Category: lists

Running shoes I got into serious running towards the end of last year, dedicating about 30 minutes to each run, three times a week. Being quite prone to notions, I hesitated to invest in proper running shoes until I was certain that running would become a consistent part of my routine. During this time, I made do with my hiking shoes, but their weight wasn’t ideal for my ankles. It wasn’t until the day before my second 5k race that I finally decided to purchase a pair of Hoka Clifton 9s. I figured completing two races was a significant commitment to warrant new shoes. The experience of running in them was blissful – it felt like gliding on clouds and with them I hit a new personal best.

Small pan Too much hassle to wash a big pan just to fry a single egg. Surprisingly though the small pan has also been great for cooking most meals for two.

Journal Over the last couple of years, I’ve been committed to journaling in a passport-sized Traveler’s Notebook as a way to encourage the habit. Choosing a smaller journal was deliberate on my part. The blank pages of larger journals felt intimidating and made it harder to be consistent. The shift to smaller notebooks erased the fear of putting pen to paper, gradually replaced by a growing desire to write more. Opted for a dotted Leuchtturm1917 in a size B6 to explore this newfound enthusiasm. So far so good!

Kindle I’ve had a Kindle 10th Gen since 2020 and I’ve noticed a significant uptick in my reading habits since adding this device to my life. Lately, though, it’s been showing signs of lag and occasional unresponsiveness even after freeing up storage. Not enough to justify an upgrade but definitely one of those things I would easily replace if it ever decides to completely give up on me.

Blender Nine and I lived without one for many years but we thought why deprive ourselves of smoothies any longer.

Japanese mug My morning coffee is a daily ritual and it just doesn’t feel right if it’s not in my own mug. I didn’t bring one with me when I left Malaysia. I never anticipated how much of a difference it would make when you find yourself far from everything familiar, and your only source of comfort is the assurance that your mug will be there each morning. The same mug you’ve been using since you moved out of your family home. Not wanting to settle for just any mug, I decided I’d find something special during a visit to Nine in Geneva. There, I found a store offering an assorted range of Japanese art and housewares, including beautifully hand-painted mugs. Many of the patterns looked similar but none two were completely alike. Whichever one I chose, there would not be another of its kind. I left with two of what I thought would look great as a pair. These mugs now hold new memories for us, one we can cling to no matter where life takes us.

Tiny spatula Before I even got the small pan, Nine bought me a tiny, beveled spatula, and it turned out to be the perfect companion. I’ve never quite figured out the purpose of the beveled part, but using it has been a joy for almost everything in the kitchen. Well, almost everything – it’s not the best for flipping a fried egg. Burned my fingers a few times trying to rescue the egg from slipping off the spatula.

Monitor There is life before a monitor and after a monitor and once you know what that’s like, it really is impossible to go back to relying solely on the laptop screen. One of the first few items I acquired after my first internship paycheque so that I can work better so that my work is better so that work will keep paying me.

Running cap This one was a bit of a splurgy purchase but honestly blown away by Ciele’s quality and design. Fits my head perfectly, wears comfortably, no trapped heat issues, and does an excellent job at keeping the sweat from dripping down my face. Totally worth it!

Bus card Pay €17 for the card once and never worry about bus fares again, no matter where you need to go in the country. I’ve gotten so much use out of it that it took me less than three months to feel like I got my money’s worth. Malta being as small as it is, most things happen in the city, so there are plenty of buses heading that way. It’s super convenient, especially since I don’t drive here. Free public transportation really makes it easy to show up for things.

At the end of every month, I make a list of the most notable things I enjoyed, consumed, or experienced.

This is 10 things from January 2023. 

1. New Home. It’s been a month since we moved into the new digs and we love it. After being on the road for what feels interminable, desperately dependant on the kindness of people to keep us sheltered, we’re just thrilled to finally be nesting. We can’t believe we live in Malta now!

2. Picnic With New Friends. Short hike around Manoel Island before we settled on a spot. In hindsight maybe not the best place to bring food out, birds were brazen and relentless. Across we saw Valletta and I was told people swam the length of where we were on these steps to the walled city in the summer. Maybe someday.

