At the beginning of the month, I visited Beijing, NYC, and Kona, and I got back to Philly the third week of January, but it still feels like I just got back! I haven’t adjusted back from Kona’s time zone, which is five hours behind Philly. I keep going to bed around midnight but not falling asleep until 2:30-3:00AM. Adjusting back from Beijing’s time zone was much better (which is 13 hours ahead of Philly). Luckily I don’t have a rigorous schedule so I can afford sleeping in, though that’s probably why I haven’t yet adjusted. Maybe staying up until 6:00AM to finish up this blog post will set me back on track. Or will it only make it worse?? I think I’m getting a bit delirious. Please enjoy the rest of the post that I wrote earlier this morning, before the onset of delirium.
Read
(This photo is peak bookstagramming for me. I mean, A photo of the short story “The Waves” from Ken Liu’s collection The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories over the waves in Hawaii??)
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden // ★★★★☆ // This Russian fairy tale is not a watered-down Disney retelling. There’s conflict as traditional fairy tales and modern religion meet. There’s darkness to the harsh winter. And of course, there’s magic — what fairy tale doesn’t have a bit of that? The atmospheric writing made me feel as if I was reading a fairy tale of my own — not just reading about a fairy tale. (Full review on Tumblr)
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu // ★★★★☆ // This collection transcends genres, being historical, futuristic, and fantastical. My favourite stories were ones that had Asian-American themes, such as “The Paper Menagerie,” “All the Flavours,” and “The Literomancer.” I also enjoyed “Good Hunting.” (Full review on Tumblr)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling // ★★★★★ // This was my second time reading the book. I remembered it being more difficult to get through than it turned out to be, to my delight. Upon this reread, I was able to appreciate this book for being a turning point in the series, transitioning the series from children’s books to young adult books. Umbridge is this most horrid antagonist ever written. (Full review on Tumblr)
Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman // ★★★☆☆ // I thoroughly enjoyed the film so I had high hopes for the novel, but I couldn’t get behind how the Elio in the novel was so obsessive over Oliver. Perhaps it wasn’t any different from the film, but the film felt a little more romantic to me. Perhaps the cinematography distracted me from that obsessive nature. The novel was a little much for me — too obsessive, too graphic, and at times, too pretentious. (Full review on Tumblr)
I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella // ★★★☆☆ // I really did not like the characters for the majority of the novel, which made it a little difficult to get through, and the minor characters were flat. However, there was Sophie Kinsella’s signature character development to look forward to and I did quite like the end, so I finished the book with a good feeling. This book is very readable, as Sophie Kinsella books reliably are, so this is a good option for a light read. To be published February 5. (Full review on the blog)
To be read
(If you caught up earlier this week on my update about small changes I’m making, you’d know that I’ve started writing monthly TBRs. Monthly TBRs are a great way to work through your TBR, like your Goodreads TBR or something, which can otherwise get overwhelming. They’re also a great way to motivate you to keep reading as you can see the books you have to look forward to.)
My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg // Ever since watching RBG (her documentary) on the plane last month, I’ve been curious to learn more about this amazing woman. I have yet to watch On the Basis of Sex, but I got a hold of her memoir My Own Words from the library.
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi // Whilst at the library, I found this book on my TBR available, so I quickly snatched it up. I heard so much about it last year, all good things, so I’m surprised it was available in the library and I’m excited to dive in, especially as I’ve been wanting to get back into reading fantasy.
Someday Is Not a Day in the Week by Sam Horn // My daily routine is pretty relaxed at the moment, so it’s easy for me to put things off. This upcoming title intrigued me and hopefully it’ll give me a kick in the butt. To be published March 12.
Becoming by Michelle Obama // I ordered a copy off Amazon because I couldn’t ~find~ a copy online and the library waitlist was six months long. My friend said the memoir was great and would be worth the purchase. I’ve heard nothing but good things. I’m ready to be a changed woman!
The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger // I was inspired by Evie x Evie Jayne to set a reading goal of one classic a month. There are quite a few classics from the American English curriculum that I haven’t read because I studied at an international school in Beijing. My roomie had a copy of The Catcher in the Rye in our apartment, so I decided to start there.
Films/shows
My show of the month was Tidying Up with Marie Kondo; I binged all eight episodes in two days! I read her book January of last year to see what the hype was about. Upon finishing it, I understood why her book was such a phenomenon but I personally thought it was a little overrated. I thought that this already-short book could have been even shorter, perhaps summed up in a detailed blog post, and some practices she shared were a bit out there for me. However, I was still intrigued by her show, because I love watching reality shows involving transformations. Not only did I enjoy the show (I love organising and seeing things getting organised), but it also helped me better understand and appreciate her and her book. Now all I need is a Marie Kondo and Fab 5/Queer Eye collaboration!
