Red-rock plains, martian landscapes, towering crimson cliffs, stretches of boundless road. There is nothing quite like it in the world.
Roadtrip through Southern Utah
'The Sound of COS' by Lernert & Sander
'The Sound of COS' : an ingenious, witty collaboration between a creative Dutch duo and an aesthetically-conscientious clothing brand.
Check it out:
Scenes from New Zealand
Mount Victoria, Wellington
My friend, Nigel, showing me one of his favourite local spots
Wrights Watergardens, Auckland
Since we moved to New Zealand when I was four years old, my parents have done a variety of odd jobs: cleaning, selling wheatgrass juicers, running a mini-mart in Avondale, a butchery in Glen Innes, and a bar in Mangere. Their hard work has paid off and they now do this for a living: running, tending to, and constantly improving this beautiful watergarden and sprawling park in Patumahoe. Check it out if you're in Auckland; the entire place is renovated and covered in blossoming waterlilies now
Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown
Queenstown is one of the most vibrant cities in the world. Every afternoon you can see young couples and flocks of adventurous backpackers enjoying a beer by the water
Queenstown-Glenorchy Drive
At the end of this stunning half-hour drive was a quaint little town called Glenorchy. When we arrived at 8pm, not even the petrol station was open
Mt. Aspiring National Park, Otago
Now you can see what the logo for Mainland Cheese was inspired by!
Mt. Aspiring National Park, Otago
Snow-capped mountains and blazing summer heat, gushing glacial water and little white dots of sheep. If you could sum up New Zealand in one picture then this would probably be it
Piha Beach, West Auckland
The west coast of Auckland is lined by rugged, dramatic black sand beaches. Piha is the most renowned. It's a beautiful yet eerie place. The rip tides are unforgiving; many people die here each year.
Karekare Beach, WEST Auckland
Not a footprint or person in sight! We dozed off in the silence and woke up covered in sand and sunburns
Muriwai Surf Beach, West Auckland
The most popular surf spot in West Auckland. You can buy fresh strawberry ice cream down the road but the line often goes out the door
Whakarewarewa Forest, Rotorua
Whakarewarewa is a sprawling forest of redwoods. This water has been tinted blue by volcanic minerals
Wai-O-Tapu, Rotorua
Wai-o-Tapu is a total tourist trap and the bane of every NCEA Geography student, but you must admit that its array of geothermal pools in every shade of the rainbow is pretty cool
Fiordland National Park
Roland and I stumbled into this field during a water stop after visiting Milford Sound. These flowers looks like lavenders but they're actually called lupins
Places on the bucket list
MOUNT COOK, CANTERBURY
ABEL TASMAN NATIONAL PARK
CATHEDRAL COVE, COROMANDEL
MOERAKI BOULDERS, OTAGO
LAKE MATHESON, SOUTH WESTLAND
MACKENZIE COUNTRY, SOUTH ISLAND
Duke LDOC Poster
A fun, summery, whimsical poster for the Duke University LDOC (Last Day of Class) concert. They were supposed to be printed and given out to students who made donations to the Duke Children's Hospital...
But they lie unused, floating around as a PDF file on some hungover student's Macbook. I've learned that the most rewarding thing about graphic design work is not the pay, but the reward of seeing your hard work put to good use.
'Meaghan Li x J. Crew'
A t-shirt graphic that I designed was projected onto models and published in Form Magazine. Note the gorgeous lighting and photography by my talented friend, Shayan Asadi.
ArtCon Poster
One of the projects for my graphic design class with Michael Faber involved designing a poster for a campus event called ArtCon, Duke University's first-ever arts and creativity summit. I was assigned to model my design off David Carson's characteristic style. Here are my drafts and subsequent designs that were used for the event.
KORU
The assignment: a summer camp in Wisconsin. Envision its history, mission, and target demographic. Create a style guide.
The product: KORU, 'a three-week immersive exploration of art, music, and spirituality on the outskirts of Wisconsin.'
Would you go to KORU? I know I would, just to see what the heck it was about!
Meaghan's Guide to: New York
NEW YORK. The Big Apple, the Concrete Jungle, the City That Never Sleeps. It's the undisputed culture capital of the world, but New York's menagerie of looming skyscrapers, investment bankers, and bustling interns is easily overwhelming to young and thrifty travellers.
My first visit to New York left me exhausted and disappointed. The subway was dirty, the weather was miserable, and every corner would be swarming with a crowd of scowling locals and bewildered tourists. Of course, this was because I confined myself to the touristic hotspots of Manhattan. Living, working, and studying in New York for a semester completely renewed my attitude towards the city. If you're about to travel to New York, put down the guidebook, log off TripAdvisor, get your ass out of Times Square, and follow these first-hand tips for an unforgettable and authentic experience!
Pork and chives fried dumplings at Prosperity Dumpling
What to eat and drink
As a vast city with a diverse demography, New York is brimming with incredible dining options. Here are some selections that are dirt-cheap and delicious:
Prosperity Dumpling and Vanessa's Dumpling House are two hotspots in Chinatown with well-deserved reputations for cheap and quick food. My recommendation for a lesser know but equally delicious alternative, however, is Shu Jiao Fu Zhou. You can buy around a dozen pork dumplings for only $3!
After Chinese food, Mediterranean comes in as a close second as my favourite cheap NYC cuisine. Mamoun's Falafel is a hole-in-the-wall joint that has been around for over 40 years. Their $3.50 falafel sandwich is their claim to fame, but the hidden gems on their menu are the grape leaves! They offer their own homemade hot sauce, but be warned: it is not for the faint hearted!
Le Bain at sunset
Where to party
As the house and techno craze that reigns supreme in Europe is slowly usurping the EDM scene in the United States, a number of clubs in New York are modelling themselves after renowned super-clubs in Berlin and London.
Verboten and Output are two venues that consistently book huge house, techno, and electronica names. Output has implemented policies that discourage "bottle service, egocentricity, and excess" while banning cameras and mirrors to imitate Berlin's Berghain. However, both clubs use tiered pricing models, a tactic that I really dislike. Tickets can cost up to $60 at the door so be sure to purchase yours in advance!
Le Bain is a rooftop bar/club on top of The Standard Hotel. The top floor offers a sweeping panoramic view over the city and is one of the best spots to catch the sunset. The lower floor is a club with glamorous decor, floor-to-ceiling windows, and even a jacuzzi. It's certainly not the classiest of venues, but with free entry most nights of the week, it deserves to be on any curious visitor's bucket list.
Where Brooklyn Bridge Park and DUMBO intersect
Where to relax
This semester, I'm lucky enough to be living in Brooklyn Heights, a beautiful neighbourhood with lush trees and brownstone buildings located right next to Brooklyn Bridge. Brooklyn Bridge Park is a newly-constructed waterfront stretch that offers something for everyone. You can play soccer on a floating astroturf field at Pier 5, bike along the promenade, or sunbathe on a secluded patch of grass with a million-dollar view of the Hudson River.
Washington Square Park is another spot that I love to frequent; it's right next to NYU and also surrounded by an overwhelming number of cheap, delicious eateries and boutique cafes. This is the perfect place to read a book, people-watch, and meet both fellow students and quirky locals.
View from Damstraat bridge, Meaghan Li, 2014
Meaghan's Guide to: Amsterdam
AMSTERDAM is commonly viewed as a city of debauchery, hedonism, and immorality. While the Red Light District and coffeeshop system do render the city an oddity and novelty, Amsterdam has so much more to offer than most uninformed tourists believe. Most visitors do not venture beyond the city centre during their visit, and confine themselves to areas that are overflowing with tourists, litter, and questionable behaviour. After spending a summer doing policy research in Amsterdam, I hope that these tips will make your visit as authentic and memorable as possible.
What to eat and drink
A stroopwafel consists of a layer of caramel between two thin sugar waffles. They're delicious when eaten straight from the bag, and absolutely mouth-watering when you place one above a hot cup of tea and wait for the gooey caramel center to melt!
Who needs ketchup when you can slather your fries in mayo?
Dutch people love drop, their own distinct variant of liquorice. A word of warning: the taste is extremely potent and will make most unsuspecting liquorice-lovers gag! Look out for the coin-shaped ones (munten drop), which are my favourite. They are slightly salty, firm, chewy, and very delicious!
Rather than ketchup, the Dutch eat their fries with fritesauss, a low-fat mayonnaise. The best fries joint in Amsterdam is Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminck.
The Thai Snackbar Bird is a cheap and quick Thai joint, and is a favourite amongst locals. The service is fast and the food is excellent, especially at less than €10 for a meal!
A jam-packed night at Trouw
Where to party
Without a question, Amsterdam is the best destination to spend your summer if you're a electronic music fan and festival junkie. Awakenings Festival, Amsterdam Open Air, and the much-acclaimed Dekmantel Festival perfectly combine beautiful locations, thoughtfully-curated line-ups, and fun-loving festival-goers.
Trouw is a newspaper-factory-turned-nightclub that is the closest thing that the Netherlands has to the underground super-institutions in Berlin and London. It will be closing once its lease expires this December and its presence will be dearly missed by all, but it has been immortalised as one of the most respected venues of the decade. Go before midnight, when the cover charge will be around €5 - €10 cheaper.
Cruising along the canals is a must-do
Where to relax
Vondelpark is Amsterdam's most famous central park. It is the perfect place to people watch, and the entire park is littered by interesting sculptures. For a more peaceful alternative, visit Westerpark - it is much cleaner, less crowded, and just as beautiful.
Take a free ferry to Amsterdam-Nord, where you can visit the EYE Film Museum, or shop at IJ-Hallen, a huge monthly indoor flea market.
Hanneke’s Boom is a rustic waterside bar that also serves awesome food. Nearby is Roest, an industrial complex containing several small bars and food stands that also has it own dockside 'beach'!
By all means, do not go on one of the canal cruises run by tourism companies! Instead, round up a group of friends, hire your own boat, bring a portable speaker, drink and eat as much as you want. Or, pack a picnic basket and a bottle of wine for a romantic cruise around the canals until the sun goes down.
Always lock your bike to a bike rack - it can get confiscated otherwise.
Some (not so) common sense
There are more bikes than there are people in the Netherlands; as a result, Amsterdam is equipped with fully-integrated cycling paths with their own traffic lights! It is highly recommended that you rent a bike during your visit; it will be much cheaper than public transport and nothing beats the feeling of cycling along a canal with the wind blowing through your hair.
Dutch and Germans do not have an unfriendly rivalry, but confusing the two (intentionally or not) is no laughing manner. I once shouted 'nein!' to a group of Dutch travellers, wrongly assuming that it was Dutch for 'no,' and received some scathing dirty glares.
I used to regard the Red Light District as a novel hotspot that gave sex workers full control and autonomy over their bodies and professions. Then, I learned that the vast majority of Amsterdam's sex workers were foreigners, most of whom are trafficked and controlled by pimps. If you do decide to visit the Red Light District, please treat its workers with dignity and respect.
Panorama from The Glasgow Lighthouse, Meaghan Li, 2014
Meaghan's Guide to: Glasgow
GLASGOW, Scotland has received a bit of a bad rap in pop culture. Trainspotting depicted it as an overcast metropolis of reckless youths and junkies, while the British media loves to paint it as a city of violence and drunken hooliganism.
I lived in Glasgow for four months in 2013, and no other city in the world has made as deep of an indent upon me. I still can’t put a finger on what was so enchanting and charming about the city; perhaps it was the rust-orange tenements, and the way that they glowed in the Northern afternoon sunlight. Perhaps it was the sleepless nights spent in intimate nightclubs, surrounded by eccentric, colourful youths. Perhaps it was the weekend road trips, where an hour’s drive would place you amongst rolling, insurmountable hills and placid, gargantuan lakes. Perhaps it was the people; nowhere else have I encountered people who were so genuine, warm, and charming than the locals of Glasgow.
If you’re looking for a flashy, decadent city of rooftop clubs and beachside resorts, then Glasgow is not the city for you. If you’re looking for an city that is saturated with culture and captivating in its own humble manner, then Glasgow is a hidden gem awaiting your visit.
What to eat and drink
Groundskeeper Willie and his bottle of Buckfast
Buckfast Tonic Wine is an infamous fortified wine that you can find at any corner store for a couple of pounds. One bottle has more caffeine than six cups of coffee and it has caused so much controversy that Scottish politicians have tried to ban it for decades! I think that it tastes pretty awful, but is a cultural novelty that every visitor should at least sample.
Irn Bru is Scotland’s most popular soft drink. The bright orange fizzy concoction vaguely tastes like bubblegum and has now become a national icon, with Irn Bru taxis and popsicles popping up all over the country. To taste it in its full glory, purchase the non-diet, glass-bottled varieties.
Glasgow has a huge South Asian population and a range of delicious, authentic, and cheap dining options as a result. I guarantee you that a Glaswegian curry will by far exceed anything you can find in the States!
The Arches
Where to party
Sub Club is a tiny basement venue; is the pride and jewel Glasgow and is unfailingly named as one of the best nightclubs in the world. Its consistent bookings and top-notch sound system (including a responsive vibrating dance floor) have transformed it from an underground haunt to a venerable industry institution.
The Arches is a venue unlike any other in the world - it’s a stunning and vast sprawl underneath Glasgow’s Central Station. Pressure, a monthly house and techno bonanza that consistently books names like Ben Klock and Maya Jane Coles, is an incredible event that is not to be missed.
Looking for a more lighthearted experience? Every Saturday night, the O2 ABC has an event called ‘Love Music’ which was a favourite amongst my friends. From The Smiths and Nirvana to TLC and the Spice Girls, all of the music they play will make you sing along, feel nostalgic, and most importantly: dance!
Overlooking Kelvingrove and the University of Glasgow
Where to relax
If you’re lucky enough to enjoy a sunny day in Glasgow, be sure to spend it in Kelvingrove Park or the Glasgow Botanic Gardens. The city's green areas are gorgeous in any setting, but they truly are breathtaking when the sun is out.
The West End is a gorgeous (and very affluent) student neighbourhood littered by dirt-cheap thrift stores, quaint little cafes, and delicious and quirky food joints. Check out the campus of The University of Glasgow; you will feel like you just walked onto the set of Harry Potter!
The Necropolis is an impressive, lavish Victorian cemetery overlooking the city. It can be the site of a romantic picnic or an awfully terrifying prank!
A misty, spooky morning at The Necropolis
Some (not so) common sense
The West and Central areas of Glasgow are fairly affluent areas that are extremely safe. You’ll encounter drunk people and beggars often, but rarely do they ever approach you or pose any threat to your safety.