Holiday Blues

4 Days in Dubai

Starter... 4 days was 100% not long enough. 

I can not believe this time last week I was exploring a completely new country in the beautiful sunshine. Actually, to be precise... this time last week I was on my way into the desert; which turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.

Heading to a country I had never visited before was super exciting. I couldn't wait to see new sights, experience a new culture, but most of all, I couldn't wait to be in the sun. I had also done a bit of research on the Dubai malls... bad idea. Quick tip - if you go to Dubai and don't have too long there, (if you love shopping like me) don't go. The malls are that big that you could honestly spend a week in them; 1200 shops under one roof is just a recipe for disaster. We stayed in a hotel called The Atlantis, Palm. STUNNING. I don't think I have ever seen a hotel quite like it. It was that big I don't know how I didn't mange to get lost.

Day 1: 

Flying through the night meant we landed in Dubai pretty early which was nice because we got a full day. After checking in, I was that tired and my eyes were burning that much, that I had to take a quick nap. Nap over with... time to explore the hotel. A quick walk down to the hotel's private beach was the perfect way to start our little holiday. Now, when we're all on holiday ('we' being Mum, Dad and I), we're all like big kids. Not that we're not always... But being on holiday makes us even crazier. The hotel had its own water park next door and if you stayed in the hotel you got free tickets. Perfect. Seeing as though at 17:00 the heat was still standing at a good 36 degrees (celsius), going to the water park was a must. I have been to so many water parks around the world but hands down this one was the best! On a scale of 1-10, it definitely scored 10. After about an hour of whizzing around the rapids it had come to my favourite time of day... Dinner time. Free food is always the best kind of food, so being half board was right up my street. As the hotel was pretty fancy-shmancy it was a perfect excuse to get dressed up which is always a nice thing to do. An international buffet was just perfect and I was already looking forward to dinner again. Day 1 over and an early bed time was on the cards for a full day in the city for day 2.

The Atlantis, Palm

Day 2:

 We had pre-booked a city bus tour which nicely set us up for the day. I figured being on an open top bus all day in at least 40 degree heat probably meant a nice layer of suncream was the first step of the morning. Lets go explore! First stop... Mall number 1. Following the theme of everything being beautiful, the mall didn't change that. Everything is just so much more extravagant over there; they don't do anything that's less than perfect. Second stop... Mall number 2. And I thought the first mall was great; the Mall of Dubai just wiped the floor with the first mall; exceeding all expectations of any shopping complex I had ever visited. I never thought there could be a mall so large. And as if the 1200 shops were't enough, located right next door was the world tallest tower; the 828m Burj Khalifa. It wasn't just the hotel and the malls that were stunning, the whole city was just insane. You'll never see buildings quite like it. I think my jaw was open for the whole time. Catching the last city bus we had to stay on board for the rest of the tour. Not a problem at all as it gave me time to sit in the sun and admire the beautiful skyline; watching the sunset come down and seeing so many beautiful mosques.

Day 3:
Blue skies, the hot desert sun and a view of the beautiful city and sea is definitely the best thing to wake up to.
Day 3 was the most thrill seeking day I think I have ever had in my life. Little did I know what the day had in store. With not having too much time, everything had to be structured. We knew that today would be half a day in the water park and the other half we would be adventuring in the desert.
Rising early to be one of the first in the water park was definitely a great idea. No people meant no queues for any of the rides, woo. Having been on a huge vertical slide in Florida (which scarred me for life) I said I would never go on one like it again. Obviously didn't stick to my word, after being persuaded by dad to go on it with him, I gave in. I HATE heights. In actual fact I think dad tricked me into going on it because he knew that once I got to the top, I would have to go down the slide because i'd be too scared to walk back down the stairs. Thanks Dad! However I can't lie because I did enjoy it; what I didn't enjoy was Mum missing the recording the first time so I had to do it again. Not so fun! After a few more slides, I just spent the whole day on my favourite... the rapids. Best rapids ever! I felt like I was doing a bit of white water rafting down the Grand Canyon. 

The vertical slide in the background doesn't look high... trust me, it was.

