#Juststuff8
For your Obon weekend if you live in Japan - or for your mid-summer weekend. Here to give you more than 20 links to click on.
Hi hi! I recently wrote for By foods on Top10 places to eat breakfast in Ginza, if you want to check that out? Please do bare with me while I figure out some housekeepings for this newsletter. I know that consistency and solid content is very important for this platform and I haven’t been able to deliver both recently - I don’t feel great about it but it happens! Today, I’m sending you over some #juststuff edition, where I’m giving you all the links to read, watch, and buy. *sigh*
Is anyone going anywhere this summer or are you already traveling? Jealous!!!! Tell me about your travel plans so I can look up what to do for next year. I feel like Japan is just too hot to even do anything fun anymore, so I’m stuck in my apartment most times, but next week, I’m taking myself out to the beach for a night and hang out with some friends at a beach house where there’s a party happening on a Thursday…? Will let you know all about it next time. I also had a reckoning with situationships recently, and while I wasn’t even asking for it, it just kinda happened. I’ll put this on record to say that situationships are fun if you are also looking for that as well. It’s entirely a different story if you are not into it. But for now!!! Here is your #juststuff :)
Books
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder - I swear, give all the essays and books on writing about sex to Melissa Broder, my FUCKING GOD. This book was introduced to me on one of my favorite book podcast Literary Friction, and it was on an episode about food in books. I didn’t know what to expect but in the podcast, the host said that in Milk Fed, food is described in a very literal and wholesome way - and I get it. She also does such a perfect tie between food and sex and how the word “eat” is … well can be both an act of eating and sex. Oooough, gives me the chills just thinking about this book. Both horny and a bit sad, can’t recommend it enough.
Reads
All the Parties I Forgot to Throw by Thao Thai’s Wallflower ChatsI’m so here for celebrating small milestones! I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, lean in to those little wins!
This Portland breakfast spot review , love the design of this website.
Why Barbie Must Be Punished on the NYT was a really great take on not to be fooled by the mass opinion about the film- it’s great but it’s also I guess not a new take? I know the internet is filled with Barbie content this past few weeks, but this NYT article, showing girls going out to see the movie together getting all dressed up is a dream for me. It seems like it’s one of those night’s you’ll write down in your diary that just says, “Such a fun night.” - I love that.
The Last Time I Had a Best Friend I Was 11 They are also accepting new pitches for another round - I tried once but I might try again. This was a really good one about a honest take on friendship and how it just didn’t work.How I Learned To Embrace The Thrilling Uncertainty Of Situationships You know that I love a Annie Lord column, but this reaffirmed my situationship that I am in now, and how much I don’t want to be in it. It’s great if you love it - it’s fucking terrible if you don’t want it with that person. It reminds me of this tweet, “I just want a guy to be obsessed with me.” Also this one on desires on sexual connections was so good, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
The Best Thing To Do With Your Friends Is Absolutely Nothing one of the joys of just hanging out with friends is for me - at home doing nothing. (Drinks and snacks are included)
Cup of Jo is always a great place for some recs and fun things to look into, and this weekend’s edition where a women was complimented by her dad who has Alzheimer’s was just so heartbreaking, but so beautifully tender.
Podcasts
from Rich text has a podcast and If I have a baby, will I lose myself was making the rounds. You can only listen to the preview if you are not a paid subscriber but still it’s a great listen.Scamanda is about a women named Amanda scamming people around her, telling everyone that she has cancer - when actually she’s been lying the whole time. It’s a good investigative podcast but a bit long if I’m being honest.
If you are remotely interested in learning about the Writers Guild Strike happening in America, this episode by ologies was helpful. I saw it was recommended on
and I found it difficult to understand all the words and technical phrases and all, but I loved how the podcast actually took place while the picketers were outside protesting.I always love to get new book podcast rec and I think
recommended this one, By The book by BFM Media. I listen to the memoir episode and I’ll definitely keep listening, just because the hosts are pretty candid about how they felt about the book, honestly is funny sometimes no?Movie
Don’t Worry Darling - It was on Netflix and I finally was able to watch it. I’m one of those people who can dive into a book or movie not knowing anything about it, even the genre to be honest. I had no clue this was a “Thriller” I mean look at the poster, it’s giving “Drama+Romance” but no, it was far from that. I’m actually glad I watched this now and not when all the weird press about Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde dating stories and Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde’s feud on it all? But honestly, it seems like it doesn’t have a lot of good reviews, and I must say, while I do love Florence Pugh’s performance in general, I hated how the plot ending, the most important and thrilling part that makes the movie!!! was so rushed and it only had like 10 minutes tops to explain the plot-twist, I was disappointed in that bit a little, but still I thought it was pretty engaging.
You hurt my feelings - a new A24 film starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tobias Menzies. I think it’s safe to say, I have watched VEEP and Motherland on repeat now for about 30 times or more, anything that has Julia Louis-Dreyfus in it, I’m in. It was actually a funny movie where two adults are just completely codependent, the son actually calls them out on it, and they somehow miss the mark in not being able to actually say *how they feel* for years when they seem pretty happy. It reminded of my recent situationship I have put myself into, and how I have been very reluctant in telling him *how I feel* and that seemed to have brought me here…
Some roundups of recipes 🥣
Here are some delicious recipes I’ve been making. I’m completely obsessed with yogurt, don’t ask me why I’m just into it. Anything that I can dip or pour on top of something, give it to meeeeee. Alison Roman’s Labne with Sizzled Scallions and Chile recipe for a fucking brilliant tasteful dip, if you love cilantro, this one is for you. (Obv, I’m in Japan so I use greek yogurt and not Labne.) I was obsessed when I saw this recipe, and saw the word green olive salsa, so I made the butter bean base from this recipe which was fucking amazing, and just made my own green olive salsa - the results were perfect. This Chickpea, Tomato + Harissa Stew with Herby Yoghurt was divine. Again, I’m obsessed with yogurt sauce. Made a flaky chocolate cake from Smitten Kitchen. Another
classic, chicken and tomatoes forever . I also love slicing up courgettes for the most simple and easiest summer dish. This shaved courgette and pecorino mint salad was such a great lunch.
Some other things that I bought or liked❤️
This instagram video about a 90-year-old French man just sitting outside with his barefoot saying his wife is on a long vacation and he’ll be there with her soon. I’m crying and you’re crying too. I went on J-crew’s website and saw that their doing a huge summer sale, 50% off sale from their initial sale. Of course, I snatched a couple of things. Their still doing the sale, but sadly their massive sale is done now it seems? I’ve been really having a hard time to get the right pants - like the PERFECT pants that are in both black and white. I got a pair of linen pants on the J-crew sale, but I still feel like I need the perfect pair. On
newsletter, she recently talked about all things work pants and I’m really keen on buying these MM6 Maison Margiela pants, it’s also on a massive price down sale. I've always been eyeing this massive throw-blanket but it’s just a tad bit expensive, what do you think? It’s so cute. From the Shameless podcast girlie, Zara Mcdonald, I’ve been obsessed with this outfit and her Marni bag. I saw it on Mercari and I’m kinda thinking of buying it. I’ll be terribly sad if someone is going to buy it before me.That’s it from me this week! Thank you for those who have always been reading, means so much. You can follow me on Twitter dolcemegs or on Instagram megsgumis. Until next time and I hope you are having the best summer you deserve, bisous. x