to die during or after childbirth than their white counterparts, and that is absolutely terrifying. As someone who will be working in the field one day, I (just like all my fellow medical students) have a duty to make sure this statistic isn’t still standing 10 years from now. My curriculum in China isn’t heavily centered on bias in the medical field, so it’s up to me to educate myself on this every day. I want to share important and useful resources that we can all use in order to start being actively anti-racist. A lot of them are what I have/am using at the moment, and if you know of anything I have not mentioned, you are more than welcome to sharing in the comments, because after all, we all have a role to play in this. TO SIGN Change.org Justice for George Floyd Justice for Beronna Taylor Justice for Ahmaud Arbery TO DONATE https://blacklivesmatter.carrd.co/#donations TO READ How to support the protestors demanding justice for George Floyd - Teen Vogue How to take anti-racist action in your life - Teen Vogue How to support the Black Lives Matter movement if you don’t live in the US - The Lifestyle Files Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race - Reni Eddo-Lodge TO WATCH Get Out When They See Us 13th TO FOLLOW Rachel Cargle Aja BArber Layla F. Saad TO DO Continue educating yourself even after this stops becoming the trending topic. Talk to friends and family members no matter how uncomfortable. Get rid of the idea of “not seeing colour” - this article on The Everygirl explains how problematic and counter-productive this is perfectly. Speak up and stand up when you see racism or injustice. Petition and donate as much as you can. Diversify your feeds and follow more black creators. Understand your privilege and how you can use it to help black people." target="_blank">black and Asian people are more likely to die from Covid-19</a>. As someone who will be working in the field one day, I (just like all my fellow medical students) have a duty to make sure this statistic isn’t still standing 10 years from now. My curriculum in China isn’t heavily centered on bias in the medical field, so it’s up to me to educate myself on this every day.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I want to share important and useful resources that we can all use in order to start being actively anti-racist. A lot of them are what I have/am using at the moment, and if you know of anything I have not mentioned, you are more than welcome to sharing in the comments, because after all, we all have a role to play in this. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>TO SIGN</b></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Change.org</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.change.org/p/mayor-jacob-frey-justice-for-george-floyd?source_location=topic_page" target="_blank">Justice for George Floyd</a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.change.org/p/andy-beshear-justice-for-breonna-taylor?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22077589_en-US%3Av4&recruited_by_id=5a697e10-a657-11ea-b127-314ac37d1dc9&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf_combo_share_abi" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Justice for Beronna Taylor</a>
</span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.change.org/p/liberty-county-distric-attorney-justice-for-ahmaud-arbery" target="_blank">Justice for Ahmaud Arbery</a></span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>TO DONATE</b></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blacklivesmatter.carrd.co/#donations" target="_blank">https://blacklivesmatter.carrd.co/#donations</a></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font color="#1155cc"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCgLa25fDHM" target="_blank">YouTube fundraiser to financially help the Black Lives Matter Movement with no money</a><a href="https://blacklivesmatter.carrd.co/#donations" target="_blank"><br /></a></font><a href="https://blacklivesmatter.carrd.co/#donations" target="_blank"><font color="#000000"><br /></font></a></span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>TO READ</b></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/george-floyd-protests-how-to-help-bail-funds" target="_blank">How to support the protestors demanding justice for George Floyd</a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - Teen Vogue</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/beyond-the-hashtag-how-to-take-anti-racist-action" target="_blank">How to take anti-racist action in your life</a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - Teen Vogue</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.thelifestyle-files.com/how-to-support-the-black-lives-matter-movement-if-you-dont-live-in-the-us/" target="_blank">How to support the Black Lives Matter movement if you don’t live in the US</a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - The Lifestyle Files</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://renieddolodge.co.uk/books/" target="_blank">Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race</a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - Reni Eddo-Lodge</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TO WATCH</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get Out</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When They See Us</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">13th
</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TO FOLLOW</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/rachel.cargle/" target="_blank">Rachel Cargle</a></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajabarber/" target="_blank">Aja Barber</a></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/laylafsaad/" target="_blank">Layla F. Saad</a></span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TO DO</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Continue educating yourself even after this stops becoming the trending topic.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Talk to friends and family members no matter how uncomfortable.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get rid of the idea of “not seeing colour” - </span><a href="https://theeverygirl.com/i-dont-see-color/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">this article on The Everygirl</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> explains how problematic and counter-productive this is perfectly.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Speak up and stand up when you see racism or injustice.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Petition and donate as much as you can.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Diversify your feeds and follow more black creators.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Understand your privilege and how you can use it to help black people and uplift their voices.</span></p></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><font face="arial"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font face="arial"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVlg9jfNY78M9jD2EGbCe-dq10dnrpfpKg51odVxzUK68flhhylxGdNEag5OKvZqCBoi_mMzD4IEl6XDgOiOBjQ89URGU6RBYxcGbUm2zK4GIwiKMMqTCkRWVsG56I5kWQkDU8bouRuQe/s1102/20200610_112216_0000.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVlg9jfNY78M9jD2EGbCe-dq10dnrpfpKg51odVxzUK68flhhylxGdNEag5OKvZqCBoi_mMzD4IEl6XDgOiOBjQ89URGU6RBYxcGbUm2zK4GIwiKMMqTCkRWVsG56I5kWQkDU8bouRuQe/w426-h640/20200610_112216_0000.png" width="426" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></font></div></span>EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-65577089207564672682020-05-13T07:00:00.001+01:002020-05-13T07:11:56.938+01:00Loving Lately 002<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AtWgnedonDoBnJ7U9qqhAjeSE2tc80XlQ6munIh48L-elWEs6jYfyEbqWRzDuHiuCzNSaT0Lt0YzkiF_wwOIua_cIk6axWanK4qHSNmGlLK554Fua16BHBTNKyxQAkGWP_ByNJkkzl7z/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3976" data-original-width="5964" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AtWgnedonDoBnJ7U9qqhAjeSE2tc80XlQ6munIh48L-elWEs6jYfyEbqWRzDuHiuCzNSaT0Lt0YzkiF_wwOIua_cIk6axWanK4qHSNmGlLK554Fua16BHBTNKyxQAkGWP_ByNJkkzl7z/d/kaboompics_Notepad+-+Glasses+-+Bedding.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's time for Part 2 of my Loving Lately series, where I share all the things that have been bringing me joy recently! I started it in order to focus more on the positives while on lockdown, and I'm ready with the next installment. I count how long I've been on lockdown from the 27th of January because that's the week we started getting messages from teachers about being more careful and whatnot, so at the time of writing this, it's been 107 days/15 weeks and 2 days! <i>What!?</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b>MUSIC //</b></div>
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To do assignments, I've been listening to a whole range of things. K-drama OSTs (I would recommend One Spring Night, Hotel Del Luna, and Descendants of The Sun!), Dua Lipa's new album Future Nostalgia, and Taeyeon's album Purpose have been what I've been rotating when working on biochemistry assignments. When doing actual studying, I've been loving the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qap5aO4i9A" target="_blank">YouTube lofi radio</a> that is live 24/7 because it isn't distracting so I'm able to learn new info well, and it's good background noise. A song definitely worth mentioning is the Savage remix by Megan Thee
Stallion and Beyonce. No words can describe just how hyped I get when
listening to it!<br />
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I also want to give a shout-out to Elevation Worship for dropping one of my favourite worship albums ever! Graves to Gardens is full of inspiring and beautiful songs that are super motivating! If you're looking for new worship music, anything by Elevation Worship is worth a listen.<br />
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<b>YOUTUBE //</b><br />
Since being on lockdown, I've been on YouTube way more than I normally would have been. A channel I've been l o v i n g is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ashleych0i" target="_blank">Ashley Choi's</a>. Ashley is a K-pop star whose group actually just disbanded after 7 years (I'll miss you Ladies' Code!), and since her group disbanded, she started an 'adulting' series on her channel to document her moving into her first apartment, buying furniture, cooking for herself - all things that other people have some experience with but it's stuff she's just started doing for the first time. I've been subscribed since she first started her channel and watching her move onto this new phase in life has been so interesting!<br />
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<b>BLOGS // </b><br />
It's no surprise that I've been reading a whole lot recently. A blog post I loved is Michelle's <a href="http://www.mistyprose.com/simple-self-care-rituals-for-introverts/" target="_blank">Simple Self-Care Rituals for Introverts</a>. She gives great tips on how introverts (like me!) can look after themselves during this time and it's definitely worth a read, whether you're introverted or not.<br />
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A blogger who gets me so excited for a new post is<a href="https://www.becc4.co.uk/" target="_blank"> Becca</a>! She's got everything on her blog - my favorites have been her posts on baking even though I literally don't have an oven! (I think I like living vicariously through the photos haha!) Her Instagram has always been one of my favourites too, so if you're not following her I definitely recommend that you do!<br />
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I've also been heavily more and more into the studygram community on Instagram! My current 'theme' is a checkerboard where I alternate between a travel/lifestyle shot and a study shot, and I think it looks pretty good! Talking to new people who study a whole range of things has been so much fun and also amazing for my productivity and motivation. Here are some accounts I started following to get me started: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/a.medstudents.journey/" target="_blank">a.medstudents.journey</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bana_vu/" target="_blank">bana_vu</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/janicestudies/" target="_blank">janicestudies</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hara.studies/" target="_blank">hara.studies</a>. (If anyone wants a blog post on being a "studygrammer", leave me a comment below!)<br />
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<b>TEA //</b><br />
It's no big surprise that I love tea - I could literally drink the stuff forever - but one of my favourites recently has been chrysanthemum tea. I bought a tiny bottle online with what must be over 500 individual chrysanthemum flowers and I've been drinking a few cups every week but have yet to reach even half of the bottle! Chrysanthemum tea has so many benefits, such as boosting the immune system, increasing metabolism, helps with inflammation, and the reason I started using it which is that it cools down your internal body temperature.<br />
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The weather has been getting <i>extremely</i> hot recently, and you may be wondering how it cools you down if you're drinking it hot! In traditional Chinese medicine, certain foods when they're digested will heat you up from the inside (for example ginger or dates), while others cool you down (like green tea or mung beans). It's important to have a balance between these, so I like to just drink some chrysanthemum tea during the week so I'm not boiling in this heat too much! To brew a cup, I just boil some water and pop two or three flowers in there, let it sit for 5 minutes, and I drink away! The taste is light and it smells very fragrant, and I sometimes add a few leaves of green tea for a bit of a different flavour. Such a must have!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I hope you liked this post! The things I've been enjoying lately seriously make staying indoors just a little bit more bearable. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you missed the previous edition, you can check it out <a href="http://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/loving-lately-001.html" target="_blank">here</a>!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What have you been enjoying lately?</div>
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EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-19801903037947968042020-05-06T09:00:00.000+01:002020-05-06T09:00:06.693+01:00The 4 Steps To Becoming A Morning Person<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpC97vcqUaUDn-phxac_sZbH0d6az8_FXjXYsj9L2NuxJUAY4Ao1R86IBr4Z5nCSrreujY1zkc7GxwnvsrYgKBUFVAiFGDlecd31jxtt6Jl5-USici3B0UyZEY5J-crogrjrNcWbmkkgZ/s1600/MljOwkdA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpC97vcqUaUDn-phxac_sZbH0d6az8_FXjXYsj9L2NuxJUAY4Ao1R86IBr4Z5nCSrreujY1zkc7GxwnvsrYgKBUFVAiFGDlecd31jxtt6Jl5-USici3B0UyZEY5J-crogrjrNcWbmkkgZ/s1600/MljOwkdA.jpeg" /></a></div>
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Being a medical student means having to be up earlier than you were probably used to before, and on top of that, a job in the medical field anyway means you'll be awake and working when the rest of the world is still sound asleep.</div>
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I've always been right down the middle of being an early bird <i>and</i> a night owl - I'll wake up early if I need to and I'll also be able to be up till the wee hours of the morning granted I had enough sleep the night before. But coming to uni made me more of a night owl than an early bird, and this past semester I had to start training myself to wake up early again (and stay awake on top of that!).</div>
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I have 4 practical tips for you to help you also become a morning person if you find it hard to get up in the morning. They're all things I do myself and started getting back into doing once the new semester started back in February, and now we're on lockdown, I thought some other students would find it useful - or just anyone really! I have a similar post about <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2018/03/healthy-and-productive-morning-habits.html" target="_blank">healthy and productive morning habits to start your day</a> and I think this post and that one go hand in hand, so check it out after this one!<br />
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Side note: I wrote this just before the whole world went into a frenzy, so some things have had to be tweaked and some bits completely omitted.</div>
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<b>SLEEP EARLY</b></div>
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And yes, it really is that simple. Post over!</div>
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Seriously, sleeping early is the best way to make sure you're asleep for a good amount of time, and ready to take the day on come morning. 7 to 8 hours is recommended, so no matter what time I sleep at night, if there's no class in the morning (we're doing online classes for now, so our would-be regular schedule is a bit jumbled) I set my alarm to make sure I get at least 7 hours. I'm definitely taking advantage of the online classes in this way because it means I can sleep early and wake up early without feeling like a zombie all day.</div>
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There's also something to be said about the quality of sleep too. Nancy wrote a <a href="https://exquisitely.me/sleep-better/" target="_blank">great blog post about ways to sleep better</a>, and it's one I recommend everyone to read because she gives amazing tips like working out and aromatherapy. Final point on sleep: there's no such thing as "making up for lost sleep". You can't sleep more the next day to make up for the 4 hours you slept last night, which is why it's important to consistently keep a good sleep schedule and not fall into a sleep deficit.</div>
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<b>GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO WAKE UP</b></div>
