lists – Dina Daily

My Biggest Challenges as a Blogger

Posted on 310631 Wed+00:002020-03-11T05:47:06+00:00+00:0003b+00:00Wed, 11 Mar 2020 05:47:06 +0000 2017314831 Wed+00:002020-03-11T05:47:48+00:00+00:0003b+00:00Wed, 11 Mar 2020 05:47:48 +0000 2017 by DinaDaily

Hey guys! It’s been a while but I hope you enjoyed my last blog post. If you haven’t read it, go check out 5 Things I do in Korea that I Wouldn’t in London.

Today I come to you with a blog post that is kind of hard for me to write! I find that it’s easy for people to talk about the things they are good at, but it’s a bit harder to admit things that you find challenging or that you are not good at.
Since my school has closed for the 3rd week because of the Coronavirus outbreak in Korea, I have a lot more free time than I would normally. So, I should blog right?!

Let’s begin! Here are my biggest challenges as a blogger.

Finding Time to Blog

As most of you know, I am currently an English teacher in Korea. I’ve been here for 6 consecutive years, 3 of those years I’ve been at my current academy. Since I have been here for so long, I’ve been offered several promotions by my boss. I have accepted all of them as I want a pay rise, and I like having more responsibilities.
While this is good for my current career, it means that I keep putting off my dreams of becoming a journalist or blogger.
It has also left me with a super busy schedule, where I do a lot of overtime. So, I find it very hard to fit in time to blog with my work schedule, social schedule, spending time with Aurora, and sleeping!

What I am going to do to overcome this:
Since I have a very good relationship with my boss, and she considers me as her business partner more than her employee, I don’t usually ask for overtime pay. So, I am going to try to cut down the amount of overtime I do to put my hobby and life goals first.

Coming up With Blog Posts

A few years ago, I used to post about my dating life in Korea. It was so popular and very easy to write as I would just write a blog post after each date! At that time, I was in a job which wasn’t as busy as my current job, so I had a lot of time to date. However, I felt kind of bad for writing about these guys because they had no idea that things that happened on our dates were published online (not that we did anything inappropriate). I also had really bad luck with the guys I wrote about (maybe they found my blog), so I decided to stop, even though there was high demand for new content!
After that, I have had a few ideas like sharing information about myself, reviews and suggestions, and other posts that are often covered in the blogging world. While this went well when I had more time, I have hit a writer’s block!
I know that there’s a lot of “blog post ideas” that I could find and follow, but I want to be a bit more original. I want to write things that you guys would find interesting!

What I am doing to get over it:
I am using the “blog post ideas” that I can find online… haha I know I just said I didn’t want to, but until I pass this writers block, I think it’s what I need to do. It would still be interesting to you guys if the content I give is good, right?!

Finding a Theme I Feel Confident Using

When I was younger, I was really tech savvy and I even knew html codes, but when you don’t use something, it is very easy to forget it. So, my blog looks so basic and I don’t feel confident with using themes. I also feel like my lack of skill has made your view of my website boring and a bit hard to navigate.

What I am doing to get over it:
This feels like a challenge that I can take control of and take action with immediately, so I have a lot of solutions!
I have watched tutorials and reading instructional blogs about how to use certain themes and how to customize my website better. I am also trying to relearn html codes. Although it’s not necessary, I feel like it would make me feel more confident. On top of all of that I am experimenting and using trail and error with one of my inactive blogs.

Making Money From My Blog

This is a given challenge because of the previous 3 challenges!
Obviously if I work harder on my blog, I could make money from it. I just need to make better content and work on advertisements and monetizing my content.

What I am doing to get over it:
I am trying to blog more, look more professional, invest more time and effort, and be continuous. As well as all of that, I am researching into partnerships, advertisement, and monetizing.