3. Chinese New Year. First celebration away from home and family. On Chor Yat, we normally have hotpot together so in the spirit of tradition, I went to the nearest Asian food store I could find and bought all the necessary ingredients. Then we ate together via FaceTime. Me for lunch and them for dinner. Thank god we were only 7 hours apart.

4. Cooking. New home means kitchen to ourselves. I have been making two meals a day for us since we moved in. But more importantly, I have acquired the skills for cooking rice over stove. The method is 1 cup to 1.5 cups of water on high heat. Wait until the water boils then cover with lid and set to the lowest heat. Cook for 12 minutes. After that, fluff the rice, put the lid back on and leave it for a few more minutes away from the stove. Tastes just like restaurant rice.

5. Baking. New home also comes with an oven so I’ve been making tasty treats. Haven’t got any baking equipment yet so nothing too complicated at the moment. But even with just an oven you can do lots of things like this Apple Crumble from Jamie Oliver.

6. What does it mean to know for sure? My friend, Al wrote this piece about what it means to know your partner’s favourite restaurant except it’s so much more than that. It’s also the best thing I’ve read this month.

7. Shinunoga E-wa. This cover by Belle Sisoski is 10x better than the original (sorry Fujiikaze). Can’t believe she’s only 17 and already an amazing and wildly talented producer and multi-instrumentalist. Excited to see what she’ll do next.

8. 25 Best Films Of The Year Video Countdown. I don’t always agree with David but he does a terrific job with the edits every time. Tears welled up the size of balloons watching 2019 cause movies are fucking great.

9. Daily Hamstring Flexibility Routine. My fitness goal for 2023 is to be able to touch my toes without bending my knees. I’ve tried many stretch-with-me videos but this routine is the one I return to the most. My body will always be slightly achey the next day but I’ve been feeling stronger and standing taller.

10. Hit The Road. Fully enjoyed this — the tenderness, the despair, the humour, the meandering dialogue, the landscape, the music, and that little devil of a kid who stole the show. What an endearing story. Masterful in shifting and layering emotions. Seen this twice in the span of a week and already can’t wait to watch it again.

December 2022:

1. Tiny Desk: Stromae. An electrifying performance. More impressive is the fact that they had to recreate the music so that it could be played live. Expected nothing less than amazing from one of my favourite electronic artists of all time.
2. Gross Bixi Pale Ale. My first try of craft beer from San Sebastian. Excellent for easy drinking days. Light and refreshing. Discovered at Pole Pole, Msida Malta.
3. Derek Walcott’s Love After Love. A good poem to turn to after the end of a relationship, focusing on loving the self and becoming whole again.
4. The White Lotus. Cringe comedy. Most of the mischief takes place in a resort. Interesting characters, well-written and layered. Season 2 the superior season.
5. The scoglio pasta from Marrobbio Pizzeria Trattoria, Sliema Malta. Demolished within minutes. Plate polished clean, not a single drop of sauce left.
6. Hainbach. Watched his gig in an actual fort in Malta. Maybe it was the combination of alcohol and lights dimming on and off but it’s the closest thing I’ve experienced to being hypnotised.
7. Solo Vinyl Book Shop, Msida Malta. Possibly the only independent book and record store in all of Malta. Fast becoming one of our favourite places to visit. The owner was also very friendly and helpful.
8. Border Hacker by Levi Vonk. I’ve talked about this book ad nauseam but I am still feeling its profound effects. One of those books I will look back on to say it was responsible for broadening my understanding of America’s ruthless immigration policies. Forever no nations no borders no gods no masters.
9. Maori, Valletta Malta. Tucked under the fort of St Elmo overlooking the sea. Danced to music from the mid to late 90s surrounded by artists, queers, rebels, and punks. Had our best night here the first time we came to Malta.
10. This Miley Cyrus & Dolly Parton medley from Miley’s New Year Eve’s Special. The transition from Wrecking Ball to I Will Always Love You is certainly going to send chills down the spine.

Every year I worry I won’t find new music enjoyable and that I will inevitably turn into one of those people stuck in the era of music from their formative years, recycling the same tunes, grumping about how they don’t make it like they used to. Every year I am glad to be wrong.