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This is a great hack I've been using since secondary school and I contribute 50% of my "morning person-ness" to it! I always set my alarm half an hour before the time I <i>actually</i> need to be up. When the alarm rings, I switch it off and spend some time laying there waking up. I use this time to think about what I need to do that morning, try to recall any dreams, and check the weather - the bright light from my phone helps in waking me up! By the time all that's done, it's time to get up and get my morning routine underway. I'm not one of those amazing people who can turn off my alarm and hop out of bed ready to take on the day, so if I have to use a hack like this early in the morning, then I definitely will!</div>
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<b>HAVE A REASON TO WAKE UP EARLY</b></div>
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We all know that quote "Know your why", and if you're going to be waking up early in the morning, having that motivation for waking up is gonna be what's actually going to get you out of your bed and it can literally be anything. Over the years, my motivation has been: going to get something really tasty for breakfast (yes, it counts), wanting to go on a run, wanting to see the sunrise, getting a head start on blog post writing, and now it's getting a head start on studying or if I just bought a new tea I'm excited to drink, that alone is motivation enough to get my bum out of bed! So, make sure you have a reason for getting up early and you're good to go!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkNgc_8arJ2gUDEBz-ywxHWBXcyOt8n__CJksN2bGgOfvpT83o3jkb9z92-NI4j8i_3of3ZTNxGyn1QCEYB4FWHvEGvC9OQVRpfsld2ezlTGC36VNJRt9zPWm-BPf_WYB4QYj52_JM_55/s1600/emIfkX2Q.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkNgc_8arJ2gUDEBz-ywxHWBXcyOt8n__CJksN2bGgOfvpT83o3jkb9z92-NI4j8i_3of3ZTNxGyn1QCEYB4FWHvEGvC9OQVRpfsld2ezlTGC36VNJRt9zPWm-BPf_WYB4QYj52_JM_55/s1600/emIfkX2Q.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<b>HAVE THINGS PREPPED AND READY TO GO</b></div>
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I'm a big advocate of reducing decision fatigue and it's best to get on top of it early in the morning. But what is decision fatigue? Let's say you're up and now have to think about what to wear and then scour through your belongings for what to pack in your bag for the day. Are you gonna eat breakfast? Now you need to think about what to eat, then think about either buying lunch today or taking something from home with you. All of these things will tire out your "decision muscle" and later on in the day, you'll be making poor choices because you're all "decision-ed" out from everything you had to do earlier in the day. And I am by no means perfect - in my life, it manifests as me deciding to spend a whole lot longer on social media when I should be doing something else with my time instead, or not thinking properly about what to eat so I go with the unhealthy option instead.</div>
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To combat decision fatigue, make sure everything is prepped the night before - your clothes are laid out, breakfast is meal-pepped, desk is clean, - whatever can be prepared the night before should be so you can just focus on getting ready to go in the morning. Now that we're all on lockdown, I have to make sure I leave my desk clean the night before, and that I have my to-list ready and waiting for me to get stuck in - check out this post on <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/heres-how-time-blocking-can-help-boost.html" target="_blank">how I use time blocking</a> to make sure I know what I'm doing as soon as I wake up!</div>
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So that's what I've been doing since September when med school started and my broken sleep schedule from summer needed a gentle nudge in the right direction. Once we go back to a normal class schedule, I'll be trying to wake up at 4am because a few classmates say waking up that early changed their whole lives, and I'd like to get more studying done when it's still quiet and peaceful.</div>
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What was your favourite tip?<br />
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<b>Pin this post for later!</b> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDWTlOLfd2r-jr5iXBNXHDDpCZaKEYdi8FZorvFl0qgqMlWx6U2AqXzZqd5sV3O4loPDvIvAmQUUT2DE-kZUFBymEjZsT14FQIoFNtSjkDvr2sciH9Q_nf2IjiVldbKiJgJTtsEZsAWeg/s1600/20200312_220211_0000%255B1%255D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDWTlOLfd2r-jr5iXBNXHDDpCZaKEYdi8FZorvFl0qgqMlWx6U2AqXzZqd5sV3O4loPDvIvAmQUUT2DE-kZUFBymEjZsT14FQIoFNtSjkDvr2sciH9Q_nf2IjiVldbKiJgJTtsEZsAWeg/s640/20200312_220211_0000%255B1%255D.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b>Photos: </b><a href="https://createherstock.com/" target="_blank">CreateHER Stock</a></div>
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EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-3763798998356004732020-05-01T09:00:00.000+01:002020-05-01T15:10:06.725+01:00So What's It Like Being Black In China?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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What better way to start off a new month than with what could be a slightly controversial post! This post has been in my drafts for weeks now, and I've been nervous about writing it out to the fullest extent that I could, mainly because the internet is heavily censored here. Every time I would draft a little bit, I'd get nervous about uploading and think "nah, not now", but I think it's time! Whatever I write will still give you guys an idea of what it's like to be a black woman in China today.</div>
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When I read <a href="http://www.tanyaweekes.com/living-in-china-and-taiwan-as-a-black-woman/" target="_blank">Tanya Weeke's post about this exact same topic</a> I decided that yes, I should make my own post and upload it anyway. This isn't going to be a discussion about what's happening to Africans in Guangdong; there are plenty of news sources online and videos on YouTube recounting what's going on, including<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-1q76nBId3/" target="_blank"> my own Instagram post on the subject</a>. Instead, this is going to be me telling you guys about my day-to-day life as a black woman living in China - all the ups, downs, and everything in between!</div>
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Now, I should say that this is<i> my</i> experience in China. If you're black and you've been here before, your experience might be different depending on a lot of factors. If you're black and you plan on coming here one day, your experience here could be totally different from mine. </div>
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So let's start off light, and that's with all the <b>staring</b>. I mainly lived in predominantly white areas in the UK, so I know what it's like to be stared at in a whole number of ways. But the staring in China is on an entirely different level because here, it's not just one or two people on the road or in the shops - it's<i> everyone! </i>People driving their cars craning their necks out the window (sometimes while still driving!) to stare as I walk past, entire metro carriages stopping whatever they're doing to stare as I enter, everyone in the shop going quiet and staring if I walk in - and the list could just go on and on. Side note - if you have your hair in braids or an afro, be ready to swat hands away because people here are shameless and will absolutely shove their hands in your hair if you're not looking!</div>
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I honestly don't mind if it's kids doing the pointing or staring,
simply because they're kids and a lot of them don't know any better, but if
it's anyone above teen age I have a problem with it, and usually stare
right back until they feel embarrassed. The crazy thing though is that a
lot of older people here don't feel embarrassed at all and will just
keep on shamelessly staring anyway! In the UK once eye contact has been
made people usually look away, but that's something that doesn't happen
here haha!</div>
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Going hand in hand with the staring is the<b> pointing, whispering,</b> and my personal enemy - <b>photos</b>. People here really think we don't notice them "slyly" whipping out their phones and taking a photo, but we 100% always do! In fact, I think I've developed a 6th sense for it now that it's happened so frequently! </div>
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The thing I mostly hate about photos is that 99% of the time, people don't ask and they just decide to take one themselves. However, there are some occasions where people will come up to me and kindly ask for a photo. Sometimes parents ask me to take a photo with their child as it's usually their first time seeing a black person either ever in their life or not through a screen, so I sometimes agree and we take a few selfies together. It's honestly crazy how that small action honestly ends up making someone's day!</div>
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On top of being pointed at, stared at, whispered about, and having my photo taken, there's also the <b>never ending questions</b> strangers come up and ask out of the blue. They range from a simple<i> "Where are you from"</i> or <i>"What are you doing in China"</i> (not said maliciously by the way! People are just curious as to whether you're studying or working!) to<i> </i>something as deep as<i> "So does your country have the same resources as China?</i>" I've even had a Didi driver ask me how many wives a man can have in my country, which was honestly just the strangest thing I've ever been asked. If they see you can hold down a conversation in Chinese, they get very excited and questions become more and more so be warned!<br />
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I will admit, I do love it when kids come up and say hi because they want to practise their English or because they just haven't seen a black person before!<br />
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And that's another point - whether you're black from America, the UK, Canada, the Caribbean, or anywhere else in the world that isn't Africa -<b> if you look physically black, you're African point blank and the period</b>. When people ask, I've just stopped saying I came from the UK and just say I'm Zambian instead, because they just don't believe me! </div>
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All of these things happen relative to how many foreigners are in the area. Since I don't live in one of the big cities like Shanghai or Beijing, a lot of people in my city aren't used to seeing foreigners at all. And if I go to an area that isn't around a university campus or the main town, then all I'll be hearing is "外国人, 外国人" (wàiguó rén = foreigner) as I go past. </div>
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A lot of people wonder if Chinese people are racist and how<b> racism</b> is handled over here, and I've only had one nasty experience in my one and a half years of living in China. I went to the bank to receive some money - a bank I always went to and they had always been nice to me before but on this particular day, the teller took one look at my passport (as a foreign student, you need to take your passport and school ID everywhere, otherwise you can't get anything done!) asked if I was African, and said I'm not welcome to the bank anymore and no amount of arguing could get her to change her mind. It was a huge pain in my behind because I had to travel all over the city looking for a new bank to sign up with, but the fact that in China you can discriminate against someone just because of where they come from - <i>and legally it's okay</i> - is a massive problem that needs to be addressed - just look at what's happening in Guangdong!</div>
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A lot of people <i>are</i> rude, just like anywhere else in the world - people refusing to sit next to you on the bus, or crossing the road when you go past etc - but I have also met a lot of lovely people here who wouldn't do anything like that! You do have a lot of thoughts that go through your head when someone isn't particularly nice, a lot of it being "are they rude because they're in a bad mood today, or are they just racist", but if you let those thoughts take over every time something happens, you'll have a pretty miserable stay in China!</div>
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Before I came here, I thought <b>making Chinese friends</b> would be easy, especially as I was living on campus, but I've found it much harder! To this day, I only have one person and a lovely family I can call my friends and they're all pretty great! In my experience though, a lot of the Chinese people on campus befriend the white students or other Asians. It might just be my introvert nature of not wanting to approach people first though! <br />
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<b>Any strange experiences?</b> Of course! A strange experience I had came last summer when I was with my other foreign friends. We went hiking up a mountain near our uni and once we got to the summit, we took in the view and started taking pictures. I noticed a guy come and sit on the bench right next to us and start staring at us intently. I ignored him at first, because everyone stares so it's not a big deal. But when we started exploring the shops at the top (shops on a mountain, only in China!) I noticed him again - <i>it's that 6th sense!</i> - following us in and out or waiting outside for us to come out. When I told my friends what was going on, we decided that we should leave because none of us had been followed before and even though he was young and didn't look like he could do anything, you can never be too careful.</div>
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As we were heading down, he was following really close behind us, my friend turned around to ask him if he was lost or something, and this guy said he was looking for a bus stop! On a mountain! We sped up, but every time we spend up he decided to too. We took a pause at some benches and he started up a conversation with us, but blatantly lying about where he was from and whatnot. He followed us all the way to the entrance and thankfully we managed to slink away in a crowd but turning around I could see he was looking for where we went! So weird, especially because if we were any other race I doubt that would have even happened!<br />
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It wouldn't really be a proper analysis without me telling you guys about <b>my experience with other foreigners</b> here in China. Coming from the UK, I'm used to being around a lot of other minorities, but the difference there is that we all have one thing in common, which is that we all grew up in the UK. In China though, all foreign people come from different backgrounds and all have different upbrinings; we don't have anything in common other than we're all now living in China.<br />
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That being said, I've had people straight up to my face tell me they didn't think black people were clean or that they're surprised black people don't behave in the way we're expected to. It's been a shock for people to learn that not all black people are the same, and that their thoughts are destructive and rude. I've also seen that if I make friends with someone from a different ethnicity, other people from that group are now more accepting to smile at me if we pass each other in the halls or say hi to me if we're in a queue. I'm guessing because they've seen now that whatever stereotypes they had were so far left, and if someone from their country thinks I'm okay, then it's fine for them to be open now too!</div>
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So that's been my experience of living in China! September 2020 will mark 2 years of living here, and I cannot believe it's been that long this quick! It's not been so bad living here. A lot of people are just curious and want to find out about you, so if you're an extrovert and love talking to people and can even converse in Chinese, I have no doubt you'll be able to make a lot of friends and have a pretty good time. </div>
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Other than that one bank experience (and the strange guy on the mountain), my time here has been really good! I'm used to the staring and can even zone it out now if I want to, but with the photos I just don't think I'll ever get used to that! I'm really excited to see how the rest of my life here will play out!</div>
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What's been your experience living abroad? Do tell me below!<br />
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<b>Related post:</b> <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/experiencing-cultural-shock-in-china.html" target="_blank">Experiencing Cultural Shock In China</a></div>