15:30... Desert time! In the info about the excursion, it stated: Dune driving through the desert... maybe I should have done some research on the exact definition of 'dune driving'. Definitely was not just 'driving' thats for sure. Im changing it to bashing and flying into every dune that there is in the desert for an hour, whilst feeling like your life is in the hands of a driver that has just had 'dune driving training'. I think travel sickness was taken to a whole new level here, having to stop the truck to get out and sit in the sand trying not to be sick definitely isn't what I had in mind. Other than that it was incredible and some of the photo opportunities we got were breathtaking! If you follow me on Instagram (@jadinadarling) you'll have seen a few. Desert drive over! Finally. Next stop was our camp. I can't explain in words how amazing the evening was and just writing about it now is making me smile and reminisce the night so much. I just felt so blessed to be in a beautiful place watching the sun set with my amazing parents experiencing a night of Arabic culture.  I love camels and i'd been on a camel ride before in Egypt, but I was just as excited to go on one again. If you've been on a camel ride before then you'll probably agree with me here; the ride is great; what I hate is when the ride is over and the camel kneels back down. But in the process of this it nearly throws you head first into the ground if you don't hold on tight enough. It was such a traditional night: we ate all of our food seated on the floor. Got hennas. I invested in a head scarf (I apologise I really can't remember the exact name). To finish the night we had the privilege of getting to watch 2 different types of traditional dance before heading back into the city. So happy I got the chance to experience a night like that that I will never forget.

Our dune bashing convoy.

Sunset at camp.

     

 Day 4 wasn't exactly a day as we had to leave for the airport at 06:40. Leaving a holiday is always hard but even harder when its been as amazing as this. There is so much to do in Dubai, I definitely underestimated how big and amazing this city was going to be. They're doing a ridiculous amount of work still so it's only going to get bigger and better. For now, I can only treasure the memories I've made. Thank you Dubai, you've been amazing. Until next time.

Enjoy your day :) 

...Mucho Love...
Jadina
x

The High School Musical jump just has to be done :)

Dubai Bound...

Airport Lovin & Plane essentials 

Every time I'm about to travel to another country, one of the things I look forward to the most is the airport. What could be better than having duty free and being able to buy items that I would normally purchase. But with a discount... Perfect! however I'm sure my purse wouldn't agree.

With acting, I learnt to love people watching. So sat in the middle of an airport is always fun. Looking at everyones mannerisms and how they act, it helps when creating or portraying a character that isn't yourself. I tend to find myself coming up with life stories for everyone, please tell me I'm not the only person who does this. I also love looking at everyones fashion because there are people from all over the world so I find the different fashion fascinating. 

Personally I could spend all day in the departure lounge (depending on how big it it, currently I'm at Heathrow in London so its fairly big). So here there are so many shops and restaurants including the likes of Zara, Ted Baker, Jack Wills and the list goes on. My favourite restaurant here has to be an Italian called 'STRADA' I've eaten here the past 3 times and it's just lush. The second picture was my desert... Holy WOW it was the most perfect thing ever!! Vanilla ice cream, an espresso shot and amaretto shot that you poured over the ice cream. Now you may not be but, I'm a lover of all those three and i can't even tell you how good it tasted. 

If someone could tell me the name of this, would be much appreciated :)

I have been good and haven't been into too many of the shops as I want to have money in Dubai. If I could be a shop I would probably be Ted Baker and Zara mixed together, so I had to go into those 2 shops. I fell in love with nearly everything in Ted Baker... as usual, but especially the 'Monise Leather Backpack' in baby pink with rose gold hardware. That'll be going onto my wish list for sure. Next was Zara, I did treat myself to some basic, little cream shorts with a tan coloured belt. Can't wait to wear them on holiday.

The flight to Dubai isn't too long, it about 7 hours. There are some plane essentials that I don't fly without:

1) I have to have my fluffy bed socks, they just make the journey so much more enjoyable. They also make it so much more comfortable when I'm taking a stroll around the plane.

2) My pink jelly earphones. You do get a pair free with Virgin Atlantic but the quality with them aren't too great.

3) A bottle of water, because you get more dehydrated whist a million feet in the air. So I do keep one in my own bag just if I get thirsty and theres no air hostesses about.

