Damn, I Got Educated This Week
This week was full of conversations that really got me thinking.
The Sun Gets Covered by Clouds too
开心果 (kāi xīn guǒ) - known as a pistachio in Mandarin, but also fondly referred as someone who is always happy or a delight
My grandma used to call me that when I was a kid. I was always a ball of energy and light, but this week has felt nothing like that at all. This week was rather difficult, and I’m not sure why. Perhaps it was the suffocating air in the apartment from being stuck at home, and I was just tired of so many things—I was probably burnt out, confused with my own life, and just packed on too many things. It was to the point where I would nap sometimes so I didn’t have to deal with reality, and I would let my phone battery drain so I didn’t have to talk to people.
Upon speaking to my friend, she mentioned something that made me realize a lot of things. She said, “Sometimes it’s the thought of doing all the things that make you stressed out, rather than actually doing it. Your problems are obviously valid, but you must ask yourself what is the root of your stress and you should realize—you don’t need to do everything at once or respond at once. You can take things slowly, be thoughtful in your reaction, and not be so reactive all the time. You can control what comes to you and in your own pace, digest and respond to it.”
And I was like, “Damn—you’re right.” Pistachio here got a lesson and though so simple, I guess it was awakening for someone like me. As an avid community person, I always feel the need to reach out, help, and connect—I forgot I also need to connect with myself and check in with myself too. Sometimes…I think I am Robin Williams.
Take care of your 9s and 10s
I met a new friend named Grace this week. She was someone I met through a community, and we discussed the topic of friendship. She mentioned something that rang within me, and it was something about cultivating friendships. She told me, in a spectrum of 1-10, there are friends that you have where 1-5 are developing, new friendships and the ones near 9-10 are the ones who have been around forever, the ones you’d always consider that they be there. But often times, that’s not the case because relationships aren’t always forever if time and effort isn’t put into.
She detailed that most of our time and resources are dedicated to the developing friendships because it’s so new and takes a lot of energy, whereas we should be dedicating our time to the 9-10s. It was something that make me realize what she said was completely true, and I had been neglecting the friendships that really mattered. The 9s and 10s are important, and shouldn’t be forgotten. While I realize my time in Singapore is shiny and glitzy; things are so new, but I still need to take care of my OGs.
Dating in Singapore
Well well well, aren’t you lucky to be able to get a sneak peek into an intimate part of my life? I started to date in Singapore, but it’s like trying to swallow durian for the first time as a westerner. So many rotating faces and I just couldn’t do it. Popular apps here are Bumble, Tinder, and Coffee Meets Bagel. Side note: many of my girl friends here use Bumble for BFF to find new friends.
Anyways, I downloaded Tinder for the first time, and it’s been…eye-opening.
So this is what Tinder is like. Swipe swipe swipe—it’s mindless. I don’t expect anything, and I’m sure they don’t expect anything from me. In San Francisco, Tinder is a hookup app and I’m sure it’s the same here, but I haven’t had the courage to meet anyone here. I’m not even sure if I’m ready to date, but a part of me thinks I should invest in finding a good guy? My dad and previous colleague-turned-good friend both told me I should just diversify my portfolio and date around to figure out what I want, but time is precious and I’d rather work on my side projects at the moment.
Am I lonely? I don’t think so. Why am I on this app? Because I’m bored. Do I think I’ll find my forever? Probably not. So what’s the point? Not sure—*closes app and opens Netflix*.
Events (East meets West)
Post Pandemic New Retail in China hosted by DayDayUp - Incubator in Beijing that is running a program for SMEs to sell online to China
Breaking into the Chinese Market with Social Media and Marketing - This workshop aims to be a introduction on how you and your brand can take advantage of the ever growing Chinese opportunity, whether it is the millions of Chinese living and visiting Australia, or the 1.4 billion Chinese consumers in mainland China.
Happy Red Dot: Being Happier in Singapore - In this interactive and fun-filled three-hour session, you will explore The Science of Happiness, examine what happens in the brain when you feel happy, and learn how being happy can be controlled by making a conscious decision.
That’s all this week!
(Gives a tired smile)
Emily
👋 Want to chat or talk projects? Email me at emilyifang@gmail.com.