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EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-29453807036203343612020-04-13T09:00:00.000+01:002020-04-13T11:13:33.452+01:00My Post-Quarantine To-Do List<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuAH58cpIEylPfFYoxVtXBSUitrI2FNr-KuJ2AVA5Y7hNi7pLzLPrGC6ywFDgjCwn2nKAI22R2PFmA_i_b6ND_QHcVuN46_YDLxt2py9YbXXVCEqEAKUnr8EquiODT2Y7jU3fbkeejxyi/s1600/kaboompics_MacBook+laptop%252C+coffee+and+cake+with+meringue+and+whipped+cream+on+black+marble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuAH58cpIEylPfFYoxVtXBSUitrI2FNr-KuJ2AVA5Y7hNi7pLzLPrGC6ywFDgjCwn2nKAI22R2PFmA_i_b6ND_QHcVuN46_YDLxt2py9YbXXVCEqEAKUnr8EquiODT2Y7jU3fbkeejxyi/s1600/kaboompics_MacBook+laptop%252C+coffee+and+cake+with+meringue+and+whipped+cream+on+black+marble.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quarantine, lockdown, social distancing, and self-isolation are the big buzzwords of 2020. I've read them so many times since the end of January, and not one day goes past where I don't read them while scrolling through Twitter, Instagram, and even WhatsApp now too! I've been thinking a lot about what life will be like moving forward - when university goes back to normal and I'm able to be outside for longer than one and a half hours at a time. My university dorm is still taking the coronavirus very seriously, so the strict rules that applied a few months ago are still applicable for us now.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>1. VISIT SOME NEW CAFES</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are so many in my area, as well as the area around the medical campus so I really have no excuse not to! I'm not a study-at-a-cafe type of person, but I am a visit-a-cafe-and-pay-for-an-overpriced-drink-and-pastry type of person, so I'm just patiently waiting for my time to shine. My favourite bakery Rosa has recently renovated and added a cafe section right by my dorm, so that will be the first spot I hit up when the time comes!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>2. VISIT THE VAN GOGH STARRY NIGHT ART CENTER</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;">My city has this amazing art center showcasing Van Gogh's works in really cool ways with rooms decorated floor to ceiling with his paintings. I had planned to head there this past winter holiday but we all know what transpired... So, I will hopefully pay a visit this summer, but we'll see. They do discounts if you have a student ID, so I'm excited to save a bit of money too!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>3. GET SOME UDON</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;">To celebrate my birthday back in October, my friends and I headed to a Japanese restaurant for some ramen because I was really really craving udon at the time (very specific I know). Fast forward a few months and would you believe I'm still craving udon! I'm a big big fan of noodles and all forms of ramen in general, so a trip back to the same restaurant is definitely on my list.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>4. HIT THE SHOPS</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I've said before on the blog, we're only able to go out for an hour and a half 3 times a week. If you head to Walmart you're given 3 hours to allow for travel because all the locations are pretty far and require hopping on the bus or using the metro. So it only makes sense to head out for the supermarket or to pick up some takeaway nearby and swiftly head back to dorm before we get scolded by admin. When we can finally head out without restrictions, I need to head to my favourite stores and stock up on some skincare I ran out of recently. I miss aimlessly wandering around Miniso anyway, so I'll make sure to do that just because I can!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>5. START RUNNING AGAIN</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is such a "me" thing to happen, but back in January I decided to start going for a run 4 times a week. I told my dad about it so he could keep me accountable, yet only managed to head out for a run one time (!!!) before our dorm went into lockdown. I want to properly get into it and make it a long-lasting habit, but that can only happen once we get out of lockdown, so I'm putting it on my list to make sure I actually do it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>6. SHOOT MORE OUTDOOR CONTENT</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;">My medical school schedule is hectic and doesn't always allow me to have a lot of free time. Despite this, I really want to diversify the content on my blog by showing some of the best bits of my city. I'm estimating that when this semester is over, we'll be out of lockdown mode and I can properly schedule time to head out and get some shoot new content. This one is a bit up in the air but I hope I can make it happen!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>7. TRY NEW MILK TEA FLAVOURS</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not only are there many cafes in the area, but there are also a bunch of milk tea shops that opened up, and every time I head out I feel like an old one closed down and a new one shop opened up! I'm pretty good at avoiding dairy in general (lactose intolerant), but there's just something about milk tea that I just can't do away with just yet. It's a struggle dealing with it afterwards if you catch my drift, so it's a dangerous habit I will get to working on one day...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>8. VISIT MORE PARKS</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm thankful that China has some very beautiful natural spots that I haven't even scratched the surface of yet! A lot of parks here are free to get into and are the perfect place to capture some lovely photos and relax with friends. So far on my list are Meixi Lake, Xihu Park, Huaya Pavillion, and maybe I can squeeze in a trip to Zhangjiajie, but the list is ever growing as I search up new places online. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37352f; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>9. HEAD TO A BUFFET</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #37352f; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "apple color emoji" , "arial" , sans-serif , "segoe ui emoji" , "segoe ui symbol"; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Really, just because.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #37352f; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "apple color emoji" , "arial" , sans-serif , "segoe ui emoji" , "segoe ui symbol"; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #37352f; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "apple color emoji" , "arial" , sans-serif , "segoe ui emoji" , "segoe ui symbol"; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>10. ORGANISE A BIG MEET UP WITH FRIENDS</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #37352f; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "apple color emoji" , "arial" , sans-serif , "segoe ui emoji" , "segoe ui symbol"; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">A lot of my friends are back in their home countries, so we've been keeping in contact via video calls on WeChat or through those tags going around on Instagram (lol). I get excited thinking about what it'll be like once we're all back together again and able to head to these places and eat all this food! </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #37352f; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "apple color emoji" , "arial" , sans-serif , "segoe ui emoji" , "segoe ui symbol"; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #37352f; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "apple color emoji" , "arial" , sans-serif , "segoe ui emoji" , "segoe ui symbol"; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">So that's my post-lockdown/quarantine/self-isolation/social distancing to-do list! I've been indoors since the end of January, and if I had to estimate the days, it's probably been between 75 and 80 (that number alone is making my head spin). It's been tough, but I'm still managing and able to keep myself positive and excited for this chapter in my life to firmly close and hopefully never open again!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #37352f; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'll see you in the next one!</span></span></span></div>
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EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-57806481948203674372020-04-08T09:00:00.000+01:002020-04-08T09:00:03.786+01:00The 3 Apps I Used To Up My Insta Game<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYcIKsEZRVTFIjliJ2_aIrH7ow3tk6CLrBEz4ej4BQIe1vWY1wLoMkkNI6eq303yzJdMOhWeNyZUUyhhaspn7h5MUtzHryw1sxWcddze9ragDHBAcXVNnIoxfU2canlXvTk1UxgH1QqtN/s1600/KUJICAM_2020-02-08-22-03-33_developed%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYcIKsEZRVTFIjliJ2_aIrH7ow3tk6CLrBEz4ej4BQIe1vWY1wLoMkkNI6eq303yzJdMOhWeNyZUUyhhaspn7h5MUtzHryw1sxWcddze9ragDHBAcXVNnIoxfU2canlXvTk1UxgH1QqtN/s1600/KUJICAM_2020-02-08-22-03-33_developed%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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Just before we went into lockdown over here, I decided that my Instagram needed a boost, and a big one at that. I was at the same number of followers after about 6 months of not posting, and the theme I had been trying to keep up with was looking a bit worse for wear. So I decided that it was time to start putting more effort into Insta again and boy has it paid off!</div>
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My grid is looking very *chef's kiss* at the moment, so I thought I'd share the apps I like to use for editing!</div>
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To start off, I only use my phone to take photos; I don't have a camera and don't plan on getting one either. I snap and edit all on my trusty Samsung.</div>
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<b>FOODIE</b></div>
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I either take photos straight out of the stock camera, or use Foodie (which I often opt to do). Foodie has so many filters that add an amazing effect to any type of photo. It was originally an app made specifically for food, hence the name, but they have since updated to perfect your landscapes, flat lays, selfies, and anything in between. The standard filters I use to take a photo are YU2, IN3, or BQ2 depending on the type of photo.</div>
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It's a perfect app all on its own; you can change up all the basic settings like shadows and whatnot, and you can also add grain and dust which I like to use for my stories!<br />
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<b>LIGHTROOM</b></div>
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Once I've snapped the photo in the filter I want, I immediately transfer it over to Lightroom. I didn't have a proper handle on Lightroom in the past and the photos were just terrible now I look back. But now, I've got it down thanks to a preset I made for myself. </div>
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When coming back to posting on Insta, I decided the theme I wanted to follow was a moody slightly de-saturated but still warm theme, so to make my preset I just went into the Profiles tab, selected Modern 3, added some grain, de-saturated it, added some texture, made the shadows and blacks stand out, made some colours more vibrant and saved it as a preset. Now, I just copy and paste it onto the photo I'm editing and tweak it slightly depending on the type of shot, so if it's a shot of a sunny day I'll amp up the blues and greens, or if it's a flat lay I'll increase the whites and highlights.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GoYjfdyhaf7M-M3Fg4Oy9T91T9fVZK6lFLyqHVeESu1kJM6RwRl3QzlGAKHwe3_vRdFusshuxxR4ImPGpCM6hmsengu9yAD9vY_ncP8flHh3Q1noqxRUkGC9TBNyi2A17oqKH7rW_Koh/s1600/KUJICAM_2020-03-14-19-54-00_developed%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GoYjfdyhaf7M-M3Fg4Oy9T91T9fVZK6lFLyqHVeESu1kJM6RwRl3QzlGAKHwe3_vRdFusshuxxR4ImPGpCM6hmsengu9yAD9vY_ncP8flHh3Q1noqxRUkGC9TBNyi2A17oqKH7rW_Koh/s1600/KUJICAM_2020-03-14-19-54-00_developed%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>KUJI CAM</b><br />
It was a toss up between Huji and Kuji but I settled on Kuji simply because it's what all my friends use to edit their photos! I use this app simply for the dust effect I like to add as the final step. There are over 30 to choose from and some extra ones that look like snow (that would have seriously come in handy if it snowed at all this year!) This is the final step in my editing process and if there's something I want to add like de-saturating or increasing the exposure I'll do it here. Of all the filters available I only really like KJ, BL, A2, and A10.<br />
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The app is also great if you want a vintage shot - there are options to add the date, make it slightly more 3D, and filters that you can use to really get that<i> ~aesthetic~</i> if that's what you're after.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvTFtGgxrEsGvZFWmqSpbSSC1-GaaTt766dnryrpjMH6T4AXIoU-aNT1a-Cw_Sf62DpaNPRMwY2znGBwsA0WCdncWDea9FFM2dhBfz47leKefPN_hQuiSmtZIbBAJX_zLy3Im2z-zE5fj/s1600/IMG_20200401_201816_030%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvTFtGgxrEsGvZFWmqSpbSSC1-GaaTt766dnryrpjMH6T4AXIoU-aNT1a-Cw_Sf62DpaNPRMwY2znGBwsA0WCdncWDea9FFM2dhBfz47leKefPN_hQuiSmtZIbBAJX_zLy3Im2z-zE5fj/s640/IMG_20200401_201816_030%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>BONUS!</b><br />
To plan out my feed and make sure I'm not posting the same type of photo 3 times in a row, I use the app Preview. In the past I used to use Planoly but didn't like how it only let me upload 30 photos in a month. With Preview I can add as many as I like whenever I like and it's great!<br />
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So those are the apps I love using to edit my Instagram photos and it really took my grid from awkwardly changing colour scheme every few photos to having a solid theme I'm really happy with at the moment! I hope you enjoyed this post!<br />
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You can save this post for later!<br />
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EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-82215875319169148472020-04-01T13:01:00.003+01:002021-06-14T10:15:55.100+01:00Med Diaries 001<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Happy April everyone! A new month has brought a new blog series to these parts and I can't wait to share it with you all!</div>
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Med Diaries will be a once-a-month series where I share how the past month has gone for me in terms of my life as a medical student, and as well as that I'll be sharing resources, accounts, websites and anything else that I've found useful that I think other medical students will find useful too. I share my daily med student life on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elliekblog/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> so if you want a day-to-day glimpse into the life of a med student in China, be sure to follow me on there!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Also, to see my real-life "day in the life" of a med student in China, be sure to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsEPWkbwS4m_6PkuPS3B9A" target="_blank">check out my YouTube channel</a>!</div>
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<b>ONLINE CLASSES</b></div>
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We started online classes on the 24th of February so it's already been over a month of this new lifestyle. I made a blog post on the<a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-reality-of-taking-online-classes.html" target="_blank"> reality of online classes</a> where I gave tips for anyone who has now shifted online, but it was pretty general and applicable to any kind of degree.</div>
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As an MBBS student, online classes are really not conducive to our learning. I know in other countries, online lectures are preferred by a lot of students, but for us in China actually being in lecture is the only way we're taught. We don't have labs anymore (more on that later) so our days are only spent on live lectures and studying. This semester, I'm taking regional anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, Chinese language and Sports (lol yes, that last one's online too).</div>
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Anatomy was my favourite last semester because systemic anatomy is very straightforward - we went through each system in the body starting with the skeletal system and ending with neuro anatomy. This semester is regional anatomy where we go through each region of the body and learn everything to do with it at once. We started with the upper limb, the thoracic region, then the lower limb and pelvic region, and we started the back today - <i>all online!</i> It's much more difficult than last time because having to learn all the nerves, vessels, muscles, diseases and everything else all at once is overwhelming and taking up a lot of brain power.</div>
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If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that biochemistry is essentially the bane of my life right now. I'm not naturally good at chemistry so it's been hard motivating myself and understanding the content. Some parts have been pretty good - carbohydrates, lipids and amino acids so far have been decent but the rest of it is just not meshing well with me. I've been trying to find a good study method for it, so we'll see if that works over the coming weeks.</div>
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<b>LAB</b></div>
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Lab is an essential part of a medical student's education. This semester we were supposed to start dissecting cadavers in anatomy to work on finding all the structures we learn about in lectures, but we aren't able to do that with our university still not opening. Our lab exams make up 30% of our final grade for anatomy and biochemistry, and if we happen to open as normal near the exam, it'll be near impossible to study well and pass with a good grade.</div>
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I'm worried about being rushed to study everything in a short space of time and not have enough time to review everything we're rushing over. It's scary how our education has been essentially put on hold and pushed back indefinitely. Considering how hard regional anatomy is compared to systemic anatomy, and also throwing in the fact that biochemistry would be 100x easier to understand if we had lab, the fact that we don't have lab is just very unfortunate.</div>
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We had an online lab session for anatomy where we watched a video of a dissection and had our lecturer explain what was going on but it's just not the same!</div>
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<b>TEXTBOOKS</b></div>
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Physiology has been an amazing subject so far! We have a specific Chinese-English textbook we're supposed to use, but since we haven't been able to go into school to buy textbooks, we're left to our own devices. I looked for it online and ended up finding another gem instead - <a href="https://www.elsevier.com/books/guyton-and-hall-textbook-of-medical-physiology/hall/978-0-323-59712-8" target="_blank">Guyton & Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology</a>. Everything in it is laid out clearly and the illustrations help with understanding the info. It flows well with the way our teacher's PowerPoints are laid out so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything that would be in the Chinese-English textbook.</div>
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For biochemistry, I need all the resources I can get my little hands on! <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/usmle-step-1-lecture-notes-2020-biochemistry-and-medical-genetics" target="_blank">USMLE Step 1 Lecture Notes for Biochemistry & Medical Genetics</a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Biochemistry-Lippincott-Illustrated-Reviews-Ferrier/dp/1451175620" target="_blank">Lippincott Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry</a> have been good for trying to understand the difficult bits of content we're covering. </div>
