Dreams are real

[helloimmika]

For one of those nights

Curated for one of those relaxing evenings. Take some time to relax, chill, and vibe on. 

- Tom Martin - Hindsight 

- Martin Sky - Layers

- Pierce Fulton - Overthinking

- Rufus Du Sol - Innerbloom (What So Not Remix)

- Garden City Movement - Move On (Teen Daze Remix)

[helloimmika]

Music to get you high (uplifting)

Hi tumblr. It’s been a really weird year for me. Weird because it’s been such an emotional rollercoaster tbh. 

For this post, I would like to share some music that really got (getting) me through this year. Take a listen, and hope these songs make your day better! :) 

- Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes

- Shawn Wasabi - Mango Love

- Phum Viphurit & Higher Brothers - Lover Boy 88

- The Ransom Collective - Open Road

- Manila Killa - Run Away 

- Mansionair - Astronaut (Something about your love)

- Jason Zhang - 张杰《一路之下 Super Life》(M: Chinese EDM? Crazy, right?!!)

I also recommend Chelsea Cutler’s Sleeping with Roses and Sleeping with Roses II albums which she both dropped this year. I’m not sure if she’s classified as uplifting music, but every track on there is AMAZING. 

[helloimmika]

Didn't think being sick had any benefits, but it's been a good distraction from reality these days. zZzzZz

[helloimmika]

Had a nice chat with a work connection turned friend over drinks tonight. I really appreciate hearing different perspectives from others who provide a meaningful analysis to my situation/ current well being. It's nice to know there's people out there who care enough to take the time to listen to my explanations, and give me real advice. Thank you for not judging me. Thank you so so much.

[helloimmika]

Goodbye January 2018

Today marks the last day of the first month of the new year. Truthfully it’s been a crazy, hectic, and emotion-full month. On January 11th, I started a new spotify playlist and to date, I’ve found and added 87 [good] songs! I would like to share some of my favourites with you :) 

Chace & Yellow Claw - Stranger

Chelsea Cutler - Scripts (Note: her entire Snow in October EP album is gold)

Gryffin - Nobody compares to you

Manila Killa - Everyday, Everyday (ft. Nevve)

Robotaki - Together we’re screwed (ft. Nevve) 

Bonus - Other current faves 

- 3LAU - Walk Away (ft. Luna Aura)

- Kris Wu - Deserve (ft. Travis Scott)

- Louis the Child - Last to Leave (ft. Caroline Ailin)

- Quinn XCII, Chelsea Cutler - Flare Guns

[helloimmika]

Laichastory now on Instagram!

Complete fail on my attempt to blog more in 2017. Tomorrow is officially the first day of March and I barely published any content so far. 

I did however create a new public instagram account which I would like to share with you: www.instagram.com/laichastory. Please do follow if you like to see my travel adventures! I am and will be more active on my Instagram account. 

I’ll be posting photos from my recent trip to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and will be slowly uploading photos from my Taiwan trip back in December, and sharing my life in Hong Kong. So stay tuned! :) 

[helloimmika]

Always chasing the feeling of happiness, but what makes us really happy? Do you really know? Is being complacent the definition of happiness?

[helloimmika]

O hi there January 2017

I can’t believe it’s January...2017 already! Happy New Year everyone!

I have a lot to blog about including my reflection of 2016 and my upcoming new year’s resolutions. There was a lot going on in December (including a lot of surprises) so I haven’t been able to blog much! In one month alone, I explored 2 new islands in Hong Kong, hiked a couple of trails, went biking, went to a carnival, and visited 2 countries (Taiwan & Philippines) so it’s been quite busy! 

I expect work to pick up at the end of this month so I hope to blog before then. 

[helloimmika]

Where is home?

[helloimmika]

Good Vibes Only

Hey guys, I’m currently at the airport waiting for my flight to board (with a slight regret of sleeping so little earlier today). But before I leave, I thought I would share a few songs I found recently!

Bruno Mars - That's What I Like

filous - Let It Snow 

Petit Biscuit - Sunset Lover

Dennis Kruissen - Falling in Love (ft. Langston)

[helloimmika]

Grateful for having someone I miss.

