I am writing to you on a rainy night, with an imaginary fireplace in my living room and the not-so-imaginary second glass of wine, while French songs keep me company.
I am slowing down, partly because I don’t have much fuel left in my tank (a common occurrence for a goal-oriented Virgo by this time of the year) and partly on purpose. I am resisting the rush and taking a stand by slowing down from today until the end of the year. I’ll still be writing (because what even am I if I am not writing?), so we will still be together here. And for the same reason, I invite you to slow down with me.
Highlights
🫳🏾 ━ We spent Diwali with my parents and cousins like we did last year, and planning to do for many years to come. It was so much food, fun, and fooray. These memories will be something I treasure forever.
🧺 ━ Not really Diwali-related, but for years, young me never understood why the university kids portrayed in Western TV and culture bring their laundry home to their parents, who live in different cities. ‘Why not wash it themselves?’ I always thought to myself, until a couple of weeks ago, when I actually packed my dirty laundry (white tees and sweaters that required handwashing) into my luggage across the continent so that my Amma could wash and iron it for me. Now I get it; some laundry requirements are hard, and mothers know the best. Either that, or I discovered a new level of laziness.
🤍 ━ I have officially registered myself to become an organ donor. It’s not a decision I made easily, especially since my parents are still alive. But after years of consideration, I finally pulled the plug (pun intended). I am sharing it here just in case it might inspire some of you or even one of you.
🫳🏾 ━ I received a Norse Goddess Rune Oracle during a witch gathering, which prompted a late-night Etsy browsing session for a bag of runes. Learning runes might be my witchy goal next year.
🥮 ━ The quick stopover in Singapore on the way back to Melbourne made me miss Singapore for its proximity to my parents, endless convenience, food, and safety. Here’s hoping Singapore will be on my travel cards next year.
🏎️ ━ I went Go-Karting with my colleagues and got absolutely trashed for my frantic driving. Still, it was fun, and I insisted on always being invited. I also had my first-ever Lawn Bowl game with Fafa and other friends. I think I like Lawn Bowl since it’s more about drinking and socializing than the sport itself.
Culture Chat
I stayed up past midnight to watch India lose to Australia at the Cricket World Cup with mixed emotions ✾ My Italian manager introduced me to my first Panino and Caffè Ristretto ✾ Preserving the heritage, culture and history of Hong Kong through guided tours that shed light on the city’s traditional side ✾
Read, Watched and Browsed
📚 ━ I Ioved Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, a novel by Satoshi Yagisawa. It makes me want to check out Jimbocho the next time I visit Tokyo. I also read Unfollow Me on a Sunday arvo. Two more books next month, and I’d tick off my reading goal for the year.
🎥 ━ I absolutely loved and got scared shitless by Carmichael Manor (a part of the Hell House LLC Universe). I watched it every single weekend throughout this month. Another recommendation is Love & Death, a true crime drama starring Elizabeth Olsen (I forgot how pretty she is/they are). After waiting for more than a year, I finally gave in and paid for Apple TV to watch Law & Order: SVU Season 23. It was totally worth it. I also started watching horror recaps, N Recaps Horror, on YouTube. It has become a perfect solution for me, someone who loves horror but cannot watch those in another language since it requires me to be fully glued to the screen instead of multitasking.
🎙️ ━ A new fave: Scaredy Boys ❥ A seasonal podcast to check out: But Make It Hallmark ❥ A few more worth listening to Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa and Sam Riegl and Australia’s Got…Poems! (ft. Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa). I am also back on Adnan Syed’s saga, and this time, I am not so sure anymore that he is innocent.
🗞️ ━ Current favourite blogs: Last Appetite and Stay Woke Tarot and cozy newsletter recommendations: A Weekly List of 10 Things by Austin Kleon, Out of The Blue by Mari Andrews, Always Be Creating by Abby Sy and Practical Magic by Chinggay.
🔖 ━ Articles worth reading: Coral Island, a new game, promised to be Like Stardew Valley ❥ (the title is pretty clickbait-ey but still kinda inspiring) I’m 73, single and ‘homeless’. I’ve never been happier ❥
Foodie Guide-y
🍱 ━ While we were in Jakarta, Amma cooked Nasi Uduk (for me), Bubur Ayam and Fish Biryani (for Fafa) for breakfast. She also made my fave, Prawn Tauco, on Diwali. Meanwhile, we also ordered through Uber Eats (Gojek in Indo): Taro Pudding from Puyo, Secret CEO Coffee from the iconic Kopi Kenangan, road-side spicy fried rice (which turned out to be excessively spicy, and for the first time, we had to admit defeat).
