Boredom. It’s been a regular occurrence around here. In one particular fit, I found myself reaching out on group chat asking: what are you all doing for fun?
The answers were resoundingly the same: board games, working out, tv, puzzles, crosswords, more tv, walks, reading, aaaaand repeat.
But the particulars of how people spend their time have always contained an element of mystery to me, even before the pandemic. What have you been watching or reading? Where have you been walking? I think these choices come together and make up a person’s “taste”.
I had an amazing conversation with a friend once about taste. We concluded that your taste is what defines your unique creative identity. And it evolves as we evolve. So, I’m taking this opportunity to explore my own taste as it’s evolved through both pandemic-induced isolation, and what lies beyond it. I’ve always loved sharing and receiving recommendations from friends and family.
5 Good Things is just an online version of that.
I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments below!
Movie: The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Wow is all I can say. It’s been a long time since I’ve watched a movie that felt like watching a work of art. They got EVERYTHING right. The tone, dialogue, coloring, set, character arcs. Everything. This film is not only visually stunning but a powerful comment on white gentrification and the barriers to entry for most BIPOC communities in metropolitan centres.
Here’s the official film summary: Jimmie Fails, a young man, dreams of being a permanent resident of San Francisco and seeks his friend Montgomery's help to regain an ancient home built by his grandfather.
Director: Joe Talbot
Writers: Jaime Fails & Joe Talbot
Where to watch: CRAVE (Canada)
Brand: A Good Company
Here’s the deal—literally all of our pens in the house decided to die at the same time. I don’t know how they orchestrated this, but it’s REALLY annoying for an old-school pen-to-paper writer (aka. me). Collecting them and throwing them out made me realize how gross pens are for the environment. I need to find a refillable pen option that’s not made of plastic. Of course, Instagram heard my thoughts and offered me a solution via ad the very next day.
These natural grass pens are not only decomposable, but come with a BPA-free, recycled plastic refill option so you never have to throw out a pen again.
A Good Company is a Swedish-based brand committed to a fully eco-conscious supply chain. They’re completely, and I mean completely, transparent about where they source their materials from, what’s in them, and how they get to you. I also love that their CEO posts regular business updates on their Instagram whilst walking in the woods with his dog. The whole thing feels very human and their range of products is really exciting.
They make a refillable metal pen made of—get this—recycled metal from illegal firearms from El Salvador. So cool.
I picked up a couple of other cool products from them which I’m eager to try including a bamboo toothbrush, and some natural clay for some DIY projects I have in mind. I’ll report back on these grass pens!
food: this creamy dreamy orange smoothie
There’s nothing like a good smoothie in the morning. I’ve been experimenting with all sorts of ingredients and think I’ve come up with the most perfect smoothie recipe. It tastes like a creamsicle, it’s not too sweet or too bitter, and it’s both filling and refreshing. You’ll need a high-powered blender for this. Blend for at least 1 full minute. Here’s the recipe:
1 banana
1 orange
Handful of greens
2 TBSP of yogurt
1 tsp of flax oil
Carrot juice
Splash of non-dairy milk
Small handful of oats
1/2 tsp of probiotic powder (I use this one)
book: Girl, Woman, Other
I’m not proud to say that I read this book in February and I haven’t been able to finish a single book since. Anecdotally, I’ve heard from many of my peers that reading has been incredibly difficult the last couple of months, people are tired of sitting around. Maybe, the winter blues got to me, and reading just wasn’t the vibe.
Or, maybe, this book was so incredibly well written that it literally ruined all other reading experiences for me, period. This novel was undoubtedly one of the best novels I’ve ever read. It is a masterpiece in character study and short story prose. It’s no surprise that it’s got a 4.4 on Goodreads and won the 2019 Booker Prize. Bernardine Evaristo is a genius.
Here’s the book summary: Girl, Woman, Other follows the lives and struggles of twelve very different characters. Mostly women, black and British, they tell the stories of their families, friends, and lovers, across the country and through the years.
Joyfully polyphonic and vibrantly contemporary, this is a gloriously new kind of history, a novel of our times: celebratory, ever-dynamic and utterly irresistible
activity: print ya damn travel photos
Shot from the Bay of Kotor, in Montenegro
Pre-pandemic we were avid travelers, and I was always taking photos. But, often we’d return and those photos would just sit on my camera, or laptop, or phone, and never see the light of day again. I made a photo album using Artifact Uprising once— it was nice, but after a couple of years it also ended up in a box somewhere.
So! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be digging through my travel pics, framing them, and hanging them on my walls. Since we’re not sure when we’ll travel again, it’ll be a nice reminder of where we’ve already been.