My "Sort of" Bucket List

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't been blogging much lately. I've been really busy over the last couple of weeks, especially with the TO Food Fest happening last Sunday. For those of you who haven't heard of it, it's a 1-day event that brings together top foodie-reviewed restaurants and local hidden gems in the Scarborough/Markham area. My friend's photos of this year's event can be found here in case any of you are interested (thanks Phoebe!), and definitely come out next year! =)

Anyway, I was looking through another friend's photos of her exchange in Korea. She's been there for almost a year now and I'm not sure exactly how much longer she'll be there for, but it got me thinking about what sorts of things I want to do, especially now that I've graduated. I really want to put my time to better use and not waste it all away with TV shows, movies, games, etc. I've already taken my first steps by volunteering to help out with the TO Food Fest, creating this blog, and reading leisurely again, but I want to do more. So I figured I'd sit down and write a list of things I want to do over the next while.

My "Sort of" Bucket List

1. Go skydiving
2. Go scuba diving
3. Go bungee jumping
4. Go snorkeling
5. Work/study overseas
6. Teach English overseas
7. Open my own restaurant/café
8. Travel to Asia (Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore)
9. Travel to Europe (Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Barcelona, Athens, Venice, Norway, Switzerland)
10. Make a wish at the Trevi fountain in Rome
11. Fall in love with someone who loves me back
12. Go on a cruise
13. Go on a Disney cruise
14. Go to Disney World and all Disneylands (Hong Kong, California, Paris, Tokyo)
15. Stay in a Disney resort and have breakfast with Goofy
16. Attend a live concert
17. Attend a Korean pop concert (SNSD, Big Bang, Super Junior, TVXQ, Infinite)
18. Attend a Japanese concert (Supercell)
19. Meet Bubzbeauty
20. Visit Western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba)
21. Visit Eastern Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec)
22. Own a dog
23. Eat from a food truck
24. Kiss under the Eiffel Tower
25. Snowboard in Japan
26. Visit the Great Wall of China
27. Run a marathon
28. Ride a motorcycle
29. Go to Oktoberfest in Bavaria, Germany
30. See the Mona Lisa
31. Attend Loy Krathong, the sky lantern festival in Thailand
32. Knit a scarf
33. Take a Japanese language course
34. Take a Korean language course
35. Be at Time’s Square for on New Year’s Eve
36. Dance with my dad at my wedding
37. Catch the bouquet at a wedding
38. Ride a camel in the Sahara desert
39. Watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
40. Go into an airport and buy tickets for a random flight
41. Learn to ride a horse
42. Be in a commercial/TV show
43. Meet a TVB celebrity
44. Plant a tree
45. Donate blood
46. Donate my hair
47. Start a blog or build a website
48. Go to a sporting grand final
49. Climb Mount Everest Base Camp
50. Visit the country of your dreams and live like a local for one month
51. Go whale watching
52. Change someone’s life
53. Kiss on the beach at sunset
54. Let my hair get really long
55. Build an igloo
56. Build a blanket fort with someone I love
57. Throw someone a surprise party
58. Walk through Central Park
59. Be able to walk well in heels
60. Harry Potter marathon
61. Lord of the Rings marathon
62. Dance in the rain
63. Breathe in helium
64. Solve a Rubik's cube
65. Be Maid of Honour at a wedding
66. Have a marriage more beautiful than my wedding
67. Get in a taxi and yell “Follow that car!"
68. Try chicken feet
69. Try stinky tofu
70. Be in a mosh pit
71. Attend a Billy Talent concert
72. Kiss underwater
73. Attend a musical on Broadway
74. See Wicked the musical
75. Find a job I love
76. Go star gazing
77. Kiss on top of a ferris wheel
78. Meet Harry Potter cast!
79. Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
80. Get my G licence
81. Go to prom
82. Go on a hot air balloon
83. Watch a meteor shower
84. Ride in a limo
85. Make macarons
86. Eat macarons in Paris
87. See cherry blossoms in Japan
88. Attend an anime convention
89. Eat sushi in Japan
90. Eat bulgogi in Korea
91. Visit Mt. Fuji
92. Visit Kura Sushi
93. Learn HTML

I realize some of the items on this list seem really lame (i.e. the taxi one) but it's all for fun =). Have you thought of your bucket list?

BOOKS: A Long Way Gone & The Help

Woohoo it's Wednesday! *throws confetti*. I have this terrible habit of going into weekend-mode the moment Wednesday is over, but it definitely makes me enjoy the week more =).

Anyway, ever since I started work, I've finally had the time to get to my huge stack of books and catch up on leisure reading. I just never had the chance to read them because.. well, face it, who wants to read when they have all those textbooks during university? So I'm going to share with you guys some books from my must-read list! Hopefully you guys will check them out because I really enjoyed these books and would read them again in a heartbeat.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

Summary: A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier is a memoir written by Ishmael Beah. Published in 2007, this book provides a firsthand account of the decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone and the ongoing plight of child soldiers in conflicts worldwide.

My opinion: I loved this book because it really opened my eyes to the harsh realities of child soldiers and those living in war-torn countries. To be honest, I read this book a while ago and don't remember the details but I know that I was extremely moved by the story of Ishmael's childhood. His writing is simple yet powerful and he is truly a natural storyteller. I definitely recommend this book everyone.


The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Summary: The Help, a first novel from Kathryn Stockett, is the story of a young white woman in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s and a group of black maids who work for the families of her friends. Stockett writes about the struggles the women face as they chafe against the written and unwritten rules that limit their lives.

My opinion: I absolutely loved this book. It's the perfect book to read when you just want to clear your mind and get away from everything. It’s well-written, witty, engaging, and you can't put it down once you've started. There were so many moments where I found myself cheering on for the characters in the story and feeling sad or angry whenever something went wrong. For those of you who are movie lovers, I'm sure you have heard of the 2011 film, The Help, which is based on this novel and features Emma Stone. I have yet to watch the movie but I heard that it follows the book very closely. I cannot wait to watch it!

Anyway, that is it for now. Sometimes I'm grateful for my daily commute to work because it's a great time to catch up on reading =). If you guys have read these books or have any others that you would recommend, please share!

Cheers~
Victoria