it's been a month!
I checked the timestamp of my last post and was shocked to find it had been over a month since I last posted anything. Miss Taylor was right when she said August slipped away into a moment in time.
Although I'd like to relay every thought and experience I've had in the past month as someone who has to document everything or else she'll die, having to comb through each memory receptacle on my phone seems overwhelming, so I won't do that. But I hope the stress of this self-imposed, clearly ignorable task motivates me to write a bit more often.
I was in Singapore recently for a large family reunion, which we do every August and always in a different place. I didn't grow up seeing my dad's extended family, so it's very weird and fun to slowly get to know them better every year. My friends find it funny when they learn we have to wear name tags at our family reunions, but that's just how it is. (I memorize everyone at this point though!)
I don't mean to, but I can't help but compare them to my mom's side of the family sometimes. I grew up with my mom's side where I'm among the youngest of the cousins, and mostly milled about with the other youngest girls by default during weekly, then monthly get-togethers. Now that I'm older, the aunts, uncles, and older cousins feel more comfortable talking to me like an adult, but we don't share many common topics of interest.
In contrast, I relate well to more of my relatives on my dad's side β weebish, geeky cousins and worldly, sassy, bookish aunties β and I look forward to these few gatherings where I can talk to them. The sense of humor is a better match, I think thanks to similar media influences. It's amusing to observe my aunties and uncles talk to my kid (second) cousins like almost adults, but that was the way I wanted to be talked to when I was younger, and it's translated well to how they speak to me now. I don't feel like I have to sand myself down for them.
However, most of my dad's family is shy to approach and can need alcohol as social lubricant β and even then, they might just casually pass you in favor of someone they know if they have nothing much to say to you. That is where my mom's family shines: Everyone will say hello and make an effort to engage, even if they don't really get what it is you're up to at the moment. The warmth is palpable and sincere, and can sometimes totally make up for the vibe mismatch.
Since I got back from Singapore I've had a nasty cold. (Airports.) It's rare for me to be sick as long as I've been this time around β which is a great thing I hope to keep up for as long as I can β but as someone who recovers way too quickly from illness before she even gets to savor a sick day, I'm relishing in the fact that I am audibly not well and thus have a clear reason to take it easier. (One should not need to justify a break to themselves, and yet.) My boss has been very kind and allowed me to take more remote days than usual.
Speaking of work: I'm about a month away from finishing up at my job, and I honestly can't wait. I love my coworkers, but there's something about a period of your life making way for a new one that makes me restless. The potential! The autonomy! It could be just as dull as the period before it, but I don't know that yet, and I'd like not to think that way. I'm just happy to be looking forward to it!
singapore highlights
- Burnt Ends - The appetizers at this restaurant were so good I had no room for the main course. The inside decor was also really pretty β big hanging lightbulbs and writing desks and little trinkets in glass cases.
- Plaza Singapura - I met up with a friend at Singapore and she brought me here, because there were anime stores + Daiso! I bought some cute stickers at Daiso, but none of the anime stuff really spoke to me. We had lunch at a cute Korean restaurant.
- Kind Kones - My family and I had gluten-free ice cream in their very well-lit shop. I remember us talking and laughing a lot but I forget what about.
- Kinokuniya (in Takashimaya on Orchard) - I bought six books and a magazine here. IT'S HUGE. I went twice in four days and wanted to just camp out. I wish I lived near a bookshop with as diverse a selection as this store.
mini media diary
Books I've loved (I'm also on Storygraph now):
- Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
- Crying in H-Mart
- The Most Precious Substance on Earth
Songs I can't stop listening to:
Stuff I've been watching:
- I finished the Owl House! It was fun.
- Ah, I watched the Barbie movie last July! I liked it!
Other things:
- I've been playing a lot of logic puzzles. I'm trying to get my speed down and accuracy high β so far my record for the 3x4 casual ones is 37 seconds.
- Been neglecting my usual insanities (fictional characters and my silly little site) because of this recent uptick in reading and social activity, but I'm getting back to it. Media I create is media too, I guess!