Hey! It’s been awhile 🫣
I hope you enjoyed reading Ezekiel’s letter. Thank you Eze for your words and wisdom. If you haven’t already, send them some love via Instagram here. If you’re London-based, check out their exhibition at Satellite Gallery on Fri 2 Feb.
Before I forget! Happy 1-month anniversary to Out Of Hours 🤓. I shared my first letter on a whim on the 16th of December and here we are on letter #6. Thank you to everyone who is subscribed and to those lurking (I see you).
We’ve got some exciting takeovers coming up over the next few weeks (and months) with people based in the UAE, Canada, France and England. Thank you to everyone who has expressed interest and is contributing their time (and energy) <3
Before we continue, I would love to ask you a couple of questions:
Life updates
Last week, I realised 2024 is going to be the silliest year yet. I trekked to Al Rigga (Dubai’s little Manila) to get a tattoo of a Sonny Angel and I unboxed 8(!) Sonny Angels my friend bought for me in Japan. Am I making Sonny Angels my entire personality? Maybe.
I also finished reading Boy Parts on the metro - which I don’t recommend doing. I spent the entire journey feeling super paranoid that the person next to me was reading my Kindle. To be quite honest - I’m not sure how I feel about the book, but if I could only describe it in 3 words, I would say: chaotic, unhinged & narcissistic. If that’s your thing, give it a go.
Is 2024 is going to be my year? 🤭 As of now, a FIFTEEN year karmic cycle is coming to an end because Pluto is finally leaving Capricorn. Will 2024 be transformative (in a good way)?
Thoughts from my Notes App
A note on why I love (and miss) benches
I live in Dubai now, which means it’s extremely rare that I have the opportunity to sit outside on a bench. Why? Because:
Most of the time it’s 40+ degrees
There’s not enough public benches
There’s not a lot of public green spaces
You rarely walk = you go from the car to your destination
I miss it so much.
It has always been part of my daily routine (usually with coffee involved).
In Brighton, before going into the office, I would stop off at a café to grab an oat flat white and sit on a bench for at least 30 min before starting my day.
When I was WFH, I would jump out of bed and head down to Ground (my local café) to grab yet another oat flat white. I would often go for a short stroll along the seafront, then sit on my bench at St George’s Church. Yes, even when it was windy, cold and rainy.
During lockdown, I’d do the exact same - except that weird time when it was illegal to sit on a bench thanks to BJ.
It’s always been the way for me to stay grounded.
I would often be alone and have the most wonderful (and sometimes weird or awkward) conversations with strangers.
10 reasons why I love public benches:
It’s the perfect place to clear your mind
You can take a moment to be still (while the city keeps moving)
I tend to have an influx of ideas
The perfect place to people-watch (and eavesdrop)
It’s grounding
There’s often dogs/cats lurking around and birds chirping in the trees (or aggressive seagulls trying to eat your pain au chocolat)
An oat flat white tastes better on a bench
You have conversations with strangers
Enjoying fresh air is restorative (yes, even if it’s -1, raining or windy)
You’re alone, but not really alone
ICYMI
Brace Yourself, The Noughties Skull Scarf Is Being Raised From The Dead
Very important news, obvs. According to VOGUE, the skull scarf is back. A trend I will be supporting.
The Rediscovery Of Circadian Rhythms (Noema)
An explosion of interest in our internal clocks is helping people lead more balanced, productive and longer lives. But will it lead to societal change?
This one is super interesting. It’s all about our obsession with our circadian rhythm.
I sat in pitch black for DAYS to find mental clarity and here's why I implore you to try your own ‘darkness retreat’ (Glamour)
It’s an ancient spiritual practice, the purpose of which is sensory deprivation which allows you to more easily reach altered states of consciousness and increase clarity and insights… apparently.
Would you sit in a dark room alone for a prolonged period of time?
Apparently ‘darkness retreats’ can help lower anxiety, depression and stress. It can also increase melatonin production, promoting deep sleep.
I’m certainly curious… but I don’t know if I’ll be adding this one to my list anytime soon.
My FYP
I’ve spent quite a lot of time on TikTok over the past couple of weeks, so here are a few things I haven’t stopped thinking about. I know quite a few of you aren’t on TikTok (shame on you), so this is for all you TikTok-haters out there.
Should we be worried about Gen Alpha?
Forget about trying to keep up with Gen Z, I’m more concerned about the Gen Alphas we - millennials - are breeding. I’m equally fascinated and confused by this generation.
Here’s some of the things I’ve learnt:
They are obsessed with Stanley cups
They are obsessed with Drunk Elephant (!?!?!)
They think voice notes are lame
Slay is out (sorry girlies)
GYAT means Girl Your Booty Thick
Ballet students are requesting to dance to Pound Town
People are using TikTok to pick the perfect baby name
Somehow I’ve ended up baby name TikTok - I’m not sure how or why, but I’m intrigued. Want your baby’s name to be inspired by the sun? or vegetables? or fruit?
The UK are locking up cheese
Someone please tell me this isn’t true (sigh).
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What to watch this week
The Happiest Guy in the World
This guy is apparently ‘The Happiest Guy in the World’. He has spent 20+ years living on a cruise ship, escaping the mundanity of everyday life and has created his own reality. Alright for some…
A special day in the early summer of a 29-year-old country life that starts at 5 am
Wholesome.
Day in the Life of a Small Farm
YouTube has been suggesting a lot of farm content, and I’m not complaining. I hope I can live on a farm one day (and looks like lots of people do - this video has 2.1M views).
Things you should keep on your radar
All of Us Strangers
I’m (not so) patiently waiting to be able watch this. Here’s my fave Letterboxd review:
(P.S you can add me on Letterboxd @fairygal)
CUTE
I wish I was in London for this.
Based in London, and in need a dose of dopamine to cure your January blues? Go check out CUTE - a new major exhibition at Somerset House. The exhibition opens on 25 Jan and explores the world’s obsessions with cuteness.
Overcooked
This has been all over my FYP for weeks now.
I highly recommend playing this with your partner, lover or friend. However, I must warn you - things will get heated. What I’ve learnt? Communication is key, my angels.
Twin Love
I binged this in 48 hours.
Need some easy, trash TV to watch this week? Maybe you’re severely hungover? Rotting in bed after a day of sending passive aggressive messages on Teams? This one is for you. It’s quite similar to Love Island, except it’s American co-dependant twins looking for their ‘twin love’.
The Iron Claw
Heart-breaking. The Iron Claw is based on a true (extremely tragic) story about the Von Erich brothers. I won’t give anything else away, but Jeremy Allen stans will enjoy this one.
FYI, you can read last week’s newsletter here.
Fancy taking over Out of Hours? Once a month, a friend (or stranger) will take over Out of Hours. All you need to do is reply to this email 💋