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All the PDF versions of these books can be found with a simple Google search if you think they'll be useful!</div>
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<b>ONLINE RESOURCES</b></div>
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The only online resource I want to share right now has been <a href="https://teachmeanatomy.info/" target="_blank">Teach Me Anatomy</a>. It is hands down the best website for learning anatomy. Everything is simple and straightforward and it takes the most difficult concepts and makes it easy to understand within a single study session. I've been using the website since the first semester of med school and it's just as handy now as it was back then. They lay out each part of the body and everything to do with it - so everything to do with the head is all in one section, and same goes for the leg, or pelvis etc. If you're a med student, bookmark it and save it for later because it will definitely come in handy!</div>
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So that's been the first edition of this new series I've been thinking of doing for a while now! </div>
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I hope it's been interesting for the med students out there and if you have anything you've found useful or helpful this semester in med school, do let me know in the comments below!</div>
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EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-43243705774927815002020-03-23T09:00:00.000+00:002020-03-23T09:00:05.198+00:00Here's How Time Blocking Can Help Boost Your Productivity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I know, I know. The world is in a state of panic and the last thing a lot of people want to hear is 'productive this' and 'productive that'. I get it, so if you're able to, I'd definitely use this time to take care of yourself physically and mentally, pick up a new hobby (or re-discover an old one), and just relax and do anything that isn't "work". </div>
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However, being a medical student, I just don't have that kind of luxury and I'm sure a lot of other students don't either. So if this post made you roll your eyes, then it just isn't for you and that's okay!</div>
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This post is for people like me who abruptly shifted to an online platform and needed to find a way to motivate themselves, limit distractions, keep themselves accountable and get some sort of a routine in their life.</div>
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I started using the time blocking (or calendar blocking) system during my first semester of medical school, stopped using it when my weeks became repetitive because I just knew what I needed to be doing anyway, then started using it again during exam season when things started heating up. It's a great system that I would recommend at a time like this when a lot of our normal routines have been spun upside down. </div>
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So, what is time blocking?</div>
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Quite simply, it's allocating specific amounts of time to a particular task and intentionally slotting them into your calendar to ensure they get done. It's amazing for prioritising what's important because in a regular to-do list, you don't see the entire picture laid out in front of you the way it is when you schedule everything into your calendar. It's easy to end up focusing a lot more time than you intended on one task, but when you slot it into your calendar you can decide how long you want to spend on that specific thing. It's also great for letting you concentrate on one task at a time and making sure this time you have will be spent on it.</div>
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I use this method to create a routine in my day. I set a wake-up time, lunch time, breaks, and an end time in the evening and it's been amazing!</div>
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Here's an example of what last week looked like:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTCDIYQu4So_-cDgQZdgNyPjp_ldOZ1g8dVpl0LzLBDmbTc_kOqRmZp0Jth7VYWya3-WpTacgBSOO8HyU7UJAhqqFXh07eMJNxwz5srL8LppqWHjhYlhQ_Hi7T1lSDF-7X8-M6UicD1f3/s1600/Screenshot_20200320-172014_Calendar%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="810" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTCDIYQu4So_-cDgQZdgNyPjp_ldOZ1g8dVpl0LzLBDmbTc_kOqRmZp0Jth7VYWya3-WpTacgBSOO8HyU7UJAhqqFXh07eMJNxwz5srL8LppqWHjhYlhQ_Hi7T1lSDF-7X8-M6UicD1f3/s640/Screenshot_20200320-172014_Calendar%255B1%255D.jpg" width="321" /></a></div>
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(I tried to take a nice blog-ish photo but the camera quality on my old phone is abysmal lol).</div>
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As you can see, I've inserted my classes, when I'm going to study, make new flashcards, do homework (let's just look at how long I spend on biochem... *shudder*), and when I'm gonna work on the blog. </div>
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I've also created a lunch break from 12 and I end my day at 10pm, as well as another little break after my afternoon classes. </div>
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During these breaks I do stuff that doesn't need to be written down, like eating or cleaning because I already know I need to do that anyway.</div>
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To achieve this, I use the standard Samsung calendar app that came with my phone and it syncs to my Google account so if I wanted to check it on Google Cal, it's easy to do so. I also like to colour coordinate everything because it just looks so much better, so you can see that my classes are yellow, dedicated studying is blue, homework is purple, creating flashcards is green, and blogging is peach.</div>
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In addition to this system, I do still use to-do lists so I can structure the time I intend on spending on something. So where it says "study anatomy" for example, my to-do list would break down the tasks I need to do just for some structure. I even have a whole blog post about <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2018/01/how-to-write-awesome-to-do-list.html" target="_blank">perfecting your to-do lists</a> if you're interested!</div>
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So, that's what my calendar looks like!</div>
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A tip I have is for you if you're also looking to start using this system to <b>prioritise</b> what you need to do and <b>be realistic</b> about how long you can actually spend doing that thing. I spend one day studying or working on a maximum of 2 subjects - I can't realistically go over all of them in one day. Depending on you, it might just be one subject you can focus on, and that's great too. </div>
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I now set my tasks every evening because
I used to get a bit overenthusiastic about what I can achieve in a day
and end up not finishing everything. Now when I set my tasks in the
evening as opposed to the beginning of the week, I can think about what I
didn't do during the day and plan my next day accordingly.</div>
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If
you prefer to lay your whole week out on a Sunday or Monday, then I'd
advise you to be flexible with it and not be too rigid with your time;
it's fine to switch things around!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Another tip is to <b>slot in the most important things first</b>. The very first things that get scheduled in are my classes because they're obviously the most important. After that, I'll put in homework, then allocate time to study. Anything after that depends on how much time I have left over, like blogging, flashcards or adding in more time to study if I'm up for it. I work around my class schedule to regain some sense of normalcy, because it's what I used to do when our classes went ahead as normal. If there are non-negotiable things you need to get done, definitely schedule those in first.</div>
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I hope you found this post useful! It's such a weird time the world is going through at the moment, and I've found what's helped me is building a routine and trying to stick to it as best as I can. I don't always fully go along with my schedule; just on Saturday I spent some time out when I had no initial plans to haha. But I don't give myself a hard time; just re-schedule whatever I didn't manage to get done and keep it pushing!</div>
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You can save pin this post for later! ~~~</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipcdnhHwwXrcd9DkqSp-AvUqtQD0yf8InPn5eznT3Hb4XE9ReP0f9VVlIfxnuP-mFS708Ml7o0n9vLTdMTW3SZ7kEtWiGXMZTm6qaCwyMwNnRwAxVHuANJp_hOBCHi5V1Zog5m0P0zaSa9/s1600/20200321_222251_0000%255B1%255D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipcdnhHwwXrcd9DkqSp-AvUqtQD0yf8InPn5eznT3Hb4XE9ReP0f9VVlIfxnuP-mFS708Ml7o0n9vLTdMTW3SZ7kEtWiGXMZTm6qaCwyMwNnRwAxVHuANJp_hOBCHi5V1Zog5m0P0zaSa9/s640/20200321_222251_0000%255B1%255D.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b>Photos by Alexa Williams on Unsplash</b></div>
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EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-80546290996281235172020-03-16T09:36:00.000+00:002020-03-16T14:39:01.310+00:00The Reality Of Taking Online Classes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6ROziSzbKL2hQzwQgJtni1iQaKc1kKsihJ6hy1BxkjnfKu8ZmHMKQ44qoWAh4b-YAAvJ9X3iyeo1WtPPL4ojfECiRPL8igl2taDUVtoBWWwZj1Hns30a5tgzG8ofhzijsSPDOpxyW9cn/s1600/kaboompics_Home+office+desk+with+Macbook%252C+iPhone%252C+calendar%252C+watch+%2526+organizer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6ROziSzbKL2hQzwQgJtni1iQaKc1kKsihJ6hy1BxkjnfKu8ZmHMKQ44qoWAh4b-YAAvJ9X3iyeo1WtPPL4ojfECiRPL8igl2taDUVtoBWWwZj1Hns30a5tgzG8ofhzijsSPDOpxyW9cn/s1600/kaboompics_Home+office+desk+with+Macbook%252C+iPhone%252C+calendar%252C+watch+%2526+organizer.jpg" /></a></div>
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Most people by now have had updates from their jobs or schools about shifting onto online classes or working from home due to the coronavirus now spreading to a lot more countries than it was in just a few weeks ago. A lot of people however aren't able to WFH, and my heart really goes out to all of you if this is the case. However for people who now have to study or work online, it's a big change that even I wasn't ready for when our classes shifted online.</div>
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I've never taken an online class before; GCSEs and A-Levels were all done in person obviously, and during the first year of uni and first semester of med school, everything was done in the classroom. But for the second semester of med school, we started our online classes here on the 17th of February, so it's already been over a month of bad internet connections and jumbled schedules.</div>
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I always naively thought that for people who take online classes, it must be easier than people who get up and leave the house because you get up and just turn on your laptop, but boy was I <i>wrong</i>!</div>
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It's just as tough and rigorous as going into uni, and then there's the added element of having to motivate yourself to actually wake up in the morning to listen in on the lecture. The hardest part for me has actually been having too much time in the day. Our lab classes are now free periods and there's around 6 extra hours a week that normally would have been taken up by biochem, anatomy, and physiology lab. I'm someone who likes to have a schedule and routine. Now it's up to me to fill in these empty spaces, and in the beginning it was quite difficult to know what to focus on. To curb this, I've been using the calendar blocking technique, and a blog post will be published next week!</div>
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So since there are a lot of first-time online class takers now, I thought I'd share some tips I've picked up over the last month on how to make the most of it. This post isn't directed towards people with jobs that they used to go into everyday, as I don't know how each company is tackling this, but it's specifically for students like me!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWE-x9rL3KuP0TUajdrrlkgh4Zs0YJhrQnk3DTlPb7_X5Rl-EeaMlvYEAnxYXE_3jOimG2q0IZ-jB_FpKz_orTWvPnOUamEirWWPJTlGkVXv3UitwUgLGhKLZs-vR1WdvWhD6-SJsG06R/s1600/kaboompics_Home+office+desk+with+Macbook%252C+iPhone%252C+calendar%252C+watch+%2526+organizer%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWE-x9rL3KuP0TUajdrrlkgh4Zs0YJhrQnk3DTlPb7_X5Rl-EeaMlvYEAnxYXE_3jOimG2q0IZ-jB_FpKz_orTWvPnOUamEirWWPJTlGkVXv3UitwUgLGhKLZs-vR1WdvWhD6-SJsG06R/s640/kaboompics_Home+office+desk+with+Macbook%252C+iPhone%252C+calendar%252C+watch+%2526+organizer%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>1. HAVE A ROUTINE</b></div>
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I made a routine for myself early on because I knew that this would seriously help me out in the long run. I use the calendar blocking technique to keep track of when I'm going to wake up, study, have class, do homework, work on the blog etc, and I do this all with the standard Samsung calendar that came with my phone. A routine has been vital to make sure I don't fall behind on anything (we'll all have to go back some day!), and vital in making sure I don't spend all day on one thing - or nothing for that matter!<br />
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My current routine looks like this; wake up at 7am, scroll through my phone, eat, and start studying by 8am. I have class at 2:30 in the afternoon, and 10am in the morning sometimes, and the last class will end at half 5 in the evening, so in between all of this, I'll shower,study, clean, eat, or just scroll through social media. I study until 9 in the evening, then just chill until I feel tired enough to go to sleep. </div>
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I would suggest getting a morning routine underway as soon as possible and try to stick to it. I
have a blog post on some <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2018/03/healthy-and-productive-morning-habits.html" target="_blank">healthy and productive habits</a> you could adopt
as part of your new routine, and I went back to it when our classes
shifted online.</div>
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<b>2. SET DAILY GOALS</b></div>
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I
like doing this to get a sense of accomplishment at the end of each
day, and so there's always something tangible to work towards. Each
night I make a list of small goals I want to accomplish the next day -
how many flashcards I want to make or go through, or which chapters I want
to get through for example. I think it's especially important now that things are online because you're having to motivate yourself and keep yourself accountable. </div>
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It's also really motivating to have something to work towards, which is another bonus because like I said above, it was quite tough for me in the beginning.</div>
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<b>3. STICK TO AN END TIME</b></div>
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Being indoors all day really makes you realise just how much time there is in the day. Because of this you may begin to feel like you should be doing more with yourself but I don't agree with this because it will definitely lead to burnout. I stop studying at 9pm at night, "switch off", and spend some time doing something enjoyable like finally indulging on going on my phone guilt-free. It's important to still treat your days like a regular school day because when it's time to get back to class (hopefully sooner rather than later), the transition won't be so harsh.</div>
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<b>4. HAVE PATIENCE WITH YOUR TEACHERS</b></div>
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We're all going through this together - student and teacher alike - so it's important to be patient with everyone right now. For a lot of teachers (especially mine), they haven't taught online before so it's a learning experience for them, just as much as it is for us. I remember in the beginning it was easy to become frustrated because we all hadn't used the online platforms we're all experts on now. Everything has changed in a short space of time so if you extend a bit of kindness to your teachers, it could really go a long way.</div>
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<b>5. TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME</b></div>
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Don't be so hard on yourself and don't feel like you have to do more than you really have to. Work at your own pace and leave enough time to do "real life" stuff. As a medical student, it was tough to squeeze all of the stuff I'm able to do now, like do laundry, video call my parents for as long as I choose now, cook (it's been amazing cooking for myself again!), and even work on the blog! Honestly speaking, if it wasn't for us not being allowed out, I probably wouldn't have gotten my blogging mojo back.</div>
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So take this time to yes, still be productive and work towards goals everyday, but to also give yourself some time do to other things again. Take it one day at a time and don't force yourself to become a productivity machine overnight.</div>
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I hope everyone manages to stay safe and happy at a time like this. The news is a lot to take in everyday, what with numbers always increasing and the outcome in a lot of countries looking really bleak at the moment. I'm glad the situation in China is improving - currently my province and the city of Chongqing have no new cases reported, and a lot of the temporary hospitals in Wuhan are now closed, with a lot the doctors who came from other provinces now able to go back home to their families.</div>
