Newsletter Issue #19
catching up with friends and catching the best movie of the year
Newsletter Issue #19: 13th to 19th December 2021
1. What happened this week
This week was packed full of social engagements. It was great to catch up with both old and new friends, especially since opportunities to meet up have been severely curbed in the last two years. I got to try a lot of interesting food as well, which was great for my tummy but bad on my wallet and health.
I started off the week with a short run with Mr Bao. It was clear from this excursion that I had lost much of the running progress I had made from 2018 to 2019. Midweek, I tried some exquisite tonkatsu at a coffee shop for lunch. Mr Bao and I then went for an opening day showing of Spiderman: No Way Home. I now have the overwhelming urge to watch every single Marvel production in the order in which they were released. On Thursday, I caught up with old friends over a dinner at Brotzeit. The food was good, though not suited to the tastes of my compatriots (p.s. if you guys are reading this, y’all pickle non-believers!😋). Post dinner, with most shops in town closing early, we decided to see the Christmas light-up along Orchard Road. Sitting in a car being driven by a friend from Junior College is a weird but fascinating experience. Time truly is a curious thing. On Friday, I met new friends over some lunch in Orchard again. This time, we ate at a small but bustling café with affordable and surprisingly delicious western fare.
The weekend was similarly packed. We celebrated a birthday with some delicious vegetarian food and red velvet cheesecake. I also met up with another group of old friends and had some good chat over my favourite affordable Japanese food in town.
Looking forward, the coming week should be a relatively mellow one. I hope to settle down slightly and work on the content that I’ve neglected this past week. It was good to get out and meet people to maintain those lines of contact. After all, what’s life but the connections you form with others?
2. For the Record
🎞️ What I’m watching (Movies, Shows, Videos)
Movies
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) – To prepare me for the new movie, Mr Bao suggested that we watch the first installment of the trilogy. For context, I’m not a Marvel fan. I’ve only ever watched the movies as standalone films instead of viewing them in the broader context of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Even as a casual Marvel movie-goer, I’ve not seen this film, which is Tom Holland’s first solo outing as Spider-Man. I think it was a good introduction to Marvel’s first MCU Spider-Man.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) – Wow. I am aware that spoilers are going to be all over the internet so for now, my review is that I went in wondering why I was going for an opening day screening. I left having the overwhelming sense that I should watch every single Marvel production in the order in which it was released. That’s all. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should. Even as an individual film, I think it was a good movie.
YouTube
Cinema Therapy – A licensed therapist and a professional filmmaker watch movies together and give us their commentary. I had such a good time watching the Twilight reaction series. While it was something I enjoyed when I was younger, I appreciate watching the therapist and filmmaker duo explain why no one should model their relationships after those of the main characters. Click here to check out their channel.
accepted art portfolio – risd, harvard, stanford (by jackie liu) – This is really interesting! I liked the more realistic pieces she did and also how the video itself was produced and edited. It was cool to look at someone else’s art-making process. Back before I went to university, I would watch art portfolio submissions like this, thinking of how I would go to art school. While those videos tended to get lots of views in the art community on YouTube, this one seems to have gone viral. Click here to view the video.
Adam Hattan – A vlogger from the UK who makes hours-long videos about his Disney-related travels. I found his channel a while back but only recently completed a series. It was four hours long and documented his trip on the Disney Cruise Line with his friend Gary. The witty banter and slow pace of the vlogs make it seem like I’m there with them on holiday. In fact, their travel day videos always seem to be the most popular, with one comment saying that the anticipation of travelling is their favourite part of any holiday. I would recommend this channel if you want to feel like you’re at Disney (plus a dash of British humour). Click here to check out his channel.
🎧 What I listened to (Music, Podcasts, Audiobooks)
Music
Best Days by Alessia Cara – My friend panda-chan recommended this song to me and I love it! I love the first two lines of the chorus and the melody right before the chorus starts. Alessia Cara’s 2015 album Scars to Your Beautiful was the soundtrack to my Junior College days, so I was delighted to find out she had a new album out. I’ll take my time to listen to the rest of the songs when I can. Click here to listen to Best Days.
Curls by Bibio – This isn’t a song I would typically resonate with, but I liked how it matched with the final scene in the Christmas movie Love Hard. Similar to how K-drama OSTs just hit different, the emotions attached to this song are ones of warmth, forgiveness, and Christmas. Click here to listen to the song and (SPOILER ALERT for Love Hard) click here to see it in the final scene.
3. Content Round-up
✏️ Posts this week
Kayaking for trash (15th Dec 2021)
📹 Videos you might have missed
kayaking at jurong lake gardens | vlog 15 (17th Dec 2021)
Thanks so much for reading! Lots of love 😊
💜 jy
Credits for assets used in the header image
Anti-Clockwise from top left:
