#juststuff9
I'm back from Hokkaido! Lots of love and warmth in my heart. Appreciating another decade of friendship to come. Here is some No feelings, just stuff!
Hi friends! :) I recently went on a week long trip with a friend and can’t wait to tell you all about it soon! It was just another moment in my life where I appreciated my surroundings and how blessed I am to have people around me who actually like to spend time with me. It sounds silly, but I get emotional sometimes to think that people like me for who I am? Again, it sounds silly willy, but despite growing older and becoming less insecure about myself, I still struggle with imposter syndrome I think? “I don’t know if I should be here” is something that pops into my head often, but people that I have around me never make me feel that way, and I want to keep it that way. <3
ICYMI, I did a guest post for
and you can read the article here and also and spoke about my favorite restaurant so far. Ok, let’s just get into all the fun and yum stuff I’ve been checking out. (Actually, this one is giving lots of feelings if I’m being honest.)
Reads
I enjoyed
newsletter. A guest contributor by Caroline Cala Donofrio on How To Best Share Our Personal Writing
9. Sharing is a sacred duty.
Because right now, there is
someone
out there with
a wound
in the exact shape
of your words.
a poem by Sean Thomas Dougherty
If you know me well, I trust Michael Hobbes’s opinion over any journalism. During the Depp v. Heard trial, he was really trying to advocate how much misinformation was at play at the time. A great read if you STILL think Heard deserved what she got from the media at the time is here, The Bleak Spectacle of the Amber Heard-Johnny Depp Trial I then started reading a couple of his newsletter entries and this entry Panic! On the Editorial Page clearly explains how easy it is for the public to just believe everything we see. You can watch his YouTube video break down of this article by the NYT. Him saying, “This fucking article” is chef’s kiss <3
This essay got me teary eyed! WE WERE HUNGRY by Chris Dennis. Where is your third place? Weirdly the first thing that came to my mind is the park I used to go to with my mom almost everyday as a kid. It was like our ritual. When it was cold, we got the milk tea from one of the vending machines, and that exact vending machine is still there.
Some new Substacks I’m loving!!! (Both fashion related) My favorite fashion substack so far is
on . She recommends a lot of Etsy options and second hand shopping but also some really practical fashion advise which I love. who I just discovered recently, has a lot of expensive clothes, but she also links a few that can be a nice alternative. I just really love how she coordinates everyday clothing and makes fashion a more meaningful thing than labor. I love It's the best time of year to get dressed - so many styles I want to copy from!
Another one is
It is in fact, no surprise, beautifully big fashion energy. She puts her all in it, and I’ve been a fan of her writing for a while now, but we love a cleaver women.I’m in a memoir kick (because I’m trying to…well yeah more on this later) so the rest of year, I’m committed to read *only* memoir! Then I came across this first-ever Pulitzer Prize for memoir called Stay True. Here’s an excerpt of the book, and I love it a lot. I also really enjoyed this interview with the writer Hua Hsu here.
I’m drawn to writing about others because it gives me an excuse to ask questions I might also ask myself.
Take the visitor’s approach to exploring your own city It’s easy for me to pose as a visitor because a) people do think I’m not from Japan and b) I play along but I like this idea.
Are you a P.S.L. virgin? Same but this fall might be the year I’m going to change that. The Pumpkin Spice Latte Will Outlive Us All this tiktok from Starbucks is a bit embarrassing, let’s be honest.
Can’t recommend
Substack enough! (again, she is Clair from Fleabag) She does these entries on “poetry is for everyone” and introduced this song by Pharrel called Freedom. Never heard of it, but. oh wow. You need a moment to take in all of it but please enjoy. Also her reading on Alice’s Adventure In Wonderland was so reminiscent of my inner child.
Let me end the reading section with this article by The Cut, The Pandemic Skip I do genuinely believe that I did lost my career a bit during the pandemic because I joined a new company right before Covid started, but if I’m being honest, I’ve never felt like the pregnancy or marriage talk shifted so much around me - it’s been the same pre and post Covid but I’m wondering if this is also a cultural thing or just a me thing?
Podcasts/Listen
I popped on The Armchair Expert with Jonathan Van Ness during the road trip. It’s very discussion heavy in the middle. Trans rights, trans people in sports, is NYT left leaning or not? and misinformation and disinformation on all of the above. Jonathan is an activists and tries really hard to advocate trans kids rights all across America. It was a bit of a heart-wrenching listen but I urge you to listen - if you can handle a bit of fast talking that is.
Beginngs and Endings an essay called Words with Mom. It’s a writing podcast so it’s a good way to learn about writing skills in general. I LOVE when writers are good at word play, gives me a lot of joy. This Is What Mania Looks Like is also a breathtaking essay about bipolar disorder.
If you are not up to date on Russel Brand’s rape accusations that has been resurfacing this past couple of weeks, this one and this one is a good listen by Stories Of Our Times.
IYKYK. There was a beauty memoir ish book written by Marisa Meltzer, “Glossy”, a tell-all book on Emily Weiss and her company Glossier. Forever35 is genuinely a nice podcast I pop on often, and she was a guest on it.
Dolly Alderton reads her letter of advice about Botox and aging Tall girl energy!!!! Buy those heels!!! She is forever someone I will respect and adore.
“I think you are so much younger than you are.”
Movies/Shows
Heartburn
A 1986 movie written by Nora Ephron. I also finally got the book and I can’t wait to devour it. Can I just say…after having a first date, take him back to your place, have some good sex (multiple), and then wake up at 3am and cook up some carbonara, and then eat in bed out of the same big bowl? If this isn’t a move I’ll pull, I don’t know what is.
I finally was able to bring myself to watch this film on Amazon Prime, but let it be known, it’s not an easy watch. It’s based on a true event(s), and it was called “The Ghost Rape” that took place in Bolivia. Over 150 women, girls, and some say boys and men were raped at night by men. The film doesn’t focus on any of the men, but it’s about the women coming together and trying to find a way out. A new life, freedom, or what will that even mean for them as they never experienced having freedom of their own. If you want to read more on this, this piece by
is a great read.
Extra Things
These navy velvet flats from Vibi Venezia, (not available in my size!!) This basket site (!!!) recommended by
Really trying to learn crocheting 🧶 because well… fall vibes but do you think this video is helpful? It’s sold out, but I’m into buying a fun leopard slip dress kinda like this one? With a nice sweater and a tiny heel sandal will be cute. (Don’t like those Doen ones, too yellow-y but you get the vibe) This plum torte was fantastic. This tibi tube top but $258 for a top seems extreme for me now. THIS instagram caption.Thank you for reading this week’s love or not to love :) I appreciate you as always, and you can follow me on Instagram megsgumis for some more fun and yum content. As always Bisous x Megumi
Thanks for giving Beyond such a lovely shoutout!