the sunday currently, no. 5
trying to get out of my reading slump, feeling grateful for friendship, and learning new things!
Here’s a thing I used to do growing up called the sunday currently, a writing prompt started by siddathornton where, on Sundays, you write a low-effort, high-volume post about what’s been going on in your life. It’s also an opportunity for me to share things that sustain my silly little attention span. I’ve tweaked my version of TSC to make it my own info dump :^)
reading
Been in a reading slump ever since I dropped my tablet by accident and its screen cracked </3 But I have been trying to read! Choosing a book to read is usually the hardest part, and it took me weeks to find a book to read in my tablet—it took me weeks until I settled for The Lonesome Bodybuilder. It’s a collection of short stories that get really weird, and I love it. The Brothers Karamazov is my second Dostoevsky, so obviously it’s taking me a while to read this one lol.
writing
My outline for my presentation in Silliman University next month
Next month’s entry of Dear Dani, the advice column I started here
Content ideas for Youtube/TikTok (lol yeah this is me embracing my content creator/influencer status)
listening
The Sunset Tapes is probably my fave Jaden EP. Other than its suave tracks, I discovered his stuff in early 2019 when things felt like a new beginning for me, so listening to this will always feel special. Favorite tracks are Play This on a Mountain at Sunset, Distant, and Yeah Yeah.
Deftones has been my gym companion since I got back, and I power through my most difficult workouts because of this album. Favorite tracks are Diamond Eyes, You’ve Seen the Butcher, Beauty School, and Sextape.
watching
My last four watched on Letterboxd! While writing this post, I’m watching James Cameron’s Deep Sea Challenge, and I have to say that I have massive respect for this man as an ocean explorer. As a director, I can confidently say that he peaked at Titanic, but knowing how much of a hyperfixation the ocean is for big Jim, I might just give the Avatar franchise a try.
The Creator is the only foreign, non-English film here, which is about a mortician in 1930s Europe who gravely misinterprets Buddhist teachings and becomes a murderer of Jews, believing that his work helps him liberate poor Jewish souls. I’m a very big fan of characters that descend into madness.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is my new favorite coming of age film. It has all the elements of what I think is a perfect film about being a teenage girl: a neurotic main character, very real problems with friendship, intimacy, and self-esteem, and a confusing relationship with religion. It’s like if Lady Bird watched Fleabag and actually cared more about her relationships lol.
My Dinner with Andre is a film that I think Richard Linklater would have directed, or might have watched himself as he figured out his directorial style. It’s a conversation between two friends over dinner where they talk about philosophy, adulthood, and the looming existential crisis in our lives.
The Bear Season 2 finally dropped this weekend, and I finished it last night. This season hit home (no pun intended) as you get a glimpse of the Berzatto family dynamics, providing more context as to how each of the characters turned out the way that they did. To give spoiler-free commentary, there’s a Jamie Tartt in this season, and I loved it.
Googling
Here are the things I typed in my search bar in the last week without context.
Google Searches:
Who was that guy who wrote about going to space and how it made him feel lonely
Lochridge Oceangate
Fuck around and find out chart
Tuck planche or tucked planche
Wikipedia pages:
List of submissions to the 42nd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
List of biggest box-office bombs
the show with zefrank
learning
Notion has been an area of interest in the last month, and I’m proud of the progress I’ve made so far. I’ve been able to make all my pages from scratch since I struggle with trying to follow pre-made templates on Pinterest and Youtube. Some of my favorite pages are my work log, my dream log, and my content schedule. I’m currently trying to work on creating an expenses tracker that looks similar to the one that I have on Google Sheets.
And yes, it seems that I am taking this content creator route seriously LOL. I’ve been editing more videos on CapCut to upload stuff on Youtube and TikTok, and I’ve found these activities to be very fun. CapCut is very noob-friendly and it makes me feel like a real video editor lol.
hoping
I hope to recover from the disappointment I’ve been feeling lately. Being in touch with my feelings has been weird, but also kind of liberating, because it’s not something that I’ve allowed myself to do for a very long time.
wanting/needing
I want to get back into the groove of reading again since I fell off the wagon these past few weeks. I want to contribute better things at work this school year. There are so many ideas running through my head that I feel overwhelmed!
I need to fix my sleep schedule and to maintain my workout routine (I’ve been back in the gym again!). Still, I need to schedule an appointment with my therapist. I also need to talk to a friend whose issues have just been… a lot for me. And I need to finalize my presentation for Silliman University.
feeling
Very tired, but also calm and pleasant. I’m not really comfortable feeling okay, but I am trying. There’s something so bittersweet about how this time last year, everything was in shambles. Turns out things really do get better when you wait it out.
remembering
Preserving the following memories here. Not all of these happened this week, some are memories from since my last entry that I treasure a lot (starting from top left going right, then down to each row in the same direction)
This morning, my sister and I video called as we tried to purchase One OK Rock tickets for her. We encountered a tech issue on the website so we thought we’d run out of tickets, but thankfully she refreshed and called me up as soon as she got a hold of the tickets that she wanted! Top left is a screenshot of her panicking over the tickets lol.
Going to Lan Kwai with Carlo and Kito, and joking around that we’d act like we were in 2017 again. We had two (?) fishbowls. Audacious.
I ended up getting really wasted and I puked in Pepper Tree (thankfully in a plastic bag—sorry Hero and I appreciate your hospitality!!!). Kito took real good care of me because I came home alive and not puking anymore huhu.
Going to Lan Kwai and then Mugen with Carlo about a week ago, where he told me one fishbowl later that he really likes being around me because he loves my energy huhu I love it when friends tell me that they like being around me because often I feel the same!
Took my sister out to watch The Little Mermaid, because I wanted to watch a movie and run some errands, plus my sister doesn’t really go out unless someone invites her. I want to make sure she doesn’t fall into the same pit that I did when I was in high school (even if she’s in college already): making academics your whole life. And yes that explains me spoiling her with concert tickets.
Went to UP to jog with Mar (I ended up not being able to keep up because I had not gone for a run in a while!). Had breakfast along Area 2 and talked about our delusions and dreams. I love having friends from childhood stay with me throughout my adulthood.
And of course, Komiket Pride with my (former) work besties! I missed Abner and Lesley so yes I am recycling our photo from my last blog post. I hope to see them more often, but I’m glad we’re all still keeping in touch.
looking forward
To my Dumaguete trip next month! I will be presenting my paper in Silliman University and I am feeling both excited and terrified.
To the upcoming screening of Moonlight (2016) in Cinematheque Manila! This is one of my favorite coming of age films so of course I need to see it on screen.
To paying off some of the credit card stuff I’ve had, which means more money to save and to spend.
TO THE BARBIE MOVIE. I AM SO STOKED.
And that marks the Sunday currently! Have a great week ahead <3