I am supposed to write the outline of my upcoming presentation about news writing, but here I am — blogging again.
I simply have no time to write content for my blog due to the craziness in recent months. Even though I have grand concepts and exciting topics, sadly, they all remain in my mind. Instead, I save the writing techniques or storytelling methods I’ve been wanting to employ in my blogs for my work-related articles. Actually, I’ve just visited a blog on folktales around the world–surely it is another inspiration for a blog challenge. I need to read more…
Anyway, another year has passed so quickly! One year and one day ago, I spoke about how I aimed to start my 30s by living in the present. Have I truly done that in the year that went by? Before I move on to writing the next paragraph, let me read that piece first…
Started at 2.05 pm.
Finished at 2.09 pm.
I’m chuckling now. My “birthday food” yesterday–shrimp pasta–was the same meal I had in 2020. Two years in a row! But yesterday’s was without a tequila shot because I brought home the pasta, together with a McDonald’s chicken bucket, and enjoyed the simpleness of eating alone. Again, I video-called my sister, the only difference this year was she was with my sister-in-law and our newest arrival, my niece from my youngest brother. How lovely.
Yesterday, I had two McFlurries. I craved ice cream because I had been on a diet since I began my workouts last year. There has been a considerable difference in my physique, which is cool, but more than the feel-good look-good thing, going on exercise almost four times a week has truly been da bomb as it regulated my thoughts during downtimes and stressed moments.
To the message of last year’s piece: living in the present. Did I really do it? In retrospect, I might have done it. Although I felt overwhelmed by so many emotions (perhaps due to homesickness, loneliness, mental tiredness from work, and so many other things), I managed to keep quiet and practice reflection during hard times. I’ve finished several books since then, the most thrilling being The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz and Quanzhi Gaoshou (The King’s Avatar), and currently reading a (boring) book about resilience (in organizations and nature)–I haven’t reached the part about people, and now I’m just forcing myself to hold on because there may be fresh nuggets of inspiration from that part on–and plan to engage in books about folklore (inspired by a book about Chinese idioms).
Another welcome development is my new (second-hand) PlayStation 4 and a new projector (that had no power cord when I bought it). I just love it because I can play Tekken 7, especially after working out. During weekends, I have a home cinema–thanks Netflix! I thought that purchasing these items would lead me to sloth, but actually no! Sometimes, I just feel so tired to open my PS4 that I head to bed instead because sleep is the elixir of adults.
I’ve also cut down on unnecessary social media chats and regulated my doomscrolling — whenever I can feel something will trigger me, I stop looking at it and instead move on to see cute animals.
—
I stopped writing from the previous paragraph to listen to the Japanese city pop song “Remember Summer Days” — similar bops have notoriously sad lyrics (“Plastic Love” and “真夜中のドア Stay With Me” say hello!), but this song is surprisingly poignant yet forward-looking. This translated verse resonates a lot with me:
Remember summer days
They will never come back again.
Even my memories are being washed away in the waves.
Oh, I love you…
I can’t forget you but
In winter, I will love again.
Such powerful imagery. We have happy, yet temporary moments in our heyday (just like what I am having now) and they’ll end up being part of our memories. What’s striking is the presence of hope even in the coldest of days.
The second chorus reads:
Remember summer days
Summer is disappearing
The rain showers brought you away
Oh, I love you…
I won’t forget you but
Next summer, I’ll come here again.
Oh, what a fleeting feeling. “Next summer, I’ll be back again.” Is it just a mistranslation? At first reading, that line can express the longingness of the singer–that she knows she will be back to square one, hence the cycle of remembering the summer days. But I’d like to interpret it as a declaration of strength and moving on. Who knows?
—
Yesterday, on my anniversary, coincided with my second vaccine jab. I told my mom and sister that the dose might be a “birthday gift” because it could signal the moving on from a distressful year, plus the hope that things would go better now. It could be, right? There’s so much to process from the happenings of recent months, but I am always thankful that I, my family, and my close friends are alive and well–this is what matters!
To follow my “practice” of defining my next year with a quote, let me share this one from The Good Quote on Instagram:
Getting rest is crucial. We all know it. I’ve been on the go for a long time, so slowing down is good. Munching on ice cream after a long period of diet and workout is so amazing–I needed that occasional sugar rush! Playing Tekken for one hour almost every night, with extreme moderation to get off the daily grind of work stress, is awesome–it brings me back to my early 2000s self who found happiness and relaxation by playing this video game despite the losses (in tournaments and money). Spending less time on social media is awesome–I value quality and reflective moments with people I value the most. Remembering summer days is awesome–but as the song expresses, heydays do not last long and are often recalled with nostalgia–but moving on, especially towards winter, and to the next summer days, with hope and optimism for exciting times, is much better.
Now, I’ve just finished this piece; an energizing creative break! I’m about to move on to my task today: prepare for my presentation on Monday.