Hi friends,
Welcome to Week 16! 4 months in, and coincidentally it is also our 4 year friendversary today (as dutifully reminded by Facebook!)
Cheers to many more years 🥂
N:
on weekend-ing
Here are some sneaky photos I took of people flying their planes and kites this weekend on an open patch of grass. I’m largely comforted by the idea that, at least for some people, Sunday mornings in adulthood are a persistent re-experience of childhood play. The morning sunlight casts bright scribbles into the sky. It really is a relaxing sight: the different planes swooping and diving down like birds across the wide expanse of land.
The plane enthusiasts take this hobby very seriously. From the cluster of trucks parked by the side of the road, they unload several models. Some are ultra-mechanical – vaguely military-like; others look like enlarged colorful toy planes. With their hats and sunglasses, they prop up little foldable chairs and watch their planes lift slowly, and then abruptly, into the air.
We don’t exist without play because it moves us through life. From the stretches of time where playing was our entire world, to the brief moments of reprieve from work, to finally re-defining the boundaries of what play and fun even are.
To play is to know a place where the sun never leaves the air. To play is to know that delight is retrievable and all around us. The finite play for life is serious; the infinite play of life is joyous.
J:
airplane thoughts
I remember reading this essay in the New York Times a few years back, about the world of airport terminals and layovers. The writer, Sasha Chapin, captures the subtle charm and excitement of the often too-quickly dismissed layover: the freedom, the anticipation; the significance of this moment in transit.
This quote stands out particularly: “The whole point is that they have to wait. You have been granted a reprieve — a chance to consider life as it was before it goes away, or as it might be when it arrives... Whatever you’re doing is O.K., because you really can’t do anything at all.”
I kept coming back to that idea - of waiting - as I sat in silence on the plane. It takes more than 24 hours of travel time across two different flights to get from Singapore to Philly. 24 hours of empty time, sitting with and mulling over many thoughts. The vast emptiness of the spaces around me - the open skies and empty seats - only intensifies the thinking, like one giant echo chamber.
As the flight map loads on the screen in front of me, it is almost tortuous to think about everything coming ahead. Not just the remaining hours of flight time, but everything that happens after you land. Life back on the ground. So instead, I take my cue from Chapin and focus on what I can - rewatching Sleepless in Seattle for the 6th time; making my way through another tiny bag of pretzels; watching the sun rise over the Atlantic - reassured by the knowledge that for now, it is enough.
N:
Podcasts on the TLDL app! It’s a new startup focused on podcast discovery.
J:
Tiny Desk Concerts (Home Edition)
I’ve always loved this series (the Tom Misch one from 2018 will never not be iconic), but his newest appearance with Yussef Dayes is another recent favorite.
N:
Weblings! This is a chrome extension that lets you see cute little drawings of fruit and vegetables when you open up a new tab. It’s absolutely just for fun, and I love that.
J:
Some room refreshers
After keeping my walls empty for many months, I finally decided that I wanted to start a lil gallery back in March. That is, of course, before we were all sent home, leaving my Rothko print without a friend (😢). However, I brought back some of my paintings from Singapore and decided to hang them up! It reminds me of the little makeshift studios I’d set up on the dining room table, painting alongside my mom. Small reminders of home.
Also - I’m thinking of starting a capsule wardrobe (!!!) It really shouldn’t take a person several long hours to clean out and organize their wardrobe, but I embarrassingly admit that it does for me. I’m still in the middle of sorting out clothes and deciding, in true Marie Kondo fashion, what truly sparks joy - will keep you all updated. Although I’m bracing myself for another semester of Apartment Life™, I’m determined to make my room a place of zen.
N:
I thought these two quotes seemed to be in conversation with one another, what do you think?
“There is no reality except the one contained within us. That is why so many people live such an unreal life. They take the images outside of them for reality and never allow the world within to assert itself.” – Herman Hesse
“We are never misunderstood, we are just understood in ways we don’t like to be”– Unknown, found deep in my trove of notes
J:
“To me, cool means living for more than the next moment. Cool doesn’t mean having the latest Dior, knowing people, being on the list, and sitting at Lucien. Cool means you are your authentic self. Cool means you walk the walk. Cool means being a good fucking person. Cool means when you are alone, you can stand to be with yourself. Cool means listening when others speak; cool means holding doors open and smiling. Cool is compassion, understanding, love and boundaries. Cool is being good.” - Sage Adams (@sageaflocka)
N:
It’s really inspiring to see people doing fun, artsy pieces over quarantine: I’m loving photo series of nature/objects in particular. There’s something very quiet and light-infused about them. Something about the mindfulness of framing the shot, and the anticipation behind it.
The first set of photos is in film from “Quaranzine” by Heather, and the second set by Brandon, our friend and fellow newsletter writer, in Recess.
J:
I came across the work of Giorgia Lupi last year, and have been an avid follower since. Through her work as an information designer, Lupi champions the idea of “data humanism”: recognizing and embracing data’s fundamental connection to people. Rejecting big data’s push to simplify and abstract information, and expanding its use as a narrative tool.
Her latest project, “Dear New York”, is a beautiful record of the city’s connection with its people. Visitors on the site can leave two kinds of messages: a note about the things they miss most, and their hopes for the future. Though I’m not a New York native, the city has been home to some of my favorite memories - from solo trips to long-awaited reunions. Like Giorgia’s note says: I miss her energy.
A bonus to those who make it to the end: here’s a picture from the day we first met! Funnily enough, we met before university - as staff members of Parallel Ink, an e-magazine founded by our fellow friend Jamie (hi girl!)
Questionable style choices aside (from the hair, to the sports shoes, and the classic Asian kid glasses), this photo brings back so many happy memories. From two gals meeting through and art and literary zine, to working on our own newsletter four years later 💫
Hugs,
J & N