10 Essentials
Hi there! I wasn’t able to write this past weekend. I was too enthralled with where I was. Practically in a rainforest. I love looking at wild birds and there were many different birds where I went. I saw a hornbill (at least I think that’s what it’s called, it has a horn on its bill), lots of crows, a couple of mysterious blue birds. The whole weekend, I felt like I was in a Murakami novel. Many parked cars but no people around. Stray cats everywhere. Weird trees all around. Deserted, run-down, 60s style buildings. I’ll be writing about this place soon. It’s just on Airbnb. I just want to keep it to myself for a little while.
There’s a fun video series on Youtube by GQ called 10 Things, where famous people like Shawn Mendes, Finneas, and Trixie Mattel list show and tell their 10 essentials. Here’s Dan Levy, whom I like:
Noone asked me, but if I were to share my ten essentials:
1. Phone case wallet. A gamechanger. I used to worry about bringing my phone and my wallet all the time. With this, I just need to bring my phone. One less thing to worry about. My phone case looks something like this:
I didn’t want the ones that just had a card pocket in the back. I don’t want the danger of my card falling out, nor do I want people seeing my credit card peeking out of the back of my phone. This one with the cover is better to carry my minimal cash and just 3 absolutely essential cards (including my Fully Booked discount card haha). I don’t use cash anymore really. Why use cash when there’s GCash? My favorite phone app. More on that in another post. If a store doesn’t carry GCash then there’s my credit card. My dad always taught me to use cash so that it’s easier to keep track of my expenses. I still believe this, but with the pandemic especially, I don’t want to handle cash anymore for sanitary reasons, plus I’d rather not handle change. I also got a taste of the cashless world when I travelled to Scandinavia two years ago, where if you offered to pay in cash you will get a funny look. It was a nice, efficient world. Haven’t looked back since.
2. Systane eye drops. Dry eyes are the enemy, especially if your work is all done on a computer like mine is. Dry eyes means headaches and discomfort. My doctor recommended I use this 6 times a day, so I always carry Systane at all times.
3. Aveeno Stress-Relief Moisturizing lotion. A cherished post-workday bath ritual. Nothing better than mild lavender and oat lotion right before bed. Recently got a scare when this Aveeno variant disappeared from the Johnson & Johnson’s official stores on Shopee and Lazada and in the supermarkets. If they discontinue this variant, I will legitimately panic. I’m still not sure of the status of this product in their line up, but I hoarded a couple of giant bottles.
4. Kindle. The world’s biggest book store in my hand. A great reading experience that I can take anywhere. I love the backlight. One never need worry about optimal lighting with the backlight, the digital page is like a real page. Not a backlight, rather, but a sidelight. They made it so that the light isn’t coming at you, it’s coming from the sides of the device so that the light seems to be shining on the page, like how a lamp would give you light as you read a physical book. Kindles are so sturdy too. I had to buy a new one this year after my old one gave up after a good 8 years or so.
5. IPad Air. As I mentioned in my past post, it’s now my primary device. I did away with a personal laptop. I do everything here. I draw and write here too thanks to Apple pencil. My creativity outlet, comic reader, news reader, my tool for browsing, note-taking, Facetime/Google Meets. I use it every day. Lately my favorite app is Noteworthy.
6. Lysol wipes. Because pandemic. This works like a safety blanket. I’m also rarely without Lysol wipes. We use this heavily in my home too for all incoming deliveries and things that generally come from outside.
7. Apple watch. My favorite accessory. The Swiss army knife of the watch world and more. It’s a blank slate, customize as you want. The timer alone is a game changer. The rain indicator thing is a novel feature that has grown on me and which is nifty for the weather. Of course my favorite part is the Activity rings. It has motivated me to exercise every day and I can’t put a price on that. So much value for money. I used to tell people I don’t want an Apple watch because I hate phone notifications and I dread actually wearing the notifications on my wrist. Apparently, that can be toggled off, so it’s perfect. I just get a buzz when someone’s calling, and that’s fine.
8. Birkenstocks. Another thing that I used to resist because I didn’t like the look and didn’t want to look like a stereotype haha! Well I got a pair recently and have been using it constantly. Easy and fast to put on, perfect for Manila’s sunny hot weather, thick soles unlike Havaianas, ergonomic insole that snugly hugs my feet. I got a stone gray one that goes with everything and looks unremarkable enough to be invisible.
9. Manduka yoga mat. It is so expensive at almost Php7000 but the high quality of the mat is unmistakeable. I feel that this will literally last me for life. A great and worthwhile investment. This is where I do all my workouts on. Other mats feel flimsy in comparison. This is sturdy and durable and allows me to forget that there’s a mat in the first place. I am a big fan of things that I forget are there while I’m using them because this means that those things are well-designed enough to melt into the background of whatever I need them for.
10. Muesli. This is the best breakfast for me. Muesli with plain Greek yogurt and honey. This is usually what I have for breakfast and what I want to have for breakfast every day of my life. I’m the type to want to have a template breakfast forever and this is it. My absolute favorite one is this, when I can get it:
Thanks for watching and don’t forget to hit like and subscribe!
Comments
Post a Comment