Welp, another month just flew by and I am honestly having trouble accepting that we’re a quarter through the year already because HOW. I was just starting to get used to the “cold” winter but now summer feels like it’s already around the corner, ready to come out any day (thanks, Hong Kong).
In an attempt to cling on to March a little bit more and feel slightly less like a mess, let’s talk about some of the highlights and new discoveries of the month.
MUSIC
This month was a super intense work month for me and I was on the full-on grinding mode – which means my music choices only fell within two categories: things to calm me down when I’m freaking out, and motivation music for when I need that extra push.
lo-fi beats
I finally hopped on this Youtube bandwagon and I now understand why people play hours and hours of instrumental music on loop. Because man, it’s good. This is the kind of stuff I listened to when I need to concentrate on work or just need a little something in the background when I’m reading or journaling or just being. I like how these lo-fi beats get me into a very chill relaxing mood but not into one that makes me sleepy. There’s a lot of them on Youtube but here’s my favorite one.
kicking ass
On the opposite side of the spectrum, I was also really into songs that had somewhat of a more aggressive tone to it – for when I’m feeling meh and want to feel more like a boss. I made a playlist that’s literally called kicking ass (lol) and have been constantly updating it with the ~ latest ~ bops that get the blood pumping. Some of my favorites include Good as Hell by Lizzo, do re mi by Blackbear and Fever by Night Panther (shoutout to Ashley aka bestdressed on this one).
nao
I’m fully aware that I’m super late to the party on this one but earlier this month, I discovered the glory that is Nao. Nao is absolutely incredible, her voice is super unique and her range is mindblowing (just watch this live version of Make It Out Alive and you’ll see what I mean). She’s definitely different than the chill indie lo-fi vibes that I’m usually into, but her entire Saturn album is seriously worth listening to and gives me that dreamy soul feel.
MOVIES/TV SHOWS/YOUTUBE
Ah yes, this is where I will admit I have wasted many many hours on Youtube and Netflix and all that good stuff, but honestly, we all need some good old binge-watching to destress (or if you’re like me, more like to lose sleep and immediately regret your life decision the morning after)
500 days of summer
Now, I know that this is everyone’s favorite movie and I will probably get some hate by saying this but honestly the first time I watched this movie I was not impressed. I thought it was kind of strange and I just did not get the hype. BUT. I just rewatched it again earlier this month and I have just turned into a fan. First of all, the cinematography is beautiful and the acting is of course great. But mostly, I love how it portrays relationship and dating in somewhat of a realistic way. I like how it highlights the highs and lows of a relationship, and how easy it is to not see that things are working well while you are blinded by love (like how Tom did in the movie). This movie actually made me think and reevaluate my own perception of love and I appreciate that.
umbrella academy
This seems to be THE Netflix show of the month and I can confirm that it is, in fact, worth watching. My friend described it to me as X-Men on crack, and I think I agree. It’s definitely a weird show that makes you go wtf throughout the whole thing, but it’s super addictive and unique. You know it’s good when you find yourself binging the whole thing at once (in my case, in two days lol)
rowena tsai
Every now and then, I feel like I’m mentally and creatively stuck and I always try to find new ways to combat this from happening. This time, I discovered a new Youtube human named Rowena Tsai and I found her videos to be super useful. She does a lot of productivity habits and self-care related advice videos, both of the things that I was trying to improve on this past month. Here’s a few I really liked: 7 Mindset Habits That Changed My Life and feeling uninspired? same. here’s how I unstuck myself .
(MINI) ADVENTURES
mrs pound
Not gonna lie, my food shenanigans were a little lacking this month – mostly just because I didn’t have much time to go out and I’ve been spending my weekends relaxing at city parks. BUT I did get to check out a really cool place called Mrs. Pound. Located in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, it’s a speakeasy-ish restaurant where from the outside, it looks like a locksmith shop. But if you find the way to get in, you’ll see that it’s actually a really cool and hipster-y Asian fusion restaurant.
They have everything from pork belly yakitori to mala fried chicken to rendang poutine (my personal favorite) and their cocktails are also super yummy. The best part for me is how their decor/aesthetic makes you feel like you are transported to some weird place that gives you both nostalgic and futuristic vibe at the same time. I can see Black Mirror being shot here or something ya know. Also, let’s not ignore that it’s also a great place for the ‘gram because of all the cool neon lights and bright pink wall. I dig it, and I’m definitely planning to go back really soon
strokes mini golf
The other day, I went mini golfing for the first time ever and I loved it! Granted, I sucked, but honestly, it was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be (thanks friends).
We went to Strokes in Causeway Bay on a Friday night and went for the 9-holes option. It’s a great activity for group hangouts, and I learned that there are a LOT of um, unique jokes you could make while mini-golfing hahaha
Anyway, the place itself is super funky, with bright and colorful decor, which I like. Aside from mini golf, they are also a fun bar with games like darts, ping pong, foosball table, and card games so you really can spend hours and hours here even after you’re done with playing mini golf. Beware though, the drinks are definitely on the pricier side, even during happy hour.
eslite bookstore a.k.a where Praisella spends every Sunday at.
I recently realized that I have been slacking in the reading department and found the need to go to a bookstore and check out what’s new. Visited a few around town and found my new favorite bookstore just around the corner in Tsim Sha Tsui. Eslite bookstore is huge, it has two floors and it has a lot of coffee shops/snacks looking places inside where you can get food and read at the same time.
Although I find that a lot of the books are in Chinese, which, unfortunately, I can’t read, they do have a decent selection of English books on both fiction and nonfiction. This place is so calming so I keep coming back just to read on a relaxing Sunday afternoon.
MISCELLANEOUS
And now, it’s time for – assorted list of things Praisella liked this month but didn’t know how to categorize so it’s all just in one random mess of list –
- Creative inspiration: B&O Instagram is BEAUTIFUL. The pictures are so aesthetically pleasing, captions are clever and sophisticated, and everything is aligned with their branding. As a social media marketing person, I am taking notes for every little wonderful thing they do and currently finding ways to apply this on my own account.
- App: Daylio mood tracker is wonderful. I’ve been feeling a lot more aware of my own feelings and mood and thoughts recently and I wanted a way to keep track of them.
Daylio is great because it’s like a mini journal where you can write and rate your day and visualize your progress. I find journaling on this app a lot easier because it’s quick, and I like seeing all the recap data it provides. - Tools: In one of Rowena’s videos, she mentioned The Great Suspender as a must-have Chrome extension and I now swear by it too. I’m one of those people who somehow always end up with 40 open tabs always and my computer has not been happy with me. But worry not, this thing lets you keep all the tabs saved but suspend the unused tabs automatically – ones you haven’t opened in the past hour. This makes my computer a lot faster while still allowing me to go back and forth into all my tabs. As a serious tab hoarder, this tool is life changing!
March, you were cool. Up next, April aka my birthday month. Welcome, hope we’ll have some fun together.
