Uni Days: 27th Nov

This Site will no longer be updated with new reviews however, for similar stuff please check out: https://foodieandthehipsterblog.wordpress.com 

27th November 2013 ~ Lost and Lonely  (Photos will be up tomorrow afternoon UK time) 

Have been putting off this blog for a while as I have found that Uni life is completely different from those cheesy books and movies I have read. Sure it has its ups and downs and for me this experience has seriously changed the way I see things... it depends on how you view it.

These past few weeks have been fairly hectic with all my assignments coming up I was wondering if I would survive it all. Alas I have. One thing I learnt in Uni is that time passes by really quite quickly! You don't really have time to reflect. I have found that planning my days (yes it seems a bit compulsive) has helped quite a lot. I have a list of things to do before I fly back to HK for Christmas! I am ecstatic! I thought instead of writing about EVERYTHING I will just list it below so I don't bore you guys.

1. Friends: When I got here man it was difficult to make friends, common friends sure they were easy but they are nothing like the ones you had in secondary school. I really missed my friends and if you have noisy and party fanatics living in your dorm I felt left out. I must admit I was nervous just leaving my room and seeing them. Don't know why... I'm usually more sociable. I made some friends and I found out that they weren't as nice as I thought... I would advise you not to become best friends with someone who you met only a month into uni... they change. But it is up to you.

2. Assigments: I had my first assignment 2 weeks ago and I wasn't too worried about it actually. With my prior knowledge from IB I felt the work was very similar to what I have done so a thumbs up for the 2 years of IB :) I planned it fairly well and handed it in on time however, I had no idea you had to fill in a form in order to give it in! Make sure you know how to spell your Module Convenors name!! (Mine was from the Netherlands!).

3. Home sickness: Just an update on my current well being haha! I had a few bursts of homesickness during the 3 months I have been here and they were tough but I started a countdown til HK and that cheered me up. I also wrote some Chinese characters for strength and hong Kong on my wrist for a little umph!

4. Going places:  I walked around my area and went somewhere far away! My friend and I went to Bluewater last week it was incredible! Huge! There were so many stores and my legs actually hurt from walking around the mall! I also had frozen yogurt so that was good :) Salted Caramel! Will attach a photo soon!

Tips: 

1. Plan your meals! This is not because of a diet but when you have so much to do the last thing you want to do when you get back is cook and you will end up popping something unhealthy in the microwave! It is called freshman 15 right?

2. Finish your assigments early - this is a huge benefit! If you finish early you won't have to rush last minute and fight for the printer! Also most of the assigments pile up before the xmas holidays so if you have a few done before then you have nothing to worry about! BONUS!

3. Take a chance to explore the area: you are going to live there for the next few years of your life right?

4. Make some friends - It's a well known fact that making friends has loads of benefits! Of course it is safer to walk in a group at night than alone. They can help with homesickness! All those movies with the girls watching movies all night and popping popcorn, that can come true too (if you are interested in that kind of stuff).

5. Volunteer- You can get certificates for volunteering and you can gain experience for your future jobs. In addition to this you can make some new friends and learn some valuable things that you can never find anywhere.

6. Christmas Fayres! - When I first came here I thought it was called a "fair" rather than "fayre" but anyway I digress. Since christmas is right around the corner, search up your nearest christmas fayre and get your but there! There are so many around and you can pick up last minute decorations, go on rides, watch the circus and have a great time! Your uni may even run a free bus there an back just for students (check with your uni!). The biggest fair I must say is "winter wonderland" in London. Just incredible! I will be going there just before I leave so check back at my blog for what I did, what I bought and some pretty pictures :)

xHong Kong Girl

Uni Food: Recipe #2 (Roast chicken and broccoli rice)

Uni Food: Roast Chicken and Broccoli Rice

This recipe is probably the first thing I actually cooked in my dorm room kitchen. This recipe is a lot harder than the pan pizza. It tastes delicious however you might want to check if your oven is strong enough/hot enough to cook the chicken as I found that ours was a little undercooked on the inside. This recipe can make 4 servings! So you can share them with a flatmate or friend :) I made this recipe with a friend and we managed to have some leftovers for the next day. Keep in mind that this recipe takes quite a while this is good for the weekends, if you want a hearty meal!

