Volume 01 Issue 09 part 1
October 19 - 25, 2020
Out of all the injustices related to being a woman, having your period ranks pretty high this week at the top of my Worst list. The past few days, I have been debilitated by cramps and migraines. This is not unusual. It happens every month. The human body is a marvel and it’s nice that we can have a predictable-ish* signal of “Not pregnant!” but wow, it comes with so much suffering every freaking time. (* not 100% predictable, plenty of women have irregular cycles)
Thanking God extra this weekend for microwaveable hot compresses, Buscopan Venus, Excedrin, the migraine hat I got recently, and Kinder Bueno.
Shop Small, Love Local
Not a shop but a movement: Curly Girls Philippines, started by my friend Ria, taught me and thousands of other Filipinas how to care for our wavy/curly hair using the Curly Girl Method by Lorraine Massey. It’s ridiculous that I used to pay to have my hair permed. Now with proper hair care and the right products, I still get the same beach waves. Happy that local brands like Human Heart Nature and Zen Nutrients have now come up with products that are CGM-approved. I’ve been following the Curly Girl Method strictly for about two years now and walking into the Curly Girls meet-up last year, seeing dozens of other women with beautiful natural curls is an experience I’ll never forget. I’ve been singing the Facebook group’s praises to everyone I know since I started, and now, to you.
Currently…
Reading… My Heart Underwater by Laurel Flores Fantauzzo. A Fil-Am LGBT+ YA romance! Laurel is a beautiful writer and, full disclosure, married to my good friend. I died at this book’s dedication: “For my wife, Katherine, whose love changed the course of my history.” In her credits, she says: “My wife, Katherine, buoys my heart each day like no one else. Tats, your presence gives me gratitude for all the journeys that brought me, finally, to you. Mahal na mahal kita.” I love seeing my friends so loved!!! <3 <3 <3 This morning was Laurel’s book launch and I’m so thrilled something she worked on for ten whole years is now out in the world. I helped out a tiny bit a few months ago when Laurel needed someone to send a recording of the Filipino phrases to help guide their voice talent for the audio book. It was fun! I’m about halfway through the book and marveling at what a talented writer Laurel is.
Celebrating Cam’s birthday with a Zoom Kpop dance party! I was taking care of the baby and dialed in very briefly, but wow - over 50 of Cam’s friends from around the globe joined in for a Zoom workout. Such a great concept for a birthday celebration during these times. She even had her own Instagram filter that changed your hair color! I loved seeing the hype for her party. Happy birthday Cam! Thank you for the daily BTS joy <3
Longreads
What If Friendship, Not Marriage, Was at the Center of Life? — Rhaina Cohen, The Atlantic.
“Though Tillotson and West’s relationship serves these broader purposes, they choose to be bound to each other primarily for the joy and support they personally receive. Tillotson thinks of her romantic partner as ‘the cherry on the cake.’ She and West, she explained, ‘we’re the cake.’”
Ring Theory: How Not to Say the Wrong Thing — Susan Silk and Barry Goldman, Los Angeles Times.
“Comfort IN, dump OUT.” This is an old story but I think highly relevant nowadays as almost everyone we know is battling one form of grief/trauma/depression/hardship.
Your Work Friends Knew Exactly What Kind of Week You’d Had — Ashley Fetters, The New York Times.
“It is a future without so many of the small daily pleasantries and weekly catch-ups that make us feel noticed, included and connected — a future that seems pretty lonely.”
Can I actually be missing the commute? — Ronda Kaysen, The New York Times.
"When work and home collapse into one, you lose not only the connection to a wider world, but also the mental signposts that signal a beginning and an end to the day. If you can roll out of bed and already be at the office, work never stops. Likewise, if you can’t close the door on a pile of laundry waiting to be folded, or send the children off to school for the day, it’s hard to mentally set aside household duties."
I Found a Clinton-Trump Voter — Peter Nicholas, The Atlantic.
“They had to be out there. The country is too big for them not to be. Somewhere in the electorate existed that scarce band of voters: the few and far between who backed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and now want to keep President Donald Trump in power. But where? Who are the people who looked at two candidates different in every way imaginable and concluded, four years apart, that both are qualified to lead the free world? What happened that perhaps made them wish they’d voted for Trump in the first place?”
The Feminist History of the Cardigan — Marlen Komar, The Week.
“One mother claimed her daughter's slovenly look would drive a man to drink later, to which her daughter responded: ‘It's comfortable and I don't care how it looks.’”
Anika Chebrolu just discovered a potential covid-19 treatment. She’s 14. — Lena Felton, The Lily.
“Chebrolu this week won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge and $25,000 for her discovery: a compound that can bind to the coronavirus, inhibiting its ability to infect people. She beat out nine other finalists — whose own projects ranged from a robotic glove to a device that detects invisible particles in water — to be named America’s top young scientist.”
China Backs Off From Fight With K-Pop Fans — S. Nathan Park, Foreign Policy.
Including this here because it’s only a little bit about BTS, and more about what it looks like when a government actively supports the arts and culture industries (thus allowing the country to gain soft power!).
Chris Pratt's Costars Defended Him After People Called Him The Worst Hollywood Chris And Now There's A Huge Debate About Double Standards — Eleanor Bate, BuzzFeed.
“We waited months for these men to use their privilege to literally keep Brie Larson safe from rabid men. As well as Tessa Thompson. And Zendaya too at times. They’re out here posting entire instagrams for Chris Pratt for MINIMAL and justified criticism.”
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Yours from afar,
Pinky