Well, that’s it, folks. Q1 is over (I’m a few weeks late, I know), and it’s officially Spring. How are we feeling? Tired? Excited? Wobbly? All of the above?
The last couple of weeks have been full-on - a lunar eclipse, a solar eclipse, and Mercury in retrograde… The change of season brings change (whether you like it or not!). The end of Q1 calls for some ✨reflection✨ time, so here are some things I’ve been thinking about recently.
For me, there’s definitely a need for a change in pace, routine, and rituals (more on that later). But spring calls for: eating loads of veggies, keeping our crusty skin hydrated, taking things slow, and spending time in nature (where possible).
Thoughts from my Notes App
Notes on Offline Learning and Shifting Routines
As Dubai's summer approaches, routines shift - we spend less time outdoors
(unless you’re submerged in a pool) and 90% of the day confined indoors. So it’s understandable to fall into a bit of a slump during this time - where your days revolve around commuting to and from work, sleeping, and counting down the days until you can escape to the other side of the world for a breath of fresh air.
What’s interesting is that since I moved to Dubai, the transitions between seasons aren’t as obvious as they were back in Brighton. In the UK, the signs were clear: flowers begin to bloom, everyone starts flocking to the beach, and oat flat whites turn into iced oat lattes (though for me, iced is a year-round choice). However, here in Dubai, the city becomes drowsy; the air is heavy with humidity, lethargy sets in, and it seems as though the entire city is in transit.
To avoid the impending slump, I’ve made the decision to sign up for a pottery course. Reflecting, I realised I haven’t signed up for anything like this since childhood(!) - so that needs to change. I’ve always been a creature of habit, finding solace in routine (it’s practically a mode of survival). Yet, as comforting as routine may be, it can also be monotonous. Balancing my routine and trying something new has always been a challenge for me - it’s either extreme chaos or a rigid routine - no in-between.
Plus, I do believe learning is key to maintaining our sanity in this wild world. Considering I spend 90% of my time glued to one of my many devices, I thought I should give “offline learning” a try. Plus, apparently using your hands is good for your brain?
I might be terrible, I might be amazing - but that doesn’t matter. The point is to avoid the inevitable slump, try something new, and keep my brain healthy. I’m hoping to keep a little diary and share my reflections with you— with the hope of either inspiring myself to do it again or encouraging you to try something new.
And as I look ahead to Q2, life will involve more:
Wearing colourful clothes (Note: for those who don’t me - my wardrobe for the past 16 years has been 99% black so this is a big deal)
Healthy doses of dopamine (suggestions welcome!)
Coffee or matcha dates
Pinterest scrolling
Early nights and a long bedtime routine
Trying new offline activities
Sitting in the sun, even if I have sweat dripping down my face (oh, and applying SPF!)
ICYMI
It’s Not Cute To Dissociate, Despite What the Internet Makes It Look Like
While it might make people struggling with dissociation feel more seen, mental health buzzwords also run the risk of diluting their lived experiences – making it important to understand what dissociation really means
In this article, Devrupa Rakshit dives into what “dissociation” really means. You might have noticed “dissociation” getting tossed around a lot online lately. It’s become somewhat of a buzzword that people use, often casually, without understanding the meaning, which can undermine those who have lived-experience of dissociation.
Ending a Friendship Over Taylor Swift
Our choice of celebrity, and how we publicly share or perform our standom, has replaced, he says, other defining values that can both foster community and dismantle relationship.
I am not Swiftie, sorry. But do you think it’s fair to end a friendship due to having different opinions on Taylor Swift? This article (which I found quite amusing) talks about all the friendships that have ended over heated debates between hardcore Swifties and Swiftie haters.
The divided self: does where I live make me who I am?
But I learnt that, wherever we go, we change as individuals; my memories of my time in Frankfurt are very much governed by the interiors of the flat I lived in, whereas my memories of home, where my heart lives, are boundless – even if I can sometimes feel like a tourist there, observing the very life I’ve woven myself into.
This one may resonate with those who have multiple homes and those who have fragments of themselves in various corners of the world.
In this essay, Anandi Mishra questions “does where I live make me who I am?”. I absolutely loved reading this.
What to watch this week
Restaurants at the Edge of the World
If you like food and adventures, this one is for you. Kristen Kish travels the world to restaurants in remote locations.
Big Mood
If you like Nicola Mary Coughlan (from Derry Girls) and shows about women in their 20s - this one is for you.
Palm Royale
I’ve been loving this. It gives me vibes similar to Desperate Housewives, but with a 1960s Palm Beach twist. There’s a healthy balance of drama, comedy and glam.
Things you should have on your radar
Bodaega
As you’ve probably figured out now, I love bakeries. This one in Mexico, looks delicious.
A diaspora of memories runs through this poetry collection—a multiplicity of voices, bodies, and houses hold archival material for one another, tracing paths between Brooklyn, Beirut, and Jerusalem. Boundaries and borders blur between space and time and poetic form—small banal moments of daily life live within geopolitical brutalities and, vice versa, the desire for stability lives in familiarity with displacement.
I just discovered this beautiful collection of poetry by Palestinian-American Hala Alyan.
"No Judgement" is a collection of essays by Lauren Oyler, an American literary critic, diving into the importance of cultural criticism in our fast-changing world.
I’m off to Paris in June, so I’ve been hunting for the best cafés so I don’t suffer from coffee withdrawals. This one in Le Marais looks very cute.
If you love photobooks, Japan, design and 🚽 you’re going to love this book.
Photographer Daido Moriyama documented the toilets created as part of The Tokyo Toilet Project, which involved transforming 17 public toilets in Tokyo with the help of architects and designers from around the world.
I’ve been obsessing over these baby prints of food (particularly this tiny cute pickle jar).
Grand Joanne
Right now, I'm lounging on the sofa in my PJs, daydreaming about experiencing golden hour from this bed in Copenhagen.
Their mouths were full of bumblebees but it was me who was pollinated
I’m very sad to be missing Soufiane Ababri’s exhibition at The Barbican. Their mouths were full of bumblebees but it was me who was pollinated explores questions of desire, queerness, and diaspora. Read his interview with Hero magazine here and Something Curated here.
It’s a dream of mine to stay in a treehouse, and this one in Tulum, hidden in the jungle, looks dreamy.
I’ve always found it quite fascinating to hear about what everyone eats for breakfast and the various morning rituals that have been adopted across the world. This new cookbook, Zao Fan: Breakfast of China, explores the huge variety of dishes 1.4 billion people eat every morning. Michael Zee (who you may know as @symmetrybreakfast) travelled around China, hunting down the very best versions of these morning favourites and recreating them at home so that you can too.
You can never go wrong with an English countryside getaway. Holm is a farm-to-fork restaurant and has cute guest rooms (see pictured above). Working with local farmers, growers and butchers, the team at Holm have created a menu driven by the seasons, the environment and the beautiful Somerset countryside.
Le Barn
Here’s another countryside stay on my list. A 45-minute drive from Paris, Le Barn is a countryside hotel tucked in the woods of Chevreuse Valley.
White Villa
This little house in Hoi An, Vietnam, is so dreamy. They also have a very cute cafe ☕️
FYI, you can read past letters here.
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