Recipe: 
1 whole chicken
Chicken seaoning: ginger
                              garlic
                             pepper & salt
                            mixed herbs
                            olive oil
Roasting pot
2 cups of rice (there will be left overs)
water
chicken stock (1 cube)
1x Broccolli

Method:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees.
2. For the Chicken: wash your chicken under the tap making sure the insides are clean
3. Remove the chicken feet using a knife. Only the Feet!
4. Make a marinade for the roast chicken using garlic, ginger, pepper, salt, herbs and olive oil. Rub this on the chicken and leave the chicken out for 5 mins while you cut up your broccoli.
5. For the Broccoli: Cut up your broccoli and place into a pan with oil. Cook until the broccoli is a little soft. Add a little bit of chicken stock into the broccoli and cook until the broccoli is soft.
6. Place the chicken in the oven and cook until the meat on the inner thighs are cooked. Poke your fork into the meat. If blood is coming out instead of a clear liquid put back into the oven or if the meat is still pink.
7. For the Rice: Rinse the rice and place into the rice-cooker/pot. Add water about 1 cup of water or more. Cook the rice in a rice-cooker or a pot until rice have fully absorbed the water.
6. Place the broccoli into the rice and stir.
7. When the chicken is done take it out and slice the meat off the bones removing the wings and the thighs first.
8. Serve with rice and store in a box (leftovers) if you are serving only 2 people.

x Hong Kong Girl

Uni Food: Recipe #1 ( Pan-cooked Pizza)

Pan-cooked Pizza 

Ok this might sound strange as it is a well known fact that pizza is baked in an oven. However, the oven in the kitchen refused to work when I made it and with the dough I made I had to adapt.

Tastes just like a regular pizza except crispier!

The Dough: 
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
1tbsp oil
3/4 water

Method: 
1. Mix Dry ingredients in a bag/bowl.
2. add water and oil. If the dough is too stiff add more water.
3. Kneed for 3 minutes.
4. Put flour onto counter and Roll into a circle.
5. place in a hot pan (medium heat) with just a little bit of oil.
6. put the rolled pizza dough into it. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminium foil. Cook until the bottom and top is crispy (around 4-6 mins).Take out or it might burn!
7. Add your toppings and place into the pan again to heat/until cheese has melted (around 5-10 mins).

x Hong Kong Girl

13th October 2013- Walking down the Uni Life road...

13th October 2013- Walking down the Uni Life road...

Been debating what to write for the past few weeks... and haven't felt like writing in a while which is uncharacteristic of me. I always love to write whether it is fantasising about a future book I would like to write or writing in my diary. Yes you must be rolling your eyes by now after hearing that I love writing yet I haven't written in about a month -_-. Not proving my point haha! But for those of you who are reading this blog let me tell you about what I have been up to :) 

First day of "Introduction lectures" was nerve wracking was wracking my brains trying to find the names of buildings and following the long line of students going to class. For me it is as 20 min walk to get to the University even though they say that my accommodation is "on campus"... ok I digress. I was late to class so I panicked and practically ran to class. Ok I admit I might have misjudged the time it took to get to the University but whatever. The class was quiet and everyone made friends really easily. Not me I wanted to sit alone. I must admit the first few weeks at uni I felt horrible. I thought about going home every second I wasn't busy. My flatmates were friendly however I somehow felt that I connected with no one here. It was truly a big culture shock when I went to the supermarkets, you have to bag your own stuff, I got yelled at a couple times because I didn't know how to work their self check out machines! Yes I said it "self checkout!" Ok Taikoo has them but it is rare in HK that you have self checkout. Everyone here is so independent! 

Checked out the area but mainly stayed in my room the rest of the week avoiding anyone and everyone. However, I tried to warm up to people and attended a gathering with my flatmates. However, they all drank ALOT! However they were welcoming and we played the ring of fire with me and another flat mate drinking lemonade instead of beer or wine or vodka. The game was fun but I felt that this was out of my element and I felt left out. 

                                                          (Bluewater Shopping mall!!) 

Going to class was the only thing I looked forward to doing. I really wanted to just make myself busy... Oh god this is getting depressing... haha! Anyways this reminds me of Bella in New moon (Twilight series) god the book was painful. Hope this isn't too painful! Fast forwarding it I have made some friends and regularly skype or video chat home to keep me in the loop (and keep me sane). It really helped with my homesickness so a big thumbs up to video chatting! 

OH and the great thing about the UK.... wait for it.... chocolate! The chocolate selection is amazing! Rows upon rows of chocolate! I have even bought stuff to bring back home for the holiday season! 

x Hong Kong girl 

p.s. I will be posing a Quick recipes for university soon! And DIY pencil jars and an update soon on my part time job! Stay tuned! 