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If you're able to self-isolate please do, because it only takes one person to catch it and spread it to someone else (a lot more people are asymptomatic spreaders than we think -<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/14/health/coronavirus-asymptomatic-spread/index.html" target="_blank"> check out this article on CNN</a>) and there are a lot of at-risk people out there. </div>
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Again, please stay healthy and I'll see you in the next one!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_9JcpdHodXFs1Cr9tU6696ueP-nhci7jXAv0g6qSJC0Xfiug7GdHQBP6ukouY-S2mDty8v5b4q1zG5DCNWKoEp7yqEXMS7HhFrOal-uSYZT1Uf2pkjZGd7IFp8PQRDpagH8fJ1fbYlKA/s1600/20200316_173320_0000%255B1%255D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_9JcpdHodXFs1Cr9tU6696ueP-nhci7jXAv0g6qSJC0Xfiug7GdHQBP6ukouY-S2mDty8v5b4q1zG5DCNWKoEp7yqEXMS7HhFrOal-uSYZT1Uf2pkjZGd7IFp8PQRDpagH8fJ1fbYlKA/s640/20200316_173320_0000%255B1%255D.png" width="426" /></a></div>
EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-86718416114912886972020-03-12T09:00:00.000+00:002020-03-12T14:06:53.774+00:00Loving Lately<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWnAFME8ZeHQzLgSGTIaPnTIOfyyktyMpr2lFtYj-UYkSICw4PfS6Kznw5qnH5QaiAgJ3cWaYWgkZGlK60YlBMix61kjh4uu9EYv69SxWBq1uaPKD8SAU_iU0_ZhunthAgNiLkBoP-Ysj/s1600/sincerely-media-zw8t5aMmJQQ-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWnAFME8ZeHQzLgSGTIaPnTIOfyyktyMpr2lFtYj-UYkSICw4PfS6Kznw5qnH5QaiAgJ3cWaYWgkZGlK60YlBMix61kjh4uu9EYv69SxWBq1uaPKD8SAU_iU0_ZhunthAgNiLkBoP-Ysj/s1600/sincerely-media-zw8t5aMmJQQ-unsplash.jpg" /></a></div>
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So I've been toying around with the idea of introducing a series (or two, keep your eyes peeled!) onto my blog for the longest time, and after brainstorming a whole plethora of ideas, I can now introduce the first series I've wanted to put out for ages!</div>
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It's nothing groundbreaking or original by any means, because almost every blogger I follow has this type of post in some capacity, but I still wanted to introduce it here because I have a lot of stuff to share that isn't to do with my regular type of content. So Loving Lately is just going to be a collection of the things I'm currently loving at that moment - TV, music, Instagram accounts - just anything that is currently bringing me happiness and joy. If you see the name switch around a couple of times, that's just me working out a few others I liked too hehe.</div>
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<b>TV //</b></div>
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So I'm sure everyone by now has watched Love is Blind right? The cringy and yet somehow still addictive show that got really popular overnight and still has people talking. I saw a lot of tweets about it and surprisingly found some episodes on a Chinese app I use for watching western shows. Unfortunately, only the first 5 episodes are available, and I'm waiting for it to be updated but thanks to social media, I know how everything's turned out! Lauren and Cameron were my favourite couple from day 1 and I just need the other episodes to be updated so I know how others broke up! Definitely one to watch if you haven't already.</div>
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I've also been enjoying Legacies as a something to watch while I eat my dinner. If you're a fan of TVD or The Originals, then you'll enjoy this too! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, think werewolves, witches, and vampires in a boarding school. I'm actually done with that now, and I'm thinking of starting a new medical show to enjoy.<br />
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<b>PODCASTS //</b></div>
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The only podcast I've been listening to regularly is <a href="https://elevationchurch.org/podcast/" target="_blank">Elevation</a>, although I've been listening to snippets of others here and there when I can. Because of the virus, all church meetings have been cancelled until further notice, so I've been listening to sermons instead. I love Pastor Furtick because he gives you the message in a way that's easy to understand and always relevant (even the sermons from years ago!). I've been listening to one before I go to sleep and it's a great way to end my night.</div>
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<b>MUSIC //</b></div>
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Doja Cat has been my #1 most listened to artist lately. Since Tia Tamera came out, I've been listening to her old music and patiently waiting for a new album to come out, and when Hot Pink came out it was on repeat all day (and still is!). She can sing, dance, rap - just so versatile and definitely my new favourite artist right now. Just check out this live performance of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68NkjShYOSE" target="_blank">Say So</a>! Dua Lipa is another honorable mention, although I'm patiently waiting for Future Nostalgia to come out before I talk about it in depth. </div>
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Because I've been indoors since mid-January (wow), I've had no new opportunities to improve on my Chinese speaking. So, I've been listening to more songs in Chinese and plan to translate a few to gain some new vocab. Now, I promise myself this every holiday but there's always a distraction that pops up but because I'm not allowed to go outside, there are no excuses! I've liked Li Ronghao's album 耳朵 and hope to start translating (and fully understanding) at least one song a month if there's time!</div>
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<b>YOUTUBE //</b></div>
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Finally, a precaution I took when the virus first broke out was to avoid all meat until it blew over. However, I've decided to stick to being veggie for a while longer after doing some research on the animal industry and the overall effect that meat has on the body. To keep me inspired for meals, I've mainly loved the channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/SweetPotatoSoul" target="_blank">SweetPotatoSoul</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq2E1mIwUKMWzCA4liA_XGQ" target="_blank">Pick Up Limes</a>. A lot of their meals look delicious and I want to try them out, so I've been all over their websites, channels, and Instagrams for inspo. If your diet is mainly plant-based (or even if it's not!) I would highly recommend these two!</div>
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So, that's the first edition of Loving Lately! I'll only be uploading a post whenever I actually have things to talk about, like right now because other than studying all I <i>can</i> do is consume crazy amounts of media.</div>
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I hope you enjoyed this post, and I'll see you in the next one!</div>
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<b>Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash</b>EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-73167707479839584012020-03-02T12:00:00.000+00:002020-03-02T12:00:09.052+00:00Habits I've Picked Up In China<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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September 2020 will mark 2 years of me living in China! I know they say time flies when you're having fun, but time for me seriously just zoomed past in the blink of an eye. So far, China has been a decision I don't regret (like 90% of the time) and I really do love living here on the whole. Exploring a different culture, learning a new language, and just being far away from everything I know and am used to is an experience I'll be grateful for for the rest of my life, honestly.</div>
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With living in a new place comes adopting certain habits and behaviors like the everyone else who lives here. I've found myself doing these things without realising, and it only took another person pointing it out to me for me to realise that I'm changing bit by bit.</div>
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<b>1. Hot water all day, everyday!</b></div>
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I seriously<i> live </i>for hot water, and I'm now so used to it I can't really drink cold crisp water anymore. Hot water is the standard here, whether you're in a restaurant, an office, at the police station, hot water will always be available at the water dispenser. I sip on hot water all throughout the day; when I just wake up, in class with my flask (the water dispensers at my uni actually <i>only</i> give hot water!), after my meal, and right before bed a few cups will just hit the spot. Hot water has a lot health benefits like helping with digestion and hydration better than cold water, so I know this is definitely a habit for life. I like to add different things too, like lemon slices, dried jujube or ginger.</div>
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<b>2. If food isn't spicy what's the point?</b></div>
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My province is known for having some seriously spicy food. I worried about that before coming here because we don't cook spicy food at home, but now I'm here it's just another thing I'm used to. A lot of classmates were actually sick when we first came, but I've been absolutely fine since day 1! I've become so accustomed to eating chilli with every meal, even breakfast foods can have a little kick to them, so I honestly don't like food if there isn't even a little bit of chili in there. Whether I cook something or buy something online, it now <i>needs</i> to have a kick to it.</div>
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<b>3. Trying to haggle every chance I get</b><br />
Another thing that's just standard here is haggling prices when you're out and about. It was so awkward at first because my Chinese was non-existent when I just came here, but I'd at least attempt trying to bargain before giving up pretty quickly. Vendors actually expect foreigners to haggle prices, and you can get some pretty good deals if your Chinese is good enough. I once landed a dress that went from 100 yuan to only 60!<br /><b></b></div>
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<b>4. Not saying 'thank you' to a compliment</b></div>
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I didn't realise that us who are from the west say thanks to a compliment and return it, but here in China people, especially girls, say 哪里哪里 (nǎli nǎli), which is like "you're too kind", and never actually thank you. Even if someone compliments me in English, it's become a habit to just respond in Chinese!</div>
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<b>5. Chinglish</b></div>
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I love adding Chinese words to my sentences because some words in English just don't hit the spot quite as well as ones in Chinese, especially 麻烦 (máfan) and 差不多 (chàbuduō). Every single "hang on a minute" or "wait for me" is 等一下 (děngyīxià), and simple phrases like "I'm hungry/sleepy/thirsty" are now just automatically thought of first in Chinese. Sometimes I'll be on the phone with someone from back home and add in random
Chinese words only to realise they have no idea what I'm talking about (lol I'm so sorry). I think as my Chinese improves, it'll only keep happening more and more often which I think is pretty cool.</div>
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I think as time goes on, I'm going to have even more Chinese habits under my belt. It's only been a year and a half, so we'll see what the future has in store for me!</div>
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Which habits did you pick up when you lived abroad?</div>
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<b>Related Post:</b> <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/experiencing-cultural-shock-in-china.html" target="_blank">Experiencing Cultural Shock in China</a></div>
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EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-35456807521082026002020-02-24T09:01:00.002+00:002021-06-14T10:16:50.571+01:00Memorisation Hacks For Med School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Personally, I think that when it comes to doing well in med school, memorisation is a large percentage of how you get that grade. I found it surprisingly easy to memorise certain concepts but found it just as easy to forget what I thought I knew a week later. I then had to put in more work to get all that info into my long-term memory so I could recall it once exam season came knocking.</div>
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When I think back to my anatomy lab exams, the reason I did well was because I had a good system in place of how to memorise names and locations of nerves, veins, muscles, ridges on bones (yes, even those have names!) and everything else I needed to know. When it came to my written exams, the same systems tweaked slightly helped me out immensely too.</div>
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I'm not posting this because I'm a perfect student (whatever that means to you), because I didn't do as well as I would have hoped in certain subjects like histology, but that's not important. I just want to share my tips because overall, I did do pretty darn great! I don't have an amazing memory to begin with, so I truly think these tips can help someone out there if you're like me and have to put some extra effort in memorising certain concepts. And if you're not a medical student, don't worry! I think these tips can definitely be changed up a little to fit whatever degree you're pursuing.</div>
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<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you want to see a real-life "day in the life" of a medical student in China, be sure to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsEPWkbwS4m_6PkuPS3B9A" target="_blank">check out my YouTube channel</a>!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
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<b>FIRST THING'S FIRST</b></div>
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You cannot cannot cannot try to memorise something without having an understanding of the concept, no matter how general, in the first place. Here's what I mean; if I'm sat in a lecture about the 12 cranial nerves and my lecturer is explaining where each one is located, what each one innervates, what the consequence of damage to the nerve would mean etc, I can't then go back to dorm and start stuffing all that info in my brain if I didn't understand what was going on in lecture in the first place! I need to first go through the lecture and have a general understanding of the concept before I start with my memorisation routine. </div>
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Actually, this very first step of having an understanding of the concept will make memorising it later on much easier! You're starting to build connections that can be strengthened, rather than trying to build those connections from nothing.</div>
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After I study the lecture and I have my understanding, I will then spend a couple of days going over it, just re-reading before bed or on the way to class on the bus. I do this again, to make the process of memorising easier.</div>
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My first tip is to<b> use images and diagrams</b>! If you've studied anatomy before, this is probably the first thing you turn to. I use diagrams whenever I'm making lecture notes, and even when using Anki (which I'll talk about later). I physically handwrite all of my notes - which is another memorisation hack, but I'll have a whole blog post up about this at a later date! - and the thing I love about handwriting so much is that I can draw a diagram easily. </div>
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When you're trying to recall information later on, you're definitely more likely to recall an image rather than a bunch of text, so I utilise pictures whenever I can. When I was trying to remember the locations of all the carpal and tarsal bones right at the beginning of the semester, I drew out individual hands and feet and their bones (which made lab so much easier too!). </div>
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Your hand-drawn images don't have to be great because my certainly weren't. They just have to be functional and useful for you! If you're looking for beautiful anatomy diagrams though, you've got to check out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bana_vu/" target="_blank">Bana Vu's Instagram page</a> for the most dreamy studygram ever!</div>
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My next tip is to <b>use a lot of mnemonics</b>. I'm sure this is something we all use regardless of what degree we're pursuing, so I won't go on about it too much. I found them especially useful in anatomy for things that couldn't necessarily be learned per se, just memorised. Things like the cranials or branches of the external carotid artery all had their own mnemonics. They should be easy to recognise and as wacky as you can make them so you're more likely to recall what they actually represent!</div>
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<b>Writing and re-writing</b> is something that may seem redundant for some, but it is what personally helped me through sixth form, my first year of uni when I was learning Chinese, and now my first year of med school. Just the act of re-writing information and strengthening those connections is what will help you recall info if you're ever randomly asked by someone (which is something I like to do to my friends when they least expect it haha!).</div>
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This time around in med school though, I only use this for studying for my lab exams. The content for the written exams was much too extensive to spend time writing it all out again, which would have made this tip seriously redundant. </div>
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A couple of weeks before a lab exam, I would get a big pad of paper and write down <i>absolutely everything</i> I needed to know over and over again everyday leading up to the exam, going over it on the bus to class or before I started studying my regular lecture notes. I'd also draw small images to help me out and once in the exam, it all just came jumping out at me and I was able to get full marks. I didn't find it time consuming at all, again because the content for lab vs theory was significantly less, and it seriously paid off!</div>
