What I’m up to
Last week was extremely stressful and next week will be, too. But the weekend was restful and this week is just normal busy — a nice reprieve.
Our school’s Google services went out yesterday. Today several cities across Taiwan lost power. In both instances, people at school immediately wondered, “Is this China?” All the media hoopla about China taking advantage of the Ukraine conflict to make its move on Taiwan is getting under people’s skin. (We are fine.)
What I’m reading
Pride and Prejudice, again. I read it every year, and I alternate between loving it and finding the characters unnecessarily mean. This year, I’m loving it. Last class period, I had students write a list of flirting tips based on a specific character’s moves (it’s educational, I swear). Then I asked them to write a list of the modern-day equivalents, and they, wide-eyed, concluded that the tips still apply today. P&P was published in 1813. Pretty impressive, Austen.
I checked out Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr (author of All the Light We Cannot See and Cloud Cuckoo Land) from the library but haven’t started it. It’s a memoir. I am hoping he wrote about his writing process, because no one has inspired me more than he has to give writing a shot.
What I’m thinking about
Ukraine.
Taiwan.
Micro-aggressions and chronic illness, but more on that another week.
What I’m learning
How to be better at decision-making. I’ve thought about this topic and have worked on improving in this area quite a bit, but it’s still a work in progress.
I found this podcast episode on streamlining decision-making quite helpful. I’ve implemented a number of these tips (like adopting a capsule wardrobe), but some of the ideas were new to me. I particularly like this tip: choose a favorite. The point here is to have favorites in mind, so when you’re faced with a decision and one of your favorites is an option, you know what to pick. I think I kind of do this already: at a coffee shop, I will always order an Americano. If there are fish tacos on the menu (and we are within a day’s drive of the ocean), that’s what I order. We have a go-to restaurant we recommend to guests (Sayang here in Kaohsiung). When presented with color options, I will pick olive green or pink. I want to decide on my favorite
road trip album/playlist
karaoke song
formal work outfit
side dish option
cocktail
Something else I’m trying to learn how to do is to see decision-making as not trying to figure out the best option, but simply picking a good option. Easier said than done.
What I’m doing
Finally trying to establish a skincare routine, now that I’m rolling into my 40s. Previously, I’d slapped on whatever face wash we had around and never even wore sunscreen except on the beach (I know, this is terrible). Now I have a full-fledged multi-step routine, and it is surprisingly relaxing. We’ll see if my face likes it.
What I’ve saved
Related to ^^, this Beauty Uniform series on Cup of Jo is bougie but also quite lovely.
What’s your moral alignment? These examples of “chaotic neutral” moves amused me.
Check out the @depthsofwikipedia account on Instagram.
How to think about Ukraine, in maps and charts (NYT)
This poem, written by my former student HS:
Until next week,
Kate
Drop your skincare routine please! i relate to "chaotic neutral" :)
Waking up to live with purpose is hard but so worth it