20th September to the 23rd 2013 :

20th September to the 23rd 2013 : The First day in the new world.

Ok. Yet again it has been a while since I have written anything. I must admit that I haven't had a personal drive to post anything. I have successfully landed in the UK and it has been a busy week at Uni.

Coming off the flight I was exhausted. The maximum I slept on the flight was probably 2 hours out of a total 12 hour flight. The seating was ok wasn't the best as I was on the aisle people were constantly asking me to move so they could go to the bathroom. It was irritating but what can I say. The food was surprisingly good. 40 minutes into the flight they gave you dinner, I had mashed potatoes, veggies and pork. It came with bread an ice-cream! Yum!
The food was a plus because it gave me something to look forward to in comparison to the woman on my left who was practically sleeping on my shoulder.  Cathay Pacific had quite the range of movies but I found that the touch screen was harder to use that I had expected and I must have annoyed the person in front. In total I watched 2 movies: Epic and Monsters University.
When arriving I thought ok I can do this but my suitcase weighed 35kg. Ridiculous I know but there really wasn't a lot in there ;p. Got onto the buses which was a hassle as one of the bus drivers refused to help me with my suitcase. So me, and 18 year old had to haul my 35 kg suitcase onto the bus. I was really annoyed.
Getting to the university took me about 3 hours by bus. And I managed to get there at 3 (UK time). It was a smooth process to my room except the 2 flights of stairs I had to drag my suitcase up. But luckily there was an elevator at the top of the stairs. Why? Don't even ask.

First thing I did when I got to my room was let things settle. My brain my heart and just sat on what was going to be my bed. I would be lying if I said that I didn't cry. Pathetic I know! But what can I say I'm a HK girl :)

After settling in my rooms now finally seems familiar. Still miss Hong Kong though. Even now the culture shock is pretty impactful, I have no idea how things work and the people here are very independent. At convenience stores like tescos and sainsburys they do not pack your plastic bags for you and you can self check out as well ?? What is this sorcery? haha!

Will post another post on things I have done at the uni and how to get settled in your room!

September 15th 2013~3 days left

Sunday Sep 15th 2013 ~ 3 days left!

Hand luggage

So I have been very organised and have written almost every day! Yippee for me! Anyways today's post will be about my hand luggage and ideas on what to bring! Also there will be a part on what to bring in your makeup bag. Since my flight is over 12 hours long.... soooo long. I will bring some travel sized cleansers and what not. Oh and I realised that my post from yesterday was wrong! You can bring any liquids under 100ml and no sharp objects!

A hand luggage can vary from person to person, for me it is a backpack but I heard from a couple of friends that they are bringing a duffle bag or a mini suitcase. It is really up to you! But I like using a back pack as it is stuck to me! I am well known for losing anything that isn't stuck to me so... Anyways here is what I plan to put in it:

Hope this helps!

Saturday Sep 14 2013 ~ 4 days left

Saturday Sep 14 2013 ~ 4 days

We are bubbling down to the last few days. This can be something super exciting for some while others not so much because of packing or the reluctance to leave HK. All in all there is no going back! Just tread the university experience as a mini holiday! Thats how I am taking it, for me school terms usually go by really quickly for me so in no time I will be back in HK to celebrate Christmas! Have a lot of Christmas blog posting ideas so stay in tune!

Today's post will be about Electronics e.g laptops, Microsoft Office, USBs, DVD drives etc. Here is what I am going to do: I recently bought a new laptop from Apple it is a Macbook Pro with retina display. Fancy right? When I got this I was super pleased because it was super light unlike my old Macbook notebook from 2009 which weighed a tonne! It had beautiful HD screen however it lacked a CD and DVD drive which you had to buy separately -_- and only had 2 USB ports. So before I leave I had to buy a USB to ethernet cable ($78), a CD and DVD drive ($550), a USB port that branched out into 4 other USB ports ($100-200). So the total was pretty high... Not going to be buying anything new for a while haha!
For my phone I got sent a Sim card through the mail by UCAS which was a top up one that I can use in the UK! It is pretty good as I don't have to go through the hassle of finding one myself. But if you want to make a call from the UK when you arrive to HK you can use your hk sim card if you have IDD which is explained in my old post (so check it out here). If you don't have one I'm sure you can get on in the airport :)
When you go to university some people get the Microsoft office for mac. You can do with or without it because on a mac they already have pages and keynote but it is traditional for a university to use Office so I would recommend buying it! You can find these in any apple store or in the Computer centre in Wanchai.

