Reen Zahari

This post takes a different turn, rather than being a continuation of good news from my previous update.

For some reason, the studio flat I rent has been an absolute nightmare when it comes to dust. Strangely enough, I’ve had to wipe the surfaces almost every hour. The moment I clean the table, the dust seems to settle right back, as if it had never been cleaned in the first place. It’s been incredibly frustrating, especially because I suffer from allergic rhinitis. I noticed my nasal passages were swollen—something that hardly ever happens since I moved to the UK. In simpler terms, it felt like a full-blown resdung episode.

I suspect it’s due to the fact that I live in a basement flat. While the easy access to the exit is convenient, the amount of dust is far worse than I expected. For the price I’m paying, and the discomfort I’ve had to endure, I’m beginning to feel like it’s really not worth it.

I have ended up wiping off my thermomix far more often than I have actually used it for cooking. My patio is in a somewhat unfinished state—for reasons I’m not entirely sure of—so every time I take my clothes off the drying rack, they’re covered in dust and I have to shake them off before bringing them in.

Given the nature of my work, I don’t exactly have the luxury to be dusting every hour. 

Plus, I already prefer heading to Bicester twice a week, so the idea of moving back there and commuting to London daily has crossed my mind. Most people I know travel about an hour to work anyway—if I moved, my commute would only be around 45 minutes to London, which is quite reasonable.

Living in London can feel a bit too overwhelming, especially for someone like me who prefers a simpler lifestyle. 

On a positive note, my savings journey is still ongoing these past couple of months. It may not be as strong as it was before, but it’s the habit that truly counts. Considering that changes may be on the horizon in the next three months, I’m not too worried.

I did a cumulative compounding interest calculation over the year while living in London, and my reaction was, “That’s such a small amount of savings…” But I get it—so many people are finding it difficult to save in London, which is completely understandable. 

That said, I do genuinely enjoy working in the city which is one thing that I am grateful for and not in my mind to change that. 

London Life Update – Long Overdue

I bet everyone who’s been following my stories has been waiting for this long-overdue London life update. The moment I said, "I’m living in London," my close friends texted me, “London blog coming up!” And they were absolutely right.

Moving to a big city is no small shift, wow life has its own unique way of preparing you for what’s to come, and I wholeheartedly believe in that. Now that I’m a little more settled, I finally have the time to sit down and type out my thoughts and experiences. This past month alone has given me more growth than the past five years I’ve spent in the UK—and that’s both overwhelming and exciting.

Eid in London

The last time I truly celebrated Eid was back in 2022. Most years, I end up working through it, which I’m honestly okay with, because Eid just doesn’t feel the same without family around anyway.

This year, though, I was planning for my parents and my sister’s family to visit the UK for Eid. At the same time, I had work on my mind, with my skilled worker visa nearing its expiry. I only had two months left, and I knew changes might be coming—but I didn’t expect how soon or how big.

Still, I chose to fully enjoy my time with family. I thought I’d return from the holiday and just go back to my usual work routine. But life had a different plan.

The Unexpected Move to London

I didn’t expect to be relocated, although deep down, I had a feeling something was coming. London wasn't a bad idea, really—the only thing that held me back was knowing it would set back my savings journey. A day before my parents arrived, I got the news: it would be my last day in Bicester. After the holiday, I’d be starting a new chapter in London.

That moment hit me hard. The good and bad memories from Bicester came rushing in. People like Dorota, Greta, and George—they’re each special and a little crazy in their own unique ways. I didn’t get to say a proper goodbye, but somehow, I know I’ll return someday to say hello again.

My parents arrived on 20th March and stayed in Kensington. It felt perfect—since they were already in London, I could move right away. During those first few days at work in London, I was still able to go home to my family at night. That feeling of being able to come home to them—was something I’ll never forget. I was deeply, utterly grateful.

So now, I’ve moved to Central London. Exactly what I had imagined for myself. Sure, the rent is a bit funny for a studio (London prices, right?), but honestly, I feel like I have nothing to lose. I still get to enjoy every bit of the city, and that’s what really matters for someone like me. I don't have to deal with train delays and cancellations. 

There are so many good news came along as I move here also the bad ones...so this post will definitely to be continued...

I promised myself to write more often—and here I am.

My lifelong friend recently came to visit me in the UK. Let's keep it at that, even though she was here to celebrate her wedding anniversary and take some time off work. Oh my days—having close friends to go out with every other weekend, shopping, sightseeing, coffee dates. It feels like a dream because you know you have to be all productive when your friend is in town, squeezing in every moment, since normal days will be filled with everything else life throws your way. That’s what makes it special—you want to make these moments the best ones.

What’s even more special is that we’ve been traveling together since we were 18, mostly around Asia. Who would’ve thought our travel adventures would last this long, now taking us to a different continent? Life has a beautiful way of surprising you.

The first was Fatin in 2021, then Laila in 2022, and now Zulaika in 2025. The list of my lifelong friends visiting will keep growing as long as I’m here.

Let’s get to it.

Day 1 – London

The first thing in the morning was look for a nice breakfast spot. She wanted Eggs Benedict; I just wanted some bread and coffee. We strolled around Carnaby Street, wandering down its colorful lanes until we found Nessa in Soho. It looked nice—comfy, cozy, and welcoming—so we went in. Later, we realized we’d just had breakfast at 1 Warwick, known for its exclusive members-only social and wellbeing spaces. Not bad for a spontaneous choice!

