I am so glad that Mercury Retrograde is done and over with! Phew.
Highlights
After skipping its course last year, Summer finally arrived in Melbourne, which makes it my first Summer here! Oh, how I welcome short shorts and smooth legs after what feels like a full year of jeans and sweater combos. Summer also brought a daily dose of rainbows into our apartment, thanks to the rainbow maker.
Jik and I went to the Sunshine Coast for her birthday trip. We spent the days at the beach and the nights in the bars. We talked, as usual, mostly about our most profound and weirdest thoughts. And she once again saved me this time (I don’t feel like going into details just yet, maybe another time. Sorry for being cryptic).
Using festive occasions as an excuse, there were dates with Fafa and drinking dates with colleagues, ex-colleagues, and friends throughout the month.
And we are in Tokyo! How about that for the highlight of the year? I am so excited and so cold, but still so happy! So far, every single day of this trip has been a highlight. I am counting my blessings.
New and Favourite Things
We set our Christmas tree a little late this year, but it’s extra glorious with the fairy light set I got from Target. The best part of my mornings has been waking up groggily in the living room and being greeted by the pretty tree.
Jik introduced me to Weis Mango Macadamia ice cream recently, and I have been contributing to their EBITDA by demolishing at least 2 bars a day.
Meanwhile, I introduced Rose Quartz-infused sparkling water to both Fafa and Manda. I told them it would fill them with self-love. Both accepted my explanation and drank it even though it smelled like a facial toner.
After Kris Kringle and Secret Santa the year before, we did a Bad Santa gift exchange at the office this year. If the name sounded wrong, blame it on Manda. I gave a T2Tea tea mug as a gift. I liked it and was happy Anne from Legal got it, so I went and got another one for Liz as her Christmas gift. I know it’s a little weird to give a tea mug to a friend who grew up well-versed in everything tea, but it was too pretty not to gift. Something I would love to get for myself. I asked her to fill it with gratitude notes; she said she would fill it with candy and chocolate instead. Either way, use it, Liz.
Whilst at T2Tea, I tried a limited-edition tea called Choc Molten Marvel with bits of cocoa and got hooked. It’s heavenly with a dash of soy milk. Still, on tea, I got a gorgeous gold peacock teapot from Fafa as a Christmas gift. I don’t know whether he realises he’s been gifting me limited-edition tea sets for three Christmases in a row.
Speaking of the limited edition, I went into The Body Shop looking for their Honey collection; I didn’t find it, but I stumbled upon their Christmas edition, Vanilla Chai. My kind of bathing paradise!
New Zealand dominated my Best Nine, according to Instagram, with one of Uluru and one of the Great Ocean Road slipping in between.
Work and Domestic Life
Work has been hectic this month, even though everyone is already in the holiday mood. The office has been half-empty since mid-December; no complaints about that. It’s nice to have proper lunch dates with Amanda, where I creeped her out with death and failed-marriage talk.
My Tree of Trust team had our Year-End dinner celebration at Rice Paper Scissors, starting with drinks at Double Happiness and ending with another drinking sesh at Madam Brussels. It was nice to catch up and learn more about them, as we usually don’t hang out together in the office. Is it time to invite them to the Burrow? Hmm.. maybe over Galentine’s Day next year.
Liz and I went to the Tea Blending workshop (another gift from Jik) in Brunswick on a Sunday. I made a coconut chai blend while she took home a mango coconut fruity blend. The day ended with my first-ever high tea in Mary Eats Cakes, exploring the Middle Eastern quarter and brunch at the Stables of COMO. Liz, man, you know the best corners of Melbourne!
I continue attending our meditation class, even without Frida (which means less fun), who is on a soul-searching trip to South Africa. I also have been reading and documenting the Tarot every day. Some days I get the message; some days, I don’t. Oh well, here is to more practice.
My cooking obsession continued with green prawn and red fish curry. I also started to get interested in kitchenware, something I had vowed never to do, after seeing Amma’s excitement over a bronze cooking pot in Little India, Singapore, years ago. So I bought a hand-powered vegetable chopper, which I proudly showed Amanda and forced Fafa to try. I even baked brownies (failed on the first try, semi-succeeded on the second one) and chocolate chip cookies, now that I have a good baking tray and paper.
Media Consumption and Internet History
I couldn’t finish Ikigai because I couldn’t relate to its concept. That’s okay; life is too short of forcing me to read some books. So instead, I am reading Man At The Helm, which is fantastic! It reminds me of Adrian Mole’s diary series, which I loved so much when I read it years ago. I also finished Salt by Nayyirah Waheed in a couple of nights. It’s golden! My love for poems has been cemented by the 10 poem books I downloaded for this trip, free thanks to Amazon Unlimited. Have you guys tried it? For $10 a month, it’s a great deal! I also bought The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang, a bizarre choice for an 11-hour flight to Japan.
I have been binge-listening to a new-to-me True Crime Podcast called The Generation Why. It’s perfect, especially the parts where they dissect the 911 calls and the no- or short-introduction and ad. Other additions in the library include 2 Dope Queens and My Favourite Murder.
Jen got me hooked on SBS On Demand’s Search Party. Speaking of Jen, to her Grinch-like annoyance, I have been sporting a Christmas jumper, decorating Mary (the office Christmas tree), and blasting Christmas jingles all month long at work. So check out my ultimate Christmas playlist on Spotify, Kulture Kween Christmas Playlist.
Even though I couldn’t relate to Lagom, I thoroughly enjoyed Lola Akinmade’s blog. I shared a few productivity articles by Sarah with my girlfriends, with “Ways To Comfort Yourself When You Don’t Know What’s Wrong” being my absolute fave.
I started this month with a Christmas Haiku. It’s short and meh, but check it out, as I have always been a little proud of my non-existent poem-writing skill, so much so that I have been considering Carmen Ramen’s suggestion to create an IG account for my poetry. I wrote mainly about food in December (I don’t know why): Penang food, Sacher Torte, space brownies, alternatives to Hong Kong Dim Sum, and a boozy weekend in Adelaide, with at least a sneak peek into the South Australian Art Gallery.
New Zealand plays Secret Santa nationwide. How cool is that! I wonder whether Tihana participated. Speaking of participating in something grand, Rach, have you been to the world’s largest Starbucks? If not yet, please do it today! And get me a Starbucks mug Christmas ornament from there!
Time Machine
🌴 ━ The happenings of this time last year and last decade.
Next Month
Firstly, let’s talk about the word of the year. Have you chosen yours? For 2018, mine would be POWER. Pretty lit, eh?
We will celebrate the New Year in Japan, my favourite place in the world! I have scheduled to gulp 12 grapes 12 minutes before the year ends and to view the year’s first sunrise at the Meiji Shrine. I will also be going to Jakarta at the end of the month for my cousin’s bachelorette party, with a stopover in Singapore to get myself a stitched saree for her wedding.
There will be a triple date with Manda and Sumit at an Ethiopian restaurant in Fitzroy called Saba sometime in mid-month.
Other than these plans, I reckon January will be a chill month.
Wanderlist update: I had my first-ever high tea session. It was delightful!
Follow me on Instagram @KultureKween for more recent updates.