These are my favourites from 2022. And because this is my list, expect a couple of Eurovision entries. Sorry not sorry.

1. Stay Soft – Mitski
   Spotify says it was love at first listen. I’ve heard this song a total of 44 times. Gentle but dark yet highly sensual. Hands down the song of the year for me.
   
2. Santé – Stromae
   Has it been 9 years already since Papaoutai? Well worth the wait. What a clever song celebrating the ones who have to work while others are partying. Everything this man touches is exciting and colourful. Beyond thrilled to witness his return.
   
3. saudade, saudade – MARO
   Fuck this one hits me in the feels. Saudade is an untranslatable Portuguese term that refers to a sad state of intense longing for someone or something that is absent. I remember playing this song on repeat while in the train going south from Belfast to Dublin, already nostalgic for a journey that wasn’t quite over.
   
4. Die Hard – Kendrick Lamar
   Moody, introspective K-Dot is my favourite K-Dot. Die Hard is equal parts emotional and infectious, a track I find myself returning to most from the album. But it is worth mentioning that the tenderness and awareness in his voice on Auntie Diaries was what had me bawling in traffic.
   
5. Bam Bam – Camila Cabello, Ed Sheeran
   Never thought I would listen to anything with Ed Sheeran in it but both their voices here complement each other well with an addictive chorus to boot.
   
6. Modern Job – Sprints
   Found this Dublin band by chance while looking for new punk music. Only 5 tracks on their EP and each one of them is solid. It’s angry, angsty, sarcastic and encapsulates all the emotions of the past couple of years. Front-woman, Karla’s disinterested delivery also lends itself well to the noisy, gritty guitar riffs.
   
7. This Hell – Rina Sawayama
   WHAT. A. BOP. I’m getting Shania Twain, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa vibes. The production is phenomenal. The self-acceptance message is joyous. The line “fuck what they did to Britney, to Lady Di’, and Whitney” gives me goosebumps. Seems like a departure from her previous stuff but I’m 100 percent here for it.
   
8. Chaise Longue – Wet Leg
   Sense of humour of my generation. It’s fun! Quirky! Maybe too quirky to the point of annoyance for some. Don’t care. Great guitar riffs anyway.
   
9. Free Yourself – Jessie Ware
   I’m a sucker for bright piano chords. It’s also dancey, has an uplifting message and a retro disco feel.
   
10. Með hækkandi sól – Systur
    Iceland’s Eurovision entry. Quite forgettable the first time I heard it. Then by sheer coincidence, I heard it again at a pub in Derry a few months later and finally something clicked. The music evokes feelings of soft snow falling gently on the ground. I could sense the hopefulness in that Nordic melancholy sound – a reminder that seasons are cyclical and the sunnier days are impending.

November 2022:

1. Bad Sisters. Irish. Claes Bang. Comedy of errors. Fantastic title sequence, both song and visuals. Barring some minor plot holes, this was an incredibly fun watch.
2. Senbazuru Izakaya, Dublin. Quick, delicious, sizeable portions. We were in and out under 45 minutes.
3. Bathroom at Kilronan House, Dublin. Like walking into a bamboo steamer no matter the time of day. Even the floors were warm.
4. Hopfully’s Insideout Pale Ale. First tried at Tully’s Bar, Waterford on the recommendation of the bartender. Citrusy and refreshing. I like the illustration on the packaging.
5. Double bill of Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin. Colin Farrell continues to be at the top of his game.
6. No Alibis, Belfast. My favourite bookshop in Ireland. Great accessibility and impressive range of books for a small establishment. The staff recommendations section is interesting and clearly curated by people who actually read.
7. Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. An intersection of many of my interests – friendship, gaming, building things with friends, trauma and resilience. Enjoyable read till the end.
8. Feet Don’t Fail Me Now by Joy Crookes. Half Bangladeshi half Irish, 100 percent class. Nine sent me this track and it was on repeat for a week.
9. Space Invaders machine at Token, Dublin. The only retro game I’m not completely hopeless at.
10. Corn Ribs. Pain in the ass to chop but so damn delicious. Olive oil, paprika, mild spices, salt. Chuck in the oven, ready to eat in 20 mins. My new favourite thing to make for dinner.