After breakfast, we headed to the famous Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio in Watford Junction. Neither of us are huge Harry Potter fans, but we still enjoyed it because it brought the magic of the series to life. We learned more about how the films were produced, the details behind the sets, and the creative process that shaped it. 

I’d been there before in 2021 with Hanis and Bella, but this time felt different. It made me think—one day, all of this might be gone. Kids today, including me, aren’t as into it anymore. It’s a little sad to think about all that effort fading into the past. Maybe they could update some of the displays with newer technology to keep it fresh. Like how Bicester Village kept things fresh all the time. 

We spent five hours there and caught the last shuttle bus back to the train station, heading to Euston. From there, we made our way to Bayswater for dinner at MedSalleh.

Day 2 – Bath, Spa

I’d been to Bath once before, right after COVID, when not many places were open, not even the Roman Baths. This time, we caught the 10 AM train (because we’re not morning people).Our first stop was the Roman Baths, where we learned about the ancient waters that were once believed to cure any illness and I of course drank it like a holy water. 

We had a couple of Portuguese tarts by the Pulteney Weir, then walked up toward the Royal Crescent. Unfortunately, Bath Abbey was closed for a funeral, so we couldn’t go inside. By 5 PM, we were back on the train to Paddington, arriving around 6 PM—just in time for dinner together with Shaz, the husband before I headed off back to Bicester. 

It was a quick trip for me, but it felt just right because the trips were not really about the places we're going, it's actually the time spent, sharing thoughts and inspirational insights, not to forget the great laughters that make the journey worthwhile. 

Thankyou Ika! 

It’s 2025, let’s start over. 

Qis was tightly committed to getting us queued up. I was at work at the time, and Bella wasn't picking up. Clearly, Qis was fighting this battle on her own. I was only able to reply with short and quick messages. As soon as she got in, we screamed in silence. Since then, we've talked about it almost every day, for the entire year.

Life got in the way; I received offers from different jobs (two different fields), obviously because of how talkative I can be with strangers. I took all of them, and now I'm enjoying every bit of it. The downside is that I didn't have time to prepare for the Miss Americana moment. Qis spent a lot of time on it, and I can see she's much more of a Swiftie than I am. I was still in my Fearless Era, and she probably already figured out the name of the album releasing in 2050.

A week before the Eras Tour, I made a couple of bracelets, but instead of preparing for the Eras Tour, I chose to make them for my colleagues, which was worth it! A day before the Eras Tour, I went out to buy my outfit and grabbed whatever caught my eye first. It saved time and energy, but there was no bargaining at this point, and that was one of the perks I had to bear.

On the day of the tour, I caught an early morning train. The conductor lady told me to run as it was leaving in two minutes. As I got on, another train came from a different lane, which was the one I should have taken. So, I had to travel to Banbury, back to Oxford, and then to Marylebone. That usually takes me an hour became a 2.5-hour journey. I told Qis I wasn’t going to let anything ruin the best day, and I would be happy regardless of how my day started. I took an Uber to get to Qis, and I arrived just on time.

I got ready, put on heels that were sure to ruin my feet, and my outfit was perfect for posing. Queueing up to get inside wasn't as bad as I thought. Maybe I’d had it worse before, or maybe I was just reassuring on everything that day.

Then came the moment I honestly don’t know how to put into words. Pretty much all Swifties said the experience was indescribable, beyond magical. I had ladies complimenting my top; they thought I’d sewn the diamonds on it myself. We exchanged bracelets with other girls before and during the gaps between songs. The girls next to us and I were all glistening with tears while emotionally singing Lover and All Too Well. We danced and jumped to all the other songs, and I had to take multiple of  2-minutes break for my feet. Even so, I would still wear those heels all over again! If Taylor can do it, so can I.

I can't get rid of this vivid memory, I do think about it occasionally while working. I hope it stays fresh! Millions of thankyous to Qis and Bella for the best night! Love you both and I’d repeat these moments again 💜💫

I stargazed and it was a bewitching moment as I realised I have come this far to set for my own freedom. 

It is something that seems insignificant but some people do wish for it. I do remember the days living under the fun rules made by certain people to test our cultural disciplines rather than self disciplines. 

Kids were holding power wearing white collars, acting like a police. They called themselves LDP, I don't even know what that stands for. And there was a minority of us as new comers, hoped to learn another side of the country until it was viewed differently. So, I waited for another two years until the final day, I packed all my things and left without a single goodbye to a single soul. North was not fun. 

I flew to the east-side. 

Comfort food, hilarious and kind people. I was an intense full-marathorner, daily self-training that the official coach put my name on the list without the need to join the team. Didn't know I was good at trail-running until they called my name on the stage couple of times. What an athletic life. Even so, the place itself didn't feel right at that time. So, I waited for another 5 years to get it all done, skipped my convocation day and flew back just to get my bachelor degree scroll. East-side was alright, I would come back for mom's laksa. 

I received a suggestion to move to an Island. Penang. It was almost perfect, I met undeniably crazy colleagues when everyone labelled me as our CFO's niece. So pretty much everything was taken care of. Flew back home every weekends to see friends and family. It was a great time without any constraints. I have friends helped me a lot, they teased me a lot too. But it was way too hot in that island. All year hot and sunny and with what I wore at that time, not the perfect place.

I knew the neighbouring countries will pretty much be the same. I decided to broaden my search for freedom to another continent. The easiest at that time was here. I am sure there is more to come, if it's not different continent, it will be different county of UK. Do I sound like a gypsy....

I am pleased that I am able to decide/do everything on my own even sometimes it scares the shit out of me.