The other Netflix shows everyone has been talking about that I decided to give a try were Fyre and Sex Education even though neither intrigued me very much initially. I had never heard of the Fyre Festival before, but I found the documentary pretty interesting and fun to watch. Man was that a great example for, “If you’re in a hole, don’t keep digging!” I kinda wanna watch Fyre Fraud on Hulu but I’m not subscribed. I heard that they’re different and offer new insights from the other. As for Sex Education, I didn’t get into it and didn’t finish the first episode.
Some other Netflix shows I watched were Kim’s Convenience, Yummy Mummies, and one episode of 7 Days Out (the Chanel episode). Kim’s Convenience was funny, but I need to be in a particular mood to watch sitcoms so I’ll probably be working my way very slowly. Yummy Mummies was a guilty pleasure; it’s fun watching rich people. I really enjoyed the Chanel episode of 7 Days Out, which detailed the seven days building up to Chanel’s SS18 haute couture fashion show. The other episodes of the docuseries covered the Westminster Dog Show, Eleven Madison Park, NASA’s Cassini Mission, Kentucky Derby, and League of Legends tournament, none of which I watched.
Some films I watched on the plane this month were McQueen, Colette, The Philadelphia Story, Isle of the Dogs, A Little Princess (a rewatch of a childhood favourite), Night School, Central Intelligence, and Nobody’s Fool.
Music
I’m seeing Tom Odell on April 19! I was supposed to see him October 2016, but the venue changed to a 21+ venue after I bought the tickets, and at the time I wasn’t yet 21. It worked out okay though. The venue gave me the option of getting my money back or exchanging my tickets for another show. I ended up exchanging my tickets to see James Vincent McMorrow and even got a plus one. Anywho, I’m happy to finally see Tom Odell. His tickets went up by $10 since the last time I bought his tickets, so I guess he’s gaining traction in the States! I got his $25 tickets for $20 with a promo code, but after services fees and whatnot, I paid $26-something.
I’m also trying to see Jacob Banks on February 20, but I want to find someone to go with. I love how resonant his voice is and I love his growl. His tickets are $22!
Currently listening to: “WILD” – dijon, “Stolen Moments” – Cautious Clay, “Nights Like This” – Kehlani ft. Ty Dolla Sign (on repeat!!), “Honesty” – Pink Sweat$
Spendings
I didn’t buy any clothes this month (yay me!), albeit I did shop my mom’s closet before coming back from holiday. So instead, I thought it’d be interesting to log and share my spendings. As I mentioned earlier this week in my update about small changes I’m making, I’ve started tracking my spendings to relieve guilt about necessary spendings and notice unnecessary spendings.
Monthlies – 54% // Rent, internet, electric.
Transportation – 10% // Roundtrip Megabus ticket to NYC, Metrocard, SEPTA train, Lyft. I started using Lyft a lot more this month because I got a gym membership and have been swimming 3x/wk… for 1.5 weeks LOL; 31% of my transportation spendings went towards Lyfting to and from the gym. I didn’t need to reload my card for the SEPTA bus this month, so no spendings went toward that.
Groceries – 9%
Coffee – 2% // I bought five coffees this month. I usually only ever buy coffee if I’m working at a cafe. I don’t buy morning coffees just to get the day started anymore. If I do need a morning boost, I might mix up some instant coffee at home. But I haven’t really needed to force myself to perk up with coffee because I’m on my own schedule and just work according to my energy level. Perhaps that’s a bit lackadaisical though.
Bubble tea – 1% // My own spendings on bubble tea are only so low because my roomie keeps buying it for me. Honestly so blessed. And spoilt. Whenever either of us are in Chinatown, we always buy each other bubble tea (we’ve memorised each other’s orders), but she’s out a lot more often than I am.
Food – 4% // Food besides groceries, coffee, or bubble tea — as in, eating out. 4% seems like a low percentage, but I spent 9% on groceries, so if we compare those two stats, 4% doesn’t feel all that low anymore. Hmm I don’t know how I feel about this. I ate out six times. I guess 6 out of 93 meals this month isn’t so bad, or 6 out of 62 if I’m assuming I skip breakfast more often than I eat it (only because I wake up late and eat late).
Other – 20% // Last minute gift shopping, Becoming by Michelle Obama, yarn for knitting, Moleskin notebook, Tom Odell tickets, gym membership. 52% of my miscellaneous spendings went towards my 3-month gym membership, so I actually did pretty well in this department!
My spendings totaled to approximately $1400 this month, but January’s spendings might be a little irregular because I was on holiday with family for about a week this month (and two weeks last month), during which my parents paid for all expenses. I think that tracking my spendings will be more interesting once I’m able to compare between months.