Well, there you have it! Those are my biggest challenges as a blogger.
If you have any tips on how I can get over any of them, please let me know! I need all the help I can get!
If you are a blogger, please write a blog post about your biggest challenges and leave the link in the comments below. Or, let me know if your challenges are the same as mine, I am curious about your challenges and solutions!

lists, Uncategorized

10 things you probably didn’t know about me.

Posted on 315831 Tue+00:002018-08-28T13:47:58+00:00+00:0008b+00:00Tue, 28 Aug 2018 13:47:58 +0000 2017 by DinaDaily

Hey guys!
I think my readers are getting bored of my list posts. So, after this one I will take a bit of a break and think of a new way to keep you all interested!
UPDATE.
I thought I uploaded this before I took my break, but I didn’t. Sorry!

To the people who have been reading my blog lately, thank you so much! I don’t have that many visitors to my blog, so when I see you guys visiting, it makes me really happy! Thank you!

It’s kind of hard for me to make this list, because most of my readers are people that already know me. So, if you already knew some of these things, tell me how you came to know that about me.

Here goes! 10 things you probably didn’t know about me!

I am also a dog person.

Many of my friends are dog people. For some reason, most dog people think that you have to like either cats or dogs, and there is no way that you could like them equally. This is so wrong! So, whenever dog people ask me why I don’t like dogs, I get super offended. I love dogs just as much as I like cats!
I have a really short temper.

Only my family know about this. I have such a short temper. The reason why this is not known to most of my friends (and all of my readers) is because I have learnt to control my anger in front of people I am not 100% comfortable with. This leads to me bottling up my anger and exploding when I am around my family members. (Personal note to Brendan if he ever reads my blog) This is how I knew that I considered you to be part of my family, as apposed to just a friend. Feel the love every time I lose my cool at or around you.
I wear most of my emotions on my face.

I guess you could just say that I am not good at hiding my feelings (except anger). When I am happy I look happy. When I am focusing, I look angry/determined. When I am sad I cry or look like I am about to cry. When I am stressed, I look like I haven’t slept for hours. If you want to know how I am, just look at my face.
(Although this isn’t an emotion, when I am sick, I actually look better than when I am not sick! But it’s because I take extra time to do my make-up!)
I am obsessed with true crimes.

I’m not sure when this obsession started… but I remember watching ’48 Hours’ with my mum when I was at university or just after I finished uni. In my free time, I used to blog and watch movies. Now I watch true crime documentaries. Actually, most of the times, when I am blogging, I have my screen split. Half documentary and half blog. Do you think watching true crime documentaries can help me in my dreams of becoming an investigative journalist?!
I got full marks for my dissertation.

When I was in my finally year of university, it took me what felt like ages to decide on a topic for my dissertation. I finally decided on a topic which has not been explored before. So I had to do research in 3 different, but very specific fields, then apply it to my own research and ideas. It was so stressful. I was also heavily over the word limit and had to edit out information in multiple ways until I found what I thought was the best version. I spent days with my mum in the hospital, and nights with my lovely cat writing until just before the sun came up.
So, when I got my results, I almost cried with joy. All my hard work had paid off. I got 75/75. It felt amazing, but I also felt regret because if I had done a tiny bit better on one of my previous assignments, I would have graduated with a first.
I can’t drink coffee.

I think, I drank too much coffee when I was at university and when I started working in Korea. One day, I went to the hospital because my airway felt so swollen and it felt like I had something stuck in my throat. The doctor gave me a check over and told me that something was causing too much acid in my stomach and it was inflaming my throat. So I had to eliminate things from my diet. The first thing I eliminated was coffee. Instantly, my symptoms went away. I thought it would be okay for me to take a rest and go back to coffee. But now, almost every time I drink coffee, I get the same feeling back. So, when people ask me if I drink tea because I am British, yes, you are right. But I also only drink tea when I go to coffee shops, because I will get sick if I drink coffee… my beloved coffee. =(
I have abnormally small feet for my height.

