The last song I listened to

Losing Haringey - The Clientele. Best listened to after a long day, slumped against the seats of whatever your choice of public transport is.

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The last series I watched

Tatami Time Machine Blues. Tatami Galaxy is my favourite anime so Tatami Time Machine Blues helped me relive those moments.

A book I’d really recommend

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami. The book is broadly about the lived experience of a working-class woman in Japan, explored through the main character and the various other characters. It was written with such bracing sentimentality and perspective, adding to the collective human experience through the power of her prose and realistic characters. In short, it touched me and I really loved it!

The podcast I’m listening to

I like listening to the A24 podcast on Spotify. It’s fun that the guests interview each other and there is a quiet undertone of solidarity through their interactions. Favourite episode is the one with Robert Eggers and Ari Aster. The one with Nathan Fielder was also a fun one.

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My favourite quote

“Hardness and strength are death's companions. Flexibility and softness are the embodiment of life. That which has become hard shall not triumph.”

I think it’s important to stay teachable and to always find it within yourself to assume the best of others. But I mean, we can only try!

The last thing I bought and loved

Nintendo Switch OLED. I have a thing for JRPGs and they are notoriously long. So the portability really comes in handy, especially during my commutes. I have recently completed the first playthrough of Fire Emblem: Three Houses and I’m currently in the midst of completing CrossCode. I personally recommend CrossCode as it’s an innovative game created by a lean team of 2 developers which is impressive and worthy of recognition!

The place that means a lot to me

My room. As a homebody who greatly enjoys his privacy, I have filled my room with my favourite things (apart from my coffee equipment but I would if I could). I’ve got my books, camera, gaming devices, work setup, plants and, of course, my bed. It is greatly comforting to know that I have my room to return to at the end of every day.

View from my room!

When I need to feel inspired

I would first take a moment to rest and recharge. It could be as simple as an early night with no expectations. I find it absolutely necessary to allow my mind and body to reset before filling myself with inspirational ideas. My medium of choice would be films and books. 

I daydream of travelling to

Taiwan, Japan and... maybe Oslo? I think I would enjoy the sights and sounds there. I like to experience life slowly and perhaps I would really find joy in the textural qualities of a laidback lifestyle there!

This is me experiencing Singapore slowly as inspiration for my daydreaming.

The things that I couldn’t do without

I try to maintain my relationship with coffee as a “healthy obsession”. While I relish the curiosities (flavour, aroma) that specialty coffee has to offer, I avoid being dependent on caffeine to be a functioning human being. That said, it has made me very picky with the coffee I drink as I feel the need to make every sip count. All that is to explain why you might catch me bringing coffee beans to the office as I really want to curate my own coffee experience. The anticipation, the ritualistic and at times experimental brewing process and the intentionality of the tasting process are - at least for me - essential to the spiritually and biochemically energising properties of coffee!

My hidden talent is

Photography. I like to think that I’m somewhat talented at it. My very hobbyist photography account on Instagram also only has 32 followers. Of which, half of them are my really sweet friends who probably followed me out of pity. So I think it is also pretty hidden.

My favourite movie is

Portrait of a Lady on Fire. I vividly remember watching this in The Projector, awkwardly sprawled on a beanbag, trying to not step on the people in the row below. It was my first time at The Projector and by extension, also my first time watching a non-GV/Cathay/Shaw movie in the cinema.  I was blown away and I watched every video I could find about it on the internet. There have been many more favourites thereafter but this would be the first of my favourites!

I am most looking forward to‍

Getting better at everything I do (unlocking milestones)!