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<b>Explaining concepts to someone</b> is another thing I'm sure we all know and use, so it's not one I'll delve into. I do prefer to study by myself, but sometimes I would study with my friends and we'd help each other out by explaining concepts that we were really comfortable with to the others. It really helped out because it tests whether or not you know what you're talking about. *flashbacks to GCSE Spanish when I would practise phrases on my dad in the car*</div>
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Piggybacking off of this point is to<b> talk out loud to yourself!</b> I love this even though it makes me look a little crazy haha. One thing I've noticed about Chinese students is they all seem to really utilise this point. Our campus library has sections for quiet study, where you'll get stared down if you make noise just flipping a page in your textbook, and entire sections for people to walk around with their notebooks in hand speaking entire essays out into the room. I've been using this point since my A-Level days, so I can 100% back this up!</div>
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Lastly, and I think the most important tip is to<b> use spaced repetition and active recall</b>. There are more than enough videos on YouTube and scientific studies explaining what this is and how to use it effectively and why it works, and I don't think I'll add anything new to the table, so I'll only explain how I use it here. If you do want to know more about it, you can check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-zNHHpXoMM" target="_blank">Ali Abdaal's video</a> on what the concept is because he is in my opinion the king of spaced repetiton!</div>
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I use is <a href="https://apps.ankiweb.net/" target="_blank">Anki</a>, which is free to download even in China which I was so happy about. I have individual decks for each subject I'm taking and I add flashcards to those decks a few days after I do the whole understand the general concept thing I mentioned above. Each deck can have as little as 50 cards to as many as 200 sometimes. The best thing about the software is it will rate how well you know the card and decide when next to show it to you again, which is the spaced repetition element. You can make basic flashcards which have a front and back, cloze captions which make you recall a specific part of a sentence, and image occlusion which are the basic cards in picture form. I love the image occlusion cards especially for anatomy, and I add images to the basic cards too, whether I copy them from Google or screenshot the entire Powerpoint slide and stick it on a flashcard.</div>
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The user interface for Anki isn't very user friendly in my opinion, so it took a while to get into the swing of using it. The add-ons for Anki make it much better to use too. I use the mobile app as well as the desktop version, and sync my decks after every time I go through them. I try to get through each deck everyday, but sometimes it's impossible, and the thought of going through 400 cards everyday is certainly off-putting, but it's so so helpful! I usually go through them on the bus to and from class, in between class breaks, lunch time, and when I'm chilling before starting a study session. Just to throw this out there, this isn't sponsored by Anki, but if someone from Anki happens to be reading this right now.....</div>
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So those are all my tips for how I memorise info in med school! They're very different compared to just last year, let alone sixth form, and they've been so vital in maintaining my grades - not just my major but for Chinese language which I still take.</div>
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I hope you all found them useful, and even if you don't study medicine, can tweak them around to suit you!</div>
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Comment below your own tips for how you memorise things in uni. I'd love to try them out!<br />
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<b>Related Post:</b><a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2017/12/6-studying-essentials.html" target="_blank"><b> </b>6 Studying Essentials </a></div>
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EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-81894583467925703632020-02-17T12:00:00.000+00:002020-02-17T12:00:01.672+00:006 Things To Do When You're Stuck Inside<div style="text-align: justify;">
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The words "cabin fever" have never felt more relatable in my life, because we're now entering the 4th week of being on lockdown here in China! The rules of our dorm have toughened up a little bit - we used to be able to go out at least go out once a day, but now its been cut to three times a week. Other university students can't go out at all, so we're a little but more fortunate than some. But even with that small amount of freedom, I haven't been going out at all because the cases of those who have the coronavirus in my city are increasing day by day.</div>
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That leaves me indoors with nothing to do! So naturally, I've written a few things that I think can help you not lose your wits and pass the time. I think it's only fitting that after <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2020/02/why-2020-hasnt-started-off-great-living.html" target="_blank">last week's blog post</a>, this be the follow up don't you think?</div>
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<b>GET YOUR CHEF ON</b></div>
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I spent a lot of money last semester eating out because I didn't have much time to cook, and over time it started adding up, so when the holiday started I told myself that I would start cooking again. I've mainly been making loads of curries and different types of pasta sauces that I wanted to try out when school was hectic. I typically meal prep because it stretches the food out longer, but sometimes inspiration will hit me and I'll cook something there and then. </div>
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<b>CLEAN, ORGANISE & DECLUTTER</b></div>
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I did this right at the beginning of the winter holiday - taking clothes I didn't wear anymore and putting them away, sorting out my desk and the contents of all my drawers and suitcases, sorting out my laptop and all the files that accumulated since September, and doing the same to my phone. There's something so freeing about letting go of your literal baggage, whether it's right in front of you, or somewhere in your digital space. I also took the time to cut down on how many social media accounts I follow, and that felt just as great too. </div>
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If you're interested, I wrote a whole blog post about <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2018/03/how-to-organise-declutter-your-digital.html" target="_blank">organising and decluttering your digital space</a>, which is the blueprint that I used when I was sorting through all my stuff.</div>
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<b>GET STUCK IN A GOOD BOOK</b><br />
I haven't been reading as much as I thought I would if I'm being honest. Reading throughout the semester didn't happen, unless it was a textbook for class. I have a few books on my list that I want to read sometime this year though - <i>Atomic Habits by </i>James Clear,<i> I know Why The Caged Bird Sings</i> by Maya Angelou, <i>Crescent</i> by Diana Abu-Jaber, and <i>Once In A Promised Land</i> by Laila Halaby.<br />
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Crescent and Once In A Promised Land are both written by Arab-American women who explore the central theme of identity in their writing, and I found out about them from a friend who wrote about them in her thesis. I loved her work about the books so much I decided I just need to read them both myself!<br />
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Atomic Habits is a book about building good habits, which is just right up my alley. It's very popular in the self-help community and I really want to give it a try. Lastly, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings is the only book I actually have on hand at the moment, and it's one I've had for an embarrassingly long time but haven't yet finished. I'm planning on finishing that first and getting onto Crescent! I'd appreciate some book recommendations down below if you have any!</div>
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<b>WATCH A MOVIE...</b><br />
... or a few. There's something so great about watching a movie you've wanted to see for aaaages, especially if it's raining outside and you're warm inside with snacks, tea, and a huge fluffy blanket. I just watched the Korean movie Parasite and it's easily one of the best films I've watched recently. It was on my radar since the trailer was released last year, and it did not disappoint. No wonder it did so well at the Oscars!<br />
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I have a blog post about <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2018/04/5-korean-movies-you-must-check-out.html" target="_blank">5 Korean movies I think everyone needs to watch</a>, and after I watch a few more, a part 2 will definitely come soon.</div>
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Another film I want to watch is a Chinese movie whose title translates to Hide and Seek. It's a typical home invasion movie but I saw a snippet online and thought that it looked so cool!<br />
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I've also been watching some anime and K-dramas, but I think that's a post for another time to come. <br />
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<b>READ SOME GREAT BLOGS</b><br />
I've been doing this since the winter holiday first started, and I think it's easily one of my favourite things to do. I found my blogging mojo and started writing again, and along with that, I've been reading a lot of awesome content!<br />
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This is by no means exhaustive, but a few blogs I've loved recently are <a href="https://nicole-eva.com/" target="_blank">Nicole-Eva</a>, <a href="https://samanthajblogs.co.uk/" target="_blank">Samantha. J</a>, <a href="http://www.mistyprose.com/" target="_blank">Misty Prose</a>, <a href="https://daisybutter.com/" target="_blank">Daisybutter</a>, and <a href="https://www.fromroses.co.uk/" target="_blank">From Roses</a>.<br />
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I've had so much free time on my hands I've been reading a lot of new content everyday, so I've loved more than just these five, but if you're looking for some new bloggers to get into I definitely couldn't recommend these lovely ones enough!<br />
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<b>CATCH UP WITH FRIENDS</b><br />
This winter will definitely be one to
remember, not only because of the obvious, but because of all the late
night video calls I've been making my friends. Its been lovely catching up with all my friends back in the UK, my cousins back home, and my friends here in China too. Med school is so busy and there was never time to spend an entire afternoon just chatting away on my phone.</div>
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My roommate and I have also been going downstairs (and having people come up to see us!) to see some friends who are also still in the building, and talking to our families a whole lot more too! If you're stuck indoors this winter, give your mum, old uni friends, and even grandma a ring!<br />
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Other than the usual scrolling of social media and YouTube (because, come on...), that's how I've been passing the time here in my little dorm room. It's been nice catching up on things like organising and blog reading, but I'm more than ready for us to be allowed out again.<br />
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Anyway, until then please do leave all your recommendations down below! I'd love to know how you spend time indoors!<br />
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EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-63467370912433932642020-02-10T12:00:00.000+00:002020-02-10T12:30:09.441+00:00Why 2020 Hasn't Started Off Great; Living in China During the Coronavirus Outbreak<div style="text-align: justify;">
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2020 was supposed to start off great, and it had no reason not to; entering a new decade and the overall excitement of entering a brand new year was supposed to be the mood for January all through to March. However, so much has happened that put a real damper on things, making this year pretty terrible so far.</div>
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Let's set the scene: it's December 31st. I'm at my desk with a hot water bottle on my lap (because the winters here are just painful), my un-studied neurology notes right in front of me. I'm cursing at myself for not studying them thoroughly before because my exam is now just one week away, when the clock on my laptop reads midnight. My roommate and I high five to ring in the new year, and both just get back to work. January brings with it 4 exams, and its now the long awaited winter break! My friends and I make so many plans (very few of them actually executed), and then we're hit with the news about the spread of what was first called the Wuhan pneumonia, now called the coronavirus. Very quickly, we're told to go out less, buy masks, and report any physical symptoms to the admin. As the days go on, we're told not to go out at all unless you absolutely have to, and by this point, 80% of the people who were going to stay in China this winter have all flown back home.</div>
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I've been Instagramming my whole experience living in China during the coronavirus outbreak, and I just want to thank all the lovely people who sent messages of encouragement, because they all meant so much to me. I've not been sharing figures like how many people are infected, or the death toll because I want my Instagram to be a positive place, so I've been mostly sharing the memes running around the WeChat circles and how my university has been handling it.</div>
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When we found out the severity of the virus, my roommate and I took 2 trips to the supermarket for food and other bits we'd need. One was completely out of veg, so we had to go to a different one, to find people scrambling for what they could there too. After 11 days indoors (!!!), we did another food shop, and luckily found veg this time, along with other things that ran out. We're avoiding meat completely, especially since my province reported cases of bird flu a week ago. We'd rather not risk anything!<br />
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When you leave the dormitory, you need to wear face masks to even be allowed out. Before entering the supermarket, your temperature has to be taken to make sure you don't have a fever. The same is for those who use the subway. Half of the exits are no longer in use and there are more guards there than usual. The subway also give free hand sanitizer to use before you enter the carriage and they also don't let you on if you're not wearing a mask. When we come back into the dorm, you need to disinfect your shoes and hands before coming in, then once you're in, you need to sanitize your belongings and outer clothes. You get your temp taken again and sign it in the books before you're allowed upstairs. <br />
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Other rules in place are: not being allowed to go to anyone's university and absolutely no guests from outside are allowed. If you want to go out, then you can only do it once a day. You also need to disinfect your room and go sign in downstairs to show you've done it everyday. A nearby university has stopped allowing students from leaving their campus at all, and I won't be surprised if this is enforced for us soon too.</div>
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The reality is that staying in your room for days on end really really sucks and it feels very depressing sometimes. Especially when I just wake up, and before I've even opened my eyes I know it's going to be another day surrounded by these four walls without anything to really look forward to. Sometimes, I go look out the window at cars going past, wondering how I even ended up here in the first place (this all sounds very dramatic, but it's the truth haha!) I'm constantly thinking about the stuff I wanted to get done this winter
and the places I wanted to visit, but those plans will just have to
wait until the next holiday!<br />
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Something I've been reading online is how residents of Wuhan are being discriminated against around China. Those who live in other cities, for example Beijing, are being told not to enter any establishment or are just being insulted, just because they're from Wuhan but were probably nowhere from where the virus first emerged. There's also been a surge in xenophobia and racism against any East Asian around the globe as well, no matter if they're Chinese or not. It reminds me of the time when Ebola first broke out and suddenly every black person was definitely African and carrying the virus, meaning they should be discriminated against whether or not they had even been to Africa in the first place. We're all feeling unsure and afraid, but it doesn't mean our empathy and kindness should be thrown out of the window. Michelle wrote <a href="https://daisybutter.com/2020/02/silent-minority-coronavirus-racism/" target="_blank">this blog post</a> on being a British-Chinese woman in the UK in the wake of this coronavirus crisis, and I urge everyone to read it.<br />
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This post doesn't really have a purpose to it and I'm sure you can tell by how jumbled my thoughts are coming across (because I keep reading it back and nothing seems to make much sense haha) - I just needed to get my thoughts out about this coronavirus and thought a blog post was the best way to do it. I've tried for a week to get my thoughts together, and they're still jumbled up because on one hand, it's scary being here (whether or not I can fly back home is still being looked at. Not only that, but the risk of catching the virus at the airport or on the plane now it's progressed this far is just too high), but on the other hand I don't want to be in this panicked state any more so I do as much as I can to be positive.<br />