Wish List
You can always count on bloggers to tempt your wallets. I’ve got Rebecca x From Roses to thank for eyeing the Olive elderflower embroidered babydoll dress and Carly x Carly the Prepster to thank for eyeing the Sézane Valentine shirt. Does anyone know whether Sézane does sales, and if so, when??
I’ve been into white blouses lately. My current closet favourite is the Madewell seamed button-up blouse I bought last September. I brought it with me on holiday in Hawaii at the beginning of January, but otherwise haven’t pulled it out much because it’s short-sleeved and it’s winter, but it’s still my favourite. I’ve been wearing a lot of grey sweaters and turtlenecks.
Lately
I welcomed in the New Year from home with family in Beijing. During my last days in Beijing before I would fly back to Philly, I had some fun bonding time with my youngest brother Danny. I found my half-finished scarf from years ago, finished it up, and gifted the lumpy thing to him, which he graciously wore. You can see the leftover yarn dangling off the end that I hadn’t trimmed down haha. The photo after was us trying on the face masks we bought in Japan. I think it was his first face mask ever.
I had a few days in Philly before I would fly off for Kona, Hawaii for the last travel of the holiday and had intended to keep those precious few days low-key, but my friend Thomas was visiting the east coast for the first time and it had been yearsss since we’d been in the same city, so I made a day trip to NYC. We met up at City Bakery before roaming elsewhere. I had been wanting to check out City Bakery ever since I saw their hot chocolates with massive homemade marshmallows on Instagram. It was incredibly indulgent (the hot chocolate was like European drinking chocolate) and I didn’t even get close to finishing it. But I would totally get it again; I’ll just have to mentally prepare myself for it next time. If you want the hot chocolate for the gram, I’d recommend getting it in a paper to-go cup; the design is more interesting.
Then I was off to Kona, where I met up with my parents; my brothers were back in school by then, so they were left out of the trip. My dad and I tagged onto my mom’s business trip. I had intended to be adventurous in Kona, take a ton of scenic photos, and have a wonderful recap on the blog, but I ended up spending most of my time on the balcony of our hotel room, right by the ocean, reading a book and occasionally looking up to take pictures of the sky. I have no regrets though! Reading by the ocean was so peaceful, and it made me realise that you don’t need much in life to be happy, albeit I was staying at a fancy resort. The other major activity in Kona was perhaps shopping at Target and Walmart. I got a foam flower to clip in my hair, some snacks (I wish I brought back more Island Lava coconut and pecan brittle), and lots of coconut water.
A week back in Philly, I caught up with Louise and spent quality time with her Scottish Fold Earl as well (if y’all want to follow this cutie on Instagram, he’s @earl______grey!). I also caught up with Bomi (we ordered Domino’s to my apartment), and my roomie Georgina and I caught up with Victoria together. We invited Victoria over to cook and eat dinner together instead of going out for a meal. We made the French onion soup I shared in my last Friday Favourites, and when we split the cost for the groceries, it came to only $13 each. I’d definitely like to host more small evenings like this! Quality time on a low budget — what’s not to like?
Some small apartment updates from when I first moved in: I hung up my aerium for it to get more sun, and I finally laid out my second windowsill. I love how my art corner is coming together, though you might notice a strange blank space there. I had a koala illustration my friend made for me up there, but it kept falling down, so I decided to place it on a shelf instead, and I haven’t shifted anything else on the wall yet. As for the windowsill, it’s home to the notebooks I reach for the most often, a new letter board that Georgina gifted to me for Christmas, a hedgehog stuffie that Georgina gifted to me last Christmas, a new Totoro stuffie that my friend Kat won for us from a Christmas giveaway on Instagram (she has her own Totoro stuffie as well), a pretty stemless wine glass filled with stationary, a repurposed Parisian biscuit tin that I swiped from home over the holidays that’s now filled with hair accessories, two of the five books I own, jewelry boxes, and a new light box that Mei x Ice Pandora gifted to me for Christmas.
I took a little OOTD whilst out running errands, featuring my yellow Barbour raincoat, my yellow Fjällräven Kånken, and my yellow 旺旺 cracker. Just wanted to share that little bright spot.
Just two days ago we had a flash snow storm in Philly. I happened to be indoors, catching up with Louise again over lunch after a swim. The following days were freezing, but it looks like the temperatures are supposed to warm up this weekend!
How’s the beginning of 2019 shaping up for you?
- Has anyone read and watched Call Me By Your Name? Thoughts?
- Has anyone watched the episode of 7 Days Out covering Chanel’s SS18 haute couture fashion show? I haven’t heard anything about it from anyone but I feel like people would enjoy it.
- Anyone listen to Tom Odell or Jacob Banks? I’m so excited for their concerts!
- Also interested in hearing anything about anyone’s spending habits. I have no sense of what’s normal.
PS: january 2018, january 2017