I am average height. 5ft 4inches, or 164cm. But, my feet are too small considering my height. For my height I believe UK size 5 is the average size. My feet are way below average, at UK size 3… When I was slimmer, I could fit into UK size 2.5…
To my friends in Korea and my Korean friends, I know this sounds okay, but when you take into consideration that female shoe sizes start at size 3 in the UK, most places don’t stock my size in women’s. So. I end up shopping from kids sections.
In Korea, my shoe size is still considered smaller than other women. But it works in my advantage as my size is usually the one left!
I don’t know how to drive.

I’m not sure if this is still common in the UK at my age… or maybe almost everyone my age in the UK knows how to drive now. I feel kinda ashamed that I don’t have my licence, but at the same time, driving is so expensive and difficult in London. Do you guys think it’s something that I should learn to do? Even if I don’t drive when I move back to London? I am considering making that my goal for 2019…
I am following in both of my parents footprints.
I don’t talk much about my dad, because I didn’t know him, but he was a highly respected journalist in Eritrea and other parts of East Africa. I also didn’t know this until I was about 18 years old and decided to study Journalism at university.
My amazing mummy, was a nursery nurse/ teacher! The best that I know of! And I am currently teaching nursery children! Isn’t it strange that I didn’t plan to, but I am following in both of my parents footprints?
I don’t know much about my father, but I hope to become as respected as he was as a journalist.
I can’t live up to my mum because she is the greatest teacher in the world! I mean look at how great my sister and I turned out!!
I go to bed really early.

I am such an early bird. If it was possible and acceptable for an adult of my age to go to bed at 8pm, I would be in bed by 8pm. I love sleep. If I was to recommend how long to sleep for per night, I would suggest 10 to 12 hours. The best length of sleep. Actually, when I think about it a bit more, I think I just enjoy being at home and laying down. I don’t even need to be sleeping.
Is there anyone reading this blog that thinks they are lazier than me?
Let me know…
Maybe I need to keep up my hobbies more.

Thank you all for reading! If you want to see more from me, please leave me a comment with a blog suggestion!

lists, Reviews, Uncategorized

Top 5 true crime documentaries you have to watch!

Posted on 310731 Mon+00:002018-07-16T13:41:07+00:00+00:0007b+00:00Mon, 16 Jul 2018 13:41:07 +0000 2017311231 Mon+00:002018-07-16T13:41:12+00:00+00:0007b+00:00Mon, 16 Jul 2018 13:41:12 +0000 2017 by DinaDaily

Recently, I have been addicted to watching true crime documentaries.
When I was living back home, I used to watch crime documentaries with my lovely mummy. When I moved to Korea, since I am living alone, I decided to stop watching them… in order to get some sleep at night. However, I have restarted watching them to spark my interest in investigative journalism again.
No word of a lie, I am watching a documentary right now and as I was typing investigative journalism, the guy in the documentary said ‘Don’t you want to be an investigative journalist?’

The documentaries I have included in this post are really popular. I have found these documentaries by searching on Google and finding similar posts. I am still going to make this list because I hope to convince you more to watch them!

The Staircase.

This documentary had me hooked. I found out today that the documentary series has been continued and there are 3 more episodes that I have to watch. I am so hooked on this case and this documentary was scary. Thinking about what actually happened… I still get chills thinking about it. Gripping documentary that you need to watch!
The Killing Season.

This documentary series was by far, the scariest I have watched. The mystery. The fact that it hasn’t been solved. The doors it opened. The information the producers gathered. It was the last documentary series I watched, as it frightened me so much, I had to take a 3 week break. This documentary series tries to solve The Gilgo Beach Killer (also known as The Long Island serial killer).
Dear Zachery: A Letter to a Son About His Father.

This is a very sad documentary which stressed me out and made me so angry with the legal system. I had no idea about this crime and the end of the documentary shocked me. Don’t do research on this documentary or the case because you will find a spoiler. Just trust me. It is worth watching.
There’s something wrong with Aunt Diane.

