Hello and welcome to Smallest Little Things.
I’m Jia Jia.
If you’ve stumbled upon my little corner of the internet, I’m really glad you’re here.
I was born in Taiwan, grew up in Hong Kong, and later spent several years in the UK for my postgraduate studies and work. Moving between places, languages, and cultures has quietly shaped the way I see the world.
It made me notice things. Not the obvious, postcard kind of things, but the smaller ones. The way people speak, the things they don’t say, and the little habits that feel completely normal to locals, yet slightly unfamiliar to someone else.
From a young age, I’ve been drawn to different cultures, languages, and landscapes. Over the years, I’ve travelled to nearly 30 countries, and each place has left me with its own set of stories, impressions, and small moments that stayed longer than expected.
But for a long time, I didn’t really hold on to them. I moved from place to place, collecting experiences, but not always pausing long enough to write them down or truly keep them. And somewhere along the way, I realised how easy it is for even the most meaningful moments to quietly slip away.
This blog is where I begin to change that.
I first wanted to start this website because my friends would often ask me for travel itineraries, restaurant recommendations, and ideas on where to go. I was always a little surprised by how much they enjoyed them. So I thought, why not share them more widely?
Here, I write about what it feels like to live in and move between different places. Not just where to go, but how a place actually feels, sounds, and moves. Sometimes it’s about language, sometimes culture, sometimes food, and sometimes just a small moment that didn’t seem important at the time, but stayed anyway.
Food, in particular, has always been a big part of how I experience a place. For me, it’s more than just something you eat. It’s a way to understand people and culture. The places I recommend might not always be the most Instagram-worthy, but they are always, without question, worth eating.
I build this place partly to share, but also for myself. Because one day, when I’m much older, I imagine coming back to these pages and quietly smiling at the life I once lived. After all, we only get around 30,000 days, and somehow, that doesn’t feel like a lot.
Everything you see here is created by me…the writing, the photos, the visuals, the little details, everything. It’s my way of making sense of the world, and holding onto the things that might otherwise slip away.
More than anything, I hope that when you’re here, you feel like you’re right alongside me. Whether that’s wandering through a city, sitting in a small café, or simply noticing something you might have otherwise missed.
And maybe, in your own way, you’ll start noticing your own smallest little things too.
With love,
Jia Jia
