Sending this early because today, June 13, is BTS’ anniversary and we’re getting a concert this afternoon! And a second concert tomorrow! All week long, I’ve been working on the FESTA gifts I was sending out to my friends (packing with bubble wrap takes a long time when there are so many people to give to; bilib talaga ako sa mga shops) and, beginning Friday, the gifts from my friends have arrived in a steady stream.
It feels like Christmas, in more ways than one. I distinctly remember feeling this way last Christmas too; very low mentally and emotionally, but holding on to BTS for dear life. The experience is better this time around, because I have very solid groups of ARMY friends that I talk to all day, every day.
For BTS’ anniversary, they’ve been dropping content a couple of times a day, almost every day. Busog na busog kami. I feel so loved by and connected to them, and to other ARMYs too. BTS’ motto is “Music & Artist for Healing” and yes, can confirm, BTS and ARMY have magical healing powers. I could go on for ages about how becoming a BTS fan has changed my life for the better, but what is particularly apt for this season of my life is: they’re showing me how to love myself.
Sharing a video I have bawled over many times, because I feel so seen and comforted by the animated versions of BTS. It’s a song about taking a moment to breathe at 00:00, when the minute and hour hands overlap on the clock:
Currently...
Feeling proud that a story I wrote is in the Inquirer this weekend, my first time in the papers :) -- The fight continues: The Mikeys’ community pantry helps 900 families in the first month
Counting down the days until I can get my hands on a BTS Meal from McDonald’s! Would you consider donating PHP 150 to share a BTS meal with a frontliner or a child? Helping out my friend’s fundraiser in partnership with Lawyers for Doctors Philippines! Also loving the McDonald’s Dance Crew Challenge videos on Tiktok. I have cried over almost every video I’ve seen. They’re so hardworking and talented!
Dipping my toes into the TXT waters. I really love their new single 0X1 Lovesong. Soobin bias and Yeonjun bias-wrecker status confirmed. They’re excellent dancers; I am so weak for dance practices pa naman.
Watching Trese on Netflix! Very very cool to have an original Filipino comic adaptation on there; just started English dub and planning to watch Filipino dub after that.
Looking forward to watching In the Heights after the BTS concerts.
Reading Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean. It’s The Princess Diaries but set in Japan! It came highly recommended by my friend Chris (who has a new bookstagram @irigareads, please follow!) so I dropped what I was reading to pick this up immediately. Enjoying it!
Longreads
A Crumpled, Dried-Out Relic of the Pandemic — Rachel Gutman, The Atlantic.
“After more than a year of waiting in place for the world to become a little more vibrant, it was impossible not to feel a kinship with this plucky little fruit—crumpled, dehydrated, a little bit smelly, but alive.”
The Psychological Benefits of Commuting to Work — Jerry Useem, The Atlantic.
“Broadly, boundary theory holds that [...] we have multiple selves, all of them authentic. Crossing between one role and another isn’t easy; it’s called boundary work. And the commute [...] is actually a relatively efficient way of simultaneously facilitating a physical and psychological shift between roles.”
A bakery lost a client when it made rainbow Pride cookies. So others bought every item in the shop. — Sydney Page, The Washington Post.
“Even after they ran out of baked goods to sell, people still offered money, which the women refused to accept. Instead, they redirected them to donate to LGBTQ organizations and other nonprofits, including an animal rescue.”
The Great Unfollowing: How Influencers Are Under Increasing Pressure to Speak About Social Issues and What Some Are Doing About It — Natalie Thomas, Medium.
“In many ways, I am grateful for how eye opening 2020 was. I think a lot of us knew about these traits in many people in our life, and even in ourselves, but they were easily ignored, due to our privilege, before 2020 became a magnifying glass so clear we could no longer ignore them. I think it will help us make more just, equitable and informed choices about what we do and who we spend our time with.”
Hot Divorcée Summer — Lyz Lenz, Men Yell at Me.
“What I am saying is this is the summer of breaking. Of burning. Of shouting and yelling and letting it go. Letting it all go. What we are letting go of is the bad relationships, the bad jobs, the bad year, and the patriarchy. This is a time of having the courage to imagine something different.”
Many People Have a Vivid ‘Mind’s Eye,’ While Others Have None at All — Carl Zimmer, The New York Times.
“The study suggests that the mind’s eye acts as an emotional amplifier, strengthening both the positive and negative feelings produced by our experiences. People with aphantasia can have those same feelings from their experiences, but they don’t amplify them later through mental imagery.”
The Criminals Thought the Devices Were Secure. But the Seller Was the F.B.I. — Yan Zhuang, Elian Peltier and Alan Feuer, The New York Times.
“For years, organized crime figures around the globe relied on the devices to orchestrate international drug shipments, coordinate the trafficking of arms and explosives, and discuss contract killings, law enforcement officials said. Users trusted the devices’ security so much that they often laid out their plans not in code, but in plain language, mentioning specific smuggling vessels and drop-off points. Unbeknown to them, however, the entire network was actually a sophisticated sting run by the F.B.I., in coordination with the Australian police.”
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Yours from afar,
Pinky