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The situation is still developing and we find out more information everyday, which is why it's not good to speculate. I hope we can all continue being strong in this situation, especially everyone in Wuhan right now. 中国加油!</div>
EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-36718867129583265922020-02-03T13:00:00.000+00:002020-02-03T13:00:03.473+00:0015 Things To Stop Doing For A Happier You<div style="text-align: justify;">
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We all do things that may make us unhappy for a time, and constantly
doing these things will definitely make us unhappy for much longer than
need be. Over time, we get used to sticking to the default and eventually these actions become habits that are difficult to break away from. Sometimes, the people around you also become used to this default version of you that these actions are now expected of you too, and if it's one thing I don't like, it's being put in a box and having expectations put on me.</div>
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Today I want to share some things that we
all (me included) need to stop doing. Things that are reflex actions and not carefully thought out, leading to being placed in that box mentioned above. Have a look at the list and see if you do any of these things.</div>
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<b>1. Stop procrastinating</b><br />
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I have a whole ton of blog posts about productivity, because if it's one thing that just doesn't sit right with me, it's not being productive! You can have a read through them right<a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/search/label/productivity" target="_blank"> here</a>.</div>
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<b>2. Stop apologising for everything</b><br />
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This is a habit I had trouble breaking but now that I have, life is just so much... easier. I don't know where that habit came from but if it's one thing I want to say to past me it's this: chill out because not everything is your fault!</div>
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<b>3. Stop being the "yes" man</b><br />
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If you want to be a better friend (or a better person in general), stop being the "yes" man! Tell people when they've messed up, and how they can improve. Don't allow people to go through life without letting them know where or how they can improve. Trust me, it sounds daunting at first but if they're someone who deserves to be in your life, they'll thank you for it.</div>
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<b>4. Stop comparing</b><br />
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This is something I need to work on, especially being in medical school where for some people, grades are everything. They're important, but not the be all and end all. If you think someone is better than you in some way, don't forget that you're only seeing their highlight reel, and not the full picture. </div>
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<b>5. Stop judging</b><br />
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Judgement is an ugly colour, and I hate when people just pass judgements without knowing the full story. Discernment is important to have, but if you find yourself throwing judgements around left, right, and centre, take a look at why that is.</div>
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<b>6. Stop allowing people to make decisions for you</b><br />
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Ooohhh, this is a big one, and one that will undoubtedly make anyone feel some kind of way. However,I do feel like in this current social and political climate, people are more upfront and unapologetic about what they want, and that's amazing.</div>
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<b>7. Stop spending money on things that don't add joy to your life</b><br />
Self explanatory. Just stop it. <br />
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<b>8. Stop focusing on the negatives</b><br />
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If you were gifted a beautiful piece of art but saw a tiny notch on the frame, would it take away the overall beauty of the painting? Of course not! I apply this analogy to life whenever I catch myself in a string of negative thoughts and I think it really helps.</div>
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<b>9. Stop being so hard on yourself</b><br />
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When I think of all I've been through and all I've managed to accomplish, I can't continue being hard on myself anymore because I remember that if I've been through all that I can go through anything (as cheesy as that sounds...) Please give yourself a break. You deserve it.<br />
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<b>10. Stop making excuses for people</b><br />
Sometimes, what people need is to be told where they've gone wrong and where they can improve. If someone's doing something that you know is wrong but you give them a pass, explore why that is and work on fixing it. <br />
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<b>11. Stop making excuses for yourself</b><br />
See as above.<br />
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<b>12. Stop holding onto items that have no use in your life</b><br />
We're in the age of Marie Kondo-ing everything we have, and I for one love it! I'm working on shifting to being more minimal, and it's actually harder than I thought. I came to China with a lot of stuff that I thought I'd need, and decluttering them all will take some time. <br />
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<b>13. Stop eating food you know isn't good for you</b><br />
All my take-away lovers say <i>HEY</i>! I freaking looove food, and sometimes it's easy to just think "whatever, I know I had a burger yesterday, but if I have another one today, my next one will be at the weekend". Just me? Well, those burgers may taste good in the moment, but when your digestion starts suffering as a result, you'll only have yourself to blame.<br />
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<b>14. Stop neglecting your sleep schedule</b><br />
My sleep schedule has been through it all - I've been on top of it, I've been on track for a time, then I've gone around and completely neglected it. As I get older (I'm only 22 but I think about old age more often than I think I should...), I'm learning that sleep is super super important and if I don't want to be a half-functioning zombie, I should try to sleep better. Nancy wrote a great blog post about sleeping better, which you can check out right <a href="https://exquisitely.me/sleep-better/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b>15. Stop holding grudges</b><br />
I think of holding a grudge with the analogy that you're allowing someone to live in your mind rent-free! Most of the time, they've moved on from whatever it is that transpired and you're still going through that scenario over and over again. It is absolutely not worth it.<br />
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How do you fare when it comes to these things? Anything you need to work on? Tell me below!<br />
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<b>RELATED POST:</b> <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2018/01/10-lists-to-make-when-youre-in-funk.html" target="_blank">10 Lists To Make When You're In a Funk</a>EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-63590442131997618732020-01-30T12:00:00.000+00:002020-03-02T11:16:20.295+00:00Surviving The First Semester of Med School<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml><o:DocumentProperties><o:Revision>1</o:Revision><o:Pages>1</o:Pages><o:Lines>1</o:Lines><o:Paragraphs>1</o:Paragraphs></o:DocumentProperties></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml><o:OfficeDocumentSettings></o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml><w:WordDocument><w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel><w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery><w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>2</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery><w:DocumentKind>DocumentNotSpecified</w:DocumentKind><w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>7.8 磅</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing><w:PunctuationKerning></w:PunctuationKerning><w:View>Normal</w:View><w:Compatibility><w:DontGrowAutofit/><w:BalanceSingleByteDoubleByteWidth/><w:DoNotExpandShiftReturn/></w:Compatibility><w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom></w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml><w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true" DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99" LatentStyleCount="260" >
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</w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">Okay, so obviously its been a long time since I uploaded anything - be it on this blog, or any of my social medias, but I’m baaack! I have been quite active on my Twitter and I’ve just gotten back into Instagram, so I haven’t been all that M.I.A.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">My last blog post was published all the way back in </span><i><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-style: italic;">JULY</span></i><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">, and obviously a lot has changed since then, the main thing being that I started and ended my first semester of medical school! It was such a long journey that I’m honestly glad has come to an end, but even though it was definitely the hardest semester of my life, it did come with highs I really enjoyed.</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">THE ACADEMIC SIDE WAS...</span></b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Tough to say the least. Lectures started from 8am and could go on all day until usually 5pm, apart from Wednesday, where we had Chinese language until 9:30 in the evening (!!!) The classes I took this semester were Anatomy, Histology, Chinese language, Medical Chinese, Computing, and Sports. The curriculum in China is different in that Sports are still required for all students to take, regardless of whether you’re in university or not, and Computing was essentially just a glorified ICT lesson, where the only thing I learned was how to use a couple of formulas in Excel that I didn’t know how to use before. Thankfully, those lessons were only once a week for 45 minutes, but going into next semester, I still have to take Sports. How fun.</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">I live on a campus far from the medical campus, so mornings usually started at 5:30am to make it to class in time, with a fan tuan in one hand (rice covered in a sheet of seaweed and stuffed with various fillings, so delish!) and my bus card in the other. As the weather got colder, this slowly shifted to 6am, then 6:30am, because the crisp cold autumn/winter mornings are no one’s friend at all. </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Anatomy was easily my favourite subject, partly because I had an awesome teacher who knew everything about everything off the top of her head, and also because its just so interesting! My exams for anatomy went really well, both in lab and theory, so I got all my credits and finished with a really good grade. Chinese language has always been my best subject, so I didn’t have any worries about that going in anyway. The only thing I haaated was Histology. I don’t mean any offence to anyone who loves histology but it wasn’t very interesting for me, and that was reflected in my grades. Even though I passed, I know I could have done better if I was more interested in it but, sadly that wasn’t the case.</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">The thing that made the academic side the most difficult was timing. Finding time to eat, do laundry, study, talk to people, clean - all of that was so hard to juggle. I ended up sacrificing my social life and sleep in order to study more, which did wonders for my grades but not my overall health. I was perpetually tired during the day because I didn’t have time to sleep a full 7 or 8 hours at night. Some nights I was lucky if I got even just 5 hours in! The routine got boring and tedious, and when those weekend lectures started in mid-November it seriously took a toll on my mental health, which is why I looked forward to the winter break more than anything! Although now with this coronavirus outbreak, I’d rather time travel and go back a few months, but more on that later.</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Seriously lacking! I had no time to go out and enjoy myself because I had to study, simple as. A lot of other students did manage to find the balance between school and life, and I seriously applaud them for it because I just couldn’t do it. If I wasn’t studying, my priority was either napping or doing life-things like laundry or meal prep. If I wasn’t doing any of these things, I would feel serious guilt about not studying which would stress me out until I went to study.</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">I envied my friends back home who were enjoying their graduations, free time, and holidays, and constantly asked myself “why did I come here!?”. Something everyone hears about medical school is that you don’t have time to do anything, which in a way is true, but it all depends on how you organise your time. My first year of uni was spent learning Chinese and it was nothing compared to this, but I really hope I can improve going into the next semester.</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">SOME GOOD BITS!</span></b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">This post is looking a bit moody, but I promise it wasn’t all doom and gloom! I enjoyed learning all the cool bits about the human body, and learning them in Chinese was really awesome too. I did all essay subjects at A-Levels, so diving into medicine where everything is science-based was a challenge. But seeing how I was understanding concepts we’d only glossed over in GCSE was very surprising. I didn’t struggle as badly as I thought I would; after putting in the work (and loads of it!), I can say that I was academically stretched and still came out on the other side.</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">A couple of weeks before the semester started, I was in Hangzhou with my cousin and I got a few bits she brought me from home, like my favourite snacks and clothing I left at home. Eating away at those late at night with a human body atlas in front of me is a fond memory now! I joined the Dragon Dance team for my university, which is a big deal because dragon dance is a huge part of Chinese culture. We had a performance in front of hundreds in December that went really well, and the fact that I could squeeze in practise with school is something I’m really proud of. </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">I also celebrated my 22nd</span><sup><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; vertical-align: super;"></span></sup><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> birthday in October, and my friends and I went out for Japanese food and karaoke to mark the occasion. It rained that day, and even though the weather wasn’t amazing, being surrounded by my favourite people definitely made up for it.</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">It was a wonderful semester to have, and I look forward to what I get to do next semester! The subjects I’m taking are Biochem and Molecular Biology, Physiology, Regional Anatomy (we did systemic previously), Sports, and Chinese language. I hope everything goes well, because if I want to get through to second year, it just has to!</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Unfortunately, winter break hasn’t been all that...</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">I’m sure everyone by now knows about the novel coronavirus spreading through China, and a few other countries around the world now too. I honestly have sooo much to say, but since it’s illegal to spread information not released by the government themselves and I don’t want anything to happen to me, all I will say is that the situation is very bad over here, more than what the media is reporting abroad. My dorm building isn’t allowing people to leave unless you have a really good excuse, and even then, you won’t find many people out and about anyway. </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">My roommate and I took 2 trips to different supermarkets only to find a lot of essentials like veg completely gone, although I hear they’re restocked now. I’m not at the centre of this (Wuhan, in Hubei province), I’m only in Hunan province, so if the situation is that bad here, I can only imagine what the people in Wuhan are going through.</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">All I hope for is this virus to be contained as soon as possible, although I know that it will continue to get worse before it gets better. If anyone is in China reading this, I hope you stay safe and healthy, and if anyone abroad is reading this, I hope you can do some research into this issue and spread the information you find. I do give little daily updates on my <a href="https://twitter.com/elliekblog" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elliekblog/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, so if you're interested, be sure to follow me on there!</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">That’s all I have to say for now! It’s been a season of highs and lows, and I’m currently going through one of those lows, but I know that it will eventually get better soon. I’ll see you all in the next one!</span></span><br />
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EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-40543956766097841602019-07-29T12:00:00.000+01:002019-07-29T12:00:01.917+01:00How I Manage To Beat Procrastination<div style="text-align: justify;">