(All found on Apple US website) 

Insurance                                                         

(logo from endsleigh website) 

A lot of my friends have asked about whether you should get insurance for your electronic devices, musical instruments, bikes and more. Below I have found on company that works with international students to ensure insurance for thier devices and will issue a replacement if they are stolen. The company is called endsleigh.
Facts about them:

•  UK's No.1 student insurance specialist according to them.
• 24hour replacement service 
• You can create your own package and do it online. 
• "we'll replace your laptop or phone with the latest compatible model"
• "Cover includes theft, accidental damage and loss. 

Sounds pretty good to me. Here is the website www.endsleigh.co.uk/UCAS or call: 03303030284/ 01282672108.

The Final Countdown... Read my thoughts

Continue reading on my "Road to Uni" page...

September 13th 2013 ~ 5 days

                                                    (www.timeanddate.com/countdown)
                       
Ok so the real urgency comes now. I may have skipped some days in my countdown however I think it is essential that the last few days are the most informative and for those who like makeup I will do a section on travel makeup.

On this post it will be strictly information based on what you should pack into your hand luggage. Baggage load etc. However, on my "My Road to Uni" page I will upload some of my thoughts ever since the countdown calendar became single digits as I think that page is getting a little bit bland. I assure you that right now my blog is pretty empty (of pictures) but when I get there I will take loads of pictures of my journey and my room etc.

Down to business, by now you should have begun to pack your luggage and bought some winter clothes if you don't have enough. Those vacuum bags that I recommended buy the small sized ones. I tried to use them last night an well they were huge! So if you have large now you could go back to the store and get it exchanged or if its past 7 days you have 2 options: One to continue using it folding it to fit your suitcase. Two to save it for when you are moving house! They are exceptionally good at saving space! In my suitcase I actually also have a few hk cooking sauces that I love like lemon sauce, hoi sin sauce mmmmm!!!! This is highly optional but make sure you buy a roll of bubble wrap to wrap anything breakable.

Depending on your flight you are given a maximum baggage load. For some it will be 25kg while others get 35kg. You probably disregarded this as it doesn't seem to important but you need to Now! You pack to much you will have to take stuff out in the airport! So get a bathroom scale and weigh it la!

Hand Luggage!
On the day I love to bring a hand luggage in my case a backpack. I put in my little makeup bag with lip balm, hand lotion. make sure that your liquids i.e your hand lotion is under 10ml. They will take it away if it is over that! Also don't bring your nail clippers, nail scissors etc. (any sharp objects) will also be taken away! I know it seems like a thing where you say "duh" but I have done it plenty of times!
I am putting my Laptop into my backpack as it gives me more space to bring stuff in my luggage.

6th September 2013

6th September 2013~ 12 days left

Quote: 
Came across a though provoking quote it relates to my future and made me consider what IS it I want to be and would like to do without having to think of everything else (a dream with no strings attached).

Climate: Wrapping up & Home sickness

Before you get there make sure to check the weather. Where I am going it is currently 12-14 degrees compared to HK's 24 degrees. So make sure you buy some winter clothing before you get there, can't afford to get sick! You can get autumn clothing in both Sogo, M&S, H&M, Cotton On etc.

Home sickness... Even though I may be going there for a few months and will be back in HK for christmas I am pretty sure I will be home sick. I'm sure it will be the same for most of the uni students so rest assured that you are not alone. Here are a few tips to beat homesickness or keep it at bay until you arrive home:

1. Photos : It is a yay or nay kind of thing and may not help homesickness but might act as a trigger.
                  However, see it as a way to help you get by, make you smile and keep you going.

2. FOOD: I am a big fan of HK food and most of it you can't find in the UK like Bo lo bao (Pineapple
                 bun) or cup-noodles. Even the little things can be real tear and stomach jerkers. Haha!
                 Solution, if you have room in your already fat suitcase bring some along the small stuff!
 

(Image from Google)

3. Skype/Phone calls: This is also a yay or nay thing but for me it is a BIG yay!

4. Keep yourself busy: Many people think that this is a way to fight it but it is often not the case, it is
                                     only temporary and the problem still remains there

5th September 2013

5th September 2013~ 13 days till flight!

Listing

The best types of lists are the ones that are thorough. I feel handwritten ones are the best however, for those of you who are 21st century kids you may feel that this isn't for you. Below I have added a few websites that can help you:

1. Samsung Apps: If you have a Samsung phone you can try the app "TickTick" it is free and acts as a
                              list maker. You can add stuff to your list as you go.

