notes app; i love consumerism!
on books read, shows watched and food eaten
Witam!
Sav here.
I’m not sure why, but my sense of consumerism has been FLARING recently. I’m pretty sure this only happens whenever there aren’t any discounts happening which is terribly inconvenient — but alas, the itch must either be scratched (costing a casual fifty bucks) or left to fester (which comes at no cost to me whatsoever but makes everything feel begrudgingly slow).
Today, as a bit of a recap, let’s talk about my consumption over this first hexamester of the year — from media, food, and good ol’ capitalism.
Some books recently:
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
I wanted to open 2025 with a dunk to my reading slump, opting for the immersive, fast-paced fantasy classic that put Brandon Sanderson on the map for best modern-day fantasy writer. High-octane and feel-good with an attracting magic system, accompanying a wonderful squad of misfits engaging in your classic, kingdom-toppling heist; the kind that makes you want to play a JRPG, or write a solo-levelling quest of your own.
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
The fantasy train picked me up where it last dropped me off: at book two of Rachel Gillig’s The Shepherd King duology, exploring the curse that plagues mist-caked Blunder through the eyes of a maiden, monster, martyr. I’ve got a soft spot for card-based magic systems (a little less so for plot conveniences but alas) and Two Twisted Crowns wraps up the series with a neat, delightful bow.
Currently reading: At The Foot of the Cherry Tree by Alli Parker
A pivot to historical fiction this time with the story of Australia’s first Japanese war bride, written by the granddaughter of said couple. Despite its heavy subject matter, I’ve fairly quickly gotten to its halfway point, and it’s shaping up to be a heartwarming, hopeful read.
Some shows recently:
When The Phone Rings
A romance slash thriller slash mystery starring Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin as a rising politician and mute wife whose lives are turned inside out by a kidnapper’s phone call, which bends and twists into a decidedly unusual romance dynamic. All I can say is that this should be marked as a fantasy too cause nobody with sound mind would act the way these characters do, but other than that, I do like how it explores their complicated, unspoken relationship (though I could really do without unnecessary, shock-value plot twists that K-dramas love to spring).
Love Next Door
A feel-good romantic comedy with a four cast ensemble of childhood friends (technically three, one of the guys had only moved in) and the uncharacteristic affection they find themselves in. At some point in the middle, it ties up its primary plot and turns into a slice-of-life with at least a dozen tangents; making it a great show to watch with half my brain elsewhere.
Currently watching: Singles Inferno S4
I don’t watch a lot of shows but it’s nice to always have one as a brain-off-go-to and the most recent just happens to be Singles Inferno. We’re only two episodes in, and I don’t know if it’s just me but the female ensemble seems really stale compared to the male ensemble? We’ve got fuckboy, goofy boy, nerdy boy, etc. while the love interests are just… pretty girl who does modelling. Perhaps we’ll see more brains, brawn and boooopersonality as the show goes on.
Some stuff recently:
Everything I’ve bought recently has been something I somewhat needed to. A clothes hanger for the bedroom so that I stop laying jackets around the living room. A taller shoe rack to accommodate another person in the house. A red button-up to look at least a tad more presentable last Chinese New Year. A beige suit jacket from Zara that was 75% off with instructions to never wash it.
Oh, but there’s been one decidedly special purchase recently and it’s a pair of chelsea boots.
With recent changes, I’m going to find myself in places where my busted-up On Running Roger Advantages would not be well-received. Ironically, in the last two weeks, I’ve already been called out for wearing sneakers at a formal event.
This can, and probably should, play into my weekend fits too. They say guys who wear chelsea boots casually are either fly as fuck or absolutely insufferable. Let’s find out which one I become.
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Some food recently:
Can’t talk about consumption without talking about food consumption, easily the biggest expense on my balance sheet. Follow my foodie account, @nyamsociety, to hear all about it, or just see this collage below.
A keshi concert here, a job application there, a family visit and an extra head in the house — It feels like nothing had really moved forward this January/February but objectively speaking, there’s been a lot of movement and activity in my life. I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing that this all seemed to happen beneath my nose, as if I’m not aware to it all happening.
(Almost as if I hadn’t done a comprehensive monthly retrospective, the ritual that usually grounds me for the following month. Just see my last handful of notes apps to see how scattered I’ve been.)
Alas, I conclude this with a minor verse from one of NIKI’s newer songs, Blue Moon, which for whatever reason had hit me recently despite my recent rotation of keshi’s Requiem (best songs are Kiss Me Right, Soft Spot, War and Id but only when performed live), mid-2010s EDM (forgot how hard Alesso, Hardwell and KSHMR go) and Spotify’s automated Dalkom Cafe (immaculate vibes - my go to when I don’t know what to turn on).
It took being written out the novel to finally see
That you care more about
Being good than being good to me
And yes, the difference may be subtle
But it would have saved us, baby