4) My Kindle or a book. I might get bored of watching films continuously so I like to take a break and have a little read. 

5) A hair tie. Just to throw my hair up if its annoying me.

Can't wait to just have a few days on the beach and in the sun, Exploring a beautiful new city. It's typical though that the days I'm away, England has great weather. 

Have a great day :)

...Mucho Love...

Jadina

x

See you in a couple of days England :)

'Bon...ne Day'

A Day in my Hometown 

Firstly... In my last post I forgot to mention where the name 'Jadina Darling' came from, It's pretty simple so I'll quickly explain. Jadina is my first name, and the 'Darling' came from the Peter Pan novel. Peter Pan has always been one of my favourites for many reasons, mainly the fact he always told me to never grow up... which I listened to. I've always loved Wendy Darling, I think she's one of the sweetest characters ever and I just love her. I also think her dress, although plain and simple is just adorable. So that's where 'Jadina Darling' came from, like I said... pretty simple.

 Before I start, If you don't understand the 'Bon...ne Day'. Bon Bon is sweets in French, but Bonne means good. So I mixed them together, if you don't understand what I've gone for, then never mind. I have to share with you that I've been lucky enough today to be able to come and write this blog outside in the sun, with a mug of fruity tea and ice cream. If you live in England you'll know that it isn't too often that we get nice weather. So when we do, everyone gets super excited. I don't know about you, but I am LOVING this weather that we are having at the minute. Not only does it put everyone in a good mood, it also means my winter clothes go to the back of my wardrobe to make room for my spring/summer collection.

Blog location today <3

Such a beautiful place for a cup of tea. Dad just chilling in the back.

It's not too often that I get a free day to go out and explore and have a day out in my own Town. Either I'll be busy at home, or just not be at home at all. Saying that I honestly don't think I've had a day like today since I was about 14. My best friend, (well she's actually more like my sister. It's more than likely I'll mention the name Lucy a number of times in my blogs.) Anyway, we had a girly night last night, which seems like it's becoming a regular occurrence each Friday night while I'm at home. I don't know how I managed without her for over a year whilst I was in Paris. We had the morning free so we both agreed on going for a quick brunch before she left me. That 'quick' brunch turned into a full day out in Alford (Alford is the name of the town). 

Quick bit of history - Alford used to be an old Market town. Famous for: of course its markets,  location of our local Church, Manor House and for our 5 sailed windmill, which happens to be one of the only ones left standing and still in working condition in England. John Smith (from Pocahontas) was also born a few miles out of Alford. Pretty cool.

We started out at a quaint little cafe known as 'Willows' with food, and of course a large mug of coffee! Yes, I am a massive coffee lover. A new sweet shop has just opened called 'BON BON', Ironic to say I've just come back from paris and 'Bon Bon' translates to sweets or candy if you're from the USA. The word cavities springs to mind and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be at the top of my dentist's good list after I walked out of the shop with a little white bag full of goodies. I am also a massive sweet lover, I'm one of those people that would choose sweets over chocolate any day of the week.

One of my favourite parts of Alford is the location of our local Church. It purely is just beautiful, and the location couldn't get any better. It's on a corner in the middle of Alford, on a hill (well what i would call a hill, i could be wrong), every time I drive past I always give it a quick look of admiration. It's such a beautiful walk and I've always loved it since I was little. So when I found out my Goddaughters Christening would be there, I was some what pleased. I  also used to love collecting all the confetti that people had thrown on the ground after a wedding ceremony. Random I know, but i was about 6/7.

Does this count as a hill? I'm not sure.

A little walk past the Church takes you to our 'famous' windmill I was talking about. Where I am currently sat typing away. It is a working mill, so next to it there is a tiny shop where they sell the flour that they've produced there, which i think is so cute that they still do that.  I did manage to drag my dad along with me and get the chance to treat him to a latte and jacket potato. I do love a day just to chill, and now that I'm blogging, days like this just make it even more enjoyable. If you do get a day off and have the chance to do something you wouldn't usually do (like have a day in your town)... then do it. Today has made me really appreciate my home town in maybe a way that I don't always manage to think of it as. To finish the blog just a little thing to share... Always enjoy the little things and never take things for granted, no matter how little or large that thing may be!

Most windmills have 6 sails. Thats why this one is famous for being one of the only 5 sailed windmills.

Tomato and Basil soup anyone?

Living in the countryside, you will see cows everywhere. Clearly not just in fields.

Cutest cafe at the windmill.

Right I best go and pack for my holiday, seeing as I leave tomorrow and my suitcase still has nothing in. I am terrible at packing and always leave it to the last minute. Oh well...

I hope you enjoy your day like I have mine. :)

...Mucho Love...

Jadina 

x

If sweets make you smile, then get sweets.

My First Blog!

"Well, this is a first"

Hey everyone, Firstly, thankyou for taking a quick look at my first ever post as a 'Blogger'.

Before I start blogging my adventures and various other things, i'm just going to quickly introduce myself and let you know a bit about my background.

-I do apologise in advance if I ramble. I think I could write for England haha.-

I was born November 1995, i'll let you do the math. I live in England, in a very small town in the countryside (basically in the middle of nowhere). However I can't say i'm 100% English. My Mum is from the great city that is Sheffield and my Father is originally from the beautiful city Hong Kong and he moved to England when he was 9. That means I'm half English and half Chinese. This was beneficial for me when I was younger as a child model. I was extremely fortunate in all the jobs I was able to do in the industry as a child, and i'll always be grateful for all the amazing opportunities I was given by my agent. 

I did a lot of musical theatre work when I was younger with my theatre school. This must have been the reason I had such a big desire to carry on as I got older. Even though I'm only from a small town, I was extremely lucky to have such great parents. Each year me and my mum would travel down to London 4 times a year, so I could go to Sylvia Young Theatre School in the holidays, then also on Saturdays as I got older. I carried on with my agent in London until it came to GCSE's when I decided to just focus on my studies for the exams. 

I moved to Nottingham after school to go to a professional theatre school. Unfortunately I had to leave half way through my first year due to multiple body issues, which meant I could not longer dance professionally. That does not mean i don't still dance... around the house like a mad woman. Anyhow my love for acting that I have always had, still goes strong and will forever be my passion and my long term goal. Singing, well lets just say I'm no Whitney Houston or Beyonce, even if I do think so in the shower or in the car. But there definitely is a love for singing in me. I did have a bit of a gap where I didn't do too much other than work in London at Abercrombie & Fitch and for my dad back in my hometown (Yes, i have spent most of my life travelling on trains haha.)

I have actually just come back from living in Paris for over a year. If you ever get the chance to go to Paris, pleaseee please do it is the most stunning, beautiful, incredible, quaint city, like... Ever!! And if you don't love it, then i give you permission to blame me.

 I was lucky enough to get the amazing opportunity to work at Disneyland Paris (which had been my dream job for as long as I can remember). I can hands down say I had the time of my life and met friends that are now more like my family, and i miss them every single day. However I decided to finish my contract last month, as there are many other things that I would love to do before I get old. Yes, I know that I have a long time before I get 'old'. 

I have been wanting to start a blog for some time now, but have been way too busy to actually sit down and crack on with it (English phrase for...'get on with it'). I have made myself start now as I have some very exciting holiday's and adventures coming up that I can NOT wait to blog. Blogging is also going to be like my online diary, as I am useless at having an actual diary. I LOVE looking back on what I've done, just by looking through my iPhone photos (which i have to admit, I take waaay too many of) so I definitely think blogging everything will benefit me...I hope you also enjoy them.

Not only am I going to post about my adventures and travels. I am also a huge fashion and beauty lover so there will also be posts on those topics too. There may also be a few random blogs that probably won't even come under a topic so I'm not sure what they'll be labeled as haha.

Anyway, I will finish introducing myself to you all now. I do hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I will enjoy writing them.

-P.s I have to give myself a big pat on my back (English for... 'well done') as I did manage to write half of this post whilst babysitting my beautiful baby God Daughter.- 

wooo :) 

Have a great day.

  ...Mucho Love...

Jadina 

x

Keep Smiling!