An experiment of going all-in bus and tram in London
As a person who live in zone 4, I challenged myself to go all-in bus and tram. How was the experience and can I live without railway (aka Underground, Overground and National Rail) in London? I will discuss it in terms of fare, challenges and benefits.
Rethinking library — Why library with local museum is essential?
We are now living in the digital age, but do we no longer need physical books, libraries and bookstores?
While everything can be done in the cyberspace, we still live in the physical space. A library can be evolving into a space which can bring us more meaningful life in response to the changing world!
A visit to Croydon Airport
Croydon has had a very reputation for many people: a dangerous place in London when they heard the news. But in fact Croydon is more than that, especially when there was once an airport: Croydon Airport.
On public toilet technologies
Public toilets are essential for almost everyone when going out. In recent years I can see different types of new technology introduced so as to enhance user experience. Here are the following two I want to talk about.
My second trip to Margate, and the first time to Broadstairs
I visited Margate in August last year for a day trip, and I knew it was a great place that I should revisit. This time I planned to stay overnight so that I could have more time to visit Broadstairs which is nearby as well!
Running habit for more than 5 years
I have been involved in my running habit for more than 5 years, according to the data from Strava.
Some sketches in Croydon
Within a few years, I have accumulated more and more sketches in this borough. In this article I am going to tell some stories starting from some of my sketches.
Trees as natural air conditioners
Nothing is better than planting more trees as dense as possible to not only block almost all the sunlight to reduce heat and the risk of skin cancer, but also provide a cool pathway which encourages walking and even running.
A visit to Wanstead Park
The maximum temperature reached 26-27c in London as of writing so I had an idea to go to somewhere cool down. Visiting parks is always a great idea because of groups of trees, or woods/forests — the natural air conditioner which won't damage the environment by greenhouse effect. Thus I gave Wanstead Park — where I only passed by through running not seriously visiting — a chance.
Travelling in London by tram — Beckenham Place Park and New Addington
Do you know London has trams nowadays? It's not the double decker running in the city centre, but another network which was completed in 2000, serving Bromley and Addington through Croydon to Morden and Wimbledon.
My Serpentine Pavilion sketches from 2021
Since coming to the UK for my new life, I have been following Serpentine Pavilion every year. If you don’t know what it is, it is a meanwhile public space designed by the architects invited by Serpentine Gallery. Available usually between June and October.
Crystal Palace Park revisited
I have visited Crystal Palace Park many times. This time, I needed to show my new friend around. Although I am already familiar with the park and its history, there were still new discoveries during the revisit.
Bethlem Museum of Mind, Psycho Killer, and speaking of seeking professional help
Bethlem Museum of Mind is located in Bethlem Royal Hospital, which is believed to be the world's first psychiatric hospital. The hospital is still running, while the museum shows the change in the treatment of patients over 800 years, including the therapy through art creation since the 19th century.
Strava subscription for five years
This month will mark my 5-year subscription to Strava. As a person who doesn't really love subscriptions, I tried to keep the number as low as possible. If I pay, the service must be essential or strongly recommended.
I will continue the subscription and I am going to discuss how the service benefits me.
Apps for exploring London
There are some apps when you travel and even stay in London. Here is my list.
When the Light Breaks
It was the first time for me to watch Icelandic movie. When the Light Breaks is only 82 minutes long, which talks about the grief of a group of young people after their (boy)friend died in an explosion in a tunnel, when he (Diddi) was heading to the airport flying west to break up with his current girlfriend, Klana, so that he can continue his relationship with another girl he really loves, Una.
My longest run ever: 32km
Last Friday, I ran for 32km, breaking the previous three records of 30 and 31km which were done in 2022 and 2023.
On note taking apps and AI
Some of us have already built our own database when we can google anything we want. With the introduction of AI, we are not only able to find the answers from AI, but the app can also save our conversations and information with titles automatically generated for looking back afterwards just in case.
I sometimes think, will we no longer need note taking apps?
Urban Sketchers London — St Pancras (and other sketches done before)
In May this year, Urban Sketchers London event was held in St Pancras where I have been to many times and have had a lot of sketches so far, but there are still lots to sketch due to wide ranges of places which are worth visiting, from King’s Cross and St Pancras International, to Coal Drops Yard and Regent’s Canal.
The importance of walking in the city
Through walking and even sketching on the street, you will understand the communities rather than just “know”, like you will have an idea like how safe the streets are.