🍛 ━ Youtube cousin treated us to Nasi Campur Medan (Medanese Mixred Rice) for lunch, one of the best-mixed rice restaurants in Jakarta, at Istana. The outing included indulging in Creme Brulee Coffee at Monsieur Spoon.
🥘 ━This month, I cooked Balinese Ayam Suwir Balinese, Kerala Prawn Curry, Gule Kale, Hotel Style Kerala Chicken Curry, Pakistani Karahi Chicken (which Fafa said equals Indian Kadai Chicken) and Mushroom Biryani.
🧫 ━ I introduced Fafa to Tolak Angin at the airport, and he promptly became a fan to the extent that having Tolak Angin as a couple has become a regular thing in our household.
🍲 ━ One day, despite being sick AF after my Diwali trip, I still had to go to work. On that same day, I had to catch up with Nadia for lunch at ILZA, where I had the best chicken udon. It helped, leading me to detour on the way home for a hot pot dinner by myself. It was the first time I ever had hot pot alone, and surprisingly, it didn’t feel as weird as I thought it would.
🥟 ━ I met with Newman, who flew in from Canada for his friend’s wedding. We tried to squeeze in as many life updates as possible during a long lunch at China Chilli in Melbourne Chinatown (we bonded over dim sim and dumplings in our early friendship days).
🍜 ━ I went to Doodee Paidang to relive old memories of having it after nights of drinking with Fafa or long work lunch with Perdo, but good god, the quality has tanked.
Tiny Joys
Beautiful book covers ❤ Bookstores ❤ colleagues who made me laugh so much I cried ❤ mango season ❤ Semiya payasam ❤
Meanwhile, on Kulture Kween:
I wrote about Matsuri: A Slowly Fading Japanese Cultural Festival ❃ The Lasting Legacy of a Japanese Confectionery Haven ❃ Tranquil Charms of Misty Mountains in Takahara ❃
Time Machine
Read more about last year’s happenings.
Things on My Mind
🧂 ━ If I were to have a food blog, I would name it either “French Disque & Indian Plate“, “I Cook; At Least, I Try and Cry“, or “No Salt“. The latter is purely because that has been Fafa’s constant feedback on my cooking.
Thank You, Next!
🧘🏾 ━ I dream of my December days being filled with reflection, gratitude, and slow living, serving as the antitode to the usual holiday rush, which is often folded into a blurry end of the year.
🪙 ━ The card of the month is the Child (Page) of Pentacles by The Spacious Tarot, my by-the-bed-side tarot deck. The card depicts a bear cub chilling on a sunflower-laden hill with a coin in its paw. Traditionally, the Page of Pentacles (one of my favourite cards on tarot, by the way) is associated with new projects and manifestations. For me, it represents curiosity and blessings—a nice reminder to keep myself open to both throughout the month.
🎄 ━ The first thing I did for a slower December was to say no to as many holiday parties as soon as I could, leaving me with only the ones I really wanted to be a part of. This weekend, I am going for a sleepover at Liz’s new home in our old neighbourhood, South Yarra. It’s followed by a weekday Christmas dinner with my workmates and a weekend Christmas-PJs party with my new mates. Another Japanese-themed Christmas dinner with Aina and Jen is planned for the weekend after. And that will be it.
📚 ━ I plan to attend Melbourne’s Writers’ Big Day Out and possibly another Tarot Community Club in Brunswick.
🌴 ━ We are off to live my dream of being a digital nomad by working from Bali. We are staying in Ubud, followed by more days in Canggu, where my cousins are flying in from Jakarta to join us. You can expect boozy Bali diaries on the blog and film photos, including snippets of my attempt to keep a Travelers Notebook on Instagram.
It will be the end of December when I write to you with another one of this NoNe series. Before that, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! May you have a beautiful, You-Do-You kind of holiday. See you on the other side of the year! 🥳
Keep Kultured! ━ KK.
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