10 Days in Shanghai ◇ Photo Diary Pt.1

In the end of August, I went on an oversea trip and traveled 6,000 miles to Shanghai. Unlike the previous two visits, I had one of my good friends join me on this trip and we had an absolutely incredible time there. Even though I've visited the city before, I still felt like a complete tourist and was astounded by the beauty and culture of everything. The sights were breathtaking and the food was incomparable to what we have in the States. 

The places, the food, and the people washed over me with a sense of unfamiliarity, but at the same time I felt like I had never left. Despite the language barrier, my friend and I made the best out of every situation and were extremely lucky having encountered so many nice and friendly locals. I think the locals found our Mandarin entertaining while my family found it baffling. 

From going on rickshaw rides (they aren't so scary) to dodging potential scammers on the crowded streets (just say no), and to getting the hang of Shanghai's metro system (it's not intimating as it looks), the trip flew by as quickly as it came and was never short of a dull moment. Being in the world's most populated city - with so much to see and do - I had to document as many things as I could. I'm super glad that I did because now I get to relive those memories as well as share it with my friends and family. If you think these photos are a lot, then I don't think you're prepared for just how many pictures I took throughout the whole trip. Also, look out for a video at the bottom of this post sharing m first five days in Shanghai. 

DAY 1 

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DAY 2

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▾ Yuyuan Garden "Chenghuang Miao" ▾

▾ The Bund ▾

▾ Nanjing Rd. ▾

DAY 3

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▾ Karaoke ▾

▾ Tianzifang ▾

 DAY 4

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▾ Suzhou ▾

▾ Humble Administrator's Garden ▾

DAY 5

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▾ The Lion Forest Garden ▾

▾ The Bund ▾

▾ Nanjing Rd. ▾

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◇  READ PART TWO HERE ◇

Pieces of July | Monthly Round-up

These lyrics. 

This beat. And Justin Bieber ain't bad either.

New favorite crossbody bag.

Living digital space gallery.

Pre-travel reads for my Shanghai trip in August starts now.

My Favorite Healthy Banana Bread Recipe | VLOG

My go-to recipe for healthy banana bread. 

I discovered this recipe when I was in college - wait did that just make me sound old? I only graduated last summer! Anyhoo, the recipe uses unsweetened applesauce and honey and I was absolutely won over that I haven't made banana bread any other way. Unsweetened applesauce is a great substitute for butter and the honey adds subtle sweetness to every bite. I love that the bread is super fluffy and moist while it's a healthier version of the standard banana bread. Who said you have to sacrifice taste for health?

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You will need:

9x5 loaf pan

nonstick spray

parchment paper (to line the bottom of baking pan)

foil (to cover the top)

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 cups honey

3/4 cups unsweetened apple sauce
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 and1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

2-3 whole ripe bananas

1 cup walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Smash the bananas. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, honey, unsweetened apple sauce, vanilla extract, and stir until well combined. 

In a separate bowl, mix together whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients. Do not overmix.

Mix in bananas and fold in the walnuts. 

Line bottom of baking pan with parchment paper for easy clean-up and lifting the bread out of the pan. Grease pan and pour in the batter. Top with walnuts for garnish. Finally, cover the top with foil to prevent bread from browning too quickly. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes. Cool before serving.

Recipe slightly adapted from Tasty Kitchen

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Watch me put the recipe to the test!