It makes your time together That much more special and meaningful. It makes the heart grow fonder by allowing you realize that it is possible to miss someone That much. It makes you appreciate all the little efforts in the relationship. It teaches you to be patient, and rewards you in doing so.

Thank you for helping me grow.

Missing You.

// On a side note, apologies for the lack of posts in the last month! It's been a super eventful (in a good way) December. I'll be flying out in 5ish hours but maybe I can find time to write at the airport.

[helloimmika]

Music

If there is one “thing” I’m addicted to in this world, it’s probably listening to music. I am one of those people that has it playing all the time. I’ve been fortunate enough to have two of my dear friends share their spotify premium accounts with me (Thank you guys!!) and I definitely use their accounts more than they do! 

My first introduction to music was probably when I was 6 years old, when I received my very first cassette player.  I remember my dad handing me the portable cassette player with ABBA’s greatest hits, and I just completely fell in love with the songs! Apparently my dad is also a big disco fan, so he wanted to share his love for music with me. I think that moment really marked the beginning of my appreciation for music and talented artists. 

Another reason why I love music so much is probably how relatable the songs were. Just like everyone else, I had some pretty down moments growing up and I always found music comforting. I could always find a song which really helped me get through the tough times. Music feels like a friend who tells you you’re not alone, and that someone out there is going through the same thing as you. With that said, I think there’s always a song or ‘playlist’ for each period of my life. When I listen to old songs, it brings back old memories, and moments that are now long gone.  

[helloimmika]

What makes you feel alive?

[helloimmika]

A year older

The busiest time of the month at work has finally passed (hooray). This means I finally have some time to re-energize and catch up on work! 

I had my birthday last week, which was the first time I spent my birthday “abroad”. I celebrated my birthday by having a nice dinner with a few friends the evening before, and hiking in Sai Kung on my actual birthday. As I turn a year older, I can't help but look at how much I've grown, and how much I’ve remained the same. 

[helloimmika]

"Well you either quit or get stronger"

Maybe one day I’ll figure out how to jump over this hurdle, rather than go around it.

[helloimmika]

What are your plans?

When did you arrive in Hong Kong? How long are you planning to stay here? What are you doing after? These are probably the top 3 questions I get when new people find out I'm an expat. The last 2 questions are probably the most difficult to answer because of life's unpredictable nature. Looking back, I never thought I would be moving to HK right after finishing my degree (literally because I even had to skip convocation). There's just so many things that are constantly changing that it's difficult to have a concrete plan of the future. It's good to have a broad sense of direction and an idea of where you're heading, but planning everything in specific detail is just impossible. Sometimes I find myself being so extra impatient for the future. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not looking forward to aging, but I just want to know if my current actions will lead me to the "right path". I'm the type of person who creates multiple mitigation plans in case Plan A doesn't work out (which it doesn't always). But I think it's gotten to the point where I stress over things I shouldn't be stressing out.

[helloimmika]

Tuesday Tunes

As some of you may know, I’m a HUGE Martin Garrix fan. A few weeks ago, he released 7 songs in 7 days! Being the HUGE fan I am, I’ve heard snippets of his songs pre-official release dates either from his snapchats, his edm concerts on youtube, or live (YEAH, I saw him live in September - I’ll have a separate post about this later!). 

Below are my top 3 favourite songs that he released during these 7 days and my favourite lyrics from them. 

Martin Garrix - Sun Is Never Going Down (feat. Dawn Golden) 

Lyrics: Cause I know the sun is never going down. Nothing's gonna slow us down. I don't wanna fall asleep. Baby stay awake with me. 

Martin Garrix - Hold On & Believe (feat. The Federal Empire) 

Lyrics: I was lonely, but after all you told me I'd be okay. Cause friends are worth a whole lot more than money. Hope that everyone has felt like me. Hold on and believe. 

Martin Garrix & Matisse & Sadko - Together

Lyrics:  Some of us give up Some dream of the stars . . .  Though we might not know where we're going, I promise we'll never be apart. Just pick me up and never let me go. We don't need much as long as we're together.