2. Scribbless: Helps you make lists really quickly that you can send to your own email. Make public,
                      print and if you want to delete something just drag it to the bin. Free as well!

3. Slugbooks.com~ college packing list: Online interactive packing list. This can give you useful ideas
                                                                for what to bring but some of the stuff is for the US only. The
                                                                site is super easy to navigate around you can check their tips
                                                                bar as well or delete stuff off the checklist. You can even get
                                                                this on your iphone!

4. Dormsmart: This site is not interactive and you cant do as much as the slugbooks website but it
                        serves its purpose. It also goes into great details as in bringing in your immunisation

                        records, registering your bicycle, setting up bank account. Slugbooks does not have this.
5. Seventeen: A more general website with lots of pictures for those who enjoy pictures. More
                      appealing to the eye.

If all else fails just search up dorm list on google and you have so many great websites or gather ideas from all 5 of these websites and more and create your own list. If you want me to upload my list I could do that as well just comment below and I will post it :)

3rd of September 2013

3rd of September 2013: 15 days to go!

Medical Preparations + Beauty Review!

I recently checked my University pages on Facebook (their forums) and their official website and found out that you need to get immunized before you arrive. For me this is pretty terrifying as I am not a fan of needles. My University requires an up to date flu shot, MMR and Meningitis C. This may seem odd but rest assured that most universities don't need you to do a full body scan, but you might want to check that one. Remember to bring your medical card to the UK. Keep in mind that after these injections you may have some side effects.

Beauty Review 

Ok so this is going to be a short one a basic summary. The longer more in depth version of this will be on the "Beauty reviews page later this week".

innisfree Capsule recipe Pack Mask~ Green Tea

Location of Purchase: innisfree store near Hysan place Causeway bay 
Price: $15 
Volume: You can use this 3 times 10 mins each time
Claims: moisturizes your skin to leave your skin soft as well as soothing skin muscles when massaging. 
Texture of the mask: Jelly like

Pros:  1.refreshing to put on the face. 
          2.makes your skin supple and smooth after 1 use.
          3.you can use it more than once
          4. Smells sooooo goood! 
Cons: 4.It is a very small packet 
           5.Not as effective when put on really dry skin

Summary: Overall I like it! It does what its suppose to do it make your skin more moist however, if you 
                  are looking for super moist maybe look at another product. 

Overall Score:  8/10

September 1st: 17 days till Flight

September 1st: 17 days till Flight

On A Serious Note~ 

Creating a UK Account: Is it better to open it in HK or when you get there.

OK so this is a very important post as it concerns money which is a big thing if you are going overseas. It is best to get a safe bank or a bank that you or your parents have used before so there is a sense of familiarity and trust. I personally will narrow the options down to the big Banks for example: Hang Seng bank, HSBC, Standard Chartered etc.

                                                             (found on google) 

One Key tip is after hearing from numerous friends who got their UK credit cards/VISA. They said that  if they could choose again they would create an account in the UK because it is easier and quicker. You have to go through numerous amounts of steps before your card is activated in the UK. You will have to wait around 1-3 weeks depends because they have to send it to the UK to be confirmed and... yadda yadda yadda... all internal bank stuff :)

However, the choice is up to you whether you do it over there or HK the card works both ways it just depends on the number of steps and the time it will take to do this. Remember to do this earlier at least 3 weeks before you leave and BOOK EARLY!

My Experience: 
When you want to register for a new account you will be referred to an address in my case Central and you have to book an appointment. The line/waiting list shouldn't be so long however you have to bear in mind that it isn't just you who is planning ahead. Remember you need to be 18 to do this if your birthday is in between September or October your card will be rejected because the time you signed the papers you would have been 17 and will be given a "children's credit card" (this expires the moment you turn 18).
The Process is rather quick. You get there on time. They will ask you what kind of assistance you want. Then comes the paper work, you have to sign a bunch of papers and make sure you read the terms and conditions!! The signature should be one that you will remember as you will have to sign every time you want to use the card (when you use VISA).
Overall the experience was alright but I decided to create a bank account over in the UK because it was easier/faster.

August 30th 2013: 19 days

Transport. Sorted. 

Ok this may not apply to just everyone but to me it was a key factor. The question I kept asking myself was "How do I get from the Airport to the University?". At first I was glad to hear that the school provided the students with coaches but unfortunately this year because everyone was coming at different times they decided not to do this. This annoyed me because I had so much to prepare that this problem would add the the ever growing pile of worries the gathered on my shoulders. Not Pleasant I may add. So I had to browse the options myself.