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It's safe to say we all procrastinate sometimes, but in my first semester of uni, I found it so easy to always fall into bad habits - putting off work until the last minute and panicking right before deadlines. I changed my ways coming into my second semester, and it definitely paid off! I used a few methods to see this through, and I'm gonna share them with you today!</div>
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My first tip is to <b>know exactly what it is that you want to do</b>, or to at least have a rough idea of how you want your day, or afternoon, or morning to go, whatever it may be. Every evening, I'd write down what it was I wanted to accomplish the following day, or I would do it in the morning before school if I wanted to get up and study early, or even after class (our classes were from 8am to 12pm every day!) and I would make the list according to w what we learned that day.</div>
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Just choose what works for you! I'd recommend starting off with writing everything out the night before so not too much thought goes into your tasks when the day comes - it'll definitely be easy to procrastinate without a list of tasks right in front of you!</div>
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After you've decided what it is you want to do, you should take all of that and <b>break it down into small, manageable tasks.</b> Having a huge to-do list can be very intimidating, but having them broken down into bitesize pieces makes it much easier to tackle.</div>
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For example, I could write down that I want to study the first two sections of my comprehension book. I'm much less likely to do that because one section has 5 chapters in it, so to make it easier on myself, my to-do list will actually say:</div>
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□ Study Chapter 1<br />
□ Study Chapter 2<br />
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and so on. To break it down even further, I would write down something like:<br />
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□ Chapter 1<br />
↳ Text 1 Vocab<br />
↳ Text 1 Grammar<br />
↳ Text 2 Vocab<br />
↳ Text 2 Grammar<br />
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This small brain trick can really come in handy, especially since studying for 2 sections now seems much more manageable. If you would like to see my post on how to make an effective to-do list, click right here!</div>
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My next tip is to <b>always keep your to-do list nearby</b>. I keep my bullet journal on my desk and take it with me if I'm studying outside of the dorm. I also keep a to-do list on my phone if I don't feel like carrying the physical bullet journal with me that day. Point is, always keep something on you that you can use to refer to and more importantly, remind you that you have stuff that needs to get done!<br />
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<b>Limiting distractions</b> is something we've all heard before but it's so so important! Cutting out anything that will definitely shift your focus from the task at hand is going to ensure you don't procrastinate.</div>
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For me, studying in my room is distracting, so on days where I knew I wouldn't manage, I would go to the study room. My phone is also a distraction but I also have important textbooks on there that I need while I'm studying, so my solution for that was to turn off the wifi completely.</div>
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Find what it is that distracts you and either get rid of it completely or change some aspect of it so it won't impact your productivity.</div>
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<b>Keeping like-minded people around</b> me was also something super important because whoever you decide to let hang around you will definitely impact your life, whether it's good or bad. I am super grateful the friends that are able to keep me free from distractions and also motivate me to get off my behind and get stuff done.</div>
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If you realise your friends are the ones keeping you from being productive, just know that it's absolutely okay to be independent and self-study! Having a discussion with them about this will also help too!</div>
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Last but not least, the final tip I have for you is to either completely <b>break or shift your bad habits</b>. For example, after I'd have lunch, I would start feeling like taking a nap. Now, naps aren't a bad thing but I know myself and my naps can last anywhere from 45 minutes to as long as 3 hours (eek!). So, I decided to shift this habit by napping earlier in the afternoon and setting an alarm for only an hour, two hours max if I felt like I really needed it. That way, I would wake up refreshed and ready to get some work done!</div>
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A bad habit I know that people do is to start doing chores before getting work done, and while it may seem super productive, tricking yourself to do chores as a way to procrastinate is just as bad! So, do your chores at another time or add them to your daily routine so everything will already be clean and tidy when you're ready to get some work done.</div>
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So, those are my tips for avoiding procrastination and getting stuff done! I hope you found this useful and can use some of these tips too.</div>
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I'll see you in the next one!<br />
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EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-45207357992887387172019-07-14T12:00:00.000+01:002019-07-14T12:00:08.788+01:00My Self Care Routine<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Hey everyone and welcome back to another blog post! It's been a minute since I posted anything, but I don't want to bore anyone with yet another update post, but I do want to give you guys a few updates nonetheless!</div>
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1) I've now finished my first year of university, and I finished top of my class! (I'm so proud of this fact I want to tell as many people as I can hehe.) We spent this last academic year learning Chinese and even though it was challenging at times, I powered through and now I'm on the other side!</div>
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2) I'm completely done with the previous semester, and now I'm on a long summer break. I'll (hopefully) be travelling around my city and to other provinces around China too, so look forward to seeing that!</div>
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3) Next semester, I begin my major, which if you don't know by now, is medicine! I want to do a whole post on why I decided to apply for medicine, and why I came to China, so look forward to that too!</div>
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Now we can get into this post: my self-care routine. Saying I've just gone through one of the most challenging years of my life is an understatement: I have no words to describe how tough it's been since September, which is why I devised a routine to help me get through it all. I hope you enjoy this post!<br />
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<b>CLEAN UP AND DO LAUNDRY</b></div>
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The very first thing I do is begin tidying up around the room. I have a roommate, which in China means sharing an actual room with someone, not just a flat, so we split cleaning evenly. Other than the areas we both share, I also clean up my personal areas, like my desk, bed and wardrobe. </div>
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I fold up clothes, put my desk in order and change my beddings to give a fresh new vibe. I also take this time to do laundry and hang the wet clothes out on the balcony (tumble dryers aren't really common over here, especially in university dorms, but since it's summer and incredibly hot, all my clothes will be dry the next day!) Cleaning is something so therapeutic to me, and it's just the act of doing it that already makes me start feeling much calmer.</div>
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<b>SHOWER AND SKINCARE</b></div>
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The next thing I do is my skincare routine, then take a really hot shower. I like to wash my face out of the shower because the water in there is way too hot to be good for your face, and I love to listen to music while I do it. I promise I will have a post up soon with all my favourite products, so look forward to that!</div>
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My full skincare routine currently goes like this: cleanse, exfoliate, clay mask, toner, sheet mask, serum, moisturiser.</div>
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After my clay mask but before the toner, I hop in the shower and use my niacinamide body scrub. I ordered it online and I use it 3 to 4 times a week, ever since I got a ton of mosquito bites that have left some gnarly scars, but I haven't used it long enough to see any serious effects. It does leave my skin super soft though and has a lovely smell so I'll continue using it!</div>
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When I hop out of the shower, I continue with the rest of my skincare routine.</div>
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<b>TEA AND NAILS</b></div>
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Doing my nails, especially when they're chipped and looking a bit worse for wear, makes me feel so much better! I don't know what it is but I always make sure to do this if I'm feeling stressed and it improves my mood greatly. While I'm doing this I either have a cup of milk tea or black tea nearby and I'm sipping on that, listening to a podcast or some music and doing my nails. Sounds absolutely perfect if you ask me!<br />
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I get all my nail polishes from Miniso because I decided to leave all the ones from the UK back home so I could try new colours out here, and so far I've loved all the ones I've bought.<br />
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<b>WATCH SOMETHING INSPIRING OR MOTIVATING</b></div>
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Once my nails are dry and looking pretty, I like to head to my bed and bring out my tablet to watch some YouTube videos. I love the channel <a href="https://m.youtube.com/user/jubileeProject" target="_blank">Jubilee</a> for their thought provoking videos about differences amongst different groups of society (definitely one to check out!) I also love my usual YouTubers like <a href="https://m.youtube.com/user/Lavendaire" target="_blank">Lavendaire</a> for when I need that dose of inspiration.</div>
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I'll typically spend an hour watching these videos, which sounds like an awfully long time but honestly if I need to fully chill out and enjoy myself that day, I don't look at the time and stress myself out even more. I watch for as long as I need to, especially the week our exams were wrapping up I definitely needed this time in the evening to just be a potato and do something chill.</div>
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<b>VISIT MY FRIENDS</b></div>
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Depending on how the evening progresses, I may feel like popping into my friend's rooms and hanging out here for a while too. One of the best things about living in uni accommodation is that everyone from class lives a few doors down, and if you need anything you can just knock on their door. I've got classmates on every floor of the building and some even live right next door so it's great to go visit someone or have them come see me when we're stressed out and needing to vent.</div>
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We always visit each other with the intention of only staying for a couple of hours max, but the thing about being around people that make you happy is hours and hours will go by and before you know it, it's already 1am and you're still having fun!</div>
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<b>CALL PEOPLE BACK HOME</b></div>
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As much as I love everyone I've met here, I also love talking to everyone back home. I think it's important to not forget about your friends from back home once you go to uni, especially if you're studying abroad like me, you should make extra effort to keep in touch with everyone.</div>
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Taking to people back home makes me feel so much more at ease and it's nice to tell everyone how uni is going. If anyone can't catch me because of the insane time difference, waking up to messages is also a lovely thing to look forward to.</div>
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By the end of the evening (or late late night) I'm tired out and ready for bed! This routine kept me sane during exam season and even now that our exams are over, it's nice to do a few times a week because self care should be a habitual thing, not something you go to when things aren't going so great.</div>
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If there are any types of blog posts you'd like to see, definitely leave them in the comments below and I'll be sure to make if happen! Now that it's the summer break I've got time to spend on my blog, which is something I've looked forward to for a long long time.</div>
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I hope you enjoyed this post, and I'll see you all in the next one!<br />
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EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706608432732515847.post-62520589328253278322019-03-22T12:00:00.000+00:002019-03-22T12:00:06.261+00:00How I'm Learning Chinese<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I've been studying Chinese for 7 months now and it's been an amazing journey so far! I've gone from knowing basic words like 你好 (nǐhǎo), which just means hello, to making long sentences with correct grammar. My situation is different now because I'm in class 5 days a week, compared to when I was learning Korean by myself at home.</div>
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Back then, I studied languages because I liked it, but now I'm studying it because this summer I have my final exams, then I can start my major! With that in mind, the way I'm studying Chinese isn't necessarily the same as others studying a language but some things are the same anyway!</div>
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This semester, class is early in the morning, and on Tuesdays it's in the afternoon. We learn around 30 new words each lesson, how to write them, their meanings and how to use the word correctly. </div>
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This semester I'm taking Spoken Chinese, Comprehensive Chinese, and Chinese Listening, and it's around 30 words per lesson. Once a week we have dictations, where the teacher will call out the word, we write it down and hand the whole test in for marking. We also get given homework everyday and it's a pain to finish when I wanna go out and do other things hehe.</div>
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Homework is usually to answer questions from our textbooks, write paragraphs using the grammar we learned, or to write the Hanzi (Chinese character) out stroke by stroke.</div>
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When I'm done with my homework, I then start studying previous lessons Hanzi and go over them at least four times, and I do this everyday. </div>
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To practise my reading, I read and re-read texts in the textbook, song lyrics, and subtitles on Chinese vloggers YouTube videos or in shows or films. To get better at listening I listen to songs (which is my favorite way to practise!), and I also use audio files sent in our class group chat. For speaking, living in China is practise enough!<br />
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Sometimes if there's something my teacher said that I just can't understand, or the textbook doesn't help either, I turn to YouTube channels to help me out! This has been happening more frequently this semester because the classes are more in-depth, but after one video I can get the hang of how to use that word or that grammar just fine! Let me know if you're curious about which channels I love on YouTube!</div>
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Everyday, I also head to a study group with my friends. We've kept it relatively small, and we spend a couple of hours going over HSK material. HSK is the Chinese proficiency exam we have to take at the end of this semester, and it's super important we pass because only then can we begin studying our majors! It's a nationwide exam that all foreign students take in China to test their level of Chinese. Since we really can't afford to fail this exam, we've taken it upon ourselves to study all the HSK content we can before our exam in June.</div>
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Other than that, I also chat to my Chinese friends using only Chinese. I've got a friend from back home in England who I chat to everyday and she helps me correct grammar or make my sentences sound more natural, and I'm so grateful for her! Regular conversations we'd be having in English just this time last year are now in Chinese, which I think is pretty cool.</div>
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People tend think learning Chinese is impossible, or any Asian language for that matter, but it's not true! I think if you have the passion for it, you can learn any language in the world; you just have to push yourself to do well. </div>
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I was definitely afraid in my first class but now I get excited to head to class and learn even more because I have a genuine interest in it!</div>
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I hope you enjoyed this post, and I'll see you in the next one!</div>
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<b>Related Post:</b> <a href="https://elliekblog.blogspot.com/2018/01/15-tips-for-learning-new-language.html" target="_blank">15 Tips For Learning A New Language</a><br />
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EllieKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254077140285590695noreply@blogger.com