This was a documentary that had me changing my mind almost the whole time. What was wrong with Diane Schuler? I don’t want to give too much away with this documentary, because it is really hard to form an opinion on what actually happened. However, I will tell you that this documentary follows a husband trying to clear his deceased wife’s name.
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.

I knew a bit about Robert Durst before I watched this documentary. I learnt a lot more about him and what he did, by watching this documentary. I got a few chills while watching this. Robert Durst is such a strange character. I felt that he was guilty from the start. But what if he isn’t? Watch this documentary series until the end. You won’t regret it.

Bonus!

The Keepers.

I am watching this documentary while I am writing this post. It has captivated me. I am only on episode 2, but I can tell that this is a documentary that I will suggest to anybody who asks me. I knew that members of the Catholic church have done very unlawful things, and gotten away with it. But watching a documentary about it is so different. It is so sad, to think what these people who have turned to the church to help them get through life, but they were, and many still are, being abused by the people they trusted the most.

If you guys are interested in any of these documentaries, let me know. I have many more that I can suggest to you.

If you have watched any of these documentaries already and have other documentaries you think I should watch, please let me know! I am always looking for documentaries to watch.

Mummy, please don’t worry! I know you hate me watching stuff like this, but I think that these kinds of documentaries need to be watched. By watching them, and recommending others to watch them, I am spreading knowledge and learning how to stay safe. (Even though Korea has a very low crime rate in comparison to England!)

Beauty, Korea, Korea, lists, Uncategorized

5 must-haves for your bag

Posted on 315631 Wed+00:002018-07-11T13:19:56+00:00+00:0007b+00:00Wed, 11 Jul 2018 13:19:56 +0000 2017 by DinaDaily

Men! Please don’t leave. Although this post may sound like it’s just for girls, these are essentials. You might not be able to put all 5 in your back pocket, but you can fit 1 or 2 in!

Ladies, welcome!

I used to walk around with a bag that I could fit everything in but the kitchen sink. So, last year I decided to save my back and shoulder by only buying small bags. I suggest you do the same! It has made my life so much more simple and I don’t have to search in my bag for something I might not have. I know exactly what is in my bag!

To help everyone, I have come up with the 5 things you must have in your bag.

Tissue.
Sometimes, I forget to put a new pack of pocket tissues in my bag. Every time that happens, I regret it so much. Especially living in Korea. For some reason, some public toilets don’t have toilet tissue. They have toilet tissue holders, but no toilet rolls. The places in that building usually provide toilet paper.
Also, you never know when you are going to sneeze…
So, tissue!

Buy these cute Kakao friends tissues!
Mints or Gum.
(If your bag is big enough, toothbrush and toothpaste)

Sometimes, you eat something smelly but you can’t go home to brush your teeth. When I moved to Korea, I noticed that all the Korean teachers would brush their teeth after eating lunch. So, I started to do it too. I regret nothing!
I guess Korean food uses more garlic and it has very strong flavours and scents, so it lingers in your mouth.
Hand Sanitizer.
I feel like this one doesn’t need an explanation, but just in case…
When there is no soap around, you can still kill germs if you have hand sanitizer. If you are like me, and you hate ‘pull’ doors because you have to use your hand, this should be the first thing you put in your bag!

If you hate the smell of rubbing alcohol, buy a flavoured one!
Stain remover.
Hello, my name is Dina. My favourite colour to wear is white, and I am a master at spilling food on myself.
Even if you are usually good at keeping food off your front, I would carry one round, just in case.

Here is the stain remover spray I always have in my bag!
Perfume.
I know that this isn’t really small, but when you are out for the whole day and have plans in the evening, you will be so happy that you have perfume or fragrance in your bag.
If you have a Travalo, you are all set! I lost mine, so I just purchased a mini version of my favourite perfume!

If you are in Korea, buy your Travalo here!