1. Cab/Taxi/private coach (which you can order and have them pick you up from the airport).
     
        Tips:
              Cons: Unless you are close to the airport I wouldn't recommend hiring the taxi because it
                       is EXPENSIVE for me it was around £200. Which is around $2000HKD! So if you
                       have friends there already or a group of students from your university has organized a
                        trip together... GO!
              Pros: 1.It is a direct
                       2. You dont have to worry about baggage limitations (like on the bus) or how to deal
                            with your oversized suitcase.

2. Airport Bus:
     These buses can be found in each airport. Heathrow, Gatwick etc.
     Here is a list of shuttlebuses from shuttlebuses you can take:
       1. Heathrow shuttle
       2. National Express 
       3. Oxford buses

        Tips:
             Cons:  1.You have baggage limitations such as 2 medium sized luggages 1 hand luggage if you
                         want to know about National Express shuttle.

              Pros: 1.Most of the buses go to around 500 destinations which is really good.
                       2. Most of the Shuttle bus tickets can be bought online in advance.
                       3. All of the Shuttle buses are relatively cheap.

(taken from 

3. Local Buses and transportation
    There are many types of transporation that you can get when you are in london like Hong Kong.

• The Underground
• Trains
• Local Buses

Pros and Cons: These are quite self explanatory. It's just the question of whether you are willing to lug your suitcase on public transport. 

Getting Started: Documents for uni

August 27th 2013: 23 days to go 

Getting Started: Documents for Uni 

This is sort of a no brainers but just felt that it is a good reminder to those who are putting it off like me. After getting accepted into the university you should receive an email telling you steps to take next. If not browse their website because it is almost guaranteed that they will have information for you there. Most of notices (for uni) say you need to: 

1. Send a copy of your passport and a passport sized photograph to the Uni. 

2. Enrollment online

3. Choose your modules 

4. Contact your Uni's Medical centre 

5. GET VACCINATIONS~ This is a key one to read apparently it is almost certain that you will get something called the "Freshers flu". You will be in a different country and you will be meeting loads of new people it isn't really a surprise that there is a high percentage of you getting it so... make sure you get your flu injection or any other injections that the school says! Shocking but yes and for those of you who cringe at the image of a needle *cough* me suck it up! :P 

When arriving make sure to bring your passport and any letters/emails of evidence you study there you know just to be safe :) 

(image through google) 

Staying in Contact

August 26th 2013: 24 days to go

(www.timeanddate.com/countdown)

Staying in Contact

Throughout your trips I'm sure there are people you wish to stay in contact with just to share your experience and keep up to date with what they are doing. Nowadays staying in contact is super easy and relatively cheap if you know what to get.
Also staying in contact nowadays is very important I recently received a letter from the police that there is someone who calls a random phone number and asks "who are you?" as well as private numbers calling that they have your family members hostage and want money. This is no joke! It's not one of those fake ones that you see on your facebook wall telling you to do it or someone is going to die. Staying in contact can minimise the risk of these morons lying to your parents about having you hostage... Anyways getting a bit dramatic and dark I'll continue...

1. Facebook/Twitter ~
2. Skype~ Although it has been around for quite a while it is very good for calling internationally
                  however you have to pay for it but it is cheaper to call through Skype than to call from your
                 phone.
3. Whatsapp ~ Latest app, although it doesn't have a function to video call (I dont think?) it is quick!
                        I heard from friends that whatsapp is no longer free only for those who were early users.            
         
4. IDD ~ Stands for International Direct Dialing.  If you have this in your phone package calling can be
                very easy however bear in mind that the prices are pretty expensive and your parents must
                have IDD to answer your calls. If you don't have IDD you can easily get in your local phone

                plan store e.g. 1010 or One2free etc. 

5. ichat~ fairly popular although not as popular as Skype nowadays... Have no idea why though. You can give free video calls to your parents as long as you have wifi.

6. Email ~ Hotmail, Gmail, yahoo etc.

7. The traditional way: Calling or writing a letter for those who have a soft spot for the traditional.

Wednesday, 28th August 2013 (22 days to go)  

Been super busy these days so I will be posting 3 posts today to make up for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Look forward to 3 posts on: Staying in Contact, Getting started and creating an International Bank Account!  

Also I think there has been a mix up on my countdown so bear with me while I fix it :) \